# South Dakota News Watch > An independent nonprofit that reports free, fact-based news and information important to all South Dakotans. Public Ghost content for AI and LLM tooling. This file includes a bounded export of public pages first, then recent public posts. Append `.md` to any post or page URL to get the content in Markdown (for example, `/example-post.md`). ## Pages ### About URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/about/ Last updated: 2026-09-03T18:53:11.000Z South Dakota News Watch is an independent nonprofit that reports free, fact-based news and information important to all South Dakotans. We publish fewer, more in-depth statewide stories, cover issues you won't see elsewhere and complement the local coverage provided by more than 100 great news partners: - **News, investigations** and **features** that use data, documents and interviews with experts and those impacted to reveal wrongdoing, share things going on that all South Dakotans should know about and report stories of everyday people who make this state a great place to live - **Explainers** that simplify the complex and provide context beyond the headline to show why people should care - **Solutions** stories that spread grassroots ideas that help solve some of the state’s biggest challenges. - **Fact briefs** that confirm or refute claims and check the accuracy of statements by politicians - **Guides** on how to navigate South Dakota's core institutions ## Mission statement South Dakota News Watch is an independent, nonprofit organization reporting untold stories that help South Dakotans be informed and engaged citizens. South Dakota News Watch produces investigative and public service journalism that sheds light on the issues, concerns and welfare of South Dakotans. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/08/SDNW-Logo-Horizontal-Reverse-2-1.jpg) The flame on the right side of the South Dakota News Watch logo signifies its Fourth Estate role, with the larger flame watching over the three smaller flames, which represent the executive, legislative and judicial branches of government. ## How you can trust our stories are accurate and fair We are nonpartisan and operate with independence. We aren’t beholden to special interests, public officials, political parties or corporate entities. We don’t produce commentary, editorials or express opinions. We clearly state who we talked to in each story, only cite credible sources and seek comment from all sides. Our graphics often include the raw material on which stories are based, so readers can decide for themselves if we got the story right. We abide by [**best practices policies**](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/best-practices/) that ensure integrity in every part of the operation, including journalism and donor ethics. AllSides, which produces a media bias chart, ranks us as Center: ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/02/Screenshot-2026-02-13-at-11.17.17---AM.png) AllSides rates South Dakota News Watch as being in the[ center of its bias rating](https://www.allsides.com/news-source/south-dakota-news-watch-media-bias?ref=sdnewswatch.org). ## How we're funded As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit (tax ID 81-4674814), our revenue comes from **individuals, foundations** and **news partners** that support our mission, want to have an impact, and trust our fact-based news and information. We don't sell ads or sponsorships or accept contributions from anonymous donors or elected officials. [ ![](https://widgets.guidestar.org/prod/v1/pdp/transparency-seal/9609239/svg) ](https://app.candid.org/profile/9609239/south-dakota-news-watch-81-4674814?ref=sdnewswatch.org) ## History Retired newspaper executives Jack Marsh and Randell Beck recognized that fewer newsroom resources made it harder to produce statewide coverage of important issues. They spent 2½ years researching nonprofits around the country, working with news leaders in South Dakota and raising sufficient funds. Key dates related to the founding and startup of South Dakota News Watch: - **September 2016:** Founding board of directors adopts organization bylaws - **Nov. 15, 2016:** Registered/certified as a South Dakota domestic nonprofit corporation by the South Dakota Secretary of State - **April 13, 2017:** Designated as a 501(c)(3) public charity by the federal government - **February 2018:** Began producing and sharing content Our reporting has since won awards and led to changes in public policy and passage of legislation. ****Partner with South Dakota News Watch** and support fact-based news and information. [Donate ](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/donate/) ## Memberships and affiliations Organizations to which South Dakota News Watch belongs or is affiliated: [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/08/NewsMedia_SDNALogo_Color.jpg.webp)](https://www.sdna.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/08/SDBA-logo_high-resolution.png)](https://www.sdba.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/08/MBJA_Banner_1.png)](https://midwestjournalists.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/08/MainLogo_Ink_2-1.png)](https://www.ire.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/08/RFA_flat-1.png)](https://www.reportforamerica.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/08/Solutions-Journalism-logo.png)](https://www.solutionsjournalism.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/08/inn-member-badge@2x.jpg)](https://inn.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/08/lion.jpeg)](https://lionpublishers.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/08/ona.jpeg)](https://www.journalists.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/08/RNN-Logo-Primary-lt-bg-1.jpeg)](https://ruralnewsnetwork.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/08/ija.jpeg)](https://indigenousjournalists.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/08/bee_main_blue-1.png)](https://www.spellingbee.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/08/spj.jpeg)](https://www.spj.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) ### Tax/Governance Documents URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/tax-governance-documents/ Last updated: 2025-10-15T15:23:09.000Z South Dakota News Watch, a 501(c)(3) public charity (EIN 81-4674814), is accountable to the community at large and the people who rely upon it as a trusted source of news and information. In the interest of transparency, the most recent IRS Form 990 federal tax return, legal certificates and governing documents are listed below. [ ![](https://widgets.guidestar.org/prod/v1/pdp/transparency-seal/9609239/svg) ](https://app.candid.org/profile/9609239/south-dakota-news-watch-81-4674814?ref=sdnewswatch.org) [2024 Form 9902024 Form 990.PDF692 KBdownload-circle](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/content/files/2025/10/2024-Form-990.PDF "Download") [2023 Form 9902023 Form 990.PDF442 KBdownload-circle](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/content/files/2024/12/2023-Form-990.PDF "Download") [2022 Form 9902022 Form 990.pdf159 KBdownload-circle](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/content/files/2023/12/2022-Form-990.pdf "Download") [2021 Form 9902021 Form 990.PDF150 KBdownload-circle](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/content/files/2023/12/2021-Form-990.PDF "Download") [2020 Form 9902020 Form 990.pdf130 KBdownload-circle](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/content/files/2023/12/2020-Form-990.pdf "Download") [2019 Form 9902019 Form 990.pdf256 KBdownload-circle](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/content/files/2023/12/2019-Form-990.pdf "Download") [2018 Form 9902018 Form 990.pdf1 MBdownload-circle](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/content/files/2023/12/2018-Form-990.pdf "Download") [2017 Form 9902017 Form 990.pdf75 KBdownload-circle](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/content/files/2023/12/2017-Form-990.pdf "Download") [IRS Determination LetterIRS Determination Letter.pdf4 MBdownload-circle](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/content/files/2023/12/IRS-Determination-Letter.pdf "Download") [Certificate of OrganizationCertificate of Organization.pdf12 MBdownload-circle](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/content/files/2023/12/Certificate-of-Organization.pdf "Download") [Articles of IncorporationArticles of Incorporation.pdf1005 KBdownload-circle](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/content/files/2023/12/Articles-of-Incorporation.pdf "Download") ### Supporters URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/supporters/ Last updated: 2026-01-14T23:08:12.000Z As a 501(c)(3) public charity (EIN 81-4674814), South Dakota News Watch relies on the financial support of its readers, foundations and nonprofits that support independent journalism and on some of its more than 100 media partners that can republish stories at no cost. Membership isn't like a subscription to some media organizations. Everyone who donates at any level becomes a member of a community that shares a passion for truth, democracy and civic engagement. Every gift makes a difference, but recurring or pledged monthly or annual donations build long-term sustainability, which helps us tell more impacting stories. [**Join others in supporting statewide storytelling**](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). Click the title or drop-down arrow of each category below that alphabetically lists all supporters from last year. News Watch is grateful and very much appreciates every donation. [ ![](https://widgets.guidestar.org/prod/v1/pdp/transparency-seal/9609239/svg) ](https://app.candid.org/profile/9609239/south-dakota-news-watch-81-4674814?ref=sdnewswatch.org) #### Individual-Leaders Circle ($5,000 and more) Ben & Sara Arndt Marci & John Burdick Bill & Judy Duhamel Dana & LaDawn Dykhouse Eddie & Christine Hamilton Joe & Jennifer Kirby Kevin & Peggy Kirby Dan & Arlene Kirby De & Dave Knudson Sharon Ludwick Warner Martha Nelson Larry Ness Scott & Staci Stern Blair & Linda Tremere #### Individual-First Amendment Society ($1,000-$4,999) Randell & Linda Beck Mary Kay Blake Verna Kay Bormann John Brockelsby Dick Brown Greg & Sheri Carmon Milt & Chris Carter David & Marcia Chicoine John & Luann Clarke Paul & Mary Ellen Connelly Gary Conradi Phil Currie Kent & Carolyn Cutler Tom Dempster Joel & Vicki Dykstra Kris & Steve Egger Steve & Michelle Erpenbach Douglas Estes Dale Froehlich Suzanne Fuller Alicia Garcia Sid Goss Evelyn Griesse Roger & Allyson Heidenreich Jan Hovey Johnson Don Jacobs Debra Jensen Rick & Marcia Kahler Katherine Kinsman & Steve Zellmer Gregory LaFollette Jack & Betty Marsh Gene & Susan McGowan Pat & Kathy McGreevy Michael & Sandra McNeely Judith Meierhenry Debbie & Dean Mertz Robert & Shirlee Miller Curt & Kim Mortenson Gina Nania & David Gwinn Jim & Mary Lou Paulson Charles & Carrie Pulliam Tim & Karen Raben Travis & Kristen Rhoades Ray & Mary Ring Mark & Ronda Roby Greg Sands Steve & Kathy Sanford Roger Schat Paul & Koni Schiller Timothy Schreiner Margaret "Peg" Seljeskog Jan & Dave Snyder Dean & Rita Sorenson Karen Stuck Bob & Joan Thimjon Ann Thompson Blair Titze & Nancy Oviatt Titze Janelle & Dan Toman Joan Trygstad Dr. Loren & Jean Tschetter Nancy Turbak Berry Carson Walker Tom Warner Fred Whiting Chuck & Norma Wise #### Individual-Members ($1-$999) Richard Abdoo Eric Abrahamson & Lois Facer Jenny Adair Kent & Luanne Alberty Douglas Allen Franklin Amundson David Andersen Joanne Anderson Mary Arnold Sandra Auch Don Barnett Roger Baron Joe & Laurie Bauer Sarah Becker Laurie Becvar Charles Berdahl Sue Bergheim Jon & Deborah Beringer Karen Best Mark Bjorneberg Norman & Melanie Bliss Dick & Jane Bohy Julie Bolding Mary Boots Sharon Boschee Gregory Brazeal CC Brechtelsbauer Ramon & Susan Brende Janet Brown Gordon Budahl Susan Burgard Mary Burnett Larry & Deb Burnight Bob Burns & Mary LaHood Robert Butterbrodt Diane Carmon Michael Catalano Malcom & Cheryl Chapman Paul Christensen Josh Clayton Linda Clement Pamela Cole Avis & Rodney Converse John & Vera Cooper Sam & Patricia Cordes Edward Corwin Mike Costanzo Jeanne Cowan Margaret Crew John Cunningham Wanda Dahlstrom Trevor Dean Susan Dingle Lois Doyle Dan Doyle Mary Duenwald Thiele Dunaway Hayden Dwire Egon Dzintars Dorothea Edgington Margaret Egan Jodene Ehrich Ann Eichinger Doyle Estes & Kathryn Johnson David Feller Jason Ferguson Mark Fiegen Kristin Flora Vince & Patty Foley Michael Franzen Robert Frieberg Julie Friesen Jacqualyn Fuller Thomas Garry Daniel & Candace Garry Nancy Gausman Andrew Geraets Paul & Claire Gillaspey John & Pat Gors Denni Green Renae Green Martha Gregg Samuel Gross Charlie Gross Kathy Grow Deborah Hagemeier Alex & Blayne Hagen Doug & Anne Hajek Mark & Nancy Hallenbeck Richard Hammond Sybille & Ken Hanson Tena Haraldson Jacob Harris Carolyne Hart Christy Heacock Jean Healy Tom Helland Mike Henriksen Marnie Herrmann Colette Hesla Cara & Daren Hetland Nancy Hilding Marilyn Hildreth Leslie Hildyard Stewart Hines William Hoff Linda Hoffelt Paul Horsted Barbara Horton Carrie Howard William Howard Mike Huber Roger Hubregtse Jon Hunter Julie Iverson Robert Jeffrey John Jensen Mary Johnson Vesta Wells Johnson Terry & Diane Johnson Daniel Johnson Jennifer Johnson Barb Johnson Nancy Johnson Craig Johnson Nick Jones Rick & Lorna Jost Tom Katus Bethany Keeney Mary Keithahn Craig Kennedy Judith Kennedy Victoria Kingslien Janet Kittams Ardelle Kleinsasser Julia Kleinschmit Kathryn Kling Robert & Jane Kolbe Carroll & Dennyce Korb Nick Kotzea William Koupal Mary Kraljic Larry Kueter Jim Kutil Dwayne LaFave Troy Larson Rich Lauer Connie Law James Leach Judith Lee Thomas Lee Roger & Cleone Leistra Keith Lindblom Nichole Hammond Linehan Paul Lloyd-Davies Keith & Lori Long Katherine Looby Tom Lorang Amy Lorenzen Mark Lounsbery Naomi Ludeman Smith Brenda Ludens Jeanelle Lust Joan Mahoney Bruce & Dianne Mair Janie Marlborough Mark & Elizabeth Massa Jeffrey Masten James Mathis Frank Lawler & Ann McCurdy Patrick McGowan Connie McKnight Marilyn Mcleod Cynthia & Bob McNeill Todd Mechling Linda Mellegard Bob & Linda Meyer Kevin Miles Mark Millage Rebecca Millan Steve Miller Franklin Mills Jane Miner Beverly Moore Beverly Morris Ted Muenster Debra Muller Janice & Michael Mullin Casey Murschel Barry Nelson L Bruce Nelson Douglas Nicolai Terry & Linda Nielsen Kathryn Nordstrom David Ode Mary Olinger James Oliver Roy Olsen Charles Olson Michael Olson Bert & Cindy Olson Charles Parkinson Judith Payne Barbra Pechous Dorothy Pence Carl & Sheryl Perry John & Gayle Petersen Casey & Kathy Peterson Debra Piper Dennis Popp John Porter Allison Prang Tate Profilet & Mary DeJong Chuck & Sandy Raasch Edward Rada Catherine Ratliff Debbie Renner Geralynn Renner Betsy Rice Mike & Kathleen Ridder Pat Riepel Tim Riker Elaine Roberts Don & Kelly Roby Steven Rothe Susan Ruedebusch Robert & Paula Ruedebusch Arthur & Lana Rusch Lynn Ryan Drey Samuelson Susan Sanders Karon Schaack Donald Schaefer Chere Schatz Jeff Scherschligt Jeslyn Schmidt Tabitha Schochenmaier Lee & Donna Schoenbeck Roger & Shirley Schuller Glen Severson Dana Shaw Wes & Debi Shelton Scott & Deb Shephard John Simko Kylee Simonson Sisseton Courier Margaret Skillman Prudence Slaathaug Burton & Jacqueline Sly Debra Smith Mike Smith Gary Smith-Keller Jim Snyder Barbara Soderlin Alan Stager Hans Stephenson Keith Steva Ron & Penny Stover Haven Stuck David Stucke David Super Bob & Trish Swanhorst Jerry K. Sweeney Chuck & Peg Swick Vickie Sylvester Dick Thomas Wendell & Marlys Thompson Kathleen Trandahl Ray & Kathy Trankle Henry Travers Kathy & Tim Tyler Bernadette & John Usera Paul Van Buren Linda Lea Viken Jerry Van Vliet Corliss Wahl Richard Wahlstrom Bill Walsh & Jo Pearson Tim & Mary Waltner Dean Warlin Warren Weller Henry Whitney Marc Wiitala Vickie Wilbur Maren Williams Stephen Williamson Jerry & Norma Wilson Barbara Wood Kevin Woster John & Margie Wrede Carol Wuertz Bill & Cathy Zubke #### Foundations and nonprofits Augustana University Center for Western Studies Chiesman Center for Democracy at the University of South Dakota Gigafact Foundation Institute for Nonprofit News NewsMatch Institute for Nonprofit News Rural News Network League of Women Voters of South Dakota Press Forward Report for America Scripps Howard Journalism Internship Solutions Journalism Network South Dakota Bar Foundation South Dakota Humanities Council South Dakota State University Foundation #### Media partners Black Hills Pioneer Custer County Chronicle (Jason Ferguson) The Garretson Gazette (Carrie and Garrick Moritz) Grant County Review Gray Media Hamlin County Publishing Highmore Herald The HomeSlice Group Marshall County Journal Ravellette Publications Sisseton Courier Timber Lake Topic True Dakotan (Kristi Hine) Yankton Media Read South Dakota News Watch's [best practices policies](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/best-practices/), which include ethical, journalistic, financial and personal guidelines as well as its [tax and governance documents](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/tax-governance-documents/). ### Home URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/home/ Last updated: 2024-04-01T21:38:42.000Z _No content available._ ### Best Practices Policies URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/best-practices/ Last updated: 2026-09-03T18:56:38.000Z South Dakota News Watch's best practices policies, which include ethical, journalistic, financial and personal guidelines: #### Preamble South Dakota News Watch is a nonprofit, nonpartisan digital news site covering stories about South Dakota. South Dakota News Watch upholds the values of free speech and a free press for all South Dakotans and their communities. As a result, South Dakota communities are better informed to improve all aspects of community wellness, including health, education, governance, economics and culture. Whereas, our reporting shall respect and not diminish culture, traditions, and values sacred to all state residents, both those who have been here for generations and newcomers from other places. Whereas, South Dakotans have a constitutional right to seek truth and exercise the public’s right to information. Therefore, South Dakota News Watch is resolved to maintain the highest standards of credible, ethical and independent journalism in service to South Dakota communities. #### Mission statement, coverage priorities and area ****Mission statement:** South Dakota News Watch is an independent, nonprofit organization reporting untold stories that help South Dakotans be informed and engaged citizens. South Dakota News Watch produces investigative and public service journalism that sheds light on the issues, concerns and welfare of South Dakotans. ****Coverage priorities:** agriculture, business, education, environment, fact briefs, family, government/politics, health, Indigenous, justice, lifestyle, rural, solutions and tourism. ****Coverage area:** South Dakota #### Ownership structure, funding and editorial independence South Dakota News Watch, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, is committed to [transparency in our ownership structure and funding sources](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/tax-governance-documents/). We cite potential conflicts of interest on the same page as the relevant work. We accept gifts, grants and sponsorships from individuals, organizations and foundations to help with our general operations, coverage of specific topics and special projects. Our news judgments are made independently – not based on or influenced by donors. We do not give supporters the rights to assign, review or edit content. South Dakota News Watch [discloses all donors](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/supporters/). As a nonprofit, we will not accept donations from anonymous sources, government entities, political parties, elected officials or candidates actively seeking public office. We will not accept donations from sources who, deemed by our board of directors, present a conflict of interest with our work or compromise our independence. South Dakota News Watch retains full authority over editorial content to protect the best journalistic and business interests of our organization. We maintain a firewall between news coverage decisions and sources of revenue. Acceptance of financial support does not constitute implied or actual endorsement of donors or their products, services or opinions. South Dakota News Watch may consider donations to support the coverage of particular topics, but our organization maintains editorial control of the coverage. We will cede no right of review or influence of editorial content, nor of unauthorized distribution of editorial content. #### Founding and history Key dates related to the founding and startup of South Dakota News Watch: - September 2016: Founding board of directors adopts organization bylaws. - Nov. 15, 2016: Registered/certified as a South Dakota domestic nonprofit corporation by the South Dakota Secretary of State. - April 13, 2017: Designated as a 501(c)(3) public charity by the federal government. - February 2018: Began producing and sharing content. #### Leadership and newsroom contact A [board of directors](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/board/) from journalism and non-journalism backgrounds governs the organization. [The staff](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/staff/) is led by CEO Carson Walker, who has more than 35 years of experience in journalism and communications. He oversees both editorial and business operations and recuses himself from work on stories with a potential conflict. News Watch's editorial standards require a separation and he abides by it. If you have questions, concerns or suggestions regarding news coverage, our mission or any other of these best practices, please contact the CEO at [carson.walker@sdnewswatch.org](mailto: carson.walker@sdnewswatch.org) or 605-610-9366 (call or text). #### Ethics policy South Dakota News Watch's journalists strive to be accurate, fair and nonpartisan. They may vote but may not contribute time or money to or advocate for candidates, ballot measures or political causes. Our journalists abide by the [Society of Professional Journalists Code of Ethics](https://www.spj.org/ethicscode.asp?ref=sdnewswatch.org): ****Preamble** Members of the Society of Professional Journalists believe that public enlightenment is the forerunner of justice and the foundation of democracy. Ethical journalism strives to ensure the free exchange of information that is accurate, fair and thorough. An ethical journalist acts with integrity. The Society declares these four principles as the foundation of ethical journalism and encourages their use in its practice by all people in all media. ****Seek truth and report it** Ethical journalism should be accurate and fair. Journalists should be honest and courageous in gathering, reporting and interpreting information. Journalists should: - Take responsibility for the accuracy of their work. Verify information before releasing it. Use original sources whenever possible. - Remember that neither speed nor format excuses inaccuracy. - Provide context. Take special care not to misrepresent or oversimplify in promoting, previewing or summarizing a story. - Gather, update and correct information throughout the life of a news story. - Be cautious when making promises but keep the promises they make. - Identify sources clearly. The public is entitled to as much information as possible to judge the reliability and motivations of sources. - Consider sources’ motives before promising anonymity. Reserve anonymity for sources who may face danger, retribution or other harm, and have information that cannot be obtained elsewhere. Explain why anonymity was granted. - Diligently seek subjects of news coverage to allow them to respond to criticism or allegations of wrongdoing. - Avoid undercover or other surreptitious methods of gathering information unless traditional, open methods will not yield information vital to the public. - Be vigilant and courageous about holding those with power accountable. Give voice to the voiceless. - Support the open and civil exchange of views, even views they find repugnant. - Recognize a special obligation to serve as watchdogs over public affairs and government. Seek to ensure that the public’s business is conducted in the open, and that public records are open to all. - Provide access to source material when it is relevant and appropriate. - Boldly tell the story of the diversity and magnitude of the human experience. Seek sources whose voices we seldom hear. - Avoid stereotyping. Journalists should examine the ways their values and experiences may shape their reporting. - Label advocacy and commentary. - Never deliberately distort facts or context, including visual information. Clearly label illustrations and re-enactments. - Never plagiarize. Always attribute. ****Minimize harm** Ethical journalism treats sources, subjects, colleagues and members of the public as human beings deserving of respect. Journalists should: - Balance the public’s need for information against potential harm or discomfort. Pursuit of the news is not a license for arrogance or undue intrusiveness. - Show compassion for those who may be affected by news coverage. Use heightened sensitivity when dealing with juveniles, victims of sex crimes, and sources or subjects who are inexperienced or unable to give consent. Consider cultural differences in approach and treatment. - Recognize that legal access to information differs from an ethical justification to publish or broadcast. - Realize that private people have a greater right to control information about themselves than public figures and others who seek power, influence or attention. Weigh the consequences of publishing or broadcasting personal information. - Avoid pandering to lurid curiosity, even if others do. - Balance a suspect’s right to a fair trial with the public’s right to know. Consider the implications of identifying criminal suspects before they face legal charges. - Consider the long-term implications of the extended reach and permanence of publication. Provide updated and more complete information as appropriate. ****Act independently** The highest and primary obligation of ethical journalism is to serve the public. Journalists should: - Avoid conflicts of interest, real or perceived. Disclose unavoidable conflicts. - Refuse gifts, favors, fees, free travel and special treatment, and avoid political and other outside activities that may compromise integrity or impartiality, or may damage credibility. - Be wary of sources offering information for favors or money; do not pay for access to news. Identify content provided by outside sources, whether paid or not. - Deny favored treatment to advertisers, donors or any other special interests, and resist internal and external pressure to influence coverage. - Distinguish news from advertising and shun hybrids that blur the lines between the two. Prominently label sponsored content. ****Be accountable and transparent** Ethical journalism means taking responsibility for one's work and explaining one’s decisions to the public. Journalists should: - Explain ethical choices and processes to audiences. Encourage a civil dialogue with the public about journalistic practices, coverage and news content. - Respond quickly to questions about accuracy, clarity and fairness. - Acknowledge mistakes and correct them promptly and prominently. Explain corrections and clarifications carefully and clearly. - Expose unethical conduct in journalism, including within their organizations. - Abide by the same high standards they expect of others. #### Diverse voices policy Inclusiveness is at the heart of thinking and acting like a journalist. The complex issues we face as a society require respect for different viewpoints. Race (ethnicity), class, generation, gender, ideology and geography all affect a point of view. Reflecting these differences in our reporting leads to better, more nuanced stories and a better-informed community. We are interested in hearing from different ethnic, civic and business groups in the communities we serve. Please let us know about stories you think we should cover: Call or text 605-215-6225 or email [info@sdnewswatch.org](mailto:info@sdnewswatch.org). #### ****Staffing, benefits and workplace culture** South Dakota News Watch maintains a workplace that is collaborative, equitable, inclusive and provides staff members with the opportunity for professional growth. We are dedicated to reflecting the people we cover. We are an equal-opportunity employer and prohibit discrimination and harassment of any kind. All employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, or any other status protected under applicable law. The organization seeks diverse voices in its board, management and staff by prioritizing diversity in internships, recruitment, hiring and collaboration. We value our staff and believe in paying salaries that reflect their talent as well as benefits that care for them and their families. Those include: - Paid Wellmark Blue Cross Blue Shield high-deductible health plan and HealthEquity health savings account with buy-up option to traditional copay and family plans - Paid dental insurance - Paid vision insurance - $25,000 of life insurance / $50,000 for accidental death or dismemberment - 401(k) plan with employer match of up to 3.5% - Eight paid holidays and 15 days paid time off that increases over time - Cash card for expenses and mileage reimbursement at IRS rate to ensure professional obligations to impede personal finances #### Verification and fact-checking standards South Dakota News Watch commits to doing its best to publish accurate information across all of its content. We take many steps to ensure accuracy: We investigate claims with skepticism; question assumptions; challenge conventional wisdom; confirm information with experts; and seek to corroborate what sources tell us by talking with other informed people or consulting documents. We verify content, such as technical terms and stats, against source documents or make clear who is providing the information. We may share relevant components of a story with a primary source or an outside expert to verify them. We stand by the information as accurate, and if it's not, we will change it as quickly as possible and be transparent with our readers about the magnitude of the error. We guide our journalists to ask the following questions when they double-check information in a quest for the truth: - How do you know? - How can you be sure? - Where is the evidence? - Who is the source, and how does the source know? - What is the supporting documentation? We include the name and contact information for the reporter on each story we publish. We welcome feedback from our readers and sources regarding the information that we publish by calling or texting 605-215-6225 or emailing [info@sdnewswatch.org](mailto:info@sdnewswatch.org). #### Unnamed sources policy South Dakota News Watch avoids using anonymous sources by working the story until the information can be confirmed. If an unnamed source were used, the top editor must sign off on it and the situation must abide by the standard outlined in [The Associated Press Stylebook](https://www.ap.org/about/news-values-and-principles/telling-the-story/?ref=sdnewswatch.org), which our journalists follow: Transparency is critical to our credibility with the public and our subscribers. Whenever possible, we pursue information on the record. When a newsmaker insists on background or off-the-record ground rules, we must adhere to a strict set of AP guidelines and South Dakota News Watch news leadership. Under AP’s rules, ****material from anonymous sources may be used only if:** 1. The material is information and not opinion or speculation and is vital to the report. 2. The information is not available except under the conditions of anonymity imposed by the source. 3. The source is reliable and in a position to have direct knowledge of the information. Reporters who intend to use material from anonymous sources must get approval from their news manager before sending the story to the desk. The manager is responsible for vetting the material and making sure it meets AP guidelines. The manager must know the identity of the source and is obligated, like the reporter, to keep the source’s identity confidential. Only after they are assured that the source material has been vetted by a manager should editors and producers allow it to be used. ****Reporters should proceed with interviews on the assumption they are on the record.** If the source wants to set conditions, these should be negotiated at the start of the interview. At the end of the interview, the reporter should try once again to move onto the record some or all of the information that was given on a background basis. ****News Watch seeks and requires more than one source when sourcing is anonymous.** Stories should be held while attempts are made to reach additional sources for confirmation or elaboration. In rare cases, one source will be sufficient – when material comes from an authoritative figure who provides information so detailed that there is no question of its accuracy. We must explain in the story why the source requested anonymity. And, when it’s relevant, we must describe the source’s motive for disclosing the information. If the story hinges on documents, as opposed to interviews, the reporter must describe how the documents were obtained, at least to the extent possible. The story also must provide attribution that establishes the source’s credibility; simply quoting “a source” is not allowed. We should be as descriptive as possible: “according to top White House aides” or “a senior official in the British Foreign Office.” The description of a source must never be altered without consulting the reporter. We must not say that a person declined comment when that person the person is already quoted anonymously. And we should not attribute information to anonymous sources when it is obvious or well known. We should just state the information as fact. Stories that use anonymous sources must carry a reporter’s byline. If a reporter other than the bylined staffer contributes anonymous material to a story, that reporter should be given credit as a contributor to the story. All complaints and questions about the authenticity or veracity of anonymous material – from inside or outside News Watch – must be promptly brought to the news manager’s attention. Not everyone understands “off the record” or “on background” to mean the same things. Before any interview in which any degree of anonymity is expected, there should be a discussion in which the ground rules are set explicitly. ****These are the AP’s definitions on anonymity:** ****On the record:** The information can be used with no caveats, quoting the source by name. ****Off the record:** The information cannot be used for publication. ****Background:** The information can be published but only under conditions negotiated with the source. Generally, the sources do not want their names published but will agree to a description of their position. Reporters should object vigorously when a source wants to brief a group of reporters on background and try to persuade the source to put the briefing on the record. ****Deep background:** The information can be used but without attribution. The source does not want to be identified in any way, even on condition of anonymity. In general, information obtained under any of these circumstances can be pursued with other sources to be placed on the record. #### Corrections policy South Dakota News Watch is committed to telling readers when an error has been made, the magnitude of the error and the correct information as quickly as possible. This commitment and transparency are applicable to small errors as well as large, short news summaries as well as large stories. If our audiences cannot trust us to get the small things right, they can't trust us on the big things. As much as we strive to be accurate, mistakes happen. But correcting them and alerting our readers and donors demonstrates credibility. ****Here's how to handle corrections:** 1. Once a correction is identified, alert the editor to discuss. 2. Make the change(s) in the story and add a note in italics at the top of the story for significant errors or at the end indicating what was done and when and republish. Use this format: **“* **Correction on DATE:** *STATE THE CORRECTED INFORMATION. An earlier version of this story incorrectly GENERALLY DESCRIBE THE ERROR, INCLUDING IF IT HAPPENED DURING THE EDITING PROCESS.”* 3. Correct all news partner versions, add the note and have the editor resend that email. 4. If the mistake was also made in the reader email, have the editor make the correction, note it at the top and resend. 5. If a correction involves a source, contact them, offer your apologies and let them know how it’s being corrected. Readers should report possible errors to 605-215-6225 (call/text) or [info@sdnewswatch.org](mailto: info@sdnewswatch.org). #### Artificial intelligence policy Generative artificial intelligence is the use of large language models to create something new, such as text, images, graphics and interactive media. Although generative AI has the potential to improve newsgathering, it also has the potential to harm journalists’ credibility and our unique relationship with our audience. South Dakota News Watch's only use of AI currently is to transcribe audio interviews that are then verified by the journalist for accuracy. As we proceed, the following four core values [developed by Poynter](https://www.poynter.org/ai-ethics-journalism/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) will guide our work. These principles apply explicitly to the newsroom and throughout other non-news departments including events, marketing and development. ****Transparency** (internal and external) Externally, if we publish any content in which AI was used, such as for analyzing data, we will tell our audience. We will work with editors and designers to create the proper disclosures. This may be a short tagline, a caption or credit, or for something more substantial, like an editor’s note. When appropriate, we will include the prompts that fed into the model to generate the material. Internally, it will be clear to our peers and our bosses whenever we are using generative AI. This will facilitate collective learning and help us create applicable, transitory policies as the technologies evolve. Are you using AI to do research, generate headlines, comb through public databases? Make sure your boss knows. ****Accuracy and human verification** All information generated by AI requires human verification. Everything we publish will live up to our standards of verification. Increasingly in all of our work, it is important to be explicit about how we know that facts are facts. This will be particularly important when using AI. For example, an editor should review prompts, and any other inputs used to generate a story or other material. And, everything should be replicable. ****Audience service** Our work in AI should be guided by what will be useful to our audience as we serve them. We have made a promise to our audience to provide them with information that, according to our mission statement, "help South Dakotans be informed and engaged citizens ... and sheds light on the issues, concerns and welfare of South Dakotans." ****Exploration** With the three previous principles as our foundation, we will embrace exploration and experimentation. #### ****Staff, collaborator and news agency bylines** and credit All South Dakota News Watch stories carry the reporter's byline. If another staffer contributes to the story, they will get credit in the byline or tagline at the bottom of the story. On some pages, you may see bylines or credit lines from news agencies or collaborators rather than South Dakota News Watch staff. We trust The Associated Press (AP) news agency and our news partners to help us cover issues as fully as possible and to adhere to the highest journalistic standards. Our news partners include journalists from South Dakota newspapers, broadcasters and online organizations that collaborate in the reporting of some stories. AP is an independent, not-for-profit news cooperative, serving member newspapers and broadcasters in the U.S. and other customers around the world. Learn more about policies and standards in AP's[ Statement of News Values and Principles](https://www.ap.org/about/news-values-and-principles/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). #### ****Public engagement policy and activities** Our readers are a frontline witness to life in South Dakota -- public safety, politics, housing, social movements, schools and culture -- and their insights can help shape our coverage. We believe that news organizations have a responsibility to engage with their audience and community on the values, issues and ideas of the day, and that we have much to gain in return. We invite your comments and complaints on news stories, suggestions for issues and events to cover or sources to consult, as well as your participation in our virtual and in-person policy conversations and town hall meetings. ****Here are some ways to help us cover South Dakota:** - Leave [feedback at the bottom of each news story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) and ask questions about angles not covered. - [Sign up for our email](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) because we use it to periodically send out surveys of our readers. We'll also use it to send invitations to virtual (Zoom) and in-person conversations and town hall meetings. - Engage with us on social media: [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/south-dakota-news-watch?ref=sdnewswatch.org), [X/Twitter](https://x.com/SDNewsWatch?ref=sdnewswatch.org), [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/SDNewsWatch.org/), [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/sdnewswatch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org), [Threads](https://www.threads.net/@sdnewswatch?ref=sdnewswatch.org) and [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcVjz2Kh15AD68f9ZRD-IIg?ref=sdnewswatch.org). - If you have questions, concerns or suggestions regarding news coverage, our mission or any other of these best practices, contact CEO Carson Walker at [carson.walker@sdnewswatch.org](mailto:carson.walker@sdnewswatch.org) or 605-610-9366 (call or text). #### Datelines South Dakota News Watch follows The Associated Press Stylebook guidance on dateline (location) selection: A dateline should tell the reader that News Watch obtained the basic information for the story in the datelined place. When a story has been assembled from sources in widely separated areas, or when a reporter gathered the material remotely, it is acceptable to use no dateline. Datelines should convey the spirit of the reporting; they are not restricted to cities and towns. Census-designated places, townships, parks, counties or datelines such as BADLANDS NATIONAL PARK, S.D. or ROSEBUD INDIAN RESERVATION, S.D. may be used if appropriate. But do not designate neighborhoods or other places within a better-known jurisdiction as the dateline. For bylined stories, a reporter must be reporting from the dateline on the story. When there are multiple bylines, at least one reporter must have been at the scene, and a note at the end of the story should explain the locations of all bylined reporters. If the story has no dateline, no note is needed at the end of the story explaining the reporters’ locations. #### Story labels Here are the types of stories South Dakota News Watch produces and the labels used for each: - ****Behind the story/transparency:** Why and how a story was reported. - ****Explainer:** Context, background and details of the story. - ****Fact check/brief:** A check of something asserted as fact or a brief that refutes or confirms a claim with supporting information and additional evidence and context. - ****Help us report:** Asks for input, insights, clarifications, anecdotes, documentation or other information to assist on a story. - ****Investigation or enterprise:** In-depth examination of a subject requiring extensive research and resources. - ****News:** Story based on facts verified by knowledgeable sources. Forms the foundation of what we do, so these are published without a special label. - ****News service:** Produced externally by an organization we trust to adhere to high journalistic standards. - ****Poll:** Story based on a scientific poll. For guidance, see **The Associated Press Stylebook* section Polls and Surveys, p. 294 in 57th edition. - ****Q&A:** An interview to provide a relevant perspective, edited for clarity and not fully fact-checked. - ****Solution:** A story or series that shares solutions to the state's biggest challenges, recognizing that the best problem-solving happens when the people impacted the most develop ideas and spread what they know. #### References and methods ****References** Stories carrying the investigative label will include a references section at the end that offers clear and traceable source material in these formats: - ****Documents:** Author. Title. Source work (newspaper, book, white paper, etc.), pages if relevant, date. (Embed hyperlink) - ****People:** Name (link to bio or LinkedIn page), title and organization or role (e.g., student), date of interview. ****Methods** Investigative or especially controversial stories will also include a section at the end that explains the methods South Dakota News Watch used in reporting the story, including why it was pursued, who worked on it and how they went about it. #### Privacy policy South Dakota News Watch abides by the same privacy policy as the Institute for Nonprofit News to explain how we collect, use, protect and share information when you use our sdnewswatch.org website (the “Site“) or when you use any of our services (the “Services“). By using the Site or Services you consent to this Privacy Policy. ****Information We Collect** ****Personally Identifiable Information.** We may collect or have access to information that personally identifies you, such as your name and email address, from time to time only if you choose to share such information with us. For example, we may have access to your name and email address when you blog using the Site or Services. ****Site Usage Data.** We automatically collect anonymous usage data regarding the actions you take on the Site. For example, each time you use the Site we automatically collect the type of Web browser you use, your operating system, your Internet Service Provider, your IP address, the pages you view, and the time and duration of your visits to the Site. This data does not identify, contact, or precisely locate any individual. We use this data to help us understand how people use the Site and Services, and to enhance the services we offer. ****Cookies and Web Beacons.** We may use cookies (a small text file placed on your computer to identify your computer and browser) and other tracking technologies to improve the quality of the Site or Services. Most web browsers are initially set up to accept cookies. You can reset your web browser to refuse all cookies or to indicate when a cookie is being sent. However, certain features of the Site or Services may not work if you delete or disable cookies. Some of our “Service Providers” (as defined below) may use their own cookies and other tracking technologies in connection with the services they perform on our behalf, as explained in more detail below. ****How We Use and Share Information** ****General.** We use information we collect for internal purposes only, such as providing the Services. We will not sell, share, or rent your personally identifiable information to third parties, and we will not otherwise disclose your personally identifiable information to third parties, without your permission, except as expressly disclosed in this Privacy Policy. ****Service Providers.** From time to time, we might establish a business relationship with third parties whom we believe trustworthy and whom we have asked to confirm that their privacy practices are consistent with ours (“Service Providers“). For example, we may contract with Service Providers to provide certain services, such as web analytics tools, newsletter and list management services, web hosting, and web and application development. We provide our Service Providers with the information needed for them to perform these services. Each Service Provider must agree to implement and maintain reasonable security procedures and practices appropriate to the nature of the information involved in order to protect your information from unauthorized access, destruction, use, modification, or disclosure. Google Analytics and other web analytics services are some of our Service Providers. The web analytics services use “cookies” and other tracking technologies to help analyze how users use our Site. They do not collect personally identifiable information. The information generated by the cookie about your use of the Site (including your IP address) will be transmitted to and stored by the web analytics services. The web analytics services will use this information for the purpose of evaluating your use of the Site, compiling reports on Site activity for us, and providing other services relating to Site activity and Internet usage. The web analytics services may also transfer this information to third parties where required to do so by law, or where such third parties process the information on their behalf. You may refuse the use of cookies by selecting the appropriate settings on your browser, however, please note that if you do this you may not be able to use the full functionality of the Site. ****Anonymous Data.** We may use, and disclose to third parties, anonymous data regarding the Site and Services (e.g., number of visits, page views, frequency, number, time, and other data related to ads delivered, and other usage metrics) without your permission. However, such data does not identify you or any other individual. ****Other Transfers.** We may share information with businesses controlling, controlled by, or under common control with South Dakota News Watch. If South Dakota News Watch is merged, acquired, or sold, or in the event of a transfer of some or all of our assets, we may disclose or transfer information in connection with such transaction. You will have the opportunity to opt out of any such transfer if, in our discretion, the new entity plans to handle your information in a way that differs materially from this Privacy Policy. ****Compliance with Laws and Law Enforcement.** South Dakota News Watch cooperates with government and law enforcement officials and private parties to enforce and comply with the law. We may disclose information to government or law enforcement officials or private parties if, in our discretion, we believe it is necessary or appropriate in order to respond to legal requests (including court orders and subpoenas), to protect the safety, property, or rights of South Dakota News Watch or of any third party, to prevent or stop any illegal, unethical, or legally actionable activity, or to comply with the law or legal process. ****Third Party Websites** The Site or Services may contain links to websites or content operated and maintained by third parties, over which we have no control. You access such third-party websites or content at your own risk. You should always read the privacy policy of a third-party website before disclosing any information to the website. ****Security** We maintain physical, electronic, and procedural safeguards to protect the confidentiality and security of personally identifiable information and other information transmitted to us. However, no data transmission over the Internet or other network can be guaranteed to be 100% secure. As a result, while we strive to protect information transmitted on or through the Site or Services, we cannot and do not guarantee the security of any information you transmit on or through the Site or Services, and you do so at your own risk. ****Children’s Privacy Statement** We do not knowingly collect information from children under the age of 13\. If we become aware that we have inadvertently received information from a child under the age of 13, we will delete such information from our records. Because we do not knowingly collect any information from children under the age of 13, we also do not knowingly distribute such information to third parties. ****Privacy Policy Changes** From time to time, we may change this Privacy Policy. If we decide to change this Privacy Policy, we will inform you by posting the revised Privacy Policy on the Site. Those changes will go into effect on the Revision Date shown at the top of the revised Privacy Policy. Your continued use of the Site or Services constitutes your consent to the revised Privacy Policy. Please contact us at 605-215-6225 (call/text) or [info@sdnewswatch.org](mailto: info@sdnewswatch.org) with questions or concerns. ****Partner with South Dakota News Watch** and support fact-based news and information. [Donate ](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/donate/) [ ![](https://widgets.guidestar.org/prod/v1/pdp/transparency-seal/9609239/svg) ](https://app.candid.org/profile/9609239/south-dakota-news-watch-81-4674814?ref=sdnewswatch.org) ### Staff and Freelancers (bugged, don't use) URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/staff-old/ Last updated: 2025-06-20T16:24:18.000Z South Dakota News Watch is staffed by a chief executive officer, investigative journalists, freelance journalists and interns. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/Walker_Carson_MUG_RGB_02-1.jpg) **Carson Walker** **Title:** chief executive officer **Contact:** 605-610-9366 / [carson.walker@sdnewswatch.org](mailto:carson.walker@sdnewswatch.org) **Language spoken:** English **Demographic expertise:** South Dakota and its people. Walker has traveled the entire state extensively throughout his journalism career and understands the uniqueness of all regions, including rural areas, small towns, cities and reservations **Topic expertise:** Government, politics, crime and the legal system, Indigenous issues, the environment, agriculture, business, education, health care, religion, editing, investigative journalism, leadership, innovation **Biography:** Walker, an Iowa native, was inspired to go into journalism in his teens as a newspaper carrier for The Des Moines Register*,* his first job. He was a radio announcer and reporter while studying journalism and political science at Colorado State University. Walker began his career as a reporter, photojournalist, producer and anchor at KDLT-TV in Sioux Falls, where he also served as news director after six years as a beat reporter at the Argus Leader. His experience includes 17 years at The Associated Press as a writer, broadcast editor and news editor in South Dakota, and an editor and supervisor on the national filing desk in Phoenix. He also held communications and video positions at the University of South Dakota and Sanford Health, where he launched and managed a crowdsourcing platform for the innovations team. Walker lives in Sioux Falls, has four adult children and one grandchild, and runs, cycles, hikes and skis. **Professional memberships:** Investigative Reporters and Editors, Society of Professional Journalists, Online News Association, Downtown Sioux Falls Rotary, Startup Sioux Falls **Social platforms:** [X/Twitter](https://x.com/carsonjw?ref=sdnewswatch.org); [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/carsonwalker/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) **Archive of work:** [South Dakota News Watch](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/author/carson/); [Muck Rack](https://muckrack.com/carson-walker/portfolio?ref=sdnewswatch.org); [Sanford Health News](https://news.sanfordhealth.org/author/carson-walker/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) --- ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/bart-pfankuch-200x300-1.jpg) **Bart Pfankuch** **Title:** content director / investigative reporter **Contact:** 605-937-9398 / [bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org](mailto:bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org) **Language spoken:** English **Demographic expertise:** South Dakota, including the Rapid City area, the Black Hills, rural towns and reservations **Topic expertise:** agriculture, state government, education, rural issues, Indigenous people, poverty **Potential conflict of interest:** Pfankuch serves on the board of the Oyate Prevention Coalition in Rapid City, which works to prevent substance abuse among Native American youth. He will recuse himself from reporting on the organization. **Biography:** Pfankuch (pronounced FAN-cook) is Wisconsin native and former editor of the Rapid City Journal. He has worked for more than 30 years as a reporter and editor at newspapers in Wisconsin, Florida and South Dakota, including as reporter or editor at the Eau Claire Leader-Telegram and Capital Times in Wisconsin, and at the Florida Times-Union and Sarasota Herald-Tribune in Florida. He also is a syndicated writing coach who has presented at newspaper conferences across the country. Pfankuch has won more than four dozen state, regional and national journalism awards, including, while at News Watch, agricultural writer of the year from the North American Agricultural Journalists association in 2020, 2021 and 2023 as well as first-place reporting awards in the Great Plains Journalism Awards sponsored by the Tulsa Press Club and South Dakota NewsMedia Association. Pfankuch lives in Black Hawk. **Professional memberships:** Investigative Reporters and Editors, North American Agricultural Journalists, South Dakota NewsMedia First Amendment Committee **Social platforms:** [X/Twitter](https://x.com/bartpfankuch1?ref=sdnewswatch.org); [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/bart-pfankuch-708a9262/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) **Archive of work:** [South Dakota News Watch](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/author/bart/) --- ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/Luther-122-2-1.jpg) **Megan Luther** **Title:** freelance investigative reporter **Contact:** [megan.luther@sdnewswatch.org](mailto:megan.luther@sdnewswatch.org) **Language spoken:** English **Demographic expertise:** central South Dakota and rural areas **Topic expertise:** rural issues, adoption, addiction, demographics and data **Potential conflict of interest:** Luther is a member of the Mitchell Area Inclusion Coalition, which works to welcome all new residents to Mitchell. Luther’s family runs independent grocery stores. She will recuse herself from reporting on the industry and organization. **Biography:** Luther has lived in South Dakota for more than three decades. She has worked in radio, TV, print and digital newsrooms, including the Argus Leader and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. She also served as editor and training director for Investigative Reporters and Editors, an educational nonprofit for journalists. Most recently, Luther was an investigative producer for InvestigateTV, the national investigation team for Gray Television stations. Luther has won multiple state, regional and national journalism awards and lives in Mitchell. **Professional memberships:** Investigative Reporters and Editors **Social platforms:** [X/Twitter; ](https://x.com/MeganLuther?ref=sdnewswatch.org)[LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/megan-luther-98063636/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/meganmluther/?hl=en&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **Archive of work:** [South Dakota News Watch](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/author/megan-luther) --- ![Michael Klinski](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/05/KlinskiMug-2-1.jpg) **Michael Klinski** **Title:** engagement specialist (freelance) **Contact:** 605-370-8568 / [michael.klinski@sdnewswatch.org](mailto:michael.klinski@sdnewswatch.org) **Languages spoken:** English and some French **Demographic expertise:** South Dakota **Topic expertise:** childcare issues, South Dakota history/current events/politics, criminal justice and crime, college and high school sports and its cultural impact in South Dakota, data journalism, graphics, charts, maps **Demographic expertise:** South Asian community (India, Pakistan, Nepal) through local cricket club, Sioux Falls immigrant and LGBTQ+ communities, Indigenous issues in western South Dakota **Biography:** Klinski brings a lifelong knowledge of South Dakota (both East River and West River) and 17 years of journalism experience to News Watch. He runs the site's social media channels and website and produces all of the interactive graphics and visual elements. Klinski was born in England on a military base and moved to Ellsworth Air Force Base when he was 2\. His family moved to Black Hawk near Rapid City when he was 4, and he graduated from Rapid City Stevens High School. He earned a degree in journalism at the University of South Dakota, where he was the editor of The Volante student newspaper. After a brief stint with the Fargo Forum, he moved to Sioux Falls to work at the Argus Leader in 2005\. He stayed there for 17 years, working as a reporter, copy editor, page designer, social media coordinator, breaking news editor, content coach, graphic designer and digital news editor. While at the Argus Leader, he was employee of the year (2014), editorial writer of the year in South Dakota (2015) and won various statewide editing and reporting awards. In 2022, he took a voluntary buyout and started working in marketing at SDN Communications, a regional business internet provider. One of his hobbies is playing cricket in Sioux Falls. He and his wife, Marsa, have four teens: twins Ian and Hayden, Emma and Ethan. **Social platform:** [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-klinski-970081b0/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) **Professional memberships:** South Dakota American Advertising Federation **Archive of work:** most South Dakota News Watch graphics --- ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/05/Melissa-Avelino-1-1.JPG) **Melissa Avelino** **Title:** Investigative reporter **Contact:** melissa.avelino@sdnewswatch.org **Languages spoken:** Portuguese and English **Biography:** Melissa Avelino dos Santos is an international student from Rio Branco, Acre, Brazil, entering her junior year at Augustana University in Sioux Falls. She received a Scripps Howard Fund Internship and is pursuing a double major in journalism, focusing on data journalism and data science, with minors in mathematics and science writing. At Augustana, Melissa has developed a passion for reporting and data-driven storytelling. As a staff journalist for the university yearbook, she has collaborated with a diverse team to cover campus events and craft compelling narratives. Her experience has sparked a growing interest in multimedia journalism and using data to uncover and explain stories that matter. Melissa brings a global perspective to her work, informed by her background and her role as a volunteer ambassador for the Augustana Cultural Exchange (ACE) program. There, she helped mentor new international students, strengthening her intercultural communication and deepening her belief in journalism’s role in fostering understanding. With a blend of technical skills and storytelling passion, Melissa aspires to become a versatile advertising and data storyteller — one who doesn’t just report facts but engages audiences through thoughtful, culturally informed narratives. --- ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/05/Emily-DeCock-2-1.JPG) **Emily DeCock** **Title:** investigative reporter **Contact:** emily.decock@sdnewswatch.org **Languages spoken:** English **Biography:** Emily DeCock is a student at South Dakota State University in Brookings majoring in journalism. In fall 2025 she will start her third and final year at SDSU, where she will serve as editor-in-chief of Collegian Media, SDSU’s student-run independent news source. Emily received the 2025 Jeffrey B. Nelson Investigative Journalism Endowed Internship and Chuck Raasch and Sandy Johnson Scholarship, which covers her tuition expenses, from the SDSU Foundation. Emily grew up in Lamberton, Minnesota. Though no journalism courses were offered at her high school, she always had a love for writing. During her second year at SDSU, she declared journalism as her major and became an editor of the Collegian. She has had amazing experiences since. She has interviewed South Dakota Gov. Larry Rhoden, reported on state and federal policies affecting students and covered numerous Students’ Association senate meetings through her position. These opportunities grew her love and understanding of the university and field of journalism. Emily believes strong student media is vital to creating inspired young journalists. As editor-in-chief, she hopes to continue the culture of exceptional student journalism at SDSU. ### Board of Directors URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/board/ Last updated: 2026-04-16T20:12:55.000Z South Dakota News Watch is governed by a board of directors with extensive experience in journalism, broadcasting, law, business, government, politics, health care, mental health, research, agriculture, academics and nonprofit leadership. ## Officers ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/Kristi-Hine.jpeg) **Kristi Hine, chair,** is editor and publisher of the True Dakotan weekly newspaper in Wessington Springs. She joined the South Dakota News Watch board in 2024, became vice chair in 2025 and chair in 2026\. She previously worked 15 years in marketing and public relations in San Diego, Las Vegas and her hometown of Phoenix. Since purchasing the True Dakotanin 2015*,* Hine has updated and modernized the look and design of the publication while broadening its digital product offerings. It is the official paper of record for Jerauld County, the Wessington Springs School District, and the cities of Alpena, Lane and Wessington Springs. Hine was the 137th president of the South Dakota NewsMedia Association in 2023-2024 and remains on that board until 2025\. --- ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/travisrhoades_sdnewswatch.png) **Travis Rhoades, treasurer,** of Sioux Falls, and his wife, Kristen, operate multiple Scooter’s Coffee franchises in and around the Sioux Falls area. A graduate of the University of South Dakota, Rhoades has a long history of journalism experience, both with editorial and advertising. At a young age he worked at his family’s weekly newspapers in eastern Nebraska and western Iowa. He carried that experience to USD and worked four years on The Volante, which led to a job at the Argus Leader upon graduation. In 2010, he and a business partner started Web Concentrate, a small web development firm, which was sold in 2021\. He and his wife opened their first Scooter’s in 2013\. They have two sons, Caleb and Calvin. --- ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/Janelle-cropped.jpg) **Janelle Toman, secretary,** of Pierre, worked for 20 years with the media, state policymakers and the public to provide information about South Dakota’s system of public higher education as director of communications for the Board of Regents. Raised on a farm near Wessington, she pursued her undergraduate degree in journalism at South Dakota State University, leading to work as state and city editor at the Mitchell Republic and state news editor for United Press International. Toman later managed communications and policy work for the state departments of labor and education before accepting Gov. George S. Mickelson’s offer to become his press secretary. She was the first to serve as a press secretary to two South Dakota governors: Mickelson and Walter D. Miller. She holds graduate degrees from Golden Gate University and the University of South Dakota. She chairs the Oahe Foundation, a non-profit 501(c)(3) foundation helping individuals, organizations, and businesses fulfill their philanthropic aspirations. She serves on the Crazy Horse Memorial Foundation board and as a public member of the South Dakota Board of Physical Therapy. --- ## Directors ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/marci-burdick-2020-5x7x300dpi-copy.jpg) **Marci Burdick** of Rapid Cityretired in 2018 after a 48-year career in broadcasting. She worked continuously in broadcasting since age 14, beginning with an after-school job in radio in her hometown of Rapid City. Burdick moved to TV at age 18 as a weathercaster and reporter, later rising to positions as news director, general manager and corporate officer. Burdick spent most of her career with Schurz Communications. She was news director at KYTV (Springfield, Missouri, 1988-2000), president/GM at WAGT (Augusta, Georgia, 2000-2002) and senior vice president of the company’s electronic division (cable, TV and radio) in 2002\. During her tenure, she doubled the company’s size through acquisition, and led the $452 million sale in 2016 when the company divested its radio and TV divisions. She won numerous broadcasting awards as a reporter and news manager, including two national Edward R. Murrow Awards, the national Iris Award, the national Silver Gavel Award, a regional Emmy Award and several dozen other regional and state awards. Burdick served as SDNW's chair in 2023-2024\. In 2025, the National Association of Broadcasters [honored Burdick with the Chuck Sherman Television Leadership Award](https://www.nab.org/documents/newsroom/pressRelease.asp?id=7165&ref=sdnewswatch.org). --- ![Nancy Turbak Head shot](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/webnancyturbak.jpg) **Nancy Turbak Berry** of Watertown is an attorney, former South Dakota state legislator (2007-2010) and longtime advocate of open government. In the South Dakota Senate she championed efforts to promote public access to information about state and local government. Turbak Berry received the Eagle Award from the South Dakota Newspaper Association, honoring her efforts on behalf of government transparency. She was the 1996 Trial Lawyer of the Year in South Dakota, is past president of the South Dakota Trial Lawyers Association and has taught as an adjunct professor at the University of South Dakota School of Law. Turbak Berry’s education began in a one-room schoolhouse in Kranzburg. She graduated from Watertown High School and obtained her undergraduate degree from Harvard University. She received her law degree from the University of California. Turbak Berry founded Turbak Law Office in Watertown. --- ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/timlwaltnercolor-1.jpg) **Tim L. Waltner** of Freeman is the former publisher of the Freeman Courier. He became editor in 1973 and owner/publisher in 1984\. In 2016 he passed that title to his son, Jeremy, although he remained active as a writer, editor and photographer before retiring in 2020\. He remains a columnist for the weekly. Waltner served as a board member of the South Dakota Newspaper Association (president in 1991 and 1993) and the International Society of Weekly Newspaper Editors (president in 2000). He was chair and a charter member of the SDNA First Amendment Committee for 20 years, and remains a member. In 2012 he received the Eugene Cervi award, established by ISWNE in 1976 to honor the memory of Eugene Cervi of the Rocky Mountain Journal in Denver for a career of outstanding public service through community journalism. In 2016 Waltner was inducted into the South Dakota Newspaper Hall of Fame. He is a part-time staff member at Heritage Hall Museum and Archives in Freeman. --- ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/chalberg-stephany.jpg) **Stephany (Beshara) Chalberg** was born and raised in Rapid City, where she still lives. She graduated from Minnesota State University, Mankato, with a communications degree, and went on to contribute to local media companies:The Custer Chronicle, NewsCenter1 TV and KOTA-TV. Chalberg also spent time in Salt Lake City working for the NBC station, KSL. She now works as the manager of public relations for Monument Health, a community-based health-care system, headquartered in Rapid City. Chalberg was selected as an up-and-coming leader for the Elevate Rapid City Leadership Institute Class of 2025. --- ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/03/Debra-Jensen-1.jpeg) **Debra Jensen** is a fourth-generation South Dakotan, living in Black Hawk where she attended a four-room rural school through the 8th grade. Jensen graduated from Stevens High School in Rapid City and attended South Dakota School of Mines and Black Hills State. She is also a 2018 Goldman Sachs 10K Small Business Alumni. In 1976, she began her career at KEVN-TV in Rapid City. Jensen was named sports director in 1978 for KULR-TV in Billings, Montana. In 1980, Jensen joined the news team at KKLS Radio in Rapid City. While there she also produced and anchored a weekly call-in talk show. Jensen joined KOTA-TV and Radio in 1989 as an anchor and investigative reporter. In 2002, Jensen, her husband, Jack, and historian Wayne Paananen produced a two-hour documentary on the closing of Homestake Gold Mine in Lead. In late 2002, the Jensens purchased Black Hills Bagels in Rapid City, which they operated for 21 years. They sold the business to a local family in 2024\. Jensen has been on many boards through the years, including South Dakota Retailers Association, Rapid City Chamber of Commerce, Visit Rapid City and Mount Rushmore Road Group. --- ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/03/Edwards--Rita-1-1.JPG) **Rita Edwards** of Madison is a retired lawyer whose most recent experience was in general and bank and financial institution practice at Davenport Evans Lawyers in Sioux Falls. She previously served as in-house counsel for Home Federal Bank in Sioux Falls, as a consultant on affordable housing, finance and community development in South Dakota, and as senior deputy director for Fannie Mae in Sioux Falls after practicing law in Oregon for several years. Her current civic service includes serving on the South Dakota State University Alumni and Foundation Board of Trustees, where she previously served on the Board of Governors, including two years as chair, the Audit Committee, Compensation Committee, and Membership and Engagement Committee; the Prairie Repertory Theatre Board of Directors, including as its past president; and as a former board member and secretary for Habitat for Humanity in Madison and former board member and chair for the organization at the state and international level. Edwards grew up in western South Dakota in Belle Fourche, earned a B.A. in Communications from South Dakota State University and a law degree from the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law in Baltimore. --- ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/03/Millage--Mark-1-1.jpg) **Mark Millage** of Sioux Falls got his first taste of journalism at 11-years-old selling newspaper subscriptions for the startup Sioux Falls Sun and later delivering the Argus Leader. He caught the storytelling bug in his senior year at Lincoln High School then enrolled at South Dakota State University where he secured a summer internship at KELO-TV in 1983\. He continued as a part-time reporter until completing his Journalism degree. Millage worked in a variety of on-air and off-air capacities over the next five years until being promoted to news director in 1989, a position he held until 2008\. He utilized this platform to advocate for open government including cameras in the South Dakota Supreme Court. During his tenure, KELO-TV news earned hundreds of local, regional and national awards including the station’s first Murrow, Emmy, Society of Professional Journalists, and National Association of Broadcasters honors. Millage is currently Director of Community Relations for Furniture Mart USA and a community volunteer serving on several other boards including Sioux Empire United Way, South Dakota Gaming Commission, and co-chair of the St. Francis House community appeals campaign. --- ## Emeritus directors ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/02/webjackmarsh.jpg) **Jack Marsh (co-founder and past co-chair)** of Sioux Falls, a lifelong journalist and retired media and foundation executive, is a 2020 inductee in the South Dakota Hall of Fame, recognized as a champion of excellence, truth, ethics and human rights. He was raised in Western New York and holds a B.A. from Baldwin Wallace University. Marsh has been honored for distinguished service and lifetime achievement by Baldwin Wallace, Native American Journalists Association, South Dakota NewsMedia Association, University of South Dakota and Pi Lambda Phi, the nation’s first non-discriminatory college fraternity. Marsh worked as a reporter, editor and publisher at five newspapers in three states (1971 to 1998). South Dakota native Al Neuharth recruited Marsh for various leadership roles at the Freedom Forum (1998 to 2014), a national nonpartisan foundation that fosters First Amendment freedoms for all. Marsh has sat on numerous nonprofit, professional, civic, educational and church boards. In addition to News Watch, he is past chair of Children’s Home Society of South Dakota, Sioux Falls Board of Ethics, Elimination of Prejudice Foundation and Face It TOGETHER. Marsh is a former president of Downtown Sioux Falls Rotary, one of the largest Rotary clubs in the world. --- ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/webranellbeck2.jpg) **Randell Beck (co-founder and past co-chair)** of Sioux Falls is a retired editor and publisher of Argus Leader Media in Sioux Falls (2001-2013). He previously held editing and reporting roles at newspapers in Delaware, California, Missouri and Tennessee. ### Where to find our stories URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/find-us/ Last updated: 2026-09-07T11:40:36.000Z ## Website [**SDNewsWatch.org**](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/) is where we publish all stories, photos, interactive graphics and other content. For easier access **on an Apple** product, you can turn that web page into an **application or home screen icon**. 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Besides our own platforms listed above, you can find a lot of our stories in print, online and on air at more than 100 partner **newspapers, television and radio stations and new media outlets** that publish our stories for free: [Guide: South Dakota news and informationA map and menu of South Dakota media: newspapers, broadcasters, digital sites, podcasts, magazines and blogs.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-04c2401b-1b90-4493-a2b8-b27b7e946d74.jpg)South Dakota News WatchCarson Walker![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/2026-09-03-SD-media-bd5ec8cf-2496-437a-a22f-afb456e9cc22.png)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-news-information-guide/) ### Republishing policy: Steal our stuff (just credit us) URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/republishing-policy/ Last updated: 2026-06-19T12:25:36.000Z South Dakota News Watch provides all content for free to our own readers and more than 100 news partner broadcasters, newspapers and online sites as well as other organizations that agree to the terms outlined in this republishing policy. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/05/creative_commons.logo.large-1.png) Our stories and photos are licensed under [Creative Commons CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/?ref=sdnewswatch.org), which means you are free to: 1. **Share:** copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format for any purpose, even commercially. 2. **Adapt:** remix, transform and build upon the material for any purpose, even commercially. **... If you follow the license terms:** 1. **Attribution:** Credit the full story or elements used (poll result, quote, graphic, photo or other content) to *South Dakota News Watch.* You may attribute in any reasonable manner but not in any way that suggests News Watch endorses you or your use. 2. **Link:** If using content online, link to the full story on our website. 3. **ShareAlike:** If you remix, transform or build upon the material, you must distribute your contributions under the [same license](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/?ref=sdnewswatch.org#ref-same-license) as the original. 4. **No ads:** Do not sell ads against our stories, but you may post them on pages with ads. 5. **No additional restrictions:** You may not apply legal terms or [technological measures](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/?ref=sdnewswatch.org#ref-technological-measures) that legally restrict others from doing anything the license permits. News Watch cannot revoke these freedoms as long as you abide by the above terms. ## Benefits of being a news partner Rather than copying content directly from our website, you may sign up to **become a news partner** for free, which provides access to a **shared Google Drive** that is visible at the bottom of our email newsletter. Most contain: - A 750-word-max abridged version of the story for print or online use that's void of coding - A 150-word-max version that can be used as a broadcast script, or print or online brief - A broadcast voicer of that script on most stories - Photo(s) with embedded captions that are visible in the Google Drive folder > File information > Details > Description - Graphics and codes when available You'll also receive a **weekly planning email** with lines of stories we're working on and other coverage advisories. **To become a news partner:** Email [info@sdnewswatch.org](mailto:info@sdnewswatch.org) and ask to be added as a news partner. Include any newsroom-wide accounts (i.e., news@) and those for relevant staffers. You'll start receiving our weekday emails with story summaries and links to the story on the website. It will include a box at the end labeled "FOR NEWS PARTNERS ONLY," which includes a link to the shared Google Drive folder for that story. You'll also receive weekly planner emails with upcoming stories. ## We promote you, consider promoting and supporting us On our website and in presentations to audiences around the state, we convey that we strive to complement the work of local and other statewide news partners. The interactive Google Map below includes all media outlets in the state, so people can easily find credible sources of news. As a nonprofit, our funding comes mostly from individual and foundation donations, which allows us to keep our stories free. **Thank you to our news partners that provide financial support**. If you use any or all of our content, please [consider donating](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) through a one-time or recurring contribution. Beyond financial support, here are ways you can help News Watch as part of the partnership: - **Newspaper ads:** If you're a newspaper, [here are several SDNW ads](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/r/760151b4?m=2dcbf122-e3db-46a8-b751-6f03c04198b5) created by SDNA to use alongside stories. - **Logos:** If you use our stories online, please consider using [one of our logos](https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1BwCBnpnl0ylq-kxDCW1FTQGRff4X9KvN?usp=drive%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) with this description: - *This story was produced in partnership with South Dakota News Watch, an independent, nonprofit news organization. Read more in-depth stories at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for a weekday email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/#/portal)*. 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For questions, corrections or other issues, contact CEO Carson Walker at 605-610-9366 / [carson.walker@sdnewswatch.org](mailto:carson.walker@sdnewswatch.org) or 605-215-6225 / [info@sdnewswatch.org](mailto:info@sdnewswatch.org). ### Staff and Freelancers URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/staff/ Last updated: 2025-12-03T11:55:36.000Z South Dakota News Watch is staffed by full-time staff, freelancers, contractors and interns: ### account URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/account/ Last updated: 2025-06-20T16:42:24.000Z _No content available._ ### Molly Wetsch URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/molly-wetsch/ Last updated: 2026-01-09T17:00:02.000Z **Title**: Reporter / Report for America Corps Member **Contact**: 605-531-7382 / [molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org](mailto:molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org) **Languages spoken**: English, some Spanish **Topic expertise**: Indigenous people, rural communities, business, education **Biography**: Molly Wetsch was born and raised in South Dakota. Wetsch previously served as an editorial intern for Forbes in New York City, working on the contributor network and specializing in consumer technology. At Forbes, she also wrote breaking news and contributed to the Forbes "50 Over 50 list." Wetsch began her career in journalism at Lincoln High School in Sioux Falls, where she wrote a monthly column and covered local business news as an intern and contributing writer for SiouxFalls.Business. She is a graduate of Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland, where she received a degree in global business. There, she served as deputy editor of the University Times, the university’s newspaper, and deputy editor of the Trinity Business Review. Report for America is a national service program that responds to challenges faced by local news by placing journalists in newsrooms across the country. As a Report for America corps member, Wetsch travels the state covering rural and indigenous communities. Her family comes from rural South Dakota and the Cheyenne River Reservation, so she understands the issues that are unique to both communities. **Archive of work**: [South Dakota News Watch](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/author/molly-wetsch/); [Muck Rack](https://muckrack.com/molly-wetsch?ref=sdnewswatch.org); [SiouxFalls.Business](https://siouxfalls.business/author/mollywetsch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org); [Forbes](https://www.forbes.com/sites/mollywetsch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) ### Michael Klinski URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/michael-klinski/ Last updated: 2026-01-09T17:14:43.000Z **Title:** Freelance Reporter **Contact:** [michael.klinski@sdnewswatch.org](mailto:michael.klinski@sdnewswatch.org) **Languages spoken:** English and some French **Demographic expertise:** South Dakota **Topic expertise:** child care issues, South Dakota history/current events/politics, criminal justice and crime, college and high school sports and its cultural impact in South Dakota, data journalism, graphics, charts, maps **Demographic expertise:** South Asian community (India, Pakistan, Nepal) through local cricket club, Sioux Falls immigrant and LGBTQ+ communities, Indigenous issues in western South Dakota **Biography:** Klinski brings a lifelong knowledge of South Dakota (both East River and West River) and 20 years of journalism experience to News Watch. He produces interactive graphics, visual elements and biweekly fact briefs. Klinski was born in England on a military base and moved to Ellsworth Air Force Base when he was 2\. His family moved to Black Hawk near Rapid City when he was 4, and he graduated from Rapid City Stevens High School. He earned a degree in journalism at the University of South Dakota, where he was the editor of The Volante student newspaper. After a brief stint with the Fargo Forum, he moved to Sioux Falls to work at the Argus Leader in 2005\. He stayed there for 17 years, working as a reporter, copy editor, page designer, social media coordinator, breaking news editor, content coach, graphic designer and digital news editor. While at the Argus Leader, he was employee of the year (2014), editorial writer of the year in South Dakota (2015) and won various statewide editing and reporting awards. In 2022, he took a voluntary buyout. One of his hobbies is playing cricket in Sioux Falls. He has four children: twins Ian and Hayden, Emma and Ethan. **Professional memberships:** South Dakota American Advertising Federation **Archive of work:** [South Dakota News Watch](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/author/michael-klinski/) ### Megan Luther URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/megan-luther/ Last updated: 2026-04-15T22:37:10.000Z **Title:** Freelance Reporter **Contact:** [megan.luther@sdnewswatch.org](mailto:megan.luther@sdnewswatch.org) **Language spoken:** English **Demographic expertise:** South Dakota and rural areas **Topic expertise:** rural issues, adoption, addiction, demographics and data **Potential conflict of interest:** Luther’s family runs independent grocery stores. She will recuse herself from reporting on the industry and organization. **Biography:** Luther has lived in South Dakota for more than three decades. She has worked in radio, TV, print and digital newsrooms, including the Argus Leader and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. She also served as editor and training director for Investigative Reporters and Editors, an educational nonprofit for journalists. Most recently, Luther was an investigative producer for InvestigateTV, the national investigation team for Gray Television stations. Luther has won multiple state, regional and national journalism awards. **Professional memberships:** Investigative Reporters and Editors **Archive of work:** [South Dakota News Watch](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/author/megan-luther) ### Bart Pfankuch URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/bart-pfankuch/ Last updated: 2026-01-12T18:06:28.000Z **Title:** Content Director **Contact:** 605-937-9398 / [bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org](mailto:bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org) **Language spoken:** English **Demographic expertise:** South Dakota, including the Rapid City area, the Black Hills, rural towns and reservations **Topic expertise:** agriculture, state government, education, rural issues, Indigenous people, poverty **Potential conflict of interest:** Pfankuch serves on the board of the Oyate Prevention Coalition in Rapid City, which works to prevent substance abuse among Native American youth. He will recuse himself from reporting on the organization. **Biography:** Pfankuch (pronounced FAN-cook) is Wisconsin native and former editor of the Rapid City Journal. He has worked for more than 30 years as a reporter and editor at newspapers in Wisconsin, Florida and South Dakota, including as reporter or editor at the Eau Claire Leader-Telegram and Capital Times in Wisconsin, and at the Florida Times-Union and Sarasota Herald-Tribune in Florida. He also is a syndicated writing coach who has presented at newspaper conferences across the country. Pfankuch has won more than four dozen state, regional and national journalism awards, including, while at News Watch, agricultural writer of the year from the North American Agricultural Journalists association in 2020, 2021 and 2023 as well as first-place reporting awards in the Great Plains Journalism Awards sponsored by the Tulsa Press Club and South Dakota NewsMedia Association. Pfankuch lives in Black Hawk. **Professional memberships:** Investigative Reporters and Editors, North American Agricultural Journalists, South Dakota NewsMedia Association First Amendment Committee **Archive of work:** [South Dakota News Watch](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/author/bart-pfankuch/) ### Carson Walker URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/carson-walker/ Last updated: 2026-05-04T22:39:46.000Z **Title:** Chief Executive Officer **Contact:** 605-610-9366 / [carson.walker@sdnewswatch.org](mailto:carson.walker@sdnewswatch.org) **Language spoken:** English **Demographic expertise:** South Dakota and its people. Walker has traveled the entire state extensively throughout his journalism career and understands the uniqueness of all regions, including rural areas, small towns, cities and reservations. **Topic expertise:** Government, politics, crime and the legal system, Indigenous issues, the environment, agriculture, business, education, health care, religion, editing, investigative journalism, leadership, innovation **Biography:** Walker, an Iowa native, was inspired to go into journalism in his teens as a newspaper carrier for The Des Moines Register*,* his first job. He was a radio announcer and reporter while studying journalism and political science at Colorado State University. Walker began his career as a reporter, photojournalist, producer and anchor at KDLT-TV (NBC) in Sioux Falls, where he also served as news director after six years as a reporter at the Argus Leader newspaper. His experience includes 17 years at The Associated Press as a writer, broadcast editor and news editor in South Dakota as well as an editor and supervisor on the national filing desk in Phoenix. He also held communications and video positions at the University of South Dakota and Sanford Health, where he launched and managed a crowdsourcing platform for the innovations team. Walker lives in Rapid City, has adult children and grandchildren, and runs, cycles, hikes and skis. **Professional memberships:** Investigative Reporters and Editors, Society of Professional Journalists, Online News Association, South Dakota NewsMedia Association president, 2026-2027 **Archive of work:** [South Dakota News Watch](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/author/carson-walker/); [Muck Rack](https://muckrack.com/carson-walker/portfolio?ref=sdnewswatch.org); [Sanford Health News](https://news.sanfordhealth.org/author/carson-walker/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) ### Contact/Tax Details URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/footer-info-right/ Last updated: 2026-10-01T23:16:03.000Z **IRS 501(c)(3) tax ID:** 81-4674814 **Mail:** 1125 32nd Ave / Brookings SD 57006 **General email:** [info@sdnewswatch.org](mailto:info@sdnewswatch.org) **News email:** [news@sdnewswatch.org](mailto:news@sdnewswatch.org) **Call/text:** 605-215-6225 ### Mission Statement URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/footer-info-left/ Last updated: 2025-10-23T21:19:22.000Z South Dakota News Watch is an independent, nonprofit organization reporting untold stories that help South Dakotans be informed and engaged citizens. South Dakota News Watch produces investigative and public service journalism that sheds light on the issues, concerns and welfare of South Dakotans. ### Donate URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/donate/ Last updated: 2026-10-01T21:15:58.000Z **South Dakotans need free, fact-based news and information. Help us provide it.** News Watch is an independent, IRS 501(c)(3) nonprofit (EIN tax ID 81-4674814), so all donations are tax-deductible. Make a one-time or recurring credit card or other electronic donation: To give by check or for contributions from a donor-advised fund, IRA or other investment, please send it to or give your financial adviser our mailing address: South Dakota News Watch 1125 32nd Ave Brookings SD 57006 If you have questions or need help changing a recurring donation or other issue, contact Nicole Herrig at 605-215-6225 (call or text) / [nicole.herrig@sdnewswatch.org](mailto:nicole.herrig@sdnewswatch.org). Once you give, [log into your donor portal](https://my.givebutter.com/sign-in?return%5Fto=%2F&ref=sdnewswatch.org) to manage your giving, tickets and other information. Thank you for your support! [AboutSouth Dakota News Watch is an independent nonprofit that reports free, fact-based news and information important to all South Dakotans. We publish fewer, more in-depth statewide stories, cover issues you won’t see elsewhere and complement the local coverage provided by more than 100 great news partners: \* News,![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-ec7e6d77-300a-4ef3-a568-4350068be01e.jpg)South Dakota News WatchSD News Watch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/sdnewswatch_padded-d32fe912-f394-4942-8cbb-d513b426b578.png)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/about/) [ ![](https://widgets.guidestar.org/prod/v1/pdp/transparency-seal/9609239/svg) ](https://app.candid.org/profile/9609239/south-dakota-news-watch-81-4674814?ref=sdnewswatch.org) ### Emily DeCock URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/emily-decock/ Last updated: 2026-08-20T18:02:35.000Z **Title:** Reporter **Contact:** 605-736-4396 / [emily.decock@sdnewswatch.org](mailto:emily.decock@sdnewswatch.org) **Language spoken:** English **Demographic expertise:** South Dakota and rural areas **Topic expertise:** Higher education, civic programs and local government **Biography:** Emily DeCock grew up in southwest Minnesota and graduated in 2026 from South Dakota State University in Brookings, where she lives. She interned for News Watch in 2025 after receiving the SDSU Foundation's Jeffrey B. Nelson Investigative Journalism Endowed Internship, and the Chuck Raasch and Sandy Johnson Scholarship. As an intern, DeCock wrote investigative and data-centered news stories. Many focused on how federal funding and policy changes affected South Dakota programs and residents. In 2025-2026, she was the editor-in-chief of Collegian Media at SDSU and heavily involved in expanding Collegian Media’s platforms, helping to establish a weekly newscast and newsletter. DeCock has reported on higher education, criminal investigations, local government and more. In her full-time position at News Watch, DeCock reports stories and leads social media efforts. **Professional memberships:** Investigative Reporters and Editors **Archive of work:** [South Dakota News Watch](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/author/emily-decock/); [Collegian Media](https://sdsucollegian.com/staff%5Fname/emily-decock/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) ## Posts ### Individual donations fund Democratic candidates URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-governor-secretary-of-state-campaign-finance/ Last updated: 2026-10-20T16:50:46.000Z Campaign finance reports released Monday and Tuesday have illustrated how candidates for statewide office have funded their campaigns and spent those dollars before Nov. 3. Candidates for statewide office, including governor and executive offices like secretary of state and public utilities commission, are required to submit campaign finance reports at the end of the year and before the primary and general elections. [South Dakota voter guideWhat South Dakotans need to know about voting in statewide elections, and who and what are on the ballot.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-d6bc5de7-9088-4b75-8fc7-3b7a08d1a61e.jpg)South Dakota News WatchMolly Wetsch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/2026-06-02-Voting-booths--Sioux-Falls-1-1-1-a67acbca-3586-4e84-ba1b-fe4314866dd4.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-voter-guide-primary-general-election/) As of Tuesday morning, reports for the Democrat running for governor and secretary of state had been filed. Reports for Republicans Gov. Larry Rhoden and Heather Baxter, the party's secretary of state candidate, were still not available. ## Davis largely out-raises predecessor Terrence Davis, the Democratic candidate for South Dakota Secretary of State, has reported raising $96,138 since he began campaigning in August 2025\. Of that, $44,154 came from individual donors. Davis gave three loans to the campaign totaling $37,411\. He has reported spending $37,055 since campaigning began. Davis has nearly tripled the individual contribution amount raised by his predecessor, Democrat Tom Cool, who ran an unsuccessful campaign in 2022 against the current secretary of state, Republican Monae Johnson. Cool reported $69,467 of income to his campaign that year. Of that, $50,000, was from a loan to the campaign from Cool himself. He raised just $19,467 from outside sources, $13,317 of which was from individual contributors. ****Get free, fact-based South Dakota news and information** in a weekday email. No spam. Cancel any time. [Subscribe ](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/#/portal) Johnson reported raising $77,302 during her 2022 campaign. She notably endorsed Davis in September after being defeated by Baxter at the June Republican convention. "I am a Republican. Terrence is a Democrat. I understand that this decision will disappoint some people in my party and anger others. After serving in the Secretary of State's Office for more than a decade, first as an employee and now as Secretary, I know the difference between campaigning for this office and carrying the responsibility of leading it," [Johnson said in ](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-cJcVmF8MxwDkX7diIpBsOZlhddW3lBv/view?ref=sdnewswatch.org)the statement announcing her endorsement. Baxter has called herself a "strong proponent of election integrity and accountability" and has supported hand-counting ballots. "I stand with President Trump and echo his concerns over identified security issues in our elections such as citizenship and identification requirements, inaccurate voter rolls, mail in ballots, and voting machine issues. I fully support robust post-election audits, improved hand counting methods, and thorough disaster recovery plans," [Baxter's website reads.](https://www.baxterforsos.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Johnson's statement highlighted concerns about Baxter's positions on election security, citing "significant differences between candidates in this contest." "South Dakota deserves a Secretary of State who will strengthen confidence through performance ratherthan provocation; who will support election officials rather than burden them for political effect; who will protect voter access and election security without pretending those goals are enemies; and who will treat the office's employees, voters, candidates and business owners with dignity," Johnson said in her statement. ## Ahlers received no federal PAC money Dan Ahlers, the Democrat challenging Rhoden for governor, has received most of his fundraising income from contributions from individuals, according to his campaign finance report. He raised almost than $146,000 from the June primary to mid-October in individual donations. So far, he has reported raising $252,830 total during the campaign period. [Poll: Gov. Rhoden leads challenger Ahlers 56-36%Scientific survey sponsored by South Dakota News Watch and Chiesman Center for Democracy at USD also shows half of voters have a favorable view of Larry Rhoden and half of registered independents support Dan Ahlers.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-6858c4cc-d0be-4eb5-b0b2-8844c10a637f.jpg)South Dakota News WatchMolly Wetsch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/SD-Governor.gfx-1-135c1990-a13e-4584-b587-8c57a10731d9.png)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-poll-2026-governor-ahlers-rhoden/) Ahlers notably did not report receiving any money from out-of-state or federal political action committees, or PACs, though he did receive $4,600 from Democratic Forum of Southeast Dakota, Democracy in Action and West River Alliance for Democracy, which are in-state PACs. He also received $800 from PAC Grassroots Dakota before the June primary. Ahlers' biggest expenses from June to October came from advertising and salaries, which equaled nearly $120,800 combined out of his total of almost $155,400 in operational expenditures. Reports were due Oct. 19 at 5 p.m. for candidates running in state offices, though several candidates' reports, including Rhoden's and Baxter's, were not available on the Secretary of State's website as of Oct. 20. [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. *Read*, *subscribe* for free and *donate* at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact* reporter/*[*Report for America*](https://www.reportforamerica.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *corps member *Molly Wetsch*: 605-531-7382/* [*molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact* reporter *Emily DeCock*:* 605-736-4396*/* [*emily.decock@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:emily.decock@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### South Dakota voter guide URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-voter-guide-primary-general-election/ Last updated: 2026-10-20T13:43:26.000Z Early and absentee voting has started for the Nov. 3 general election. This guide is intended to help South Dakotans make informed decisions using **fact-based reporting** to fairly and clearly explain the process and who and what is on the ballot. **The guide will be updated** as new information becomes available, so consider bookmarking it and sharing with family and friends. Send questions, suggestions or corrections to [**info@sdnewswatch.org**](mailto:info@sdnewswatch.org). Watch for individual stories on polls, profiles, ballot issue explanations and other topics. --- ## Important dates and voting basics #### When are upcoming deadlines, events and elections? Upcoming important dates and deadlines: ****Tuesday, Nov. 3:** General election, polls are open statewide from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. local time #### Am I qualified to vote in South Dakota? To register to vote in South Dakota, you must: 1. Be a U.S. citizen 2. Live in South Dakota 3. Be at least 18 years old on or before next election 4. Not be serving a sentence for a felony 5. Not be judged mentally incompetent by a court After you register, you'll get a card in the mail with details of where to vote and other information, such as which legislative and school districts you live in. Every registered voter may vote in the November general election and in local elections in June or November. But in the June primary election, a voter is given only the ballot for the party they're registered in, except for voters registered as an Independent or No Party Affiliation (NPA): - The South Dakota Democratic Primary is open to registered Democrats and Independents/No Party Affiliation voters but not Republicans. - The South Dakota Libertarian Primary is open to voters registered as Libertarian, Independent or No Party Affiliation. - The South Dakota Republican Primary is open to only registered Republicans. #### How do I check if I'm registered? First check your current status on the [Voter Information Portal](https://vip.sdsos.gov/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) that's provided by the Secretary of State and all 66 county auditors. If you do need to register, you can do it at these places: 1. County auditor’s office 2. Driver’s license station 3. City finance offices 4. Public assistance agency, TANF or WIC 5. Department of Human Services offices that provide assistance to people with disabilities 6. Military recruitment offices 7. [Download a registration form](https://sdsos.gov/elections-voting/voting/Voting%20Assets/Voter%20Registration%20Form/FINAL-VoterRegistrationForm%5FPart1.pdf?ref=sdnewswatch.org) from the Secretary of State’s website [Here's an FAQ](https://sdsos.gov/elections-voting/voting/Voting%20Assets/Voter%20Registration%20Form/FINAL-VoterRegistrationForm%5FPart2.pdf?ref=sdnewswatch.org) with helpful information and the location of all auditors. #### How and when can I vote, and what do I need to bring? There are three ways to vote in South Dakota state elections: 1. To vote ****in person** on Election Day, just go by your assigned polling place on your voter registration card between 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. local time. Volunteers will walk you through the entire process. (Make sure you get your "I voted" sticker.) 2. ****Early voting** is allowed at your county auditor's office during business hours starting 46 days before an election (Sept. 18). Staff will help you with the process. 3. If you're going to be out of town on Election Day or want to mail in your ballot, you can submit an ****absentee ballot** to your county auditor's office starting 46 days before an election (Sept. 18). Regardless of how you vote (in person, early or absentee), all voters must show proof of identification or sign a personal identification affidavit at their polling place. Approved forms of photo identification include: - South Dakota driver's license or nondriver ID card - U.S. government photo ID such as a passport - U.S. Armed Forces ID - Tribal photo ID - Current student photo identification card from a South Dakota high school or South Dakota accredited institution of higher education #### If I didn't vote in the primary election, may I still vote in the general election? Yes. Just make sure you're registered by the deadline above. --- We strive to cover issues important to all South Dakotans, but that can be difficult in a large, diverse state. Please fill out the brief survey at the link below and help guide what fact-based news and information we produce for free. Thank you for your help! [Help guide our coverage ](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd6r%5FCT7ucLCFsUy4gjb73U6tJXTOJmGhkSzUn71nh6U5w96A/viewform?usp=publish-editor&ref=sdnewswatch.org) --- ## Who's on the ballot Here are the statewide federal and state offices with races in 2026\. Candidates are listed in alphabetical order by last name. Party affiliations are Democratic (D), Independent (I), Libertarian (L) and Republican (R). Incumbents are noted with an asterisk (\*). See local races and more information, including live results, on the [Secretary of State's website](https://electionresults.sd.gov/Default.aspx?ref=sdnewswatch.org). #### U.S. Senate Like all 50 states, South Dakota has two U.S. senators in Congress, one of whom is up for re-election this year to a six-year term. Here are the candidates who will meet in the Nov. 3 general election: ****Brian Bengs** (I), who previously ran for the office as a Democrat, announced his bid for Senate as an Independent in May 2025\. He is the only Independent candidate running for federal office in South Dakota. Bengs is a U.S. Navy and Air Force veteran and currently lives in Hot Springs. He has pledged to not serve more than two terms in Congress if elected and supports an Independent caucus in the federal government. Bengs has decried party politics and has said that “hyper polarization” is the cause of problems in Washington. [****Watch SDPB's Sept. 14, 2026, televised interview with Bengs**](https://www.youtube.com/live/%5F8fn73vDqzI?si=JQCRqb86PpuDVVQ4&ref=sdnewswatch.org)****. (Sen. Mike Rounds elected not to participate.)** [See Bengs' campaign website](https://bengsforsouthdakota.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) [Listen to Bengs' interview with South Dakota Searchlight](https://southdakotasearchlight.com/podcasts/ep-31-how-independent-us-senate-candidate-brian-bengs-wants-to-deny-the-majority-to-get-things-done/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) ****\*Sen. Mike Rounds** (R) has served as one of South Dakota’s two senators in Congress since 2015\. Before then, he was governor of South Dakota from 2003-2011, served in the Legislature and ran an insurance business in Pierre. In Washington, he currently serves on these committees: Senate Appropriations; Armed Services; Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs; Indian Affairs; and the Select Committee on Intelligence. This year, he requested a formal investigation into the U.S. Postal Service in South Dakota. Rounds, who has largely focused his campaign on national security and economic development issues like American energy infrastructure. He also has said that he supports the effort to eliminate the Department of Education and “believes in local control of education.” He was endorsed by President Donald Trump in July 2025\. [See Rounds' activity on legislation](https://www.congress.gov/member/mike-rounds/R000605?ref=sdnewswatch.org) in the U.S. Senate on Congress.gov. [See Rounds' campaign website](https://www.rounds.senate.gov/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). [****Watch the Sept. 14, 2026, SDPB/SDNW interview of Bengs (Rounds declined to participate)**](https://www.youtube.com/live/%5F8fn73vDqzI?si=qBk34AyONNwU2wzo&ref=sdnewswatch.org) #### U.S. House of Representatives South Dakota is allocated one congressional seat in the U.S. House of Representatives for a two-year term. Here are the candidates who will meet in the Nov. 3 general election: ****Nikki Gronli** (D), of Dell Rapids, announced her bid for Congress in September 2025\. She was formerly South Dakota’s director for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Development program under President Joe Biden. Her campaign focuses on affordability for working families, public education and rural health care. She has called for legislation supporting and expanding tribal law enforcement, Indian Health Services, and tribal colleges and universities. [See Gronli's campaign website](https://www.nikkigforsd.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) [Listen to Gronli's interview with South Dakota Searchlight](https://southdakotasearchlight.com/podcasts/ep-38-south-dakotas-democratic-nominee-for-us-house-makes-her-case-to-voters/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) ****Marty Jackley** (R) has been attorney general of South Dakota since 2023 and previously served in that office from 2009 to 2019\. He is also the former U.S. attorney for South Dakota. As attorney general, Jackley established the roles of Missing and Murdered Indigenous People (MMIP) and Human Trafficking directors. His campaign for Congress has focused on border security, public safety and “supporting the Trump agenda.” He has called for “less Washington red tape” for farmers and ranchers – Jackley owns a ranch near Pierre and a farm in Butte County. He was endorsed by President Donald Trump in March. [See Jackley's campaign website](https://martyjackley.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) [Listen to Jackley's interview with South Dakota Searchlight](https://southdakotasearchlight.com/podcasts/ep-39-why-south-dakotas-republican-attorney-general-wants-to-be-a-member-of-the-us-house/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) [****Watch the Oct. 1, 2026, SDPB/SDNW debate between Gronli and Jackley**](https://www.youtube.com/live/LIqzx4SNWlc?si=xVeNjGtp1KcstpPl&ref=sdnewswatch.org) #### South Dakota governor South Dakota's governor leads the executive branch of state government in Pierre and is limited to two consecutive, four-year terms. Here are the candidates who will meet in the Nov. 3 general election: ****Dan Ahlers** (D) and Steven McCleerey (D). Ahlers, of Dell Rapids, executive director of the South Dakota Democratic Party, announced his campaign for governor in February. He previously served as a state representative and senator for three terms. In his campaign announcement, Ahlers spoke about eminent domain and property taxes, calling for reliance on "intelligent" state employees to solve the issues that South Dakotans have expressed concern about. Other policy positions he has touted include the expansion of access to mental health services, rural hospital infrastructure development and the support of “local solutions to increase housing availability.” On Aug. 12, Ahlers announced that he had chosen McCleerey, a farmer from Sisseton and former state lawmaker as his running mate for lieutenant governor. [See Ahlers' campaign website](https://www.danahlers.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) [Listen to Ahlers' interview with South Dakota Searchlight](https://southdakotasearchlight.com/podcasts/ep-36-democratic-nominee-for-governor-makes-his-case-against-decades-of-republican-rule/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) ****\*Larry Rhoden** and Lt. Gov. Tony Venhuizen (R). Rhoden has served as South Dakota’s governor since January 2025\. He took former Gov. Kristi Noem’s place after she was appointed as secretary of the Department of Homeland Security. He had served as Noem’s lieutenant governor since 2018 and before then was a state legislator for more than 15 years. Rhoden has largely hinged his campaign around his experience in the state Legislature and executive branch and hopes to be formally elected to the office in November. He won the Republican nomination in a crowded field of four candidates and defeated Aberdeen businessman Toby Doeden in a runoff election on July 28\. Rhoden is a rancher from Union Center who has, while in office, supported property tax reform and tough-on-crime policies like Operation: Prairie Thunder, a collaboration between the South Dakota Highway Patrol and Immigrations and Customs Enforcement. [See Rhoden's campaign website](https://governorlarryrhoden.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). [****Watch the Sept. 29, 2026, SDPB/SDNW debate between both candidates**](https://www.youtube.com/live/ldDEvE7YNSU?si=pjF%5Ff9qCSXoxRAPe&ref=sdnewswatch.org) #### Constitutional and statutory offices While voters elect candidates for governor in the primary, political parties choose other state executive candidates. ****CONSTITUTIONAL OFFICES** Constitutional officers are limited to two consecutive, four-year terms terms. They provide functions of state government such as legal representation, official filing duties, election administration, processing of state payments, receipt of payments to the state, and administering school and public lands. These duties are separate from the legislative, executive and judicial branches. Here are constitutional office candidates who will appear on the Nov. 3 general election ballot: ****Attorney General:** - ****Lance Russell** (R), the current states’ attorney for Fall River and Oglala Lakota counties, earned the Republican nomination for attorney general during the party’s convention in June. Russell won over McPherson County state’s attorney Austin Hoffman of Eureka and former state circuit judge John Fitzgerald of St. Onge in two rounds of voting. Russell also ran for the office in 2018 but was defeated by Jason Ravnsborg at the GOP convention that year. Ravnsborg would then be elected attorney general and serve until 2022, when he was impeached. (South Dakota Democrats did not nominate a candidate for attorney general at their 2026 convention, so Russell is running unopposed.) ****Secretary of State:** - ****Heather Baxter** (R), of Rapid City, is a state legislator for District 34 and a member of the South Dakota Freedom Caucus, a far-right, populist group that has pushed for lower taxes, less state spending and, notably for Baxter, election reform. Baxter has called for hand-counting ballots in the state and says that she “echoes (President Donald Trump)’s concerns” about election integrity. On her campaign website, she also says she hopes to “cut through red tape via SD DOGE to make government work better for everyday South Dakotans.” [See Baxter's campaign website](https://www.baxterforsos.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). - ****Terrence Davis** (D), a former state trooper in Tennessee and South Dakota, was chosen as Democrats’ secretary of state nominee during the June party convention. Davis is currently employed with East River Legal Strategy and is pursuing a doctoral degree in law and public policy through Liberty University, according to the [South Dakota Searchlight](https://southdakotasearchlight.com/briefs/former-state-trooper-plans-run-as-democrat-for-secretary-of-state/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). [See Davis' campaign website](https://davisforsouthdakota.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). - ****Tamara Lesnar** (L) is running as the state's sole Libertarian candidate for statewide office. She formerly ran for state House in 2024 and for U.S. Senate in 2022, where she lost to incumbent Sen. John Thune. ****Treasurer:** - ****Melissa Hull** (R), who is from Philip, is the current treasury manager of the South Dakota Treasurer’s Office. She has served in the role under state Treasurer Josh Haeder since 2019\. Hull received Haeder’s endorsement over Heath Shields, whom she ran against for the Republican nomination. - ****Margaret Kuipers** (D) formerly served as the treasurer of the South Dakota Emergency Medical Services Association and as treasurer for Democrat Sheryl Johnson’s 2024 campaign for U.S. House. Kuipers, of Sioux Falls, has run three campaigns for state House in 2018, 2020 and 2022. ****Auditor:** - ****Catherine Barranco** (R), of Sioux Falls, received the Republican nomination for Auditor during the party’s convention in June, defeating state legislator Tamara Grove and Renae Randall, a former employee of the South Dakota Investment Council. Barranco has bachelor’s and master’s degrees in economics and is a former president of the South Dakota Federation of Republican Women. [See Barranco’s campaign website.](https://www.barranco.solutions/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) - ****Tom Cool** (D), of Sioux Falls, is running a third time for constitutional office in South Dakota. He was the Democrat’s previous nominee for Auditor in 2018 and for Secretary of State in 2022\. He has also run several campaigns for state Senate. ****School and Public Lands:** - ****Brock Greenfield** (R) has been the commissioner of School and Public Lands since 2022\. He spent more than two decades in state legislature as both a senator and representative. [His biography on the School and Public Lands website](https://sdpubliclands.sd.gov/aboutcommissioner/default.aspx?ref=sdnewswatch.org) says that his tenure has been marked by “exploring new opportunities for land use, such as gas and oil exploration on previously untapped areas.” - ****Raeann Mettler** (D), of Spearfish, is a former professor at Black Hills State University who holds a PhD in natural sciences. She currently works for Missouri Breaks Industries Research, a Native-owned health research organization. She ran for a city council seat in Spearfish in 2025 and a Spearfish school board seat in 2026\. ****STATUTORY OFFICE** South Dakota also has one statutory office led by three public utilities commissioners who are elected for six-year terms on a staggered basis and without term limits. They regulate public utilities within the state, including electric, natural gas, telephone utilities and grain storage warehouses. Here are the ****Public Utilities Commission** candidates who will meet in the Nov. 3 general election: - ****Don Haggar (R)**, of Sioux Falls, served in the South Dakota House of Representatives for several years, representing District 10 and serving as Speaker Pro Tem. He was also the state director of Americans for Prosperity, a conservative political advocacy organization. Haggar’s campaign for PUC has centered around property rights – he has decried “eminent domain abuse” – and fighting “overregulation” to keep energy affordable. [See Haggar’s campaign website.](https://www.donhaggarforpuc.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) - ****Frank Kloucek (D)**, of Scotland, was a state representative for District 19 over several terms, beginning in 1991 and ending in 2003\. He was re-elected to that position in 2011 and served until 2013, and between 2003 and 2011 served as a state senator. Kloucek’s campaign website promises “full transparency, local input and a clear accounting” of data centers and their costs to South Dakotan residents and an opposition to pipeline projects in the state. He says he hopes to be a “rural advocate” in Pierre. [See Kloucek’s campaign website.](https://www.kloucekforpuc.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) ### South Dakota Legislature The South Dakota Legislature is comprised of 105 lawmakers from 35 legislative districts, each of which has one senator and two representatives. [Find out which district you live in](https://vip.sdsos.gov/VIPLogin.aspx?ref=sdnewswatch.org) and also [the list of candidates](https://vip.sdsos.gov/candidatelist.aspx?eid=773&ref=sdnewswatch.org) who will be on the Nov. 3 general election ballot. Or find out who's running in your district through this interactive map produced by SDPB News. *To zoom in on a computer, hold "Ctrl" while scrolling. On a phone, use two fingers.* As part of its mission to inform South Dakota voters, SDPB News produced an interactive map featuring links to pages for each and every candidate running for state Legislature in 2026. Candidate pages include links to their campaign finance report page on the South Dakota Secretary of State's website as well as campaign websites. SDPB was not able to identify campaign websites or social media pages for all candidates. In addition, incumbent candidate pages include links to their pages on the South Dakota Legislative Research Council's website, where their legislative history can be found. Find SDPB News' coverage of election-related stories [on our election page](https://www.sdpb.org/elections/2026?ref=sdnewswatch.org). *SDPB News reached out to each candidate running for state Legislature in 2026 with a short questionnaire. If you're a legislative candidate who did not receive this questionnaire, email* [*news@sdpb.org*](mailto:news@sdpb.org)*.* --- ## What else is on the ballot The following "yes/no" ballot measures have been approved for the Nov. 3 general election ballot, all of which were referred by the Legislature. Here is more information about [ballot questions on the Secretary of State's website](https://sdsos.gov/elections-voting/upcoming-elections/ballot-question-information/default.aspx?ref=sdnewswatch.org). #### ****Constitutional Amendment I**: Expanded Medicaid repeal This amendment would require that expanded Medicaid coverage be repealed if federal funding drops below 90%. It comes after South Dakota voters approved Amendment D in 2022, which expanded Medicaid eligibility to “anyone over the age of 18 and under 65 whose income is at or below 133% of the federal property level, plus 5% of the federal poverty level for the applicable family size.” Under Amendment I, those expanded categories are removed from Medicaid coverage if the federal government funds less than 90% of South Dakota’s Medicaid expansion. The federal government is currently legally required to fund that 90%. #### ****Constitutional Amendment J: Voter eligibility** This amendment would formally clarify that an individual must be a U.S. citizen to vote in elections in South Dakota. It would do so by officially adding non-citizens to the list of those disqualified from voting in the state constitution. Currently, that list includes those with felony convictions or “mental incompetence.” Non-citizens are not legally eligible to vote in South Dakota. #### ****Constitutional Amendment K**: Unclaimed property fund This amendment would establish a trust fund for unclaimed property held by the state treasurer. Currently, unclaimed intangible property is considered “abandoned” if it remains unclaimed for three years. That includes “traveler's checks, money orders, bank deposits, refunds, stocks, funds owed under a life insurance policy, and property held in a safe deposit box,” according to the attorney general’s explanation of the amendment. If passed, part of the interest and income from the trust fund would be distributed into the state’s general fund “for the benefit of the state.” #### ****Constitutional Amendment L: Require 60% to amend Constitution** This amendment would require that any proposed amendment to the state of the South Dakota Constitution receive at least 60% of the vote to pass. The current law says that constitutional amendments – like this one – only need to receive a majority vote among South Dakotans to become part of the constitution. --- ## News Watch's political reporting standards Here are FAQs about South Dakota News Watch's political reporting standards. #### Do South Dakota News Watch’s journalists have a political leaning? No. We operate with integrity and independence and abide by journalism ethics that require fairness. We explore multiple sides of issues. We aren’t beholden to special interests, public officials, political parties or corporate entities. We don’t produce commentary, editorials or express opinions. And we don’t accept contributions from anonymous donors or elected officials. #### How can I trust that your political stories are accurate and fair? We clearly state who we talked to in each story, only cite credible sources, seek comment from all sides and verify the background of people we interview. Our graphics often include the raw material on which stories are based, so readers can decide for themselves if we got the story right. #### How are your political stories different? Other traditional and new media organizations do a great job covering day-to-day developments about politics and government. South Dakota News Watch’s journalists strive to produce stories that go deeper on important issues. We research and do reporting that explains complex topics that are relevant to people and policymakers. We also conduct scientific polls and public forums that explore what’s on the minds of South Dakotans. #### Do you do hit pieces on politicians? No. The nation’s founders believed a free press was vital to holding elected leaders accountable. Some politicians have found it effective to accuse all news organizations of being biased against them. We believe South Dakota News Watch should be judged on the merits of its own work because its journalists take their role seriously. Donors, all of whom are listed on the website, represent people from across the political spectrum and appreciate that commitment. They are concerned about the state of civics and democracy and appreciate News Watch's independent coverage of politics and government. #### Where can I learn more about your standards? The [best practices policies](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/best-practices/) in the website footer spells out all of standards clearly. --- ****Get free, fact-based South Dakota news and information** in a weekday email. No spam. Cancel any time. [Subscribe ](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/#/portal) *Sources for this guide include original reporting and publicly available resources provided by the South Dakota Secretary of State's office. It only includes information on statewide and legislative races. Details about local races can be found on each county auditor's website and the state's great local media outlets.* [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. *Read*, *subscribe* for free and *donate* at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact* reporter/*[*Report for America*](https://www.reportforamerica.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *corps member Molly Wetsch: 605-531-7382/*[*molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Poll: Gov. Rhoden leads challenger Ahlers 56-36% URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-poll-2026-governor-ahlers-rhoden/ Last updated: 2026-10-19T09:00:00.000Z Republican Gov. Larry Rhoden leads Democratic challenger Dan Ahlers 56% to 36%, according to the latest South Dakota Poll sponsored by News Watch and the Chiesman Center for Democracy at the University of South Dakota. The Oct. 12-14 survey of 500 likely voters by Mason-Dixon Polling and Strategy, [ranked as one of the least-biased and most-factual pollsters](https://mediabiasfactcheck.com/mason-dixon-polling-bias-and-credibility/?ref=sdnewswatch.org), also found that 51% of independents support Ahlers, while 35% support Rhoden and 14% of independents are undecided. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/10/SD-Poll.jpg) Ian Fury, Rhoden's campaign manager, said South Dakotans know the governor very well. He also said Rhoden’s high favorability and job approval ratings from different demographics show that Rhoden has support from people from different walks of life. "There were only slightly more Democrats who had an unfavorable view of him than a favorable one, which means that even among Democrats, he's generally well liked," Fury said. Fury said that contrasts with national politics of today, where it’s “not necessarily a great year to be a Republican on the ballot.” ****Get free, fact-based South Dakota news and information** in a weekday email. No spam. Cancel any time. [Subscribe ](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/#/portal) South Dakota's governor leads the executive branch of state government in Pierre and is limited to two consecutive, four-year terms. The general election is Nov. 3\. The deadline to register to vote is today, Oct. 19. Other findings from the poll: - Fifty percent of South Dakotans have a favorable view of Rhoden. - A majority of South Dakotans approve of his performance as governor. - For the most part, voters are sticking with their party. Here are the poll results, including by survey respondent's gender, age, region and party, key takeaways and candidate reactions. ## Ahlers and Rhoden by the numbers ## Analysis Here are some observations from News Watch partners, political scientists and the candidates' campaigns. ### Takeaway: Name recognition critical Jon Schaff, professor of government and director of the Center for Public History and Civic Engagement at Northern State University in Aberdeen, said that Ahlers’ low name recognition could be an indication of a campaign that had to first get to know its voters – whereas Rhoden has the advantage of being the sitting governor. Thirty-five percent of voters polled did not recognize Ahlers’ name, versus just 1% for Rhoden. “That's a problem when a third or more of the population don't even recognize their name,” Schaff said. “People are more likely to vote for someone they've heard of versus someone they've never heard of. Sometimes you just have to state the obvious. And so when you've got the statewide office-holders, the incumbents, when they've got, for all intents and purposes, universal name recognition, that's such a built-in advantage.” Part of the problem with name recognition for South Dakota Democrats is the lack of statewide names to pull from, Schaff said. There are currently no Democrats serving in statewide office, and just eight of the 105 currently serving state legislators are Democrats. “The (South Dakota Democratic) party is perennially in this sort of vicious cycle. Because they can't get people elected, they can't groom candidates, and because they can't groom candidates, they can't get people elected. You end up in this cycle of inevitably as they're selecting candidates, they've got to make a reach,” he said. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/10/Debate-13--1--1.jpg) Gov. Larry Rhoden (left) and Dan Ahlers (right) meet at a Sep. 28, 2026, gubernatorial debate in Sioux Falls, S.D. (Photo: Jon Beringer/South Dakota News Watch) Ahlers, who spent six years in the South Dakota Legislature, told News Watch that the name recognition issue was an expected one for the campaign, especially against a sitting governor. He said he'll continue to advertise and visit with voters in the weeks leading up the election. "We have signs up everywhere. We do the news interviews, the debates, all of those things, the TV advertising, the digital, and you still got people who have no idea who you are," Ahlers said. "That's always the challenge, is reaching people. So we keep pushing forward, and that's why I've been driving all over the state to give people an opportunity to meet me and visit with me." Rhoden's support is higher from respondents between 35 and 65 years old, with Ahlers faring slightly better in the younger and older age. Fury said that was not surprising to him, as cost of living is the No. 1 issue on the public's mind right now and disproportionately affects those people. "When you're just starting out in your career, or when you're retired and have a fixed income, that tends to be when the cost of living squeezes you a little bit more, and that's really a national challenge," Fury said. ### Takeaway: Contentious primary may not be a factor Julia Hellwege, associate professor in the political science department at USD in Vermillion, told News Watch that while the four-person Republican gubernatorial primary may have temporarily divided the party, the poll results indicate that Republicans have mostly fallen back in step. "We had a very contentious primary season and a contentious summer with municipal elections," Hellwege said. "But I think going into this general, things have settled quite a bit in South Dakota." Hellwege said that Rhoden's status as sitting governor means that he's had to cooperate with Republicans from a variety of factions, which could make him better able to unify the party after the competitive primary, which saw him challenged by Aberdeen businessman Toby Doeden in a runoff election. "Rhoden is sort of the middle candidate between the moderate, true establishment Republicans and the MAGA (President Trump's Make America Great Again) wing. However, that's also partly because of his position in the statewide office. I know that split that was apparent in the primary still very much exists in the state Legislature," Hellwege said. South Dakota News Watch invests in scientific polls to let elected leaders know how constituents think they're doing and also survey people's opinions on important issues. But a good poll isn't cheap, so if you value these stories, please consider helping cover the cost. Thank you! [Donate and make these polls possible ](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/donate/) The others candidates in the June 2 Republican primary were current U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson and state House Speaker Jon Hansen, neither of whom got enough votes to advance to the July 28 runoff. Hellwege said that the primary election, though, also casts uncertainty on what a Rhoden win may look like during the legislative session. "We also know that that primary shifted things. The candidates who are on the general election ballot this fall are going to tip the swings back to more similar to what we saw the session before the current one," Hellwege said. "Is it a convening of the factions of the party? I'm not sure. I don't know that they're there quite yet. I think this upcoming legislative session, the Republican Party has some work to do in the electorate still. I think national party politics will shift things." --- ## Our polling methods Mason-Dixon Polling and Strategy, [ranked as one of the least-biased and most-factual pollsters](https://mediabiasfactcheck.com/mason-dixon-polling-bias-and-credibility/?ref=sdnewswatch.org), conducted the poll of 500 registered voters Oct. 12-14 using random selections from a telephone-matched state voter registration list that included both landline and cellphone numbers from across the state. All respondents indicated they were likely to vote in the November general election. The margin for error is no more than ± 4.5 percentage points. For bios on the candidates and other information about the race, see our South Dakota voter guide at the link below. [South Dakota voter guideWhat South Dakotans need to know about voting in statewide elections, and who and what are on the ballot.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-a4b3a84b-84ff-41f4-9d8a-88946b2263bf.jpg)South Dakota News WatchMolly Wetsch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/2026-06-02-Voting-booths--Sioux-Falls-1-1-1-8b885321-65da-4829-8304-0f089c2e6bda.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-voter-guide-primary-general-election/) Coming Wednesday: News Watch polls for the U.S. House race. [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. *Read*, *subscribe* for free and *donate* at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact* reporter/*[*Report for America*](https://www.reportforamerica.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *corps member *Molly Wetsch*: 605-531-7382/* [*molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact* reporter *Emily DeCock*:* 605-736-4396*/* [*emily.decock@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:emily.decock@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ## ### Voter education events set for Brandon, Sioux Falls, Yankton URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-civics-media-politics-voting-series/ Last updated: 2026-10-19T13:59:30.000Z Several free events are planned for next week in southeast South Dakota that offer information about the Nov. 3 general election and this year's 250th anniversary of the nation, and the role civics and news have played from the start. Here are locations and details: **Brandon, Sunday, Oct. 25, 6 p.m.** **CT** – Brandon Valley High School Commons, 301 S. Splitrock Blvd., hosted by the Brandon Historical Society. As the United States celebrates its 250th anniversary, organizers of an interactive presentation delve into the role civics and communications – from Revolutionary War papers to podcasters – have played in the nation's history. That includes the separation of powers among the branches of government and the system of checks and balances, the various civic duties and responsibilities of being an American, and how to find trusted sources of news and information. The hourlong session led by News Watch CEO Carson Walker, titled "250+ Years of American Civics and News," has received positive audience feedback in [Yankton](https://www.yankton.net/community/article%5F93cdbeb4-601c-44af-8655-9e37242bc1ce.html?ref=sdnewswatch.org), [Rapid City](https://www.kotatv.com/2026/03/23/civics-media-literacy-event-aims-strengthen-democracy/?ref=sdnewswatch.org), [Pierre](https://www.kccrradio.com/2026/03/25/south-dakota-news-watch-brings-presentation-on-civics-and-news-to-pierre-tuesday-night/?ref=sdnewswatch.org), Brookings, [Vermillion](https://www.plaintalk.net/local%5Fnews/article%5F28b35cc0-ec51-4b37-a3ca-5cb8495eff57.html?ref=sdnewswatch.org), [Watertown](https://watertowncurrent.com/voting-being-informed-remain-at-the-heart-of-u-s-democracy/?utm%5Fsource%5Fplatform=mailpoet&ref=sdnewswatch.org), [Mitchell](https://kornradio.com/news/a-fresh-perspective-of-american-civics-and-news/?ref=sdnewswatch.org), Sioux Falls and Custer State Park. **Sioux Falls, Tuesday, Oct. 27, 10 a.m. to noon** **CT** (note full class time) – USD-Sioux Falls 245 and on Zoom as part of the OLLI fall classes at the University of South Dakota. Walker and Jonathan Ruff, assistant professor of political science at South Dakota State University will lead a longer version of the presentation. [See details of this and other OLLI sessions and register](https://www.usd.edu/-/media/Project/USD/DotEdu/Academics/USD---Sioux-Falls/Osher-Lifelong-Learning-Institute/OLLI-Catalog.pdf?rev=f62441faec46430c8b31a1483e8f1390&hash=38B71E7940C0212187BDE544DFF447A1&ref=sdnewswatch.org). **Yankton, Tuesday, Oct. 27, 6 p.m.** **CT** – Yankton Community Library, 515 Walnut St. Walker and Richard Braunstein, a political science professor at the University of South Dakota, will lead a session titled: What's on the ballot? A hands-on guide to voting with confidence." This nonpartisan educational event will walk participants through the voting experience, address common challenges that keep people from voting and provide information about the ballot amendments. The events are sponsored by **News Watch**, **SDPB,** the **League of Women Voters of South Dakota**, the **Chiesman Center for Democracy** at the University of South Dakota and the **Mike Huether Public Service Academy** at South Dakota State University. **To schedule a session** with your school, service club or other organization, call 605-610-9366 or email [carson.walker@sdnewswatch.org](mailto:carson.walker@sdnewswatch.org). [South Dakota voter guideWhat South Dakotans need to know about voting in statewide elections, and who and what are on the ballot.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-d4f2a55a-bbaa-4d34-82c2-7f41734a02f0.jpg)South Dakota News WatchMolly Wetsch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/2026-06-02-Signs-outside-Downtown-Library--Sioux-Falls-36f91ce2-9cf0-424d-ba04-30f67f439023.JPG)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-voter-guide-primary-general-election/) ****Get fact-based South Dakota news and information** in a weekday email. Unsubscribe any time. [Subscribe ](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/#/portal) [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. *Read*, *subscribe* for free and *donate* at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact:** [*info@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:info@sdnewswatch.org). ### Explainer: What to know about the 2026 South Dakota pheasant hunting season URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-pheasant-hunting-season/ Last updated: 2026-10-17T09:00:00.000Z ABERDEEN, S.D. – Optimism abounds as one of the biggest annual events in South Dakota area arrives this weekend. The first day of the traditional pheasant hunting season is Saturday, Oct. 17, and fields across the region are expected to be packed with both pheasants and those hoping to bag them. Hotels, motels, restaurants and bars will be just as full as thousands of out-of-state hunters will be in the area for what's something akin to a state holiday across much of South Dakota. Hunting is the state's No. 2 industry behind agriculture, and the orange carpet will be rolled out accordingly. ****Get free, fact-based South Dakota news and information** in a weekday email. No spam. Cancel any time. [Subscribe ](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/#/portal) It's expected the number of pheasants will be high after a couple of years of mostly excellent nesting conditions across the state. That has outdoors and tourism-related officials excited, and circumstantial evidence seems to support their optimism. A drive into rural areas during the sunrise and dusk hours usually reveals birds along roadsides gathering food. Here is an explainer on the 2026 pheasant hunting with just about everything folks need to know about the season — from the cost of licenses to the weekend's projected weather to some entertainment options in Aberdeen area. ## How much are licenses and where can I get them? Small game licenses that allow pheasant hunting are $36 for South Dakota residents. A residential one-day small game license is $16\. A resident youth small game license for hunters 12 to 17 is $5\. A $10 habitat stamp is also required for hunters 18 and older. Nonresident small game licenses are $142 and are good for two five-day periods. Those stretches can be nonconsecutive. A nonresident youth license is $10\. A habitat stamp is $25 out-of-staters. Combination small game and fishing licenses for residents, which are also good for pheasant hunting, are $60 for adults and $44 for senior citizens 65 or older. There are lower fees for people with disabilities and veterans who qualify and are approved. Licenses can be purchased online or at businesses across South Dakota. Agent fees are charged on some of the licenses. To purchase a license online, visit [gfp.sd.gov/hunt-fish-license/](http://gfp.sd.gov/hunt-fish-license/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). There are also roughly [280 registered license dealers](https://sdgfp.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=64ceea89929241b4b55774633034e98d&ref=sdnewswatch.org) across South Dakota. Some private hunting lodges also sell licenses. Electronic small game licenses are accepted. To use one, log in to your South Dakota Department of Game, Fish & Parks licensing account and take a screenshot. ## When can pheasant hunting start and what's the limit on birds? The pheasant season opens Saturday and runs through Jan. 31\. Shooting is allowed from 10 a.m. until sunset for the entire season. Three rooster pheasants are allowed each day, with a possession limit of 15 total roosters. It is illegal to shoot hens. There are more than 5 million acres of private and government land open to public hunting in South Dakota. The overwhelming majority is open to pheasant hunting starting Saturday, though there are exceptions to be aware of. The state’s [Turn In Poachers](https://www.facebook.com/SDTIPs/) hotline is [1-888-683-7224](tel:%28888%29%20683-7224). Reports can be made anonymously. Informants are sometimes eligible for rewards that help sustain the pheasant population by reporting offenders. ## Where are the birds? While GFP doesn't do brood surveys like it used to, bird numbers are expected to be excellent this fall as the result of excellent nesting conditions across much of the state. Nearly all of Brown County is in the part of the state expected to have the [highest-density of pheasants](https://gfp.sd.gov/userdocs/docs/uplandoutlook.pdf?ref=sdnewswatch.org). The same is true of counties to the south and southwest of Brown, including Spink County. The four counties with the highest reported pheasant harvests a year ago were Brown (75,333), Beadle (69,923), Brule (64,152) and Spink (61,833), according to [GFP statistics](https://gfp.sd.gov/images/Harvest%5FReports/PHEASANT.pdf?ref=sdnewswatch.org). ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/10/Pheasant-population-map-2026.jpeg) Projected pheasant populations in South Dakota for 2026\. (Map: South Dakota Department of Game, Fish & Parks) Last year, 139,641 resident and nonresident hunters bagged an estimated 1.35 million pheasants in South Dakota. That's roughly 282,500 more than in 2024, according to GFP data. ## What about the weather? It appears the weather for the opening weekend will be pleasant. Hunters should make sure they have sufficient water for not only themselves, but for their dogs. Dogs can get overheated when running through fields for much of the day, especially when the weather is warmer than usual for this time of year. ## Longest tail feather contest For fun, the [Aberdeen Area Convention & Visitors Bureau](https://www.facebook.com/VisitAberdeenSD/) has a longest pheasant tail feather contest that runs through the end of the season. Executive Director Casey Weismantel said hunters are limited to one entry per week. They need to take their feathers to the Convention & Visitors Bureau office at 506 S. Main St. to get them measured. There will be a weekly award for longest feather, he said, with each weekly winner entered into an end-of-season drawing to determine an overall winner. He said the contest is another way his office hopes to connect with hunters and hear about their experiences. More information about the contest can be found online at [huntfishsd.com/longest-tail-feather-contest/](https://huntfishsd.com/longest-tail-feather-contest/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). ## Maps and apps show public hunting areas Maps showing public access hunting areas are available on the GFP website at [gfp.sd.gov/maps](https://gfp.sd.gov/maps/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). Smartphone apps are also available for both Androids and iPhones. Search for “Go Outdoors SD” in the respective stores to download the app. ## Blaze orange recommended, but not required There is no law requiring hunters to wear orange or blaze orange, however it is recommended for safety and so they can be spotted in the fields. ## Trespassing on private land not allowed It is illegal to hunt on private land without permission. Violators could be charged with trespassing. Hunters are allowed to shoot pheasants in most road rights of way. Right-of-way hunters must be on foot. Birds must have taken flight from within or be flying over the right of way. A pheasant shot in a right of way that lands on private land can be retrieved on foot. Hunters are not allowed to discharge firearms from vehicles. [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. *Read*, *subscribe* for free and *donate* at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact:** [*info@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:info@sdnewswatch.org). ### Local and legislative elections to watch this November URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/local-legislative-south-dakota-elections-2026/ Last updated: 2026-10-16T09:00:00.000Z Ballots statewide for the Nov. 3 South Dakota general election include candidates for governor, U.S. House, U.S. Senate, several executive offices and four ballot measures. There are also a number of notable local and legislative elections. Here are some of them to watch. ## Schools: Bonds, dissolution on the ballot In Rapid City, the [Rapid City Area School District is seeking $107 million](https://www.rcas.org/page/bond-information/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) for a variety of projects that district CFO Coy Sasse called "fundamental building infrastructure." That includes updating heating and air conditioning systems, security upgrades and a new elementary school. A school bond referendum like the one up for a vote asks voters to decide whether a school district can sell bonds to investors for upfront cash to fund projects. Those bonds are paid back by a raise in property taxes for the period of the bond. In this case, the bond period is 20 years. The bond must receive a supermajority of 60% of the vote to pass. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/10/RC-school-vote-mailing-with-Nixon.jpeg) A mailing that urges Rapid City School District voters to pass a $107 million bond issue Nov. 3. Rapid City has not passed a school bond in over half a century, and voters most recently [declined to approve one in 2020](https://www.sdpb.org/education/2026-04-09/rapid-city-schools-target-first-successful-bond-vote-in-over-50-years?ref=sdnewswatch.org). The 2020 measure sought $189 million for the construction of three new elementary schools and a middle school, among other projects. Fifty-six percent of constituents voted in favor of the bond, missing the supermajority margin. Rapid City's bond history differs in comparison to the state's other major metro area: In Sioux Falls, the Sioux Falls School District most recently passed [a $190 million bond in 2018](https://www.argusleader.com/story/news/education/2018/09/19/sioux-falls-school-officials-share-whats-next-after-190-million-bond-passes/1355641002/?gnt-cfr=1&gca-cat=p&gca-uir=true&gca-epti=z115831e006410v115831d--58--b--58--&gca-ft=176&gca-ds=sophi&ref=sdnewswatch.org), which allowed for the construction of Jefferson High School. Before that bond passed, the most recent bond was approved in 1997\. The school district is currently discussing whether to take a $105 million bond to a special election next May that would allow for the replacement of Whittier Middle School. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/10/2026-10-14-RC-school-vote-sign.jpeg) A sign on Oct. 14, 2026, supporting the Nov. 3 school bond vote in Rapid City, S.D. (Photo: Carson Walker/South Dakota News Watch) Rapid City Mayor Jason Salamun told News Watch in September that he was in favor of the bond, which is a smaller funding package than the 2020 bond, citing aging schools and security concerns. "I believe that we have to invest in the next generation. And somebody did it for me. How selfish would it be of me to not support doing it for the next generation? My kids are grown, but it's not about me. It's about children," Salamun said. Across the state in the northeast, another school bond is on the ballot in Groton, where the district is looking to approve a $26 million bond for classroom expansion and renovation. That bond also requires a 60% majority to pass. Also in the northeast, the Oldham-Ramona-Rutland School District will again be voting to decide whether to dissolve. The special election will take place on Nov. 10, not Election Day. The district [avoided dissolution late last year](https://www.sdpb.org/education/2025-12-18/oldham-ramona-rutland-school-district-narrowly-avoids-dissolution?ref=sdnewswatch.org), as just four votes held off the decision in a December special election. The school board elected two new members in the June election. The Oldham-Ramona-Rutland School District had 193 K-12 students enrolled in the 2025-26 school year. Under South Dakota law, public schools with fewer than 100 students must reorganize, form a joint powers agreement with another school or dissolve. ## Counties: Tax changes go to voters Four counties in the state will let voters decide whether to approve a half-cent sales tax increase to decrease property taxes. Gov. Larry Rhoden introduced and later signed SB 96 earlier this year. That law allows counties to elect to raise their sales tax rate by half a percent, with the proceeds going to lowering property tax rates. Rhoden called the legislation part of "the largest property tax cut in South Dakota history." Brown, Codington, Clay and Charles Mix counties will hold a vote on the measure in November. ****Get free, fact-based South Dakota news and information** in a weekday email. No spam. Cancel any time. [Subscribe ](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/#/portal) Brown County specified that its tax increase must be approved by voters, not the county commission, which pushed it automatically to a November vote. In Codington, Clay and Charles Mix counties, county commissions approved the measure and voters submitted petitions to refer the measure to the public. In Brown and Codington counties, those votes will take place on Election Day, Nov. 3\. In Clay and Charles Mix counties, the vote will occur by special election on Nov. 17. Six counties have approved the measure via their county commission and will see the changes implemented in January. That includes Pennington and Lincoln counties, home to Rapid City and southern parts of the Sioux Falls metro area. [South Dakota voter guideWhat South Dakotans need to know about voting in statewide elections, and who and what are on the ballot.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-4618aea8-6ca5-4f9e-9e1f-c06718353a22.jpg)South Dakota News WatchMolly Wetsch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/2026-06-02-Voting-booths--Sioux-Falls-1-1-1-f895ac67-571e-439a-aed5-cb9e94e114c2.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-voter-guide-primary-general-election/) Two other counties, Hughes and Yankton, have approved the measure, with some pending circumstances. The deadline for petitioners to submit signatures to force Hughes County to a vote was Wednesday. The Hughes County auditor's office told News Watch Wednesday morning that they had not yet received any petitions. Yankton County passed the ordinance but intends to pass a new one lowering the half-percent sales tax increase to 0.25%, [according to the South Dakota Searchlight](https://southdakotasearchlight.com/2026/10/07/four-south-dakota-counties-will-vote-in-november-on-new-sales-taxes-to-lower-property-taxes/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). Both counties will see tax changes take place in July 2027. ## Legislative races: Incumbents, Independents All 105 seats in the South Dakota Legislature are up for election this year. Thirty-five senators, one from each district, and 70 representatives, two from each district, will be elected. Sixty-three legislators, about 60% of the body, are up for re-election this year. That comes after the June primaries saw several incumbents defeated by challengers. Some sitting legislators are running for a seat representing their district in a different chamber: Rep. Erik Muckey, a Democrat representing District 15, and Rep. John Sjaarda, a Republican representing District 2, are running for Senate seats in their respective districts, among others. [Legislature election recap: Nelson holds off Hunhoff; Carley oustedA review of top election results of South Dakota state legislative Republican primary races.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-a741dd1a-a58d-461e-9494-043530de4043.jpg)South Dakota News WatchAlexander Rifaat![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/2026-06-02-Hughes-sign-waver--Sioux-Falls-1-82e53885-60d1-4960-9b3a-c9765dfc186b.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/legislature-primary-election-recap/) In South Dakota, legislators can only serve four consecutive terms in the House or the Senate before they must vacate the position. Three districts will see guaranteed turnover with no incumbents running for re-election. Those districts are District 3, 25 and 29, home to Aberdeen, Dell Rapids and Union Center, respectively. In District 3, Republican Katie Washnok is unopposed for the Senate seat. She ran in 2024 but lost in the Republican primary to state Sen. Carl Perry. Perry ran for re-election this year, but was defeated in the primary by Washnok. In District 29, Republican William Meirose is running unopposed for Senate and Republicans Gary Cammack and Gary Deering are the only two candidates for House. Meirose defeated incumbent state Sen. John Carley in the June primary. Cammack, of Union Center, is seeking to regain his seat in the House. He served from 2023-2025 but lost his seat in the 2024 primary election to now-state Sen. Terri Jorgenson and state Sen. Kathy Rice. Rice and Jorgenson ran for re-election this year but lost in the June primary to Cammack and Deering. Other notable races include the District 27 state House race, where an Independent will be elected to the South Dakota Legislature for the first time in over a decade. Evangeline Poor Bear, Elizabeth Lone Eagle, Joe Flood and Jay Yohner are running for seats as Independents as well as incumbent Republican state Sen. Liz May. Because two representatives will be elected, an Independent is guaranteed to take at least one seat. For that district's Senate seat, current District 27 Rep. Peri Pourier is also running as an Independent against Democrat Celestine Stadnick and Republican Anthony Kathol. Pourier, of Pine Ridge, made headlines last September when she switched her party affiliation from Democrat to Republican. She ran in the Republican primary for Public Utilities Commission but was defeated at the convention in June by Don Haggar. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/10/Screenshot-2026-10-13-at-1.57.08---PM-1.png) Peri Pourier, Republican senator from District 27 who is running for re-election as an Independent. There has been only one Independent in the Legislature in the 21st century: Jenna Netherton, who was elected to the House of Representatives as an Independent in 2010\. She was re-elected as a Republican in 2012 and served as a Republican state senator from 2015 to 2018. Before Netherton, the most recent Independent to serve in the Legislature was Alfred Burke, who served as a senator from 1965 to 1972. [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. *Read*, *subscribe* for free and *donate* at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact* reporter/*[*Report for America*](https://www.reportforamerica.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *corps member Molly Wetsch: 605-531-7382/*[*molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### National Civics Bee winners - and how to get involved next year URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/national-civics-bee-winner/ Last updated: 2026-10-15T17:02:05.000Z A Brandon middle schooler represented South Dakota at this year's National Civics Bee in Washington, but a Colorado student took home the first place prize. Peter Daniell won $100,000 in a 529 education fund and the Bill Daniels National Civics Award. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/10/Peter-Daniell-first-place-1-1.png) Hanna Grady, president and chief executive officer at Daniels Fund, (left) and Peter Daniell (middle) hold Daniell’s first-place prize of $100,000 while Mike Carney, president of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation (middle) and host Jerry O’Connell (right) look on. Daniell competed against 51 other middle schoolers on Oct. 13-14, 2026 in Washington. (Photo: Courtesy C-SPAN) The bee, which is sponsored by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, featured 52 students from across the country. Each state, plus American Samoa and Washington, sent a student to compete in the national bee. The competition on Wednesday, which was supposed to run from 8-10 p.m. ET, went on for an extra hour due to technical difficulties. The final round restarted three times after the students had issues with their buzzers. The broadcast stopped for over 40 minutes at one point. Chloe Dabney from Brandon Middle School competed in the two-day competition as the South Dakota representative. The first day of competition on Tuesday determined the top 25 students who then went on to compete in the televised portion on Wednesday. Chloe did not advance to the second day of competition. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/10/Chloe-Dabney-SD-1.png) Chloe Dabney introduces herself and her state during the broadcast of the National Civics Bee on Oct. 14\. The bee was streamed live on C-SPAN. (Photo: Courtesy C-SPAN) Araoluwakiitan Afolabi, from Florida, came in second place. He received a $25,000 cash prize. Michigan student Carolyn Taylor took home third place and a $15,000 cash prize. The Civics Bee launched in 2023 and will continue in 2027\. The applications for 2027 are open now until Feb. 2\. Learn more about how to enter [here](https://civics.uschamberfoundation.org/ncb-how-it-works/?ref=sdnewswatch.org#how-to-enter). To watch highlights from the 2026 National Civics Bee Championship, visit [**https://www.youtube.com/@CSPAN**](https://edge.prnewswire.com/c/link/?t=0&l=en&o=4798930-1&h=1768981121&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2F%40CSPAN&a=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2F%40CSPAN&ref=sdnewswatch.org). [Brandon student to represent SD in National Civics BeeThe annual competition will be held Oct. 14, in Washington. Viewers can watch Chloe Dabney and other middle schoolers from across the nation.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-230e2567-8cbb-4c1f-9181-64fd1c832f35.jpg)South Dakota News WatchEmily DeCock![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/Civics-bee-finalists-5e0ebdc7-e9fb-4ec9-8642-ec54d00578a4.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/brandon-student-to-represent-sd-in-national-civics-bee/) [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. *Read, subscribe* for free and *donate* at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact* reporter Emily DeCock:* 605-736-4396*/* [*emily.decock@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:emily.decock@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Fact brief: Is the measles vaccination rate decreasing in SD? URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/fact-brief-measles-mumps-rubella-mmr-vaccine-rate/ Last updated: 2026-10-15T09:00:00.000Z ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/WhiteFACT-BRIEF--500-x-200-px--2-1-1.png) ## Yes. The number of kindergarteners who have received the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine in South Dakota has fallen by 6.7 percentage points since the 2019-20 school year. The Healthy People 2030 target for two doses of MMR is 95% by 2030\. South Dakota (89%) is one of 18 states that have an MMR vaccination rate below 90% for students in kindergarten in 2025-26\. The state has reported 11 cases of measles in 2026 compared to 16 cases in 2025\. Ten of those cases are people who haven’t received the MMR vaccine. One person was hospitalized. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, 6.9% of kindergarteners in South Dakota claimed an exemption from vaccines during the 2025-26 school year, up 4.2 percentage points from 2019-20. Historically, measles infections can cause 1 to 2 deaths per 1,000 cases. Pennsylvania reported its sixth measles death this week. ℹ️ This fact brief responds to claims such as [this one](https://www.reddit.com/r/AskConservatives/comments/1w31yz7/the%5Fus%5Fhas%5Fthe%5Fhighest%5Frate%5Fof%5Fmeasles%5Fin%5F35/?solution=d65fdba31af46f94d65fdba31af46f94&js%5Fchallenge=1&jsc%5Ftoken=2824be10929bdc604753c70a67a1c3318023b4fdc778f6445c54b22d0ee23c83&jsc%5Forig%5Fr=&ref=sdnewswatch.org). ### Sources CDC, [Measles cases and outbreaks](https://www.cdc.gov/measles/data-research/index.html?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Kaiser Family Foundation, [Kindergarten routine vaccination rates continue to decline](https://www.kff.org/medicaid/kindergarten-routine-vaccination-rates-continue-to-decline/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) NBC News, [A sixth measles-related death is reported in Pennsylvania](https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/sixth-measles-related-death-reported-pennsylvania-rcna603024?ref=sdnewswatch.org) South Dakota Department of Health, [Measles dashboard](https://doh.sd.gov/diseases/measles/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) ### About fact briefs Fact briefs are bite-sized, well-sourced explanations that offer clear "yes" or "no" answers to questions, confusions and unsupported claims circulating online. They rely on publicly available data and documents, often from the original source. Fact briefs are written and published by South Dakota News Watch as part of the[ Gigafact](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) network. Submit a question for us to answer[ on the tipline](https://gigafact.org/tipline/south-dakota-news-watch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). SPONSORED ****Support fact briefs.** Help fight misinformation by supporting fact briefs, well-sourced explanations that offer clear "yes" or "no" answers to questions, confusions and unsupported claims circulating online. [Donate ](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/donate/) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at*[ *sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact freelance reporter Michael Klinski:* michael.klinski@sdnewswatch.org.* ### After decades without a new house, Tripp developing its own URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/tripp-south-dakota-housing-development/ Last updated: 2026-10-14T08:59:59.000Z TRIPP, S.D. – Until a few years ago, the outlook for growth and prosperity seemed somewhat bleak in this rural town of about 560 people located 35 miles south of Mitchell. The population had fallen precipitously, dropping by 34% since 1970 and suffering a 21% decline since 2000\. In 2018, the Good Samaritan Society closed the local nursing home. And around that time, the town's grocery store shuttered after the longtime owner retired. Added to that was the painful fact that no new houses had been built within the city since the 1990s and that a significant number of occupied and unoccupied homes were dilapidated and unsightly. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/10/Engage-SD-small-logo-1-1.png) Engage South Dakota uses community engagement and crowdsourcing to identify issues the entire state should know about, people whose voices aren't often heard and grassroots solutions to challenges. "There were a lot of doom and gloom signals here," said Caleb Finck of the Tripp Development Corp. (TDC). "We'd hire new teachers and they'd be so excited to work for the local school district, but they would leave because there was nowhere in town for them to live." But a recent groundswell of community leadership, investment and hard work has fueled a new sense of vibrancy in Tripp, much of it centered around creation of new housing. ## A vision emerges to generate new housing In conjunction with other municipal agencies, the reenergized all-volunteer nonprofit TDC has made it a mission to find new housing or the land to build on wherever or whenever an opportunity presents itself. Rather than shoot too high and lead to potential burnout, the group has set reasonable expectations, hoping to develop one new house each year, said Finck, a farmer and former lawmaker who also works for the South Dakota Office of School & Public Lands. [Engage South Dakota: Housing solutionsA list of entities and programs that can assist in developing or obtaining housing as well as links to News Watch reporting on housing solutions.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-4d2b7060-63b8-4f75-812f-75a49f4e74bf.jpg)South Dakota News WatchBart Pfankuch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/IMG_2326-ad27ee28-a80e-4adc-ad61-5d26d29faced.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/engage-south-dakota-housing-rent-own-solutions-journalism/) At the heart of the rebirth of housing efforts in Tripp lies a sense of determination that can be a model for other South Dakota communities hoping to jumpstart housing efforts, said Paula Jensen, senior vice president at Dakota Resources, a statewide nonprofit community development agency. "Most of all, Tripp has a possibility mindset," Jensen wrote to News Watch in an email. "Too often, small towns turn down good projects because they don't have the money or they're wary of the risk. Tripp chose to build the leadership, the relationships and the finances to say 'yes.' Any rural community can learn from that shift from 'we should' to 'we did.'" ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/09/2026-06-12-Tripp-new-home-interior-1.jpeg) A new affordable "spec" home built by the local development corporation is for sale at $296,000 in Tripp, S.D. Shown on June 12, 2026, the home is part of a larger effort to provide housing for potential new residents. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) Since reestablishing the TDC in the early 2020s, the organization has led development of two new "spec" homes, acquisition of two Governor's Houses built by South Dakota prison inmates and cleared several lots for future development. That momentum has prompted the recent development of three other homes by private individuals, Finck said. The city now has a thriving grocery store (but no nursing home), and the TDC and other local nonprofits have embarked on an effort to raise $5 million to build a new community pool and park facility, he said. ## Community puts up funds to get started Like many small, rural South Dakota towns, Tripp was simply not on the radar of private developers who seek to build and sell homes quickly and at a solid profit margin. The TDC recognized that and saw it as a challenge, and the community stepped up big time, Finck said. "When we decided to step out and do this, we went to the community and said, 'We want to build some housing, but we don't have the money to do it,'" he said. "And I'm not kidding you when I tell you that in two weeks' time, we had $80,000 worth of capital put together." ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/09/2026-06-17-Tripp-Caleb-Finck-at-conference-1.jpeg) Caleb Finck of the Tripp Development Corp. gave a presentation at the annual state housing conference in Pierre, S.D., on June 17, 2026\. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) Some of the money was donated, and some was provided as no-interest loans to the corporation, he said. The TDC has also been aggressive about tapping into funding and management resources that exist in South Dakota to help with housing. On two of its new housing projects, the TDC tapped into the Housing Opportunity Fund managed by the South Dakota Housing and Development Authority. That program requires a community or development group to raise half the funding needed to pay for new houses, then provides the rest as a zero-interest loan. The TDC also tapped the opportunity fund to solve a problem few could foresee – that a lack of recent comparable home sales created an "appraisal gap" in which a home that cost $250,000 to build would only appraise at $200,000, preventing a buyer from obtaining lending. The housing authority covered that gap with a second mortgage loan, Finck said. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/09/2026-06-12-Tripp-home-construction-1.jpeg) Construction work was ongoing on June 12, 2026, on the foundation of a Governor's House located in downtown Tripp, S.D. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) The new energy surrounding housing in Tripp can become contagious and lead to unforeseen improvements in the community at large, said Chas Olson, director of the South Dakota Housing Development Authority. "Those small wins in small towns help build momentum and they help with a mind shift in the community that we might have more of a future than we thought," Olson said. "And so others begin to spruce things up." The TDC has also obtained coaching from Dakota Resources and has access to the agency's loan fund to get capital to buy or build homes or prepare lots for development, Jensen said. The agency helped the TDC create a mission statement, form strategic committees, enact a communication plan and develop a funding model. After that, the TDC surveyed the community members to get their input and held a retreat to get organized, she said. ## A community effort "Because of the formation of those TDC committees, housing work doesn't rest on one or two people. Many board members and local experts share the load," Jensen wrote. "Once they had that foundation in place, access to capital meant they could act on their plans." As with other communities that have taken on the challenge of building new housing outside the private sector, the TDC has scoured the lending landscape for unique funding opportunities. In early 2026, for example, the TDC received a $35,000 grant from Bank West and the Federal Home Loan Bank in Iowa, further providing start-up money to fuel housing growth. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/09/2026-06-12-Tripp-rundown-home-1.jpeg) Some of the existing housing in Tripp, S.D., shown on June 12, 2026, is in significant need of repair. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) In partnership with the city of Tripp, the TDC has identified old properties it would like to either buy and replace or fix up to livable status. During the process of cleaning up nearly a dozen homes, "we evicted a lot of raccoons," Finck said. To spread the good will even further, when a local property needed to be torn down to free up a lot for development, the TDC provided a training opportunity for local firefighters by allowing controlled burning of the house, Finck said. ****Get free, fact-based South Dakota news and information** in a weekday email. No spam. Cancel any time. [Subscribe ](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/#/portal) Some supporters of new housing have stepped up with their own money to speed up development. Local "retired" farmer and part-time developer Lennis Mehlhaff, 71, worked with Finck to buy one of the new Governor's Houses that arrived in Tripp this summer. On a sunny day in June, Mehlhaff and his wife, Judy, were at the home site working to get the house ready for sale. Lennis said he has been concerned for some time that too many people who grow up in Tripp feel compelled to leave for bigger cities, in part because they cannot find a decent place to live. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/09/2026-06-12-Tripp-Lennis-and-Judy-Mehlhaff.jpeg) Developer Lennis Mehlhaff gives his wife, Judy, a kiss on June 12, 2026 during a break from installing a Governor's House they bought and hope to flip in Tripp, S.D. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) "We just don't have the homes for these families," Mehlhaff said. "We need this in Tripp to hopefully attract some young people." New housing is the key to attracting people and employers to Tripp, Finck said. Whether the target group is young families, new workers for the schools or other businesses or former residents who want to return to their hometowns, Finck said no growth can happen without housing. "We had to ask ourselves, 'What do we want our future to look like?' so we didn't just let happenstance shape our story in Tripp," he said. "With some actual planning, we have drawn our line in the sand and said, 'This is what we want to happen in our community, and let's get after it.'" [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. *Read*, *subscribe* for free and *donate* at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact* content director Bart Pfankuch:605-937-9398/* [*bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Fact brief roundup: US House debate URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-fact-brief-us-house-debate-jackley-gronli/ Last updated: 2026-10-13T08:59:59.000Z ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/WhiteFACT-BRIEF--500-x-200-px--2-1-1.png) Democrat Nikki Gronli and Republican Marty Jackley [debated](https://www.youtube.com/live/LIqzx4SNWlc?si=erX6H08OWjxaZ4uF&ref=sdnewswatch.org) Oct. 1 on SDPB. Candidates talked through their stance on data centers, artificial intelligence, agriculture, immigration policies, child care costs and more. Several claims were made regarding South Dakota impacts from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which President Tump signed into law on July 4, 2025. This was the only televised debate before the Nov. 3 general election. Here is a fact check of some statements made by each of them during the debate. --- ## Will South Dakota lose millions in federal funding for Medicaid over the next decade? ### Yes. During the debate, Gronli said South Dakota will lose an estimated $931 million over the next 10 years from national cuts from the Big Beautiful Bill, which is true. Medicaid is a joint federal and state program that helps cover medical costs for low-income adults, children, pregnant women, elderly and people with disabilities. The bill, passed in July 2025, aims to cut nearly $1 trillion in Medicaid coverage for enrollees nationwide, including reportedly 13,000 South Dakotans. The South Dakota Department of Social Services website says coverage will not change for most people, but it does not provide details. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/10/House_Debate_Gronli-1.jpg) Democratic U.S. House candidate Nikki Gronli speaks at the lectern on Oct. 1, 2026 at SDPB in Sioux Falls, S.D. (Photo: Jon Beringer) ℹ️ This fact brief responds to [a claim by Gronli.](https://www.youtube.com/live/LIqzx4SNWlc?si=uvpsAp%5Fh4H-WqtS6&t=1272&ref=sdnewswatch.org) ### Sources KFF, [Allocating CBO’s Estimates of Federal Medicaid Spending Reductions and Enrollment Loss Across the States: House Reconciliation Bill](https://www.kff.org/medicaid/allocating-cbos-estimates-of-federal-medicaid-spending-reductions-and-enrollment-loss-across-the-states/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) South Dakota Department of Social Services, [South Dakota Medicaid: Eligibility Changes Coming Soon](https://dss.sd.gov/medicaid/HR1.aspx?ref=sdnewswatch.org) South Dakota Searchlight, [13,000 South Dakotans would lose Medicaid if ‘Big, Beautiful Bill’ passes, research group says](https://southdakotasearchlight.com/2025/06/09/13000-south-dakotans-lose-medicaid-big-beautiful-bill-passes-work-requirements-research-kff/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) --- ## Did the One Big Beautiful Bill provide South Dakota with millions for rural health care? ### Yes. The Rural Health Transformation Program, outlined in the Big Beautiful Bill, included $189 million for South Dakota toward the first year of implementation. The South Dakota Department of Health outlined four areas that the money would be used to advance rural health care: - Connect technology and data for a healthier South Dakota - Advance the rural workforce - Keep health care access local and strong - Transform systems for sustainability "It doesn't really do much good to invest in technology and things in hospitals if people can't actually access the health care," Gronli said of the rural health care money in regard to the Medicaid cuts. Jackley said private health care is the answer. "When you talk about health care and those challenges that we just heard about from my opponent, it's all because of what was happening with respect to trying to socialize medicine," Jackley said. "Government health care isn't the answer." ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/10/House_Debate_Jackley-1.jpg) U.S. House candidate Marty Jackley speaks at the lectern on Oct. 1, 2026, at SDPB in Sioux Falls, S.D. (Photo: Jon Beringer) ℹ️ This fact brief responds to [a claim by Jackley](https://www.youtube.com/live/LIqzx4SNWlc?si=mGnxIcpfx9A2JgzF&t=1382&ref=sdnewswatch.org). ### Sources South Dakota News Watch, [What $189M in rural health care funding may mean for SD](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-rural-health-care-funding-state-legislature/) South Dakota Department of Health, [Rural Health Transformation Program](https://doh.sd.gov/healthcare-professionals/rural-health/rural-health-transformation/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) --- Watch the full debate, moderated by SDPB's Jackie Hendry in collaboration with South Dakota News Watch. ### About fact briefs Fact briefs are bite-sized, well-sourced explanations that offer clear "yes" or "no" answers to questions, confusions and unsupported claims circulating online. They rely on publicly available data and documents, often from the original source. Fact briefs are written and published by South Dakota News Watch as part of the [Gigafact](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) network. Submit a question for us to answer[ on the tipline](https://gigafact.org/tipline/south-dakota-news-watch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). SPONSORED ****Support fact briefs.** Help fight misinformation by supporting fact briefs, well-sourced explanations that offer clear "yes" or "no" answers to questions, confusions and unsupported claims circulating online. [Donate ](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/donate/) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. *Read, subscribe* for free and *donate* at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact* reporter Emily DeCock:* 605-736-4396*/* [*emily.decock@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:emily.decock@sdnewswatch.org)*.*[https://www.youtube.com/live/LIqzx4SNWlc?si=mGnxIcpfx9A2JgzF&t=1382](https://www.youtube.com/live/LIqzx4SNWlc?si=mGnxIcpfx9A2JgzF&t=1382&ref=sdnewswatch.org) ### Housing solutions from across South Dakota URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/engage-south-dakota-housing-rent-own-solutions-journalism/ Last updated: 2026-10-15T18:45:38.000Z The best problem-solving happens when the people impacted the most develop ideas and share what they know. But nothing can happen to fix problems on a large scale if those good ideas that could work elsewhere aren't shared. Engage South Dakota seeks to change that. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/05/Engage-SD-small-logo-1-1-1.png) South Dakota News Watch is working with other organizations to identify and share ideas that might help solve some of the state's most-pressing housing challenges. This story will serve as a collection that will be updated and can be used as a resource for individuals and decision-makers looking for solutions in their own communities. ****Awards and grants Engage South Dakota has received:** \-- $10,000 from Watertown Area Community Foundation \-- $100,000 from South Dakota Community Foundation in 2025 for the [Beyond Idea Grant](https://www.sdcommunityfoundation.org/grants/beyond-idea-grants?ref=sdnewswatch.org) \-- First place in South Dakota NewsMedia Association public service contest \-- First place in "Strengthening Civil Society" competition for outstanding journalism covering philanthropy and the nonprofit sector \-- [INNY Community Champion Award](https://inn.org/about/our-work/nonprofit-news-awards/2026-award-winners/community-champion-award/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) from the Institute for Nonprofit News Below is a list of entities and programs that can assist in developing or obtaining housing as well as links to News Watch reporting on housing solutions. **Click on the title or the drop-down arrow** to see the details for each. **If you know of a housing solution** we should include or report on, please send details to [**news@sdnewswatch.org**](mailto:news@sdnewswatch.org) or take the short survey at the end of this story. #### Aberdeen and Mitchell: Homes Are Possible Inc. (HAPI) Homes Are Possible Inc., or HAPI, uses a mix of public grants and private donations to fuel three separate housing programs that provide grants to income-qualified homeowners to fix up their houses, buy lots and build homes to replace aging or abandoned houses that are torn down and acquire land and develop subdivision infrastructure so HAPI and private construction companies can build homes there. [Read how HAPI is helping to solve the housing problem through idea sharing](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/aberdeen-mitchell-south-dakota-hapi-housing-solution/). Contacts: Darin Beckius, executive director of Homes Are Possible Inc., in Aberdeen at 605-225-4274 or Terry Sabers, president of Mitchell Area Housing Inc. at 605-630-1608. #### Affordablehousing.com (31 communities) [Affordablehousing.com](https://www.affordablehousing.com/housing-authority-sd/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) provides contact information and housing program details in 31 communities across South Dakota. The list includes local housing authorities and redevelopment commissions, both of which can help renters and homebuyers in gaining information and potentially access to affordable rental properties and homes as well as public housing assistance. #### Canistota: How housing is fueling a city's revitalization The [success story](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/canistota-sd-housing-revitalization-solutions/) unfolding in this eastern South Dakota city shows how a commitment to housing development can break the pattern of decline afflicting many rural communities across the state. New and rehabilitated housing is opening the door to the city's continued population growth and a new role as a bedroom community for Sioux Falls and Mitchell. #### Chamberlain: Free land available for new housing Chamberlain is giving away lots in a subdivision in order to jump-start housing in a city where private developers have been reluctant to build homes on their own. Like many other small cities and towns in South Dakota, Chamberlain has a shortage of housing, which is preventing the city of 2,500 from experiencing growth in population, commercial development and employment. Instead of waiting around, Chamberlain has used taxpayer money and city resources to develop two subdivisions, including the latest project where free lots were given to individuals and developers who promised to build homes. [Read how Chamberlain is taking the lead in encouraging development of new housing.](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/chamberlain-south-dakota-land-giveaway-missouri-river/) Contacts: Clint Soulek, city administrator, (605) 234-4400, or Sheena Larsen, director of Lake Francis Case Economic Development, 605.234-4418. #### Dakota Resources (statewide) [Dakota Resources](https://dakotaresources.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) is a nonprofit that helps rural communities across South Dakota in their efforts to create a thriving economy with strong housing, retail and industrial sectors. The organization, with status as a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI), has a 25-year history of providing financial assistance, leadership training and community-building support to rural and underserved areas across the state. #### Downpayment assistance offered by state In October 2026, Gov. Larry Rhoden and the South Dakota Housing Development Authority announced a new lending program called "Give Me Five" that offers downpayment assistance to some potential homebuyers. Under the program, "eligible first-time buyers can receive a 5% boost toward downpayment assistance for their first home, through a five-year forgivable loan." The program -- aimed at helping people overcome a big hurdle to homeownership -- was set to launch on Nov. 2, 2026 and will offer the assistance to income-qualifying first-time homebuyers. [Read more about the new downpayment program.](https://www.sdhousing.org/news-blog/give-me-five?ref=sdnewswatch.org) #### Governor's House Program (statewide) The Governor's House Program was conceived to provide affordable housing, particularly to those people who are seniors, have disabilities or are low- to moderate-income. [Read more about it and whether you qualify](https://www.sdhousing.org/ready-to-buy/available-programs/governors-house-program?ref=sdnewswatch.org). #### GROW South Dakota GROW South Dakota is a statewide nonprofit organization dedicated to strengthening South Dakota communities through access to affordable financing and technical assistance. GROW SD works with entrepreneurs, businesses, housing developers, and communities to create opportunities for growth and long-term economic development. [Learn more about GROW South Dakota here.](https://www.growsd.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) #### Habitat for Humanity (9 communities) Habitat for Humanity, a nonprofit that combines the money and efforts of volunteers and potential homeowners, seeks to empower qualifying families and individuals with the ability to obtain homeownership. The agency's[ South Dakota website](https://www.habitat.org/local/affiliate-by-state?state=SD&ref=sdnewswatch.org) includes contact information for the following communities: Aberdeen, Brookings, Fort Thompson, Huron, Mitchell, Rapid City, Sioux Falls, Watertown and Yankton. South Dakota's two largest Habitat for Humanity affiliates, in Sioux Falls and Rapid City, have become national leaders in their efforts to build subdivisions with multiple housing units rather than the traditional single home at a time. The move is driven by the great need for affordable housing, especially in regard to "starter homes" that provide opportunities to young or lower-income families to achieve homeownership. [Read how Habitat developed subdivisions in Sioux Falls and Rapid City](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-housing-habitat-for-humanity-subdivision-engage-sd/) #### Herreid housing fueled by unique funding options The small, remote city of Herreid is in the midst of a community revitalization effort that is rooted in housing growth. Led by former lawmaker Dick Werner, a retired banking executive, the city of about 400 people has obtained more than $2 million in grants from a variety of sources for new houses, apartments and community amenities. "You just have to know where to get the money," Werner said. "You've got to have connections and partnerships, but it's important to know that there are resources across the state to help your community." [Read how Herreid gets the funds to kickstart development](https://south-dakota-news-watch.ghost.io/ghost/?ref=sdnewswatch.org#/editor/post/69b08122f2d9f40001ffd445). #### Hot Springs: Housing tops list of needs A survey completed by roughly 10% of Hot Springs residents revealed that the southern Black Hills town faces many of the same major issues as other South Dakota cities, notably challenges in housing and workforce. A majority of respondents listed housing (70%), business development (55%), workforce development (54%) and the labor shortage (52%) as major concerns. Responses showed that residents feel they have the ability to make a difference in their community, but some also believe opportunities for greater growth and development are being missed, and concerns arose over the city's positioning for long-term economic stability. That survey prompted a community gathering and discussion. [Read the full story](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/resident-driven-ideas-at-heart-of-engage-south-dakota/) about the ideas shared and some of the potential housing solutions that residents identified. #### Hot Springs: Housing subdivision funded by hospital Fall River Health Services, an independent nonprofit medical center in Hot Springs, is paying $2.3 million of the overall $3.4 million cost of infrastructure for a subdivision that could create 48 new affordable housing units a few hundred yards from the hospital campus. "You can't stop providing care, so we need workforce to care for our local population," said Jesse Naze, chief financial officer at Fall River Health. "It's not wages or benefits keeping employees away, it’s simply that housing just isn’t available." Chas Olson, executive director of the South Dakota Housing Development Authority (South Dakota Housing), said he isn't aware of any project in the state which an employer invested money on permanent housing that will benefit the business as well as the community at large for years to come. [Read the story](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/housing-solutions-hot-springs-south-dakota-sd-hospital/). #### Housing and Urban Development (statewide) [The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development](https://www.hud.gov/states/south-dakota?ref=sdnewswatch.org) offers a wide range of programs available to South Dakotans who want to build a home, buy a home or find affordable rental properties. HUD has counselors available by phone to help people find housing within their means and for Native Americans seeking to obtain homeownership or rental opportunities. #### Pine Ridge Indian Reservation: Lakota Funds The lending organization [Lakota Funds](https://www.lakotafunds.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) makes personal and business loans to tribal members seeking to open or expand a business, which can include housing development. The agency, the nation's first Native Community Development Financial Institution, founded in 1986, provides access to capital, technical assistance, networking and infrastructure. #### Rapid City affordable housing Multiple philanthropic entities have created a $15 million pool of combined funding to create a revolving loan fund to reduce costs for developers who can then offer rents at below market rates. Since it launched in 2020, the [Strategic Housing Trust Fund ](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/solutions-affordable-housing-investments-rapid-city/)managed by the Black Hills Area Community Foundation has resulted in development or retention of 645 apartments totaling more that 1,230 bedrooms for people who have difficulty obtaining quality housing in Rapid City, where there is a dire shortage of affordable housing and average rental rates are the highest in the state. #### Redfield's long-range approach to housing growth Redfield, a city of 2,100 in central South Dakota, has been working vigorously to expand housing options for nearly 30 years. The city's model for growth has evolved slowly: from rehabbing one dilapidated house at a time to a current subdivision project with 42 lots. Cooperation, innovation and a strong work ethic have combined to enable the city to revitalize more than 150 aging properties and to encourage public and private investments in dozens of new homes and apartments. Construction of new homes, redevelopment of existing housing stock and provision of land to developers are all ways to further efforts to foster community growth. [Read how Redfield has become a regional leader in housing innovation.](https://south-dakota-news-watch.ghost.io/ghost/?ref=sdnewswatch.org#/editor/post/68558841e8f4890001bd0e41) #### Salem residents own money in new subdivision Not once but twice in 2022 the town of Salem was struck by derechos that destroyed buildings and upended the local economy. As it seeks to rebuild from those wind storms – and jumpstart a long stagnant housing market – business leaders and even individual residents put up their own money to help pay for a new subdivision. [Read the full story](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/salem-south-dakota-housing-subdivision-solutions-sd/) on how obtaining funding to expedite housing growth requires innovation, determination and a combination of grants, loans and local taxpayer support. #### Single Family Direct Home Loans (statewide) For qualifying low-income and very low-income residents of South Dakota, the USDA Rural Development program offers mortgage payment assistance to aid in their ability to afford a home. The [Single Family Direct Home Loan](https://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/single-family-housing-programs/single-family-housing-direct-home-loans-21?ref=sdnewswatch.org) program offers financial assistance to encourage homeownership. #### South Dakota Brownfields Program (statewide) The state-funded Brownfields program provides funding to assist municipalities, counties or local development agencies in cleaning up and redeveloping properties that have been contaminated by prior use. [This link ](https://danr.sd.gov/Agriculture/Inspection/Brownfields/docs/BrownfieldsBrochurecolor-2024.pdf?ref=sdnewswatch.org)provides important information on which properties might qualify, and how to apply for funding. Redeveloped properties can be used for construction of housing. #### South Dakota Housing (statewide) [South Dakota Housing](https://www.sdhousing.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) offers programs that provide mortgage loans, housing construction and rehabilitation, homelessness prevention, rental assistance, and educational opportunities to help people find and secure a place to call home. #### Spearfish affordable housing project A proposed $9.3 million apartment complex will be the first to use part of a federal affordable housing fund approved by Congress in 2024\. The 32-unit Peak View II apartments on 3.5 acres off Paramount Drive in eastern Spearfish should begin accepting tenants in summer 2027\. The project will rely in part on a low-interest loan made from a $30 million pool of money allocated by Congress for affordable housing projects across the greater Black Hills region. [Read the story](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/spearfish-sd-affordable-housing-engage-south-dakota/). #### Thriverr (statewide) About two dozen South Dakota economic officials attended the latest Thriverr Gathering held by Dakota Resources in Murdo in November 2025\. Titled "Using Public Policy for Local Development," the event -- one of several held by the community development nonprofit -- featured idea-sharing and examples of innovative efforts that have led to successful housing projects in rural communities across the state. [Read how the latest gathering was educational and inspirational for several South Dakota rural leaders](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/rural-housing-solutions-dakota-resources-engage-south-dakota/) #### Tripp works as a community to get homes built The small city of Tripp had no new homes built in nearly 30 years, stalling potential growth. But now, a coordinated local effort is leading to new homes and new opportunities for the municipality south of Mitchell. Led by the reenergized Tripp Development Corporation, an all-volunteer nonprofit agency, the city has seen development of a few new spec homes, installation of two Governor's Houses and targeting of aging properties for rehabilitation or demolition to free up developable lots. [Read how Tripp is using resources from the community and other agencies to jumpstart development of much-needed housing.](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/tripp-south-dakota-housing-development/?ref=subscribers-newsletter) #### Vermillion develops state's first cohousing community Vermillion, is the first South Dakota city to try cohousing, a method of living that prioritizes community connection and growth. Residents live in small houses with a large common house as the centerpiece where community events and regular shared meals are a cornerstone of the living style. Common houses usually contain large kitchens, dining and living rooms and are central gathering places for the residents. At the Vermillion development, called Dakota Prairie Commons, there will also be an emphasis on walkability, with footpaths connecting houses. [Read the full story](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/housing-solutions-vermillion-cohousing-development/) and while residents will have their own homes, they will be encouraged to rely on others for many day-to-day activities. #### Wall expands from attracting tourists to residents Mayor Mary Williams said her message to other communities that want to grow is to keep an open mind, always look for the potential benefits of growth and work hard together as a team. "This is not about any one person. It’s about a progressive-minded community as a whole," she said. Even small communities must diversity in order to strengthen the overall economy, Williams said. That lesson was driven home during the COVID-19 pandemic. “I have a picture of Main Street in Wall in 2020 with one vehicle on it, showing us we cannot put all our eggs in one basket,” she said of the town reliant on tourists who flock to Wall Drug. “You either keep pedaling your bike or you’re going to tip over. You can’t stay stagnant if you want your community to grow.” [Read how Wall is building a model to encourage housing growth](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/wall-drug-badlands-south-dakota-population-housing/). #### Watertown monastery project to add 700 housing units In what will become one of the largest and most diverse developments of its kind in state history, the Benedictine Sisters of Mother of God Monastery are transforming their buildings and land into a multi-faceted housing, education, health care and commercial project that will benefit Watertown and the entire state of South Dakota long after the last nun has passed. The sisters are the lead designers, funders and coordinators of a multi-year effort to remake the monastery site into The Village at Harmony Hill, planned as a multigenerational community with as many as 700 housing units, including affordable homes and apartments and senior housing slots. [Read the full story](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/watertown-south-dakota-monastery-affordable-housing/) with details of the project. #### Watertown taps residents for housing and other solutions A Watertown resident-driven community planning effort in the 20102 resulted in the $21 million Prairie Lakes Wellness Center, the $5 million restoration of the 130-year-old opera house and construction of the $36.5 million Prairie Lakes Ice Arena. With that success, the city of 23,000 is in the midst of a new 25-year planning effort that shape how the city will grow over the next 25 years. The first survey revealed that many residents feel great about living in Watertown. But it also revealed some big needs, including a lack of affordable housing and a shortage of amenities that could attract more young people to the city. [Read the full story](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/watertown-engage-south-dakota-h2o-50-meeting/) and the process that other cities could use to identify solutions. ****Get South Dakota news and information** in a free email on weekdays. Cancel any time. [Subscribe ](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/#/portal) [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact* *Bart Pfankuch* at* [*bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### More SD students and athletes coming from neighboring states URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-education-students-other-states/ Last updated: 2026-10-16T00:53:03.000Z MILBANK, S.D. – It was more than twenty years ago that the South Dakota Department of Education partnered with its neighbor to the north to allow what the state called a "groundbreaking" initiative to support public school students in rural areas. The partnership, signed in 2005, allowed students in both North and South Dakota to attend public schools in the other state if their district sits on the border, supplementing a lack of nearby public school access in some of both states' most rural areas. That was followed in 2009 by an agreement with Minnesota, and in 2011, an agreement with Iowa. “The department counts all students enrolled in South Dakota public schools, including students residing in bordering states. Additionally, enrollment information is collected for students enrolled across state borders through formal agreements,” Jaeya Jones, public information officer for the South Dakota Department of Education told News Watch in a statement. Those partnerships reflect a question that many schools in rural border towns still face decades later: How to keep attendance levels up, which is critical to both increased funding and keeping schools open as the state gets stricter about public school enrollment numbers. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/05/Engage-SD-small-logo-1-1-1.png) Engage South Dakota uses community engagement to identify issues the entire state should know about, people whose voices aren't often heard and grassroots solutions to challenges. **This story came from our Engage South Dakota reporting in the 572 region. Read News Watch's* [**profiles of people from the region*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/heard-in-south-dakota-zip-572-people-and-issues-from-the-northeast/)**.* ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/10/Screenshot-2026-10-09-at-11.07.45---AM.png) ## Out-of-staters provide needed enrollment boost in rural schools There are a number of schools in the state that source some of their students from small towns on the other side of the border. Many of them lie in the northeast corner of the state, which borders both Minnesota and North Dakota. For years, some students in Minnesota attended school in Big Stone City – the town sits on the Minnesota-South Dakota border. Ortonville, a town just a mile away also bordering Big Stone Lake, and Big Stone City have formed a close relationship. Last year, though, the Big Stone City school, which was then just a K-8 school, closed its doors after the 2024-25 year. Those Minnesota families were faced with a decision to either return to the state to educate their kids, many of whom had spent the majority of their lives in the South Dakota education system, or send them a bit farther down the road. Milbank, which sits about 10 miles from Big Stone City, has taken on the school's students. Justin Downes, superintendent of the Milbank School District, said that along with Big Stone City students, the district has seen an increase in out-of-state students more generally. Downes estimates that about 60 students from Minnesota attend school in the Milbank School District – making up nearly 6% of the student body. Importantly, the agreement between South Dakota and Minnesota says that students living in Minnesota enrolled in a South Dakota district will be counted toward that South Dakota district's state aid calculation, meaning those students will help the district get more much-needed state funding. The Minnesota-South Dakota also agreement says that if more students from Minnesota come to South Dakota for school, or vice versa, the state sending more students will give money to the receiving state's Department of Education per student "as reflecting the average general education revenue per ADM (average daily membership) from state aids and local property taxes." "That's pretty significant, and we did see a lot of growth this year in that for kids that live near the border. Milbank's got a lot to offer, and we've had a lot of Minnesota kids choose to come to school in Milbank, and we welcome all of them," Downes said. While the move required a bit of reorganization in staff, Downes said the school has been through this before. In 2017, [the dissolution of Grant-Deuel school district](https://www.dakotanewsnow.com/content/news/Bigger-farms-smaller-families-lead-to-changes-in-rural-district--400786141.html?ref=sdnewswatch.org) sent its students to Milbank, Waverly South Shore and Clear Lake school districts. Prior to that closure, Grant-Deuel had a joint powers agreement with Milbank and sent its students there for some classes. ****Get free, fact-based South Dakota news and information** in a weekday email. No spam. Cancel any time. [Subscribe ](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/#/portal) "As these small schools get smaller, pretty much all of our schools in the state are getting smaller. And as we get smaller, sometimes hard decisions are going to be made along the way on programming. We're pretty fortunate to still have all that programming," Downes said. The closures of smaller rural schools have provided enrollment boosts to mid-sized districts like Milbank – which, like many others, has seen attendance declines. In the 2024-25 school year, enrollment in Milbank slipped below 1,000 for the first time since 2019, with 971 students enrolled. The 2025-26 school year – the first after Big Stone City's closure – saw 1,008\. Enrollment numbers for this year have not been formalized yet, but Downes estimates it's around 1,020. "Obviously our funding is tied to enrollment, and so it definitely helped in a lot of ways financially. But it also culturally has been a really good adjustment. The kids fit in really well together," Downes said. "Staffing-wise, we made a couple of slight adjustments. But overall, when you take 60 kids divided by nine grades, spread out amongst three or four sections, and we can get them to fit in pretty good." ## Partnerships extend to athletics, other education opportunities There are still a few further collaborations Downes would like to see, though, citing his close relationship with Ortonville School District superintendent Kris Evjes. A new $8.3 million Career and Technical Education Center in Milbank has been a boon for students in the district, Downes said. He'd like to see students from Ortonville's school district, which has an enrollment of about 500, reap the benefits of that as well. "I wish we could find a way to make it easier for those kids to be able to take classes. You know, whether it's welding or or robotics or FACS (family and consumer science) and anything in the kitchen, so that we could get those kids in and kind of do a blended schedule for them because we're only 12 minutes apart, you know. There's a lot of schools that are a lot farther away from their attendance centers than that," Downes said. Complications with credit transfers make that difficult right now, but Downes said he and Evjes are still working together to give students as many opportunities as possible – even if it means crossing state lines. Downes said he and Evjes communicate frequently to discuss how best to support students in both districts. And the schools have come together in the past. After Ortonville lost its gymnastics coach in 2017, the two schools agreed to let Ortonville gymnasts compete in South Dakota with the Milbank Lady Bulldogs. Each year, there are at least a few Ortonville natives on the varsity team. ****Support stories about rural South Dakota with a tax-deductible donation.** [Donate ](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/donate/) Adding even a few students from other districts can occasionally mean big changes for schools – in South Dakota, gymnastics has just two athletic classes, A and AA. Moving up to a higher class, especially for smaller schools, can mean stiffer competition. Downes doesn't have many concerns about that yet. "For our size of school, we really don't have a penalty to have that cooperative agreement because we're on the smaller side of (Class) A now. So it would take a lot of kids in order to force us to move up," Downes said. Combining athletic capabilities is common for small schools. And in other districts those cross-border partnerships also exist, especially for sports with typically lower participation numbers. Jones said in a statement that the Department of Education does not track those partnerships across the state. The Estelline school district, 50 miles south of Milbank, partners with Hendricks, Minnesota, for all of its athletics, sharing costs for facilities, transportation and uniforms. Each school gets to keep the revenue from events held in its facilities. Hendricks is 25 miles and about 30 minutes east of Estelline. The Hendricks-Estelline partnership, which began in 2018, was born, like many rural schools, out of a need to partner with a school to boost its activities. It seems to be working – [the school claimed its fourth straight Class A state gymnastics win last year](https://www.keloland.com/sports/estelline-hendricks-wins-fourth-straight-gymnastics-title/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). Karola Peterson, an Estelline resident, told News Watch in September that the communities come together frequently for games and events – most of which are held in Estelline – and have bonded over the partnership. "It's been a good thing for us as well as for them," Peterson said. **Correction on Oct. 15:* An earlier version of this story included the full statement of the Department of Education following interview requests from News Watch. The statement did not clarify the difference between local partnerships for activities and athletics and cross-border enrollment. The department declined a phone interview and initially only provided the single-sentence statement. It later provided a clarifying statement, which was added to the story, that the Department of Education tracks cross-border student enrollment but not local partnerships for activities and athletics.* [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. *Read*, *subscribe* for free and *donate* at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact* reporter/*[*Report for America*](https://www.reportforamerica.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *corps member Molly Wetsch: 605-531-7382/*[*molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Ticket sales up at SD's 2 professional symphony orchestras URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-black-hills-symphony-2026/ Last updated: 2026-10-11T20:59:59.000Z Subscription and single-ticket sales are up for South Dakota's two professional symphony orchestras as the season begins, in part because new audiences are discovering the in-person classical music concerts. Delta David Gier, who's been music director of the [South Dakota Symphony Orchestra](https://www.sdsymphony.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) in Sioux Falls since 2004, said it works hard to make classical music accessible to everyone. A common misconception is that classical music is elitist, and to attend a concert, people must already have a base of knowledge about it, he said. “People seem to feel that they need to know something about it before they can come. There's also a perception that you have to dress up, like tuxedos or dresses and this sort of thing. Neither of those things are true,” Gier said. [Delta David Gier lifts South Dakota Symphony Orchestra to national stageDelta David Gier arrived in Sioux Falls in 2004\. Since then, he’s transformed the South Dakota Symphony Orchestra and shattered stereotypes.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-f9c63013-c30a-47e6-91ff-693ff09cd3c0.jpg)South Dakota News WatchStu Whitney![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/2019-scaled-93af0712-e82d-4092-a770-ed46b591ff09.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/delta-david-gier-lifts-south-dakota-symphony-orchestra-national-stage/) Ticket sales have also remained strong due to SDSO continuing to bring music during the COVID-19 pandemic, albeit with restrictions like social distancing and mask requirements, Gier said. “A lot of orchestras across the country had to shut down. We figured it out,” he said. “I think that helped us a lot to keep our upward trajectory.” The [Black Hills Symphony Orchestra](https://www.bhsymphony.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) in Rapid City has seen similar trends in attendance. “Right now we're on the upswing for our season tickets and our audience participation, so we're very happy there,” said Bruce Knowles, conductor of the BHSO. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/10/IMG_1659.jpg) The Black Hills Symphony Orchestra performs, with Bruce Knowles conducting. Knowles has conducted the orchestra since 2008\. (Photo: Courtesy Sage Studios Photography) Season ticket sales increased by 20% from 2024 to 2025, said Kirsten Hollenbeck, BHSO executive director. Individual ticket sales were also strong, including two 2025 concerts that sold out. This year's October ticket sales have already exceeded last year's as well, she said. The BHSO is a community affair, Knowles said. At one time, three-quarters of the string section was made up of former Rapid City students. The musicians are “very dedicated,” he said. “Its really gratifying to see folks and former students as well that have come back as adults and are playing,” said Knowles, who has conducted the orchestra for 17 years. Additionally, the BHSO has no full-time musicians. Some are professional musicians who teach and play an instrument, but they don't solely make their living by playing an instrument. That can make scheduling rehearsals tricky. ****Get free, fact-based South Dakota news and information** in a weekday email. No spam. Cancel any time. [Subscribe ](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/#/portal) “There's so many things going on, and a lot of musicians also have families and kids, and they got to go to soccer practice and all of that. So it's really interesting," Knowles said. The Black Hills area is dedicated to supporting the arts, Knowles said. “You'd be hard pressed to not find a performance of some kind going on every week,” Knowles said. The BHSO's 94th season begins on Oct. 17 with Danse Macabre, a Halloween-themed concert at The Monument in Rapid City. It will feature roughly 50 musicians and about 70 dancers from area studios. ## Different ways to engage Gier said it is true that since classical music is a fine art, the more a person knows about it, the more they can enjoy it. “It’s like looking at painting or reading literature, any kind of art. The more you put into it, the more you get out of it, but that doesn't mean that you can't enjoy it," he said. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/10/SDSO-OrchestraAction_PhotoCredit-4FrontStudios-NewPhoto.JPG) The South Dakota Symphony Orchestra in Sioux Falls. (Photo: Courtesy 4 Front Studios) The SDSO offers multiple ways to engage, such as Gier giving pre-concert talks from stage to help people understand what they’re about to listen to, which is included in the ticket price. “I've been a classical musician. I’ve worked with them all my life. I don't know elitists in classical music. All of us just want to share the music,” he said. “We're willing to do whatever we can to help make it accessible to people to give people a point of entry into music.” SDSO’s season opened on Oct. 3 with Ravishing Rhapsodies, a program that featured Gabriela Martinez performing Rachmaninoff's "Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini," Ravel's "Rapsodie Espagnole"and a world premiere by Guatemalan composer Xavier Beteta. "It felt like an overture to the whole season,” Gier said. "I mean, the orchestra just played fabulously. The audience was big and boisterous, and it had a fantastic soloist. So it was a great way to start the season." [South Dakota Symphony pulls ‘Giants in the Earth’ opera out of the shadowsProduction based on classic novel about Norwegian settlers will be performed April 26-27 at the Washington Pavilion in Sioux Falls.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-888960cd-27eb-4ed6-b936-e0c65e032fc9.jpg)South Dakota News WatchStu Whitney![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/symphony.6-83fb3011-b6ae-41a2-b833-538b0726028b.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-symphony-giants-in-the-earth-opera/) The South Dakota Symphony Orchestra has about 75 contracted players with nine-full time members. The orchestra is in its 105th season. Gier said upcoming highlights include a November program featuring Dvořák’s New World Symphony, music by Louis Ballard and a work with the Creekside Singers; a February premiere by Pulitzer Prize winner Susie Ibarra; and April performances featuring Strauss and Beethoven. [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. *Read, subscribe* for free and *donate* at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact* reporter Emily DeCock:* 605-736-4396*/* [*emily.decock@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:emily.decock@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Smithfield: The full story, from announcement to court ruling URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-smithfield-move-full-story/ Last updated: 2026-10-10T11:15:31.000Z SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – On Feb. 16, some of the state’s most influential actors came together to announce what Gov. Larry Rhoden would later call a "quadruple win" and “the largest business investment in South Dakota history:" Smithfield Foods would be moving its massive, century-old pork processing plant in Sioux Falls to Foundation Park, an industrial park owned by the Sioux Falls Development Foundation in the northwest part of town. What would follow was City Council meetings in two cities, a tax increment financing district, a conditional use permit, a court case and a judge’s decision that may set back some of the project's key infrastructure decisions. The $1.3 billion project is by all available information going ahead. But what remains unclear is the status of the conditional use permit (CUP) for the facility originally approved by the Sioux Falls City Council and later remanded back to the city by Circuit Judge Ann Hoffman. Here's the full story of the ongoing Smithfield saga, from announcement to ruling: ## The announcement and impact Smithfield's move was announced along with a slate of state and private investment in the project, including $12 million from the state's Future Fund toward the new site and a $50 million donation from the late Denny Sanford, allowing the Falls Falls Area Development Foundation to purchase the downtown site. Smithfield purchased the plant from John Morrell & Co. in 1995\. The company is one of the largest private employers in the state, with 3,070 employees, and pays $213 million in wages annually. A representative from Smithfield could not confirm how many independent hog farmers the company works with in South Dakota but said that Smithfield contracts with more than 1,400 independent farmers across the country. ****Get free, fact-based South Dakota news and information** in a weekday email. No spam. Cancel any time. [Subscribe ](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/#/portal) Former Sioux Falls Mayor Paul TenHaken hailed the importance of the company to South Dakota's economy during the February announcement, citing the recent closure of a similarly sized Tyson Foods plant in Nebraska that he said will cost that state about $3 billion. The company's current 120-acre site, which sits on the Big Sioux River and next to namesake Falls Park, will be demolished for redevelopment. A task force has been established to begin exploring what the site, which will be called the Sanford District, could hold. The announcement added to the growing discussion about the future of downtown Sioux Falls, as the state penitentiary, just a mile from Smithfield, also found a new location last year. *Read deeper about Smithfield's impact on the state economy and the surrounding environment in this News Watch story:* [What Smithfield’s move could mean for environment, economySmithfield Foods’s move raises questions for both Sioux Falls and South Dakota residents, especially for those familiar with the company’s long history and deep impact in the area.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-0a5469fb-5713-4714-bcad-fdfb4c7548eb.jpg)South Dakota News WatchMolly Wetsch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/IMG_5560-8ca44eb2-83d3-4ad9-b6b1-1c49a7e275c6.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/smithfield-foods-relocation-impacts-environment-economy-sioux-falls/) ## The backlash The new Smithfield location is near the small town of Crooks, whose City Council met in March over the issue. Residents of the area expressed frustration about the company's move, citing concerns about traffic, odor and safety for the neighboring community of about 1,000. Sioux Falls City Council meetings were also held in March to approve a tax increment financing district for a wastewater treatment plant on the site and conditional use permit for the project. Those meetings drew several instances of public comment echoing similar issues. In April, a group of more than 20 plaintiffs filed a lawsuit against the Sioux Falls City Council, with the Sioux Falls Development Foundation as an intervenor. That lawsuit alleged that the CUP was approved with "improper authority" and asked for a writ of certiorari from the court, which would reverse the City Council's decision and ask it to reconsider the permit. *Read deeper about conditional use permits and residents' complaints in these News Watch stories:* [CUPs: What they are, why Crooks residents sued Sioux FallsThe lawsuit over a conditional use permit reflects a longstanding tension between residents, often of rural areas, and those who make decisions about how the land around them gets used.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-8ea214ac-5252-464b-b45f-1a257cda2142.jpg)South Dakota News WatchMolly Wetsch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/Smithfield-from-above-1-eaa22e10-b437-465b-810c-fd01959d849b.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-smithfield-crooks-sioux-falls-lawsuit/) [Smithfield move: How to preserve rural areas as metro growsHow the addition of a pork processing plant to the state’s largest industrial park has sparked conversation about “responsible growth” in the Sioux Falls metro area.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-7a602b95-3bad-4b2e-bde0-a523f9d10bf8.jpg)South Dakota News WatchMolly Wetsch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/home-next-to-Smithfield-site-1-1-d07bd0e9-f3c3-4124-af23-64e52bb51763.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/sioux-falls-growth-smithfield-crooks-south-dakota-economic-development/) ## The ruling On Oct. 1, Judge Hoffman granted the writ of certiorari to the plaintiffs. She ruled that the city had inappropriately approved Smithfield's CUP application, as it was lacking critical details outlined in the city's ordinances, including reporting on water and fire infrastructure. *Read deeper about Hoffman's ruling and the details in this News Watch story:* [Judge sends Smithfield conditional use permit back to cityCircuit Judge Ann Hoffman sides with nearby homeowners, cites “irregular authority” in Sioux Falls City Council’s approval despite not complying with ordinances and strategic plan.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-d83260bf-cb94-46f1-8ce4-1e8f0562cd2a.jpg)South Dakota News WatchMolly Wetsch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/2026-08-17-Smithfield-from-above-90b14531-57e4-41fd-827c-d4a367735922.png)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-judge-overturns-smithfield-conditional-use-permit/) ## The future What isn't clear is how Hoffman's ruling will affect the plans for the development. Because the CUP was not rejected by City Council, it is unlikely that Smithfield will have to wait six months to re-apply for the permit [as outlined in city ordinances](https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/siouxfalls/latest/siouxfalls%5Fsd/0-0-0-73651?ref=sdnewswatch.org#JD%5F160.615), said attorney for the plaintiffs Steve Haugaard. City attorneys did not respond to a request for comment but met in executive session with city councilors on Tuesday evening to discuss the ruling, [Sioux Falls Simplified](https://www.sfsimplified.com/whats-next-after-judge-sides-with-landowners-in-smithfield-dispute/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)[ reported](https://www.sfsimplified.com/whats-next-after-judge-sides-with-landowners-in-smithfield-dispute/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). The CUP does not apply to the entire facility. It simply would have authorized the company to build some of its structures closer than 1,000 feet to residentially zoned areas. The company could also choose to forgo the CUP entirely and redraw its plans to keep the facility 1,000 feet from residentially zoned lots. That would allow the new operation to comply with city zoning ordinances without the need for special permitting. It could also submit the information that Hoffman ruled was lacking in the original application, which the City Council may then approve, though it is unclear what that decision-making process would look like. A Smithfield representative told News Watch that because production is not slated to begin at the new facility until 2028, many details about the project still have not been finalized. [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. *Read*, *subscribe* for free and *donate* at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact* reporter/*[*Report for America*](https://www.reportforamerica.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *corps member Molly Wetsch: 605-531-7382/*[*molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Heard in South Dakota / ZIP 577: People and issues from the west URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/engage-south-dakota-zip-code-577-west/ Last updated: 2026-10-09T09:00:36.000Z The 577 region is one of the largest in the state and contains some of the area's most iconic and well-visited tourist attractions. That includes Mount Rushmore and the Crazy Horse memorials, Custer State Park and Sturgis, home of the eponymous motorcycle rally. But it also includes multitudes beyond what you may see in a Kevin Costner film or Travel South Dakota brochure. [Engage South Dakota: News Watch wants to hear from youCommunity engagement project will identify issues the entire state should know about, people whose voices aren’t often heard and grassroots solutions to challenges through in-person visits, reader surveys and virtual gatherings.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-b945f35f-9f9e-4d16-84e2-5aa949396024.jpg)South Dakota News WatchCarson Walker![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/Engage-South-Dakota-ZIP-3-Code-map-046b7e14-8f31-421f-9a43-d7f4176074b2.png)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/p/683d099a-6003-4964-9b5d-a6dcf9f30f7e/) ## What to know about 577 The 577 region stretches from the northwestern to the southwestern tip of South Dakota. It borders four states – Montana, North Dakota, Wyoming and Nebraska – and Rapid City, the state's second-largest city, serves as a regional hub for many of those neighboring populations. Parts of the Pine Ridge reservation sit within its borders, one of the largest reservations in the country and home to the Oglala Lakota nation. The region also hosts a large portion of the state's mining, timber and defense industries. The northernmost area of the region is among the most rural in the state and is actually considered frontier because of the sparse population. Harding County, which borders Montana and North Dakota, is the fourth-largest county in the state by area but has the second-smallest population, at just over 1,000. Because the region is so large, its population is diverse and faces a wide variety of issues. News Watch spoke to five individuals in the 577 region who represent the vast array of people that call it home. Issues raised range from young people's concerns about the future to land use. ## Mayor Jason Salamun, Rapid City: Cities doing city things ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/10/Salamun-1.JPG) Rapid City Mayor Jason Salamun in his office on Sep. 23, 2026\. (Photo: Molly Wetsch/South Dakota News Watch) Jason Salamun has been leading the state's second-largest city since 2023\. He's been around for much of the growth that he calls "cities doing city things." The Rapid City metro area now claims about 157,000 residents, a growth of about 40,000 since the turn of the century. Salamun emphasized that residents from five states rely on the city for services. New major developments in the city are starting to reflect that change, Salamun said, many of them just in the past year. Northrup Grumman recently announced an $18 million office development in the city that will help the company connect with nearby Ellsworth Air Force Base, where its new B-21 bombers will be stationed. [The development of a massive sports complex is currently underway](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/rapid-city-new-sports-complex-soccer-football-lien-family/), and [the city will soon see its first Sanford Health hospital](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/sanford-health-rapid-city-hospital-healthcare/) as part of the health care giant's expansion into the western part of the state. Salamun said he understands some residents' concerns about the speed of the city's growth but said it also must seize the opportunities when they come. "When you have momentum, it's the hardest thing to get, and it's also very difficult to keep it going, so you cannot take it for granted," he said. "You either are thriving or you're not, and it's a difficult situation. But I would say, if we ever lost what makes us special, then it's not worth it. Growth for growth's sake – that's not anything I'm interested in." Salamun's goal is not to become a second Sioux Falls. He highlighted the unique industry that already exists in the region – like Ellsworth and the Sanford Underground Research Facility in Lead, as well as a robust engineering school at the South Dakota Mines – as a driver for Rapid City to become a different type of metro area. --- ## Amanda Carlow, Pine Ridge: A future for youth at home ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/10/Amanda-Carlow-1-1.JPG) Amanda Carlow in her office at the Maȟpíya Lúta high school in Pine Ridge, S.D. on Sep. 22, 2026\. (Photo: Molly Wetsch/South Dakota News Watch) It's been more than two decades since Amanda Carlow played basketball at Maȟpíya Lúta, then called Red Cloud Indian School. Since then, she's played in colleges across the country, become a Bush Fellow and is an adjunct professor of Lakota language at South Dakota State University. She's weeks away from getting her Ph.D. from the University of Hawaii. Her home, though, is still in Pine Ridge, where she now teaches Lakota at her alma mater. Carlow told News Watch that coming back to Pine Ridge was always her plan, calling herself a "Rez girl at heart." But she says the narrative about reservation life can also cast a shadow on the young people she works with. "Everything you could think of in a statistic, we are double or triple whatever the norm is. So, it's definitely a place where people are like, 'God, how do they survive?' But it's a place where it's so rich in culture and tradition, and people who've had to persevere through things," Carlow said. [Heard in South Dakota / ZIP 572: People and issues from the northeastUnique glacial lake landscape brings unique qualities to northeast South Dakota, though many small towns face similar issues.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-039e79c5-c382-45be-8a84-a69128beafe3.jpg)South Dakota News WatchMolly Wetsch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/Untitled-design-2-e6cdd0a3-ee37-4da2-9bef-72abf3c98379.png)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/heard-in-south-dakota-zip-572-people-and-issues-from-the-northeast/) Carlow said that her primary focus is reminding her students on Pine Ridge that they don't have to leave to be successful. When News Watch visits her in her classroom on Pine Ridge, a student comes in. They have an exchange in Lakota about a phone charger and Carlow tells them to get to class. She's helped grow the school's Lakota language immersion program, which now supports children as young as 18 months old through high school and allows students to become certified Lakota language teachers upon high school graduation – a job they could find at Maȟpíya Lúta, if they wanted to. "This is my home. So when I left and went to school, coming back was always part of my plan. No matter that people were like, 'Oh, don't come back. You're not gonna find a job,'" Carlow said. "With our kids, there's certain people that will say that. But it's like, how are we gonna improve here if the best people are leaving?" --- ## Nathan Feller, Black Hills State: Trying to get fellow students engaged ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/10/Nathan-Feller-1.JPG) Nathan Feller, a senior at Black Hills State University, in the Ponder Magazine and Jacket Journal office in Spearfish, S.D. on Sep. 24, 2026\. (Photo: Molly Wetsch/South Dakota News Watch) Nathan Feller, a senior at Black Hills State University in Spearfish, is getting ready to graduate with a degree in multimedia journalism. He founded Ponder, a student-created magazine that has won national awards. He was in charge of BHSU’s student newspaper from 2023-2025 and now serves as the student adviser. Among that success, however, have been struggles. Getting students involved in journalism in a smaller university setting has proven tough for Feller. Finding new people to fill the needed roles is something he’s worried about after staff graduates. Plus, censorship and budget issues have caused BHSU student media to be in a kind of "limbo,” Feller said. “It's been kind of a battle that I'm disappointed that we're losing, but it's gotten to the point where we don't know what to do anymore,” he said. ****Get free, fact-based South Dakota news and information** in a weekday email. No spam. Cancel any time. [Subscribe ](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/#/portal) The most important thing journalists can do, he said, is to remember to keep it small. “We'll get more powerful stories in journalism – the system will work better if we more or less get rid of these big corporations and break it down into smaller local and regional institutions that can work together.” Even though the future of media is uncertain, Feller still has big goals in journalism. He said a dream would be to report internationally, potentially be a war correspondent and the “biggest dream of all” – to win a Pulitzer Prize one day. "Focus on the part of it that makes you happy because that's very easy to forget, especially when you're doing it all day every day. Think about what the goal is. Are you helping people? Are you trying to change lives? Are you trying to change minds? What's your message? And I feel like that's what works for me." --- ## Jeanie Kirkpatrick, Ellsworth AFB: Front door to the Black Hills ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/10/Jeanie-Kirkpatrick-1-1.JPG) Jeanie Kirkpatrick, director of the South Dakota Air and Space Museum near the Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D. on Sep. 24, 2026\. (Photo: Molly Wetsch/South Dakota News Watch) As of the end of September, the South Dakota Air and Space Museum at Ellsworth Air Force Base had seen more than 25,000 people come through its doors, already outpacing the visitor number from all of 2025. Part of that can be attributed to the experience being free, said Jeanie Kirkpatrick, director of the museum. With rising travel costs, tourists and families are looking for something to do without spending money. “It gives those tourists a break because they'll know their motel, they won't know the gas prices. They won't know their food. And so they'll look and reach out,” Kirkpatrick said. [As travel costs rise, many families find summer adventures closer to homeAlmost 60% of visitors travel within 150 miles of home, and affordability and scenic beauty remain the state’s strongest attractions.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-42a0bdb9-578f-4be1-9f89-8ccf7da4fe86.jpg)South Dakota News WatchAmina Aidarkhanova![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/bsaf-visit-brookings-1-5fac6a38-4fce-4904-bc1b-2835e2498095.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/travel-costs-sd-budget-family-summer-vacations/) Another reason for the growing attendance could be the growth of Ellsworth Air Force Base and the community's support for the large veteran population. Kirkpatrick said that people who retire from different branches of the military are moving to the area because of the proximity to a base and Veterans Affairs services. And all of the volunteers at the museum have been involved in the military in some capacity, Kirkpatrick said. “They like the area. They have access to the base. Having the VA around, especially now with the small VA in Rapid City, that's been great," she said. "I think people are starting to realize what the base is becoming, and they're proud of that." --- ## Eric Jennings, Spearfish: Growth is a balancing act ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/10/DSC_1206-1-1.JPG) Eric Jennings, a rancher and Lawrence County commissioner, in Spearfish, S.D. on Sep. 24, 2026\. (Photo: Molly Wetsch/South Dakota News Watch) Determining how much development is "too much" is a balancing act, said Eric Jennings, a Spearfish rancher and Lawrence County commissioner. Housing in Spearfish is in very high demand, Jennings said, a concern that many South Dakota communities can relate to. The price has been driven up, making it beyond what attainable workforce housing price is. “You know, a starter home here is probably $350,000, and our wages don't support that for the most part,” he said. [Engage South Dakota: Housing solutionsA list of entities and programs that can assist in developing or obtaining housing as well as links to News Watch reporting on housing solutions.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-518b8668-295b-4ad5-8109-5c2e7606ebe4.jpg)South Dakota News WatchBart Pfankuch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/IMG_2326-aa7af652-4aa7-466d-901d-4303ebd7ef76.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/engage-south-dakota-housing-rent-own-solutions-journalism/) One thing Jennings wrestles with as county commissioner is zoning and land use. He supports private property rights but also understands the need for zoning and organized growth. "It's a difficult balance. I struggle with the people that move into an area and then want to control it after they get there," he said. "Everybody wants development to stop right after they get their house built.” The Spearfish community is overall very supportive of the ranching and agriculture lifestyle, Jennings said. Maintaining that is important because the people moving to the Black Hills want to see that culture, he said. "As you get more and more development, then you start losing the culture of the custom that people moved out here for. They love to go out on these secondary roads and see agriculture. Well, if all they're seeing is houses, then that's not gonna be as much fun and desirable. So maintaining agriculture is really important for the culture of the area and the wildlife, too." --- What issues are important to you and your community? Help shape our coverage by filling out this short form. Thank you! [Help shape our coverage ](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd6r%5FCT7ucLCFsUy4gjb73U6tJXTOJmGhkSzUn71nh6U5w96A/viewform?usp=header&ref=sdnewswatch.org) [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. *Read*, *subscribe* for free and *donate* at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact* reporter/*[*Report for America*](https://www.reportforamerica.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *corps member *Molly Wetsch*: 605-531-7382/* [*molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact* reporter *Emily DeCock*:* 605-736-4396*/* [*emily.decock@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:emily.decock@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Custer State Park concessions going to out-of-state operator URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-custer-state-park-concessions-xanterra/ Last updated: 2026-10-08T21:54:51.000Z *This story was updated twice on Oct. 8 to include public comments by Kevin Robling and Kevin Nyberg and add the final vote.* The South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks Commission voted Thursday to approve a contract between Custer State Park and Xanterra Travel Collection, a move that commissioners said will help the park keep up with growing visitor expectations. Concessionaires are private companies that contract with the state to offer services that parks don't provide, such as food, lodging and retail. It's a blow to U.S. Hotel and Resort Management, a wholly owned subsidiary of Ramkota Companies Inc., which has been the Custer State Park concessionaire for 20 years. Ramkota is a Sioux Falls-based company that operates 11 properties around South Dakota, including in Rapid City, Aberdeen and Pierre. The concessions contract approved Thursday is for 10 years. Xanterra will pay the state an annual franchise fee of 20.85%, compared with the current 14.4% paid by U.S. Hotel and Resort. The minimum franchise fee set in the prospectus was 19.6%. The franchise fee approved was not the highest of the four offers, but Xanterra still offered the park the best deal overall, Sean Blanchette, business administrator for the GFP division of parks and recreation, said during the commission meeting, which was live-streamed. ****Get free, fact-based South Dakota news and information** in a weekday email. No spam. Cancel any time. [Subscribe ](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/#/portal) The selection factors that commissioners gave the most weight included facility management and enhanced visitor services, which Xanterra scored the best on. Additionally, Xanterra will provide an assessment of the park’s 175 facilities and will identify additional year-round services and facilities. “They are going to undertake a year-round performance feasibility analysis of all the structures that they'll be operating in, so that's one piece of the puzzle, is can those facilities truly operate on a year-round basis?” Blanchette said. The other part of that, he said, is if Custer State Park has a market for year-round tourism. Xanterra has also committed to conducting a market analysis to understand potential markets, needs and where marketing resources need to be deployed. “They've also demonstrated to us that they have the marketing capabilities, really that they can allocate towards this effort to help drive that use and create that market for year-round use,” Blanchette said. The contract covers lodging, food and beverage, retail, rentals and guide services across four resort systems. Commissioner Dean Kirkeby commented on the size of Xanterra and asked if there are provisions written into the contract that would require the concessionaire to use local products or services. Blanchette said there is language in the contract that Xanterra will commit to sourcing restaurant ingredients locally where it can. He said Xanterra will continue to build on relationships locally that it already established with its operation at nearby Mount Rushmore National Memorial. “They already do source stuff locally. They've committed to that in their proposal, and we've written it into the contract,” Blanchette said. “They have active presence in the Hills in the local area, and they've developed relationships with vendors, with contractors and are part of the local economy.” Blanchette also said there is an active effort to retain existing resort employees by Xanterra. The contract will be signed in the next few business days. ## GFP said it's looking to the future Xanterra is a national concessionaire, based in Colorado. It has contracts with some of the nation's largest national parks including Yellowstone National Park, Glacier National Park and Mount Rushmore National Memorial. In the commission's Sept. 10 and 11 meeting, commission Chair Stephanie Rissler said the needs and expectations of Custer State Park visitors are growing. "This concessionaire needs to be able to take us to the next level and meet those needs," she said at the time. "We're not talking about what the park looks like today. We're talking about where Custer State Park needs to be in the next 10, 15 and 20 years." Annual visitation at Custer State Park grew steadily from fewer than 1.9 million visitors in 2015 to more than 2.3 million in 2025. Outside Magazine listed the park as the No. 1 in its list of the[ 18 best state parks in the U.S.](https://www.outsideonline.com/adventure-travel/national-parks/best-state-parks-in-us/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Paste Magazine ranked it as one of the top five off-the-grid [state parks that deserve national attention](https://www.custerresorts.com/news/5-state-parks-that-deserve-national-attention?ref=sdnewswatch.org). ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/10/DSC_1850-1.jpg) Tourists at the Custer State Park Buffalo Roundup pack up chairs after the roundup on Sept. 25, 2026\. (Photo: Molly Wetsch/South Dakota News Watch) The South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks Department declined to comment beyond the meetings. But Secretary Kevin Robling said Monday at the Downtown Sioux Falls Rotary meeting that there was “clear separation” in the selection of Xanterra over Ramkota. Xanterra scored better on its proposal and interview in the “rigorous” request for proposal process, he said. The commission focused on the future rather than the past when deliberating which concessionaire would get the bid, Robling said. He acknowledged Ramkota’s positive impact on Custer State Park over the past 20 years but said when looking at the park over the next 10 or 20 years, Xanterra could elevate the visitor experience a step further. “We want to make sure we get it right. I feel like we got it right,” Robling said. GFP commissioner Kevin Nyberg also spoke at the meeting. “As an outsider looking at it, everybody really favored Regency (Ramkota). But when it came down to the process, the scores, the interview, as the secretary mentioned, it was looking at the future,” he said. ## Ramkota 'obviously very disappointed' U.S. Hotel and Resort first signed a 10-year contract with Custer State Park in 2007, which was then renewed for two more five-year contracts. Josh Schmaltz, the CEO of Ramkota whose office is at the State Game Lodge in Custer State Park, said the decision to go with Xanterra caught him off guard and he’s “obviously very disappointed.” "I have been here since day one when we took over as the concessionaire 20 years ago," he said. "I could have been in Sioux Falls. We have three hotels in Rapid City that I could have officed out of, but this is where I wanted to be." ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/10/DSC_1000-1.jpg) The Bison Center in Custer State Park on Sept. 23, 2026\. (Photo: Molly Wetsch/South Dakota News Watch) Rissler said in the September commission meeting that she believes the department and evaluation team fairly looked at all proposals before deciding which company to go with. "They (U.S. Hotel and Resort) have built a strong foundation, but as a commission, we have to look to the future, and I hope that we can come out of this feeling content," Rissler said. Commissioner Julie Bartling said in the September meeting that the decision is not a criticism of the past but a thank you for what's been done. "I'm just generally appreciative of all that they've (U.S. Hotel and Resort) done, and I look forward to what's out there for Custer State Park," Bartling said. ## State law requires in-state preference 'if all things are equal' Four concessionaires competed for the contract: Xanterra, U.S. Hotel and Resort, LIV Hospitality and ExplorUS. Xanterra is the largest of the four companies. South Dakota has a law on the books that says preference should be given to South Dakota businesses or qualified agencies when awarding a contract "if all things are equal, including the price and quality of the supplies or services." Schmaltz said his team stays local as much as it can, working with Custer and surrounding businesses regularly. “Any time that we can go local, we are 100% local. We're a homegrown South Dakota company. We are 100% ESOP (Employee Stock Ownership Plan) with South Dakota employees,” Schmaltz said. “I mean, it all stays here.” "This is something that was always very personal to us. I'm a West River, South Dakota, raised, from Harding County. All of the other three people on my team. There was Aberdeen, Parkston, Yankton. I mean, these are all South Dakota people. It wasn't just a business. It wasn't just a business opportunity. It was something that we have just been a part of for so long, and I'm very proud of what we've been able to do. Unfortunately, it didn't go our way." ## The selection process Blanchette outlined the selection process in the Sept. 10 GFP commission meeting. The current contract ends Jan. 31\. The commission started preparing for the request for proposal a year ago, he said. The draft contract was written over the winter months in preparation to issue a prospectus that was issued on March 10 and expired on June 5\. Here were the requirements of the prospectus, as outlined by Blanchette: - Maintain and provide all the current required amenities and services at the four resort complexes in Custer State Park: State Game Lodge, Legion Lake Lodge, Bluebell Lodge and Sylvan Lake Lodge - Minimum franchise fee of 19.6%, which is the minimum annual fee that the concessionaire must pay to Custer State Park to operate on the premises - A 5.5% component renewal reserve, which is money the concessionaire will reserve to help maintain facilities over the term - Finally, a minimum 3.4% personal property reserve to improve and upgrade the personal property that the concessionaire will use Also within the prospectus, companies were asked to respond to five different selection factors. These were questions on how each company would approach facility maintenance, visitor experience, operational experience, financial capabilities and each company's proposed franchise fee. Blanchette said all four companies’ proposals met the criteria and requirements as outlined in the prospectus. ****Read South Dakota News Watch on Apple News** [Follow on Apple News ](https://apple.news/TtkmfHohlTJiS1a5R0TuAUw?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Written proposals and interviews were reviewed by 12 staff from GFP. It involved three commissioners on the selection committee as well as representation from the Department of Tourism. "The team was deliberately selected to provide subject matter expertise, as well as oversight and objectivity, transparency and sure integrity into the process," Blanchette said. On Aug. 10 and 11, a smaller team oversaw the interview process held in Sioux Falls. All four companies received four hours to present and interview. Blanchette announced that the selection committee selected the proposal submitted by Xanterra Parks and Resorts to be the next concessionaire at Custer State Park at the September meeting. [Drought and tourists reshape Custer area landscapeWhy the state park is auctioning off more bison than usual following the annual roundup, and how tourists have helped shape the event.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-40450e01-5e49-4a86-a989-623b2a6c1725.jpg)South Dakota News WatchMolly Wetsch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/DSC_0500-1-1-dd07cb3f-9f02-48c1-9127-df9a285d2435.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/buffalo-roundup-drought-tourists-2026-south-dakota/) The selection was then approved by the commission. Contractual negotiations have been held with Xanterra, and a final contractual document was approved during Thursday's commission meeting. Schmaltz acknowledged that there is always risk in the business, as everything is on a contractual basis. He said some decisions made at Custer State Park didn't "make sense" financially for the business, but they made them anyway. "If it made the park better, there really wasn't any discussion. We just did it. As I look back, I can can be very proud of the things that we did." "It's a little hard right now to know that the things that we've done, we don't get to enjoy them from a business standpoint. But again, nonetheless, we can be very proud of what we did," Schmaltz said. [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. *Read, subscribe* for free and *donate* at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact* reporter Emily DeCock:* 605-736-4396*/* [*emily.decock@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:emily.decock@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Fact Brief: Can political ads use images of journalists without permission? URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-fact-brief-tv-stations-political-ads/ Last updated: 2026-10-08T09:00:06.000Z ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/WhiteFACT-BRIEF--500-x-200-px--2-1-1.png) ## Yes. Keloland News responded to questions from viewers after its long-time anchor Tom Hanson was seen in a political advertisement for U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds, who is running for re-election. Keloland said it does not endorse political candidates, Rounds included. But the political action committee that made the ad is legally able to include the news clip of Hanson (who previously worked at KDLT-TV) under the Federal Communications Commission's fair use doctrine. Broadcast stations, under FCC laws, cannot censor, change or reject political ads that are from a “legally qualified candidates” running for federal offices. Legally qualified candidates must be qualified to run under state or federal law, publicly announce an intention to run and be qualified to appear on the ballot. The FCC does not review or pre-approve the content of political ads, ensure the accuracy of statements, or require broadcast stations to provide all sides of controversial issues. ℹ️ This fact brief responds to claims such as [this one.](https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1CRXYQBQaY/) ### Sources Keloland.com, [Why is Tom Hanson in an ad for Rounds?](https://www.keloland.com/keloland-com-original/why-is-tom-hanson-in-an-ad-for-rounds/?utm%5Fmedium=social&utm%5Fsource=facebook%5FKELOLAND%5FNews&fbclid=IwY2xjawUwiW1leHRuA2FlbQIxMABwZG9mAWJyaWQRMUNRRDJZU2ZhM0dWaDNkcHJzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEedSjlIz0Grx6eYdOihnubQ3Ucft5P7u7q2xmQktH-9NBz3-edgzSFq6ZWXp4%5Faem%5FPt3SN9OavG46cLBfhsDXFg) EBSCO, [Equal Time Provision](https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/social-sciences-and-humanities/equal-time-provision/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) PBS Standards, [Equal Opportunities](https://www.pbs.org/standards/media-law-101/candidate-appearances/?ref=sdnewswatch.org#ReasonableAccess) ### About fact briefs Fact briefs are bite-sized, well-sourced explanations that offer clear "yes" or "no" answers to questions, confusions and unsupported claims circulating online. They rely on publicly available data and documents, often from the original source. Fact briefs are written and published by South Dakota News Watch as part of the[ Gigafact](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) network. Submit a question for us to answer[ on the tipline](https://gigafact.org/tipline/south-dakota-news-watch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. *Read, subscribe* for free and *donate* at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact* reporter Emily DeCock:* 605-736-4396*/* [*emily.decock@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:emily.decock@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Spirit of Dakota Award marks 40 years of recognizing women URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/spirit-south-dakota-award-women-teacher-volunteer/ Last updated: 2026-10-08T18:53:48.000Z **Update on Oct. 8:* Candice Lockner of Ree Heights was named the 2026 Spirit of Dakota Award winner at a gala banquet on Oct. 3 in Huron. Read* [*more about Lockner*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/r/748b2fbf?m=29b7a684-c757-4eba-82a1-347b18709b98)*.* The winner's name had not been announced yet. One by one, signs echoed through the banquet hall as someone described the woman selected for the 2025 Spirit of Dakota Award. She had spent decades teaching. She had devoted countless hours to volunteering. Then came one final detail: "She wore high heels until the day she retired." "When she said that," Deanell Backlund recalled, "I knew I had won." The room erupted in applause. Backlund, a retired middle school English teacher and longtime volunteer, had become last year's recipient of one of South Dakota's longest-running honors for women. But what stayed with her wasn't hearing her own name. > "This is not Mother of the Year or Teacher of the Year. It recognizes women who demonstrate leadership, help others and contribute to their communities." > – Marilyn Hohm Hoyt, chairwoman of the Spirit of Dakota Award Society "What meant the most was knowing someone took the time to nominate me," Backlund said. "It's a very involved process." As the Spirit of Dakota Award celebrates its 40th anniversary this year, organizers said that idea, the desire of someone to tell another person's story, is exactly what has kept the award alive for four decades. ## Inspired by a statue The award traces its roots to a 9-foot bronze sculpture overlooking the Crossroads Hotel in Huron. Created by South Dakota artist laureate Dale Lamphere in 1987, the Spirit of Dakota statue represents a prairie woman standing firmly against the wind, symbolizing resilience, courage and determination. ![The 9-foot bronze “Spirit of Dakota” sculpture ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/07/spirit-of-dakota-woman-1-1.jpg) The 9-foot bronze “Spirit of Dakota” sculpture in Huron inspired the creation of the Spirit of Dakota Award, which recognizes South Dakota women for leadership, service and contributions to their communities. (Courtesy of [Huron Chamber & Visitors Bureau](https://www.huronsd.com/events-in-huron/spirit-of-dakota/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)) "The Spirit of Dakota statue illustrates the toughness, courage and strength of character of South Dakota women," said Marilyn Hohm Hoyt, chairwoman of the Spirit of Dakota Award Society. Inspired by the sculpture, community leaders created an annual award recognizing women whose lives reflect those same qualities. Today, the award honors South Dakota women whose leadership extends beyond careers or titles. "This is not Mother of the Year or Teacher of the Year," Hoyt said. "It recognizes women who demonstrate leadership, help others and contribute to their communities." ## 40 years of recognizing quiet leadership A review of Spirit of Dakota recipients since 1987 shows women honored from communities across South Dakota, including Brookings, Rapid City, Sioux Falls, Eagle Butte, Mitchell, Yankton, Watertown and many smaller towns. Some were educators. Others worked in health care, agriculture, business, tribal leadership, nonprofit organizations or public service. Four years – 1992, 2005, 2020 and 2022 – did not include an award presentation. ****Get free, fact-based South Dakota news and information** in a weekday email. No spam. Cancel any time. [Subscribe ](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/#/portal) Hoyt said one notable change has been the age of nominees. "When the award first started, many nominees were older," she said. "Now we're seeing younger women making extraordinary contributions while raising families and building careers." Despite those changes, the mission has remained persistent, Hoyt said. "It speaks volumes that people continue to nominate women from their communities," she said. "If they didn't believe it mattered, they wouldn't take the time to tell those stories." ## The work behind the recognition For Backlund, the recognition represented decades spent both inside and outside the classroom. She taught middle school English for 33 years before retiring, while also writing grants, organizing fundraisers and volunteering with her church, the Mitchell Concert Series and community organizations. "I would turn around and do it all over again," she said. One memory from her nomination still stands out. A former student teacher wrote that years later, people still stopped Backlund to thank her for being their teacher. "Middle school kids can be notoriously difficult," Backlund said. "To know that I was appreciated by children that age meant a great deal to me." ****Support solutions-focused storytelling.** Help South Dakota News Watch tell stories that identify and share solutions to the state's biggest challenges. [Donate ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Although she values the award, the nomination itself meant even more, she said. Her friend Joan Anderson spent more than a year gathering information, documenting Backlund's community service and preparing the nomination. "Joan is a very gifted writer. She knows what to say and how to say it," Backlund said. "She believed that people deserve recognition while they're still living rather than posthumously." ## Looking ahead Nominations for this year's Spirit of Dakota Award [remain open through Aug. 1](https://www.huronsd.com/assets/docs/uploads/spiritofdakota-nominationform2026.pdf?ref=sdnewswatch.org). Hoyt hopes the anniversary encourages South Dakotans to recognize women whose work often happens quietly: in schools, churches, civic organizations and neighborhoods. Backlund agrees. "I think recognition motivates other people to become involved," she said. "It lets people know what's happening in their communities." [Boys and Girls Clubs innovating after budget shortfalls“Yes, the funding has been cut, but so what? These kids are getting it done anyway, and the Boys and Girls Club isn’t going anywhere.”![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-513b2177-6d2e-4c39-8a40-78a99248051e.jpg)South Dakota News WatchMolly Wetsch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/Dancing-in-Games-Room-347f5f53-6289-479d-8b9b-f8765cc059d5.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/boys-girls-clubs-south-dakota-budget-shortfall/) If more people volunteer because they saw someone else honored, she said, the award has accomplished something much larger than recognizing one person. After 40 years, that is why the Spirit of Dakota Award continues to endure, Hoyt said. "The Spirit of Dakota Award recognizes your friend, your neighbor or your mother," she said. "Someone who has lived a life of helping others, demonstrating leadership and making their community a better place." ## Previous Spirit of Dakota honorees Below is the list of Spirit of Dakota Award recipients (\*deceased): - 1987 – \*Winifred Lorentson, Miller - 1988 – \*Rev. Jeanie K. Sherman, Madison - 1989 – \*Florence Bruhn, Watertown - 1990 – \*Jeanette Lusk, Huron - 1991 – \*Dorothy (D.J.) Cline, Brookings - 1992 – No award presentation - 1993 – \*Ruth Ziolkowski, Custer - 1994 – \*Sylvia Henkin, Sioux Falls - 1995 – Irene Fisher Coon, Sioux Falls - 1996 – Hildreth Twostars Venegas, Sisseton - 1997 – \*Lorraine Huntimer, Oldham - 1998 – \*Mary Lou Tripp, Belle Fourche - 1999 – Marsha Sumpter, Philip - 2000 – \*Donna Schipke, Newell - 2001 – Phyllis White Eyes DeCory, Rapid City - 2002 – \*Virginia Keil Lardinois, Huron - 2003 – Patricia Fawcett, Ree Heights - 2004 – \*Alice Kundert, Mound City - 2005 – No award presentation - 2006 – Janice Manolis, Huron - 2007 – June James, Hazel - 2008 – Elaine Doll-Dunn, Spearfish - 2009 – Julie Garreau, Eagle Butte - 2010 – \*Dorothy Kellogg, Watertown - 2011 – \*Millie Humphrey, Whitewood - 2012 – Mary J. Milroy, MD, Yankton - 2013 – Patricia Baird, Custer - 2014 – Theresa Stehly, Sioux Falls - 2015 – Mary Alice Woster Haug, Brookings - 2016 – \*Susan DeLaney-Kary, Parmelee - 2017 – \*Jean Wilkinson, De Smet - 2018 – \*Beverly Stabber Warne, Rapid City - 2019 – Jo Vitek, Watertown - 2020 – No award presentation - 2021 – Angela Ehlers, Presho - 2022 – No Award presentation - 2023 – Julie Bell, Brookings - 2024 – LaVonne Gaspar, Sioux Falls - 2025 – Deanell Backlund, Mitchell [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. *Read*, *subscribe* for free and *donate* at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. Amina Aidarkhanova received the 2026 Jeffrey B. Nelson Investigative Journalism Endowed Internship and the Chuck Raasch and Sandy Johnson Scholarship from the SDSU Foundation. *Contact:** [*amina.aidarkhanova@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:amina.aidarkhanova@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Fact brief roundup: Governor debate URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/fact-brief-roundup-2026-governor-debate/ Last updated: 2026-10-06T09:00:20.000Z ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/WhiteFACT-BRIEF--500-x-200-px--2-1-1.png) Democrat Dan Ahlers and Republican Gov. Larry Rhoden met Sept. 28 in the SDPB/South Dakota News Watch debate, the only televised meeting before the Nov. 3 general election. Here are fact briefs of some statements made by each of them during the debate, which can be viewed on the [SDPB YouTube channel](https://www.youtube.com/live/ldDEvE7YNSU?si=pjF%5Ff9qCSXoxRAPe&ref=sdnewswatch.org). --- ## Has Gov. Rhoden been criticized for his usage of the state plane? ### No. Unlike some previous governors, Rhoden has not been publicly questioned on his use of the state airplane. However, he was criticized over his use of a private plane in March after an investigation by The Dakota Scout "revealed that a benefactor to the governor’s candidacy in the 2026 gubernatorial election provided Rhoden and his campaign staff transportation" from Pierre to campaign events in Sioux Falls and Watertown. The financial gain from use of that private plane was not disclosed on year-end financial reports filed with the Secretary of State's office. Rhoden's campaign told The Dakota Scout that the exclusion was "inadvertent." ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/10/Debate-8-1.jpg) Democrat Dan Ahlers speaks during the 2026 gubernatorial debate in Sioux Falls on Monday, Sept. 28\. (Photo: Jon Beringer) During the debate, Ahlers said there should be increased transparency on the use of the state airplane and that The Dakota Scout "had to sue the state less than a year ago to get state records." Rhoden responded that Ahlers' statement was "patently false." "We’ve never been criticized one bit on the plane usage," Rhoden said. ℹ️ This fact brief responds to [a claim by Ahlers.](https://www.youtube.com/live/ldDEvE7YNSU?si=tKR9P2XTTjhNDjYQ&t=2933&ref=sdnewswatch.org) ### Sources The Dakota Scout, [Rhoden campaign failed to report private plane travel](https://www.thedakotascout.com/p/rhoden-campaign-failed-to-report?ref=sdnewswatch.org) The Dakota Scout, [State backs off legal threat over Noem credit cards](https://www.thedakotascout.com/p/state-backs-off-legal-threat-over?ref=sdnewswatch.org) --- ## Have average teacher salaries in South Dakota increased by $10,000 in the past few years? ### Yes (but it was slightly more than a few). During the debate, Rhoden said teacher salaries increased by $10,000 "in the last few years." According to the National Education Association, in the 2018-2019 school year, the average salary was $48,204\. That increased to $58,486 in 2024-25, an increase over six years of $10,282\. Data is not yet available on the 2025-2026 school year. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/10/Debate-7-1.jpg) Republican Gov. Larry Rhoden speaks during the 2026 gubernatorial debate in Sioux Falls on Monday, Sept. 28\. (Photo Jon Beringer) Baseline salaries "offered to a teacher with zero years of experience and a bachelors degree" according to the South Dakota Department of Education have also increased, but not by the same rate. In the 2016-2017 school year, baseline salary was $37,519\. By 2024-2025, that number increased by $9,659 to $47,178. ℹ️ This fact brief responds to [a claim by Rhoden.](https://www.youtube.com/live/ldDEvE7YNSU?si=gGzJdUv9ReOKlhtV&t=1441&ref=sdnewswatch.org) ### Sources National Education Association,[ 2020 Rankings and Estimates Report](https://www.nea.org/sites/default/files/2020-10/2020%20Rankings%20and%20Estimates%20Report.pdf?ref=sdnewswatch.org) National Education Association, [2026 Rankings and Estimates Report August UpdatePDF](https://www.nea.org/sites/default/files/2026-08/2026-rankings-and-estimates-report-august-update.pdf?ref=sdnewswatch.org) South Dakota Department of Education, [Baseline Teacher Salary](https://doe.sd.gov/data/Teacher-Salary.aspx?ref=sdnewswatch.org) --- ## Does South Dakota have the lowest child care rates in the nation? ### Yes. South Dakota has consistently been listed in the top three most affordable states for child care. In a 2025 study, the University of Kansas said South Dakota is the most affordable for both single parents and married parents. On average, parents spend $7,862 annually on child care in the state. ****Get free, fact-based South Dakota news and information** in a weekday email. No spam. Cancel any time. [Subscribe ](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/#/portal) The Bipartisan Policy Center said South Dakota's average cost is 40% lower than the national average, which is about $12,900 annually. These back up Rhoden's statement that South Dakota has the lowest child care rates in the nation for single parents. However, child care providers are among the lowest wage-earners in the state, according to a 2025 South Dakota Child Care Task Force report. Data from the U.S. Department of Labor also enforces this statement. Data differs slightly when looking at rates for different ages of child and if care is center-based or home-based. ℹ️ This fact brief responds to [a claim by Rhoden.](https://www.youtube.com/live/ldDEvE7YNSU?si=dbniph8TRPSR2mAx&t=1650&ref=sdnewswatch.org) ### Sources The University of Kansas, [Childcare Affordability Analysis: A State-by-State Breakdown](https://thecareboard.ku.edu/blogs/childcare-affordability-analysis-state-state-breakdown?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Bipartisan Policy Center, [National and State Child Care Data Overview](https://bipartisanpolicy.org/article/state-child-care-data-2025-update/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) U.S. Department of Labor, [Childcare Prices by Age of Children and Care Setting](https://www.dol.gov/agencies/wb/topics/childcare/price-by-age-care-setting?ref=sdnewswatch.org) South Dakota News Watch, [Child care policy proposals return to Pierre](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-child-care-proposals-daycares-legislature/) South Dakota Child Care Task Force, [Sustainable Solutions for Transforming Child Care in South Dakota](https://www.earlylearnersd.org/%5Ffiles/ugd/a4a22e%5Fcf4810fced214600a44de8f4df2619d0.pdf?ref=sdnewswatch.org) --- Watch the full debate, moderated by SDPB's Jackie Hendry in collaboration with South Dakota News Watch: [2026 South Dakota Gubernatorial DebateThe 2026 South Dakota Gubernatorial Debate between Gov. Larry Rhoden and Dan Ahlers.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/favicon-32x32-695ccc4c-bad7-4a0c-9c76-796301473756.png)SDPB South Dakota Public BroadcastingSDPB Staff and SDPB News Staff![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/90-359bc8fc-4732-4886-988d-ea7eeed8c472.jpg)](https://www.sdpb.org/elections/2026-09-28/2026-south-dakota-gubernatorial-debate?ref=sdnewswatch.org) ### About fact briefs Fact briefs are bite-sized, well-sourced explanations that offer clear "yes" or "no" answers to questions, confusions and unsupported claims circulating online. They rely on publicly available data and documents, often from the original source. Fact briefs are written and published by South Dakota News Watch as part of the [Gigafact](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) network. Submit a question for us to answer[ on the tipline](https://gigafact.org/tipline/south-dakota-news-watch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). SPONSORED ****Support fact briefs.** Help fight misinformation by supporting fact briefs, well-sourced explanations that offer clear "yes" or "no" answers to questions, confusions and unsupported claims circulating online. [Donate ](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/donate/) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. *Read, subscribe* for free and *donate* at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact* reporter Emily DeCock:* 605-736-4396*/* [*emily.decock@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:emily.decock@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Lessons learned from recent SD cyberattacks URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-pennington-county-cyberattack-ransomware/ Last updated: 2026-10-05T09:00:49.000Z RAPID CITY, S.D – Michael Iversen has spent the past three months doing anything and everything he can to prevent another workplace nightmare like the one inflicted upon him and his staff on July 4. On that day, unknown hackers broke into and disrupted major elements of the government computer system in Pennington County, where Iversen serves as information technology director. ****Get free, fact-based South Dakota news and information** in a weekday email. No spam. Cancel any time. [Subscribe ](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/#/portal) The ransomware attack forced the county to shut down many systems, including communications and several public-facing services, though law enforcement, emergency operations and jail facilities remained largely operational. Nearly all services are back online, but the attack thrust Iversen into a posture of crisis management that he remains immersed in to this day. “You see something like this come in, and your brain is going a million miles an hour,” Iversen told News Watch in an interview. “It’s one of the worst things I’ve ever dealt with, and I wouldn’t wish this on my worst enemy.” In the roughly 90 days since, Iversen has had two major goals — to bring county systems back online and to prevent or prepare for another attack – and he hopes other local governments can learn from Pennington County's experience. ## Improvements made since the attack While security protocols prevent him from being too specific, Iversen said he and other county officials have already implemented many new or improved measures to combat another attack. Among them: - Rebuilding the entire county IT system with enhanced security at the forefront - Increasing the depth and frequency of employee training, including requiring all county employees to change every password they were using prior to the attack - Making preparations to hire a new full-time IT employee specifically assigned to strengthen security and monitor possible intrusions - Implementing a SIEM, or Security Information and Event Management system, that centralizes all IT data and makes it easier to both analyze and protect - Working with state cyberattack prevention officials at Secure SD to move to a government cloud storage system that is more safe and secure - Switching the county operating systems to a .gov suffix, which stiffens security due to federal requirements to use the government domain system Iversen said he has received strong support for the changes from employees and the Pennington County Commission but still doesn't know if or how much more funding might be required to stiffen cyber defenses. “We’ve basically rebuilt our network from the ground up and redone all our security policies,” said Iversen, whose department has a staff of 13 and an annual budget of about $1.5 million. “The public probably won’t notice and the functionality will be there, but the county will not be the same as it was before.” ## Several attacks in South Dakota and other states The cyberattack on Pennington County was one of several that took place in a period of about a month this summer. Rapid City fought off a brief attack on its wastewater systems, and the city of Mitchell dealt with a hack of some of its municipal computer systems. Around that same time, a major cybersecurity attack that sought to disrupt water systems in more than 30 communities across Minnesota. South Dakota has been battling cyberattacks for years. Officials in Aberdeen found destructive malware installed on city systems in 2021\. And last year, an employee in Tripp County was fooled by a hacker into sending more than $800,000 in municipal funds to a fake account. ![A television that was offline at the Pennington County Administration Building](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/09/2026-07-28-Pennington-TV-screen-2-1.jpg) A television that was offline at the Pennington County Administration Building in Rapid City, S.D., on July 28, 2026\. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) Gov. Larry Rhoden on Sept. 30 declared October as Cybersecurity Awareness month in South Dakota with a theme of "Don't make it easy for them." In a press release, the governor's office said, "Cybercriminals succeed most often when people skip small safety steps, so implementing secure habits is of utmost importance. Cybersecurity is not about making a single perfect choice, but about a series of daily choices that collectively make it harder for attackers to succeed." The state Attorney General's Office told News Watch in August that over the past five years, the agency has had 1,062 online security breaches reported to its Consumer Affairs Division, including more than 125 so far in 2026. ****Got a story idea, tip or question about something we should look into?** Email at the link below. We won't share your ID without permission. [Send a news tip ](mailto:news@sdnewswatch.org) John Strand, owner of Black Hills Information Security, told News Watch that the attacks this summer in South Dakota, Minnesota and elsewhere probably originated from one of two sources: international organized crime groups that seek money from victims or international adversaries that either seek intelligence on U.S. networks and systems or intend to disrupt daily life in America. Since county officials have not discussed any demands for ransom from the cyberattacker, it is more likely that a foreign adversary of the U.S. is behind the attack, Strand said. "So then you're looking at Iran, you're looking at Russia, you're looking at China," [Strand said in July.](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/experts-cyberattack-on-pennington-county-likely-by-foreign-adversary/) ## Mayor: Only minor impacts in Mitchell breach Citing a desire to stay ahead of potential attackers, government officials in areas that were attacked have declined to speculate on the location or nature of the perpetrators. Mitchell Mayor Jordan Hanson told News Watch that even though the city was well-positioned to prevent a cyberattack, their systems were hacked nevertheless. Hanson said the city’s systems were briefly infiltrated but that the damage was minimal and no emergency services or city finances were affected. “It’s very common across the United States, and my speculation is that there’s people out there trying this constantly and it just takes the tiniest little opening for them to get in,” Hanson said. “Hopefully, like us, other cities have an experienced staff that is prepared to handle things.” [Experts: Cyberattack on Pennington County likely by foreign adversaryThe federal government has warned state and local agencies in the U.S. that cyberattacks by Iran, Russia or China are increasingly likely and that steps to improve security should be taken. “I think we’re cannon fodder in the Iran war.”![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-a2dc9840-68d4-49b7-8557-f3bf382b824c.jpg)South Dakota News WatchBart Pfankuch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/2026-07-28-Pennington-admin-building-1-f3c5694a-8926-4e8b-8bf1-7e3475e6539b.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/experts-cyberattack-on-pennington-county-likely-by-foreign-adversary/) The city issued an update on the attack in a press release on Sept. 28, indicating that “we engaged both breach counsel and forensic specialists to help us in the response to this event.” Hanson said the city has since taken several steps to bolster cybersecurity, but he declined to release specifics. “There’s always room for improvement,” he said. Iversen praised the cooperation that took place when Pennington County was hit, including assistance from the South Dakota National Guard, the South Dakota Fusion Center, the federal Department of Homeland Security and the FBI. Iversen said he hopes other municipal government IT officials will contact him if they have questions about what happened in Pennington County, the response and how to prevent attack attempts almost everyone believes will come in the future. "The amount of knowledge we’ve picked up in the past three months on cybersecurity has been amazing," Iversen said. "I really do want to use what happened as a positive to make sure that others don’t go through the same situation or if they do get hit, that they're better prepared to respond." [SD taxpayers spend millions on cyberattacks after grant rejectedRecent security hacks on local governments in South Dakota are latest of more than 1,000 in the state over past five years.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-d5890156-fe81-4a67-91eb-34f2bbe57db0.jpg)South Dakota News WatchBart Pfankuch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/2026-07-28-Pennington-TV-screen-1-27428811-4124-40c3-bbd9-3bb3b216aefc.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-cyberattacks-government-spending/) In an email, Iversen spelled out his advice to other municipal IT officers in South Dakota. "Reach out your local fusion centers, even if you feel you have a really good understanding and are prepared, make those contacts, find out what resources are available that you can utilize in the event of an incident or before one occurs to help you find the exploits that could open you up to an attack," he wrote. "The cybersecurity landscape is changing and adapting so quickly with new technology we all need to be proactive in keeping ourselves secure." [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. *Read*, *subscribe* for free and *donate* at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact* content director Bart Pfankuch:605-937-9398/* [*bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Judge sends Smithfield conditional use permit back to city URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-judge-overturns-smithfield-conditional-use-permit/ Last updated: 2026-10-02T23:46:24.000Z A judge ruled in favor of rural residents and against the Sioux Falls City Council in a case that questioned the validity of a conditional use permit issued for the new Smithfield Foods pork processing plant. The project, announced in February, would replace a 100-year-old packing plant in downtown Sioux Falls with a new facility in the northwest corner of the city in Foundation Park. In April, more than 20 nearby homeowners who live near the new site in rural Crooks filed a petition for writ of certiorari. The subject of the case was a conditional use permit (CUP) that would allow Smithfield to build closer than 1,000 feet to residential land, which is the minimum requirement for sites zoned for heavy industrial facilities. The ruling, filed Thursday in Minnehaha Circuit Court, came after a hearing in August in which Circuit Judge Ann Hoffman took the case under advisement for decision at a later date but allowed both parties to submit additional briefs. ****Get free, fact-based South Dakota news and information** in a weekday email. No spam. Cancel any time. [Subscribe ](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/#/portal) Hoffman granted the plaintiffs' petition, which nullifies the City Council's decision to grant the permit to Smithfield. To grant a writ of certiorari, plaintiffs must prove that the city acted with “irregular authority” or outside of its jurisdiction. The conditional use permit is now voided and "remanded and reversed" to the Sioux Falls City Council, which will have to reconsider Smithfield's application. “You feel like a David and Goliath thing, but you can win. There is hope in fighting the huge bureaucracy,” Pattie Guthrie, a plaintiff in the case, told News Watch Friday. “Does it mean that Smithfield won’t come here? No, it doesn't say that. Is it as much as we had hoped for? No, but it’s a start.” Attorneys from both parties did not immediately respond to a request Friday for comment. ## What's in the ruling Hoffman ruled that the City Council failed to comply with the city's own ordinances as well as the Sioux Falls 2050 strategic plan in approving the CUP. She noted that Smithfield's permit application for the site was only a single-page document and did not fulfill several city requirements for conditional use permit approval. That included a mandatory “neighborhood meeting to gain input about methods to transition the business from the adjacent residential home,” building designs that display measures to prevent water issues and a report from the fire department that outlined issues or concerns with the site. "For fire, water, zoning, light and power, the Staff Report simply stated, 'Provided a review of all available information and did not have any concerns or comments to add.' However, there is no 'report from the fire department regarding any building standards that must be met or other concerns the fire department has regarding the use,'" Hoffman wrote. [CUPs: What they are, why Crooks residents sued Sioux FallsThe lawsuit over a conditional use permit reflects a longstanding tension between residents, often of rural areas, and those who make decisions about how the land around them gets used.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-521d05a1-eb80-45ac-b377-e6fc411a3e80.jpg)South Dakota News WatchMolly Wetsch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/Smithfield-from-above-1-87e1c6d5-0c8a-4e99-9b8a-65e4a536ce82.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-smithfield-crooks-sioux-falls-lawsuit/) Nor was there a "report from the city water and water reclamation departments to determine the impact of the development on city utilities" or "a site management plan outlining litter, odor, and product control measures to be approved by the planning and health departments." “The 2050 Plan states that a heavy industrial use next to a residential use is highly incompatible and that "(in) general, proposed use with this level of conflict should not be permitted," Hoffman wrote. "This is not a complete ban on a heavy industrial use being next to a residential use. The incompatibility of the two uses requires mitigation to minimize the impact of a heavy industrial use upon a residential use." That mitigation was not outlined because the City Council didn't require the minimum requirements of both city zoning ordinances and the 2050 Shape Sioux Falls Comprehensive Plan in approving the conditional use permit, Hoffman wrote. "The City Council contends that the Staff Report prepared for the Planning Commission evaluated the Smithfield site proposal, consolidated the comments of the various agencies charged with implementing the comprehensive plan, weighed the impact on traffic and nearby uses, and concluded the Smithfield facility met the 2050 Plan." [Smithfield move: How to preserve rural areas as metro growsHow the addition of a pork processing plant to the state’s largest industrial park has sparked conversation about “responsible growth” in the Sioux Falls metro area.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-f197401a-06f0-49c6-987a-c61a1d324b1f.jpg)South Dakota News WatchMolly Wetsch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/home-next-to-Smithfield-site-1-1-f471f511-d112-400d-b2ea-357bd43a374f.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/sioux-falls-growth-smithfield-crooks-south-dakota-economic-development/) Finally, the homeowners also argued that their due process rights were violated on grounds the City Council was biased. Hoffman rejected that. "The Court finds that Petitioners have failed to show that there was a direct pecuniary (financial) interest, actual bias, or a serious risk of actual bias such that their due process rights were violated," she wrote. In an August hearing, the attorney for the plaintiffs, Steve Haugaard, called the approval of the conditional use permit an "injustice." James Moore, an attorney for the city, said during the same hearing that the "lengthy proceedings" before the planning commission and City Council, as well as opportunity for "extensive public comment," should be considered sufficient consideration for legal standards. [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. *Read*, *subscribe* for free and *donate* at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact* reporter/*[*Report for America*](https://www.reportforamerica.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *corps member Molly Wetsch: 605-531-7382/*[*molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Brandon student to represent SD in National Civics Bee URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/brandon-student-to-represent-sd-in-national-civics-bee/ Last updated: 2026-10-02T09:00:41.000Z A 14-year-old Brandon student will represent South Dakota at the third annual National Civics Bee Championship in Washington this month. Chloe Dabney, a ninth grader at Brandon Middle School, will compete against 51 other students from each state, Washington and American Samoa in the national competition on Oct. 14 at 7 p.m. CT. She was awarded $1,000 [for winning the South Dakota Civics Bee](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-state-civics-bee-2026-2/) in June. The National Civics Bee champion will receive $100,000 in a 529 education savings plan and win the Bill Daniels National Civics Award. ![.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/09/Chloe-check.jpg) Chloe Dabney (middle) poses with her trophy and check for winning the South Dakota Civics Bee on June 11, 2026, at Augustana University in Sioux Falls., S.D. Dabney will go on to compete in the national competition in Washington on Oct. 14\. (Photo: Courtesy South Dakota Chamber of Commerce and Industry) This won’t be Dabney's first time in Washington. Her mom, Clarissa Barnes, recounted a family trip they took to the area last year. Barnes said Dabney specifically asked to visit the Library of Congress. Barnes, who's been helping Dabney study for the competition, lived in the Washington area for seven years. She said the Library of Congress never occurred to her to as a place to visit. ****Get free, fact-based South Dakota news and information** in a weekday email. No spam. Cancel any time. [Subscribe ](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/#/portal) “She (Chloe) was like, ‘Well, I want to go to the library. That’s where all the books are,’” Barnes said. Dabney said it's important for young people to know about civics so the mistakes of the past are not repeated. Learning about civics is fun for her. “I think it's also been really impressive to know how many things that she just knew that we had never told her," Barnes said. "But she had just picked it up through school or just from conversations from people." ## How to watch This year, the bee will be televised and streamed live on C-SPAN for the first time. It’s a relatively new event - the October competition will be the third annual civics bee presented by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation. It will air Wednesday, Oct. 14 at 7 p.m. CT and will be hosted by actor and game show host Jerry O’Connell. While the televised portion will be one day only, there are more days of competition and activities for the sixth, seventh and eighth grade competitors. The students will also visit institutions in the nation’s capital. The finalists will be tested during a team presentation, a multiple-choice round, a head-to-head gauntlet, an interview round and a high-stakes final buzzer round, according to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. More than 20,000 students from 240 communities across the nation participated in their state bees. The South Dakota Chamber of Commerce and Industry hosted the state event in collaboration with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/09/Civics-bee-competitors.jpg) Finalists in the South Dakota Civics Bee on June 11, 2026 at Augustana University in Sioux Falls, S.D. The national competition will be held in Washington on Oct. 14\. (Photo: Courtesy South Dakota Chamber of Commerce and Industry) Ali Gabriel, vice president of development at the South Dakota Chamber, said 12 finalists from four regions participated in the state bee at Augustana University in Sioux Falls. It was the second year South Dakota participated. Gabriel said in the future, she hopes to move the competition around the state. “I really like the idea of hosting it at universities because they have great venues, great facilities, great technology, great audio. It's a perfect spot for it,” Gabriel said. The state’s first competition was hosted at South Dakota State University in Brookings. Ryan Budmayr, president and CEO of the South Dakota Chamber, said the event is patriotic. “It's at a university environment, which is kind of neat,” he said. "I think there's a real kind of uplifting excitement that is both patriotic, civic minded and with a focus on higher education that I think is kind of fun to see from all parts of the state.” Budmayr said South Dakotans should be proud of who is representing the state nationally. “Chloe’s a sharp gal. I'm excited to watch her and I think the state should be excited to watch her," Budmayr said. "She's competitive and we should be proud of who we're sending to compete in this." [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. *Read, subscribe* for free and *donate* at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact* reporter Emily DeCock:* 605-736-4396*/* [*emily.decock@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:emily.decock@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Fact brief: Did a campaign tell SD broadcasters to stop running an ad? URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-fact-brief-amendment-l-opponents-ad/ Last updated: 2026-10-01T09:00:11.000Z ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/WhiteFACT-BRIEF--500-x-200-px--2-1-1.png) ## Yes. Supporters of Amendment L, which would require at least 60% of the vote to amend the state Constitution, said they sent cease-and-desist letters to television and radio stations. A news release from the group Wednesday to media organizations asked "that they immediately stop airing misleading and untruthful commercials funded by opponents." News Watch heard back from two TV newsrooms, KOTA and KNBN in Rapid City, which said they had not received the letter. T.J. Nelson of the Redstone Law Firm, which sent the release, confirmed its veracity and said the group reserves all of its options "to make sure that there's truth in advertising as federally licensed entities." The move stems from a claim in the ad that the Yes on L supporters are funded by “out of state billionaires and their lobbyists." "That's just a blatant lie. The proponents of Amendment L are a completely grassroots coalition," Nelson said. ℹ️ This fact brief responds to claims such as [this one.](https://dakotawarcollege.com/release-pro-amendment-l-group-calls-for-truth-in-advertising/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) ### Sources News release from Redstone Law Firm Phone interview with T.J. Nelson, Sept. 30, 2026 No on Amendment L, [Facebook ad](https://www.facebook.com/NoOnLSouthDakota) ### About fact briefs Fact briefs are bite-sized, well-sourced explanations that offer clear "yes" or "no" answers to questions, confusions and unsupported claims circulating online. They rely on publicly available data and documents, often from the original source. Fact briefs are written and published by South Dakota News Watch as part of the[ Gigafact](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) network. Submit a question for us to answer[ on the tipline](https://gigafact.org/tipline/south-dakota-news-watch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at*[ *sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact reporter Emily DeCock:* emily.decock@sdnewswatch.org.* ### Drought and tourists reshape Custer area landscape URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/buffalo-roundup-drought-tourists-2026-south-dakota/ Last updated: 2026-09-30T09:00:56.000Z CUSTER STATE PARK, S.D. – While the Custer State Park Buffalo Roundup has grown to draw tens of thousands of visitors and become an emblem of western South Dakota's cowboy heritage, it also serves a much more practical purpose – particularly important this year, thanks to adverse environmental conditions that have affected the entire region. The park's 1,500 bison are corralled every September to receive health checks, vaccinations and to be considered for sale. Winter conditions in the park can only support a limited number of animals, so the herd must be culled before the season comes. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/09/DSC_0860-1.JPG) Bison – including two cinnamons, the term for baby bison – graze in Custer State Park on Sep. 23, 2026\. (Photo: Molly Wetsch/South Dakota News Watch) This year, more people than usual could be heading home with an animal from the park as an estimated 612 bison will be auctioned off this year, due to longstanding drought conditions in the Black Hills. Last year, 435 bison left the park during the November auction. [In photos: 2026 Custer State Park Buffalo RoundupScenes from the 61st annual roundup attended by more than 20,000 tourists. “People that I talked to along the way were just super stoked.”![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-02105562-d8a4-4170-a546-8c044b1f0a14.jpg)South Dakota News WatchMolly Wetsch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/threehorses-2-1-ff9428cc-14a5-4b31-8a37-3c2d83869bfd.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-photos-2026-custer-state-park-buffalo-roundup/) ## Larger auction numbers indicate environment conditions Lydia Austin, visitor services supervisor for Custer State Park, said that the number of bison the park keeps for the winter depends largely on the amount of grass available, which is largely tied to rainfall. "The grasslands can only handle so much forage on them between the bison, elk, pronghorn, prairie dogs, all of that," she said. "On average, we can handle about 900 animals over the winter. We have increased that the last couple years. We've had some good years. This year with the drought, we're going to actually reduce our animals back down to 900." According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, Custer County is currently experiencing severe drought conditions. [Wells drying up at homes and ranches due to heat and droughtLong-term drought conditions have forced rural West River residents and ranchers who rely on wells to scramble to find water.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-89803d6b-2d63-488a-afc2-ea4bbd3b6cc6.jpg)South Dakota News WatchBart Pfankuch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/2026-08-20-Dry-wells-won-inspects-flow-3-a5474bd0-d2d1-4d9c-b637-7bca3bb82f19.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-water-wells-drying-up-heat-drought/) Lilly DeLange, a forester with the park, said that range ecologists predict the amount of foraging material the park will have for bison and calculate auction numbers based on those estimates. This year, she said, the area was so dry that park officials considered alternative methods to ensure the herd stayed fed. Late-season precipitation proved a relief, though. "We were on the edge of maybe doing a summer sale because it was so bad for a little bit this spring. Nothing was green, there was no grass, bison were in places that they wouldn't typically be in the park looking for grass. And we were like, 'Dang, if things don't get better, we're gonna have to do this in the summer, get rid of some animals.' But it ended up we got enough moisture to get by until the auction," DeLange said. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/09/DSC_0995.JPG) Lilly DeLange, a forester at Custer State Park, stands in front of the bison corrals on Sep. 23, 2026\. (Photo: Molly Wetsch/South Dakota News Watch) Those 600 bison will go to buyers all over the country, thanks in part to modern improvements the park has made to its auction process. Bidders used to sit in bleachers at the bison corral for hours in the early-November cold for the chance to purchase an animal. They can now access the entire auction via livestream – an improvement that began about a decade ago. Park superintendent Matt Snyder said that the virtual auction has improved operations for both buyers and park staff. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/09/DSC_0987-1.JPG) Empty bison corrals on Sep. 23, 2026, two days before the Custer State Park Buffalo Roundup. (Photo: Molly Wetsch/South Dakota News Watch) "It went from basically an all-day affair to about an hour and a half," Snyder said. "Just that online capability of somebody sitting in Michigan, basically being able to bid on animals and buy animals is pretty successful. And it's less stress on the animal as well." In 2024 – [the most recent data published by South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks](https://gfp.sd.gov/UserDocs/nav/Updated%5F2024%5FBison%5FAuction%5FResults%5Fas%5Fof%5F111824.pdf?ref=sdnewswatch.org) – buyers came from as far as Tennessee and Texas. And 482 bison yielded $885,425 in sales for the park. ## Nearby town sees tourist influx thanks to roundup The town of Custer, which sits just outside of the park, has embraced the bison and the roundup as part of its core identity. Bison sculptures painted in different themes dot Main Street. Stores like the Fluffy Cow Outlet – a common nickname for the animals – sell bison-themed merchandise to tourists. The Friday when the roundup comes to town is often one of the busiest days of the year for local businesses and marks the official end of tourism season. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/09/DSC_1005.JPG) A bison statue, one of several that dot Custer, S.D.'s main street, overlooks tourist shops and restaurants on Sep. 23, 2026\. (Photo: Molly Wetsch/South Dakota News Watch) Dawn Murray, executive director of the Custer Chamber of Commerce, told News Watch that the town's relationship to the park has proven a large benefit – especially as visitation to the park reaches its highest levels. In recent years, she said, Custer, which once served as mostly a haven for tourists, has been able to win back important amenities for locals, like clothing and grocery stores. "There was a time where you couldn't buy your kid underwear or socks in Custer," Murray said. "We're getting back to where everything is accessible in town again. COVID had a lot to do with some of the stuff that they're doing in the park. They saw a huge increase since 2020, and they are continuing to increase or staying flat from that point. So it's more people are aware of the outdoor activities there are to see and do in our area." [The park experienced record-high tourism numbers in 2020](https://gfp.sd.gov/csp-history/?ref=sdnewswatch.org), drawing more than 2.4 million visitors. Murray, who has been with the Chamber for a decade, said that visitor numbers for the town seem to be up this year as the area saw a steadily busy summer trend that continued into the late season and September – considered the beginning of "shoulder season." "Our downtown has been so busy this whole summer that it's just really hard to say if it's busier (than usual) or not. We were really busy in February and March, and then April was normal, May was normal, June was a little up," Murray said. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/09/IMG_2913.JPG) Dawn Murray, executive director of the Custer Chamber of Commerce, poses in front of bison memorabilia in the Custer Visitor Center on Sep. 25, 2026\. (Photo: Molly Wetsch/South Dakota News Watch) She does have concerns, though, about ongoing economic pressures causing lower visitor numbers in the future. But Murray said that most of the changes she has seen so far are in the demographics of tourists coming to town rather than numbers. "Next year might be less people coming if the economy stays the way it is," Murray said. "We've been talking a lot about that, that we are seeing less people with little kids traveling." ****Get free, fact-based South Dakota news and information** in a weekday email. No spam. Cancel any time. [Subscribe ](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/#/portal) And though some international tourism in the state is down as Canadians are less likely to visit the U.S. for the second year in a row, Murray said that Custer has seen reassuring upticks in the number of foreign tourists coming to town. "We saw a lot more buses with foreign travelers this year than we have in a while, basically since COVID," Murray said. "We get a lot of people from Japan and China. So we saw a lot more of them, we had a whole bus from Denmark one time, and some people from Germany." The event has burgeoned into a three-day affair, with more than 100 artists selling their wares, live music and 24,000 guests packing into the prairie to witness 60 men and women on horseback corral the largest land mammals on the continent. The roundup would still take place even if no one came, park officials say, but there doesn't seem to be a plan to slow down the crowds any time soon. "Ten years ago, the roundup was probably about 14 (thousand) or 15,000 (guests). Now we're up to that 24,000," Austin said. "It's a South Dakota tradition. This is why people come out here. It's a bucket list and the community has capitalized on it." [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. *Read*, *subscribe* for free and *donate* at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact* reporter/*[*Report for America*](https://www.reportforamerica.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *corps member Molly Wetsch: 605-531-7382/*[*molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Fact brief: Were some Pokemon cards produced in South Dakota? URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/fact-brief-pokemon-cards-howard-south-dakota-millenium-group/ Last updated: 2026-09-29T09:00:12.000Z ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/WhiteFACT-BRIEF--500-x-200-px--2-1-1.png) ## Yes. A plant in Howard, South Dakota, produced Pokémon cards in the early years of the immensely popular trading card game that features now-iconic characters Pikachu and Charizard. PBM, formerly Wrap-It, packaged Pokémon cards by cutting, collating and wrapping them. An article from The Madison Daily Leader in 1999 said the plant was operating seven days a week and 24 hours a day because of the card game’s worldwide popularity. PBM employed 300 people at the time. Pokémon is celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2026 as the largest media franchise in the world, according to The Times of London. As of March 2025, 75 billion cards have been produced. After PBM was sold in 2008, the previous owner purchased Millenium Print Group (MPG). From 2020 to 2023, Millenium operated a facility in Howard that manufactured and processed collectible and trading cards. Millennium was a major Pokémon Trading Card Game manufacturer and The Pokémon Company International acquired it in 2022. ℹ️ This fact brief responds to claims such as [this one.](https://www.elitefourum.com/t/pokemon-tcg-set-credits/50879?ref=sdnewswatch.org) ### Sources The Madison Daily Leader, [Pokemon: Get it before it gets 'hot' in the Midwest](https://drive.google.com/drive/u/1/folders/1qrctpzhhSkkcVoeIJQzQuPM7c5o6y5xT?ref=sdnewswatch.org) CNN, [Pokémon at 30: Multimillion-dollar cards and spiking demand. Here’s why you’ve still gotta catch ‘em all](https://www.cnn.com/world/pokemon-at-30-multimillion-dollar-cards-trading-spc?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Raleigh News & Observer, [How a Triangle company became the primary US printer of Pokémon cards](https://www.newsobserver.com/news/business/article301020499.html?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Heartland Energy, [Millennium Print Group setting up shop in Howard](https://heartlandenergy.com/millenium-print-group-setting-up-shop-in-howard/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) ### About fact briefs Fact briefs are bite-sized, well-sourced explanations that offer clear "yes" or "no" answers to questions, confusions and unsupported claims circulating online. They rely on publicly available data and documents, often from the original source. Fact briefs are written and published by South Dakota News Watch as part of the[ Gigafact](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) network. Submit a question for us to answer[ on the tipline](https://gigafact.org/tipline/south-dakota-news-watch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at*[ *sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact freelance reporter Michael Klinski:* michael.klinski@sdnewswatch.org.* ### Igloo bunkers owner sued in federal RICO civil fraud lawsuit URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-igloo-bunker-rico-civil-fraud-lawsuit/ Last updated: 2026-09-29T15:16:30.000Z The owner of a survivalist bunker complex in southwestern South Dakota is being sued in civil court under the same federal law that prosecutors often use to convict people involved in the mafia, street gangs or white-collar scams. The lawsuit filed under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, or RICO, claims that Robert K. Vicino is operating a conspiracy that defrauded a major investor in the project who also sought to lease a bunker at the site. Vicino owns the old earthen ordnance bunkers south of Edgemont. The lawsuit filed Sept. 3 makes multiple claims of contract and financial wrongdoing by Vicino, of Del Mar, California, the owner of the Vivos xPoint bunker community, and three legal entities associated with his ownership. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/09/2024-10-4-Empty-bunker-1.JPG) Empty bunkers at the Vivos xPoint complex, such as this one shown in 2024, can be outfitted into homes that can supposedly withstand a natural or manmade disaster. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) At its most basic level, the lawsuit alleges that Vicino has breached contracts, committed wire fraud and unjustly enriched himself after New Jersey resident Xiong Xiong paid $110,000 to lease a finished residential bunker and invested $1 million into Vicino's company that operates the Vivos xPoint complex. The 20-page lawsuit seeks up to several million dollars in compensatory damages related to "unpaid distributions, improperly diverted funds, overcharged management fees, undocumented commissions and personal expenses charged." Since the early 1970s, RICO cases have sometimes been filed by federal prosecutors to bring charges against criminal operations, including those run by the mafia, street gangs and other organized crime entities, rather than to prosecute individuals for singular crimes that may be obscured by connections to a larger conspiracy. Xiong's local attorney, Aaron D. Eiesland of Rapid City, said the case was filed as a civil court action under RICO because of the “pattern of criminal and corrupt activity” involved. “It’s tying them all together and bringing out more under one umbrella,” Eiesland said. “Any criminal activity is also going to be a civil violation if there’s a victim, and in this case, that’s what it is.” An email sent by News Watch to Vivos xPoint seeking comment from Vicino was not returned. An email and call to Vicino's local attorney, Eric Schlimgen of Spearfish, were also not returned. ## Lawsuit is part of a pattern of issues at Vivos The lawsuit is the latest of several legal actions surrounding the embattled complex that sits on treeless, windswept prairie lands 8 miles south of Edgemont in Fall River County. The Vivos xPoint community includes hundreds of above-ground, earth-covered concrete bunkers that were used by the U.S. military from 1942 to 1967 to store conventional and chemical munitions in a town once known as Igloo. Vicino purchased and developed a large portion of the former Black Hills Army Depot munitions facility in 2016\. The 2,200-square-foot bunkers are now rented as residences, mostly to survivalists, or “preppers,” who want to live off the grid and be positioned to survive a global catastrophe. The Vivos xPoint complex – marketed as "the largest survival community on earth" – is part of a larger network of survivalist housing options offered under the Vivos Global Shelter Network. The [company website](https://terravivos.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) continues to offer lease or purchase options for the complex in South Dakota as well as in Indiana, Europe and at an undisclosed location. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/09/2024-10-4-bunkers-wide-view-1.JPG) More than 500 above-ground concrete bunkers and 100 miles of unpaved roads are part of the Vivos xPoint residential complex, shown on Oct. 4, 2024, near Igloo, S.D. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) The site offers leased housing within Vivos Indiana in an underground former military nuclear shelter that can reportedly survive a 20-megaton blast and provide survival beneath the surface for up to a year. The Vivos Europa underground complex is in part of a mountainside carved out by the Soviets during the Cold War, the website states. According to [prior reporting by News Watch](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/igloo-south-dakota-prepper-bunker-vivos-xpoint/), Vivos xPoint in South Dakota has been beset by conflicts between residents and employees, numerous lawsuits, several complaints to the state attorney general’s office and a [near-fatal shooting of a complex employee by a tenant in 2024](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/bunker-community-igloo-south-dakota-vivos/). Vicino has filed lawsuits in eviction actions against residents and also has been sued by residents, including in a class-action case that challenged the legality of the extensive lease and rules Vicino uses to govern the property. The South Dakota Supreme Court [ruled last year](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/igloo-lease-dispute-supreme-court-ruling/) that the lease was legal. ![An occupied bunker at the Vivos xPoint complex near Edgemont, S.D.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/09/2024-10-4-Occupied-bunker-front-1.JPG) An occupied bunker at the Vivos xPoint complex near Edgemont, S.D., shown Oct. 4, 2024\. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) Residents at Vivos xPoint can pay $55,000 to lease a bunker for 99 years or pay $75,000 to own a bunker outright, according to the website. The company offers a "glamping" option for $10,000 to completely outfit a bunker for residential use. The Xiong lawsuit includes as defendants Vicino himself, the Vivos xPoint Investment Group, Fractional Villas Inc. and the Vicino Family Trust. The lawsuit states that Vicino is the managing or "apex" officer in those legal entities. ## Case says bunker and financial promises broken Like the new Xiong lawsuit, which makes a claim of "fraudulent inducement" by Vicino, other residents have complained that Vicino has failed to provide extensive community amenities promised at the time they signed leases, including a mail station, gym, health clinic and restaurant. One section of the lawsuit centers on promises by Vicino to provide Xiong a "turnkey finish" of a bunker at Vivos, for which Xiong paid Vicino $110,000\. The lawsuit states that the bunker was supposed to have plumbing, power, water and sewage services but "was never constructed as promised." ![This sign just inside the entrance to the Vivos xPoint bunker complex](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/09/2024-10-4-Vivos-coming-soon-sign-1.JPG) This sign just inside the entrance to the Vivos xPoint bunker complex, shown Oct. 4, 2024, near Igloo, S.D., indicates that most promised amenities are still "coming soon." A new lawsuit says many promised amenities still are not provided. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) But the Xiong lawsuit goes far deeper in its claims of financial irregularities by Vicino and the business entities he controls. The case indicates that Vicino told Xiong that the 575 fortified bunkers at Vivos Point had an estimated replacement value of $500 million and that the project would generate cumulative investor returns of 577% through 2024. As a result, Xiong agreed to wire Vicino $1 million in two installments as an investment in the project in 2020\. The payment was equal to a 13.33% stake or "membership interest" in the Vivos Investment Group, the lawsuit states. ****Get free, fact-based South Dakota news and information** in a weekday email. No spam. Cancel any time. [Subscribe ](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/#/portal) It claims that Vicino did not use the bunker fee or investment funds as promised but instead that "Vicino, VxIG (investment group) and Fractional Villas diverted funds to personal and affiliate expenditures rather than bunker construction or community infrastructure." The lawsuit also claims that Vicino miscalculated the amount of a 20% management fee included in contracts, "resulting in a substantial overcharge to (the Vivos investment group) and its members." The lawsuit further states that Vicino's certified profit and loss statement includes a 10% commission amounting to about $750,000 "in unexplained 'commissions' (that) represents funds that have been extracted from (the investment group) without authorization, documentation or legitimate business purpose." Some of the money held by the investment group was used to pay for "personal and affiliated expenses that are not legitimate," including consumer subscriptions, airline loyalty purchases and about $75,000 in expenses for a 2004 Cessna airplane registered to Fractional Villas, the suit states. Also, the investment group paid $126,000 in rent for office space that is located at Vicino's home in California, according to the suit. ****Join other South Dakotans and support statewide, fact-based news and information.** [Donate ](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/donate/) To date, the $1 million investment by Xiong into Vivos has resulted in two return payments of about $20,000, despite promises by Vicino to make large distributions to Xiong, including roughly $218,000 labeled in financial statements as a distribution to Xiong. "None of these promised distributions materialized," the lawsuit states, noting that The case seeks recovery of compensatory damages including but not limited to "unpaid distributions, improperly diverted funds, overcharged management fees, undocumented commissions and personal expenses charged to (the investment group)" as well as attorney and case fees. The lawsuit also seeks to obtain a full accounting of the finances of the investment group and imposition of a trust over all assets held by Vicino, the investment group and Fractional Villas. The suit also notes that the RICO statute allows for a tripling of any actual damages suffered by the plaintiff. In proposing the case as a violation of RICO statutes, the lawsuit states Vicino and his business entities defrauded the plaintiff "through a pattern of racketeering activity" and that "Vicino directed the scheme from its inception." Ultimately, the lawsuit claims that Vicino and Fractional Villas made "material misrepresentations with the intent to deceive plaintiff and to induce him to rely on them ... and to invest a total of $1.11 million." The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court in the Western Division of South Dakota and demands a jury trial to settle the claims contained in it. There is currently no criminal charge known to be filed against Vicino for his acts and management of the Vivos complex. [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. *Read*, *subscribe* for free and *donate* at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact* content director Bart Pfankuch:605-937-9398/* [*bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Free training this week on South Dakota's juvenile laws URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/free-training-south-dakota-juvenile-laws-crime/ Last updated: 2026-09-27T09:00:03.000Z Two experts in juvenile law will lead free, virtual training this week on how South Dakota's juvenile justice system works. The hourlong session, sponsored by SDPB, South Dakota News Watch and the South Dakota Bar Foundation, will be held at noon-1 p.m. CT Friday, Oct. 2, [on Zoom](https://state-sd.zoom.us/j/91360274382?pwd=qQpJuBZ6j6xCon7yrnN28uzSnFFaj5.1&ref=sdnewswatch.org) and then archived on [SDPB's YouTube channel](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCvVBOK6lIHubLbsZhA1hxhPHxrefBuGF&ref=sdnewswatch.org). Participants may submit [questions through chat](https://state-sd.zoom.us/launch/jc/91360274382?ref=sdnewswatch.org#success). Registration is not required. It's designed to arm South Dakota journalists with what they need to know to cover juveniles and also should be of interest to students, elected and appointed officials, court staff and members of the public. ****Get free, fact-based South Dakota news and information** in a weekday email. No spam. Cancel any time. [Subscribe ](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/#/portal) Wendy Hess, a professor with the University of South Dakota Knudson School of Law in Vermillion, and Nicole Laughlin, a Sioux Falls child's attorney, will lead the session that will cover: - Laws on what can be released about juveniles accused of a crime - The process of petitioning someone to juvenile court - When it becomes legal to release information about a juvenile - The potential consequences to media organizations for releasing information Hess has been teaching at USD since 2012\. She directed the legal writing program for many years, ​later transitioning to teaching torts and other upper-level courses, including children and the law. Her legal practice experience includes: directing the Prison Reform Project at the Public Justice Center, a nonprofit law office in Baltimore, where she also worked on educational access for children in foster care and enforcement of freedom of information laws; serving as the Francis Murnaghan Appellate Advocacy Fellow where she worked on poverty law and civil rights appellate cases in state and federal courts; and provision of civil legal services to prisoners and pretrial detainees in central Pennsylvania with the Pennsylvania Institutional Law Project. Hess also completed two judicial clerkships, one for a judge on the Maryland Court of Appeals and the other for a judge on the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland. She is also a licensed foster parent, having welcomed several teens and pre-teens into her home. [South Dakota crime reporting guideA resource for journalists, students and members of the public who are interested in the judicial system at all levels: state, federal and tribal.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-986367d5-dad2-4289-800a-c48d0a8cfd6a.jpg)South Dakota News WatchCarson Walker![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/supreme-court-2026-d47be7b9-16a1-4072-a2f9-a0c95d16af47.webp)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-crime-reporting-guide/) Laughlin is a Sioux Falls attorney who has been in private practice since opening her own law office in 2013\. Her practice focuses primarily on criminal defense, abuse and neglect matters, and juvenile law, with additional work in personal injury and family law. She frequently serves as a court-appointed Guardian ad Litem for children and for adults with mental health or competency concerns and has represented children who are victims or witnesses of crime in matters requiring special protections. Before entering private practice, Laughlin spent more than five years with the Minnehaha County Public Defender’s Office and previously served as a law clerk for South Dakota’s Third Judicial Circuit. She earned her J.D. from the University of South Dakota School of Law in 2006, where she served as both a staff writer and lead articles editor of the South Dakota Law Review. [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. *Read*, *subscribe* for free and *donate* at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact:** [*info@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:info@sdnewswatch.org). ### In photos: 2026 Custer State Park Buffalo Roundup URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-photos-2026-custer-state-park-buffalo-roundup/ Last updated: 2026-09-26T09:00:53.000Z CUSTER STATE PARK, S.D. – More than 20,000 tourists once again piled into Custer State Park's iconic Wildlife Loop on Friday to witness riders on horseback corral the 1,500 bison that call the park home. The Buffalo Roundup saw its 61st iteration this year, capping off a historic tourism season in the Black Hills marked by the 250th anniversary of American independence and a visit from the president to nearby Mount Rushmore National Memorial. The event was predictably busy this year, with lines to enter the park stretching for hours and hopeful visitors lining up before the sun rose. "The crowds were amazing. People that I talked to along the way were just super stoked," Gov. Larry Rhoden said during a press conference after the roundup. South Dakota Tourism Secretary Jim Hagen said the event marks the beginning of the fall "shoulder season" for the region and that the summer season was successful, though marked with "challenges here and there" thanks to higher-than-usual gas prices. [SD tourism leader: High gas prices could hold ‘silver lining’While some tourism officials and operators are concerned about high gas prices, one official says higher fuel costs could hold “a silver lining”.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-1dc2126b-3024-4cc1-b12b-803eaab5132f.jpg)South Dakota News WatchBart Pfankuch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/2025-10-2-Mt-Rushmore-event-1-2d330e63-730f-4a75-9af7-5121fbb7406d.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/gas-prices-south-dakota-tourism-outlook-mount-rushmore-black-hills/) "I have met visitors from all over the United States, from all over the globe who are coming to South Dakota to experience this slice of Americana and the American West," Hagen said during the press conference. "We've had a pretty steady summer season. It's been a good season." Here are some images from the annual Custer State Park Buffalo Roundup, captured by News Watch reporters: ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/09/DSC_1466.JPG) Riders and trucks surround the Custer State Park, S.D., bison herd, which currently sits at around 1,500 animals, on Sep. 25, 2026\. (Photo: Molly Wetsch/South Dakota News Watch) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/09/DSC_1177-1.JPG) A rider charged with corralling the 1,500-strong bison herd in Custer State Park, S.D., sits atop a hill on Sep. 25, 2026\. (Photo: Molly Wetsch/South Dakota News Watch) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/09/DSC_1105-1.JPG) Gov. Larry Rhoden hoists the American flag on horseback before the 61st annual Custer State Park Buffalo Roundup on Sep. 25, 2026\. Rhoden is a lifelong rancher from Union Center. (Photo: Molly Wetsch/South Dakota News Watch) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/09/DSC_1409-2-1.JPG) Bison cross in front of attendee viewing areas during the Custer State Park Buffalo Roundup on Sep. 25, 2026\. During the roundup, bison travel north from the bottom of the park's Wildlife Loop Road to their corrals. (Photo: Molly Wetsch/South Dakota News Watch) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/09/DSC_1759-2-1.JPG) Spectators watch the 61st annual Custer State Park Buffalo Roundup from the top of a hill, reserved for guests of Gov. Larry Rhoden, on Sep. 25, 2026\. (Photo: Molly Wetsch/South Dakota News Watch) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/09/DSC_1583.JPG) Crowds at the south viewing section of the 61st annual Custer State Park Buffalo Roundup on Sep. 25, 2026\. (Photo: Molly Wetsch/South Dakota News Watch) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/09/DSC_1380-1.JPG) Riders Phil Randall and Tracy Spaans, longtime flag bearers for the roundup, carry the American and South Dakota flags while corralling buffalo in Custer State Park, S.D., on Sep. 25, 2026\. (Photo: Molly Wetsch/South Dakota News Watch ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/09/DSC_1821-1.JPG) A tourist takes a photo in front of the bison corrals after the Custer State Park Buffalo Roundup on Sep. 25, 2026\. (Photo: Molly Wetsch/South Dakota News Watch) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/09/DSC_1322-1.JPG) Riders linger south of the Custer State Park bison corrals as the herd approaches the area on Sep. 25, 2026\. (Photo: Molly Wetsch/South Dakota News Watch) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/09/DSC_1455.JPG) The Custer State Park bison herd crests a hill to approach the corrals on Sep. 25, 2026\. (Photo: Molly Wetsch/South Dakota News Watch) ****Get free, fact-based South Dakota news and information** in a weekday email. No spam. Cancel any time. [Subscribe ](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/#/portal) [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. *Read*, *subscribe* for free and *donate* at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact* reporter/*[*Report for America*](https://www.reportforamerica.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *corps member Molly Wetsch: 605-531-7382/*[*molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### SD Humanities Council to host Festival of Books in October URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-humanities-council-festival-of-books/ Last updated: 2026-09-25T09:00:13.000Z Although questions about federal funding for the humanities remain, the South Dakota Humanities Council will again host the South Dakota Festival of Books, now in its 24th year. This year, the program is shorter and will feature fewer authors. In years past, 60-70 authors were selected for the event, which spanned a weekend. This year, about 30 authors will be featured at the one-day event on Oct. 3 in Sioux Falls, said Joshua Rudnik, director of the Center for the Book. After Department of Government Efficiency federal funding cuts threatened humanities councils nationwide, the SDHC evaluated how the event would go forward, he said. “We kind of had to sit down and ask ourselves, ‘What are the humanities?’” Rudnik said. “The humanities are well defined, but I don't think people are aware of what the humanities are, that they touch our lives every day.” ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/09/Joshua-Rudnik_2024.04-fec156d9-1.jpeg) Joshua Rudnik, Center for the Book director (Photo: Courtesy South Dakota Humanities Council) Each year, the event is held on different sides of the state. Rudnik said he hopes having the event in Sioux Falls will help spread awareness of the book festival and expose the organization to more people. Another impact of the cuts is the shortening of the event. Last year in Spearfish, the event went over a weekend from Friday to Sunday. This year’s event is one day long. “Having fewer authors, it's really more about the impact that these authors make on the general public," Rudnik said. ## Author wrote about past and present Rushmore Matthew Davis is author of "A Biography of a Mountain: The Making and Meaning of Mount Rushmore," which was selected as the 2026 One Book South Dakota. SDHC created that program in 2003 to feature and promote the readership of one book for the whole year. Davis, who now lives in London with his wife and children, grew up in Chicago. While writing the book, Davis was living in Washington but traveled to the Black Hills to research. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/09/matthew-daviss-1-1-1.jpeg) Matthew Davis, author of "A Biography of a Mountain: The Making and Meaning of Mount Rushmore," which is the 2026 One Book South Dakota. One Book South Dakota is sponsored by the SD Humanities Council and encourages people across the state to read and discuss the same book throughout the year. (Photo: Courtesy Matthew Davis website) “Places oftentimes are like people, where you meet someone or go to some place, and they kind of leave marks on you, and they sort of affect you in ways that you don't expect,” Davis said. “The Black Hills certainly has been that for me. There’s a wonderful sense of history about them that I was very attracted to.” Davis wanted to write the book after reading about President Donald Trump’s speech on July 3, 2020, at Mount Rushmore National Memorial. In that speech, Trump spoke about American history, manifest destiny and the memorials and monuments that are built to commemorate it, he said. “I began to wonder why he gave that speech at Mount Rushmore. What was it about the four faces and the sculpture itself that both literally and figuratively framed his speech?” Davis said. Davis, who has a master's degrees in nonfiction writing and another in international relations and international economics, did a deep dive into the history of Mount Rushmore and the Hills. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/09/book-1-1.jpeg) The cover of "A Biography of a Mountain: The Making and Meaning of Mount Rushmore." “I just found that it really represented so many of our different national myths, contradictions, conflicts. So in that way, it represented American history,” he said. Davis first thought the book would be primarily historical. But as he was writing, the U.S. was going through major changes. Former President Joe Biden took office in 2021\. When Trump was reelected in 2024, a lot of the issues that Trump raised in the 2020 speech “came to inhabit the present” again, Davis said. “He began to sort of value and talk about the idea of manifest destiny, this interpretation of history that has impacted current institutions like the Smithsonian, or like national parks, or like humanities councils, for that matter. All that stuff is not passed. It's very much in the present day," Davis said. “I think, you know, there was sort of a strange relationship there between engaging in a work of history but also being deeply aware of that relationship between the past and the present, and how they inform each other,” he said. ****Get free, fact-based South Dakota news and information** in a weekday email. No spam. Cancel any time. [Subscribe ](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/#/portal) As part of the One Book program, Davis went on a statewide speaking tour to talk in different communities about the book. Rudnik went along on the seven-stop trip. He said it was interesting, as someone from West River, to hear varied perspectives on Mount Rushmore from people in different areas of the state. “People recognize that it is a complicated history and that history is a part of what makes that memorial what it is today,” Rudnik said. For a full list of featured authors and schedule of events, visit the [Festival of Books](https://sdhumanities.org/festival-of-books/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) website. [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. *Read, subscribe* for free and *donate* at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact* reporter Emily DeCock:* [*emily.decock@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:emily.decock@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### USPS audit confirms longstanding mail issues in SD URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/postal-service-usps-audit-mail-delays-south-dakota/ Last updated: 2026-09-25T01:47:05.000Z An [official report from the Office of the Inspector General](https://www.uspsoig.gov/sites/default/files/reports/2026-09/26-038-r26.pdf?ref=sdnewswatch.org) for the U.S. Postal Service has brought further clarity to ongoing questions of the organization's performance in South Dakota, nearly a year after one of the state's congressional members called it into question. The 30-page report published Wednesday comes from an audit initiated by U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds in December. The South Dakota Republican has been frequently critical of the postal service in the past and [introduced legislation last month](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-postal-service-mail-congress-legislation/) that would prohibit bonuses for high-level postal service staff as long as issues with delivery continue. News Watch reported in June 2025 that newspaper publishers and others in the state were frustrated with USPS' mail delivery times, with some saying it hindered their business operations. An analysis of USPS data found that some regions in South Dakota saw average delivery times of as long as four days for newspapers. A representative from USPS did not immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday. ## Modernization plan to blame The inspector general's audit found that mailing services in South Dakota were significantly impacted by the postal service's modernization plan, which included the move of originating mail processing out-of-state to Denver, Fargo, North Dakota, and Omaha, Nebraska. The moves, which were part of USPS’s Delivering for America plan, aimed to “modernize the nation’s aged and neglected postal network.” "Service performance declined across multiple mail classes and customers experienced longer delivery times, impacting rural communities who depend on the Postal Service for essential and time-sensitive items," one finding said. ****Get free, fact-based South Dakota news and information** in a weekday email. No spam. Cancel any time. [Subscribe ](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/#/portal) USPS also did not properly communicate the lapse in on-time delivery to customers, the report said. The report also said that mail sent between addresses in South Dakota was often first sent to processing facilities in Colorado, North Dakota and Nebraska. As part of the audit, the inspector general's office conducted a test of 120 packages sent from one South Dakota address to another via Priority Mail. It revealed that more than 30% of those items were sent out of state before arriving back in South Dakota. Routes tested included packages sent from Rapid City to Pierre and Sioux Falls to Huron. One piece of mail, the office said, was mis-sent to Royal Palm, Florida's distribution center, before returning to South Dakota. ## 3 recommendations The report also included three recommendations for how the service can improve its processes in South Dakota: - "Determine the feasibility of centralizing processing and restoring transportation for intrastate connectivity as part of a South Dakota – specific processing plan that includes defined milestones, transition timelines, and facility operational responsibilities." - "Align intrastate service standards to appropriate delivery timeframes as mail is moved back in‑state for processing." - "Establish a required process to publicly communicate any impacts to mailers and residential customers, prior to implementation, when moving processing operations of a three digit ZIP Code to another processing facility." USPS management, according to the report, agreed with all three recommendations and provided information on corrective actions it would take to improve service. One of the largest actions will transform how mail is processed in the state. [USPS announced Tuesday](https://www.sdpb.org/2026-09-22/usps-planning-upgrades-for-sioux-falls-processing-plant?ref=sdnewswatch.org) that it would upgrade its Sioux Falls plant to a regional processing and distribution center beginning next year. When upgraded, the facility will handle most mail sent within South Dakota rather than other regional hubs like Omaha and Fargo. That move, the service said, has benefits including "potentially reducing travel time for a letter by one to two days." [‘They just won’t listen:’ Rural SD’s USPS frustrations growPostal service tries to modernize but has significantly hindered day-to-day life and operations.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-5fa3c3a9-522e-4fc8-b118-9aaf4c0f8ff9.jpg)South Dakota News WatchMolly Wetsch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/postbox-1-2b08ea0a-ea8f-42ce-8fbe-79464f41a74d.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/usps-postal-delays-newspaper-delivery/) Rounds, who previously told News Watch that he "rejected" any suggestion that mail service was acceptable in South Dakota, issued a statement Thursday on the report. "We’ll be watching the USPS’s team closely to see if and how these recommendations are implemented, and whether they actually make meaningful improvements in delivery time," he said. "Until then, we’ll keep the pressure on and continue to fight for a return to service standards that not only meet but exceed expectations.” While the report laid out specific recommendations for improvement in service, it also acknowledged that South Dakotans may have to remain patient. "As the Postal Service continues implementing its nationwide network redesign, South Dakota will remain one of the most uniquely affected states. Network modernization efforts have already routed intrastate mail hundreds of miles through multiple out‑of‑state facilities and removed the direct processing and transportation links that once kept mailflow within South Dakota." [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. *Read*, *subscribe* for free and *donate* at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact* reporter/*[*Report for America*](https://www.reportforamerica.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *corps member Molly Wetsch: 605-531-7382/*[*molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Fact brief: Do Independents and no-party voters outnumber Democrats in SD? URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/fact-brief-independents-npa-voter-registration-south-dakota/ Last updated: 2026-09-24T09:00:16.000Z ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/WhiteFACT-BRIEF--500-x-200-px--2-1-1.png) ## Yes. South Dakota has more voters who have registered themselves as Independent or No Party Affiliation (NPA) than Democrats as of Sept. 1, 2026. The latest tally on the Secretary of State website reports 86,837 Independents and 69,182 NPA for a total of 156,019 voters. There are 134,453 registered Democrats. Voters are considered Independent or NPA if they write “Independent, I, Ind, no party affiliation, no party, no choice, nonpartisan, or cross off the party choice” on their voter registration form or if they leave the party choice blank during first-time registration. A state voter-registration presentation describes Independent and NPA voters as “one and the same.” The Secretary of State separately tracks the two categories in its voter-registration totals. The state Democratic Party allows registered Independent/NPA voters to participate in its primary elections. In South Dakota, there are only three recognized parties: Democratic, Libertarian and Republican. ℹ️ This fact brief responds to claims such as [this one](https://www.reddit.com/r/SouthDakota/comments/1wj4cko/more%5Findependent%5Fcandidates%5Fplease/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). ### Sources Secretary of State Office,[ Voter Registration Tracking](https://sdsos.gov/elections-voting/upcoming-elections/voter-registration-totals/voter-registration-comparison-table.aspx?ref=sdnewswatch.org) South Dakota Voter Registration Form,[ Application](https://sdsos.gov/elections-voting/NVRA/assets/VRForm2025AgencyCodeC3-DOH.pdf?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Secretary of State Office,[ Voter turnout](https://electionresults.sd.gov/VoterTurnoutDetails.aspx?map=PREC&eid=290&ref=sdnewswatch.org) DMV training, [Voter registration presentation](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1x2iaf02ye6xAi%5FY7p%5F6Qff3mha-mI3jk/view?usp=drive%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) ### About fact briefs Fact briefs are bite-sized, well-sourced explanations that offer clear "yes" or "no" answers to questions, confusions and unsupported claims circulating online. They rely on publicly available data and documents, often from the original source. Fact briefs are written and published by South Dakota News Watch as part of the[ Gigafact](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) network. Submit a question for us to answer[ on the tipline](https://gigafact.org/tipline/south-dakota-news-watch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at*[ *sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact freelance reporter Michael Klinski:* michael.klinski@sdnewswatch.org.* ### Heard in South Dakota / ZIP 572: People and issues from the northeast URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/heard-in-south-dakota-zip-572-people-and-issues-from-the-northeast/ Last updated: 2026-09-23T09:00:31.000Z In the 572 ZIP3 region of northeastern South Dakota, deep blue lakes are about as common as cornfields. The lake system in the northeast corner of South Dakota, generally known as the Prairie Pothole Region, sets it apart from other areas of the state. While the lakes provide for recreation and another source of tourism money, they present some unique challenges, too. [Engage South Dakota: News Watch wants to hear from youCommunity engagement project will identify issues the entire state should know about, people whose voices aren’t often heard and grassroots solutions to challenges through in-person visits, reader surveys and virtual gatherings.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-b945f35f-9f9e-4d16-84e2-5aa949396024.jpg)South Dakota News WatchCarson Walker![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/Engage-South-Dakota-ZIP-3-Code-map-046b7e14-8f31-421f-9a43-d7f4176074b2.png)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/p/683d099a-6003-4964-9b5d-a6dcf9f30f7e/) ## What to know about 572 The region is bordered by North Dakota to the north end and Minnesota to the east. The area's major industries range from the large dairies present in towns like Milbank to education and health care, anchored by the regional hub of Watertown – the largest population center in the 572 region. It's also home to the Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate, one of the state's nine Native tribes that resides on the Lake Traverse Reservation. People in the region told News Watch about a variety of issues, including feeling isolated from the rest of the state and struggles keeping up with housing and workforce needs. However, the people also illustrate the impacts that are possible when work is done to improve small communities. Here's what five people in the region said about their communities. ## Ried Holien, Watertown: A regional hub ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/09/watertownmayor.JPG) Watertown Mayor Ried Holien poses in an office in the town's city hall building on Sept. 3, 2026 in Watertown, S.D. He became mayor in 2021 and is currently serving his second term. (Photo: Molly Wetsch/South Dakota News Watch) Ried Holien grew up in Watertown and has held the title of mayor since 2021\. Prior to being mayor, Holien served in the South Dakota State Senate from 2011-2017\. He represented District 5 as a Republican. Watertown is the largest town in the 572 area code. Holien talked about the symbiotic relationship that Watertown has with surrounding area communities. "Watertown needs to be a home station for all of these surrounding communities. Because I know a lot of people who live in Watertown and will go to the smaller communities, but far more of the people who live in the smaller communities come to Watertown to work," Holien said. Watertown is growing at a rate of about 1.5%, Holien said. He'd like to see that number double. As costs rise, public amenities like parks and bike paths will get more expensive to maintain. "If our population is only growing at 1.5% and inflation is growing at 3 or 4%, you can do the math. At some time in the future, we're going to hit a crisis in paying for these things," Holien said. --- ## Cole Hoyer, Estelline: Small businesses anchor the town ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/09/colehoyer-1.JPG) Cole Hoyer, president of the Estelline Area Economic Development Corp., weeds a flower bed in Estelline, S.D. on Sept. 3, 2026\. (Photo: Molly Wetsch/South Dakota News Watch) Cole Hoyer is weeding Estelline’s public park when he tells News Watch reporters how efforts to revitalize small towns can work in practice. The park is decked out with flowers and other greenery thanks to America in Bloom, a national nonprofit that works with communities to beautify their main streets and other public places through “flowers, plants, trees, heritage, and environmental and lifestyle enhancements.” For Estelline, population 831, that looks like adding benches, paths and flower beds to the park and outside businesses on Main Street. The town also recently gave grants to businesses on Main Street looking to improve their facades. The town's post office and other small businesses have brand-new looks, which complements the beautification initiative started by American in Bloom. Hoyer, who is the president of the Estelline Economic Development Corp. as well as a farmer in the area, told News Watch that the small community has benefitted from prioritizing its small businesses: a motel in town has rooms booked every night and a new coffee shop draws in-town and passerby traffic. --- ## Lindsey Kimber, Britton: Community knows how to rally ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/09/lindseykimber-1.JPG) Glacial Lakes Area Development executive director Lindsey Kimber at the Britton Event Center in Britton, S.D. on Sept. 2, 2026\. (Photo: Molly Wetsch/South Dakota News Watch) “The community really rallies when there's a need for something," said Lindsey Kimber, Glacial Lakes Area Development director. News Watch reporters met Kimber in the Britton Event Center, a massive space on the north side of town decked out with a basketball court, auditorium, walking track and city offices, as well as a serving kitchen and seating areas. Kimber said that the space is a reflection of the Britton community’s desire to get things done – even without outside support. The $3 million space was funded entirely by local philanthropy, which Kimber said is emblematic of how residents of the 1,200-person town get things done. The city budget isn't large. She told News Watch that people often misunderstand how much money the city collects from its tax base and mentioned road quality as a frequent concern that often drains city funds. ****Get free, fact-based South Dakota news and information** in a weekday email. No spam. Cancel any time. [Subscribe ](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/#/portal) Glacial Lakes Area Development supports small businesses in Marshall County. The organization has a revolving loan fund that provides money to individuals who may not qualify for traditional loans. She told News Watch that small business support is the biggest part of her job. "Typically if you're looking at business development from a more statewide perspective, you know people always say, 'Well, we need to get this big company that hires 50 people or more, and you know, get them to move into Britton,'" Kimber said. "The reality is that the tax base is our small businesses, for the most part. I think people kind of understand that. But they overlook the importance of it to make sure that they keep running." --- ## Sara Foust, Watertown: Breaking down silos ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/09/sarafoust-1-1.JPG) Sara Foust, director of Codington County Community Services, in Watertown, S.D. on Sept. 3, 2026\. (Photo: Molly Wetsch/South Dakota News Watch) Sara Foust is the welfare director for Codington County. She’s been in her position since 2021, where she’s worked to connect different resources in Codington County into one central hub. They came up with [Codington Connects](https://codingtonconnects.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org), a place where all community resources are listed in one place. “From the beginning of the work that we started doing with Codington Connects, it was like, how do we break down silos? And how do we get people to work better together? I think in general, our community has just recognized that we're better together,” she said. Two goals of Codington Connects are improving housing and child care options in Watertown. [Housing in Watertown](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/watertown-south-dakota-monastery-affordable-housing/), Foust and Holien both said, is among the most expensive in the state. This fall, Lake Area Technical College students broke the enrollment record for the third time in five years, boasting 2,387 students. However, the school has no student housing. These extra Watertown residents drive up prices for rentals. Solutions are being worked on, but housing remains a problem, Foust said. “If you can rent a place that’s affordable, it’s probably not habitable,” Foust said. --- ## Mike Grosek, Webster: Changing geography, same small town ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/09/webstermayor-1-1.JPG) Webster Mayor Mike Grosek in his office at Mike's Grocery in Webster, S.D., on Sept. 2, 2026\. (Photo: Molly Wetsch/South Dakota News Watch) “We fend for ourselves," said Mike Grosek, mayor of Webster. "I mean, we have before, and we’re not out there begging for anything and we deal with what we have." He's been the owner of Mike's Jack and Jill, Webster's only grocery store, for 50 years. He's also been running the town for nearly as long: last year, Grosek celebrated his 70th birthday and 40th year as Webster's mayor on Aug. 16\. That's now been formally designated Mayor Mike Grosek Day by Gov. Larry Rhoden. Grosek has seen a lot of change since he first took office, he told News Watch, from grocery prices at his store to restaurants opening and closing. But one of the most drastic shifts is due to the unique geography of the Webster area. It’s a closed basin, which means that none of the water in the lakes flows out of the region via creeks or rivers and can only exit via evaporation or seepage. The area, especially around Webster and neighboring town Waubay, has had to deal with frequent flooding and eventual permanent geographic change. What was once farmland is now under water in Day County: Rush Lake, which now hugs Highway 12, didn't exist until the 1990s, Grosek said. But he said people in the area have learned to make do with what they have, and when flooding or other severe weather happens the community often rallies together before asking for support from state government. What issues are important to you and your community? Help shape our coverage by filling out this short form. Thank you! [Help shape our coverage ](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd6r%5FCT7ucLCFsUy4gjb73U6tJXTOJmGhkSzUn71nh6U5w96A/viewform?usp=header&ref=sdnewswatch.org) [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. *Read*, *subscribe* for free and *donate* at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact* reporter/*[*Report for America*](https://www.reportforamerica.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *corps member *Molly Wetsch*: 605-531-7382/* [*molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact* reporter *Emily DeCock*:* 605-736-4396*/* [*emily.decock@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:emily.decock@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Engage South Dakota: News Watch wants to hear from you URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/engage-south-dakota-community-engagement-zip3/ Last updated: 2026-09-22T17:00:13.000Z South Dakota News Watch celebrates 10 years since its founding this year. That is no small feat at a time when competition for attention is at an all-time high and trust for the media in general is at an all-time low. The world has changed much since 2016\. But what hasn't changed is people's need to know what's going on in their local community and state. From the start, News Watch has filled gaps in statewide news and information to complement local media outlets and also be a convener of ideas. Now we're building on that history with an expansion of Engage South Dakota, which we started a couple of years ago to identify grassroots [housing solutions around the state](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/engage-south-dakota-housing-rent-own-solutions-journalism/). ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/05/Engage-SD-small-logo-1-1-1.png) Engage South Dakota uses community engagement to identify issues the entire state should know about, people whose voices aren't often heard and grassroots solutions to challenges. Because of the success of that community engagement effort, we're broadening the focus to search the entire state for other issues, concerns and solutions that might not be getting the attention they deserve. As we reported last year, [half of South Dakotans now live in the urban areas](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/metro-census-population-sioux-falls-rapid-city/) of Sioux Falls and Rapid City, which means about half the residents are in medium-sized cities, towns, reservations, rural areas and even frontier regions. The 605 area code is a big, diverse place. Which is why we're breaking up the effort by ZIP Code. Specifically, the eight ZIP 3 Codes that sort the state by geographic region: - 570: Southeast - 571: Sioux Falls - 572: Northeast - 573: James River - 574: North-central - 575: South-central - 576: Northwest - 577: West ## ZIP history and the project The idea to break up the state this way came from several other successful community engagement efforts around the country, including the Nashville Banner's [ZIP Code Project](https://nashvillebanner.com/the-zip-code-project/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). That newsroom has a larger staff and a smaller geographic area to cover, but the goal is the same: have reporters get out in communities and listen. The U.S. Post Office Department started using ZIP (Zone Improvement Plan) Codes in 1963\. The original intent was to simply allow mail sorting methods to be automated, but it morphed into socio-economic uses no postal executive could ever imagine. ****Get free, fact-based South Dakota news and information** in a weekday email. No spam. Cancel any time. [Subscribe ](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/#/portal) A [2013 paper by the U.S. Postal Service Inspector General](https://www.uspsoig.gov/sites/default/files/reports/2023-01/rarc-wp-13-006%5F0.pdf?ref=sdnewswatch.org) summarizes the evolution well: "The ZIP Code became a social tool for organizing and displaying demographic information, a support structure for entire industries such as insurance and real estate, and even a representation of social identities as observed in the television series 'Beverly Hills, 90210.'" While the [USPS is reeling from delivery and cost challenges](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-postal-service-mail-congress-legislation/), which we've reported, the basic structure of the codes – and their expanded uses – aligns well with this effort because it divides a vast region into smaller segments, each with its own personality. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/09/reporter-montage.jpeg) News Watch reporters Emily DeCock, Bart Pfankuch, Molly Wetsch. News Watch reporter [Bart Pfankuch](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/author/bart-pfankuch/) launched Engage South Dakota and will continue focusing on housing and other solutions. In this new effort, reporters [Molly Wetsch](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/author/molly-wetsch/) and [Emily DeCock](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/author/emily-decock/) will travel each ZIP 3 Code to identify the top issues and concerns – as well as solutions – and tell the stories of people helping to shape South Dakota. Here's how Molly describes it: "Semi-structured road trips to communicate with leaders and regular residents, to hear about issues on the ground, get a feel for the culture of communities and gain an understanding of how they are different from other regions. We'll look for state angles through common issues we see throughout the state but take time to explore what makes each region unique." Emily added: "We hope, as public servants, to be able to be a part of the communities we serve. That can be challenging in a state as large as South Dakota. By visiting diverse areas of the state, we can better inform our coverage and have a touch point with real residents. We want to have open conversations about what's making widespread impacts, while still seeing what's affecting the local, unique regions we visit." ## How to be part of it and make your voice heard The ZIP 3 Code effort offers three ways for all state residents to make their voice heard and guide our coverage: 1. A [short survey you can take online](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd6r%5FCT7ucLCFsUy4gjb73U6tJXTOJmGhkSzUn71nh6U5w96A/viewform?usp=header&ref=sdnewswatch.org). 2. Video meetings. The first one will be 4 p.m. Central time Tuesday, Oct. 6\. [Click to join Google Meet (no app needed)](https://meet.google.com/cki-fiip-syb?authuser=0&hs=122&ref=sdnewswatch.org). 3. In-person conversations with our reporters. If you'd like to meet with them when they're in your region, let them know at the bottom of [the survey above](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd6r%5FCT7ucLCFsUy4gjb73U6tJXTOJmGhkSzUn71nh6U5w96A/viewform?usp=header&ref=sdnewswatch.org). The first story in the series will be published Wednesday and feature people from Watertown, Estelline, Britton and Webster. [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. *Read*, *subscribe* for free and *donate* at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact* CEO Carson Walker: 605-610-9366/* [*carson.walker@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:carson.walker@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Fact brief: Does SD have the most bison in the US? URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-fact-brief-most-bison-buffalo-roundup/ Last updated: 2026-09-22T09:00:38.000Z ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/WhiteFACT-BRIEF--500-x-200-px--2-1-1.png) ## Yes. South Dakota's has about 40,000 bison, making it the state with the largest bison population. North America is home to 400,000-500,000 bison. Before the 1860s, 30-60 million buffalo roamed in North America. Between 1,400 and 1,500 buffalo live in Custer State Park, according to South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks. Every year in November, the GFP holds an auction to keep buffalo herd sizes manageable and to prevent overgrazing. Between 200 and 500 buffalo are sold at auction each year. "Buffalo are generally purchased to supplement an existing herd, to start a herd or to eat," the GFP website says. This year's fall auction will be Nov. 7\. In 2024, 482 bison were sold for a combined $885,425, the department reported. The annual roundup, which is Friday, consistently draws a large crowd. In 2024, a record 24,178 people attended. ℹ️ This fact brief responds to claims such as [this one](https://www.facebook.com/reel/769678045227619). ### Sources South Dakota Game, Fish & Parks, [Custer State Park Bison Center](https://gfp.sd.gov/csp-bison-center/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) SD Department of Education, [Bison talking points](https://doe.sd.gov/farmtoschool/documents/HOM/Bison-TalkingPoints.pdf?ref=sdnewswatch.org) SDSU Extension, [Bringing happy, healthy bison back to the Great Plains ](https://extension.sdstate.edu/news/bringing-happy-healthy-bison-back-great-plains?ref=sdnewswatch.org) South Dakota Game, Fish & Parks, [59th Custer State Park Fall Classic Bison Auction](https://gfp.sd.gov/UserDocs/nav/Updated%5F2024%5FBison%5FAuction%5FResults%5Fas%5Fof%5F111824.pdf?ref=sdnewswatch.org) **Editor's note:* Look for our coverage of this year's buffalo roundup.* ### About fact briefs Fact briefs are bite-sized, well-sourced explanations that offer clear "yes" or "no" answers to questions, confusions and unsupported claims circulating online. They rely on publicly available data and documents, often from the original source. Fact briefs are written and published by South Dakota News Watch as part of the [Gigafact](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) network. Submit a question for us to answer [on the tipline](https://gigafact.org/tipline/south-dakota-news-watch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at*[ *sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact reporter Emily DeCock:* emily.decock@sdnewswatch.org.* ### South Dakotans asked to help in research of 'news deserts' URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-news-deserts-you-can-trust-me/ Last updated: 2026-09-22T11:54:06.000Z Eda Uzunlar spent part of this year traveling across the nation of Turkey to learn how people get their news, and now the Rapid City native plans to conduct similar research in the United States. As part of a scholarship through the U.S. Fulbright Program, Uzunlar interviewed Turkish residents across the country to discover how news travels at a time when established media outlets in many areas are in decline and "news deserts" are on the rise. ****Get free, fact-based South Dakota news and information** in a weekday email. No spam. Cancel any time. [Subscribe ](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/#/portal) “We went into those villages to see how people got their local news when there was no professional media to rely on,” Uzunlar told News Watch in an interview. “It was just so interesting to see how people use their discernment to understand how trust works within their communities and to know who to pass stories onto to make sure that they stay true.” Uzunlar, whose parents are from Turkey but who was raised in Rapid City, will host two community discussions in South Dakota in October to similarly find out how South Dakota residents are getting news as a time of great change in how media operate and how information is shared. South Dakota is the first U.S. state she plans to analyze as part of her ongoing research. “I would love to give them a takeaway that we are all much, much more similar than we think we might be different, and there is so much resilience across the world when it comes to overcoming 'newslessness,'” she said. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/09/Eda-Uzunlar-interviewing-woman-cafe-1.JPG) Filiz, a woman who runs a restaurant in Yörük Village, Turkey, explains to Eda Uzunlar how communication in her village works despite a dwindling population in February 2026\. (Photo: Courtesy Eda Uzunlar) The two events — titled “You Can Trust Me” — will serve as mutual information-sharing sessions. Uzunlar will provide some of her research findings while also prompting participants to share their experiences with how they obtain news and how they decide what information or news sources are trustworthy. Building trust in local media and preserving the ability of those outlets to continue informing the public will also be among the key topics discussed during the upcoming forums. Uzunlar's project aims to hear from media consumers, especially residents of small towns and remote communities where media options may be lacking, to find ways to continue to inform the public even while some traditional media sources such as newspapers are shuttering or reducing news gathering efforts. ## News deserts present in South Dakota The big-picture goal is to determine what ways may be possible to prevent the formation of more news deserts, or places where no local media exists to inform and connect people, Uzunlar said. Furthermore, the research seeks to identify ways of keeping people informed even if their city doesn't have a local newspaper, digital news outlet, or TV or radio station. According to research by the Local News Initiative at Northwestern University, South Dakota has seven counties that are considered news deserts because they do not have any local media based there. Those counties are largely rural and include Buffalo, Butte, Hanson, Jackson, Lyman, Stanley and Ziebach. Another 33 of the state’s 66 counties have only one local news source, according to the initiative. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/09/Eda-Uzunlar-interviewing-man-1.JPG) Eda Uzunlar interviews a man in the office of the village leader in Bulak Village, Turkey, in February 2026\. (Photo: Courtesy Eda Uzunlar) “There are places in this country where people are kind of feeling hopeless because they don't have connections to their community,” Uzunlar said. “They don't have a newspaper telling them how to connect to their community or what's going on in their community, and it's hard to live in those situations.” Three statewide media institutions – South Dakota News Watch, South Dakota Public Broadcasting and the South Dakota NewsMedia Association – are all co-sponsors of the events. [South Dakota media updateRecent developments in the state’s news and information industry.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-6bfd1c0c-c1d6-44cf-8490-26129b0ceea9.jpg)South Dakota News WatchCarson Walker![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/IMG_0457-1-4a51f1e9-33fa-4ac2-8f21-43951f9f6929.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-media-update-september-2026/) The two free discussions, which are open to everyone and will include a light meal and refreshments, are scheduled as follows: - Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026, 6 p.m. Mountain Time, South Dakota Public Broadcasting office, 415 Main St. in Rapid City. [Details and how to register](https://sdpb.ticketbud.com/you-can-trust-me-rapid-city?ref=sdnewswatch.org). - Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026, 6 p.m. Central Time, South Dakota Public Broadcasting office, 601 N. Phillips Ave. in Sioux Falls. [Details and how to register](https://sdpb.ticketbud.com/you-can-trust-me-sioux-falls?ref=sdnewswatch.org). ## New foundation to support news outlets The topic of maintaining media viability is of great interest to the South Dakota NewsMedia Association, the trade group for newspapers and digital media outlets across the state. Dave Bordewyk, executive director, said SDNA will use the October presentations as a platform to introduce the organization’s new nonprofit charitable foundation that will seek funding that can be used to help newspapers and other media survive and thrive in South Dakota. The association has long had a foundation, but it didn’t carry the 501(c)(3) nonprofit tax status necessary to make grants to for-profit organizations, which includes the vast majority of media outlets in South Dakota, Bordewyk said. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/09/bordewyk-1-1.jpg) Dave Bordewyk is the director of the South Dakota NewsMedia Association. (Photo: Courtesy SDNA) “It wasn’t a fully fledged charitable foundation, so our hands were really tied in terms of what we were able to do,” Bordewyk told News Watch. “Now we’ll have much more flexibility to raise money and to distribute funding from the foundation.” The goal is to raise money that can be used by a wide range of statewide media — including print, digital and broadcast media — to strengthen their financial situation and subsequently improve their ability to continue to inform the public. “The need is real among many community journalism outlets across the state,” Bordewyk said. “Being able to maintain their economic stability is job No. 1 and remains a challenge for many institutions.” [Guide: South Dakota news and informationA map and menu of South Dakota media: newspapers, broadcasters, digital sites, podcasts, magazines and blogs.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-3edd3581-6ca5-4ddb-8c43-6f40f94134d6.jpg)South Dakota News WatchCarson Walker![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/2026-09-03-SD-media-d8092d6c-d4fc-4161-9a38-ea503fdf51ae.png)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-news-information-guide/) At this time, even though some newspapers have closed or shifted focus, South Dakota remains well-served by statewide, regional and local news sources, including the 107 members of SDNA, Bordewyk said. Creating the new foundation is a way to keep that tradition of news gathering, information sharing and providing government accountability alive and well across the state, he said. “We’ve seen across the country that charitable giving and funders willing to support local journalism can be part of that solution,” he said. [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. *Read*, *subscribe* for free and *donate* at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact* content director Bart Pfankuch:605-937-9398/* [*bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Smithfield move: How to preserve rural areas as metro grows URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/sioux-falls-growth-smithfield-crooks-south-dakota-economic-development/ Last updated: 2026-09-21T09:00:24.000Z CROOKS, S.D. – When Patti Guthrie and her husband purchased the 20 acres north of Sioux Falls that would soon become their house in 1996, it was little more than an open field. Now, it's home to more than 2,000 native trees and shrubs, dozens of local wildlife creatures and a large pond, stocked with fish and complete with a pontoon-turned fishing dock. Since they purchased that land, the population of Sioux Falls has nearly doubled. And major neighbors are moving into nearby Foundation Park, disrupting their once-rural lifestyle. CJ Schwan's 700,000 square-foot Asian food production facility started construction just to the south of the Guthries' property in 2024\. The building is now visible from their back window. ![Patti Guthrie's living room window in rural Crooks, S.D., which now looks over her pond, wildflower meadow and the new CJ Schwan's food facility](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/09/Pattie-Guthrie-back-window-1.JPG) Patti Guthrie's living room window just outside of Sioux Falls, S.D., which now looks over her pond, wildflower meadow and the new CJ Schwan's food facility, on Sept. 10, 2026\. (Photo: Molly Wetsch/South Dakota News Watch) In February, it was announced that Smithfield Foods would be moving its pork processing plant from its hundred-year-old home in downtown Sioux Falls to the plot of land just north of the Guthries. That was the moment Guthrie knew for sure that the property she'd hoped to retire with wouldn't be the same anymore, she told News Watch. "If Smithfield gets to build, we're leaving. I have safety concerns, odor concerns. I'm not going to live with flies in the backyard. I want to be able to be outside," Guthrie said. Guthrie is part of a group of more than 20 plaintiffs suing the city of Sioux Falls for its approval of a conditional use permit (CUP) allowing Smithfield's facility to be built closer than 1,000 feet to residential areas. [CUPs: What they are, why Crooks residents sued Sioux FallsThe lawsuit over a conditional use permit reflects a longstanding tension between residents, often of rural areas, and those who make decisions about how the land around them gets used.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-7b33c890-d11f-4a83-8296-fb3f12fe2800.jpg)South Dakota News WatchMolly Wetsch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/Smithfield-from-above-1-d35cbe0e-8aee-4cb6-9329-b9cba53a9efe.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-smithfield-crooks-sioux-falls-lawsuit/) Mark Wilhelm, a representative from Smithfield, said in a March Sioux Falls City Council meeting that the company "understands the concern" and that the plant's status as a greenfield development –a built-from-scratch project on previously undeveloped land – means that "air-tight" and "air-balanced" designs will be in place to prevent and mitigate odor. Smithfield is the latest in a long line of major developments in the Sioux Falls area that is tied to Foundation Park, the state's largest industrial park owned by the Sioux Falls Development Foundation. Other big-name tenants include FedEx, Amazon, which employs more than 1,500 people at its distribution facility, U.S. AutoForce, a tire and auto-part distribution company, and an Avera and Owens & Minor medical supply distribution center. [What Smithfield’s move could mean for environment, economySmithfield Foods’s move raises questions for both Sioux Falls and South Dakota residents, especially for those familiar with the company’s long history and deep impact in the area.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-9b91ebe6-b272-48c4-82a5-2735249599e6.jpg)South Dakota News WatchMolly Wetsch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/IMG_5560-e9f9b854-4e00-4b6d-91b1-f6db1db6dcf2.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/smithfield-foods-relocation-impacts-environment-economy-sioux-falls/) ## 'Responsible growth' needed Bob Mundt, president of the development foundation, told News Watch that while he understands the Smithfield relocation will impact those who live nearby, the city views Foundation Park as "responsible growth" that makes sense for Sioux Falls' business and residential community. "I think we've looked at ramifications and impacts that we will have with some of the stuff that we're doing and we're trying to be very sensitive to the people that are around us. But at the same point we want to grow responsibly, and that's going to impact some of the folks around us," Mundt said. This newsletter and all our stories are free because we believe that ****essential, fact-based information should be available to everyone**, not just those who can pay for it. If you can afford it, ****please consider joining others and becoming a supporter**. Thank you. [Donate ](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/donate/) Guthrie's concerns about the development's impact on her property date back to when Foundation Park was announced in 2015, she said. But many of the nearby homeowners have lived in the area for several decades and weren't ready to consider leaving right away, including one couple that has owned their home on Marion Road since 1979, she said. "The common comment is, 'How stupid were you to buy (property here) when you knew it was going to be heavy industrial?' Well it kind of wasn't that way," Guthrie said. The Guthries' property, while it sits adjacent to city-zoned properties, is not formally zoned within city limits. All of the surrounding parcels, which are part of Foundation Park, are zoned for heavy industrial use, which according to Sioux Falls' zoning ordinances, "may create some nuisance and are not properly associated with, nor compatible with, residential, office, institutional, or planned or neighborhood commercial establishments." ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/09/Screenshot-2026-09-18-at-11.34.37---AM-1.png) A map of the Guthries' property compared to the location of the new CJ Schwan's facility and Smithfield Foods site. Spaces in blue are within the city limits of Sioux Falls. The development of the area has also shown its face beyond the tenants of Foundation Park, including [a $16 million bridge project on Marion Road](https://www.siouxfalls.gov/resident-services/parking-street-services/street-construction/2026/North/marion-road-lane-improvements?ref=sdnewswatch.org#:~:text=This%20project%20will%20reconstruct%20a,at%20the%20BNSF%20railroad%20crossing.). Parts of that bridge, including a large wall, hug the Guthries' property line. They've had to carve out a new driveway, since Marion Road outside their door is closed. Construction noise is near-constant during the day on the property. Guthrie fears it's scaring away the birds. [The City of Sioux Falls' website](https://www.siouxfalls.gov/resident-services/parking-street-services/street-construction/2026/North/marion-road-lane-improvements?ref=sdnewswatch.org#:~:text=This%20project%20will%20reconstruct%20a,at%20the%20BNSF%20railroad%20crossing.) says that project will be completed in October of next year, and says the construction is "necessary to accommodate anticipated traffic increases due to development at Foundation Park." ## Huge economic impact on region and state Proponents of both Smithfield and the Foundation Park development as a whole say that the economic impact the developments bring to the area cannot be overstated. In the announcement of the Smithfield relocation, then-mayor of Sioux Falls Paul TenHaken said that the company has an estimated $3.3 billion annual economic impact on the state. It currently employs 3,200 people at its downtown Sioux Falls location. And Foundation Park's intention was always to bring major companies to the city, Mundt said, with a hope that even neighboring communities would see the benefit. "Most companies are locating in communities that have the ability to provide the services to them that they need," Mundt said. "The larger communities lend themselves better to that than some of the smaller communities, especially when it comes to larger manufacturing and processing. The benefit to the communities around us certainly is that they still have the opportunity for some of those smaller developments and those types of things in the communities but also really to act as feeder communities for some of the businesses and industries that we have here. Not everybody's going to live in Sioux Falls. They're going to want to live in some of the smaller communities around us, rural settings, and drive to town." ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/09/pattie-guthrie-at-pond-1-1.JPG) Patti Guthrie looks out at her pond, with CJ Schwan's production facility in the background, on Sept. 10, 2026\. (Photo: Molly Wetsch/South Dakota News Watch) Guthrie said she originally bought the property because of her affinity for Sioux Falls and what she loved about the region – that you could live in a rural setting and still benefit from the city's amenities. "That was the beautiful thing about Sioux Falls, is you could have a place like this near everything you needed, but you didn't have to be part of it," Guthrie said. "I had my office in Sioux Falls (when we bought the property). My husband has a repair shop in Sioux Falls. We've got a church there, we shop there. I mean, every one of our neighbors is in Sioux Falls on a regular basis. It's not like we've isolated ourselves or aren't part of the economy." ## Sioux Falls booms, suburbs see impact The Guthries' new lifestyle is an example of how the state's largest city is beginning to reckon with its unique growth in an area with a largely rural, small-town culture: In 2025, South Dakota's only two metro areas – Rapid City and Sioux Falls – for the first time officially took up half of the state's population. [Half of South Dakotans now live in 2 metro areasSioux Falls and Rapid City areas are now home to 465,000 people and growing, and it’s not just the availability of jobs that’s attracting them.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-92e0f6db-bf9e-4b25-864b-5950e6c94bc7.jpg)South Dakota News WatchMelissa Avelino![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/IMG_7519-1-1-1-c62867fc-d877-4f16-9dbe-636b546f5f7a.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/metro-census-population-sioux-falls-rapid-city/) [In the Shape Sioux Falls 2050 plan](https://www.siouxfalls.gov/files/assets/public/v/3/business-and-permits/planning-amp-development/future-planning/shapesf2050/sioux-falls-comprehensive-development-plan-2050-final.pdf?ref=sdnewswatch.org), one of the primary goals listed for the city's growth over the next several decades is rural preservation. That plan says the city has a priority to "protect the character of agricultural uses and neighboring communities by guiding growth in a way that respects rural character and avoids development before infrastructure is available." Mundt said that some industrial developments like Smithfield have the opportunity to help maintain the state's agricultural and rural identity. ****Get free, fact-based South Dakota news and information** in a weekday email. No spam. Cancel any time. [Subscribe ](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/#/portal) "South Dakota is an ag state. We've always been an ag state. We will continue to be, in my opinion, an ag state. But there will always be larger pockets of commercial and industrial development that lend themselves to that market," he said. It's a crucial consideration when beyond the edges of town, farm land and acreages spread wide. Sioux Falls' next-closest metropolitan area according to U.S. Census Bureau standards is 85 miles away in Sioux City, Iowa. Sioux Falls' fastest-growing areas, in terms of population, are nearly all on the south side of town and have been for decades, according to data analyzed by News Watch in 2025. Harrisburg, a bedroom community south of Sioux Falls, became South Dakota's fastest-growing city in 2024, with neighboring suburb Tea not far behind. Mundt said that the rapid growth of southern Sioux Falls has sparked more conversations with nearby leadership. "Certainly we're running up against our borders," Mundt said. "You can look to the south and you're running up against Harrisburg and Tea, and I think we have some mutual agreements with them on growth and expansion," he said. "We are cognizant of our neighbors around us and certainly want to work with them to grow the region. Sioux Falls itself has some growth boundaries and that northwest corridor is kind of where we're looking at more industrial growth." ## Concern and opportunity for Crooks The new Smithfield development, which will complete the north end of Foundation Park, runs right up to Sioux Falls and Crooks city limits. That sparked a conversation in a Crooks' city council meeting in March, where residents voiced concerns about the impact the new development would have on the town of 1,200. Butch Oseby, who has been the mayor of Crooks since 2019, initially campaigned for office on the principle of "smart growth." He told News Watch that for Crooks, smart growth includes conversations with residents, who appreciate their home's small-town culture, and considerations of how to supplement the town's economy without overwhelming the infrastructure. "We want to grow, but not 100 miles an hour. Thirty-five, 40 miles an hour is plenty good for us," Oseby said. ![Construction outside Patti Guthrie's driveway on Sept. 10, 2026, near Crooks, S.D. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/09/pattie-guthrie-driveway-1-1.JPG) Construction outside Patti Guthrie's driveway on Sept. 10, 2026, near Crooks, S.D. (Photo: Molly Wetsch/South Dakota News Watch) Oseby said that the development of Foundation Park provides both opportunities and concern for Crooks residents. He sees an opportunity for growth in retail, expanding the sales tax base for the town but is also concerned about fast population growth and the inability to support new housing. Mostly, though, the northwestern industrial growth of Sioux Falls has been a wake-up call. "I guess you could say the developments in Foundation Park have made us realize we've got to put our 35-, 40-year plan out there and claim some of the land going south," Oseby said. "For the longest time Crooks, and small towns like us, we were quiet and didn't get engaged. Since Foundation Park, we saw the light, so we need to look at where we're at." [South Dakotans asked to help in research of ‘news deserts’As a new foundation launches to help fund media organizations, two upcoming discussions will focus on how people get their news.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-4822a921-2e0f-4158-8c3d-5a5aa037810a.jpg)South Dakota News WatchBart Pfankuch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/Eda-Uzunlar-recording-man-1-ed962b36-690c-4112-a2ff-6284c8258ded.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-news-deserts-you-can-trust-me/) Oseby also said that he attends an ongoing monthly mayor's meeting among towns and cities in the Sioux Falls metro area, which has helped establish the region's growth as a cohesive project rather than individual efforts. "We're constantly talking about that, 35 years from now, Baltic will be close to Sioux Falls (metro area), as they grow north over there, and Hartford is the same way as things grow west," Oseby said. "Those are things we talk about as to, where do you think your city will be or should be? And where do we come up with the line that would be in between?" [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. *Read*, *subscribe* for free and *donate* at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact* reporter/*[*Report for America*](https://www.reportforamerica.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *corps member Molly Wetsch: 605-531-7382/*[*molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Fact brief: Is SD's public university enrollment higher than pre-pandemic levels? URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/fact-brief-south-dakota-public-university-enrollment-pandemic/ Last updated: 2026-09-17T09:00:19.000Z ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/WhiteFACT-BRIEF--500-x-200-px--2-1-1.png) ## Yes. Though enrollment at South Dakota’s public universities decreased 0.8% in the past year, the number of enrolled students for 2026-27 is higher than it was the year before the COVID-19 outbreak. Overall, public universities encountered a post-COVID boom that has surpassed its student count in 2019 (34,520). The Board of Regents announced Sept. 10 that enrollment has decreased overall at three of its public universities and increased at the other three, with a total enrollment of 35,797. The University of South Dakota in Vermillion dropped 3.5% to 10,040 students; South Dakota State in Brookings dropped 1.96% to 11,901; and South Dakota Mines in Rapid City fell 2% to 2,489\. Meanwhile, enrollment at Dakota State University in Madison grew 3.46% to 3,975; Northern State in Aberdeen increased by about 4% to 3,890; and Black Hills State in Spearfish increased 2.25% to 3,502. ℹ️ This fact brief responds to claims such as [this one](https://www.reddit.com/r/SouthDakota/comments/1wdcsmd/south%5Fdakota%5Fpublic%5Funiversity%5Fenrollment%5Fdrop/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). ### Sources Sioux Falls Argus Leader, [South Dakota public universities weather enrollment challenges](https://www.argusleader.com/story/news/education/2026/09/11/south-dakota-board-of-regents-reports-steady-enrollment-for-fall-2026/91691034007/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) South Dakota Board of Regents, [Strong enrollment across the system](https://sdbor.edu/news/strong-enrollment-across-the-system-9-10-26/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) ### About fact briefs Fact briefs are bite-sized, well-sourced explanations that offer clear "yes" or "no" answers to questions, confusions and unsupported claims circulating online. They rely on publicly available data and documents, often from the original source. Fact briefs are written and published by South Dakota News Watch as part of the [Gigafact](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) network. Submit a question for us to answer [on the tipline](https://gigafact.org/tipline/south-dakota-news-watch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at*[ *sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact freelance reporter Michael Klinski:* michael.klinski@sdnewswatch.org.* ### More South Dakotans now vote early URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-early-absentee-mail-in-voting-2026-election/ Last updated: 2026-09-16T18:38:35.000Z **Corrected on Sept. 16, 2026:* An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated what percentage of South Dakota voters cast ballots early.* The number of South Dakota voters who cast absentee ballots instead of voting on Election Day jumped from 27% in 2016 to 32% in 2024, according to data from the South Dakota Secretary of State's office. That mirrors a national trend and also highlights the context behind a recently-settled federal fight over mail-in ballots: On Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court said President Donald Trump's new executive order regarding mail-in ballots could not be implemented before the November general election. That executive order, among other rules, would require states to submit information for all registered mailing voters to the U.S. Postal Service. ****Get free, fact-based South Dakota news and information** in a weekday email. No spam. Cancel any time [Subscribe ](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/#/portal) Two federal judges blocked it before the Supreme Court also rejected it. The ruling means that starting Friday, South Dakota voters may vote in person at their county auditor's office or submit an absentee ballot for the Nov. 3 general election as usual. That ballot includes choices for governor, U.S. House and Senate, four ballot measures, a slate of constitutional and statutory officers as well as legislative races and some local races. Chris Mann, research director at the Center for Election Innovation and Research, told News Watch that South Dakota's increase in early voters also reflects a shift in national voting habits. "It is absolutely a nationwide trend," Mann said. "Voting before Election Day, combining early in-person and mail-in ballots, was about 40% in 2016, 42% in 2018\. It jumps way up, obviously, in 2020 because of the pandemic. But then it's 51% in 2022 and 61% in 2024\. So the long-term trend is is pretty high." The secretary of state's office did not respond to multiple requests for comment. ## Some voters still prefer to vote in person Brookings County election official Jenna Baker told News Watch that her county has started to see "about half-and-half" early and Election Day voters, and more people choose to vote absentee every election year. "We typically see an increase from year to year of people voting absentee, depending on what election it is. I would say for the primary, that's always kind of a lower voter turnout because it's typically party-specific," Baker said. "The primaries are steadily increasing but not an alarming rate or anything like that. But I do anticipate the general election increasing for that. I'm hoping for at least a 70% voter turnout for absentee (voters)." ![Jenna Baker, senior finance assistant and election official at Brookings County on Sep. 14, 202](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/09/IMG_0103-1.jpg) Jenna Baker, senior finance assistant and election official at Brookings County on Sep. 14, 2026, in Brookings, S.D. (Photo: Emily DeCock/South Dakota News Watch) Baker said that while official ballots will be ready on Sept. 18, she expects most of those who show up on that day will come to collect sample ballots and other information without formally casting a vote. South Dakota is one of a few states that restrict the processing of absentee ballots until right up to Election Day. Counties may begin processing absentee ballots the day before Election Day, but ballots cannot be counted until polls close. Brookings County currently has 21,991 registered voters. It's one of the more populous counties, but Baker said that even with an increase in absentee voters, processing times have not yet been an issue for her office. She said that though the county has the option to do so earlier, it does not begin processing absentee ballots until Election Day, unlike larger counties like Minnehaha. "Yes, we're a larger county than some of those other counties, but we still stick to what we do, what we've been doing. On that Election Day, we start processing, getting them ready to be tabulated at 7 p.m. that night. So we don't take advantage of that, but I mean, it's there, if we ever wanted to switch over," Baker said. Brookings County still sees a mix of engaged voters both before and on Election Day, Baker said, and she still expects polls to be plenty busy on Nov. 3. "It is interesting because a lot of people will take advantage of the absentee voting, especially because you don't have to have a reason anymore to be able to vote early. But we also still have a very good turnout on Election Day," Baker said. "There's still those people that are like, 'Nope, I don't want to do it that way. I want to show up at the polls and cast my ballot.'" ## Voter activity status South Dakota also has a high number of "active" voters when compared to neighboring states. Voters become "inactive" in South Dakota when they do not cast a ballot in two consecutive federal elections. In the state, 91% of registered voters are listed as active, compared to 66% in Wyoming, 74% in Iowa and 83% in Nebraska. Baker said that ensuring voters are educated about what is required to stay active is an ongoing effort for her office. "When you ask around, not a lot of people know what that means, inactive or active. People don't realize, 'If I don't vote every so often, I'm just eventually gonna get removed.' There's so much that people don't know." [Do SD voters receive ‘inactive’ status after not casting a ballot for four years?Absentee voting in South Dakota for the Nov. 3 general election begins on Sept. 18, and the deadline to register or change registration is Oct. 19.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-1ef3bd97-3192-466b-9271-18170dcb2f94.jpg)South Dakota News WatchMichael Klinski![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1540908390241-82158ab62887-934cb5ca-7424-4e60-84ef-4fac4742f334.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/fact-brief-south-dakota-voter-registration-inactive/) ## Federal, state election changes South Dakota Secretary of State Monae Johnson supported an amicus brief filed with the Supreme Court that argued implementation of Trump's executive order now would place unrealistic burdens on election workers, especially in states where mail-in ballots have already been sent out, [according to SDPB](https://www.sdpb.org/elections/2026-09-14/top-sd-legal-election-officials-at-odds-over-implementing-trumps-mail-in-ballot-restrictions-for-midterms?ref=sdnewswatch.org). She was one of six secretaries of state to do so. "For election officials, elections are not something that simply happen on Election Day — preparations have been underway this entire year, and crucial preparations are occurring now. In many respects, the election is already underway. Ballots have been prepared and proofed. Poll workers and other election officials have been trained on processes," the brief said. Johnson's signature sits in opposition to Attorney General Marty Jackley, who came out in support of the executive order in April and joined the federal court case backing it in September. Nikki Gronli, a Democrat who will face Jackley for the state's lone U.S. House of Representatives seat in November, said in a statement Tuesday that "the Trump Administration's rule, supported by my opponent Marty Jackley, would have created significant new requirements for election officials just weeks before Election Day." South Dakota counties will send out mail-in ballots on Sept. 18 when absentee voting officially opens. [South Dakota voter guideWhat South Dakotans need to know about voting in statewide elections, and who and what are on the ballot.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-9b8fb392-24d0-46cc-958d-c1a3b21b14af.jpg)South Dakota News WatchMolly Wetsch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/2026-06-02-Voting-booths--Sioux-Falls-1-1-1-bbf1f6c4-b3f6-477e-a50b-fa6bd4e415c7.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-voter-guide-primary-general-election/) Other changes to election processes have also occurred at the state level as Gov. Larry Rhoden [signed a bill in March](https://www.sdpb.org/politics/2026-03-26/rhoden-signs-bill-requiring-proof-of-citizenship-to-register-to-vote?ref=sdnewswatch.org) requiring proof of citizenship to register to vote. That law only applies to new registrants. A lawsuit filed by the League of Women Voters against the secretary of state alleges that implementation of that law, which includes registering voters as "federal-only," violates the U.S. Constitution, [according to South Dakota Searchlight](https://southdakotasearchlight.com/2026/09/11/lawyers-argue-over-south-dakotas-notification-letters-to-voters-registered-as-federal-only/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). The lawsuit does not question the bill itself but whether letters sent out by the secretary of state's office misled voters and properly informed them how to change their status. U.S. District Judge Eric Schulte said in a hearing Friday that he expected to release a decision this week. Mann, with the Center for Election Innovation and Research, said that in other states with voter citizenship requirements, like Arizona, the biggest consideration for election officials has been ensuring the documentation process goes smoothly and that those across the state are in consensus about the requirements. "It doesn't seem to have been a particularly burdensome requirement, especially in the era of Real ID," Mann said. "It does create a logistical burden on the election officials in terms of getting that documentation, retaining that documentation. It's just one more thing that potentially some election officials have to work on." [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. *Read*, *subscribe* for free and *donate* at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact* reporter/*[*Report for America*](https://www.reportforamerica.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *corps member Molly Wetsch: 605-531-7382/*[*molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Fact brief: Did an NFL team sponsor girls flag football in SD? URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/fact-brief-nfl-girls-flag-football-south-dakota/ Last updated: 2026-09-15T09:00:25.000Z ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/WhiteFACT-BRIEF--500-x-200-px--2-1-1.png) ## Yes. The Minnesota Vikings sponsored girls flag football in partnership with the Sioux Falls School District’s Community Learning Centers (CLCs). The Vikings covered all startup costs, including coaching staff, uniforms and equipment. More than 200 high school and middle school students are participating in the program through the CLCs. The sport was added to the NCAA’s emerging women’s sport list in January. It’s one of the fastest-growing sports in the country at the youth, high school and collegiate levels, according to the NCAA. Twenty-four states have state-sanctioned championships for the sport. Flag football will debut at the 2028 Summer Olympics, which are being hosted in Los Angeles. Since 2022, the Minnesota Vikings have invested more than $2 million to expand girls flag football. In 2026, the Minnesota high school league expanded into Iowa and North Dakota, in addition to South Dakota. ℹ️ This fact brief responds to claims such as [this one](https://www.reddit.com/r/SiouxFalls/comments/1wfnuiy/high%5Fschool%5Fgirls%5Ffootball/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). ### Sources The Associated Press, [A new football title chase lies ahead as women’s flag football closes in on NCAA championship status](https://apnews.com/article/ncaa-womens-flag-football-17aa1c0c9934f219998b14222b48bc30?ref=sdnewswatch.org) NCAA, [NCAA adds flag football to Emerging Sports for Women program](https://www.ncaa.org/media-center-ncaa-adds-flag-football-to-emerging-sports-for-women-program/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) LA 28, [Flag football](https://la28.org/en/games-plan/olympics/flag-football.html?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Sioux Falls School District, [Sioux Falls School District Partners with Minnesota Vikings to Launch Girls Flag Football](https://www.sf.k12.sd.us/article/2893150?ref=sdnewswatch.org) KELO-TV, [Flag football kicks off season at Howard Wood Field](https://www.keloland.com/news/local-news/flag-football-kicks-off-season-at-howard-wood-field/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) NFL Flag, [Girls High School Varsity Flag Football](https://nflflag.com/girls-flag-football/high-school?ref=sdnewswatch.org) ### About fact briefs Fact briefs are bite-sized, well-sourced explanations that offer clear "yes" or "no" answers to questions, confusions and unsupported claims circulating online. They rely on publicly available data and documents, often from the original source. Fact briefs are written and published by South Dakota News Watch as part of the [Gigafact](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) network. Submit a question for us to answer [on the tipline](https://gigafact.org/tipline/south-dakota-news-watch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at*[ *sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact reporter Emily DeCock:* emily.decock@sdnewswatch.org.* ### Couple finds life next to limestone mine unnerving URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-limestone-mine-simon-contractors-pete-lien-black-hawk/ Last updated: 2026-09-14T09:00:59.000Z BLACK HAWK, S.D. – Darrell Koepp stomped his feet up and down, waved his arms and shook his body side to side. He looked somewhat amusing, but there was nothing funny about the demonstration Koepp gave on a morning in early September outside his Black Hawk home located 100 yards from the edge of two active limestone mines. "When they're blasting and those shots come, you can stand right here and feel it in your entire body, and you go like this even before you hear anything," Koepp told a News Watch reporter. ![Black Hawk, S.D., resident Darrell Koepp on Sept. 3, 2026, at his fence line about 100 yards from the edge of a limestone mine](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/09/2026-09-03-Black-Hawk-mine-man-at-fenceline-1.jpeg) Black Hawk, S.D., resident Darrell Koepp on Sept. 3, 2026, at his fence line about 100 yards from the edge of a limestone mine just beyond the large berm visible behind him. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) For more than 40 years, Darrell and his wife, Jennifer, lived a peaceful lifestyle in a two-story home on woodlands her father owned at the end of Ash Street in the foothills of western Black Hawk, located about 10 miles northwest of Rapid City. But after they both retired, life changed when Pete Lien & Sons and Simon Contractors began blasting rock, operating large bulldozers and running trucks to and from the limestone mines located on Quarry Road west of Black Hawk. ****Get free, fact-based South Dakota news and information** in a weekday email. No spam. Cancel any time. [Subscribe ](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/#/portal) The blasting and mining began around 2023, and the work at the mines sometimes begins as early as 6:30 a.m. at least five days a week, Darrell said. "You worked all your life to get what you got, and people like this (from the mining companies) say they want to be neighborly and whatnot, and this is what they do to you?" he lamented. "These blasts run right through the whole house." ## No remedies and few protections The Koepps said an elevated earthen berm that forms the eastern edge of the mine serves as the only protection from the sounds, shockwaves and debris. "There's always dust, but when they blast back there, you can't even see through it," said Darrell, 71, a retired auto and heavy equipment mechanic. "The stuff we're breathing is horrible." ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/09/2026-09-03-Black-Hawk-mine-dusty-car.jpeg) Black Hawk, S.D., resident Darrell Koepp runs his finger through dust accumulated on a car in the garage at his property adjacent to a limestone mine on Sept. 3, 2026\. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) Darrell and Jennifer said they have spoken with Lien and Simon mining companies, the state and local lawmakers, but no one has been able to provide any relief. There is no local zoning in Meade County, where the Koepps live, but all mines in South Dakota are required to follow laws that include required inspections and annual reports. The couple worries how the mine operations will affect their health, their home and outbuildings, and eventually the value of their property. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/09/Meade-County-mining.png) A western-most mining site in pink is owned by Simon Contractors, while the one to the east is operated by Pete Lien & Sons. Jennifer, 67, is a retired hairdresser who for years has volunteered to do community well water testing for the city of Black Hawk. She said the blasting has caused her kitchen cupboard to fall down, opened a crack in the hallway ceiling and led a support beam in the dining room to droop 2 inches. Darrell said the concrete foundation of their back stairs has shifted significantly, deck boards have fallen off and things in his garage are covered in dust because the shockwaves from blasting have ruined the springs and rollers in his garage door, which must now remain open. ![The Pete Lien & Sons limestone mine, shown on Sept. 8, 2026, is located near the top of a hill above Black Hawk, S.D.,](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/09/2026-09-08-Black-Hawk-mine-pit-photo-1.jpeg) The Pete Lien & Sons limestone mine, shown on Sept. 8, 2026, is located near the top of a hill above Black Hawk, S.D., which is visible in the background. The elevated berm at center is about 100 yards from the home of Darrell and Jennifer Koepp. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) Darrell remembers one particularly harrowing mine blast that knocked a Volkswagen put up on blocks down to the ground, only minutes after he had been under the car repairing it. The couple was aware of mining in the Black Hawk area before they built their home in the early 1980s, Darrell said. He said he called mining companies who assured him there wasn't sufficient limestone in their neighborhood to warrant significant mining. Darrell said blasting takes place two or three times per month, and he typically gets a cellphone call 20 to 30 minutes warning of a pending blast. But the warnings do little to mitigate the impacts. "The other day when they blasted and the wind was blowing 40 mph, you couldn't go outside for hours because of the dust," he said. "It all makes you nauseated." ## Miners operating within state laws According to a 365-page file provided to News Watch under a public records request to the Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources (DANR), Pete Lien & Sons made its first request to begin work on its Black Hawk South mining project in 1989. In all, the project encompasses roughly 305 acres of mining land in a south-to-north strip to the west of Sturgis Road. The reports say Lien intended to mine the southern sections of the project site before moving to the north. Over the years, the company regularly took 1.5 million to 2 million tons of limestone annually from the mine sites, the file shows. The first mention of mining the northernmost mine section, which is now affecting some Black Hawk residents, came in Lien’s 2022 annual report on the project. It indicates mining had or would soon take place on the 4.7-acre site. Mining activities by Lien resulted in 159,000 tons of materials being removed in 2023 and 564,000 tons in 2024\. Lien did not respond to a call and email from News Watch seeking comment. ![Darrell Koepp of Black Hawk, S.D., with wife Jennifer to the left, demonstrates how vibrations from large explosions at a limestone mine adjacent to their home has made their garage door opener inoperable](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/09/2026-09-03-Black-Hawk-mine-in-garage-1.jpeg) Darrell Koepp of Black Hawk, S.D., with wife Jennifer to the left, demonstrates how vibrations from large explosions at a limestone mine adjacent to their home has made their garage door opener inoperable. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) According to another DANR mine report obtained by News Watch, the Simon Contractors limestone operation in Black Hawk had mined 52 acres and removed 364,000 tons of material as of the latest inspection report from December. "Simon blasting activities at our Black Hawk quarry are conducted in accordance with state and federal regulations, performed during normal daytime business hours by a licensed third-party blaster, and supported by advance notification and open communication with nearby residents," Cheryl Gustafson, a regional manager for Simon, said in an email to News Watch. The records do not indicate any violations or fines issued against either of the companies regarding their Black Hawk operations. DANR deputy secretary Brian Walsh told News Watch in an email that "DANR has not issued any Notice of Violations for limestone mine sites in the past 10 years." A searchable [DANR web page](https://sdgis.sd.gov/portal/apps/experiencebuilder/experience/?id=4096d702a381439abb9f42bec307f6bc&page=map-screen&ref=sdnewswatch.org#data%5Fs=id%3AdataSource%5F3-NR32%5FPublish%5Fview%5F7164%3A5042&widget%5F1=active%5Fdatasource%5Fid:dataSource%5F3,center:-11506187.819138171%2C5488952.129079279%2C102100,scale:72223.819286,rotation:0,viewpoint:%7B%22rotation%22%3A0%2C%22scale%22%3A72223.819286%2C%22targetGeometry%22%3A%7B%22spatialReference%22%3A%7B%22latestWkid%22%3A3857%2C%22wkid%22%3A102100%7D%2C%22x%22%3A-11506187.819138171%2C%22y%22%3A5488952.129079279%7D%7D&widget%5F40=active%5Fdatasource%5Fid:dataSource%5F4,center:-11501617.657811727%2C5488154.263071608%2C102100,scale:16664.875681865244,rotation:0,viewpoint:%7B%22rotation%22%3A0%2C%22scale%22%3A16664.875681865244%2C%22targetGeometry%22%3A%7B%22spatialReference%22%3A%7B%22latestWkid%22%3A3857%2C%22wkid%22%3A102100%7D%2C%22x%22%3A-11501617.657811727%2C%22y%22%3A5488154.263071608%7D%7D) indicates there are 500 active construction aggregate mine permits for nearly 1,400 mine sites totaling 20,000 acres in South Dakota. The site indicates that nearly 5,200 mine sites have been licensed in the state since 1983\. ## Other neighbors affected by blasting and mining The Koepps are not the only mine neighbors to complain about the blasting at the sites. The couple said that other residents of Black Hawk have experienced shocks from the blasting and dust from mining and transportation activities, especially on hot days during the extended drought. ![An air quality monitoring device, shown on Sept. 3, 2026, was installed by the mining company near the home of Darrell and Jennifer Koepp of Black Hawk, S.D.,](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/09/2026-09-03-Black-Hawk-mine-monitor-1.jpeg) An air quality monitoring device, shown on Sept. 3, 2026, was installed by the mining company near the home of Darrell and Jennifer Koepp of Black Hawk, S.D., but the couple has been unable to obtain any results of testing. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) Also, in November 2023 and March 2024, state records show that Black Hawk resident Faron Schmidt of Timberline Road, about a mile from the Lien and Simon mines, called the state DANR to complain about the potential effects of blasting on his water well and property. DANR mining engineer Eric Holm wrote in a follow-up report that Schmidt thought blasts by Lien or Simon were occurring as early as 5:30 a.m. and were causing too much vibration at his property. “He (Schmidt) said his house has many glass windows and during the last blast, the house, deck and sidewalk shook,” Holm wrote. “I also told him that his house will probably shake at least during some blasts.” Holm contacted the two companies and both said blasting was done within regular daytime hours and that seismography data showed the blast levels fell within permit guidelines. “Mr. Schmidt was frustrated and asked if there was anyone who could help him,” Holm wrote to other officials at DANR. "I cautioned him if the actual blast data shows the blast was within the guidelines, there is nothing we can do." In response, Holm reported that he gave Schmidt the phone number of the federal Mine Safety and Health Administration. ## A cautionary tale for Piedmont? The experiences of the Koepps provide a “100% relevant example” for the roughly two dozen families that are battling a Simon limestone mine that has been approved for land in and around the nearby town of Piedmont, said Chris Greenberg, who is leading efforts to block the proposed Piedmont mine. Simon followed the state's lax mining permit laws that only required the company to obtain a sand and gravel permit but which did not require the company to notify local residents or government officials until the mine was approved and imminent. ****Join other South Dakotans and support statewide, fact-based news and information.** [Donate ](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/donate/) “They always say it should be fine, that we’re overacting and it’s no big deal,” Greenberg said of limestone mines. “But what they want to do here is exactly what people in Black Hawk are going through, with frequent blasting and dust everywhere.” According to the Simon website, the Piedmont mine will be allowed to operate through December 2043\. No mining has taken place so far. "Simon will be responsible for the extraction of high-quality construction aggregates to produce construction-grade materials used in regional infrastructure," the company said. "Construction aggregates from this site will supply local cities, counties, and contractors with the materials needed for roads, concrete production, erosion control, and other essential public infrastructure projects." ## Fears of an uncertain future The Koepps have refused to make any insurance claims for property damages over fears they may get dropped or not renewed by their home insurer. So they live with the effects or pay for fixes on their own. "If I turn this stuff into my insurance company and they see what's going on here, they're going to drop me like a firecracker," Darrell said. ![Jennifer Koepp of Black Hawk, S.D., said on Sept. 3, 2026, that she's worried an active limestone mine adjacent to her home could expand to open woodlands that are even closer ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/09/2026-09-03-Black-Hawk-mine-woman-at-fence-1.jpeg) Jennifer Koepp of Black Hawk, S.D., said on Sept. 3, 2026, that she's worried an active limestone mine adjacent to her home could expand to open woodlands that are even closer to her property. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) In the long term, the Koepps are worried that they may never be able to move forward on plans to sell their home, turn a profit and downsize to a smaller home with money in the bank. Jennifer said she wouldn't feel right to sell their home or nearby land without informing potential buyers about the limestone mines operating next door, which would likely kill any home sale potential or profits. "We're getting to that point of transitioning or figuring out what we want to do next," Darrell said. "But now our options feel limited." [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. *Read*, *subscribe* for free and *donate* at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact* content director Bart Pfankuch:605-937-9398/* [*bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### News Watch and DWU again sponsoring state spelling bee URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/news-watch-dakota-wesleyan-scripps-spelling-bee/ Last updated: 2026-09-11T09:00:01.000Z South Dakota News Watch and Dakota Wesleyan University are again sponsoring the state spelling bee, which gives local students and schools the opportunity to participate in America’s longest-running educational competition. The state bee is scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 6, at DWU in Mitchell. The champion will compete at the Scripps National Spelling Bee in May 2027 in Washington, where they will have the opportunity to compete for the Scripps Cup. ****Get free, fact-based South Dakota news and information** in a weekday email. No spam. Cancel any time. [Subscribe ](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/#/portal) This is the third year News Watch and DWU have sponsored the state competition. “We’re thrilled to welcome the South Dakota State Spelling Bee back to the Dakota Wesleyan University campus on Feb. 6, 2027\. DWU is proud to provide a place where students from across the state can come together, showcase their hard work and celebrate their passion for learning. We look forward to cheering on these talented spellers and being part of this special event once again,” said Jan Larson, director of marketing and communications at DWU. Oscar Quezada from Challenge Center Elementary School in Sioux Falls [won the 2026 South Dakota State Spelling Bee](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-state-spelling-bee-results-2026/) in the 19th round and made it to the second round in Washington. [South Dakota student makes it to 2nd round of national spelling beeOscar Quezada of Sioux Falls is among 247 elementary and middle school students who qualified.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-6a4a6843-9f3e-41aa-af19-789f9c7f94aa.jpg)South Dakota News WatchCarson Walker![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/2026-05-26-Oscar-Quezada-at-spelling-bee-wide-8ea8170b-856d-43f6-9fef-2d164e0d9e40.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/scripps-national-spelling-bee-2026/) Shrey Parikh, a 14-year-old from Rancho Cucamonga, California, won the 2026 Scripps National Spelling Bee by correctly spelling 32 out of 35 words in 90 seconds, setting a new spell-off record. ## Key dates and new tool for parents, students Each year, the bee reaches millions of students across the country and around the world with the classroom materials it provides schools enrolled in the yearlong program. Participation in regional bees also provides an opportunity for students to gain experience in public speaking, develop confidence and inspire a love of learning and connection with their peers. Elementary and middle schools as well as home schools in South Dakota are now eligible to enroll in the 2026-2027 program. Educators can visit [SpellingBee.com/enroll](https://www.spellingbee.com/enroll?ref=sdnewswatch.org) to learn more and enroll. Each school will hold its own competition and send one winner to the state bee. ****Do you value education?** Please consider partnering with us by helping to cover the sponsorship costs at the link below to ensure the state competition continues. [Yes, I will support the bee ](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/donate/) The enrollment fee is $199 through Nov. 30 and increases to $225 until Jan. 22, which is the deadline for school champions to be reported. Family home schools will be invoiced $135 per school for the entirety of the enrollment period. Enrollment comes with online access to classroom and school materials, including study lists, competition guides and supplemental resources like written test materials for every grade level. Starting this year, enrollment also allows students’ parents to create accounts in the new Spelling Bee Resource Center where they can download study lists and access exclusive study resources and tips from the bee. The 2027 Scripps National Spelling Bee will be May 31-June 4 in Washington. [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. *Read*, *subscribe* for free and *donate* at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact* CEO Carson Walker: 605-610-9366/* [*carson.walker@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:carson.walker@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Fact brief: Did long coffee lines prompt a police response in SD? URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/fact-brief-7-brew-promotion-south-dakota-sioux-falls-rapid-city/ Last updated: 2026-09-10T09:00:13.000Z ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/WhiteFACT-BRIEF--500-x-200-px--2-1-1.png) ## Yes. Traffic disruptions were reported in at least two cities in response to a Sept. 7 promotion at 7 Brew, a national coffee chain. Rapid City officers worked with 7 Brew staff to mitigate traffic issues, said police public information officer Brendyn Medina. In Sioux Falls, police received two non-emergency calls regarding a traffic jam caused by 7 Brew customers, said Aaron Benson, Sioux Falls police public information officer. The drive-thru coffee chain hosts a promotion monthly on the 7th. This month, customers that bought two medium or large drinks also got a free 7 Brew-branded squishy toy. The promotion caused long lines at locations across the country. People voiced their frustration on social media and shared photos and videos of some lines that stretched for miles. 7 Brew also has a location in Watertown, which opened in June, but police did not respond to a call for comment. ℹ️ This fact brief responds to claims such as [this one](https://www.reddit.com/r/SiouxFalls/comments/1w9s0gb/the%5F7%5Fbrew%5Fsituation%5Fis%5Fridiculous/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). ### Sources 7 Brew website, [About us](https://7brew.com/about?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Argus Leader, [How a Needoh caused a craze, hours-long lines at 7 Brew Coffee](https://www.argusleader.com/story/business/2026/09/08/7-brew-coffee-sioux-falls-needoh-promotion-nationwide/91659154007/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Sioux Falls police call log, [Calls on S Louise Ave](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Gjp7Z5OPpTwTIjtbaaER5ClNWRo%5FEgKbskSun6YOtTE/edit?usp=sharing&ref=sdnewswatch.org). Sioux Falls 30 Day call log, [Police Call Log](https://policecalllog.siouxfalls.gov/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) ### About fact briefs Fact briefs are bite-sized, well-sourced explanations that offer clear "yes" or "no" answers to questions, confusions and unsupported claims circulating online. They rely on publicly available data and documents, often from the original source. Fact briefs are written and published by South Dakota News Watch as part of the [Gigafact](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) network. Submit a question for us to answer [on the tipline](https://gigafact.org/tipline/south-dakota-news-watch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at*[ *sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact reporter Emily DeCock:* emily.decock@sdnewswatch.org.* ### Bill in Congress would help SD keep more of its top college athletes URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-sdsu-jackrabbits-usd-coyotes-protect-college-sports-athletes/ Last updated: 2026-09-09T09:00:02.000Z South Dakota's two public Division I universities would see less student athlete turnover to other schools if pending legislation in the U.S. Senate is ultimately signed into law, according to the schools' athletic directors. While the focus is on elite programs, the measure, called the Protect College Sports Act, would change athletics at all levels of competition. And though football has the biggest budget and largest roster, every sport at the University of South Dakota and South Dakota State University would be impacted. [The PCSA legislation](https://www.commerce.senate.gov/protect-college-sports-act/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) aims to prioritize the overall success of student-athletes, in the classroom and while competing. One way it would do that is by stopping unlimited transferring, though the outcome of the legislation is far from decided. ![Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium in Brookings, S.D. (left), and the DakotaDome in Vermillion, S.D.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/09/Untitled-design-1-1.png) Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium in Brookings, S.D. (left), and the DakotaDome in Vermillion, S.D. (right). (Photos: SDSU Athletics and USD Athletics) “Mainly just so it's not just free agency every year, nonstop. So your head's just always on a swivel,” said University of South Dakota Athletic Director Jon Schemmel. Members of Congress who support it said the current situation creates instability and harms student-athletes. South Dakota Republican U.S. Sen. John Thune – as Senate majority leader – has scheduled discussion on the Protect College Sports Act for when Congress reconvenes on Sept. 14\. ****Get free, fact-based South Dakota news and information** in a weekday email. No spam. Cancel any time. [Subscribe ](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/#/portal) The bipartisan measure passed through the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation with a 19-9 vote on June 18\. The bill will need to receive 60 votes of support before it can head to the House of Representatives, where it also must pass. Republican U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas and Democrat U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell of Washington are prime sponsors. “We agree today that college athletics are in crisis, and we agree that the system is broken and unsustainable,” Cantwell said in the committee’s opening statement on June 3\. “Universities, athletes and fans are pleading with us to do something about this issue.” ## Legislation aims to help athletes The one-time transfer rule is a key element in the legislation, said Justin Sell, South Dakota State University athletic director. As a mid-major school, SDSU is a developmental school, so keeping rosters together is a major point of focus. Limiting transfers to one-time would slow down the process of roster turnover. "We built ourselves on kids pursuing a degree, our ability to have them in our program for four or five years, and success at our level comes when you get old," Sell said. "You win more games with juniors and seniors." ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/09/jsell-1.jpeg) Justin Sell, SDSU athletic director. Graduation rates are also higher for students who don't transfer more than once, Sell said. Another aspect of the PCSA is the proposed age-based eligibility model. That would give athletes five years of eligibility, starting freshman year of college or when they turn 19, whichever comes first. After eligibility rules changed near the COVID-19 pandemic, athletes were given an extra year of eligibility. That stunted the high school market, Sell said. "You have 26-year-olds, or people playing for six and seven years. There's less spots available because people are holding onto them way longer," Sell said. ## Changes led to instability South Dakota State University in Brookings and the University of South Dakota in Vermillion transitioned from Division II to DI in 2008 and 2012, respectively. They've been getting their footing as DI programs while the landscape has been changing under them. For example, NCAA transfer portal rules have changed multiple times since SDSU and USD transitioned to DI. The portal launched in 2018 and made it easier for athletes to transfer to another school. However, student-athletes in football, men's basketball, women's basketball, baseball and men's ice hockey still could not transfer without sitting out a year in eligibility. In 2021, rules changed again. The NCAA said athletes in those five sports could transfer one time and play immediately. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/09/danna.webp) Dana J. Dykhouse opened in 2016 and has over 19,000 seats. (Photo: SDSU Athletics) Also in 2021, rules surrounding name, image and likeness (NIL) changed to allow athletes to be paid. Plus, athletes that were enrolled in the 2020-2021 year got an extra year of eligibility after the COVID-19 pandemic. "And it was the combination of those three things (that) ended up kind of making it unwieldy. That's probably why we're in the position we are today," Sell said. Rules changed again in 2024, when the NCAA approved a new transfer rule that allowed athletes to transfer as many times as they want while maintaining immediate eligibility. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/09/Jon_Schemmel-1.jpeg) Jon Schemmel, USD athletic director. Sell said that in the Summit League, almost the entire first and second team all-conference men's basketball student-athletes have left. Schemmel said men's basketball has seen the most turnover nationwide since unlimited transfers have become the rule. Nationally, 2,605 of the roughly 5,500 DI men’s basketball players – almost half – entered the transfer portal in the 2025-2026 season, according to reporting by [USA Today](https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaab/2026/04/23/college-basketball-transfer-portal-how-many-players-entered-what-numbers-reveal-ncaa-mens-womens/89744224007/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/09/usd-basketball.jpeg) The Sanford Coyote Sports Center. (Photo: USD Athletics) “I think implementing a rule that would allow one free transfer would certainly be something we are in favor with, and the Protect College Sports Act would be a huge help in that,” Schemmel said. ## Sports landscape, other reasons students stay While the state’s two Division I athletic programs at USD and SDSU would be impacted the most, other South Dakota institutions also would feel the trickle-down effects if the wide-ranging legislation is passed. All other Board of Regents schools are Division II, with Dakota State University in Madison as the exception. DSU competes in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), along with Dakota Wesleyan University in Mitchell and Mount Marty University in Yankton. In Sioux Falls, Augustana University and the University of Sioux Falls are both DII, though Augustana's men's hockey team is DI. Both Sell and Schemmel said the benefits of playing for a smaller DI school is attractive to many student athletes. Sell said many exceptional student athletes have turned down large sums of money to stay at SDSU because of the facilities, community and academic benefits of a smaller school. "Let's just say a student athlete gets offered $100,000, and they're really good. You know, all league, MVP type person. Generally, if we can put a package together where we help them with $20,000, they'll stay because fans show up, they're connected. They've got great facilities, they can win championships, they love their professors on campus. They're happy with their major. They can graduate on time." "I think the misnomer is it's always all about the money," Sell said. "We've had so many student athletes turn down a lot more money or just turned it down completely just to stay here because of the experiences they're having." ![South Dakota State defensive players celebrate a fumble recovery](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/09/20260829-1947.jpg) South Dakota State defensive players celebrate a fumble recovery by linebacker Chase Van Tol (28) in the first half of action Aug. 29 versus Stetson. (Photo: Dave Eggen/Inertia Sports Media) Schemmel also said there's more to why a student might stay or leave than money. “Ultimately, there are several (student-athletes) that are going to have the opportunity to go make hundreds of thousands, or maybe even millions of dollars, and some of those kids are going to take that money and that opportunity, and others are going to stay,” Schemmel said. “That doesn't make them wrong or right. Everyone has to make their own decision.” “We're not going to be this professional outfit that's paying kids millions of dollars. That's just not us. And I'm proud that it's not us. I like where we sit in all this.” ## So far this year SDSU lost 38-18 to Northwestern in Evanston, Illinois, on Saturday. SDSU routed the Stetson Hatters 70-7 in the Jackrabbits' season opener in Brookings. USD beat the Northern Colorado Bears on Saturday in Greeley, Colorado, 38-23\. Freshman quarterback Austyn Modrzewski threw for two touchdowns and 178 yards. The Coyotes are now 2-0 on the season after beating the Central Connecticut Blue Devils 59-20 on their home turf Aug. 29. In that game, Modrzewski threw six touchdown passes and tacked on a rushing touchdown, setting the record for single-game touchdown passes. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/09/Austyn--1.jpeg) USD Quarterback Austyn Modrzewski (#1) on his TD run in the first quarter against Central Connecticut State University on Aug. 29, 2026 in the DakotaDome in Vermillion. (Photo: Adam Pearson/USD Athletics) “You know, if he throws six touchdowns and runs for one a game, then absolutely, there's going to be a lot of people that are interested in his services,” Schemmel said. “But it doesn't automatically mean that he's going to leave either, and I think we've seen that at both schools with the tremendous young men that have made hard decisions to stay.” As for the Protect College Sports Act, Schemmel said he appreciates Sen. Thune’s support of the bill. “We're fully behind it, as I think South Dakota State is,” he said. “We'll see where it goes.” [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. *Read, subscribe* for free and *donate* at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact* reporter Emily DeCock:* [*emily.decock@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:emily.decock@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Fact brief: Can Gov. Larry Rhoden run again in 2030 if he wins election this fall? URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/fact-brief-south-dakota-larry-rhoden-gubernatorial-term-election-2026/ Last updated: 2026-09-09T02:29:41.000Z ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/WhiteFACT-BRIEF--500-x-200-px--2-1-1.png) ### Yes. South Dakota Gov. Larry Rhoden can run for another four-year term in 2030 if he wins election during the 2026 midterms. Both a governor and lieutenant governor cannot be elected to more than two consecutive elected terms, starting with the 1974 election, according to the state Constitution. Rhoden was promoted to governor from lieutenant governor on Jan. 27, 2025, after Gov. Kristi Noem became the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security. Because the constitutional limit applies to being elected governor, Rhoden's 2026 election would be his first elected term as governor. Bill Janklow served four total terms as governor, but they were not consecutive. The first two terms were from 1979-1987 and the second was from 1995-2003\. The last person to become governor without being elected to the position was Walter Miller, who was George S. Mickelson's lieutenant governor when Mickelson and seven others died in a 1993 plane crash. ℹ️ This fact brief responds to claims such as [this one](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1X3ExVe7TFuWI3ESzo0Na2Vq6w5GW3KFn/view?usp=drive%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org). ### Sources South Dakota Constitution, [Qualification, election and term of governor.](https://sdlegislature.gov/Constitution/4?ref=sdnewswatch.org) South Dakota Public Broadcasting, [Rhoden sworn in as South Dakota governor](https://www.sdpb.org/politics/2025-01-27/rhoden-sworn-in-as-south-dakota-governor?ref=sdnewswatch.org) South Dakota Searchlight, [South Dakota governor wins Rupublican nominate to seek his own term](https://southdakotasearchlight.com/2026/07/28/south-dakota-governor-wins-republican-nomination-to-seek-his-own-term-after-succeeding-noem/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) KELO-TV, [Remembering Gov. Mickelson on 30-year anniversary of plane crash](https://www.keloland.com/news/local-news/remembering-gov-mickelson-on-30-year-anniversary-of-plane-crash/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) ### About fact briefs Fact briefs are bite-sized, well-sourced explanations that offer clear "yes" or "no" answers to questions, confusions and unsupported claims circulating online. They rely on publicly available data and documents, often from the original source. Fact briefs are written and published by South Dakota News Watch as part of the [Gigafact](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) network. Submit a question for us to answer [on the tipline](https://gigafact.org/tipline/south-dakota-news-watch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at*[ *sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact freelance reporter Michael Klinski:* michael.klinski@sdnewswatch.org.* ### Monastery makeover: Nuns leave lasting legacy of service in Watertown URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/watertown-south-dakota-monastery-affordable-housing/ Last updated: 2026-09-08T04:47:18.000Z WATERTOWN, S.D. – Throughout their entire adult lives, the women of the Benedictine Sisters of Mother of God Monastery have served others as educators, health care providers and spiritual leaders. The Catholic nuns, many highly educated, have taught and ministered across the U.S. and in foreign countries. They also have played a role in establishing medical and long-term care facilities in several South Dakota cities. > "At the grand opening for the senior housing, I made a very, very brief speech. I just simply said, 'If you want to get something done, hire a nun.'" – said Michael Klatt, strategic adviser to the Village of Harmony Hill project For more than 60 years, many of the sisters have lived, prayed and cared for one another at their monastery on 500 acres of hilly prairie land located on the east side of Watertown. And now, as they age into their 70s, 80s and higher, the roughly 30 remaining sisters are continuing their lives of service with a final bold and grand act of ingenuity, grit and compassion. [Engage South Dakota: Housing solutionsA list of entities and programs that can assist in developing or obtaining housing as well as links to News Watch reporting on housing solutions.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-85ff17da-b7eb-4351-9417-2c7d8f6b588c.jpg)South Dakota News WatchBart Pfankuch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/IMG_2326-98043af2-736d-4f6a-9f0f-a63560ac6c8f.jpeg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/engage-south-dakota-housing-rent-own-solutions-journalism/) In what will become one of the largest and most diverse developments of its kind in state history, the Benedictine sisters are transforming their land into a multi-faceted housing, education, health care and commercial project that will benefit Watertown and the entire state of South Dakota long after the last nun has passed. The sisters are the lead designers, funders and coordinators of a multi-year effort to remake the monastery site into The Village at Harmony Hill, planned as a multigenerational community where children as young as infants and elders in their final years can live, prosper and celebrate the word of God. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/08/2026-06-10-Monastery-Dalton-with-map.jpeg) Marketing director Dalton Wagner provided News Watch with a tour of the Harmony Hill campus in Watertown, S.D., on June 10, 2026\. The map at right shows plans for the project, with the existing monastery building in pink at the center. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) Completed, ongoing or future projects at the site, which are aimed at aiding the sisters but which will also be open to the public, include: - Up to 700 residences, ranging from affordable apartments and single-family homes to rental units for veterans to assisted-living and memory care spaces for the sisters and the local community - A child care center that could eventually house up to 200 children ranging in age from 4 weeks to 4 years old - An 80-acre commercial development with room for dining and hospitality businesses as well as light industrial and manufacturing - The Challenger Learning Center of South Dakota, a separate nonprofit built in affiliation with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, that will promote science and careers in STEM fields and be open to children across the state - A town square concept known as The Commons of Harmony Hill, which will transform the original monastery building into a welcome center with meeting rooms, bistro and pub, art gallery and maker's space, and spa and fitness studio - Up to 80 acres of green space and a system of trails to encourage community recreation "For the sisters, this has been about leaving a legacy," said Michael Klatt, strategic adviser to the Village of Harmony Hill project. "The average age of this group of sisters who made this decision to be a developer was 86 years old, and they did it." ![Michael Klatt, strategic adviser for the Harmony Hill project](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/09/2026-06-17-SD-Housing-Michael-Klatt.jpeg) Michael Klatt, strategic adviser for the Harmony Hill project, gave a presentation on the Harmony Hill project at the South Dakota Housing conference in Pierre, S.D. on June 17, 2026\. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) Klatt said it has been impressive and inspirational to watch and be part of the planning and execution of the project by the Benedictine sisters. "From a business standpoint, it's been a good investment, but that's not how the sisters look at it. They look at it as, 'How can I give back to the community?'" he said. "At the grand opening for the senior housing, I made a very, very brief speech," Klatt recalled. "I just simply said, 'If you want to get something done, hire a nun.'" ## A big decision made from the heart and soul As they began to age, and realized that few if any women were taking up the Catholic sisterhood, the Benedictine nuns had a big decision to make, said Dalton Wagner, marketing director for the Harmony Hill project. "They could sell the land and have great end-of-life care and turn the lights off at the monastery, and that would be it," Wagner told News Watch during a tour of the property in June. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/09/2026-06-10-Monastery-Apartment-building.jpeg) The Mary's Heights Apartments building, shown on June 10, 2026, is part of the affordable housing being added to Harmony Hill in Watertown, S.D. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) Additionally, they could have sold the land, dissolved the monastery in Watertown and lived out their final years at the Sacred Heart Monastery in Yankton, he said. "The third option was to develop these 500 acres and leave something behind, a generational legacy that will give back to the community long after the sisters are here to do it," Wagner said. ****Get free, fact-based South Dakota news and information** in a weekday email. No spam. Cancel any time. [Subscribe ](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/#/portal) As of this summer, the project that began in 2021 has led to renovation of the monastery, conversion of 14,000 square-feet of existing space into a child care center and new construction of affordable apartments. Remodeling of space is underway into housing for veterans and construction of a 62-unit independent senior-living villas, and the project recently broke ground on development of up to 40 of 200 planned affordable single-family homes with room for dozens of affordable duplexes. ## A wide range of positive outcomes The Harmony Hill project has the potential to be truly transformational for Watertown and Codington County by helping solve the big three challenges vexing all South Dakota communities: a lack of child care, affordable housing and workforce, said Watertown city manager Alan Stager. By adding new day care slots and generating the first new affordable housing in the city in decades, the project will enable Watertown to bring in much-needed workers to fill the many open jobs, he said. "They’re really looking to the future," Stager said. "They could have just let the land sit there, but instead they were looking out decades in the future and asking what’s possible. And as a result they're building an intergenerational community.” ![The Villas Independent Senior Living building](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/09/2026-06-10-Monastery-Villaas-construction.jpeg) The Villas Independent Senior Living building was under construction on June 10, 2026, at the Harmony Hill housing project in Watertown, S.D. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) Stager said the thoughtful determination displayed by the Benedictine sisters, and their ability to create fruitful partnerships with builders, funders and government agencies, has created a model for how efficient developments can be executed. "It’s been refreshing in many ways to work with the sisters of the monastery," Stager said. "They’ve really taught the community how development can be done in a planned, strategic, forward-looking manner." The sisters have partnered on various elements of the project with the city of Watertown, South Dakota Housing, the Good Samaritan Society, Costello Property Management, Catalyst Construction and Seppanen Contracting. The sisters have utilized donated materials, a variety of financing mechanisms and a tax-increment financing (TIF) district, Klatt said. ![An open Bible sits on the dais within the chapel at the Harmony Hill housing complex](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/08/2026-06-10-Monastery--Bible-chapel.jpeg) An open Bible sits on the dais within the chapel at the Harmony Hill housing complex in Watertown, S.D., on June 10, 2026\. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) During construction and upon completion, the project will create a major economic benefit to Watertown and Codington County. Construction is estimated to cost $83 million and generate an estimated 2,000 temporary jobs. Once complete, the project is forecast to create nearly 1,500 permanent positions with roughly $50 million in personal incomes and $40 million in annual consumer spending. Projections include generation of more than $210 million a year in business outputs and about $5.4 million in annual property tax revenues. ## A ‘womb-to-tomb’ approach to housing A major focus of the Harmony Hill project is to create a “continuum of care” where people can flourish from the earliest days of childhood until the final days of life. Spaces that care for infants or children are in close proximity on campus to places where adult and elderly residents are living and being cared for. ![Kelsey Belle Kohler, memory care manager at Harmony Hill](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/08/2026-06-10-Monastery-Kelsey-Belle-Kohler-2.jpeg) Kelsey Belle Kohler, memory care manager at Harmony Hill, at the complex in Watertown, S.D., on June 10, 2026\. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) The physical closeness of the child-care center to the senior housing spaces allows for valuable interactions between the children and the residents of assisted living and memory care units, said Kelsey Belle Kohler, memory care manager at Harmony Hill. At least once a week, children visit the senior care facilities and spend time with residents, reading a book, playing table games, decorating for the seasons, doing crafts or simply having discussions. “You watch, and the residents will start to brighten up as soon as the children walk in,” she said. “It’s teaching children how to engage with another generation, and they learn a lot of life skills along the way.” ****Support solutions-focused storytelling.** Help South Dakota News Watch tell stories that identify and share solutions to the state's biggest challenges. [Donate ](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/donate/) Elderly residents, including some from memory care units, then return the favor of creating social and emotional connections by visiting the child care center to interact with children, Belle Kohler said. “I always say kids and babies do much more life enrichment than I could ever do, no matter how many degrees I have or how many staff,” she said. “So that's really amazing.” ## Planting seeds for future generations Sister Ida Hericks, 91, used a walker to stroll the grounds of the Harmony Hill campus on a comfortable sunny day in June and paused briefly to examine some flowers growing along a sidewalk. In addition to her life’s work as a missionary and educator in sites such as Guatemala, Texas and South Dakota, Hericks is a master gardener who is known within the monastery for her green thumb and knowledge of plants. “At one time, I was a gardener, and plants were really my thing, but I only supervise now,” she pointed out with a beaming smile. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/08/2026-06-10-Monastery-Sister-Ida-Herick-smile-1.jpeg) Sister Ida Hericks, 91, shown on June 10, 2026, is a resident of the Harmony Hill housing complex in Watertown, S.D., who is known for her love of flowers and her ongoing efforts to beautify the campus. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) Hericks said she is pleased to see the progress on the development that will allow the sisters to leave a legacy of caring. The project will benefit the nuns in their final years and remain a major component of spirituality, hope and prosperity in Watertown and beyond, she said. “We're a community of religious women that are getting older and need lots of help, and we didn't want to move away,” said Hericks, who was born in Hoven and has served as a Benedictine sister for nearly 70 years. “It’s also wonderful because we wanted to help other people.” [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. *Read*, *subscribe* for free and *donate* at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact* content director Bart Pfankuch:605-937-9398/* [*bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### South Dakota media update URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-media-update-september-2026/ Last updated: 2026-09-06T09:00:48.000Z ## SDPB debates scheduled SDPB has scheduled three debates for the top statewide races in this year's election that will be archived and available afterward. They will all be in person at SDPB studios in Sioux Falls, 602 N. Phillips Ave., and broadcast/streamed live at 8-9 p.m. Central: - **Monday, Sept. 14:** U.S. Senate - **Monday, Sept. 28:** Governor - **Thursday, Oct. 1:** U.S. House ## CBS TV in western SD moves stations CBS programming in western South Dakota has moved from Sioux Falls-based Keloland Media Group to KNBN-TV in Rapid City, which is also the NBC affiliate owned by Fargo, North Dakota-based Forum Communications. KCLO-TV, Channel 15.1, now carries programming from The CW Network as well as more programming from Keloland. Channel 15.2, KELOXTRA, is also now available in western South Dakota and offers additional local news, sports, weather and other programming, [according to the company](https://www.keloland.com/kclo/?ipid=promo-link-block1&ref=sdnewswatch.org). Forum also owns the Mitchell Republic, Pierre Capital Journal, Madison Daily Leader, Sioux Falls Live and KSFL-TV in Sioux Falls as well as Midwest Sports+. ## Brookings and Watertown radio stations sold In Brookings and Watertown, Connoisseur Media has agreed to sell its radio stations to separate, locally owned groups. Brookings Radio LLC now operates KBRK-AM, KBRK-FM, KDBX-FM, KJJQ-AM and KKQQ-FM. That group is owned and operated by Cami Powers, her husband, Derrick Powers, and her brother, Chad Hogie. In Watertown, stations KWAT-AM, KSDR-AM, KSDR-FM, KIXX-FM, KDLO-FM and KKSD-FM are being sold to Yankton-based Riverfront Broadcasting. Riverfront also owns and operates radio stations in Yankton, Huron, Pierre, Rapid City, Spearfish and Blue Earth, Minnesota. ## SD NewsMedia Association looking for new leader, setting up foundation David Bordewyk, who has led the South Dakota NewsMedia Association for more than 30 years as its executive director, is retiring in June. “Serving our association’s members and advocating for community newspapers, news media organizations and local community journalism has been a passion and a privilege. It won't be easy to leave this position, but now is the right time for that transition to happen,” Bordewyk said in the announcement. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/09/Bordewyk--Dave-1-1.jpg) David Bordewyk, executive director of the South Dakota NewsMedia Association. SDNA hopes to hire someone by early 2027, which will allow for a transition period during the legislative session. SDNA also recently received notice that its newly created nonprofit South Dakota NewsMedia Foundation Inc. has received its designation from the IRS as a 501(c)(3) organization eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions and gifts. That will allow the association to step up philanthropy efforts on behalf of newspapers and local news media organizations in the state. ## Rapid City Journal promotes editor The [Rapid City Journal has promoted Shalom Baer Gee](https://rapidcityjournal.com/news/local/business/article%5F6b18e530-0429-4750-9a5c-fd9ebac6d910.html?ref=sdnewswatch.org) as the top editor of the Lee Enterprises-owned newspaper, replacing Mike Brownlee, who is the new executive editor position at the Billings Gazette sister paper in Montana. Baer Gee grew up in Montana, graduated from Minot State University and worked in North Dakota before starting at the Journal more than four years ago. She began as a reporter on the public safety beat, later shifted to coverage of local government and moved to education when she became assistant editor in April 2025. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/09/Baer-Gee--Shalom-1.webp) Shalom Baer Gee (Photo: Rapid City Journal) ## Journalist Tom Lawrence dies Longtime South Dakota journalist and political commentator Tom Lawrence died recently at age 68 from stage 4 pancreatic cancer, [according to his obituary](https://www.heritagesiouxfalls.com/obituary/thomas-tom-lawrence?ref=sdnewswatch.org). He won numerous awards for his work in newspapers and most recently co-founded and wrote [The South Dakota Standard](https://www.sdstandardnow.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) blog. ## New guide of all South Dakota news and information outlets In response to questions about the media landscape in the state, South Dakota News Watch put together a new guide (below) with sources of news and information. It includes an updated interactive map as well as a drop-down menu of newspapers, broadcasters, digital sites, magazines and blogs across South Dakota. It's the [latest of guides we're adding to the website](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/tag/guides/) about various topics. [Guide: South Dakota news and informationA map and menu of South Dakota media: newspapers, broadcasters, digital sites, podcasts, magazines and blogs.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-59e00f8c-04b3-458b-99af-650ad5bfa1a4.jpg)South Dakota News WatchCarson Walker![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/2026-09-03-SD-media-839e2e80-894b-4a07-a6eb-8c3646d13934.png)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/p/258adb09-1d87-4a52-9d56-5f037dffdf90/) [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. *Read*, *subscribe* for free and *donate* at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact* CEO Carson Walker: 605-610-9366/* [*carson.walker@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:carson.walker@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Guide: South Dakota news and information URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-news-information-guide/ Last updated: 2026-09-06T20:32:39.000Z Finding credible sources of news and information was a lot easier when most of us just read a daily and weekly newspaper, watched the local and network news and had our car's radio presets on favorite stations. With more sources than ever, it's easier to be overwhelmed. Which is why South Dakota News Watch produced this **guide of the state's news and information sources**, many of which share News Watch stories with their own audiences. It includes this **interactive map** and a **drop-down menu** of where each media outlet is located or its service area, the platform(s) it's available on and website links. Send questions or suggested additions to [info@sdnewswatch.org](mailto:info@sdnewswatch.org). ****Get free, fact-based South Dakota news and information** in a weekday email. No spam. Cancel any time. [Subscribe ](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/#/portal) #### Statewide - [South Dakota News Watch](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/): digital - [SDPB](https://www.sdpb.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) (South Dakota Public Broadcasting): radio ([coverage map](https://www.sdpb.org/radio/coverage-map/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)), TV ([channels](https://www.sdpb.org/tv/tv-channels/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)), digital, podcasts - [South Dakota Searchlight](https://southdakotasearchlight.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org): digital, podcast - [Northern Plains News](https://northernplainsnews.substack.com/): digital - [Tri-State Neighbor](https://agupdate.com/tristateneighbor/?ref=sdnewswatch.org): print, digital - [Dakota Town Hall](https://dakotatownhall.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org): podcast - [Dakota Free Press](https://dakotafreepress.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org): digital blog - [Dakota War College](https://dakotawarcollege.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org): digital blog - [South Dakota Standard](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-minimum-wage-federal-rate-gigafact/): digital blog - [South Dakota Magazine](https://southdakotamagazine.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org): print - [605 Magazine](https://605magazine.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org): print, digital - [605sports.com](https://605sports.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org): digital - [Midwest Sports+](https://www.midwestsportsplus.com/about-us?ref=sdnewswatch.org): digital #### Aberdeen - [Aberdeen Insider](https://aberdeeninsider.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org): print, digital - [Aberdeen News](https://www.aberdeennews.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org): print, digital - [KGIM-AM/FM, KSDN-AM/FM](https://hubcityradio.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org): radio, digital - [KABD-FM](https://dakotabroadcasting.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org): radio, digital - [SD Sports Scene](https://www.sdsportscene.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org): digital - [Aberdeen Magazine](https://aberdeenmag.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org): print, digital #### Arlington [Arlington Sun](https://rfdnewsgroup.com/arlington-sun/?ref=sdnewswatch.org): print #### Armour Armour Chronicle: print #### Avon [Avon Clarion](https://www.pechouspub.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org): print, digital #### Belle Fourche - [Belle Fourche Beacon](https://www.bellefourchebeacon.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org): print, digital - [KBFS-AM, KYDT-FM](https://kydtkbfs.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org): radio, digital #### Beresford [The Republic](https://therepublic-online.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org): print, digital #### Bison [Bison Courier](https://www.ravellettepublications.com/bison-courier?ref=sdnewswatch.org): digital #### Bonesteel [Bonesteel Enterprise](https://www.thebonesteelenterprise.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org): print, digital #### Bowdle Pride of the Prairie: print #### Brandon [Brandon Valley Journal](https://brandonvalleyjournal.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org): print, digital #### Britton [Marshall County Journal](https://www.marshallcountyjournal.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org): print, digital #### Brookings - [Brookings Register](https://www.brookingsregister.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org): print, digital - [Brookings Beacon](https://brookingsbeacon.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org): print, digital - [The Collegian](https://sdsucollegian.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org): print, digital - [KBRK-AM](https://www.brookingsradio.com/kbrk-am/?ref=sdnewswatch.org): radio, digital #### Buffalo Nation's Center News: print #### Burke [Burke Gazette](https://www.theburkegazette.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org): print, digital #### Canton [Sioux Valley News](https://www.theburkegazette.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org): print, digital #### Castlewood [Hamlin County Republican](https://hamlincountypublishing.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org): print #### Chamberlain Central Dakota Times: print #### Clark [Clark County Courier](https://www.clarkcountypublishing.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org): print, digital #### Clear Lake Clear Lake Courier: print #### Corsica Corsica Globe: print #### Custer [Custer County Chronicle](https://www.myblackhillscountry.com/category/custer-county-chronicle?ref=sdnewswatch.org): print, digital #### Dakota Dunes / North Sioux City [Dakota Dunes North Sioux City Times](https://www.leadercourier-times.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org): print, digital #### De Smet [Kingsbury Journal](https://www.kingsburyjournal.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org): print, digital #### Dell Rapids [Dells City Journal](https://dellsjournal.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org): print, digital #### Eagle Butte - [West River Eagle](https://www.westrivereagle.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org): print, digital - [KIPI-FM](https://kipiradio.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org): radio, digital #### Elk Point / Jefferson [Southern Union County Leader-Courier](https://www.leadercourier-times.com/index.php/?ref=sdnewswatch.org): print, digital #### Elkton [Elkton Record](https://rfdnewsgroup.com/elkton-record/?ref=sdnewswatch.org): print #### Estelline [Estelline Journal](https://hamlincountypublishing.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org): print #### Eureka Northwest Blade: print #### Faith [Faith Independent](https://www.ravellettepublications.com/faith-independent?ref=sdnewswatch.org): digital #### Faulkton [Faulk County Record](https://www.faulkcountyrecord.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org): print, digital #### Flandreau [Moody County Enterprise](https://www.moodycountyenterprise.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org): print, digital #### Freeman [Freeman Courier](https://www.freemansd.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org): print, digital #### Garretson [Garretson Gazette](https://www.garretsongazette.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org): print, digital #### Geddes Charles Mix County News: print #### Gettysburg [Potter County News](https://www.pottercountynews.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org): print, digital #### Gregory [Gregory Times-Advocate](https://www.gregorynews.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org): print, digital #### Groton [Groton Independent](https://397news.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org): print, digital #### Hartford [Minnehaha Messenger](https://minnehahamessenger.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org): print, digital #### Hayti [Hamlin County Herald Enterprise](https://hamlincountypublishing.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org): print #### Highmore Highmore Herald: print #### Hill City [Hill City Prevailer News](https://www.myblackhillscountry.com/category/hill-city-prevailer?ref=sdnewswatch.org): print, digital #### Hot Springs [Fall River County Herald-Star](https://www.frcheraldstar.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org): print, digital #### Hoven Hoven Review: print #### Howard Miner County Pioneer: print #### Huron - [Huron Plainsman](https://plainsman.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org): print, digital - [KIJV-AM, KOKK-AM](https://www.huronradio.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org): radio, digital #### Ipswich [Ipswich Tribune](https://www.ipswichtribune.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org): print, digital #### Lake Andes [Lake Andes Wave](https://www.pechouspub.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org): print, digital #### Lemmon - Dakota Herald: print - KBJM-AM: radio #### Lennox / Worthing [Lennox Independent](https://www.lennoxnews.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org): print, digital #### Leola McPherson County Herald: print #### Madison - [Madison Daily Leader](https://www.madisondailyleader.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org): print, digital - [KJAM-AM, KMZM-FM](https://amazingmadison.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org): radio, digital #### Martin [Bennett County Booster II](https://www.bennettcountyboostersd.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org): print, digital #### McLaughlin - Corson/Sioux County News-Messenger: print - Teton Times: print #### Milbank - [Grant County Review](https://www.grantcountyreview.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org): print, digital - [KMSD-AM/FM](https://www.kphrfm.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org): radio, digital #### Miller [Miller Press](https://www.themillerpress.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org): print, digital #### Mission Todd County Tribune: print, digital #### Mitchell - [Mitchell Republic](https://www.mitchellrepublic.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org): print, digital - [KMIT-FM](https://kmit.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org): radio, digital - [KORN-AM](https://kornradio.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org): radio, digital #### Mobridge - [Mobridge Tribune](https://www.mobridgetribune.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org): print, digital - [KOLY-AM](https://drgnews.com/koly/?ref=sdnewswatch.org): radio, digital #### Murdo [Murdo Coyote](https://www.ravellettepublications.com/murdo-coyote?ref=sdnewswatch.org): digital #### Onida [Onida Watchman](https://www.onidawatchman.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org): print, digital #### Parker [New Era](https://thenewera-online.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org): print, digital #### Parkston [Parkston Advance](http://www.parkstonadvance.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org): print, digital #### Philip [Pioneer Review](https://www.ravellettepublications.com/pioneer-review?ref=sdnewswatch.org): print, digital #### Pierre - [Capital Journal](https://www.capjournal.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org): print, digital - [KGFX-AM/FM](https://drgnews.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org): radio, digital - [KCCR-AM/FM](https://www.kccrradio.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org): radio, digital #### Plankinton South Dakota Mail: print #### Platte Platte Enterprise: print #### Pollock [Prairie Pioneer](https://www.ppioneer.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org): print, digital #### Porcupine [KILI-FM](https://kiliradio.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org): print, digital #### Rapid City - [Native Sun News Today](https://www.nativesunnews.today/?ref=sdnewswatch.org): print, digital - [Rapid City Journal](https://rapidcityjournal.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org): print, digital - [Rapid City Post](https://rapidcitypost.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org): print, digital - [KOTA Territory News](https://www.kotatv.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) (KOTA-TV/ABC, KEVN-TV/FOX): television, digital - [NewsCenter1](https://www.newscenter1.tv/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) (KNBN-TV/NBC, CBS): television, digital - [KCLO-TV](https://www.keloland.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) (CW): television, digital - [KOTA-AM](https://www.kotaradio.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org): radio, digital - [KIMM-AM](https://foxsportsrapidcity.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org): radio, digital - [KKLS-AM](https://thecowboyradio.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org): radio, digital - [KTOQ-AM](https://www.espnrapidcity.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org): radio, digital - [Elevate Magazine](https://www.elevaterapidcity.com/elevate-magazine/?ref=sdnewswatch.org): print, digital #### Redfield [Redfield Press](https://www.redfieldpress.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org): print, digital #### Rosholt Rosholt Review: print #### Saint Francis [KINI-FM](https://www.kiniradio.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org): radio, digital #### Salem [The Special](https://thespecialonline.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org): print, digital #### Scotland Scotland Journal: print #### Selby Selby Record: print #### Sioux City, Iowa - [Sioux City Journal](https://siouxcityjournal.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org): print, digital - [KCAU-TV/ABC](https://www.kcau9.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org): television, digital - [KTIV-TV/NBC](https://www.ktiv.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org): television, digital - [KWIT-FM](https://www.kwit.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org): radio, digital #### Sioux Falls - [The Dakota Scout](https://www.thedakotascout.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org): print, digital, podcast - [Argus Leader](https://www.argusleader.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org): print, digital - [Sioux Falls Live](https://www.siouxfallslive.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) and KSFL-TV: digital/television - [Keloland](https://www.keloland.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) (KELO-TV/CBS): television, digital - [Dakota News Now](https://www.dakotanewsnow.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) (KSFY-TV/ABC, KDLT-TV/NBC, KTTW-TV/FOX): television, digital - [KELO-AM/KELQ-FM](https://www.kdsj980.com/https://kelo.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org): radio, digital - [KSOO-AM/FM](https://espnsiouxfalls.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org): radio, digital - [KWSN-AM/FM](https://kwsn.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org): radio, digital - [KXRB-AM/FM](https://kxrb.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org): radio, digital - [Sioux Falls Simplified](https://www.sfsimplified.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org): digital - [Sioux Falls.Business](https://siouxfalls.business/?ref=sdnewswatch.org): digital - [pigeon 605](https://pigeon605.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org): digital #### Sisseton - [Sisseton Courier](https://www.sissetoncourier.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org): print, digital - [KBWS-FM](https://www.kphrfm.com/b103-kbws/?ref=sdnewswatch.org): radio, digital #### South Shore South Shore Gazette: print #### Spearfish / Deadwood - [Black Hills Pioneer](https://www.bhpioneer.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org): print, digital - [KDSJ-AM/FM](https://www.kdsj980.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org): radio, digital #### Springfield Springfield Times: print #### Stickney Stickney Argus: print #### Sturgis [KBHB-AM/FM](https://kbhbradio.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org): radio, digital #### Tea [Tea Weekly](https://www.teaweekly.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org): print, digital #### Timber Lake [Timber Lake Topic](https://www.timberlakesouthdakota.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org): print, digital #### Tripp [Tripp Star-Ledger](http://parkstonadvance.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org): print #### Tyndall Tyndall Tribune & Register: print #### Vermillion - [Plain Talk](https://www.plaintalk.net/?ref=sdnewswatch.org): print, digital - [The Volante](https://www.plaintalk.net/?ref=sdnewswatch.org): print, digital #### Volga [Volga Tribune](https://rfdnewsgroup.com/volga-tribune/?ref=sdnewswatch.org): print, digital #### Wagner [Wagner Post](https://www.pechouspub.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org): print, digital #### Watertown - [Watertown Current](https://watertowncurrent.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org): print, digital - [Public Opinion](https://www.ravellettepublications.com/penn-co-courant?ref=sdnewswatch.org): print, digital - [KXLG-FM](https://www.mykxlg.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org): radio, digital - [KWAT-AM](https://www.gowatertown.net/https://www.gowatertown.net/?ref=sdnewswatch.org), [KSDR-AM/FM](https://www.gowatertown.net/https://www.gowatertown.net/?ref=sdnewswatch.org): radio, digital - [KPHR-FM](https://www.kphrfm.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org): radio, digital #### Waubay Waubay Clipper: print #### Webster [Reporter & Farmer](https://www.reporterandfarmer.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org): print, digital #### Wessington Springs [True Dakotan](https://www.truedakotan.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org): print, digital #### White [Tri-City Star](https://rfdnewsgroup.com/tri-city-star/?ref=sdnewswatch.org): print, digital #### White Lake Aurora County Standard: print #### White River [Mellette County News](https://publisher1.etype.services/Mellette-County-News?ref=sdnewswatch.org): print, digital #### Wilmot Wilmot Enterprise: print #### Winner - [Winner Advocate](https://www.thewinneradvocate.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org): print, digital - [KWYR-AM/FM](https://kwyr.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org): radio, digital #### Woonsocket [Sanborn Weekly Journal](https://www.sanbornjournal.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org): print, digital #### Yankton - [Daily Press & Dakotan](https://www.yankton.net/?ref=sdnewswatch.org): print, digital - [Yankton County Observer](https://www.ycobserver.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org), print - [WNAX-AM/FM](https://wnax.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org): radio, digital - [KYNT-AM](https://www.kynt1450.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org): radio, digital - [KVTK-AM/KVHT-FM](https://kvht.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org): radio, digital ****Join other South Dakotans and support statewide, fact-based news and information.** [Donate ](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/donate/) **Sources:* South Dakota Broadcasters Association, South Dakota NewsMedia Association and original reporting* [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. *Read*, *subscribe* for free and *donate* at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact* CEO Carson Walker: 605-610-9366/* [*carson.walker@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:carson.walker@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Drought adds to pastureland challenges URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-pastureland-challenges/ Last updated: 2026-09-05T09:00:01.000Z South Dakota pastureland values this year – calculated using the average revenue per acre and capitalization rate – increased 15.9% from 2025, driven by record-high cattle prices and limited land availability, according to data from the 2026 SDSU Extension South Dakota Farm Real Estate Survey. Pasturelands are used for the production of forage plants for livestock to graze on, while croplands are used to produce crops for harvest, according to articles published by the Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Department of Agriculture. Cattle feeders are faced with much adversity, citing high heat indexes, low contract levels and short grass, the South Dakota weekly cattle auction summary for the week of July 26 showed. A year ago, the cattle market was more active and had good grazing and weather conditions, according to the cattle auction summary from the week of July 13, 2025\. ****Get free, fact-based South Dakota news and information** in a weekday email. No spam. Cancel any time. [Subscribe ](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/#/portal) The state of South Dakota has an estimated 23 million acres of pastures and grazing land, an article published for SDSU Extension by Matthew Diersen showed. The South Dakota Ag Land Income Tracker – a statistical service published by SDSU Extension that estimates and displays changes in ag land income value, revenue and yields – reported that pastureland rents in 2025 ranged from a low of $6.80 per acre to a high of $73 per acre. As of July, 40% of the United States and Puerto Rico were experiencing drought-like conditions, data from The National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS) reported. Dry conditions have been especially noticeable in the prairie and western regions of the country, the U.S. Drought Monitor showed. An estimated 660,630 South Dakotans are living in drought conditions concentrated in the southern parts of the state, the U.S. drought monitor showed in August. Over the previous three months, the percentage of regions experiencing dry conditions has almost doubled. Eric Jennings, who raises cattle outside of Rapid City, said cool season grasses, which thrive in cooler weather, are not growing as much on his cattle farm, so he's been relying on warm-season grasses to feed his cattle. ## Improvement techniques To improve land conditions and make farming more productive, farmers are turning to new agricultural techniques. Precision agriculture, a developing farming technique, shows promise in boosting productivity and improving land, said Ali Mirzakhani Nafchi, assistant professor and extension specialist at SDSU Extension. According to Nafchi, precision agriculture works by adjusting inputs such as seed, fertilizer and water to maximize overall yield, which in turn, boosts profit. Dave Ollila, a full-time rancher in Newell, South Dakota, about 50 miles north of Rapid City, said another way to improve rangeland is by improving soil health. Rangeland is 80% grass while the other 20% is made up of forbs (a type of plant), shrubs and legumes, he said. According to Ollila, while inconsistent rainfall and other weather challenges are stressing rangelands, increasing rangeland health can make it more resilient and responsive to climate changes. Ollila said healthy land directly correlates with good soil biology. Increasing overall land quality and soil health also boosts productivity. Good techniques include minimizing disturbances, maintaining plant diversity and keeping livestock on the land as a part of the nutrient cycle. "As (farmers and ranchers) approach how to make a life in ranching, they've had to look at what works from the past but what they can do differently to make it more sustainable," Ollila said. [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. *Read*, *subscribe* for free and *donate* at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact:** [*info@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:info@sdnewswatch.org). ### Daktronics part of NBA and SEC inquiry into team and player URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-daktronics-nba-securities-kawhi-leonard-clippers/ Last updated: 2026-09-05T00:00:32.000Z The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and the National Basketball Association have requested information from Brookings-based electronic sign manufacturer Daktronics as part of their ongoing investigations into wrongdoing by player Kawhi Leonard and the Los Angeles Clippers team. The NBA named Daktronics as one of three companies that provided compensation to Leonard that circumvented the Clipper's league-issued salary cap by creating "impermissible endorsement arrangements" which paid Leonard money beyond his contractual salary. In a [35-page report](https://www.wlrk.com/docs/Report%5Fof%5FIndependent%5FInvestigators%5FConcerning%5Fthe%5FLA%5FClippers%5Fand%5FKawhi%5FLeonard.pdf?ref=sdnewswatch.org) written by an independent investigator on behalf of the NBA, the league said it found that the Clippers had "initiated, facilitate and induced" Daktronics and two other companies to pay multi-million endorsement deals to Leonard in order to secure business opportunities with the Clippers. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/09/20241205-110001-165-BRKG-PIX-120524-Daktronics-1-1.jpg) A warehouse at Daktronics in Brookings, S.D, in 2024\. (Photo: Brookings Register) The report notes that Daktronics paid Leonard $8 million and ultimately did win the contract to supply the electronic signage, including a reportedly $100 million "halo board" at the Intuit Dome in LA, where the Clippers play home games. So far, Daktronics has not formally been accused of wrongdoing or lawbreaking, though the company played a major role in the scandal involving Leonard and the Clippers, according to the NBA. The violations of NBA rules – which place limits on how much a team can spend on player payroll – led the league on Sept. 2 to hand down some of the harshest penalties ever issued against a player or team. They included a $30 million fine for the Clippers, a $700,000 fine for Leonard, forfeiture of five future first-round draft picks for the team and suspension of several team officials, including billionaire owner Steve Ballmer. Daktronics, founded in Brookings in 1968, is a "world leader in designing, engineering and manufacturing digital LED display technology and audio systems," according to the company website. The publicly-traded company has 2,700 employees worldwide. ## Daktronics confirms NBA, SEC inquiries Key company officials include president and CEO Ramesh Jayaraman and acting chief financial officer Howard Atkins. Atkins confirmed the company has been asked to provide information about the Clippers/Leonard investigation during a Sept. 2 quarterly earnings call with the SEC, an [archived webcast ](https://edge.media-server.com/mmc/p/gdqtdhos/lan/en/?ref=sdnewswatch.org#Slides%5F6)of which is available at the Daktronics website. "Let me now briefly address a matter that has been in the media concerning the NBA's investigation of Kawhi Leonard and the Clippers, in connection with the league's collective bargaining agreement," Atkins said on the call. ****Get free, fact-based South Dakota news and information** in a weekday email. No spam. Cancel any time. [Subscribe ](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/#/portal) "As you might expect, we have received requests for information from the NBA. Additionally, the Securities and Exchange Commission (is) seeking information from us concerning the company and Mr. Leonard. We take these requests seriously and are cooperating." Daktronics did not respond to multiple requests for comment over the past week. During the SEC earnings call, Atkins said, "At this point, out of respect for the respective processes, we will not be providing further comment." ## NBA report firm in conclusions of wrongdoing Under the scope of its governing laws and rules, the SEC has authority to monitor and investigate financial dealings by professional sports teams. It is not yet clear if any SEC laws were violated by Leonard, the Clippers or Daktronics. However, the NBA said in a Sept. 2 news release that an internal investigation of the matter clearly found that league rules were violated and that strong penalties were warranted. "The LA Clippers and Kawhi Leonard have been penalized for violating the salary cap circumvention rules contained in the league’s Collective Bargaining Agreement with the National Basketball Players Association," according to the statement. "The investigation found a pattern of misconduct and multiple significant rules violations by the Clippers organization, a prior offender of the salary cap circumvention rules." ****Got a story idea, tip or question about something we should look into?** Email at the link below. We won't share your ID without permission. [Send a news tip ](mailto:news@sdnewswatch.org) More specifically, the NBA said the violations included: - Affirmatively initiating off-court income opportunities between Leonard and four companies doing business with the team: Daktronics, Aspiration Partners, Boingo Wireless and Lockton Insurance - Facilitating endorsement agreements between these companies and Leonard - Inducing the companies to enter into these agreements by offering them business from the team - Paying personal expenses on behalf of Leonard and his representatives - Failing to report improper solicitations for off-court income opportunities made on Leonard’s behalf through his former business manager, Dennis Robertson The NBA further stated: "Mr. Leonard, through the conduct of Mr. Robertson on his behalf, violated the circumvention rules by pressuring the Clippers to assist him in obtaining off-court income opportunities, successfully obtaining those opportunities, and failing to reimburse payments by the Clippers for personal expenses." ## Report: Daktronics paid millions to Leonard The NBA investigative report further finds that Daktronics and two other companies by August 2021 had paid Leonard $18 million in a "highly unusual" arrangement. The report refers to the financial agreement as a "spend back" arrangement, "whereby Daktronics would provide some amount of business back to the Clippers, which Daktronics told investigators is not uncommon in its industry." "In May 2020, in a call with a senior executive of Daktronics, a senior Clippers’ executive specified the precise financial terms that the Clippers expected Daktronics to provide to Mr. Leonard in the endorsement agreement: $3 million per year for two years." ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/09/PHOTO_LA-Clippers_Intuit-Dome_Halo_01.jpg) The "halo" signage is shown at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles. (Photo: Daktronics website) The report noted that after prodding from the Clippers, Daktronics later increased the final payment to Leonard by an additional $2 million. "In February of 2021, before the end of the first year of the Daktronics-Leonard endorsement agreement, the same senior Clippers’ executive approached Daktronics again. This time, the Clippers’ executive told Daktronics that, because the team had decided to increase the amount it would spend on the scoreboard, Daktronics should correspondingly increase the amount it would pay to Mr. Leonard. After some negotiation — and again based on its concern that failing to comply could jeopardize its business with the Clippers — Daktronics ultimately agreed to increase its second-year payment to Mr. Leonard by $2 million," the report stated. The scandal first came to light – and prompted the NBA investigation – after reporting by investigative journalist Pablo Torre for his podcast "Pablo Torre Finds Out," for which he recently won a national Edward R. Morrow Award. ## Strong first quarter for Daktronics Other than the references to the NBA and SEC inquiry, the earnings report by Daktronics for its first-quarter of fiscal year 2027 report was mostly positive. "I am proud of our executive team and our employee base as we continue to build the business together," Jayaraman said during the call. According to the report, Daktronics had net sales of $235 million in the first quarter of FY27, a 7.1% increase over the same quarter last year in its five product divisions that include live events, commercial properties, transportation signage, high school sports and international sales. ****Are you doing your part?** South Dakotans need free, fact-based news and information. Help us provide it. [Donate now ](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/donate/) Atkins said that operating income was $24.9 million, a year-over-year increase of 7.2%, while net income of $19.4 million was an 18% jump over first quarter of the prior year. Earnings per share rose 21.2% during first quarter, he said. Highlights from the previous quarter included strengthening executive staffing, completion of a new production plant in Mexico and rollout of Camino 8, a new graphics technology, Atkins said. The only downward trend came in orders in first quarter FY27, which were $192 million, a decrease of 19.6% year-over-year. But Atkins said the company has a backlog of orders valued at more than $311 million and is beginning to receive tariff refunds from the federal government. "It was another great quarter, carrying forward the momentum we had at the end of fiscal '26 into the first quarter with a really good tailwind," Atkins said. [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. *Read*, *subscribe* for free and *donate* at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact* content director Bart Pfankuch:605-937-9398/* [*bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### South Dakota Hall of Fame's location looms large for inductee URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-hall-of-fame-daniel-petereit-2026/ Last updated: 2026-09-04T09:00:08.000Z One priority of the South Dakota Hall of Fame is teaching children that they can achieve success in their home state. And one place that is showcased every year is the upcoming honors ceremony for the class of Hall of Fame inductees. For 2026 inductee Dr. Daniel Petereit, the pull of his home state brought him back, largely because of connections that were planted in childhood, and gave him opportunities to give back to the places and people in the community that is South Dakota. [2026 South Dakota Hall of Fame inductees10 people with backgrounds in health, philanthropy, arts, business, agriculture and more will be honored in the annual ceremony Sept. 11-12 in Chamberlain and Oacoma.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-591ac837-99de-4b20-ab78-46cc9c648d88.jpg)South Dakota News WatchSD News Watch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/SDHoF-Class-2026-2d18635e-5dd3-4761-9689-9cadbbcf7fe2.jpeg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/p/91baa61e-4fc9-46be-a0a9-1361f06f8941/) Petereit is a radiation oncologist at Monument Health in Rapid City who has worked for over 20 years to expand accessible cancer care West River. He grew up near Sioux Falls, where both of his parents worked in health care. His mother was a nurse and his father a radiologist. Petereit said his parents were big motivators in his decision to go into health care. ![Dr. Daniel Petereit, pictured here with his wife, Jean. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/09/Dan-Jean-wedding.JPG) Dr. Daniel Petereit, pictured here with his wife, Jean. (Photo: Daniel Petereit) Petereit's father, Frank, grew up in poverty in Nebraska. He watched his own father drown at the age of 5\. He almost died around the age of 10 when a rope wrapped around his arm almost caused him to bleed to death. After living in the Nebraska Children's Home and with foster families, Frank Petereit graduated high school and was a vacuum cleaner salesman along the I-29 corridor from Omaha to Sioux Falls. At age 22, Frank went to college and medical school with the help of his wife, Iley. "He pulled himself up by the bootstraps, thanks to my mom. He gritted through life, he did well, had a successful career. So that was, you know, very motivating for me," Petereit said. ****Get free, fact-based South Dakota news and information** in a weekday email. No spam. Cancel any time. [Subscribe ](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/#/portal) Petereit's parents eventually relocated near Sioux Falls. Petereit spent much of his time fishing between Fort Thompson and Chamberlain. "My first contact with the Native Americans was fishing below the dam at Fort Thompson, when I was a little kid, like, 'Hm, never really met any Native kids before. I wonder what that's all about.' So seeing a lot of that culture, fishing up there, getting to know some of those kids kind of sparked this interest," Petereit said. ## Moved back to South Dakota After graduating from Augustana University and the USD Sanford School of Medicine, Petereit trained and worked in Wisconsin for 10 years until he moved back to South Dakota in 1999\. Petereit spent a lot of time in the Black Hills growing up. There, he started his radiation oncology clinic in Rapid City. “Wisconsin was fine. I had a great position as a professor in radiation oncology, but I wanted to come back to the community,” he said. > "My dad and I fished on the Chamberlain Bridge area when I-90 was being built. So now, to return to that same site 50 years later, you know, is kind of crazy." > \-- Dr. Daniel Petereit, 2026 South Dakota Hall of Fame inductee Petereit noticed early on that Native American patients were coming to him with higher rates of detectable cancers that were in late stages (3 and 4). Detectable cancers are breast, prostate, cervix, colorectal and lung cancers. Northern Plains American Indians have very high death rates from these detectable cancers, especially lung and cervical cancer, Petereit said. To combat this, Petereit founded Walking Forward in 2002. Walking Forward received National Cancer Institute funding to address cancer disparities among Native Americans. Northern Plains American Indians have the highest incidence and mortality rates in the U.S. for screen-detectable cancers. The program has enrolled over 5,500 Native Americans in clinical trials. Much of the program's focus has been on community education, access to care, early screening and detection. One grant gave patients gas money to get to and from the hospital. Petereit's focus is on staying connected to the community Walking Forward serves. “There’s this thing called helicopter research. People come in, they gather their data, and they leave. Well, we decided we weren't gonna do that. We're gonna be part of the community,” Petereit said. ![Petereit is presented with a Star Quilt with his name embroidered from Whitney](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/09/Whitney-DP-1.jpeg) Petereit is presented with a Star Quilt with his name embroidered from Whitney, a cervical cancer patient he treated from Fort Yates, North Dakota. Whitney was referred to Petereit, and later died as a result of her cancer. (Photo: Daniel Petereit) Walking Forward has evolved since 20o2\. In the past six years, doctors have started screening for lung cancer. Their next focus is cervical cancer screening, which Dr. Keely Ulmer will spearhead as she takes over for Petereit as principal investigator of Walking Forward next year. Petereit said he still plans to be involved as he goes part-time with the project. Petereit will be recognized as a 2026 Hall of Fame inductee at the honors ceremony held in Oacoma and Chamberlain next weekend. "The thing that's ironic is, for me, it all kind of started in Chamberlain in that stretch of the river," Petereit said. "My dad and I fished on the Chamberlain Bridge area when I-90 was being built. So now, to return to that same site 50 years later, you know, is kind of crazy." ## Fundraising efforts to expand programming, facility updates Petereit's story illustrates what Laurie Becvar, CEO of the Hall of Fame, stresses in her promotion of the institution: the importance of teaching children about excellence in their home state. One of the most crucial goals of its current fundraising campaign, which aims to raise $4.5 million, is expanding the Hall's Legends and Learning program. The program provides lesson plans for teachers and after-school programs that fulfill curriculum requirements. It uses stories of real South Dakotans to do so. The Hall has partnered with after-school programs in Mitchell, Rapid City and Sioux Falls, Becvar said. The plans are geared toward fourth, fifth and sixth graders, but can be adjusted for any age level. “The South Dakota Hall of Fame seeks to not only honor and recognize, but distribute the stories of everyday people that strive to build a culture of excellence in South Dakota,” the Hall's website reads. “We are committed to telling their stories, showcasing that even in the humblest of places, greatness can thrive.” ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/09/Laurie-Becvar-2025-Headshot-2-1-1.jpeg) Laurie Becvar (Photo: Courtesy South Dakota Hall of Fame) As of August 2025, about half of the $4.5 million was raised. Since then, over $1 million more has been raised. “We’re inching closer and closer,” Becvar said. Some of the money went into phase 1 fixes for the Hall building, which is located in Chamberlain. The money raised finished a carpeting project, fixed the roof of the building, put in a new air conditioning unit and updated the furnace. Phase 2 projects include fixing the building’s foundation, which will happen in the next year and beyond, Becvar said. ## Induction ceremony program The 2026 honors ceremony is Sept. 11 and 12 in Chamberlain and Oacoma, South Dakota. The weekend begins with an opening ceremony at the South Dakota Hall of Fame Visitor & Education Center in Chamberlain on Friday, which is free. Saturday, Sept. 12 will start with brunch and an inductee panel at the Cedar Shore Resort in Oacoma. “That's always riveting – people wanting to hear for the first time, what the actual inductees have to say about their success and their lives and how they feel about being inducted,” Becvar said of the inductee panel. ****Partner with South Dakota News Watch** and support fact-based news and information. [Donate ](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/donate/) Billy Mills, a 1964 Olympic gold medalist and 1980 inductee of the South Dakota Hall of Fame, is the keynote speaker at the inductee reunion event from 1:30-3 p.m. Saturday. Mills will hold a book signing for his book “Wings of an Eagle” Saturday afternoon. “We use 'Wings of an Eagle' in our legends and learning program, but it's also a great book for anyone to have,” Becvar said. The honors banquet and inductee speeches will start at 5:15 p.m. in Oacoma. Tickets for the weekend events can be purchased by calling (605) 234–4216, emailing info@sdhalloffame.org or by visiting the [Hall of Fame website](https://www.sdhalloffame.org/honors-ceremony?ref=sdnewswatch.org). An online charity auction is open now and closes Sept. 12 at 8:30 p.m. When asked what it means to be included in this year’s South Dakota Hall of Fame inductee class, Petereit said, "My father would have been very happy about that." [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. *Read, subscribe* for free and *donate* at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact* reporter Emily DeCock:* [*emily.decock@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:emily.decock@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### 2026 South Dakota Hall of Fame inductees URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/2026-south-dakota-hall-of-fame-inductees/ Last updated: 2026-09-04T08:55:37.000Z Here are bios of the 10 people being inducted into the South Dakota Hall of Fame in 2026: ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/08/SusanMarieAnderson-2.jpeg) **Dr. Susan Anderson** (1970–2024) grew up on a farm near Canistota and rose to become executive dean of USD Sanford School of Medicine. A champion of rural and underserved communities, she maintained an outreach clinic in her hometown throughout her career. Balancing motherhood with medical training and leadership, she inspired countless students. Her guiding principle said it all: "Be kind, and you can do anything you put your mind to." ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/08/BrianJamesBonde-1.jpeg) **Brian James Bonde** of Sioux Falls is one of only 117 worldwide holding the Advanced Certified Fundraising Executive credential. He has raised over $450 million for nonprofits. He received the National Fundraising Excellence Award from AFP Global and founded Arts South Dakota. A noted speaker and consultant, he also earned both the Sioux Falls Arts Council and the Governor's Lifetime Arts Achievement Awards through 40 years of board service. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/08/H.-Eugene-Hoyme--MD-1.jpeg) **Dr. H. Eugene Hoyme** is a Dell Rapids native, pediatrician and medical geneticist who developed the internationally recognized Hoyme Diagnostic Criteria for fetal alcohol spectrum disorders. He held leadership roles at Stanford University, the University of Arizona and the University of Vermont before returning to South Dakota in 2007, where he co-founded Sanford Children’s Hospital and the first genetic counseling graduate program in the Dakotas. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/08/James-L.-Johnson--PhD-1.jpeg) **James L. Johnson**, a theater educator, spent 30 years at South Dakota State University as director of theatre and Prairie Repertory Theatre, where he directed 105 plays. During his career, Johnson’s dedication shaped careers nationwide, having contact with more than 13,000 students at multiple universities. He championed arts access in rural communities and was one of many instrumental figures in establishing the Oscar Larson Performing Arts Center in Brookings. He retired in 2003 as SDSU distinguished professor emeritus. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/08/John-Jack-NeilKucera-1.jpeg) **John (Jack) Neil Kucera**, born in Deadwood, captained the United States Air Force Academy (USAFA) football team, earning honorable mention all-American honors. Jack built Climatec BTG from seven to 850 employees while also co-founding Huntair and BasX. The Air Force Academy Foundation raised $330 million during his six-year tenure as board chair. As a pilot, he has flown more than 400 charity flights. Kucera and his wife, Vianne, co-chair the capital campaign to renovate the Homestake Opera House in Lead. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/08/PeterLarson-1.jpeg) **Peter Larson** heads the Black Hills Institute, the world’s largest private fossil company, which has been operating from Hill City for over 50 years. Internationally known for work with T. rex specimens Sue and Stan, he has authored over 80 scientific articles, shaped federal fossil collection policy, and built a collaborative community spanning business, academia and government. Larson believes discovery is richer when done together. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/08/MichelleGrossLavallee-1.jpeg) **Michelle Gross Lavallee** is a fourth-generation South Dakotan from Hand County. She held senior leadership roles at NorthWestern Energy, University of South Dakota, Avera McKennan and Raven Industries. As CEO of Children’s Home Society, Lavallee reversed an 80% staff turnover rate and championed a $50 million Rapid City campus. She was the 2018 Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/08/DavidElwoodLust-1.jpeg) **David Ellwood Lust** (1968–2021) was a Rapid City attorney, South Dakota legislator and civic leader who devoted his life to making South Dakota thrive. He served 11 years in the state Legislature, including two terms as House Majority Leader, and was instrumental in founding Elevate Rapid City, which honored him with the David Lust Accelerator Building. He lived by his own creed: give back with generosity and purpose. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/08/MattPaulson-1.jpeg) **Matt Paulson** is the founder and CEO of MarketBeat, the largest digital media company in the Dakotas with more than 6 million subscribers. His venture capital firm, Homegrown Capital, has invested in more than 80 tech companies. Active in the Sioux Falls community, he serves on numerous nonprofit boards. Dakota State University awarded him an Honorary Doctor of Public Service degree in 2024. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/08/Daniel-G.-Petereit--MD-1.jpeg) **Dr. Daniel G. Petereit** is a Sioux Falls native and radiation oncologist at Monument Health in Rapid City. Petereit founded the National Cancer Institute-funded Walking Forward program in 2002 to address cancer disparities among Native Americans. The program has enrolled more than 5,500 Native Americans in clinical trials — the highest nationally — and facilitated more than 2,500 cancer screenings. His work has produced 130 publications and secured $20 million in research funding. [South Dakota Hall of Fame’s location looms large for inducteeDr. Daniel Petereit is 1 of 10 being honored in the Class of 2026: “The thing that’s ironic is, for me, it all kind of started in Chamberlain in that stretch of the river.”![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-db9b4338-17a7-4608-829d-e57f70db513b.jpg)South Dakota News WatchEmily DeCock![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/Dan-HOF-RC-880e5599-d8e3-424e-92aa-507b8432c41d.jpeg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/p/cb8a8cfb-19f2-4d83-9cbc-432dd4e42e34/) [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. *Read*, *subscribe* for free and *donate* at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact:** [*info@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:info@sdnewswatch.org). ### Fact brief: Did any SD ballot issue pass by 60% in past 5 years? URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/fact-brief-south-dakota-ballot-measure-60-percent/ Last updated: 2026-09-03T09:00:13.000Z ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/WhiteFACT-BRIEF--500-x-200-px--2-1-1.png) ## No. Every ballot measure passed in the past five years only passed with a simple majority, and none surpassed 60%. Currently in South Dakota, a simple majority is needed to pass a ballot measure, which is a law, issue or question that appears on a statewide or local ballot for voters of that jurisdiction to decide. If passed, Amendment L, which will appear on the ballot on Nov. 3, would require 60% of the vote to pass constitutional amendments. Four of 13 proposed measures have passed since 2020\. The last ballot measure to pass with over 60% of the vote established a medical marijuana program in South Dakota for individuals with a debilitating medical condition. It passed in 2020 with 70% of the vote. North Dakota and Utah voters will also have the choice to raise the bar for constitutional amendments to 60% in November. ℹ️ This fact brief responds to claims such as [this one](https://www.reddit.com/r/northdakota/comments/1vtvhbl/comment/p4wd47e/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). ### Sources Ballotpedia, [List of South Dakota ballot measures](https://ballotpedia.org/List%5Fof%5FSouth%5FDakota%5Fballot%5Fmeasures?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Ballotpedia, [South Dakota Initiated Measure 26, Medical Marijuana Initiative (2020)](https://ballotpedia.org/South%5FDakota%5FInitiated%5FMeasure%5F26,%5FMedical%5FMarijuana%5FInitiative%5F%282020%29?ref=sdnewswatch.org) National Conference of State Legislatures, [Initiative and Referendum Processes](https://www.ncsl.org/elections-and-campaigns/initiative-and-referendum-processes?ref=sdnewswatch.org) State Court Report, [Constitutional Amendment Processes in the 50 States](https://statecourtreport.org/our-work/analysis-opinion/constitutional-amendment-processes-50-states?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Election Law Blog, [“Some states will ask voters to make it harder to pass constitutional amendments”](https://electionlawblog.org/2026/some-states-will-ask-voters-to-make-it-harder-to-pass-constitutional-amendments/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) ### About fact briefs Fact briefs are bite-sized, well-sourced explanations that offer clear "yes" or "no" answers to questions, confusions and unsupported claims circulating online. They rely on publicly available data and documents, often from the original source. Fact briefs are written and published by South Dakota News Watch as part of the [Gigafact](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) network. Submit a question for us to answer [on the tipline](https://gigafact.org/tipline/south-dakota-news-watch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at*[ *sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact reporter Emily DeCock:* emily.decock@sdnewswatch.org.* ### Explainer: Automatic license plate readers (Flock cameras) URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-explainer-automatic-license-plate-readers-flock-cameras/ Last updated: 2026-09-02T09:00:20.000Z Some local law enforcement agencies in South Dakota are pulling back on the use of Flock cameras, and the state attorney general is drafting legislation that would put limits on their use in the state. The cameras, formally known as automatic license plate readers (ALPR), have drawn the ire of people concerned about privacy, largely because the Flock company shares data about vehicles nationally. The legislation would be the first of its kind in the state. And it would add South Dakota to a small group of states with laws dictating how the ALPR technology can be used by police departments and other organizations. In a conversation with News Watch, Attorney General Marty Jackley, the Republican candidate for U.S. House, compared the potential legislation to the state's prescription drug monitoring program. That program is a state-operated database that tracks the prescription and distribution of controlled substances in the state. ****Join other South Dakotans and support statewide, fact-based news and information.** [Donate ](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/donate/) "We haven't had any abuses of that (prescription drug program), and I think it's because we have strong safeguards in place," Jackley said. But what are automatic license plate readers, and how do they actually affect South Dakotans? News Watch answered a few common questions about the technology: ## What are automatic license plate readers? Automatic license plate readers are forms of technology used most often by law enforcement to identify vehicle makes, models and license plate information. New technology can also identify specific features like toolboxes, bike racks or bumper stickers. [The Department of Homeland Security says](https://www.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/2025-06/25%5F0606%5Fst%5Flprmsr.pdf?ref=sdnewswatch.org) the cameras have been used by law enforcement for "well over two decades." While the ability for cameras to read license plates has been around for some time, the advancement of both artificial intelligence and camera quality has allowed for the widespread, affordable dissemination of the technology, according to DHS. > "I don’t think it’s responsible to be spending more resources on this (until after the Legislature discusses it). The deputies have been spending a lot of time babysitting the cameras. We’ve got cameras on cameras. At what point do you pull back and reevaluate the process here a little bit?" > – Codington County Sheriff Brad Howell Flock Safety, a Georgia-based company that was founded in 2017, is one of the largest providers of the technology. It's also receiving the most criticism because Flock's national database allows for sharing of information among jurisdictions and across state lines. That's different from other companies like Axon, which typically keep data on local servers. Flock says its national database means vehicles that may have been reported stolen in other states or are on national hotlists can be identified across jurisdictional borders. But such data-sharing has raised concerns about federal overreach or security issues, though [the company said last month it ](https://www.flocksafety.com/blog/does-flock-share-data-with-ice?ref=sdnewswatch.org)does not collaborate with federal agencies, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement. "Flock does not share customer data on behalf of customers with any entity, federal or otherwise, without their permission and does not grant access to customer data without a customer’s explicit choice and control," [the company said in a statement](https://www.flocksafety.com/blog/does-flock-share-data-with-ice?ref=sdnewswatch.org). ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/09/Flock_Camera.jpg) A Flock camera in New Jersey. (Photo: Miracle Miles / Wikimedia Commons) "Customers" are the organizations operating the technology, not those being identified by the cameras. DeFlock Dakota, an organizational subsidiary of DeFlock has called the technology a violation of citizens' Fourth Amendment rights, saying "LPRs track every driver, everywhere they go, without suspicion of any crime." The group [held a meeting Aug. 21 in Sioux Falls](https://www.argusleader.com/story/news/crime/2026/08/22/deflock-dakota-holds-first-sioux-falls-meeting-speaks-against-alprs/91422876007/?gnt-cfr=1&gca-cat=p&gca-uir=true&gca-epti=z116363p001850c001850e006500v116363d--30--b--30--&gca-ft=137&gca-ds=sophi&ref=sdnewswatch.org), where dozens of participants expressed concern about the potential uses of what one participant called "malicious technology." ## Are ALPR cameras used in South Dakota? Yes. [Madison became the first city to use the technology](https://www.dakotanewsnow.com/2022/09/01/how-states-first-flock-safety-camera-busted-car-thieves-madison/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) when the city's police department deployed Flock cameras in 2022\. Now, there are 29 cameras in the city. The Sioux Falls Police Department uses 34 Flock cameras around the city, which it began installing in June 2025\. The department formalized a $168,000 contract with the security company in January 2025. ALPRs are also present in other areas around the state, including in Rapid City, where the city's police department currently operates four Axon cameras. DeFlock uses crowdsourced data to identify ALPRs across the country, and [its South Dakota map](https://maps.deflock.org/?lat=44.3796&lng=-100.0870&zoom=6.84&ref=sdnewswatch.org) displays dozens across the state. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/09/DeFlock-camera.png) Blue dots represent ALPR cameras in South Dakota. (Photo: DeFlock) Recently, Aberdeen residents overwhelmingly decried the city's hopes to discuss the use of license plate reader cameras in a city council meeting. A Facebook post from Mayor Travis Schaunaman garnered over a thousand comments as of Aug. 24\. In that post, he asked residents their thoughts on the technology. Schaunaman later clarified that due to the feedback, the Aberdeen City Council would not be going forward with the discussion and that Flock cameras would not be placed in the city. "For Aberdeen, this issue is settled," he said. ****Get free, fact-based South Dakota news and information** in a weekday email. No spam. Cancel any time. [Subscribe ](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/#/portal) Aberdeen is not the only city to pull back its consideration of the technology. All of the Flock cameras in Codington County [have been temporarily removed](https://www.keloland.com/keloland-com-original/codington-county-removes-flock-cameras-after-damage/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) due to vandalism, Codington County Sheriff Brad Howell said during an Aug. 25 commission meeting. Those cameras were placed throughout the county, and mostly assisted in stolen vehicle cases, he said. ## How are Flock cameras used? In some cities across the state, including Sioux Falls and Madison, data from ALPR cameras can only be stored for 30 days under city policy. According to the [Sioux Falls Police Department's Flock Transparency Portal](https://transparency.flocksafety.com/sioux-falls-sd-pd?ref=sdnewswatch.org), the only data that is detected from Flock cameras in the city are license plates and vehicle models. Facial recognition data is not detected and it is prohibited to use data for immigration enforcement, harassment, or intimidation or personal use. The portal also shows that in the past 30 days, SFPD made 464 searches of the Flock camera system and detected 550,146 unique license plates. [In Madison](https://transparency.flocksafety.com/madison-sd-pd-?ref=sdnewswatch.org), there have been 17 searches of the system in the past 30 days and 59,401 unique license plates were detected. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/08/Screenshot-2026-08-27-at-1.48.13---PM.png) An Aug. 27, 2026, screenshot of the Sioux Falls, S.D.'s Flock Transparency Portal, which shows how long data is retained, which hotlists are alerted and how many vehicles the technology has detected. Sioux Falls Chief of Police Jon Thum told News Watch that the city has [also made its policy surrounding the technology public](https://www.siouxfalls.gov/health-safety/police/police-resources/Automated-License-Plate-Readers-ALPRs?ref=sdnewswatch.org), which includes that data cannot be stored for more than 30 days and cannot be used to enforce speeding, red light or parking violations. The technology has assisted in recent cases involving violent crimes in Sioux Falls, including in the arrest of a suspect in a recent shooting case, he said. "In the series of basically 5 minutes of searching and refining and working through this process, we were able to identify the shooter's vehicle. And then within 10 minutes, passing that information onto our patrol officers, we found the vehicle and conducted the necessary follow-up," Thum said. "I mean, this is the efficiency of this piece at work on a case where we likely never would have been able to find that vehicle." On Tuesday, [Jackley also credited ALPRs in the arrest of a suspect](https://atg.sd.gov/OurOffice/Media/pressreleasesdetail.aspx?id=3146&ref=sdnewswatch.org#gsc.tab=0) near Plankinton who abducted a 15-year-old girl, after the state's Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force was notified that Wyoming law enforcement was searching for a vehicle involved in the abduction. "This incident demonstrates how valuable technology can be in protecting the public and assisting officers to locate a vulnerable juvenile and bring her to safety within an hour,” Jackley said in a press release. Thum said that the city intentionally made its policy on the technology public and maintains the Flock Transparency Portal – which is optional for cities to participate in – because of the potential for resident concern. "We wanted to be so palms-up on what we were doing. We want the transparency portal because we already told you we're doing this, and this is one more layer," Thum said. "Our policy regarding the usage of this, we immediately made forward-facing and public. Because that's just part of good implementation of technology, in this regard, is to be transparent about it." But he also said that he would welcome statewide legislation on the technology and understands that not all law enforcement technology is right for every community. "The catalyst for using technology should not be because you're behind or not be because you've had a tragedy, a kidnapping or something like that. It should be because you've found the right way to optimize it for your community, with best practices, and do it in a way to serve the public," Thum said. ## What would a law look like? Jackley told News Watch that while the details of the potential legislation around license plate reading technology hasn't been finalized, he has been in touch with police departments and lawmakers about how it could shape up. Jackley said that there were several components to consider, including data retention policies, questions of access and how to ensure transparency with the public. "I spoke to several chiefs, several sheriffs, states' attorneys and will be addressing it with the state's attorney board," Jackley said. "We've had good conversations about it. I think we both have arrived at the (thought) that safeguards are a good idea to make sure what's happened elsewhere doesn't happen in our state. So when I look at safeguards, my perspective as the state's attorney general, I would only want to see it where the local authorities desire to have that technology as part of public safety." Howell said during the Codington County Commission meeting that his office will wait until legislation is discussed during the 2027 legislative session to decide the fate of Flock cameras in the county. "I don’t think it’s responsible to be spending more resources on this. The deputies have been spending a lot of time babysitting the cameras," Howell said. "We’ve got cameras on cameras. At what point do you pull back and reevaluate the process here a little bit?" What issues are important to you and your community? Help shape our coverage by filling out this short form. Thank you! [Help shape our coverage ](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd6r%5FCT7ucLCFsUy4gjb73U6tJXTOJmGhkSzUn71nh6U5w96A/viewform?usp=header&ref=sdnewswatch.org) Jackley said no specific abuse of ALPRs has yet occurred in South Dakota, but the legislation would be in place to prevent it. In other states, there have been crimes linked to the use of the technology – like in Florida, [where a police officer was recently accused](https://www.dakotanewsnow.com/2026/08/18/officer-accused-misusing-flock-cameras-track-estranged-ex-wife-more-than-700-times-police-say/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) of using Flock camera data more than 700 times to stalk his ex-wife. That's one of several similar cases across the country, which has raised concerns nationwide about citizen safety and the potential for unwanted surveillance. [Legislation in 16 other states](https://www.ncsl.org/technology-and-communication/automated-license-plate-readers-state-statutes?ref=sdnewswatch.org) includes policies as strict as Arkansas, which entirely bans the use of ALPRs for any non-law enforcement entities, and others states that regulate who has access to the data, like Maryland. Jackley said that because of resident concerns about privacy, transparency measures that would allow the public to understand how the system is being used may also be a part of the legislation. "It would be like, what is generally being searched for and how many times? When was it utilized? There is a challenge with that in a sense, though, that there are several companies out there. And because this has really been left to the local jurisdictions, they utilize different companies, and so they have different levels of ability to provide that transparency," Jackley said. [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. *Read*, *subscribe* for free and *donate* at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact* reporter/*[*Report for America*](https://www.reportforamerica.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *corps member Molly Wetsch: 605-531-7382/*[*molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Fact brief: Do SD voters become ‘inactive’ after not casting a ballot for 4 years? URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/fact-brief-south-dakota-voter-registration-inactive/ Last updated: 2026-09-01T09:00:06.000Z # Yes. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/WhiteFACT-BRIEF--500-x-200-px--2-1-1.png) South Dakota voters can be placed in “inactive status” if they go four consecutive years without voting, updating their voter registration information or responding to a confirmation mailing. If they haven’t voted in the previous four years, the voter will be sent a confirmation postcard. If the postcard is not returned within 30 days, the voter's registration will become inactive. If a voter placed in inactive status doesn't cast a ballot by the second general election following the confirmation mailing, their registration will be cancelled. Voters can request an absentee ballot through their local county auditor, and South Dakota law requires eligible voters' ballots to be sent within 48 hours of the request. State law allows voters on the inactive registration list to vote absentee after completing an affirmation of their address. Absentee voting in South Dakota begins on Sept. 18, and the voter registration deadline is Oct. 19. This fact brief responds to claims such as [this one](https://www.reddit.com/r/SouthDakota/comments/1esxzsd/confirm%5Fvoter%5Fregistration/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). ### Sources South Dakota Secretary of State’s Office, [2026 election guide](https://sdsos.gov/elections-voting/upcoming-elections/general-information/2026%20Election%20Information/default.aspx?ref=sdnewswatch.org) South Dakota Secretary of State’s Office, [List of county auditors](https://vip.sdsos.gov/CountyAuditors.aspx?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Dakota News Now, [SD voters encouraged to check voting status ahead of voter list maintenance](https://www.dakotanewsnow.com/2025/06/05/sd-voters-encouraged-check-voting-status-ahead-voter-list-maintenance/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) South Dakota state law, [Forwarding of ballot to voter (12-19-3)](https://sdlegislature.gov/Statutes/12-19-3?ref=sdnewswatch.org); [Address verification request](https://sdlegislature.gov/Statutes/12-4-19?ref=sdnewswatch.org) [(12-4-19.1)](https://sdlegislature.gov/Statutes/12-4-19?ref=sdnewswatch.org); [Cancellation of voter registration](https://sdlegislature.gov/Statutes/12-4-19.4?ref=sdnewswatch.org) [(12-4-19.4)](https://sdlegislature.gov/Statutes/12-4-19.4?ref=sdnewswatch.org); [Affirmation of address by voter in inactive registration file (12-18-7.4).](https://sdlegislature.gov/Statutes/12-18-7.4?ref=sdnewswatch.org) ### About fact briefs Fact briefs are bite-sized, well-sourced explanations that offer clear "yes" or "no" answers to questions, confusions and unsupported claims circulating online. They rely on publicly available data and documents, often from the original source. Fact briefs are written and published by South Dakota News Watch as part of the [Gigafact](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) network. Submit a question for us to answer [on the tipline](https://gigafact.org/tipline/south-dakota-news-watch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at*[ *sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact freelance reporter Michael Klinski:* michael.klinski@sdnewswatch.org.* ### Wells drying up at homes and ranches due to heat and drought URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-water-wells-drying-up-heat-drought/ Last updated: 2026-08-31T15:25:11.000Z CAPUTA, S.D. – Each morning this summer, Gordon and Connie Howie have awoken on their cattle ranch in central Pennington County and turned on the kitchen faucet, unsure if any water will come out. “We can’t do laundry or dishes or take showers other than with a little trickle,” said Connie Howie, 76\. “Other times we have a little water because it seems to come and go.” Like many ranchers and residents in rural areas of western South Dakota, the Howie family relies on a well to provide them with water for their lives and livelihood. > “I’ve lived here my whole life and I’ve never seen it this dry, this hot, this long. We’ve seen some drought, but this is the worst one I can remember, and I’m 77 years old.” – Gordon Howie, Caputa rancher who served in the Legislature from 2009-2011 and ran for governor in 2010 But this year, perhaps the worst in recent memory, many shallow wells are running slow or have gone completely dry, forcing people to go to great lengths and expense to provide clean water for themselves or their livestock. Experts say several consecutive years of limited winter snow pack and a shortage of rainfall have combined with increased consumption of water to cause a decrease in the levels of some underground aquifers that are a main source of water for a large swath of the Black Hills region. The problem is most acute in areas outside the reach of pipes from municipal and rural water systems. [Water hampers growth near Sioux Falls but solution nearAfter turning away numerous projects and potential employers in Dell Rapids, two eastern South Dakota water systems partner on a $170 million expansion to accommodate growth.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-82f12715-be8b-46ee-b553-c436ff84c419.jpg)South Dakota News WatchBart Pfankuch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/2026-6-9-Dell-Rapids-water-main-treatment-plant-1-bb0a0bd2-b516-42e0-8a58-c77cc4f22c76.jpeg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/dell-rapids-water-projects-shared-resources-minnehaha-county/) High heat during the summer of 2026 has exacerbated the problem as people, crops and animals all require more water than usual to survive. “We have a well at the house, but it’s just not keeping up because the aquifer is dry,” said Gordon Howie. “For 20 years you could trust that well 24/7, and it never quit on us, but now it’s not providing enough water for everything we need.” ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/08/2026-08-20-Dry-wells-Howie-feeding-bills-1.jpeg) Gordon Howie inserts bills to pay for fresh water at J&J Asphalt in Rapid City, S.D., on Aug. 20, 2026\. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) The Howies are buying bottled water for drinking and positioning jugs of fresh water throughout the house for daily uses. On a recent day in late August, the couple hauled a trailer to a public-access water station in Rapid City and spent $17 to fill a 1,300-gallon tank they use to keep their 150 Texas longhorn cattle alive on their ranch in Caputa, about 10 miles southeast of Rapid City Regional Airport. “I’ve lived here my whole life and I’ve never seen it this dry, this hot, this long,” said Gordon Howie, who served in the Legislature from 2009-2011 and ran for governor in 2010\. “We’ve seen some drought, but this is the worst one I can remember, and I’m 77 years old.” ## Self-serve water sources aiding those in need All across the plains of western South Dakota, some residents who rely on shallow wells — generally 1,000 feet deep or less — are being forced to find alternative water sources. Some are utilizing a somewhat obscure system of obtaining water in which users insert quarters or bills into a vending machine that triggers a hanging water spout to provide fresh water that is collected in tanks in pickups or on trailers. Such water stations are available in Black Hawk, Deadwood, Piedmont, Rapid City, Spearfish and Sturgis. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/08/2026-08-27-Wells-Black-Hawk-water-station-1.jpeg) The self-serve water stations around the Black Hills region, such as this one in Black Hawk, S.D., on Aug. 26, 2026, are nothing fancy but serve a major purpose for people whose wells run slow or not at all. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) Those self-serve water stations are much busier than usual this summer, particularly in Rapid City, where the spout at J&J Asphalt is the only bulk water available in town and is often accessible only after a long wait. "Everybody is hauling water these days,” said Nick Randall, shop foreman at J&J Asphalt, whose shop and water station are located in an industrial area off Dyess Avenue. Randall said the asphalt company built the water station for its own trucks that use water on paving jobs but decided to make a few extra bucks by selling it through the self-serve system. Until this year, there were three or four places to buy bulk water in Rapid City. But now J&J — which provides water it obtains from the Rapid City municipal system — is the only public-access spigot still flowing. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/08/2026-08-20-Dry-wells-Nick-squinting-1.jpeg) J&J Asphalt shop foreman Nick Randall squints in the hot sun of a 93-degree day on Aug. 20, 2026, at the Rapid City, S.D., company where customers can obtain fresh water through a self-serve system. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) Lately, the long line of trucks and trailers at the spigot has caused some inconvenience for the business, Randall said. “Some days, there’s so many people lined up that we can’t get our own trucks in and out,” he said. Ralph Bifulco, 62, drives his pickup with a water tank in the back to J&J Asphalt every day to spend $7.50 to fill most of the 550-gallon tank with drinkable water. Bifulco lives in the Ashland Heights community southwest of Ellsworth Air Force Base, where soil, surface water and groundwater have been contaminated by toxic chemicals produced by base activities. The area has been declared an Environmental Protection Agency Superfund site. Despite significant cleanup and remedial activities, drinking water wells near the base were found in 2016 to be contaminated with per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), the so-called forever chemicals used in firefighting foam, according to the EPA. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/08/2026-08-20-Dry-wells-old-man-tanker-3-1.jpeg) Amanda Rivera and Ralph Bifulco fill a tank with fresh water at J&J Asphalt in Rapid City, S.D., on Aug. 20, 2026\. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) Bifulco said he needs the water from J&J for all everyday activities. "We've got no clean water for anything," said Bifulco. "If you can't drink it, why would you shower or wash your clothes in it?" ## Water hauler having a busy summer season Many rural residents have clean water delivered by truck, which requires planning and expense. Businesses such as Frontier Water in Rapid City are extremely busy this summer. It uses three trucks to carry up to 2,500 gallons per load to residences and ranches across the Black Hills region. “With all these shallow wells going dry, it’s really boosted my business,” said Darin Klapperich, the owner of Frontier who also ranches northwest of Rapid City. ****Get free, fact-based South Dakota news and information** in a weekday email. No spam. Cancel any time. [Subscribe ](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/#/portal) Klapperich gathers purified fresh water from municipal systems across the Black Hills and delivers it to anyone for any reason. “From swimming pools to hot tubs to cattle to cisterns, if you want to pay the freight, then I’m your man,” he boasts. But this summer, the majority of his runs are to provide drinking water for people and cattle. On arrival, the water is dumped into a cattle tank or a holding tank for household use. At some locations, he fills underground concrete cisterns people use to store water on their properties and occasionally drains the water into a well to fill it part way, Klapperich said. [4 big water projects underway in South DakotaBillions of dollars of construction plans are in the works to provide water to serve South Dakota for generations to come.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-938364af-43ee-4308-aca8-01b5142534bd.jpg)South Dakota News WatchBart Pfankuch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/Lewis---Clark-construction-overhead-cf6840ff-ea61-45b5-b65f-5c534af00a4b.JPG)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/major-south-dakota-water-projects-lewis-clark/) An average household uses about 150 to 200 gallons of water per day, but many rural residents are finding ways to reduce daily usage during the drought, Klapperich said. “If you have a shallow well, you’re kind of in trouble. But it’s been amazing to see all the tricks people are using to conserve water right now,” he said. ## Concerns over long-range aquifer depletion While large, deep-water Black Hills aquifers such as the Madison, Minnelusa, Inyan Kara are lower in volume but still providing sufficient supplies of water, many smaller, shallower aquifers tapped by individual users of the aquifer are dry or getting close. Even some wells that don't go deep enough into the large aquifers could be seeing reduced flows. Mark Anderson, an adjunct geology professor at South Dakota Mines and a former director with the U.S. Geological Survey, said the Black Hills region is in the midst of a precipitation shortage that is preventing underground aquifers from recharging as fast or as much as usual. Combined with the large number of wells being drilled, the lack of rain and snow is causing concern about the long-term ability of aquifers to recharge enough to meet the needs of a growing population, Anderson said. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/08/2026-08-20-Dry-wells-Howie-on-ladder.jpeg) Rancher Gordon Howie of Caputa, S.D. connects his tank to a water hose at J&J Asphalt in Rapid City, S.D., on Aug. 20, 2026, to gather fresh water needed for his cattle. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) As [reported by News Watch](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/black-hills-water-study-missouri-river-pipeline/), that concern was highlighted in a recent USGS study showing that water use within some of the six "sub-aquifers" in the Black Hills is outpacing the rate at which the aquifers are refilling. Anderson, who now serves as a water consultant, said he is working with a client who recently drilled two new wells up to 1,000 feet deep and did not find sufficient water to justify completion of the well. It is unknown if drought or poor location was the cause, but Anderson noted that some monitoring wells around the Black Hills are indicating lower levels in recent years. "When we've had years of successive below average precipitation, wells have demonstrated significant water level decline," Anderson said. “This past year has been remarkable with the warm temperatures in the Black Hills with very little snow or rain.” ## An expensive but necessary project To avoid future dry spells, the Howies plan to drill a new, deeper well to replace the 30-foot well that has run dry. The couple will continue to use a reverse osmosis system in the house to purify the well water for drinking and other uses. Before picking a site for the new well, the couple has hired a “witcher” who will use divining rods in hopes of identifying underground water in a process known as dowsing. [Billions needed to keep South Dakota taps flowingSouth Dakota water systems will increasingly turn to the Missouri River to provide water for future population, agricultural and industrial growth. But plans will require billions of dollars and decades of construction to keep taps flowing freely.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-bbe23e12-edf2-43ea-b084-ec6b94289987.jpg)South Dakota News WatchBart Pfankuch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/2026-3-18-L-C-water-purifier-1-e208c0d9-bb25-4a42-9c2c-e648baf1f7b5.jpeg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-missouri-river-water-pipelines/) Gordon Howie said he expects a sizable bill for the project, with well drilling costing about $100 per foot and possibly a new pump ranging from $20,000 to $50,000\. Until then, he'll continue his twice-weekly water-gathering ritual, positioning his trailer below the J&J spigot, climbing a ladder to connect an extension pipe to the spout, unfurling bills into the payment slot and filling the tank on his trailer. “I let every last dribble go in, because those cattle have got to have water,” he said. [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. *Read*, *subscribe* for free and *donate* at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact* content director Bart Pfankuch:605-937-9398/*[*bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### SD postal problems largely unchanged as Congress weighs legislation URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-postal-service-mail-congress-legislation/ Last updated: 2026-08-30T09:00:58.000Z Nine months after U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds urged the U.S. Postal Service to take action on shoddy postal delivery services in the state, some South Dakotans experiencing long waits are seeing incremental improvements while most regions still lag far behind. The slight improvements are limited to mail sent from elsewhere to some parts of the state, and most outbound mail delivery has gotten worse or not changed at all, according to USPS data. Rounds, a South Dakota Republican who's up for re-election this year, has largely led the charge to reform USPS operations in the state. Beyond the data, he has shared anecdotal evidence indicating the problem is far from solved, even as USPS begins investigating its own performance in South Dakota. ## Legislation would tie postal staff bonuses to delivery times Rounds started his effort in December [when he asked the organization's inspector general, Tammy Hull](https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/rounds-requests-investigation-into-postal-service-issues-in-south-dakota?ref=sdnewswatch.org), to "determine the root cause of mail issues impacting South Dakota." In April, Rounds [confirmed via X](https://x.com/SenatorRounds/status/2042256882136666382?ref=sdnewswatch.org) that representatives from the inspector general's office were in South Dakota to investigate the delivery service in the state. In June, he asked South Dakotans to send their complaints with USPS to the inspector general's office. And this month, Rounds sponsored the [USPS Executive Benefit and Bonus Removal Act](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/5373/text?ref=sdnewswatch.org), which passed a hearing with the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee and will now head to the Senate floor. That legislation would prohibit bonuses for high-level postal service staff as long as issues with delivery continue. “The (Office of the Inspector General) reiterated to my team and to me that they had to do this investigation (in South Dakota) clandestinely. If Postal Service leaders caught wind of where OIG representatives were going to be on which days, they could try to manipulate the results. Turns out, they were correct,” Rounds said in a speech on the Senate floor earlier this month. “As soon as it was announced that the OIG team would be heading to South Dakota, my team heard from local post office employees that they were being asked to hide piles of mail.” In July, USPS petitioned for a waiver to raise rates early next year, which was [shot down by the Postal Regulatory Commission](https://prc.arkcase.com/api/prc-dockets/filing/downloadFile?fileId=256225&inline=true&ref=sdnewswatch.org). The postal service asked for the waiver in order to "transition to a January rate change cycle in 2027 in a financially responsible manner." In response, the commission said that it "recognizes the Postal Service's challenging financial situation," but the request "creates a situation where the risk of overestimating rate authority is a financial burden on households and businesses." The USPS did not respond to a request seeking comment. "Over the past year or so, my team has heard from thousands of South Dakotans expressing their frustrations and frankly, anger, with poor mail delivery in our state," Rounds said on the Senate floor. ## Service improves in some regions, stays stagnant in others Reporting from News Watch in June showed that newspaper publishers across the state struggled with both the cost and speed of their paper's delivery to subscribers, which often disproportionately affected small-town papers. The same was true for regular mail delivery to areas in rural South Dakota, as packages made circuitous journeys across the United States that, in some cases, take multiple weeks. Don Ravellette, who publishes newspapers in Philip, told News Watch in June that he feels like decisions are being made at the national level that aren't considering the needs of rural America. "They just won't listen. They just won't," he said. [‘They just won’t listen:’ Rural SD’s USPS frustrations growPostal service tries to modernize but has significantly hindered day-to-day life and operations.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-1330163c-e98f-4f15-9038-1a34af39e030.jpg)South Dakota News WatchMolly Wetsch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/postbox-1-636ca48d-2697-4991-9ccb-d037634c46c7.JPG)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/usps-postal-delays-newspaper-delivery/) The [U.S. Postal Service tracks its on-time](https://spm.usps.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org#/main) inbound and outbound delivery stats for certain types of mail for every ZIP code in the country, tracking by week, month, quarter and year. In June, that data showed that rural South Dakota ZIP codes saw staggeringly slower delivery rates of newspapers than the more urban eastern portion of the state. The percentage of inbound periodicals delivered on time improved or stayed the same in Q3 for nearly every ZIP3 region in the state, except for the 577 ZIP3 region in the far west, which saw a decrease from 80% to 78% on-time delivery. Outbound delivery also saw slight improvement or relatively similar rates in most regions. But ZIP3 regions 577 and 570 saw significant decreases in on-time delivery. In the 570 ZIP3 code, 76% of periodicals arrived on time from April 1 to June 30, compared to 85% in the first part of the year. The average days it takes to deliver periodicals – both in- and out-bound – remain relatively high, especially in central and northern South Dakota, where times reach as long as 5.4 days in the 574 region. In June, South Dakota NewsMedia Association executive director Dave Bordewyk told News Watch that several newspapers in the state are struggling with retaining subscribers amidst longer delivery times. He said subscribers expect to receive papers when the news is still current. "All the newspapers mail us copies of their paper to the (SDNA) office here in Brookings," Bordewyk said. "One-hundred newspapers are sending them to us. It used to be by the end of the week, by Friday – because most weeklies would be printing and mailing on a Tuesday or Wednesday – we would see more than 90% of the newspapers. Today, by Friday, less than half of them are showing up." [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. *Read*, *subscribe* for free and *donate* at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact* reporter/*[*Report for America*](https://www.reportforamerica.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *corps member Molly Wetsch: 605-531-7382/*[*molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Hutterites' agricultural contributions in South Dakota URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-hutterites-agriculture-manufacturing-farming/ Last updated: 2026-08-28T09:05:01.000Z SPRING VALLEY COLONY, S.D. – Down a dirt road about 20 miles from Wessington Springs sits Spring Valley Colony. Though it has fewer than 150 people, the colony actively contributes to two major industries: agriculture and manufacturing. Spring Valley is one of more than 60 colonies in South Dakota, which has the largest Hutterite population in the U.S. And Hutterites make up about 10% of the state's farming population. [Q&A: Hutterites in South DakotaA look inside the state’s second-oldest colony, the history of Hutterites and their communal ways of living.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-3b03918e-59b2-4ee7-b25b-585442890e9b.jpg)South Dakota News WatchElena Tittel![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/houses-at-wolf-creek-colony-3952dc89-bec2-47cb-bd83-d92f5d766c14.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/p/1e4c1d60-7363-4609-9860-c61ae2c4b02b/) Though specific numbers are not available on how much of South Dakota's $6.2 billion value-added agriculture industry can be attributed to the Hutteries, the colonies do play an instrumental role and fully embrace modern farming technology, unlike the Amish. Hutterites contribute livestock like turkey and beef as well as feed grains and fresh vegetables. ## Major poultry producers George Stahl, who has been Spring Valley Colony's minister for more than 30 years, has lived here his entire life. "I wouldn't live any other place," he said. Spring Valley Colony's turkey farm has three turkey barns. Stahl said that each barn houses approximately 15,000 turkeys. Each barn has the turkeys in a different stage. When the turkeys get shipped, they weigh around 50 pounds each, he said. [According to South Dakota Poultry Industries Association](https://southdakotapoultry.org/facts/?ref=sdnewswatch.org), Hutterite colonies are the top producers of turkey in the state of South Dakota, with an average of 5 million turkeys a year. Data from the South Dakota Governor's Office of Economic Development showed that in 2024, 128.5 million pounds of poultry were produced in the state with a value of $72.1 million. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/07/dakota-provisions.jpg) Dakota Provisions, a massive meat processing facility located in Huron, S.D., pictured July 17, 2026\. (Photo: Elena Tittel/SD News Watch) Huron is home to Hutterite-owned Dakota Provisions, a meat processing facility. Many Hutterite colonies, including Spring Valley, ship their turkeys to Dakota Provisions. [According to Dakota Provisions' website](https://dakotaprovisions.com/about-us/?ref=sdnewswatch.org), farming families have invested over $120 million in cutting-edge turkey production facilities. The business started in 2004 with 44 independent growers. Now, they produce more than 200 million pounds of product annually, its website states. Dakota Provisions declined an interview request. ****Get free, fact-based South Dakota news and information** in a weekday email. No spam. Cancel any time. [Subscribe ](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/#/portal) Other livestock contributions include hogs and beef, Stahl said. At Spring Valley, the colony's beef cattle are sold to live auctions in Mitchell, and hogs are sold to packing plants. ## Farm-to-table Farmer-raised products from colonies are not just sold to large companies. They can also be found at local farmers markets. At the summertime Wessington Springs Farmers Market, George's wife and head seamstress Becky Stahl sells a range of pickled vegetables, from beets to spicy pickles for $8 a quart. They also sell dairy and meat products, with a "big hit" being fresh turkey wraps with crispy bacon. Women ages 15 to 45 on the colony take turns picking fruits and vegetables from the garden, George Stahl said. Becky Stahl said food and meal preparation is taken very seriously at Spring Valley Colony. Each week, there are 12-15 rotating female cooks who work from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. preparing and serving food to the colony. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/07/spring-valley-dining-room.jpg) Inside Spring Valley Colony's dining hall, pictured July 17, 2026\. (Photo: Elena Tittel/SD News Watch) Depending on the time of year, dishes range from turkey cutlets and potatoes to beef with fresh vegetables. Eating practices are similar at other colonies, too. At Wolf Creek Colony, located about 10 miles outside of Freeman, most of the food for meals comes directly from the colony's grounds. Large quantities of produce such as vegetables are picked directly from the garden, stored and later prepared to serve. According to one woman who lives on Wolf Creek Colony, there are currently about 500 quarts of green string beans in storage. ## Manufacturing industry contributions on the rise Agriculture is not the only industry Hutterites contribute to. Colonies have begun expanding into the manufacturing business, producing products like steel, foam and prefab. For example, CR Foam, founded in 2016 and located on Spring Valley Colony, currently serves 11 states: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/07/IMG_1285-1.jpeg) A picture of the inside of CR Foam, located in Wessington Springs, S.D., pictured July 17, 2026 (Photo: Elena Tittel/SD News Watch) With a handful of small foam balls in his hand, Stahl said that the tiny pieces expand like popcorn once they move through a blower system. After three weeks of storage, the foam is shipped for use in various construction purposes such as wall insulation, Stahl said. The many contributions of Hutterites communities are what make them instrumental to South Dakota's economy. "They're a very vital part of our community, and they're very diverse," said Mayor of Huron, Mark Robish. [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. *Read*, *subscribe* for free and *donate* at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Elena Tittel's* internship was funded with support from the Nonprofit Newsroom Internship Program created by The Scripps Howard Fund and the Institute for Nonprofit News. *Contact:** [*elena.tittel@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:elena.tittel@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Q&A: Hutterites in South Dakota URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/hutterites-south-dakota-lifestyle-culture/ Last updated: 2026-08-28T09:00:56.000Z WOLF CREEK COLONY, S.D. – South Dakota has more than 60 Hutterite colonies with more than 7,000 members, making it the state with the largest Hutterite population. Here are details of their lifestyle gleaned from interviews and a daylong tour of Wolf Creek, the second-oldest colony in South Dakota, located 10 miles west of Freeman. ### Who are the Hutterites? Hutterites are a branch of the [Anabaptist movement](https://www.britannica.com/topic/Hutterites?ref=sdnewswatch.org) that took place during the 16th century Protestant Reformation. Marnette Hofer, executive director and archivist at Heritage Hall Museum and Archives in Freeman, said Hutterites migrated to North America in the 1870s from central and eastern Europe to flee religious persecution. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/07/IMG_1219.jpg) The Heritage Hall Museum & Archives, located in Freeman, S.D., displays the history of Freeman. A portion of their museum tell the stories of Hutterites, pictured July 13, 2026\. (Photo: Elena Tittel/South Dakota News Watch) The Hutterian Brethren, commonly referred to as Hutterites, came to South Dakota in 1874 and[ formed three groups](https://hutterites.org/the-leut/origins-leut/?ref=sdnewswatch.org): the Schmiedeleut (Bon Homme Colony, founded 1874), the Dariusleut (Wolfcreek Colony, founded 1875) and the Leherleut (Elm Spring Colony, founded 1877). ### Where are Hutterites located in South Dakota? South Dakota has the highest Hutterite population of any state in the U.S,[ a fact brief published by News Watch reported.](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/fact-brief-south-dakota-hutterite-population-united-states/) Currently, there are more than 60 colonies with a population of over 7,000 spread across the eastern part of the state. ### What exactly is a Hutterite colony? Of the approximately 1,200 Hutterites who arrived in North America, one-third decided to live communally. Hofer said the other two-thirds that arrived became Prairieleuts and rejected communal living, instead choosing to live on individual homesteads and private family farms. Norman Hofer, a retired farmer living in Freeman and Hutterite expert, said even after several hundred years, those living on colonies still practice a communal lifestyle. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/08/norman-2-1-1.jpg) Norman Hofer, pictured on Aug. 4, 2026, has deep-rooted Hutterite ancestry. (Photo: Elena Tittel/South Dakota News Watch) He has distant family members who lived on Hutterite colonies and said communal living means that there is no private ownership. Instead, the group owns everything, meaning colony members do not have to worry about financial burdens such as insurance, for example. "You are provided for your entire life because you don’t own anything and are taken care of from the time you are born to the day you die," Norman Hofer said. ### What happens if a colony gets too big? Marnette Hofer said colonies can have upwards of 150 adults and children. If a colony gets too big, it splits off into a daughter colony. ### How are Hutterites different from the Amish? Rod Janzen, a professor at Fresno Pacific University who has previously studied Hutterites, said they are separate from the Amish. Whereas Hutterites have more German ancestry, Amish tend to have more Swiss ancestry. ****Get free, fact-based South Dakota news and information** in a weekday email. No spam. Cancel any time. [Subscribe ](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/#/portal) Janzen said that the Amish arrived first and settled into more populated areas such as Pennsylvania. Hutterites, on the other hand, do not live in heavily populated areas and settled throughout the Midwest. Additionally, Hutterites tend to embrace modern technology more than the Amish do. Many Hutterites have phones, and some even use social media, according to the tour guide. ### What religion do Hutterites follow? Hutterites are Anabaptists – a branch of Christianity. According to the Hutterian Brethren's official website, common beliefs among Hutterites include separation of church and state and pacifism. What largely distinguishes anabaptists from some other Christians are their views on infant baptism. Historically, Catholics and many Protestants practice infant baptism, believing it removes original sin and makes them a child of God early on. Anabaptists, like many other church denominations, instead believe baptism should be a conscious choice someone makes to dedicate their lives to Jesus, according to the tour guide at Wolf Creek Colony. ### How is religion incorporated into the Hutterite lifestyle? George Stahl, the minister of Spring Valley Colony located outside of Wessington Springs, said religion plays a large role in Hutterite communities. "We follow the New Testament, but we go one step further by having all things in common," he said. Stahl said this belief comes from Act 2:44 of the New Testament that says all believers were together and had everything in common. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/08/church.jpg) Inside Wolf Creek Colony's church, pictured Aug. 4, 2026\. (Picture: Elena Tittel/South Dakota News Watch) The tour guide at Wolf Creek said weekday services are held from 6-6:30 p.m. every day and Sunday services are held from 9:30-9:45 a.m. Children ages 5 to 15 also attend Sunday school from 2-3 p.m. ### How does marriage work within Hutterite colonies? Hutterites cannot marry until they are baptized. At Wolf Creek, people are typically baptized between the ages of 18 to 25, the tour guide said. If the bride's fiancé lives on another colony, she moves to his colony once they are married. ### What do Hutterite weddings look like? According to one mom on Wolf Creek Colony, who requested anonymity for privacy reasons, one wedding tradition is that the bride sews her own dresses and the groom's shirt. Sewing clothing is one responsibility of women on colonies, she said. When women get married, they get a new sewing machine. Two of her girls are getting married soon, she said. Both of them made sequined dresses that only took them about a week – a record amount of time. "I can't wait to get a new sewing machine," one of her daughters said, laughing. At the engagement party – called an "Aufred Hulba" – the groom visits the bride's colony to publicly ask the bride's parents for her hand in marriage. The wedding itself, however, always takes place at the groom's colony. Only people who are baptized are allowed to attend, with the exception of immediate family members. ### Do Hutterites go to school? Yes. Hutterite schools are accredited public schools in South Dakota, according to the South Dakota Board of Education's enrollment census. Teachers are hired from the nearest local school district. Wolf Creek Colony, for example, is affiliated with the Freeman Public School system. The tour guide said preschool on Wolf Creek is for children ages 2-1/2 through 5 and takes place during the summer. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/08/wolf-creek-colony-preschool-1.jpg) Wolf Creek Colony's preschool on Aug. 4, 2026\. (Photo: Elena Tittel/South Dakota News Watch) Hutterites do not go to school past eighth grade because they are considered adults at age 15, she said. ### What languages do Hutterites learn and speak? Hutterites speak Hutterisch, a German dialect, according to Norman Hofer. They also learn standard German and English in school. ### Do Hutterites work? According to the tour guide, Hutterites start working once they finish schooling. Roles on colonies are traditional. Women are in charge of sewing clothes, cooking and cleaning, whereas men are in charge of tasks requiring physical labor. ### May Hutterites buy things? Depending on the colony, they may. But Hutterites do not have large allowances because revenue is shared collectively and not kept individually. Stahl said sometimes they order jeans, rather than sewing them. ### What do meals look like on Hutterite colonies? Hutterites have three communal meals: breakfast, dinner (lunch) and supper. Adults sit in one room to eat and children sit in another. Every week at Wolf Creek, there are two cooks who are women ages 17 to 45\. One serves as a hot cook, and the other serves as a cold cook. Hot cooks prepare warm dishes such as meats and soups, whereas cold cooks prepare cold side dishes such as vegetables and garden produce. Week-to-week, dinners typically are the same but produce can vary depending on the season. For example, Tuesdays are typically turkey cutlets, Wednesdays are typically pork, Thursdays are typically beef and Fridays are typically chicken. Suppers, on the other hand, are more variable. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/08/dinner.jpg) Fresh turkey cutlets, potatoes and beets served for dinner Aug. 4, 2026, at Wolf Creek Colony, S.D. (Photo: Elena Tittel/South Dakota News Watch) The tour guide said her favorite meal for dinner is turkey cutlets with a side of fresh beets and potatoes. ### Where do they store their food? Hutterites have many places to store their food. Some food gets stored in bulk to last them through the winter. For example, the tour guide said they currently have 500 quarts of green string beans. By the end of the summer, they will have 600 quarts. ### Do Hutterites grow their own food? Typically, yes. Most produce is raised on site and maintained by colony members in charge of gardening. Crops vary depending on the season. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/08/garden.jpg) Many different fruits, vegetables and flowers are grown in the garden at Wolf Creek Colony, pictured Aug. 4, 2026\. (Photo: Elena Tittel/South Dakota News Watch) ### Do Hutterites raise livestock? Hutterites carry livestock, but not every colony raises the same livestock. At Wolf Creek Colony, for example, they raise ducks and chickens. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/08/ducks.jpg) A large flock of ducks at Wolf Creek Colony, pictured Aug. 4, 2026\. (Photo: Elena Tittel/South Dakota News Watch) They used to have turkeys, but after a massive flood in 2019, they no longer have any. Other colonies such as Spring Valley Colony have massive turkey barns and supply poultry to companies and local farms. Many colonies are large hog and beef producers, too. ### What farming techniques do Hutterites use? Norman Hofer said that Hutterites living on Wolf Creek have up-to-date farming equipment and technology, such as the newest farm trucks with GPS systems. Farming technology can vary from colony-to-colony, but Hutterites historically have embraced newer farming equipment. ### How do Hutterites contribute to South Dakota's economy? Hutterites actively contribute to South Dakota's agricultural and manufacturing industries. Jerome Decker, director of operations at WC Processors in Freeman, said the company began about 10 years ago as a way to increase productivity and mitigate costliness. [Hutterites’ agricultural contributions in South DakotaMaking up 10% of the farming population, the state’s colonies play a large role in the state’s agricultural and manufacturing industries.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-1c767d86-9afa-4162-8232-7daed47b8304.jpg)South Dakota News WatchElena Tittel![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/food-da6928d1-4756-4992-aae4-515d9e935338.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/p/84d630c3-489f-455e-8de6-175a93cacdb3/) "What we decided to do was do a small scale, solid brushing facility, and there was a lot of trial and error involved in getting just the right process that worked for us, and have the quality product that we actually needed, could use and utilize," Decker said. Now, they provide lots of feed meal to local farmers, he said. ### Are you allowed to leave the colony for good? Yes. But it is not always looked well upon, according to Norman Hofer. ### Can anyone join a colony? According to the official Hutterian Brethren website, outsiders can technically join a colony. However, this is quite rare. [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. *Read*, *subscribe* for free and *donate* at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Elena Tittel's* internship was funded with support from the Nonprofit Newsroom Internship Program created by The Scripps Howard Fund and the Institute for Nonprofit News. *Contact:** [*elena.tittel@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:elena.tittel@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Fact brief: Do people who make over $500K per year qualify for Affordable Care Act subsidies? URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/fact-brief-affordable-care-act-subsidies-income-requirements/ Last updated: 2026-08-27T09:00:01.000Z ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/WhiteFACT-BRIEF--500-x-200-px--2-1-1.png) ## No. Individuals and households that make over $500,000 per year are no longer eligible for subsidies under the Affordable Care Act. Until it expired in December 2025, temporary legislation removed income caps for who qualifies for subsidies. The American Rescue Plan, a stimulus law signed in 2021 by former President Joe Biden in response to the COVID pandemic, removed the income cap, but the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 extended the enhanced subsidies until 2025\. It also ensured that enrollees paid no more than 8.5% of their household income toward coverage. Standard subsidy rules returned when Congress did not extend the enhancements at the end of 2025\. Only households that make 100-400% of the federal poverty line qualify for subsidies. The poverty line for a family of four in 2026 is $33,000. In 2026, a family of four is not eligible for subsidies if its household income is over $132,000. ℹ️ This fact brief responds to claims such as [this one](https://youtu.be/VPCPouECxKo?si=1UoX9B-omT5G-lSi&t=117&ref=sdnewswatch.org). ### Sources Congress.gov, [Enhanced Premium Tax Credit and 2026 Exchange Premiums: Frequently Asked Questions](https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/R48290?ref=sdnewswatch.org) ICT Health insurance, [ACA Subsidy Cliff 2026: How the Return Could Impact Your Health Insurance Premiums](https://ictinsurance.com/aca-subsidy-cliff-2026/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) HealthCare.gov, [Federal poverty level (FPL)](https://www.healthcare.gov/glossary/federal-poverty-level-fpl/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) ### About fact briefs Fact briefs are bite-sized, well-sourced explanations that offer clear "yes" or "no" answers to questions, confusions and unsupported claims circulating online. They rely on publicly available data and documents, often from the original source. Fact briefs are written and published by South Dakota News Watch as part of the [Gigafact](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) network. Submit a question for us to answer [on the tipline](https://gigafact.org/tipline/south-dakota-news-watch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at*[ *sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact reporter Emily DeCock:* emily.decock@sdnewswatch.org.* ### How donors in De Smet are bringing big projects to little town on the prairie URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-de-smet-history-laura-ingalls-wilder-legacy/ Last updated: 2026-08-26T13:41:20.000Z DE SMET, S.D. – Even though it happened more than a decade ago, Rita Anderson can still recall the worry she felt as all her hard work, planning and fundraising to build a community and event center in De Smet appeared to be fizzling out at the very last minute. Anderson was the director of the De Smet Economic Development Corp. (EDC) in 2013 and had raised most of the money in private local donations to pay for the building that would include a senior center, theater, kitchen, workout room, meeting spaces and a new lighted high school football field outside. But while local donors had given their full-throated support — and opened their wallets to back it up — Anderson’s efforts had come up just a bit short the day the De Smet City Council was meeting to consider approving the project. ****Get free, fact-based South Dakota news and information** in a weekday email. No spam. Cancel any time. [Subscribe ](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/#/portal) Questions had arisen on social media about the need for the project and its cost, even though no taxpayer dollars were allocated, and some council members were reluctant to approve the $3.8 million project. “After the initial bids came in $1 million higher than expected, the council gave us a month and said, ‘If you don’t have every cent raised, we’re not going to approve it.' And they were serious,” Anderson recalled. "And on the final day, we were about $17,000 short.” ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/07/2026-06-11-De-Smet-Rita-Anderson-standing-1.jpeg) Rita Anderson examines the view of the football field from inside the De Smet Event & Wellness Center on June 11, 2026, in De Smet, S.D. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) That day, the owner of Warne's Appliance store called Anderson and promised to chip in $10,000 more. And just as the council was about to vote, local cattle rancher and attorney Todd Wilkinson stood up and said his family would cover the final $7,000. “They had to approve it then,” Anderson said in early June as she sat within the event center that was finished in 2015\. “We were so excited, we were screaming and jumping up and down.” ## A pattern of giving fuels local growth If Anderson had any questions about the devotion of residents and business owners to the continued growth and improvement of De Smet, they were answered that day. And they’ve been answered many times since, to the tune of more than $15 million in private donations raised over the past 15 years for medical, cultural and beautification projects in the town of 1,100 people. “The passion people feel here is really remarkable,” Anderson said of the central South Dakota place best known as a haven for hunters and the one-time home of famed children’s author Laura Ingalls Wilder. “There’s always been a feeling in De Smet that if you’re going to do anything, you’re going to go over the top and make it better than any other community around.” So far, the event center project has cost about $5 million, all paid with donations except for $100,000 from a federal grant and another $400,000 in city tax money, Anderson said. The city also pays up to $90,000 in annual operational costs, with the remaining expenses to run the facility funded through usage fees, she said. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/07/2026-06-11-De-Smet-wellness-center-1.jpeg) Donated funds paid for a majority of the price tag for the De Smet Wellness Center, shown in De Smet, S.D., on June 11, 2026\. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) During initial fundraising, more than 1,400 individual donations were made and almost all were matched by local company Lyle Signs, Anderson said. Donors of $1,000 or more were feted with their names on a leaf within a giving tree display in the event center. Anderson recalls how one local family wanted to be part of the project so badly that it sent in $25 a month, sometimes in coins over a period of three years. "They were living on the margins, but they had such family pride that they wanted their name up there," Anderson said. "That was one of the most touching stories." With the success of the event center project in hand, city development officials began another fundraising project that has shown great success in remaking the downtown of De Smet as a cultural, dining and historical hub for locals and tourists. ****Support stories about rural South Dakota with a tax-deductible donation.** [Donate ](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/donate/) Using the recommendations from community surveys within a long-range master plan developed in 2019, the Beautiful De Smet Committee was formed to undertake fundraising needed to support a wide range of projects aimed at remaking downtown De Smet. The group saw an opening for upgrades when the town decided it would dig up and rebuild underground utilities and the pavement on Main Street in downtown, said Grace Aughebaugh, now the director of the De Smet EDC. "It's all to create a gathering space for tourists and for locals," she said. "It’s all aimed at getting people downtown to spend money at our local businesses." ## A gateway to downtown businesses Main Street runs north off U.S. Highway 14, the main east-south corridor through central South Dakota, including Kingsbury County, so care was taken to encourage people to not just pass through but to stop and spend some time in downtown De Smet. One idea was to build an arch over Main Street that was large enough and high enough that travelers on U.S. 14 could see it and recognize that a vibrant downtown was only one turn away, Aughenbaugh said. The welcome arch, with LED lights that can change color and match lights installed atop most Main Street businesses, was christened at the Old Settlers Days celebration in June. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/07/2026-06-11-De-Smet-Grace-Aughenbaugh-archway-1.jpeg) Grace Aughenbaugh, director of the De Smet Economic Development Corp., on June 11, 2026, under the new welcome arch paid for with donations in downtown De Smet, S.D. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) Downtown is now home to way-finding kiosks that promote walking tourism, hanging flower baskets and a sculpture trail with some pieces of art drawn from the history of Ingalls Wilder or the characters in her books. The project also includes benches, bike racks and security cameras. Another effort already underway is to build a system of trails from downtown that lead to Big Slough and Silver Lake, both water bodies featured prominently in books written by Ingalls Wilder. The trail will lead to a large observation tower, and eventually could extend 5 miles to the south to connect with Lake Thompson, a popular fishing and recreational lake. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/07/2026-06-11-De-Smet-Historic-school-with-LIW-statue-1.jpeg) Some of the donations collected to beautify De Smet, S.D., on June 11, 2026, that attempt to highlight the history of author Laura Ingalls Wilder, whose statute sits out front of a historic school she attended. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) The proposed tower has its own unique story. De Smet participated in an annual architectural competition run by the French firm Buildner, which resulted in a winning design by American architect Jordan Paul Scheuermann that features a series of round viewing platforms accessible by a swirling pathway. The project has yet to obtain funding. ## Donor gives back big to hometown projects A number of local businesses and individuals have played key roles in supporting the continued growth and development in De Smet, including Lyle Signs, American Bank & Trust, De Smet Farm Mutual, DesCo Manufacturing, Midstate Agronomy, Legend Seeds and Maynard's grocery. But perhaps no one has stepped up to help remake and strengthen De Smet as much as Greg Carmon. Carmon, 72, grew up on his family's ranch outside De Smet but left town then grew a highly successful business – Midwest Railcar Repair in Brandon, S.D., a national leader in painting and repair of rail cars that has 175 employees. Now a semi-retired philanthropist, Carmon was a founding board member of the Build Dakota Scholarship program and has aided the Special Olympics and United Way as well as numerous organizations and projects in Brandon and Sioux Falls. But Carmon has always retained a love for the town where he grew up, and his contributions – both financial and in terms of idea-generation – have helped expand the local hospital, build the event center and beautify the city and its downtown. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/07/2026-06-11-De-Smet-sculpture-walk-bulldog-1.jpeg) The new sculpture walk in downtown De Smet, S.D., shown June 11, 2026, includes a bulldog representing the family dog owned by Laura Ingalls Wilder as a girl. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) Carmon couldn't pinpoint exactly what has driven all the donations to projects in De Smet, but he said the city's frontier history and modern economy, schools and cultural connections create inspiration to help make De Smet even stronger. "People are always thinking outside the box, everybody has pride and they care and they want De Smet to do better, and be better, and that kind of gets infectious," Carmon told News Watch. Aughenbaugh said Carmon's role in local projects goes well beyond providing funding. "He’s not only a donor, but he’s been in the meetings and has been there to help make decisions," she said. "He truly has been along for the ride and been a huge help in keeping things going." ## Wild about Wilder while pursuing other paths According to [prior reporting](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/kingsbury-county-desmet-agriculture-facilities-gen-net-zero-dairy-hog-farm/) by News Watch, De Smet capitalizes all it can on the historic links to Ingalls Wilder but also expects to see greater growth in the coming years due to new industrial, commercial and agricultural expansion. To plan ahead, the De Smet EDC recently commissioned a housing study through Augustana University in Sioux Falls, which it hopes will provide a blueprint to generate housing for new residents. The city is already seeing some new housing growth with the recent development of new homes constructed in the Wilder Pass development on the western edge of De Smet and in Calumet Townhomes, a series of duplexes that will in total add 14 new housing units on the south side of the city. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/07/2026-06-11-De-Smet-wetland-site-1.jpeg) A plan under consideration would add a walkway and viewing tower at this wetlands site, shown June 11, 2026, at De Smet, S.D., that includes Silver Lake, which was written about by Laura Ingalls Wilder. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) De Smet has a well-populated industrial park with employers that include companies that produce traffic signage, bases for casino games, syringes for diabetic patients and equipment for oil fields. The industrial park draws 300 commuters each day to De Smet, Aughenbaugh said. Not far to the west, in Manchester, S.D., Riverview LLC is developing a $191 million dairy operation that will be the largest in the state. Anderson said she and others are lobbying state lawmakers to offer a bill designating the entire area at the Laura Ingalls Wilder State Park. She is also pushing the concept of the Legendary Highway 14 Tower Trail project, which would create a bicycle trail following U.S. 14 on its entire east-west path across the state. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/07/2026-06-11-De-Smet-New-wilderness-trail-1.jpeg) The first leg of a new community trail, shown June 11, 2026, is complete in De Smet, S.D. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) Anderson and Aughenbaugh said they hope those projects can also be funded largely through donations and not local tax dollars. "There are people who are so invested in their community and invested in seeing it do well that they’re willing to contribute to these projects," Aughenbugh said. "This is a great community that is progressive and forward thinking, and it shows in what we're trying to do." [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. *Read*, *subscribe* for free and *donate* at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact* content director Bart Pfankuch:605-937-9398/*[*bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### SD courts seeking input on proposed merger of 2 western circuits URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-courts-western-circuits-merger-preview/ Last updated: 2026-08-25T18:54:08.000Z The state court system will hold three forums in western South Dakota on Wednesday over its plan to merge two circuits into one. The South Dakota Unified Judicial System (UJS) on Aug. 26 will provide residents of the Fourth and Seventh judicial circuits with information and give them the opportunity to provide feedback before a formal rule proposal is submitted to the South Dakota Supreme Court. According a press release from the UJS, here are the times and locations of Wednesday's public forums: - Rapid City: Pennington County Courthouse (Courtroom C2), 315 St. Joseph St., 8:30-9:30 a.m. MDT - Sturgis: Meade County Courthouse (Courtroom 3), 1425 Sherman St., 11 a.m.-noon MDT - Lemmon: Lonesome Dove Conference Center, 312 Main Ave., 3:30-4:30 p.m. MDT The press release stated that the proposed merger intends to increase operational efficiencies in the UJS by combining the Fourth Circuit (northern Black Hills) and Seventh Circuit (southern Black Hills). [According to UJS' website](https://ujs.sd.gov/about-us/?ref=sdnewswatch.org), the unified system was first enacted in 1975 through a constitutional amendment, beginning with nine circuits. In 1976, the Supreme Court reduced the number of circuits to eight and then to seven in 2000,[ South Dakota Searchlight reported.](https://southdakotasearchlight.com/2026/07/11/sd-court-system-eyes-third-circuit-consolidation-in-50-years-raising-concerns-about-mega-circuit/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) The UJS stated in its fiscal year [2025 annual report ](https://ujs.sd.gov/media/twmhzo2x/ujsfy2025annualreport.pdf?ref=sdnewswatch.org)that there are currently 46 circuit judges in South Dakota, and each circuit has one presiding judge. Not all circuits are equal in terms of the population size they serve. According to the 2025 annual report, the Seventh Circuit served 144,356 residents, whereas the Fourth Circuit served 84,181 residents. ****Get free, fact-based South Dakota news and information** in a weekday email. No spam. Cancel any time. [Subscribe ](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/#/portal) Neil Fulton, dean of the University of South Dakota's Knudson School of Law in Vermillion, said in sparser geographic areas such those in the Fourth Circuit, there may be challenges in the availability of court resources. That also means caseloads vary from district-to-district, which is an issue in metropolitan areas like Sioux Falls. "I think it is really intended to best allocate folks on the greatest number of cases they can to, one, not burn judicial personnel out and, two, make sure cases and filings are being addressed in a timely, effective fashion for all citizens," he said. Fulton said not everyone will agree on the best way to structure the circuits, but he hopes everyone stays focused on addressing discrepancies in available resources. Besides offering feedback at the forums, South Dakotans can submit written input or comments via mail or email to the administrator's office is Oct. 1\. The UJS's administrative office deferred an interview request until after the public forum. [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. *Read*, *subscribe* for free and *donate* at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Elena Tittel's* internship was funded with support from the Nonprofit Newsroom Internship Program created by The Scripps Howard Fund and the Institute for Nonprofit News. *Contact:** [*elena.tittel@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:elena.tittel@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Fact brief: Does SD have the lowest eligible free/reduced lunch rate among neighboring states? URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-fact-brief-school-lunches-free-reduced-poverty-line/ Last updated: 2026-08-25T09:00:13.000Z ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/WhiteFACT-BRIEF--500-x-200-px--2-1-1.png) ## No. Though South Dakota’s percentage of public school students who qualify for free or reduced lunch is among the lowest nationally, Montana and North Dakota both have lower rates when comparing South Dakota to its immediate neighbors. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, 32.6% of students in the state qualified for free or reduced lunch in 2022-23, compared to Montana (18.7%) and North Dakota (30.8%). Nationally, South Dakota ranked eighth. This year, students whose families fall between 130% and 185% of the poverty line will receive free school lunches after the state Legislature passed a bill in early 2026\. The new law is expected to cost $601,000 annually and will affect about 8% of the state's students, bill sponsor Rep. Kadyn Wittman said. North Dakotans are set to vote in November on a measure that would provide free breakfast and lunches to all students starting in 2027-28. ℹ️ This fact brief responds to claims such as [this one](https://www.reddit.com/r/SouthDakota/comments/1rpzckn/expanded%5Ffree%5Fand%5Freduced%5Fschool%5Flunch%5Fbill/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). ## Sources KELO-TV, [New SD law covers reduced school lunch costs](https://www.keloland.com/news/local-news/new-sd-law-covers-reduced-school-lunch-costs/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) KELO-TV, [House committee backs free lunch bill for SD students](https://www.keloland.com/keloland-com-original/house-committee-backs-free-lunch-bill-for-sd-students/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) National Center for Education Statistics, [Free or reduced-price lunch statistics](https://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d23/tables/dt23%5F204.10.asp?ref=sdnewswatch.org) North Dakota Monitor, [Free school meals measure in North Dakota approved for November vote](https://northdakotamonitor.com/briefs/free-school-meals-measure-in-north-dakota-approved-for-november-vote/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) ## About fact briefs Fact briefs are bite-sized, well-sourced explanations that offer clear "yes" or "no" answers to questions, confusions and unsupported claims circulating online. They rely on publicly available data and documents, often from the original source. Fact briefs are written and published by South Dakota News Watch as part of the [Gigafact](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) network. Submit a question for us to answer [on the tipline](https://gigafact.org/tipline/south-dakota-news-watch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at*[ *sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact freelance reporter Michael Klinski:* michael.klinski@sdnewswatch.org.* ### More workers than retirees drove South Dakota’s growth URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-migration-retirees-population-growth/ Last updated: 2026-08-24T09:00:04.000Z For years, retirees have been closely associated with South Dakota’s recent population growth, especially in communities known for recreation, slower pace of life and features of lifestyle. But migration data shows a different pattern. Working-age adults between 18 and 64 have represented the largest share of people moving into South Dakota from other states every year from 2021 through 2024, according to an analysis of Census Bureau migration estimates. During that period, an average of about 21,000 working-age adults moved into South Dakota each year, compared with about 5,000 children and 2,000 retirees. The difference was especially noticeable in years of stronger migration growth. In 2022, more than 22,500 working-age adults moved into the state, compared to about 1,800 retirees. The findings suggest that while retirees remain part of South Dakota’s migration story, they are not the largest group of newcomers. ## Working-age adults drive South Dakota's domestic migration South Dakota’s workforce depends on attracting and retaining residents, and migration data shows that working-age adults are the primary group moving into the state. David Sorenson, professor of economics at Augustana University in Sioux Falls, said the findings challenge assumptions about migration patterns. Statewide migration patterns differ from what some communities experience locally, and some counties may still attract a larger share of older residents, he said. ****Support stories about rural South Dakota with a tax-deductible donation.** [Donate ](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/donate/) “If the common conception is that it’s elderly driving our migration, that’s absolutely false,” Sorenson said. However, the data raises additional questions about who those working-age adults are, including whether they are younger workers, families or people approaching retirement age, he said. Understanding the age composition within the working-age category could provide more insight into how migration affects South Dakota communities. ## Some newcomers are returning for connection, community and quality of life For Danielle Schulz, moving back to South Dakota was not about retirement. After spending about 40 years in California, she returned to the eastern South Dakota town of White in her 50s after her father died and she had the opportunity to buy her family’s farm. ![Danielle Schulz lives in White](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/07/WhatsApp-Image-2026-07-22-at-13.18.13--1--1-1-1-1.jpeg) Danielle Schulz lives in White, S.D. She returned to South Dakota 10 years ago after living in California since age 19\. (Photo by Amina Aidarkhanova/South Dakota News Watch) Schulz’s relationship with South Dakota has involved both leaving and returning. At 19, she moved to Los Angeles because she wanted to experience a different culture and environment. “I wanted to meet people from other countries,” Schulz said. “I wanted to see a part of the world that I wasn’t exposed to.” After about four decades away from the state, Schulz returned because she wanted a stronger connection to the place where she grew up and a different pace of life. Schulz said returning was not a simple economic decision and made financial sacrifices but valued being closer to family and having a different lifestyle. “I took a huge pay cut coming to work here,” Schulz said. “But I couldn’t have afforded the acreage and the house size in California that I could here.” Schulz said the decision was influenced by family, a desire for a quieter lifestyle and the opportunity to reconnect with the community where she grew up. “I wanted solitude,” she said. ## Community is a big reason people move Her experience shows one example of the broader pattern shown in the data – many newcomers are working-age adults making decisions about where to build their lives, whether through career opportunities, family connections or lifestyle changes. Sorenson said those motivations can vary widely. Schulz described community as one of the biggest differences between her experiences in South Dakota and California. ****Get free, fact-based South Dakota news and information** in a weekday email. No spam. Cancel any time. [Subscribe ](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/#/portal) “The people you meet in your life are what keep you somewhere,” she said. Some people move for jobs, some return home after living elsewhere, and others seek a different lifestyle or proximity to family. The post-pandemic growth coincided with expanded remote work mobility and state-level recruitment efforts, including former Gov. Kristi Noem’s $6.5 million national advertising campaign, "Freedom Works Here," aimed at attracting workers from other states. While the campaign actively targeted working-age adults, [South Dakota News Watch reporting](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-governor-kristi-noem-freedom-works-here-campaign/) found that local economic development leaders struggled to find hard data directly tying incoming workers to the ad push, noting that broader factors like taxes, remote work flexibilities and personal lifestyle preferences played a dominant role. ## Migration data shows arrivals but not whether people stay Though the Census data shows working-age adults made up the largest group of people moving into South Dakota between 2021 and 2024, it does not show whether those residents remained in the state. Jared McEntaffer, CEO of the Dakota Institute, said net migration – the difference between people moving into the state and people leaving – is necessary to understand whether migration is producing long-term population growth. “The net number is really important,” he said. While gross in-migration shows that more than 20,000 working-age adults move to South Dakota each year, overall net population gains from other states have cooled significantly following a peak early in the decade. According to the Census Bureau's Population Estimates Program, South Dakota gained more than 8,100 net domestic residents at the height of the pandemic migration surge in 2021-2022\. However, as out-migration picked up, net domestic gains dropped to around 2,000 residents per year in 2023-2024 and 2024-2025. A state can attract thousands of newcomers while still losing population if enough residents leave. McEntaffer said migration trends should be viewed alongside other sources, including Census and IRS migration data, which provide additional information about population movement. Sorenson also cautioned against drawing conclusions from a single year because migration estimates can fluctuate. ## Retirees remain visible but may not drive statewide migration Retirees continue to be an important part of South Dakota’s migration discussion, especially in communities that attract older residents. Sorenson said certain counties, especially in western South Dakota, may appeal to retirees because of recreation opportunities, natural surroundings and lifestyle factors. “There are prominent counties that have sought out this RV cohort,” he said. Sorenson said migration patterns can vary significantly by county, meaning some communities may experience more retiree movement while others attract younger residents and families. ## A shift in 2024 raises new questions In 2024, working-age adult and child migration declined while retiree migration reached its highest level in the dataset. Both Sorenson and McEntaffer said additional years of data are needed to determine whether the change represents a longer trend. The number of working-age adults moving into South Dakota fell to its lowest level in the dataset, while retiree migration reached its highest point. Sorenson said the change deserves attention but should be interpreted carefully. A single year does not necessarily indicate a major shift in migration patterns. “It raises your antenna,” Sorenson said. “But you’d want to see this repeat or continue.” ## Attracting newcomers is only part of the migration challenge For South Dakota, the larger question may not only be who moves to the state but whether those newcomers remain. For employers and communities facing workforce shortages, understanding who moves to South Dakota and why may be as important as the number of people arriving. Working-age residents play an important role in the state’s workforce and economic future. Whether South Dakota’s recent migration growth translates into long-term population growth will depend not only on attracting new residents but also on whether those residents choose to stay. [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. *Read*, *subscribe* for free and *donate* at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. Amina Aidarkhanova received the 2026 Jeffrey B. Nelson Investigative Journalism Endowed Internship and the Chuck Raasch and Sandy Johnson Scholarship from the SDSU Foundation. *Contact:** [*amina.aidarkhanova@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:amina.aidarkhanova@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Solutions-based programs filling resource gaps in schools URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-school-resources-promising-futures-fund/ Last updated: 2026-08-21T09:00:39.000Z SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – Two expanding grassroots efforts are supporting South Dakota schools by providing kids with experiences they might not otherwise receive. Among them: a Book-A-Month Club, field trips, family engagement nights, staff and teacher appreciation and post-graduate readiness workshops. One such program is Sioux Falls-based Promising Futures Fund, created in 2019 by Steve Hildebrand. Hildebrand said after leaving his long career in politics, he grew concerned with rising poverty in the Sioux Falls School District and was inspired to create the fund that's expanding to Rapid City. Jami Jo Thompson, superintendent of the Rapid City School District, said that Hildebrand reached out to her district about a year ago. Current programs in her district include Book-A-Month Club, field trip experiences, family engagement nights and a staff and teacher appreciation meal or celebration. She said by having these programs, children gain opportunities they may not otherwise receive. ****Get free, fact-based South Dakota news and information** in a weekday email. No spam. Cancel any time. [Subscribe ](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/#/portal) "In many cases, they have not had the opportunity to attend a high quality preschool or early childhood learning center. They may not have as many books in the home or have as high a vocabulary or as good of nutrition, all of those things impact their readiness to learn when they come to us in kindergarten," Thompson said. She said the programs being offered have been well received and she anticipates that they will keep positively benefiting her district. "Schools have very limited resources, and so we have to be creative in looking to our community for partnerships to help provide these types of opportunities and experiences for our students," Thompson said. Promising Futures Fund currently serves four elementary schools in the Rapid City District: General Beadle Elementary School, Horace Mann Elementary School, Norwood Elementary School and most recently Robbinsdale Elementary School. These are schools where 100% of students qualify for free and reduced lunches, she said. Back in Sioux Falls, Promising Futures Fund supports 21 schools – 14 elementary schools, three middle schools and three high schools – with the highest rates of poverty. Earlier this year, the program [received a $100,000 dollar grant](https://www.sdcommunityfoundation.org/news-insights/sdcf-news/local-nonprofits-receive-921-000-in-grants?ref=sdnewswatch.org) from the South Dakota Community Foundation. Tim Koehler, principal at George McGovern Middle School, said Promising Future's support has been instrumental in aiding various programs and activities for staff and students. These experiences take place both inside and outside the classroom. ![George McGovern Middle School](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/08/george-mcgovern-middle-school.jpeg) George McGovern Middle School, pictured Aug. 3, 2026, is located in Sioux Falls, S.D., and enrolls approximately 780 students. (Photo: Elena Tittel/SD News Watch) One project the program funded was a Boys and Girls Club. At present, the club serves [more than 450 students from George McGovern Middle School and Memorial Middle School,](https://www.keloland.com/news/local-news/the-club-working-to-keep-kids-entertained-and-learning/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) with more than 100 students participating in its after-school program. Other experiences outside of the classroom include field trips that range from attending sports games to learning more about post-secondary education options. Ashley Crownover, a teacher and coach at Whittier Middle School in Sioux Falls, said that field trips to college campuses help encourage students to follow their dreams. "A lot of it is a big encouragement to students to just let them know that this is a possibility for you. No matter what your background is, you could go and get a college experience if you want to do that or pursue that," Crownover said. ## Poverty within South Dakota schools Hildebrand said Promising Futures Fund fills a vital need by providing in-school and outside-of-school resources that otherwise might not be available to some students. For example, disadvantaged children may start school later than their peers or lack reading and language skills. Data from the United States Census Bureau shows that statewide poverty rates vary. Small area and income poverty estimates (SAIPE) for 2024 show rates ranging from 2.1 to 57.1 detailed in the graphic below. [Census.gov defines SAIPE ](https://www.census.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2026/2024-saipe.html?ref=sdnewswatch.org)as a model-based tool that provides single-year estimates of income and poverty for all U.S. states and counties. Larger ratios represent higher poverty, lower household incomes and a greater presence of economic need. Poverty within school districts can also be determined based on the percentage of children receiving free or reduced meal prices. [According to the South Dakota Department of Education](https://news.sd.gov/news?id=news%5Fkb%5Farticle%5Fview&sysparm%5Farticle=KB0044959&sys%5Fkb%5Fid=ae2f7e1147b7e25022dc4080236d43db&spa=1&ref=sdnewswatch.org), students qualify for free or reduced meal prices by meeting certain income requirements or automatically qualify if they receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) benefits. Hildebrand said Sioux Falls has one of the highest school district poverty rates, supported by data from the South Dakota Board of Education's 2025-2026 fall enrollment census count displayed in the graphic below. As someone who grew up in a poor family, Hildebrand said finding ways to support families in these districts means a lot to him. "I knew someday I'd want to find a way to give back in that same kind of capacity," Hildebrand said. ## Improving positive outcomes for students in South Dakota schools Aside from Promising Futures Fund, which primarily helps address students' needs while they are in school, programs also exist to prepare students for what comes next. One of these programs is Jobs for America's Graduates-South Dakota (JAG-SD), a state-supervised program that aims to help students achieve positive post-graduate outcomes. [According to the 2025-2026 JAG-SD Impact Report](https://doe.sd.gov/jag-sd/documents/2026-ImpactReport.pdf?ref=sdnewswatch.org), there were 20 JAG-SD programs in 13 school districts. The program was founded in Wagner Community and Andes Central school districts during the 2009-10 school year. Since then, it has expanded across many Native communities and more recently Brookings, Huron, Sioux Falls, Wilmot and Vermillion high schools, shown in the graphic below. Chris Daugaard, a member of Friends of JAG-SD board of directors and partner in Ernst Capital Group, said the program is implemented in schools as an elective course. School personnel or JAG-SD specialists identify students who have at least six barriers to success and would benefit from the curriculum. He said barriers range from economic to occupational, and the average JAG-SD student faces over 10 barriers. While JAG-SD specialists identify eligible students, students must proactively decide to partake in the program. The program teaches students skills such as how to fill out forms for college such as federal student aid or college applications, how to create a resume, tips for applying to jobs and managing finances. The 2025-2026 impact report stated 657 students participated in JAG-SD last academic year. Eighty-nine were middle school students (grades 7-8), 352 were high school students (grades 9-11), 129 were high school seniors (grade 12) and 87 were follow-up students who graduated high school in 2025. Of all 87 follow-up students, defined as students who were in contact with their JAG-SD specialist at least once a month following graduation, 94% were in the workforce, 24% were enrolled in a two-year or technical college, 15% were enrolled in a four-year college and 1% were taking part in a certificate program or Job Corps. Daugaard said that by offering this program, JAG-SD specialists are supporting students who face barriers to success by preventing them from staying in a system that may inhibit them from doing so. He said teachers are not just there to teach but to support students every step of the way. [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. *Read*, *subscribe* for free and *donate* at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Elena Tittel's* internship was funded with support from the Nonprofit Newsroom Internship Program created by The Scripps Howard Fund and the Institute for Nonprofit News. *Contact:** [*elena.tittel@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:elena.tittel@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Fact brief: Are there maternity care deserts in South Dakota? URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/fact-brief-south-dakota-maternity-care-deserts/ Last updated: 2026-08-20T09:00:27.000Z ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/WhiteFACT-BRIEF--500-x-200-px--2-1-1.png) ## Yes. There are maternity health care deserts in nearly every state, including South Dakota. More than one-third of U.S. counties fit the definition of lacking obstetric clinicians or birthing facilities, according to maternal and infant health nonprofit March of Dimes. That number is higher in South Dakota, with 56% of counties without birthing services. [News Watch](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-maternity-care-hospitals-infant-mortality/) reported in January 2025 that North Dakota’s rate was highest, with 74% of counties without birthing services. Residents in U.S. counties with maternity care deserts travel three times longer on average to reach labor and delivery services than residents of full-access counties. Maternity care deserts are associated with poorer maternal and infant health and higher mortality risks. Recent cuts to Medicaid are projected to increase the number of maternity care deserts. Medicaid covered 2,800, or 24.5%, of South Dakota births in 2024. ℹ️ This fact brief responds to claims such as [this one](https://www.reddit.com/r/science/comments/1hebcrj/over%5F500%5Fhospitals%5Fhave%5Fclosed%5Ftheir%5Fmaternity/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). ### Sources March of Dimes, [Nowhere to Go: Maternity Care Deserts Across the U.S. | 2026 Report](https://www.marchofdimes.org/maternity-care-deserts-report?ref=sdnewswatch.org) AJPM Focus, [State-Level Prevalence of Maternity Care Deserts: Association With Healthcare Access, Utilization, and Outcomes Among Medicaid Recipients](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12305214/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) KFF, [10 Things to Know About Rural Hospitals](https://www.kff.org/health-costs/10-things-to-know-about-rural-hospitals/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) ### About fact briefs Fact briefs are bite-sized, well-sourced explanations that offer clear "yes" or "no" answers to questions, confusions and unsupported claims circulating online. They rely on publicly available data and documents, often from the original source. Fact briefs are written and published by South Dakota News Watch as part of the [Gigafact](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) network. Submit a question for us to answer [on the tipline](https://gigafact.org/tipline/south-dakota-news-watch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at*[ *sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact reporter Emily DeCock :* emily.decock@sdnewswatch.org.* ### Explainer: What conditional use permits are, why Crooks residents sued URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-smithfield-crooks-sioux-falls-lawsuit/ Last updated: 2026-08-24T21:49:10.000Z SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – The complaints of more than 20 plaintiffs from Crooks about the City of Sioux Falls’ approval of a new Smithfield meatpacking plant saw their day in court recently. The Aug. 3 hearing represented how developments requiring the circumventing of zoning laws in South Dakota can often draw opposition from residents. The case centers specifically around the conditional use permit (CUP) that the city council approved for the Smithfield site. That permit allowed for the new Smithfield facility to be built less than 1,000 feet from land zoned for residential use in the small town of Crooks. Plaintiffs are alleging that the city didn't follow common procedure when granting Smithfield the permit. ****Get free, fact-based South Dakota news and information** in a weekday email. No spam. Cancel any time. [Subscribe ](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/#/portal) The debate about conditional use permits, and how and when zoning authorities should use them, has become more prominent in South Dakota. Changes in the Legislature and court cases raise questions about land use and development in the state. Here are the answers to common questions about CUPs and the Smithfield development: ## What is a conditional use permit? A conditional use permit allows for the construction on or use of land in a manner that is [different from typical zoning requirements](https://sdlegislature.gov/Statutes/11-2-17.4?ref=sdnewswatch.org). State law SDCL 11-2-17.3 establishes the review requirements for a CUP to be issued, saying "the approving authority shall consider the stated criteria, the objectives of the comprehensive plan, and the purpose of the zoning ordinance and the relevant zoning districts when making a decision to approve or disapprove a conditional use request." CUPs can and have been controversial because they act outside of zoning laws and require city and planning approval to do so. The permitting process has been modified several times in the state Legislature. In initial state law, two-thirds of voting members of a city or county board had to vote in favor of a CUP. That was changed in 2020 to require a simple majority of voting members in [legislation pushed by former Gov. Kristi Noem](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-job-corps-nemo-government-funding/). In 2023, [the South Dakota Legislature](https://www.sdpb.org/politics/2023-01-23/house-passes-members-present-standard-for-conditional-use-permit-votes?ref=sdnewswatch.org) changed that requirement further, requiring only a majority of present voting members to approve the permit. For example, if there are five members of a county planning board but two are not present at a meeting, a CUP proposed at that meeting would only need two "yes" votes to pass rather than three. ## Why was a CUP needed for the Smithfield site? In February, Smithfield Foods announced that it would be relocating its century-old pork processing facility out of downtown Sioux Falls. Foundation Park, the site where the new Smithfield site will sit, is called "the state’s first and largest industrial mega site" by the city of Sioux Falls. Other properties at the site include a new CJ Schwans' Asian food factory – which will be one of the largest in the country upon completion – and an Amazon distribution center that opened in 2022\. The more than-800 acre park is zoned for "heavy industrial use." Heavy industrial sites, according to Sioux Falls' zoning ordinances, "may create some nuisance and are not properly associated with, nor compatible with, residential, office, institutional, or planned or neighborhood commercial establishments." The current Smithfield pork processing plant processes around 20,000 hogs per day and is one of the largest meat processing plants in the country. The new plant at Foundation Park will be even larger. [Fact brief: Is Smithfield Foods one of the largest meat processing plants?City and state officials announced Monday that Smithfield Foods will build a new plant in northwestern Sioux Falls, freeing up prime land near downtown.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-fa481401-941b-454b-a12e-d075193e4dbf.jpg)South Dakota News WatchMichael Klinski![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/Smithfield-d395078e-1a40-4e49-b8e8-ec65cacd575d.jpeg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/fact-brief-smithfield-foods-meatpacking-plant-sioux-falls/) Under Sioux Falls city zoning ordinance, a heavy industrial site must sit at least 1,000 feet from the property line of land zoned for residential use. The Smithfield site will be roughly 842 feet from residential plots to the north, according to the CUP initially considered by the Sioux Falls planning commission. The commission recommended approval on March 4 and the Sioux Falls City Council formally approved the permit on March 17. ## Why are residents suing? The plaintiffs, who are largely residents of the area adjacent to the new Smithfield site, filed their case hoping for a writ of certiorari from state court. They sued the city of Sioux Falls, not Smithfield, and the Sioux Falls Development Foundation joined the defendants as an intervenor. To grant a writ of certiorari, the plaintiffs have to prove that the city acted with “irregular authority” or outside of its jurisdiction in issuing a CUP to Smithfield. Because the Smithfield site is within Sioux Falls city limits, the argument plaintiffs are making is not whether city officials had the right to issue a CUP but whether they did it correctly. Steve Haugaard, a former Republican legislator from Sioux Falls, and Arvid Swanson, an attorney from Canton, represented the Crooks residents in the case. Both attorneys argued that the city of Sioux Falls did not properly consider the impacts of the development on surrounding residential properties and that the process by which the CUP was approved did not provide proper mitigation of those concerns. In his arguments during the Aug. 3 hearing, Haugaard called the city council's granting of the CUP an "injustice." ****Support stories about rural South Dakota with a tax-deductible donation.** [Donate ](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/donate/) In a Crooks City Council meeting in March, members of the Sioux Falls Development Foundation and Smithfield gathered with a standing-room only crowd of Crooks citizens to answer questions about the new development. Though the meeting was originally intended to be in a "science fair" format, where people could walk to different stations and ask questions one-on-one, attendees demanded that questions be answered publicly, one-by-one. Questions and complaints raised varied from truck traffic and odor to Chinese espionage. But the most echoed complaint was that the city of Sioux Falls had not informed residents about the plan to move before it was announced to the public on Feb. 17\. "One of the things that concerns me the most is why I just found out about it on a news release two weeks ago when, I'm just guessing here, but this whole plan had to be in the works for years or more," one resident said during the meeting. "Can anyone tell me why we were just notified when the mayor of Sioux Falls made the announcement?" ![Foundation Park, the 800-acre industrial megasite where the new Smithfield pork processing plant will be located](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/08/DSC_0351-1-1-1.JPG) Foundation Park, the 800-acre industrial megasite where the new Smithfield pork processing plant will be located, pictured near homes on 258th St in Sioux Falls, S.D. on Aug. 17, 2026\. Pictured is a new CJ Schwan's factory, which will be one of the country's largest Asian food factories (right) and Owens & Minor and Avera's integrated service center (left). The Smithfield site will be located on the pictured lot. (Photo: Molly Wetsch/South Dakota News Watch) During the city council meeting, Bob Mundt, president of the Sioux Falls Development Foundation, said that the agreements to move the Smithfield plant were signed on the Friday before the announcement and that no notification could be made to any member of the public before those agreements were signed. The defendants, which include both the city of Sioux Falls and the Sioux Falls Development Foundation, argued that the process of approving the permit did not constitute any overstep of authority. James Moore, an attorney for the city, said during the hearing that the "lengthy proceedings" before the planning commission and city council, as well as opportunity for "extensive public comment," should be considered sufficient consideration for legal standards. ## What other court cases have there been about CUPs in South Dakota? While the size of the development and implications of the Smithfield relocation have certainly brought more attention to the case, it is not nearly the first of its kind in South Dakota. The case reflects a longstanding tension between residents, often of rural areas, and those who make decisions about how the land around them gets used. CUPs have ended up in court several times across the state, oftentimes for major agricultural operations like Smithfield's plant. At the Aug. 3 hearing, attorneys for both plaintiffs and defendants referred to prior cases in South Dakota court surrounding CUPs, illustrating the issue of how city and county authority manifests in the state. ## What happens next? Swanson and Haugaard have until Aug. 18 to submit a brief on behalf of the plaintiffs summarizing why the writ of certiorari should be granted. The defendants will then have another week to submit a responding brief. During the Aug. 3 hearing, though, Circuit Judge Ann Hoffman denied a motion for further discovery from the plaintiffs. But she has taken the writ of certiorari decision under advisement, meaning it could take days, weeks or months to reach a decision. [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. *Read*, *subscribe* for free and *donate* at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact* reporter/*[*Report for America*](https://www.reportforamerica.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *corps member Molly Wetsch: 605-531-7382/*[*molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Fact brief: Did a recent poll specifically ask South Dakotans whether they approve of Trump? URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/fact-brief-south-dakota-poll-trump-approval/ Last updated: 2026-08-18T09:00:17.000Z ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/WhiteFACT-BRIEF--500-x-200-px--2-1-1.png) ## No. A YouGov and Economist state-level estimate showing South Dakotans disapprove of President Trump does not come from a poll conducted specifically among residents. According to The Economist's state-level estimates, only Idaho, Wyoming and West Virginia have positive net approval ratings for Trump. The poll lists his approval rating in South Dakota at -13. YouGov polls about 1,500 members of its national opt-in panel weekly using online questionnaires. State-level approval rates are "estimated" based on demographic characteristics, voting behavior, the state's voting history and other data. Nationally, YouGov's tracker shows 34% approving of Trump's job performance and 61% disapproving, for a net approval rating of -27. In May, a poll of 875 likely voters conducted by Keloland Media Group and Emerson College showed Trump with a 53% approval rating, while 42% disapproved. Civiqs estimated that 51% of South Dakotans approved of Trump's job performance as of Aug. 11. ℹ️ This fact brief responds to claims such as [this one](https://www.facebook.com/christopher.majka.73/posts/pfbid02AX19P6hy7qpkfnCDFVMat4mw19mtbGYjTqHu8EusYCgJ5qVMKsgEAxkDnruij9f1l). ### Sources The Economist, [How unpopular is Donald Trump?](https://www.economist.com/interactive/trump-approval-tracker?ref=sdnewswatch.org) KELO-TV, [Poll reveals approval ratings for South Dakota office holders](https://www.keloland.com/news/local-news/poll-reveals-approval-ratings-for-south-dakota-office-holders/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Civiqs, [Donald Trump job approval, second term](https://civiqs.com/results/approve%5Fpresident%5Ftrump%5F2025?uncertainty=true&zoomIn=true&annotations=true&ref=sdnewswatch.org) ### About fact briefs Fact briefs are bite-sized, well-sourced explanations that offer clear "yes" or "no" answers to questions, confusions and unsupported claims circulating online. They rely on publicly available data and documents, often from the original source. Fact briefs are written and published by South Dakota News Watch as part of the [Gigafact](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) network. Submit a question for us to answer [on the tipline](https://gigafact.org/tipline/south-dakota-news-watch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at*[ *sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact freelance reporter Michael Klinski:* michael.klinski@sdnewswatch.org.* ### SD taxpayers spend millions on cyberattacks after federal grant rejected URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-cyberattacks-government-spending/ Last updated: 2026-08-17T15:17:02.000Z South Dakota turned down millions of dollars in federal cybersecurity grants and instead is spending more than $7 million in state taxpayer funds to battle what has become a constant threat of attacks on computer systems used by government, industry and individuals. In addition to recent high-profile cyberattacks on government operations in Pennington County, Rapid City and Mitchell, the South Dakota Attorney General's Office receives frequent reports of digital information breaches. Over the past five years, the agency has had 1,062 online security breaches reported to its Consumer Affairs Division, including 127 so far in 2026, according to agency data. ****Get free, fact-based South Dakota news and information** in a weekday email. No spam. Cancel any time. [Subscribe ](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/#/portal) Those breaches include data hacks perpetuated on individuals, businesses and government entities, according to AG spokesman Tony Mangan, who responded to a News Watch request. State law prevents the public release of where or upon whom those breaches took place, Mangan said. But the frequency at which data and systems are being infiltrated illustrates the increasing risk of storing important personal and government information online at a time when experts say nefarious actors are constantly trying to hack into computer systems across the U.S., including in South Dakota. "We are always under a constant threat, and we are always mitigating something somewhere," said Mike Waldner, director of SecureSD and Project Boundary Fence, the state's two main cyber security prevention programs operated out of Dakota State University in Madison. "We always have an active case that we're working on." ## South Dakota attacks renew focus on security Recent cyberattacks on local governments have only heightened concerns that systems are being targeted by either organized crime groups seeking ransom or by foreign adversaries such as Russia, China or Iran, which is currently engaged in a war with the United States. Experts theorize that Iran-backed hackers are responsible for large-scale cyberattacks on communication systems in Pennington County and the city of Mitchell as well as breaches into water systems in Minnesota and possibly up to a dozen more states. [Experts: Cyberattack on Pennington County likely by foreign adversaryThe federal government has warned state and local agencies in the U.S. that cyberattacks by Iran, Russia or China are increasingly likely and that steps to improve security should be taken. “I think we’re cannon fodder in the Iran war.”![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-37597b7b-50e0-4f92-9bb8-cd60eabd3422.jpg)South Dakota News WatchBart Pfankuch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/2026-07-28-Pennington-admin-building-1-1134e24e-9be2-45a2-99d3-fa7fac1fceaf.jpeg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/experts-cyberattack-on-pennington-county-likely-by-foreign-adversary/) Public-facing systems in Pennington County such as treasurer payment systems are still slowly coming online after a debilitating cyberattack that took place in early July. The Rapid City sewer system also suffered an attempted cyberattack in mid-July, but it did not interrupt services. The cyber incident in Mitchell involved a hack of the city's email system in early August, causing some city meetings to be postponed and email systems to remain unreliable. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/08/2026-07-28-Penn-County-waiting-in-line-1.jpeg) A line of people waited to obtain in-person services from the treasurer's office at the Pennington County Administration Building in Rapid City, S.D., on July 28, 2026\. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) The frequency of recent attacks on government systems only highlights the need for strengthening of prevention systems and better employee training, Waldner said. "It's ongoing, almost a daily process because the bad actor only needs to be right once while we need to be right every time (to prevent them)," he said. ## Noem rejected federal assistance South Dakota lost out on at least $5 million and likely much more in federal funding for cybersecurity efforts by cities and counties when former Gov. Kristi Noem declined to apply for part of a $1 billion federal grant program in fiscal year 2023. Ian Fury, a spokesman for Noem at the time, said the funding from the Biden administration was wasteful and required the state to use one-time funding to create a long-term program. Some lawmakers, including Republicans, decried the decision by South Dakota, which was one of only two states to reject the funding that was allocated over a four-year period. > "Like it or not, as a government employee, you are under constant threat, and the expectation from citizens is that you are protecting their data and information like they expect it to be protected." – Mike Waldner, director of SecureSD and Project Boundary Fence “If we’re not going to accept the grant, then we’ll legislate an appropriation on a similar program and use South Dakota taxpayer money to do it instead because it’s so important,” Sen. Randy Deibert, a Republican from Spearfish, told South Dakota Searchlight at a legislative summer study committee in 2023. Instead, state lawmakers allocated $7 million to cybersecurity prevention efforts that include SecureSD and the Project Boundary Fence, both programs aimed at preventing and mitigating hacks on state, county and local governments as well as utilities. Gov. Larry Rhoden on Aug. 11 appropriated $500,000 in Future Fund money to the South Dakota Department of the Military to boost efforts of the Governor's Resilience and Infrastructure Task Force, of which cybersecurity is one objective. "The GRIT Task Force is bringing together government, industry, and critical infrastructure partners to better understand the risks we face and how we prepare for them," Mark Morrell, adjutant general of the South Dakota National Guard and vice chair of the task force, said in a press release. ## Costly attacks not new to South Dakota The first high-profile cyberattack on a municipal government in South Dakota took place in Brown County in August 2021\. Officials in Aberdeen discovered that an unknown external actor had installed malware on county computers in an apparent attempt to collect information that could be used as leverage to collect ransom money. The breach occurred when a county employee mistakenly clicked on an email link that opened the door to the attacker. The county completely shut down its systems and remained offline for 10 days. No ransom was paid and no sensitive county or resident information was apparently lost, but the county lost access to some backup data and a few departments were disrupted for months during the response and investigation. More recently, in October, someone working in Tripp County government was caught up in an email "phishing" scam and mistakenly sent more than $826,000 in taxpayer money to a fake account. "The Tripp County Auditor’s Office was deceived into authorizing a transfer to a bank account controlled by external criminal actors," according to a January press release. "The perpetrators utilized a 'spoofed' email address designed to mimic a legitimate vendor and redirect a substantial payment." The South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation is working with federal agencies on an investigation into the incident, the release said. To date, the funds have not been recovered. Tripp County State’s Attorney Zachary Pahlke said in January that the county was working on strengthening internal systems and expanding employee training to reduce future risks of hacks or attempted financial impropriety. "Updates to county protocols, combined with additional staff training, are designed to intercept and prevent fraudulent attempts and better protect the resources of Tripp County taxpayers," Pahlke said in the release. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/08/2026-07-31-Rapid-City-IT-director-1.jpeg) Rapid City's information technology director, Jim Gilbert, discusses cybersecurity from a bench outside City Hall in Rapid City, S.D. on July 31, 2026\. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) Rapid City technology staffers quickly contained an attempted hack on a sewage lift station monitoring system in late July, IT director Jim Gilbert said. No system interruption took place and movement of wastewater was not affected, he said. Gilbert said the city computer system has redundancies built in to notify system regulators and stave off implications of attacks if they occur. Creating a secure system requires a delicate balance between safety and usability, Gilbert said. "Anything that connects to the internet or is connected to a system that is connected to the internet is under constant attack," he said. "We can make every system completely secure, but then it's probably not usable by our employees or the citizens." ## State programs offer help to local governments For the past few years, the state has funded two separate but aligned efforts to prevent cybersecurity attacks under the auspices of Dakota State University in Madison. SecureSD and Project Boundary Fence both seek to combat cyber attacks and data breaches at municipalities, counties, and nonprofit entities providing drinking water and sewer utilities across the state. Funding for the programs was approved by the Legislature in 2024 at $7 million. SecureSD is a voluntary program in which public entities receive training and support in email and data security, enhancement of security and mitigation efforts and cybersecurity training and planning, said Waldner, who runs both programs from his office at DSU. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/08/DSU-Mike-Waldner-1.jpg) Mike Waldner spoke to congressional staff members at a cybersecurity meeting held at Dakota State University in Madison, S.D., on Aug. 11, 2026\. (Photo: Courtesy of DSU) Emails systems are the most likely target and easiest entry point of a cyberattack, so security efforts place a strong focus on protecting electronic communications, Waldner said. In one component of Project Boundary Fence, the state sends bogus "phishing" emails to employees of governments that participate. If a fake malicious link is opened, the employee and the state receive notice that security could have been breached and additional security training is provided. That comes on top of a review of email passwords, system firewalls and security procedures. If any security deficiencies are found, the state pays independent IT contractors to fix the problem and mitigate any future issues, Waldner said. The program also provides cybersecurity training and planning to participating managers and employees to reduce the risk of an attack, he said. A secondary goal of cybersecurity efforts within state and local government is that safety protocols will propagate and be implemented by businesses and individuals, Waldner said. Government employees have a responsibility to maintain the security of information of individuals, who often have no choice but to provide personal data and information to state, county and local agencies, he said. "We're trying to build that cybersecurity culture and secure what we call the 'human firewall,'" Waldner said. "Like it or not, as a government employee, you are under constant threat, and the expectation from citizens is that you are protecting their data and information like they expect it to be protected." The program is voluntary and has had more than 100 government agencies participate so far, including about 54 of South Dakota's 66 counties. "That may seem like a lot, but it's not because it should be everybody," Waldner said. Much more needs to be done, including in rural areas where an attack may seem unlikely but which can portend a larger breach into state government or even local businesses, he said. Resistance to paying for cybersecurity at the local level often comes down to a shortage of staff, a feeling that attacks will always happen to someone else, and a lack of public support for funding of prevention, Waldner said. "With cybersecurity, it's hard for commissioners and elected officials to write that check because nobody sees it, unlike buying a new fire truck or fixing potholes," he said. "But they'll certainly know if a compromise happens or a breach happens, then they certainly know about it, because we'll all feel that pain and have to pay for the losses." **Correction on Aug. 17:* An earlier version of this story omitted news partner credit.* [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. *Read*, *subscribe* for free and *donate* at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact* content director Bart Pfankuch:605-937-9398/*[*bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Special education federal shift: commitment remains, but future is unclear URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-special-education-federal-shift-civil-rights/ Last updated: 2026-08-14T09:00:56.000Z SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – Parents in South Dakota who believe their child is being discriminated against at school who have not reached a resolution at the local level may turn to the Office of Civil Rights. But a recent federal shift raises questions about the future of special education discrimination in civil lawsuits. There are currently[ seven elementary and post-secondary schools under pending investigation](https://ocrcas.ed.gov/open-investigations?field%5Fois%5Fstate=684&field%5Fois%5Fdiscrimination%5Fstatute=702&items%5Fper%5Fpage=20&field%5Fois%5Finstitution=&field%5Fois%5Finstitution%5Ftype=All&field%5Fopen%5Finvestigation%5Fdate%5F1=&field%5Fopen%5Finvestigation%5Fdate%5F2=&field%5Fopen%5Finvestigation%5Fdate=&field%5Fopen%5Finvestigation%5Fdate%5F3=&ref=sdnewswatch.org) filed to the Office for Civil Rights related to disability discrimination as of January 2025, detailed in the graphic below. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/07/Screenshot-2026-07-23-at-11.12.58---AM.png) Pending cases currently under investigation at Elementary-Secondary and Post-Secondary School, published by the Office for Civil Rights. Cases were last updated Jan. 14, 2025\. (Screenshot taken from ED.gov on July 23, 2026) Between 2013 and 2026, there have been [27 resolutions](https://ocrcas.ed.gov/ocr-search?f%5B0%5D=ocr%5Fstatutes%3A528&f%5B1%5D=state%5Ffullname%3A684&ref=sdnewswatch.org) related to disability discrimination in the Office for Civil Rights. Of these 27 resolutions, 25 involved specific school districts or post-secondary learning institutions. According to publicly available letters published by the Office for Civil Rights, the agency has taken as few as three months and 10 days to as long as five years and three days to return letters of resolution between the years of 2015 and 2022. ****Get free, fact-based South Dakota news and information** in a weekday email. No spam. Cancel any time. [Subscribe ](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/#/portal) Among the allegations against school districts, according to published letters of resolution: free appropriate public education (FAPE) violations, not creating and enforcing appropriate accommodations and not properly following [504 plans](https://www.pacer.org/guides/iep-504/iep-200/?ref=sdnewswatch.org), which provide a student with a mental or physical impairment with equal access to learning through special accommodations and support. A freedom of information request (FOIA) was filed in June 2026 requesting records from the Chamberlain School District and Tea Area School District cases that has not yet been fulfilled. ## Cases can be handled at state level Not all special-education disputes go directly to the Office for Civil Rights. Under the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), [parents can pursue an administrative due process complaint. ](https://doe.sd.gov/sped/documents/DR-Overview.pdf?ref=sdnewswatch.org) For example, in Marson v. Estelline, a federal lawsuit filed June 3, 2026, plaintiff Heather Marson alleged that the Estelline School District denied their son a FAPE. Her initial complaint filed to the state Oct. 6, 2025, followed an Oct 1\. incident in which her son was unsupervised for almost 30 minutes and soiled himself. The superintendent told the parents in an email two days after the incident that, going forward, having someone with him is the "best way" for him to know where he needs to be. In an email reply to the superintendent, his mother asked, "Why after 5 years of us constantly advocating for a full time aide is one now being provided?" According to the due process hearing decision, while his Individualized Education Program (IEP) stated he needed staff support for exercise completion, walking and toileting, the IEP did not include accommodations for supervision while traveling between classes. The district testified during the April 2026 hearing that the supervision had "no educational purpose," and was not needed for FAPE. The Marsons declined an interview request, due to the pending federal appeal. [According to PacerMonitor](https://dockets.justia.com/docket/south-dakota/sddce/1:2026cv01011/86308?ref=sdnewswatch.org), the case now sits in the U.S. District Court for the District of South Dakota. ## What does this federal shift mean? Regardless if handled at the federal or local level, the future of education oversight, including special education, in light of ongoing changes raises questions. The Trump Administration announced in June 2026 a new shift within the Department of Education that reflects ongoing efforts to rearrange and dismantle the Education Department, an effort President Trump said will return power back to the states. The Department of Justice will hold responsibilities of civil rights in education, and The Department of Health and Human Services will oversee special education. The two offices involved are the Office of Special Education (Department of Health and Human Services) and the Office for Civil Rights (Department of Justice). Both help defend the rights of children with disabilities experiencing discrimination, [The Associated Press reported](https://apnews.com/article/trump-education-department-restructuring-civil-rights-sped-043d48432bfd182cdce3743a397ce633?ref=sdnewswatch.org). [Boys and Girls Clubs innovating after budget shortfalls“Yes, the funding has been cut, but so what? These kids are getting it done anyway, and the Boys and Girls Club isn’t going anywhere.”![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-fdb3577a-2675-4adb-b4a9-4bd965b7da83.jpg)South Dakota News WatchMolly Wetsch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/Dancing-in-Games-Room-2f9a26f9-465f-4e44-9e8e-445a9dfeb711.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/boys-girls-clubs-south-dakota-budget-shortfall/) Savannah Newhouse, press secretary for the U.S. Department of Education, said to News Watch in a written statement that the new partnership will not stop the department's staff from executing federal responsibilities. "The federal government will ensure dollars continue to flow, students with disabilities still receive the services they deserve and civil rights protections remain firmly enforced," Newhouse said. ## Children with disabilities are entitled to a free and appropriate education Under [IDEA](https://sites.ed.gov/idea/?ref=sdnewswatch.org), originally passed in 1975, children with disabilities are entitled to a free and appropriate education (FAPE). The law ensures they receive special education and related services. Cole Uecker, executive director of Disability Rights South Dakota, said a free and appropriate public education is a concept that all kids should be able to attend public schools and receive an appropriate and beneficial education. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/08/cole-photo-1-1.jpg) Cole Uecker is the executive director of Disability Rights South Dakota. (Photo Credit: Disability Rights South Dakota) For example, a child can receive a modified curriculum to help them further develop their knowledge, skills and adaptive behavior just like any other kid. One way children with special needs are ensured a free and appropriate education can be through an individualized education program (IEP). An IEP is defined by the [Center for Parent and Information Resources](https://www.parentcenterhub.org/iep-overview/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) as a written statement of an educational program designed to meet a child's individual needs. At the state level, Laura Scheibe, deputy secretary of the South Dakota Department of Education, said the interagency agreement and shift in the division of special education oversight will not change IDEA's requirements that the state must follow. However, some disability advocates raise concerns. ## Future outcomes are currently unclear Uecker, with Disability Rights South Dakota, said a concern with the federal shift is how the change will work. He said there are still more questions than there are answers, and he's unsure if the Department of Justice has the bandwith. "I think there's still a lot of ambiguity around the topic, which makes it very difficult to say one way or another whether it's going to result in better services for kids in special education, or if it's going to be more complicated, more chaotic, in the current situation," Uecker said. Another potential concern, specifically with the Department of Health and Human Services, is whether children's disabilities will be viewed using a medical model. The American Psychological Association defines [the medical model ](https://www.apa.org/ed/precollege/psychology-teacher-network/introductory-psychology/disability-models?ref=sdnewswatch.org)as when a disability is viewed as an impairment, and the goal is to return the body or system back to normal as possible. ****Trusted, independent sources of information are needed more than ever. Partner with us to produce fact-based news.** [Donate ](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/donate/) "When that mindset drives education decisions, students are more likely to be segregated, underestimated or treated as separate from the school community," Robyn Linscott, director of education and family policy at The Arc of the United States, said [in a press release. ](https://thearc.org/blog/moving-special-education-and-civil-rights-out-of-education-department-risks-a-patchwork-of-rights-for-students-with-disabilities/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Jennifer Lowery, superintendent of the Harrisburg School District, said within her school district, they will be watching this federal shift closely. "Keeping an eye out for any changes and how that collaboration will continue and needs to continue for our kids is a priority," she said. ## Increasing support and staying informed What comes next regarding special education discrimination cases remains unclear. But parents can continue to stay informed of their rights and how to utilize local resources to support their children. Jackie Waldie, a special education coach, advocate and owner of Inspire Education, said ultimately parents just want to support their kids and do what is best for them. > "When you have a child with a disability, the guard instantly goes up. Parents just want to protect their child – that's all they want." > – Jackie Waldie, special education coach, advocate and owner of Inspire Education ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/08/jacobesen-plaza.jpg) Jacobson Plaza, located in downtown Sioux Falls, provides accessible play structures. A second phase of development is currently underway, pictured Aug. 1, 2026\. (Photo: Elena Tittel/SD News Watch) In South Dakota, there are multiple groups that help support and advocate for children with special needs. Among them: - [Center for Disabilities at University of South Dakota](https://www.usd.edu/Academics/Colleges-and-Schools/sanford-school-of-medicine/Research-and-Outreach-Centers/Center-for-Disabilities?ref=sdnewswatch.org) - [Disability Rights South Dakota](https://drsdlaw.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) - [Inspire Education](https://inspire1learning.com/about?ref=sdnewswatch.org) - [South Dakota Department of Health Services - Division of Developmental Disabilities ](https://dhs.sd.gov/en/division-developmental-disabilities?ref=sdnewswatch.org) - [South Dakota Parent Connection](https://sdparent.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) - [South Dakota Services for the Deaf](https://www.sddeaf.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Waldie said another way parents can stay informed is by thoroughly reading their [procedural safeguards book](https://doe.sd.gov/sped/documents/25-SDparentalrights.pdf?ref=sdnewswatch.org), which should be provided to parents who have a child with a disability at least once every school year. If parents are confused, they should not hesitate to reach out to local experts, whether it's their district's director of special education or an advocacy group, Waldie said. "That's one of the uphill battles that people don't understand of having a child with a disability because now you have to become an expert in the medical side of things, the academic side of things, educational jargon and the social, emotional and mental toll," Waldie said. "You have to become an expert in the law, and that's a huge burden." [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Elena Tittel's* internship was funded with support from the Nonprofit Newsroom Internship Program created by The Scripps Howard Fund and the Institute for Nonprofit News. Contact:* [*elena.tittel@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:elena.tittel@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Job Corps program in Black Hills open and fully funded URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-job-corps-nemo-government-funding/ Last updated: 2026-08-13T17:00:29.000Z The future once again looks stable for the federal Job Corps workforce training center in the Black Hills of South Dakota now that Congress has fully funded the federal program and a recent lawsuit settlement provided a symbolic boost to the program's status. "We're doing great and we're thriving," said Bonnie Fuller, director of the Boxelder Job Corps Civilian Conservation Center near Nemo, South Dakota. ****Get free, fact-based South Dakota news and information** in a weekday email. No spam. Cancel any time. [Subscribe ](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/#/portal) That optimistic outlook is a major shift over early 2025, when the future of the 125 Job Corps programs across the country looked bleak. Launched in 1964, Job Corps is designed to provide education and job training to income-qualified youths and young adults who struggled in traditional schools. The taxpayer-funded program offers tuition-free housing, classroom education, job training, meals and health care for low-income qualified youths and young adults. The program enrolls about 60,000 students a year and has an annual total cost around $1.8 billion, according to federal budget documents. The federal government issued a memorandum in May 2025 calling for pausing of operations at 99 contractor-operated Job Corps centers across the country. The memo required the pending closure of centers operated by contractors hired by the U.S. Department of Labor. [South Dakota Job Corps under threat of closure“We get the kids that fall through the cracks, and the mission is to take someone from poverty and give them an education and training.”![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-3a60d557-5e80-4148-876b-7bd87ec0b713.jpg)South Dakota News WatchBart Pfankuch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/Job-Corps-entry-4f3ee372-8755-4ed4-9d14-3c7f18e76a52.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-boxelder-job-corps-funding-doge/) That same memo, obtained recently by News Watch, also called for the closure of another 25 centers operated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which included campuses in South Dakota and northwestern Nebraska. At the same time, the Trump administration also called for defunding of the entire program. ## Memo laid out closure plans In a May 2025 [news release](https://www.dol.gov/newsroom/releases/osec/osec20250529?ref=sdnewswatch.org), then-Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer said a government report showed that the contractor-run programs operated at a $140 million deficit in 2024, did not meet participant graduation or job goals and had seen nearly 15,000 reports of sexual, violent or drug-related incidents on its campuses. The department said its decision aligned with President Trump’s Fiscal Year 2026 budget guidelines to ensure wise use of taxpayer dollars. Those actions put the future of the Nemo facility and a similar Pine Ridge Job Corps facility near Chadron, Nebraska, in jeopardy. According to the USDA, the Boxelder Job Corps facility in 2024 had about 80 enrollees aged 16-24, about half of whom were Native American. USDA documents showed the facility had an average annual budget ranging from $4.5 million to $6 million in recent years. Staffing consists of roughly 40 employees. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/08/job-corps-creek-bridge-1.jpg) Students from the Boxelder Job Corps center in Nemo, S.D., helped clear trails and replace damaged footbridges after a bad storm in the Black Hills National Forest in 2017\. (Photo: Courtesy USDA) The proposed elimination of the federal program drew significant opposition across the country, including within the public and among a bipartisan group of congressional lawmakers. Most closures, including in South Dakota and Nebraska, were delayed by a lawsuit that led a federal judge to stay the closures until the case could be settled. The uncertainty lingered for months, but Job Corps programs received new life in February 2026 when Congress passed the Consolidated Appropriations Act, which included $1.76 billion in funding for Job Corps centers. President Trump had called for zero funding, but Congress overrode that recommendation. ## Lawsuit settlement bolsters program status This week, the Trump administration decided to settle the lawsuit that held up the pending closure of Job Corps centers run by the Labor Department, according to Adam Pulver, a lawyer for the Public Citizen Litigation Group, which represented the plaintiffs in the case. The legal case centered around the claim that the Department of Labor violated written procedures required prior to closure of any Job Corps centers, and that the proposed elimination of the program was arbitrary and capricious. "The wholesale slashing of the Job Corps program wasn't going to be accepted by the courts, and we've seen also that it's not going to be accepted by Congress," Pulver told News Watch in an interview. "The Job Corps program is very popular in rural areas and places where people are really struggling to get the skills needed to find high-paying work." In addition to offering a path toward a high school diploma or General Educational Development (GED), the Nemo facility offers training in multiple disciplines, including certified nursing assistant, culinary arts, carpentry, painting, welding, office administration and maintenance. The center also works closely with the U.S. Forest Service to provide firefighting and other skill sets to Job Corps enrollees. Fuller told News Watch that several contingents of Boxelder Job Corps enrollees had been dispatched to fight wildfires in South Dakota earlier this year. Other groups of students were also sent to battle wildfires or provide firefighting support at fires in Colorado and in the Boundary Waters area of northern Minnesota. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/08/job-corps-fire-training-1-1.jpg) Students from the Boxelder Job Corps facility in Nemo, S.D., participated in wildfire training held by the U.S. Forest Service in 2025\. (Photo: Courtesy USDA) The congressional funding for Jobs Corps will cover spending only through June 2027, but lawmakers appear to be supportive of the program moving forward, Pulver said. The recent court settlement will also protect the centers, and even though it did not directly relate to the USDA-run centers, the administration's capitulation should provide further stability to those Job Corps programs, he said. "The fact that support has been so bipartisan in Congress made it clear that you can't just get rid of the program," Pulver said. "I wouldn't expect to see any more of these radical plans to get rid of the program." [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. *Read*, *subscribe* for free and *donate* at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact* content director Bart Pfankuch:605-937-9398/*[*bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Fact brief: Is it legal to wear only body paint as clothing at the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally? URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-fact-brief-body-paint-sturgis-rally/ Last updated: 2026-08-13T09:00:24.000Z ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/WhiteFACT-BRIEF--500-x-200-px--2-1-1.png) ## No. Body paint does not count as clothing at the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally or anywhere else in South Dakota. According to the City of Sturgis Code of Ordinances, people cannot appear in public with his or her genitals or the female breast showing without a full opaque covering, such as bandaids or pasties. “Paint or any similar substance does not qualify as a full opaque covering,” the ordinance says. A Meade County Ordinance revised in 2009 requires bars and campgrounds to obtain a special license if they allow partial or full nudity. Two of the rally’s biggest campgrounds, Sturgis Buffalo Chip and Pappy Hoel Campground and Resort, have resources on how to follow the law while at the rally. “Nudity — as well as any open sexual acts — are not allowed. That said, we still get pretty wild. ... We want YOU to continue to come back,” the Pappy Hoel website says. ℹ️ This fact brief responds to claims such as [this one](https://www.reddit.com/r/sturgisrally/comments/1v0wkxe/comment/ozokb5u/?utm%5Fsource=share&utm%5Fmedium=web3x&utm%5Fname=web3xcss&utm%5Fterm=1&utm%5Fcontent=share%5Fbutton). ### Sources Sturgis, South Dakota code of ordinances, [§ 94.135 Indecent Exposure](https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/sturgissd/latest/sturgis%5Fsd/0-0-0-3485?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Meade County Ordinances, [Ordinance #25: Adult-Oriented Businesses](https://static1.squarespace.com/static/55f1f6a6e4b0fdc2e7a036d1/55f1f72be4b0abd723ecc8ee/55f1f72be4b0abd723ecc8fc/1331243872557/Ordinance%5F25%5FAdultOrientedBusinesses.pdf?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Sturgis Buffalo Chip website, [Meade County Ordinances](https://www.buffalochip.com/info/the-law-safety-info/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Pappy Hoel Campground and Resort website, [FAQ’s](https://store.pappyhoelcampground.com/pages/frequently-asked-questions?ref=sdnewswatch.org) ### About fact briefs Fact briefs are bite-sized, well-sourced explanations that offer clear "yes" or "no" answers to questions, confusions and unsupported claims circulating online. They rely on publicly available data and documents, often from the original source. Fact briefs are written and published by South Dakota News Watch as part of the [Gigafact](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) network. Submit a question for us to answer [on the tipline](https://gigafact.org/tipline/south-dakota-news-watch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at*[ *sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact reporter Emily DeCock :* emily.decock@sdnewswatch.org.* ### Ahlers announces lt. gov. pick, finalizing November ballot for SD Democrats URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-ahlers-mccleery-governor-democrats/ Last updated: 2026-08-13T01:13:44.000Z SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – Dan Ahlers, the Democratic candidate for South Dakota governor, has selected Steven McCleerey as his running mate, he announced Wednesday morning. The announcement comes after the Secretary of State’s website posted the filing revealing Ahlers’ pick on Tuesday. McCleerey is a former state lawmaker and farmer from Sisseton. He represented District 1 in the state House for three terms from 2015 to 2021, when he was succeeded by Jennifer Healy Kintz. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/08/2026-08-12-McCleerey-speech-1.JPG) Steve McCleerey, Dan Ahlers' pick for lieutenant governor, speaks at his announcement event on Aug. 12, 2026 in Sioux Falls, S.D. (Photo: Molly Wetsch/South Dakota News Watch) During his announcement at the Old Courthouse Museum on Wednesday, McCleerey spoke at length about rural health care, an issue which he also focused on in the legislature. McCleerey serves as vice president of the Coteau des Prairies Health Care Systems board of directors. He cited his time on the board as crucial to his understanding and mentioned maternal health services – which the hospital no longer provides – as a priority. He also spoke about agriculture and rural communities, citing his experience as the owner of a thousand-acre cow/calf operation as crucial to his understanding of the state, and as an asset to a Democratic party that has found the majority of its success in the state's urban areas and reservations. "There's things that I bring to this campaign, especially with agriculture and property rights," McCleerey said. "I have property. ... That affects me. I don't care if you've got a thousand acres like we do, or 10,000 acres. We cherish that. That's my business. And it's a risk business, which most people don't understand." Ahlers and McCleerey will face Republican Gov. Larry Rhoden and Lt. Gov. Tony Venhuizen in November. That pair has a similar urban-rural tilt, with Venhuizen from Sioux Falls and Rhoden a rancher from Union Center. Ahlers is a small business owner from Dell Rapids, a community 20 miles north of Sioux Falls. McCleerey pushed back at concerns that he and Ahlers, two candidates from east of the Missouri River, may not be able to capture the attention of West River voters. He said that his father was born near Isabel and that ranchers, which is the dominant industry in that region, and farmers have much in common when it comes to policy issues. “Don’t try to come and ask me "what are you going to do about West River." I know West River,” McCleerey said. ## Democratic ballot finalized, with some holes Ahlers’ pick marks the finalization of South Dakota Democrats’ November ballot, which will notably lack both an attorney general and U.S. Senate nominee. Julian Beaudion, a former highway patrolman and small business owner, ended his year-long campaign for a U.S. Senate seat last week. He cited personal financial hardship and a house fire as part of his choice to withdraw from the race. The ballot is now narrowed down to Brian Bengs, an Independent, and incumbent U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds, a Republican. Beaudion said in a statement after his withdrawal he would not endorse or support Bengs for the office but also “cannot support” Rounds. The other federal spot up for election, South Dakota’s lone U.S. House of Representatives seat, is being battled over by Attorney General Marty Jackley and Democrat Nikki Gronli. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/08/DSC_0230-1.JPG) Nicole Gronli, the Democratic candidate for U.S. House of Representatives, introduces Dan Ahlers at his campaign event on Aug. 12, 2026 in Sioux Falls, S.D. (Photo: Molly Wetsch/South Dakota News Watch) The Democrats also did not nominate an attorney general pick at the party’s annual convention in June – the second cycle in a row that no Democrat stepped forward for the job. A governor from the Democratic Party has not been elected to office in 50 years, and Democrat voter registration has not recovered from a drop in numbers this year – and indeed, declining registration has been a problem for the party for decades. But party registration numbers are generally inconsequential in the general election, as voters are not required to vote for the party for which they are registered. Ahlers and McCleerey addressed the stark gap in Republican and Democratic politicians in the state –including in the state legislature, where Republican lawmakers outnumber Democrats 97 to eight– by saying that voters are looking for change and will be inclined to go to the polls for candidates who listen to them. Ahlers criticized the Republican Party’s dominance in the state and Rhoden’s approach to the campaign, saying that calling him a "Biden-endorsed Democrat" with "Minnesota policies" was a "cheap tactic by candidates who don't have fresh ideas." They think that they’re entitled to your vote,” Ahlers said. “That’s what happens when 50 years of one-party rule happens.” **You can see a full list of candidates on the ballot in November, with bios, in* [**News Watch's voter guide*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-voter-guide-primary-general-election/)**. It will be regularly updated throughout the campaign season.* But both candidates also spoke about the importance of setting aside differences in party politics, acknowledging the need to work with Republicans in Pierre. McCleerey said that it would be his priority to work as a "team" with Ahlers. Ahlers cited the often-difficult task of getting Democratic bills approved in the legislature as proof of his ability to work with the other side. "We actually had to work across party lines to make things happen. We could not get bills passed, we could not help the people in our district unless we were able to get Republicans to join us," Ahlers said. "I think it's time for a change. I think it would be healthy for all of South Dakota, for Democrats, Republicans, Independents, whatever other flavor you are, to have a government that is balanced and ready to work for you." [South Dakota voter guideWhat South Dakotans need to know about voting in statewide elections, and who and what are on the ballot.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-680db931-e739-4676-abb3-f0b37ae4724f.jpg)South Dakota News WatchMolly Wetsch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/2026-06-02-Signs-outside-Downtown-Library--Sioux-Falls-939cb774-3690-4a09-8b30-73bc0b2e1686.JPG)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-voter-guide-primary-general-election/) Rhoden and Ahlers will meet in two debates before the November general election, at the South Dakota State Fair in Huron and on Sept. 28 in Sioux Falls, hosted by South Dakota News Watch and South Dakota Public Broadcasting. [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. *Read*, *subscribe* for free and *donate* at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact* reporter/*[*Report for America*](https://www.reportforamerica.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *corps member Molly Wetsch: 605-531-7382/*[*molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### 'A new canvas:' Freeman Academy enters transitional period URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-freeman-academy-transition-private-school/ Last updated: 2026-08-12T16:04:24.000Z FREEMAN, S.D. – While the Freeman Academy announced earlier this year that it won't enroll students for the fall academic term due to low enrollment and financial challenges, its story is not over yet. Matthew Tschetter, a '88 Freeman Academy high school graduate, has been tasked with guiding future plans. As the academy's first executive director, he hopes to lead it in a new direction while still meeting constituents' desires. "What can we do to make sure the use of the campus continues forward?" Tschetter said of his mission. ****Get free, fact-based South Dakota news and information** in a weekday email. No spam. Cancel any time. [Subscribe ](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/#/portal) For over 120 years, Freeman Academy served the community 45 miles southwest of Sioux Falls. The academy was [established in 1901 as South Dakota Mennonite College ](https://www.freemansd.com/article/1059,closure-of-entire-freeman-academy-operation-on-the-table?ref=sdnewswatch.org)and aimed to provide a Christian education that embraced Anabaptist ideals. It officially opened its doors in 1903, shown in the timeline below detailing the school's history. The campus has many different buildings still in good shape, even those that have been standing from as long ago as when the school was founded. Tschetter said he wants to keep the campus and buildings presentable because he does not want people to think they are letting the academy go. ![Matthew Tschetter by Freeman Academy's music hall](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/08/matthew-in-front-of-music-hall-1.jpg) Matthew Tschetter by Freeman Academy's music hall, which was built over 120 years ago, on Aug. 4, 2026, in Freeman, S.D. (Photo: Elena Tittel/South Dakota News Watch) Within this transition, he said he wants to see three themes emerge: community, identity and culture. "We're trying to make sure people don't lose their identity. We want a place for people to reminisce," Tschetter said. For example, he may consider opening the library to the community so that Freeman Academy graduates can view their old yearbooks. Other archives related to the academy may be donated to the Heritage Hall Museum & Archives next door. ## Connecting with the community Tschetter said he views the transition as "a new canvas," and that the unknown provides him with an opportunity to re-imagine the academy's usage. "I can sit with the possibility and the unknown together because they actually help each other," Tschetter said. He said he wants the academy to frequently collaborate with community members and sees potential for it to become a community hub. ![Inside a classroom at Freeman Academy](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/08/classroom-at-freeman-academy-1.jpeg) Inside a classroom at Freeman Academy, pictured Aug. 4, 2026, in Freeman, S.D. (Photo: Elena Tittel/South Dakota News Watch) One idea in the works is using the gymnasium to host sports practices during the upcoming fall and winter terms. Conversations are currently in the works of using the gym for basketball practice. Using empty spaces to host community events will both preserve the buildings while opening them up to the community. "This space can now be for everybody," Tschetter said. ![Freeman Academy's gym](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/08/gym.jpeg) Freeman Academy's gym, pictured Aug. 3, 2026\. (Photo: Elena Tittel/South Dakota News Watch) He thinks the cafeteria could be used for a handful of different events. In the past, it has been rented for wedding receptions. He hopes it can continue to be rented for other events. Empty spaces could also be used to host seminars and symposiums for community members, especially farmers and agriculture businesses as they are a large part of the Freeman community. ## Strengthening the Freeman community Tschetter said those uses, which can create a deeper connection with the community, are vital, especially in a rural community. According to Tschetter, the challenges Freeman Academy has faced as a private school in a small, rural town are not unique. Data from the South Dakota Department of Education's 2025-26 Fall Enrollment Census Count reports 85 nonpublic (private) schools and 49 nonpublic (private) school districts in the state of South Dakota. Of these 49 districts, 11 – not counting Freeman Academy, which was included in the 2025 census count – are in towns with fewer than 5,000 people, displayed in the graphic below. Aside from challenges with enrollment and finances, incentivizing people to return to their rural community and be excited about it can be difficult. "(People) don't come back to Freeman," Tschetter said. "That has an impact on a small private school. How do you maintain it when you don't have alumni returning?" S. Roy Kaufman, a retired pastor who graduated from Freeman Academy in '62 and Freeman Junior College in '64, said rural communities need to find ways to better support people. After graduating from Freeman Junior College, Kaufman moved away from the community for a while to get his bachelor's degree and served at churches in Iowa, Illinois and Saskatchewan, Canada. When he returned about 25 years ago and became a pastor at his home church, he had slightly lost a connection with school but had a deep empathy for people in the church that did. [Changing visa rules create doubt students and employersAs South Dakota universities and major employers navigate a tight labor market, shifting federal policies prompt uncertainty for international students, faculty and seasonal businesses.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-5dfc88f9-c4ec-4252-9538-1c116b76f2ad.jpg)South Dakota News WatchAmina Aidarkhanova![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/sdsu-students-photo-1-1-aff31bc4-2703-4ab2-91fa-1250ec65fdeb.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/visa-rules-south-dakota-international-students-employers-college/) He said that although he was grieved, he also let out a sigh of release, for he sees the school's closing as an opportunity to strengthen the rural community of Freeman through increasing resources for agricultural and manufacturing workers, creating more creative opportunities and providing more adult education programs. "I would hope that the Freeman Junior College Corp. and the community, Mennonite churches and the community that it supported, would become the agents of this community revitalization for the larger Freeman community," Kaufman said. **Correction on Aug. 12, 2026:* The decision to close the academy happened in January. An earlier version of the story incorrectly stated the month.* [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. *Read*, *subscribe* for free and *donate* at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Elena Tittel's* internship was funded with support from the Nonprofit Newsroom Internship Program created by The Scripps Howard Fund and the Institute for Nonprofit News. *Contact:** [*elena.tittel@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:elena.tittel@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Fact brief: Does SD require campaign signs to come down after elections? URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-campaign-signs-larry-rhoden-toby-doeden/ Last updated: 2026-08-14T13:29:08.000Z ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/WhiteFACT-BRIEF--500-x-200-px--2-1-1.png) **Corrected on Aug. 11, 2026:* An earlier version of this story misstated the breadth of state law.* ## Yes. South Dakota law requires cities to allow campaign signs on private property before elections and they must be taken down within seven days after an election. However, there is no state law governing signs outside of cities, though they are not allowed on state highway rights-of-way. Specifically, the law allows signs in municipalities on "private property in a residential, business, commercial, or industrial zone adjacent to a transportation right-of-way by or with the permission of the property owner. "For the purposes of this section, the term, campaign sign, means a free-standing object identifying and urging a person to vote for or against a particular ballot question or candidate for public office." ℹ️ This fact brief responds to claims such as [this one](https://www.facebook.com/DakotaNewsNow/posts/sddot-reminds-public-not-to-put-election-signs-on-state-highway-rights-of-way%EF%B8%8F/1364866639004666/). ### Sources South Dakota State law,[ Display of campaign signs](https://sdlegislature.gov/Statutes/9-30-3.1?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Dakota News Now,[ SDDOT reminds public not to put election signs on state highway rights-of-way](https://www.dakotanewsnow.com/2026/04/23/sddot-reminds-public-not-put-election-signs-state-highway-rights-of-way/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) South Dakota Department of Transportation,[ General guidelines for political and other temporary signs](https://dot.sd.gov/media/7ca80d6f/Sign%20Placement%20Guidelines.pdf?ref=sdnewswatch.org) ### About fact briefs Fact briefs are bite-sized, well-sourced explanations that offer clear "yes" or "no" answers to questions, confusions and unsupported claims circulating online. They rely on publicly available data and documents, often from the original source. Fact briefs are written and published by South Dakota News Watch as part of the[ Gigafact](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) network. Submit a question for us to answer[ on the tipline](https://gigafact.org/tipline/south-dakota-news-watch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at*[ *sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact freelance reporter Michael Klinski:* michael.klinski@sdnewswatch.org.* ### Mitchell baseball libel lawsuit against American Legion, media dismissed URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-mitchell-baseball-defamation-lawsuit/ Last updated: 2026-08-10T17:28:14.000Z A South Dakota judge has ruled in favor of the American Legion and two media companies in a defamation lawsuit filed by a former Mitchell baseball player. Nexstar Media Group, which owns KELO-TV, and Forum Communications, which owns the Mitchell Republic, were defendants in the case revolving around a sentence in a letter by a representative from the American Legion sent to members of the Mitchell Baseball Association. In November 2024, American Legion adjutant C.P. Van Delist sent the letter to members of the Mitchell Baseball Association saying that Mitchell Baseball would be immediately barred from participating in the American Legion after a rape case involving six players made its way through court. > “It’s always a good feeling when journalism and investigative reporting wins. This shows our community that our newspaper cares about the truth and isn’t afraid of telling it, no matter who is involved or what the story is about.” – Mitchell Republic editor Luke Hagen In July 2025, Peyton Mandel, one of the six players involved in the case, filed a civil lawsuit saying that Van Delist made "false, malicious, and defamatory" statements about him. Besides the American Legion, Nexstar and Forum were also named in the lawsuit. Both news organizations published stories containing Van Delist's letter, which named all six players involved in the case and said, "All of these individuals are guilty of accessory to a felony, acknowledging by affirmation of their guilty pleas, that the felonies they were charged with, rape and aiding and abetting, did take place." Mandel was a player for the Mitchell Baseball team and one of six [involved in a hazing incident](https://www.dakotanewsnow.com/2024/09/12/six-mitchell-baseball-players-sentenced-rape-investigation/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) that took place in 2023 at a Rapid City hotel room. The event, in which another player said the boys held him down and performed forcible digital anal penetration on him, was later characterized as a rape case. [He pled guilty in 2024 to one count of accessory to a felony](https://www.sdpb.org/crime-courts/2024-06-18/two-more-defendants-take-plea-deal-in-mitchell-baseball-team-case?ref=sdnewswatch.org) as part of a plea deal. ****Get free, fact-based South Dakota news and information** in a weekday email. No spam. Cancel any time. [Subscribe ](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/#/portal) Circuit Judge David Knoff heard the defamation case in May and took it under advisement. The court published its decision Friday, which granted summary judgment to the defendants, which ends the case instead of taking it to trial. “The statement made by Van Delist and published by the Media Defendants were substantially true. Mandel (sic) pled guilty to being an accessory to a felony. He never used the word ‘rape’, but the actual act is undisputed and was acquiesced to by his silence at sentencing,” the judge wrote in Friday's ruling. Mitchell Republic editor Luke Hagen said the ruling was a relief. “It’s always a good feeling when journalism and investigative reporting wins,” he said. “This shows our community that our newspaper cares about the truth and isn’t afraid of telling it, no matter who is involved or what the story is about.” ## Case defines defamation, truth defense Mandel's lawyer, Tucker Volesky, said during the hearing in May that the contested sentence in the letter indicated Mandel was a rapist when that was not the charge that Mandel pled guilty to. Volesky said that because Mandel pleaded guilty to accessory to a felony, it was wrong to name him in the letter next to the statement of rape taking place. The lawsuit stated that Van Delist's statements and the subsequent news articles "falsely (represented) and (characterized) Plaintiff as an admitted rapist." The lawsuit also says that Mandel was "denied reapplication for an employment or experiential opportunity in the medical field" as a result of the articles published by KELO and the Mitchell Republic. Truth is considered an "absolute defense" in defamation cases, which means that if a statement is undeniably true, then it cannot legally be considered defamation. The court's ruling said that prior court cases involving Mandel and the other players established the "factual basis" for this case, and the statement made in Van Delist's letter was true. "Mandel (sic) relies on a vague admission and the argument that he technically did not admit in court to an accessory to rape or aiding and abetting rape. The Letter is at a minimum substantially true," the ruling said. "While our Constitution doesn't explicitly address minor inaccuracies in publications, South Dakota courts have recognized that minor errors don't necessarily defeat a truth defense when the real substance of the publication remains accurate." [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. *Read*, *subscribe* for free and *donate* at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact* reporter/*[*Report for America*](https://www.reportforamerica.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *corps member Molly Wetsch: 605-531-7382/*[*molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### 3-wheeled cycles a hot ride in Sturgis even as hidden safety issue arises URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-sturgis-rally-3-wheeled-cycles-safety/ Last updated: 2026-08-10T09:00:04.000Z STURGIS, S.D. – It takes only a brief drive through the streets of Sturgis during the 2026 motorcycle rally to realize that three-wheeled cycles have become a hot new trend in the biker world. Motorcycles with three wheels instead of two can readily be seen driving in traffic, parked amid the rows of bikes on Main Street or displayed at temporary sales and rental lots that pop up during the Sturgis rally that attracts more than 500,000 bikers to South Dakota each August. > "It is harder to steer at a higher speed, especially given that you have more weight and you have to press much harder to steer. They’re fun, but they just need to be navigated correctly." – Gina Suelflow, certified cycle trainer with the South Dakota Safety Council The key innovations of three-wheelers are greater stability while driving or stopped, increased visibility for users and among other motorists, more spacious rider and passenger seating and expanded cargo space. The three-wheelers are also more adaptive for riders with physical limitations or disabilities. But while they are by design more stable than two-wheelers, they also carry navigation challenges that can increase loss of control or rollover risk in some travel situations, namely while turning, navigating curves or steering at high speeds. "The people who are moving to a three-wheeled machine do need to realize that it takes a lot more strength to steer," said Gina Suelflow, a certified cycle trainer with the South Dakota Safety Council. "We’ve seen a lot of people get themselves into trouble there because they don’t have the upper body strength required." ****Get free, fact-based South Dakota news and information** in a weekday email. No spam. Cancel any time. [Subscribe ](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/#/portal) Suelflow said people who shift from two-wheeled to three-wheeled motorcycles need to know that three-wheelers do not allow for leaning of the bike, the main method for turning a two-wheeled cycle. Three-wheelers are often heavier than traditional two-wheeled cycles and do not always handle well at high speeds, she said. "It is harder to steer at a higher speed, especially given that you have more weight and you have to press much harder to steer," said Suelflow, a Rapid City-based trainer with the statewide nonprofit safety group. "They’re fun, but they just need to be navigated correctly." ## Sioux Falls woman killed in 3-wheeler wreck According to a 2025 blog post by Street Iron Gear, a national biker apparel company, three-wheelers require a "stability trade off" when compared to two-wheelers. "While traditional trikes are easy at low speeds, they can be a handful in the corners," the post stated. "Because the body of the bike does not lean, the rider has to actively resist the forces trying to pull them off the seat. This can require surprising upper body strength and can feel unstable in sharp turns, sometimes even lifting an inside wheel if pushed too hard." [Fact brief: Does the Sturgis rally tally offer a statewide view of motorcycle fatalities?A fact brief that refutes or confirms a claim with supporting information and additional evidence and context.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-9d7b8df0-73c4-4f5c-aece-f82b72fabe9c.jpg)South Dakota News WatchMichael Klinski![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/SturgisRally-6328c3c9-0fa5-4f04-9aa3-1a161bdfd29d.jpeg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/gigafact-sturgis-rally-tally-motorcycle-crash-fatalities/) The risks associated with driving a three-wheel motorcycle – or any cycle for that matter – were made tragically clear in an Aug. 1 accident that killed a Sioux Falls woman who was riding on a 2025 Can-Am Spyder RT three-wheeled cycle. Dawn Hillman, 67, was killed in the single-vehicle accident that happened just after 11 a.m. on South Rochford Road about 5 miles west of Rochford in the northern Black Hills, according to the South Dakota Department of Public Safety. ![A woman rides a three-wheeled motorcycle on Lazelle Street in downtown Sturgis, S.D.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/08/2026-08-05-Sturgis-3-wheeler-driving-1.jpeg) A woman rides a three-wheeled motorcycle on Lazelle Street in downtown Sturgis, S.D., on Aug. 5, 2026\. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) The wreck occurred when the driver of the three-wheeled cycle, Randall Lee Hillman, 72, of Sioux Falls, failed to negotiate a curve and left the road, causing the vehicle to roll, the state said. He was taken to a Rapid City hospital with serious, non-life-threatening injuries. Both occupants were wearing helmets, and the investigation into the accident is ongoing, the DPS said. News Watch reached Hillman by phone on Aug. 5 but he declined to discuss the accident. The 2026 rally has reported several fatal wrecks so far. On Thursday, Aug. 6, the day prior to the official start of the rally, five people were killed in accidents, including a 46-year-old Sioux Falls woman killed on U.S. 14A near Sturgis who has not been identified. Two Illinois residents died in a fiery wreck on U.S. 385 north of Hill City. And a pair of Coloradans died in an accident on U.S. 14A east of Deadwood on Thursday. On Saturday, a 72-year-old biker who was not identified died in an accident on U.S. 85 near Spearfish. None of those wrecks appear to have involved three-wheeled motorcycles, according to state incident reports. ## Sales higher and expected to rise more Three-wheeled cycles fall largely into two main categories – those with two wheels in the rear and one in front, and those with two wheels in front and one in back. In both cases, navigation and turning is done via the front wheel or wheels. The cycles with two wheels at the rear are often called trikes, and Harley-Davidson is a major manufacturer. [As Sturgis Rally attendance slows, planners try to build for the futureAttendance at the annual Sturgis Rally event has dropped by a third since the 75th and fell by more than 9% from 2021 to 2022.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-8ddc37c1-1531-47ba-9294-8c9d83dd7b31.jpg)South Dakota News WatchBart Pfankuch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/sturgis-medicine-ride-2-b01bb892-5ff0-4f8e-87d1-a20344cf0fb9.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/sturgis-motorcycle-rally-2023-attendance-falling-south-dakota/) Those with two wheels in front are mainly referred to by their trade names, including the Can-Am Spyder and Ryker, the Polaris Slingshot and the Yamaha Niken or Tricity. Three-wheeled cycle sales are on the rise across the U.S. and are expected to continue to climb over the next decade, according to Future Market Insights, a financial research firm. Overall sales were $1.9 billion in 2020, rose to $2.7 billion in 2025 and could reach $5.5 billion by 2035, an industry analysis showed. Sales of models with two wheels in front are expected to make up the majority of future three-wheeler sales, which are being driven by "increasing consumer demand for versatile and stable personal mobility solutions," according to the analysis. ## Accident data not provided for 3-wheelers Safety data is hard to come by because the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration lumps crash and fatality data on three-wheelers into the same category as two-wheeled cycles, which still dominate the market. But some statistics can still be helpful in understanding the risks of three-wheelers and for motorcycles overall. For example, motorcycles remain much less safe than passenger cars and trucks, with a fatality rate that's 28 times greater for cycles on a per-mile basis. Motorcycle deaths have risen by 23% since 2019, with the highest fatality rate on cycles coming among drivers aged 50 years or older. Alcohol was a factor in 26% of fatal cycle wrecks in 2023, and during August of each year, South Dakota has by far the highest per-capita cycle death rate among all U.S. states. ![Bikers say three-wheeled cycles are more stable and provide greater space for carrying things, including dogs that wear goggles](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/08/2026-08-05-Sturgis-trike-dog-1.jpeg) Bikers say three-wheeled cycles are more stable and provide greater space for carrying things, including dogs that wear goggles, as seen in downtown Sturgis, S.D., on Aug. 5, 2026\. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) The NHTSA does compile accident data on all-terrain vehicles, which the agency says are increasingly being driven on public roadways. ATV deaths in the U.S. rose by 66% in a recent 10-year period, from 325 in 2014 to 540 in 2024\. About 70% of fatalities came in single-vehicle wrecks and more than two-thirds of deaths occurred in rollover accidents. ## He likes his trike, but goes easy on turns Bob Walker of upstate New York rode his 2010 Harley-Davidson Tri Glide three-wheeler 1,900 miles through Canada and back into the United States on his way to attend the 2026 Sturgis rally. On Aug. 5, Walker made a stop at a discount store in Summerset, just west of Rapid City, to get a soda and a few other necessities for his campsite nearby. Walker, 83, said he rode three-wheeled cycles for decades but transitioned to the trike when his knees got weak and it became more difficult to keep a traditional motorcycle upright. “I love this bike, and you can’t beat it,” Walker said. “You don’t have to worry about stabilizing yourself or holding yourself upright.” ![Bob Walker, 83, of New York, rode his three-wheeled Harley-Davidson to the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally this year ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/08/2026-08-05-Sturgis-Harley-trike-guy.jpeg) Bob Walker, 83, of New York, rode his three-wheeled Harley-Davidson to the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally this year and stopped briefly at a discount store in Summerset, S.D. on Aug. 5, 2026\. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) Walker said he has noticed the increasing popularity of three-wheelers at cycle rallies in Sturgis and at other biker events he attends across the U.S. But he doesn’t care for the look or handling of cycles with two wheels up front. He has taken test rides of cycles with two wheels in front and said they remind him of the difficult maneuverability of a forklift, which he drove at work prior to retirement. > “It’s very user-friendly and easy to drive. But you cannot take corners fast, you just can't.” – Craig Hillman, rider of a 2024 Can-Am Spyder He said his trike handles well and takes curves with ease, even in the Black Hills where bikers often ride scenic two-lane highways with limited shoulders and numerous hills, curves and switchbacks. But Walker said slower speeds for three-wheelers are mandatory to be safe in turns. On rough, bumpy surfaces, greater care is also required on his trike because the low weight of the front wheel can cause it to jump around or sometimes lift off the ground, resulting in a brief loss of navigability. “You’ve got to watch every corner around here,” he said. “And you have to be careful no matter what you ride.” ## Medical conditions drive shift to a Spyder Craig Hillman and his wife, Sue, trailered a three-wheeler for him and a two-wheeler for her from their home in Plymouth, Massachusetts, to attend the 2026 Sturgis rally as a celebration of Craig’s 65th birthday. The couple was shopping on Main Street in Sturgis on Aug. 5 with their cycles parked on the street. Craig shifted to his 2024 Can-Am Spyder with two wheels in front for greater stability after it became difficult to maneuver his two-wheeled cycle and keep it upright while stopped. “I’m full of medical hardware,” he said, citing past surgeries in his hips, foot and wrist. “It’s just the ease of riding it and you don’t have to put your feet down to hold it up.” ![Sue and Craig Hillman stand by their Can-A Spyder three-wheeled motorcycle in downtown Sturgis, S.D., on Aug. 5, 2026.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/08/2026-08-05-Sturgis-trike-couple-1.jpeg) Sue and Craig Hillman stand by their Can-A Spyder three-wheeled motorcycle in downtown Sturgis, S.D., on Aug. 5, 2026\. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) The Hillmans — no relation to the Sioux Falls couple involved in the Aug. 1 fatal wreck — appreciate that their Spyder has a reverse gear, can tow a small trailer and has greater stability and storage space than a traditional two-wheeled cycle. “I can do my grocery shopping in this,” Sue Hillman said. The Hillmans said they see more three-wheeled cycles on the roads and have attended state rallies specific to Spyder models. Craig said that while he feels safer on his Spyder, caution is required to maintain control in some situations. “It’s very user-friendly and easy to drive,” he said. “But you cannot take corners fast, you just can't.” ****Join other South Dakotans and support statewide, fact-based news and information.** [Donate ](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/donate/) [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. *Read*, *subscribe* for free and *donate* at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact* content director Bart Pfankuch:605-937-9398/*[*bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Woman's response to COVID: 4,000 mile-trip through SE South Dakota URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-documentary-joy-of-the-heartland/ Last updated: 2026-08-10T01:39:13.000Z Lonnette Kelley is a resident of Sioux Falls, retired nurse, photographer, author and filmmaker. The last three titles didn’t come until she reached her mid 70s. Those experiences came during and after the COVID-19 pandemic caused Kelley to retire from being a nurse after 55 years. While in isolation, she and a friend got an idea to get out of the house: a road trip. Kelley wanted to explore the small towns within a 50-mile radius around Sioux Falls. Kelley and her companion, whom she said did not want to be named, shared the experience together. "He went to heaven almost two years ago now," Kelley said. "It was something we did together. When we finished the last trip and we knew we were done, it was hard for both of us. We didn't want to quit." Kelley asked him what he took away from the adventure. "He said, 'Gratitude, so much deep, deep gratitude.' And I said, 'That's amazing, because that's the same way I feel.' We both finished the trip with this huge gratitude in our hearts," Kelley said. They traveled more than 4,000 miles over a five-month period. Kelley documented the communities and farmland by taking more than 1,600 photos. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/08/DSCF0073.JPG) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/08/DSCF0161.JPG) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/08/DSCF5723.JPG) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/08/DSCF7874.JPG) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/08/DSCF9763.JPG) Some of the photos of southeast South Dakota Lonnette Kelley took of rural communities during her travel around the region. (Photo: Lonnette Kelley) She later turned the photos and small bits of history she collected into a book. "Joy in the Heartland: Life-Changing Road Trips Through God’s Healing Fields of South Dakota" was published in 2022\. Now, a few months out from her 80th birthday, Kelley will premiere a documentary of the same name this week that she produced from the experience. The film uses her photos and drone footage to highlight the small communities throughout southeastern South Dakota she visited. ****Get free, fact-based South Dakota news and information** in a weekday email. No spam. Cancel any time. [Subscribe ](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/#/portal) The story unfolds across 10 mapped regional trails, including the Old West Trail, Ageless Prairie Trail and Sioux Valley Trail. The documentary also features the "51 Hearts Initiative." Kelley gifted a physical, red-colored, wooden heart to 51 different towns within that 50-mile radius of Sioux Falls. Local community leaders placed these hearts on historical landmarks, town buildings or public trees. “I decided to call somebody in each community and ask if they would be keeper of the heart. So I'm sitting going through the computer and just finding businesses and shops and people, and I would ask them that question," Kelley said. "And I thought, ‘Certainly they're going to hang up on me. They think I'm crazy.’ But they were very intrigued.” ## 'It’s never too late' Kelley hopes people feel inspired after watching her film. She took an 18-month author program on writing and publishing when she decided to make her adventure a book. "I developed (the book) so that people could find joy. My idea was joy is everywhere," Kelley said. "And all we need to do is look for it. It's right in our own backyard. Wherever we decide to look, we can find joy." ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/08/Joy_In_The_Heartland-Lonnette_Kelley-FrontCover--1--1-1.jpg) The cover of Kelley's book, "Joy in the Heartland: Life-Changing Road Trips Through God's Living Fields of South Dakota." “It doesn't matter what age you are. If you have a vision and if you want to go back to school and you're 80, go back to school, you know?” Kelley said. ## Nursing home use Kelley hopes the book and documentary will be helpful not just in spreading joy, but in practical ways too. While doing public speaking engagements to promote her book, nurses would often buy the book, she said. “They said, ‘All the residents are so excited, they want to read it and see it,’ because they grew up in a lot of these communities,” Kelley said. “These are homes and places they used to drive through or be a part of,” she added. “And so I'm hoping that that will touch many of the individuals, too, and bring them some comfort and some joy also.” “Joy in the Heartland” will premiere at Sagewynn senior living community at Lake Lorraine in Sioux Falls on Tuesday, Aug. 11, from 2-4:30 p.m. and Wednesday, Aug. 12, from 6-8:30 p.m. It will be available for rent on Aug. 13 at [www.joyintheheartland.com](http://www.joyintheheartland.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). **Correction on Aug. 9, 2026:* An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated where the documentary will be premiered. "Joy in the Heartland" will premiere at the Sagewynn senior living community at Lake Lorraine in Sioux Falls.* **Correction on Aug. 9, 2026:* An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated how to watch the documentary. "Joy in the Heartland" will be available for rent on Aug. 13.* [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. *Read, subscribe* for free and *donate* at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact* reporter Emily DeCock:* [*emily.decock@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:emily.decock@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Vinatieri talks about family, love of game in Hall of Fame speech URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-vinatieri-hall-of-fame-speech/ Last updated: 2026-08-08T22:30:15.000Z CANTON, Ohio – South Dakota native and legendary kicker Adam Vinatieri stressed the importance of family, hard work and his love for the game of football while speaking during Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrinement ceremonies on Saturday afternoon in Canton, Ohio. He also punctuated his 19-minute speech with some humor and good-natured ribbings directed at a few former teammates and coaches. Vinatieri joined fellow 2026 Hall of Fame inductees Drew Brees, Roger Craig, Larry Fitzgerald and Luke Kuechly in having bronze busts of themselves unveiled in front of several thousand fans during a nationally televised ceremony at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium on the Pro Football Hall of Fame campus. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/08/FA0A2945.jpg) Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2026: Larry Fitzgerald, Adam Vinatieri, Luke Kuechly, Roger Craig and Drew Brees on Aug. 8, 2026, in Canton, Ohio. (Photo: David Bordewyk/South Dakota NewsMedia Association) Vinatieri, who grew up in Rapid City and played football at South Dakota State University, spent 24 seasons in the National Football League – 10 with the New England Patriots (1996-2005) and 14 with the Indianapolis Colts (2006-2019). He is the NFL’s all-time leading scorer with 2,673 points. No player in NFL history has made more regular season field goals than Vinatieri’s 599\. Vinatieri began his speech by acknowledging the significance of the moment. "Here I stand at the top of the mountain, the pinnacle of greatness, the highest achievement. I can officially say my biggest dreams have come true," Vinatieri said. "To be included among these legends whose busts fill these halls is one of the greatest honors of my life." ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/08/FA0A4136-1.JPG) South Dakota native Adam Vinatieri speaks Aug. 8, 2026, in Canton, Ohio, next to the bronze bust of him that will be displayed in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. (Photo: David Bordewyk/South Dakota NewsMedia Association) A good portion of his speech was dedicated to thanking his parents, siblings, wife and children for their support and understanding while he pursued and lived his dream as a professional football player. "To my parents, Paul and Judy, you gave me far more than opportunities. You gave me values. You taught me hard work, humility, accountability, perseverance and faith. You taught me that if something was worth doing, it's worth doing it right. That character matters more than recognition. "I've realized that some of my great accomplishments stand far beyond football. Those being a loving father and husband. Football is temporary; family is forever. "People see the game-winning kicks, the championships, the celebrations. What they don't see are the sacrifices, the missed holidays, the uncertainty, the pressure, the countless moments where football demanded all of my time." Vinatieri delivered more jokes and zingers in his speech than the other four enshrinees did and the crowd responded heartily. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/08/FA0A3935.jpg) South Dakota native Adam Vinatieri speaks Aug. 8, 2026, in Canton, Ohio, during his induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. (Photo: David Bordewyk/South Dakota NewsMedia Association) He poked fun at his former New England Patriots coach, Bill Belichick. “Unfortunately, Bill couldn’t make it here today. There’s a lot going on at UNC (University of North Carolina, where Belichick coaches) right now. He might be on a recruiting trip right now looking for the next Lawrence Taylor. I thought it was because training camp had already started. But in truth, it’s because he’s judging his girlfriend’s cheerleading competition.” However, Vinatieri wanted the crowd to know he was just kidding. "All jokes aside, Bill is the greatest coach of all time," he added. ****Get free, fact-based South Dakota news and information** in a weekday email. No spam. Cancel any time. [Subscribe ](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/#/portal) Another jab was directed at former Indianapolis Colts teammate and fellow Hall of Famer Peyton Manning. "Peyton – thank you for generously donating your forehead for today's teleprompter. A gigantic forehead means a big brain and your football IQ is unmatched, buddy." ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/08/0K4A3693.JPG) South Dakota native Adam Vinatieri speaks Aug. 8, 2026, in Canton, Ohio, during his induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. (Photo: David Bordewyk/South Dakota NewsMedia Association) He touched on his South Dakota roots a few times as well. "No matter where football took me, South Dakota would always be home. "I don't want to be remembered for kicking footballs through uprights. I want to be remembered as that kid from South Dakota who never gave up on his dreams. A God-fearing man who loved his family unconditionally, a teammate people could count on, a husband who adored his wife and a father whose greatest joy was simply being dad. "In closing, I want to thank the game of football. You gave me purpose. You gave me direction. The more I devoted myself to you, the more you rewarded me. I gave you everything and somehow you gave me even more in return." There are now 387 players, coaches and others in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, which began in 1963. [Adam Vinatieri joins Pro Football Hall of FameNFL kicker was born in Yankton, grew up in Rapid City and played at South Dakota State University in Brookings. Becomes only the second South Dakotan to be enshrined in Canton, Ohio.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-9df1c982-b0b4-418d-a834-ccdd19e9a68a.jpg)South Dakota News WatchDavid Bordewyk![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/FA0A9578-1-2d9ff035-5661-4e28-81e1-fb5e4c6a1c4f.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-state-adam-vinatieri-pro-football-hall/) [The kicker who replaced a benched Adam VinatieriJim Remme filled in for the future Hall of Famer during a slump when they played at South Dakota State. “Well, of course, we didn’t know how this was all going to transpire.”![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-a055045d-5b66-4b3f-87de-1e76bdcda2de.jpg)South Dakota News WatchDavid Bordewyk![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/Jim-Remme--photo-courtesy-SDSU-Athletics--1-1-dda71269-eeea-41e5-b8de-719b603a2d41.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-state-kicker-jim-remme-adam-vinatieri/) [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. *Read*, *subscribe* for free and *donate* at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact:** [*info@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:info@sdnewswatch.org). ### Adam Vinatieri joins Pro Football Hall of Fame URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-state-adam-vinatieri-pro-football-hall/ Last updated: 2026-08-08T22:11:40.000Z CANTON, Ohio –When you’re going into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, there are plenty of congratulatory handshakes, slaps on the back, photos to take and no time for yourself. That was true for Adam Vinatieri on Thursday in Canton, Ohio. It was a busy day for Vinatieri to meet with the press, sign autographs, catch up with former football colleagues and be introduced on the football field before kickoff of the first exhibition game of the 2026-27 NFL season between the Arizona Cardinals and the Carolina Panthers. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/08/FA0A1123-2-1.jpg) South Dakota native Adam Vinatieri is introduced Aug. 6, 2026, in Canton, Ohio, during his induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. (Photo: David Bordewyk/South Dakota NewsMedia Association) Vinatieri, who was born in Yankton, grew up in Rapid City and played football at South Dakota State University in Brookings, becomes only the second South Dakotan to be enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton during ceremonies to be held on Saturday, Aug. 8\. He also becomes only the second SDSU player to join the elite club. Jim Langer, a standout football and baseball player at SDSU, joined the Hall of Fame in 1987\. Langer, a Minnesota native, played for the powerhouse Miami Dolphins during the 1970s before finishing his career with the Minnesota Vikings in 1980-81. Norm Van Brocklin, who was born in Dewey County in 1926, was the first South Dakotan to be inducted. He played quarterback for 12 years in the National Football League and later coached in the NFL for 13 years. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/08/FA0A1182.jpg) Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2026: Luke Kuechly, Larry Fitzgerald, Adam Vinatieri, Roger Craig and Drew Brees on Aug. 6, 2026, in Canton, Ohio. (Photo: David Bordewyk/South Dakota NewsMedia Association) Other 2026 Hall of Fame inductees are quarterback Drew Brees, running back Roger Craig, wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald and linebacker Luke Kuechly. “This is obviously a dream come true,” Vinatieri said during a press conference on Thursday afternoon. “I always dreamt as a kid of just playing in the NFL and trying to help your team win games. Getting that knock on the door and thinking that 387 of us get the honor to put on this jacket. Man, I can’t wait. I’m excited. I’m nervous for my speech a little bit, but it’s going to be a great time.” Besides his family, Vinatieri gives credit to his teacher Marcy Farrand at Wilson Elementary School in Rapid City and the late coach and kicking guru Doug Blevins as two individuals who made big differences in his life. “(Farrand) taught me you can achieve anything that you want as long as you work hard. If you put the effort in, you can succeed,” Vinatieri said. He attributed Blevins in helping him get to the next level with his kicking game after graduation from SDSU. ## Vinatieri's journey to the Hall Vinatieri was a multi-sport standout at Rapid City Central High School before being recruited by then-assistant coach John Stiegelmeier as a kicker and a punter for SDSU. He played for the Jackrabbits from 1991 to 1994, earning first-team all-conference honors as a punter for three consecutive years and second-team all-conference as a placekicker in 1992\. He was a first-team selection on two All-America teams his senior year in 1994. “You can really get anywhere from South Dakota if you work your butt off,” Vinatieri said about his formative years in football. “I have great memories from growing up there, great memories from South Dakota State University. It means the world that I came from a small town in South Dakota and I’m standing here this weekend. It’s wonderful.” ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/08/FA0A0746-1.jpg) South Dakota native Adam Vinatieri gestures during his news conference Aug. 6, 2026, in Canton, Ohio, for his induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. (Photo: David Bordewyk/South Dakota NewsMedia Association) Vinatieri played 24 seasons in the National Football League – 10 with the New England Patriots (1996-2005) and 14 with the Indianapolis Colts (2006-2019). He is the NFL’s all-time leading scorer with 2,673 points. No player in NFL history has made more regular season field goals than Vinatieri’s 599\. Vinatieri built a reputation delivering kicks through the uprights during some of the biggest games in NFL history, including playoffs and Super Bowls. He won three Super Bowls with the New England Patriots and one with the Indianapolis Colts. He joins Jan Stenerud and Morten Andersen as the only true kickers to be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. [The kicker who replaced a benched Adam VinatieriJim Remme filled in for the future Hall of Famer during a slump when they played at South Dakota State. “Well, of course, we didn’t know how this was all going to transpire.”![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-66f34177-7a5d-4a29-b293-84c39f6b635a.jpg)South Dakota News WatchDavid Bordewyk![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/Jim-Remme--photo-courtesy-SDSU-Athletics--1-1-1923197f-9b7a-4670-a653-703996ecb303.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/p/1baa354e-bb3a-40c6-989b-d6cc647f75e2/) [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. *Read*, *subscribe* for free and *donate* at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact:** [*info@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:info@sdnewswatch.org). ### The kicker who replaced a benched Adam Vinatieri URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-state-kicker-jim-remme-adam-vinatieri/ Last updated: 2026-08-08T11:05:39.000Z DAYTON, Ohio – Jim Remme was a defensive lineman at South Dakota State University when coach Mike Daly sidelined junior placekicker Adam Vinatieri and directed Remme to take over placekicking duties in a game against Mankato State University on Nov. 6, 1993\. Remme would miss the only field goal he attempted in that game, but he did successfully kick four of five extra points after Jackrabbit touchdowns. SDSU would win the game, 60-42\. Remme kicked again the next week in the last game of the 1993 season, a 28-0 win over North Dakota. The Jackrabbits finished the season with a 7-4 record. So how did it feel at the time to replace a future Pro Football Hall of Fame placekicker who would go on to become the NFL’s all-time leading scorer and a four-time Super Bowl champion? [Adam Vinatieri joins Pro Football Hall of FameNFL kicker was born in Yankton, grew up in Rapid City and played at South Dakota State University in Brookings. Becomes only the second South Dakotan to be enshrined in Canton, Ohio.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-83a30816-dbbf-4d13-bd7a-f8cbbb71b57d.jpg)South Dakota News WatchDavid Bordewyk![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/FA0A9578-1-c4479073-bce1-489d-9a7d-5afa5b09109c.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/p/f4e88503-b8a8-4a68-973c-a958a9498f6b/) “Well, of course, we didn't know how this was all going to transpire. Nobody would have even imagined the career he (Vinatieri) had. Unbelievable,” said Remme, who owns and operates a successful plumbing and heating business in his hometown of Luverne, Minnesota. “I kicked in high school. I came to South Dakota State as a defensive lineman, and Stig (coach John Stiegelmeier) recruited me and he knew I kicked, and so then I became the backup kicker early on in my career at SDSU.” ****Get free, fact-based South Dakota news and information** in a weekday email. No spam. Cancel any time. [Subscribe ](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/#/portal) Remme likened the kicking slump Vinatieri went through in 1993 to what a golfer or baseball player may face. It was a combination of mental and mechanical hiccups that needed to be fixed. And he said being benched only made Vinatieri more determined. Vinatieri was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, on Saturday, Aug. 8\. He was asked about that rough patch in his collegiate career during a press conference on Thursday. “It was a tough time. Obviously as a kicker you want to be successful all the time. Everybody goes through tough times, a slump. But I had a lot of great teammates that helped me get through it, supported me along the way and made sure that I got back on the field at some point. I just had a bunch of guys that meant the world to me. Those are the friendships you build that stay with you a lifetime,” Vintatieri said. ## Drive and determination Former SDSU football coach Stiegelmeier remembers that time as well. Stig was the defensive coordinator on the 1993 team. Stiegelmeier said: “There’s a lot more pressure on placekicking than punting. And coach Daly put some pressure on him. I’m sure Adam accepted the decision by coach Daly. The coach was simply saying, ‘I believe in you, but take a break. Watch it from the sidelines and we'll get you back in there.’” Remme attributes Vinatieri’s success to that drive and determination to achieve great things as well as his athleticism. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/08/0K4A3518.jpg) South Dakota native Adam Vinatieri on the football field at the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Aug. 6, 2026, in Canton, Ohio. (Photo: David Bordewyk/South Dakota NewsMedia Association) “The kid was a tremendous athlete. He benched over 300 pounds, squatted 500-600 pounds and he was a kicker. That was unheard of in those days. He was a tremendous athlete, and he could boom the ball. He was kicking 60-yard field goals in practice in the '90s, and that was unheard of. He just had talent.” Talent, for sure. During his senior season in 1994, Vinatieri would reclaim all of the placekicking duties in addition to punting. Vinatieri would end his collegiate career as a first-team all-North Central Conference punter for three consecutive years and second-team all-NCC honors as a placekicker in 1992\. He was a first-team selection on two All-America teams in 1994. As for Remme, he said choosing to play football at SDSU over the University of South Dakota and a few other schools was the best decision he ever made and that his time at SDSU was “among the best days of my life.” He still stays connected to the football program and the university as a season ticket holder and follows the Jackrabbits closely. “For me, Jackrabbit football after college has been as meaningful as it was in college,” Remme said. These days, he stays in close contact with Adam Timmerman, a former Jackrabbit teammate who went on to his own standout professional football career with the St. Louis Rams and the Green Bay Packers. “You know, look at that – I played with two guys who have been in a total of nine Super Bowls coming out of South Dakota State. Not many people can say that.” [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. *Read*, *subscribe* for free and *donate* at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact:** [*info@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:info@sdnewswatch.org). ### All My Relatives festival celebrates Native American culture URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-all-my-relatives-artist-festival-sioux-falls-event/ Last updated: 2026-08-07T14:09:04.000Z SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – A free, day-long event celebrating Native American culture through creativity, engaging performances and family-friendly activities returns to Levitt at the Falls this month. The fourth annual Mitakuye Owas'iƞ \*All My Relatives*\** Mitákuye Oyás’iŋ Festival will be held Saturday, Aug. 29\. "It's all about Native excellence and shining a spotlight on that," said president and CEO Nancy Halvorson of Levitt at the Falls. To do so, the event includes live concert performances, a fashion show, guest speakers and cultural presentations, a visual arts exhibition at Rehfeld's Art & Framing, local artisan vendors, food trucks and family-friendly activities. ****Get free, fact-based South Dakota news and information** in a weekday email. No spam. Cancel any time. [Subscribe ](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/#/portal) Rose Ann Hofland, vice president of programming of Levitt at the Falls, said the inspiration behind the festival grew out of earlier collaborations focused on creativity, Indigenous culture and youth engagement. One of these events was Innoskate, a one-time event organized by the Levitt, the Smithsonian, USA Skateboarding and the Wokini Initiative of South Dakota State University. The purpose of the event was to celebrate creativity, skateboarding culture and create meaningful connections with certain tribal communities that do grassroots work in skateboarding. The Wokini Initiative, dedicated to enhancing educational and cultural opportunities for Native American students, supported their work, allowing them to work with youth living on the Pine Ridge Reservation through an organization called Ground Control. After seeing the positive impact of that event, Halvorson and Wokini wanted to continue fostering these relationships through featuring Native artists. "From that, we said we really want to keep these relationships going and continue to build out this work, and so that's sort of where we said, 'What can we do here in Sioux Falls to really put a spotlight on Native artists and continue to grow these partnerships,'" Hofland said. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/08/levitt.jpg) The All My Relatives Festival will be returning to Levitt At The Falls on Saturday, June 29th. Venue pictured on Aug. 1, 2026\. (Photo: Elena Tittel/SD News Watch) Funding for this year's event comes from the Smithsonian-wide initiative, '[Our Shared Future: 250,](https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=%2C%22Our+Shared+Future%3A+250%2C%22&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&ref=sdnewswatch.org)' that aims to commemorate the nation's 250th anniversary and advance the Smithsonian vision for the next 250 years. According to Hofland, this event emphasizes the importance of celebrating and honoring Native culture in South Dakota. "I think it's important for us to be continuing to shine a light on those folks who have contributed so much to what is the fabric of our cultural heritage here," Hofland said. ## Native American art on display highlights native community At Rehfeld's Modern fine art and framing, a wide variety of Indigenous artists are on display until Aug. 28, with a closing reception that day from 5 p.m.-8 p.m. Alix Kyrie, gallery director at Rehfeld's, said she selects artists that speak to and reflect the native community. Each piece has a meaning that ties back to native artists. This year, there are a mixture of artists from many different places – from as far as Montana, to as local as downtown Sioux Falls. Current artists on display include: Holly Young (ledger), John Pepion (ledger), Amanda Provost (photography) and Jane Williams (oil). ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/07/native-on-a-horse.jpg) "Blackfeet Warrior 6," Mixed Media on Antique Map by John Pepion, pictured on July 24, 2026 at Rehfeld's Art & Framing. (Photo: Elena Tittel/SD News Watch) Kyrie said having an intimate display of the artist's works helps foster connections between artists and viewers. "There's always a little bit of a deeper meaning than just like, 'Oh, that looks cool.' And again, that's the nice thing about having a smaller group of artists is I can pick up the phone and be like, 'Hey, you brought in this cool piece, but what does it mean?'" Kyrie said. ## Creative expression through music Paintings, drawing, sculptures and pottery are not the only art forms featured at the upcoming festival. Mato Wayuhi, an Oglala Lakota actor and musician from Sioux Falls, will be coming back for a second year to the All My Relatives festival. ![Mato Wayuhi will be returning to Levitt at the Falls for the All My Relatives festival](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/07/26-DSC03715.jpeg) Mato Wayuhi will be returning to Levitt at the Falls for the All My Relatives festival for the second time on Saturday, August 29, 2026, in Sioux Falls, S.D. (Photo Credit: Mato Wayuhi) Growing up, Wayuhi said he did not know art was a viable career path. He has always been interested in being creative, saying creativity is a part of Lakota culture. But it was not until he saw young artists online making music that he realized he could pursue this full-time. ****Support Native American storytelling.** Help South Dakota News Watch tell stories from Indian Country that don't just focus on the problems but on the solutions and rich Indigenous culture. [Donate ](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/donate/) For Wayuhi, hip-hop music resonates with him the most. He draws influence from artists such as former hip-hop collective Odd Future, core members notably being Tyler, the Creator, Frank Ocean and Earl Sweatshirt. "I became more myself when I fell in love with hip-hop," Wayuhi said. "It's kind of always within me, and I think that a lot of natives gravitate to Black culture and hip-hop culture in general because there's just that shared feeling of history and disenfranchisement and all these kind of things." Wayuhi said he likes when his fans can relate to him. "I have had a lot of people find relatability in it, and I'm always striving for more of that ... without compromising any sort of spiritual vision that I have," Wayuhi said. "I got messages from people that were, you know, saying, 'I'm half white, half Palestinian,' 'I'm half, you know, Mexican and Black.' And it was cool because they were like, 'Thank you for writing something like that because I could relate to it.'" **Correction on Aug. 7:* The CEO of Levitt at the Falls is Nancy Halvorson. An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated her name.* [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. *Read*, *subscribe* for free and *donate* at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Elena Tittel's* internship was funded with support from the Nonprofit Newsroom Internship Program created by The Scripps Howard Fund and the Institute for Nonprofit News. *Contact:** [*elena.tittel@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:elena.tittel@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Fact brief: Did Gov. Larry Rhoden increase fees to obtain a concealed carry permit? URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-larry-rhoden-concealed-carry-permit-fees/ Last updated: 2026-08-06T09:00:20.000Z ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/WhiteFACT-BRIEF--500-x-200-px--2-1-1.png) ## No. South Dakota does not charge fees for residents to get a concealed firearm permit, after former Gov. Kristi Noem signed Senate Bill 212 into law in 2022. The bill removed state and county permit fees. The Secretary of State’s office reimburses counties for the lost revenue based on the number of permits issued each year. Gov. Larry Rhoden, who succeeded Noem in 2025, has been supportive of the Second Amendment right to carry, passing multiple laws that lowered gun restrictions. In March 2025, he signed three of those bills. SB 100 made South Dakota the 12th state to allow concealed carry on [college campuses](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/concealed-carry-south-dakota-college-campuses-gun-laws/). House Bill 1222 released the ban of carrying a concealed pistol in vehicles in school parking lots. The third measure, HB 1218, took away the ban on carrying concealed weapons into bars, while allowing city and county employees to carry a concealed pistol at work. ℹ️ This fact brief responds to claims such as [this one](https://youtu.be/O%5FIxX8e6TBg?si=XOrlDGkLrgPeIj5-&t=168&ref=sdnewswatch.org). ### Sources South Dakota codified laws, [2022 Senate Bill 212](https://sdlegislature.gov/Session/Bill/23355?ref=sdnewswatch.org) South Dakota codified laws, [2025 Senate Bill 100](https://sdlegislature.gov/Session/Bill/25721/284243?ref=sdnewswatch.org) South Dakota codified laws, [2025 House Bill 1222](https://sdlegislature.gov/Session/Bill/26055/281884?ref=sdnewswatch.org) South Dakota codified laws, [2025 House Bill 1218](https://sdlegislature.gov/Session/Bill/26037/284388?ref=sdnewswatch.org) South Dakota News Watch, [What concealed carry on campus means for South Dakota schools](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/concealed-carry-south-dakota-college-campuses-gun-laws/) ### About fact briefs Fact briefs are bite-sized, well-sourced explanations that offer clear "yes" or "no" answers to questions, confusions and unsupported claims circulating online. They rely on publicly available data and documents, often from the original source. Fact briefs are written and published by South Dakota News Watch as part of the [Gigafact](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) network. Submit a question for us to answer [on the tipline](https://gigafact.org/tipline/south-dakota-news-watch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at*[ *sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact freelance reporter Emily DeCock:* emily.decock@sdnewswatch.org.* ### Changing visa rules create doubt for students and employers URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/visa-rules-south-dakota-international-students-employers-college/ Last updated: 2026-08-05T09:00:20.000Z BROOKINGS, S.D. – International enrollment at South Dakota's public universities has increased steadily over the past several years. But university leaders expect fewer students from other countries this fall as visa uncertainty and changing federal immigration policies create doubt among prospective students. At the same time, employers across the state, from tourism businesses like Wall Drug to hospitals, schools and agricultural operations are still searching for workers in a tight labor market while navigating increasingly complicated visa programs. Interviews with immigration attorneys, international student advisers and employers suggest that hesitation surrounding student and work visas has grown as federal processing times extend and immigration policies evolve fast. [How SD hospitals fared in the latest quality ratingsTwo hospitals in South Dakota were rated “below average” in 2026 based on a regular review of patient care.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-456a7699-e65c-4351-8804-2c5d82118a4f.jpg)South Dakota News WatchBart Pfankuch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/2026-02-03-Avera-St.-Luke-s-Aberdeen-2-1-512bbfce-4beb-41da-b000-7aedaf76d773.jpeg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/cms-hospital-ratings-patients-quality-sd-avera-sanford/) "There is a lot of uncertainty," said Casey Eekhoff, an immigration attorney with Eekhoff Law, Prof. in Sioux Falls, who has practiced immigration law for more than a decade. "Things that used to take much less time are now taking two years or more." ## New federal rules shift rules for international students Adding to mounting uncertainty across higher education, the [U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS)](https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/07/17/2026-14439/establishing-a-fixed-time-period-of-admission-and-an-extension-of-stay-procedure-for-nonimmigrant?ref=sdnewswatch.org) finalized a major regulatory overhaul on July 17 that eliminates the longstanding "Duration of Status" framework for international students and exchange scholars. For decades, F-1 student visa holders – the primary federal visa category for full-time international students attending U.S. colleges and universities – were permitted to reside in the United States for as long as they maintained good academic standing and full-time enrollment. ****Get free, fact-based South Dakota news and information** in a weekday email. No spam. Cancel any time. [Subscribe ](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/#/portal) Under the new rule taking effect Sept. 15, international students will be locked into fixed admission periods tied directly to their program length, capped at a maximum of four years. Students who pursue complex multi-year research projects, change academic majors or seek advanced doctoral degrees will now have to submit formal extension applications and pay additional administrative fees to remain in the country legally. Those fees go to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), the federal agency that oversees legal immigration and work permits. Some higher education advocates said these added hurdles, paired with a post-graduation departure grace period reduced from 60 days to 30 days, risk deterring top global talent at a time when domestic enrollment is down. ## State leaders warn of regional economic impact The tension between federal immigration policies and local workforce needs is drawing concern from state financial leaders. During a national press briefing on July 16, they warned that restricting legal visa pipelines threatens long-term structural damage to Midwestern economies. Minnesota State Auditor Julie Blaha said agricultural and health care dependent states in the Upper Midwest are uniquely vulnerable when high-skilled visa channels are constricted. "Foreign-born workers make up a critical part of our regional labor force," Blaha said, noting that visa delays directly impact rural health care access and technical support for advanced agriculture. "We are dependent on having our new neighbors stay here and be successful. If we try to keep immigrants out, it will hurt us at every level, from paychecks to access to health care." Colorado Treasurer Dave Young pointed out that policy uncertainty prevents regional employers and research institutions from planning for the future. He noted that limitary visa rules hit rural states like South Dakota just as severely as major technology hubs. "When you narrow the field, particularly in rural parts of the country, you eliminate the prospects for smart hiring," Young said. "You want the most competent people to have an opportunity to come to your state, deliver effective services and add research value." ## Less worry about getting admitted and more about staying compliant South Dakota State University's Office of International Affairs said prospective students still ask traditional questions about housing, tuition and campus life. But immigration rules now dominate many conversations. Students frequently ask how federal rules may change, how future visa policies could affect them and what they can do to strengthen their chances of receiving or maintaining an F-1 student visa. "We're hearing lots of questions about what U.S. visa regulations look like," said Kirsten Linke, the director of Office of International Affairs at SDSU. The office also has seen more concern about travel limitations affecting students from certain countries and uncertainty surrounding future immigration policy. Linke said SDSU expects fewer international students this fall than in previous years, reflecting nationwide suspense surrounding federal immigration policies. Nevertheless, cycles of enrollment increases and decreases have occurred before, she said. According to South Dakota Board of Regents data, international enrollment increased at each of the state's six public universities between 2021 and fall 2025\. South Dakota State University enrolled 865 international students in fall 2025, compared to 615 in 2021\. Comparable increases occurred at the University of South Dakota, Dakota State University and the remaining public universities. Despite the fact that enrollment has steadily increased, universities now expect fewer international students this fall because of growing uncertainty surrounding visa processing and federal immigration policies. Eekhoff said one of the biggest misunderstandings students have is believing immigration rules allow flexibility. "In reality, they're very unforgiving," she said. Students sometimes suppose they can begin working while paperwork is pending or accept unauthorized employment without consequences. Federal immigration rules generally ban those actions. ## Work authorization and strict deadlines Employment authorization presents another challenge. Students participating in Curricular Practical Training (CPT) or Optional Practical Training (OPT) often underestimate how important timing can be. CPT is an off-campus work authorization program that allows enrolled international students to accept paid internships, practicums or jobs if the work is directly related to their major and required by their degree program. OPT gives temporary work authorization to international graduates, allowing them to work in their field of study in the U.S. for up to 12 months after graduation or up to 36 months for graduates in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields. While CPT is managed and approved directly by university advisers, OPT requires formal government application and approval through USCIS, making strict adherence to processing deadlines essential. "You don't want to start working before you're authorized," Eekhoff said. Longer federal processing times have made planning more important, she added. Students should begin discussing long-term employment options with employers well before graduation, especially if H-1B visa sponsorship may be needed. That's the standard federal work visa that allows U.S. businesses to temporarily employ foreign professionals in specialized occupations requiring a college degree. ## State labor data highlights growing demand South Dakota employers rely on international workers to help fill labor shortages in various industries as the state's job market expands. Data provided by Dawn Dovre, communications director for the South Dakota Department of Labor and Regulation (DLR), which works directly with state-level H-2A agricultural and H-2B non-agricultural seasonal visa programs, highlights how critical short-term and seasonal labor is across the state. In May 2026 alone, South Dakota’s non-farm wage and salaried workforce expanded by 9,400 workers to reach 475,200, driven largely by seasonal surges in leisure and hospitality (up 4,200 workers) and construction (up 2,500 workers). ****Join other South Dakotans and support statewide, fact-based news and information.** [Donate ](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/donate/) While state labor data highlights broad industry trends, individual businesses demonstrate how deep the reliance on international labor runs. Few South Dakota employers illustrate that need more clearly than Wall Drug, the tourist stop advertised around the world through road signs. Amanda Frink, HR director at Wall Drug, said the business brings in about 115 seasonal employees each summer, with most arriving from other countries to fill roles across retail, food service and maintenance. "We have to have that many workers," Frink said. "The American database of people that are available to work is very slim." ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/07/2017-4-28-Wall-Drug-1.jpg) Wall Drug is a popular stop for tourists on their way to and from other west-river attractions, attracting millions of visitors a year. (Photo: SDPB File Photo) However, securing that workforce has grown increasingly complex. Employers relying on non-agricultural seasonal labor depend on H-2B visas, which are distributed through a federal lottery. Meanwhile, student workers arriving on J-1 visas faced high denial rates at foreign embassies this year. Those exchange visitor permits allow foreign university students to work and travel in the U.S. during summer breaks. "This year was the highest visa denial rate I've ever seen in the last four years," Frink said. Administrative bottlenecks forced some international staff to arrive as much as a month later than scheduled, creating operational stress during peak tourist season, she said. Despite the administrative difficulties, Frink emphasized that international workers remain essential to keeping operations running smoothly. "Their work ethic is usually great," she said. "They're usually very efficient employees." Year-over-year trends reflect steady expansion in key service and health care sectors. Between May 2025 and May 2026, leisure and hospitality added 2,300 jobs, while health care and social assistance gained 1,200 workers, according to DLR data. Looking long-term, state projections point to South Dakota’s job growth outpacing the national average. Between now and 2032, state employment is expected to grow 7.7%, compared to 2.8% nationwide. According to DLR industry trends, the fastest-growing sectors statewide will be professional and technical services (15.2%), health care and social assistance (12.0%), transportation and warehousing (11.8%), construction (11.5%), and arts, entertainment and recreation (10.5%). Health care and educational services account for nearly half of all advertised job openings statewide, while retail, hospitality and business administrative roles make up much of the remaining demand, the trends indicate. Eekhoff said businesses across these top-hiring sectors frequently turn to legal immigration programs to fill lingering vacancies, particularly in rural communities contending with sharp labor shortages. "I see agriculture, hospitality, tourism, food processing, health care and education," she said. "Especially in rural communities where workforce shortages exist." ## High-skilled visas power higher education and health care Federal workforce filings also illustrate how deeply embedded international talent is within South Dakota’s core institutions. According to data from the [USCIS H-1B Employer Data Hub](https://www.uscis.gov/tools/reports-and-studies/h-1b-employer-data-hub?ref=sdnewswatch.org), 220 employers across South Dakota accounted for 5,089 approved high-skilled visa beneficiaries through early 2026. Major regional health care networks, including Sanford Health and Avera McKennan in Sioux Falls and Monument Health in Rapid City, account for most of remaining top sponsors, utilizing visa programs to staff regional hospitals and rural clinics dealing with severe, ongoing labor shortages. High-skilled visa pipelines also faced uncertainty after a September 2025 presidential proclamation attempted to impose an additional $100,000 filing fee on new H-1B petitions for workers hired from abroad. A federal district court in Massachusetts struck down the fee on June 8, ruling that the administration exceeded its authority, and the First Circuit Court of Appeals denied a federal request to reinstate the fee on July 24 while litigation continues, according to [official USCIS guidance](https://www.uscis.gov/working-in-the-united-states/h-1b-specialty-occupations?ref=sdnewswatch.org). While financial services lead overall raw volume, high-skilled visas are heavily concentrated in public education and medical infrastructure. South Dakota State University ranks fourth statewide with 236 approved beneficiaries, underscoring the land-grant university's reliance on global scholars to drive research and instructional demands. At SDSU, those high-skilled visa holders primarily consist of faculty members, while the remaining positions are filled by postdoctoral fellows and research scholars, according to Jill Fier, SDSU's digital news and media relations coordinator. Fier explained that the university opens its recruitment to all qualified candidates regardless of national origin, prioritizing hiring the most qualified candidate for every role. "All SDSU faculty, including international faculty, researchers and specialized professionals, bring expertise and knowledge that supports the university’s research and academic mission and goals," Fier said, highlighting that international scholars are a crucial part of any university's educational programs and research endeavors. She noted that SDSU closely monitors and complies with evolving federal requirements regarding the H-1B process and broader immigration policies. ## Communication matters Eekhoff and Linke said many immigration problems can be avoided simply by asking questions early. The SDSU Office of International Affairs encourages students to build relationships with their international advisers rather than relying on advice from other students. "Please don't take advice from your friend unless they say, 'Go talk to the international adviser,'" Linke said. Eekhoff offered similar guidance. "I wouldn't be afraid to ask," she said. "Make sure you're always in compliance with the expectations and requirements of your status." ## Congressional offices provide limited immigration assistance South Dakota's three congressional offices can sometimes help constituents experiencing delays with federal agencies. Michael Finan, press secretary for U.S. Sen. John Thune, said South Dakotans experiencing problems with federal agencies are encouraged to contact the senator's office for assistance. U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson's office refused to comment. "Unfortunately, we do not comment on constituent casework and casework processes," said Press Secretary Andrew Rasmussen. *Editor's note: Amina Aidarkhanova is from Karaganda, Kazakhstan, and attends SDSU in Brookings on a student visa.* [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. *Read*, *subscribe* for free and *donate* at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. Amina Aidarkhanova received the 2026 Jeffrey B. Nelson Investigative Journalism Endowed Internship and the Chuck Raasch and Sandy Johnson Scholarship from the SDSU Foundation. *Contact:** [*amina.aidarkhanova@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:amina.aidarkhanova@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Fact brief: Are red light cameras illegal in South Dakota? URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/fact-brief-red-light-cameras-south-dakota-lawsuit/ Last updated: 2026-08-04T15:10:12.000Z ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/WhiteFACT-BRIEF--500-x-200-px--2-1-1.png) ## Yes. South Dakota is one of about 10 states where the use of cameras to enforce traffic violations is against the law. The South Dakota Legislature passed the law banning the cameras in 2014\. It states that “no state, county, municipal, or township authority may contract with any private corporation to provide for the use of any photo monitoring device to detect any red light violation.” In 2006, I.L. Wiedermann's vehicle was photographed violating a “no turn on red” sign in downtown Sioux Falls. He was subsequently fined $86 and appealed before taking the case to circuit court in 2010. The lawsuit claimed the city violated state law by placing a camera at the downtown intersection, violated his due process rights and exceeded legal authority by assessing a civil penalty for a traffic offense. The circuit court ruled in Wiedermann's favor. Four years later, the Legislature banned the cameras. ℹ️ This fact brief responds to claims such as [this one](https://www.reddit.com/r/SiouxFalls/comments/1f5ydyd/i%5Fran%5Fa%5Fred%5Flight%5Fwhat%5Fcan%5Fi%5Fexpect/?share%5Fid=r9kYaANwJlirdK1ctAgc1&utm%5Fcontent=1&utm%5Fmedium=ios%5Fapp&utm%5Fname=ioscss&utm%5Fsource=share&utm%5Fterm=1). ### Sources South Dakota codified laws, [32-28-17](https://sdlegislature.gov/Statutes/32-28-17?ref=sdnewswatch.org) World Population Review, [Red light cameras](https://worldpopulationreview.com/state-rankings/red-light-cameras-by-state?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Circuit Court of South Dakota, [I.L Wiedermann vs. City of Sioux Falls](https://www.thenewspaper.com/rlc/docs/2010/sd-wieder.pdf?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Sioux Falls Argus Leader, [S.D. House unanimously votes to ban red light cameras](https://www.argusleader.com/story/news/2014/02/05/sd-house-unanimously-votes-to-ban-red-light-cameras-/5237881/?gnt-cfr=1&gca-cat=p&gca-uir=true&gca-epti=z114101e000400v114101d--41--b--41--&gca-ft=214&gca-ds=sophi&ref=sdnewswatch.org) ### About fact briefs Fact briefs are bite-sized, well-sourced explanations that offer clear "yes" or "no" answers to questions, confusions and unsupported claims circulating online. They rely on publicly available data and documents, often from the original source. Fact briefs are written and published by South Dakota News Watch as part of the [Gigafact](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) network. Submit a question for us to answer [on the tipline](https://gigafact.org/tipline/south-dakota-news-watch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). *This story was updated.* [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at*[ *sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact freelance reporter Michael Klinski:* michael.klinski@sdnewswatch.org.* ### How SD hospitals fared in the latest quality ratings URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/cms-hospital-ratings-patients-quality-sd-avera-sanford/ Last updated: 2026-08-03T17:34:51.000Z Two hospitals in South Dakota were rated "below average" in 2026 based on a regular review of patient care and medical outcome benchmarks set by the federal government. But those poor results were far from the norm, as most hospitals statewide received average or better grades in the annual Overall Hospital Quality Star Ratings determined by the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). ****Get free, fact-based South Dakota news and information** in a weekday email. No spam. Cancel any time. [Subscribe ](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/#/portal) The ratings – ranging from 1 star on the low end to 5 stars at the top – are based on 46 quality measures within five general categories of health and safety data, which are supplied by the facilities being rated or collected independently by CMS. The categories include mortality, safety of care, readmission, patient experiences and timely and effective care. The two South Dakota hospitals rated 2 stars in 2026 were Avera St. Mary's in Pierre and Huron Regional Medical Center. Both had some positive and negative findings in their overall reviews, but they had lower-than-average recommendation rates by patients. No South Dakota hospital had a 1-star or 2-star rating in 2025. Five hospitals received top 5-star marks in 2026, up from three last year. The top grades went to Avera Heart Hospital in Sioux Falls, Avera St. Benedict in Parkston, Sanford USD Medical Center in Sioux Falls and the Veterans Affairs hospitals in Sioux Falls and Sturgis. [How a hospital is helping solve a hometown housing shortageAfter years of enduring a stifling housing shortage, a rural hospital in Hot Springs is investing in a subdivision project that will benefit the entire community.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-efc04216-798f-4d1c-a039-ba746fdcf8ac.jpg)South Dakota News WatchBart Pfankuch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/2026-5-27-Hot-Springs-mural-1-ba3861b0-c296-48ce-8c4a-bafd2b722bc6.jpeg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/housing-solutions-hot-springs-south-dakota-sd-hospital/) Taken as a whole, South Dakota's ratings were slightly better on average than the rankings of the nearly 3,000 American hospitals that receive a CMS star rating each year. ## Ratings only one way to judge hospital quality The rating system, found at the [Care Compare](https://www.medicare.gov/care-compare/?redirect=true&providerType=Hospital&ref=sdnewswatch.org) website, "displays hospital performance data in a consistent, unified manner to ensure the availability of credible information about the care delivered in the nation’s hospitals," according to CMS. Tim Rave, CEO of the South Dakota Association of Healthcare Organizations, declined to comment on any individual hospital's rating. But he called the ratings "an important benchmark" and added they are far from the only metric hospitals and the public should use to evaluate the quality of patient care. "While the overall star rating provides helpful information for consumers, hospital leaders rely on much more detailed data to identify opportunities for improvement and ensure they are providing safe, high-quality care," Rave said in an email to News Watch. ![Monument Health's Rapid City Hospital](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/07/2024-4-17-Monument-Health-signage-1.JPG) Monument Health's Rapid City Hospital, shown in April 2024, has seen improvement in its CMS ratings in recent years but slid back one spot to a 3-star rating in 2026\. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) Rave said the ratings provide a useful "snapshot" of hospital performance in a confined period of time but can't fully encapsulate the hundreds of data points providers use to evaluate and improve their performance. "A single overall rating cannot fully capture the complexity of caring for diverse patient populations, the broad range of services hospitals provide, or the unique role each hospital plays within its community," Rave wrote. ## How did each South Dakota hospital rate? Here is a look at how each South Dakota hospital that was rated fared in 2026, with the 2025 Star Rating included in parentheses where applicable. Several hospitals in the state did not have high enough patient counts or data reports to qualify for a CMS rating. **5 stars (much above average):** - Avera Heart Hospital, Sioux Falls (5 stars in 2025) - Avera St. Benedict Health Center, Parkston (no rating in 2025) - Sanford USD Medical Center, Sioux Falls (4 stars in 2025) - VA Medical Center, Sioux Falls (5 stars in 2025) - VA Healthcare System, Sturgis (4 stars in 2025) **4 stars (above average):** - Avera McKenna H/UMC, Sioux Falls (3 stars in 2025) - Avera Queen of Peace, Mitchell (no rating in 2025) - Avera St. Luke's, Aberdeen (5 stars in 2025) - Brookings Health System, Brookings (4 stars in 2025) - Monument Health, Spearfish (no rating in 2025) - Sanford Medical Center, Aberdeen (4 stars in 2025) **3 stars (average):** - Avera Sacred Heart, Yankton (4 stars in 2025) - Monument Health, Rapid City (4 stars in 2025) - Prairie Lakes Healthcare, Watertown (4 stars in 2025) **2 stars (below average):** - Avera St. Mary's, Pierre (3 stars in 2025) - Huron Regional MC, Huron (no rating in 2025) **1 star (much below average):** - No South Dakota hospital at this rating - Deficiencies found at two lowest-rated hospitals ## Huron and Pierre numbers explained Huron Regional Medical Center, one of the two 2-star rated hospitals in South Dakota, received strong marks for efficiency in emergency room treatment times and for safe use of opioids. But the hospital received lower-than-average marks in quality of sepsis care, the death rate for pneumonia patients and the overall death rate of patients, which was 5.4% compared to the national average of 4.2%. The hospital did not participate in any programs to improve maternal or child health outcomes. The hospital was also cited for low marks on some areas of in-patient surveys. Only 63% of patients at Huron Regional said their rooms and restrooms were always clean, compared to an average of 77% of perfect cleanliness reports at other South Dakota hospitals. And 57% of patients would recommend Huron Regional, compared to an average recommendation rate of 76% at other hospitals statewide. ****Join other South Dakotans and support statewide, fact-based news and information.** [Donate ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Pierre's St. Mary's received strong marks in sepsis care and colonoscopy follow-up screening as well for consistent communication to patients by doctors and nurses. But St. Mary's received lower-than-average ratings in the rate of stroke patients who received rapid brain scans and for longer-than-average treatment times in the emergency room. The hospital's death rate for heart attack patients was 17.3%, above the U.S. average of 11.6%. CMS also noted that a lower-than-average number of mammogram patients received advanced screening after their initial test. Only 61% of patients said on surveys that they would recommend St. Mary's, compared to the statewide average recommendation rate of 76% at other hospitals. ## Hospitals use ratings as motivation Cale Feller, director of media relations and corporate communications for Avera Health, told News Watch in an email that the health system is dedicated to constant improvement in patient care. Feller said the CMS ratings use data from as far back as 2021 and there is a slim margin between star rating levels. "Avera’s commitment to deliver safe, effective and compassionate care remains steadfast," Feller wrote to News Watch in an email. "Our quality data remained consistent with last year, reflecting the high standard of care we provide." The CMS hospital rating website shows that while some data used to determine star ratings is from 2021, much of the new analysis is based on information from 2023 and 2024. Feller did not specifically address the CMS rating for Avera St. Mary's in Pierre, which fell from a 3-star rating in 2025 to a 2-star rating this year. ![Avera St. Mary's Hospital is the primary health care provider in Pierre, S.D](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/07/Avera-St.-Mary-s-in-Pierre-from-FB-1.jpg) Avera St. Mary's Hospital is the primary health care provider in Pierre, S.D. (Photo: Avera St. Mary's Facebook page) Monument Health representatives said they have taken numerous steps toward improving patient care and outcomes at Rapid City Hospital, which raised its star rating from a 1 in 2023 to a 4 in 2025\. The Rapid City hospital fell to a 3-star rating this year. For several years, Monument in Rapid City has implemented a "daily huddle" and 5-tier prioritization system in which problems are documented and addressed as quickly as possible. "Many of our quality outcomes remain strong and continue to improve," Melissa Haught, director of communications at Monument Health, wrote to News Watch in an email. Haught said the hospital has seen continued reductions in hospital-acquired infections and surgical complications in hip procedures, among other improved outcomes. "Rapid City Hospital performs better than the national average on seven of the 11 measures included in CMS's hospital readmissions domain, demonstrating strong performance across several key indicators of patient outcomes," Haught wrote. Both Feller and Haught said their health systems have used the CMS ratings as motivation to improve, and that both systems took specific actions to improve patient care and potentially boost future ratings. That sentiment was shared by Destiny Price, chief operating officer at Huron Regional, which voluntarily entered into the CMS evaluation system last year, knowing that some deficiencies would likely be highlighted in the rating. "We recognized the value of being transparent to identify where we’re not hitting all the targets so we can start working on those things," Price told News Watch in an interview. For example, before the 2-star rating was announced, leaders of the 25-bed hospital recognized issues in sepsis care and took steps to minimize infections and improve outcomes, Price said. Huron Regional has also created a multi-disciplinary team that meets daily with each hospitalized patient, added a chronic care nurse and community health worker, and has a renovated birthing center and a new robot to aid in orthopedic surgeries. The hospital has also implemented processes to analyze systems and outcomes to identify and solve any issues that arise. "The quality of care we deliver now is not reflected in the rating," she said. "The board opted to say, 'Hey, let's report (to CMS), and we know it might be painful, and we might get a black eye ... but if we're working hard and always being aware of patient safety, then we'll have better outcomes for our family, friends and community members, which is who we take care of.'" **Correction on Aug. 3, 2026:* An earlier version of this story misspelled "results" in the second paragraph.* [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. *Read*, *subscribe* for free and *donate* at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact* content director Bart Pfankuch:605-937-9398/*[*bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Grant program supports tribal food truck operation URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/mobile-hunger-hero-food-truck-sd-reservations-team-buche-cares/ Last updated: 2026-07-31T09:00:37.000Z SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – A grant program providing funding for community oriented projects is supporting a food truck operation to deliver meals to tribal communities. Team Buche Cares - Underdog Foundation, the nonprofit arm of GF Buche Co., aims to serve families in need and offer meaningful change on behalf of the communities they serve. One way they do this is through the [Mobile Hunger Hero](https://teambuchecares.org/mobile-hunger-hero-2/?ref=sdnewswatch.org), a food truck able to deliver a large number of meals to remote locations. Carrie Sanderson, executive director of Team Buche Cares, said the idea came from an experience CEO and president RF Buche of the GF Buche Co. had two years ago. He was feeding about 5,000 children a day at the Pine Ridge Reservation by the end of the summer, which opened his eyes to the need for more accessible food. "He knew he was going to make his life mission to continue to fight food insecurity across rural and tribal areas," Sanderson said. "He said, 'We need a food truck. We need to be able to get a mobile pantry out to the people.'" Team Buche Cares purchased the Mobile Hunger Hero in 2025 that currently serves about 121 rural and tribal communities across the state. In 2026 alone, there have been 38 food distributions detailed in the graphic below. Sanderson said as their operation was growing, they recognized a grant was a needed area for them to tell their story and show proof of concept with the Mobile Huger Hero. Partnering with the Bush Foundation based in St. Paul, Minnesota, South Dakota Community Foundation will award $1.2 million each year for six years to eligible nonprofits in South Dakota. This marks the fifth year of the initiative. ****Get free, fact-based South Dakota news and information** in a weekday email. No spam. Cancel any time. [Subscribe ](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/#/portal) The Underdog Foundation was selected as [one of 13 nonprofits](https://www.sdcommunityfoundation.org/news-insights/sdcf-news/local-nonprofits-receive-921-000-in-grants?ref=sdnewswatch.org) chosen as a 2025 recipient from a pool of 143 applicants. (South Dakota News Watch received $100,000 for its housing solution stories.) Ginger Niemann, senior program officer at South Dakota Community Foundation, said the Beyond Idea Grant Program was designed to fund established or early stage projects that are in the process of developing, testing or spreading ideas that can make the region better for everyone. "Being able to get the food in the hands of those who really need it through a food truck was really an important initiative that the reviewers saw that met all the criteria that the Beyond Idea Grant Program wishes to see," Niemann said. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/07/IMG_4677-1.jpeg) People lining up for food in the Mobile Hunger Hero. (Photo Credit: Team Buche Cares) Since receiving the grant six months ago, they have been able to improve their tracking systems as well as coordinate outreach and communication regarding when the distributions are occurring. As of now, Team Buche Cares has been able to complete monthly distributions in addition to holiday meal giveaways. The goal is to continue completing at least one distribution a month. ## Food insecurity in South Dakota [According to 2023 Feeding America data,](https://map.feedingamerica.org/county/2023/overall/south-dakota?ref=sdnewswatch.org) approximately 113,750 people are food insecure in South Dakota, meaning they have limited or unstable access to adequate food. Those experiencing food insecurity often deal with high living costs, expensive housing, unemployment and low-wage jobs. Taken together, this can lead to poor physical and mental health and negative educational and occupational outcomes. Rates of food insecurity range from 8.5% in Hanson County to 28.2% in Oglala Lakota County, which comprises part of the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. Todd County, Oglala Lakota County and Corson counties have the highest percentage of individuals experiencing food insecurity shown in the graphic below. People who are food insecure are also more likely to be malnourished. Malnutrition can lead to [numerous adverse health outcomes](https://globalnutritionreport.org/resources/about-malnutrition/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). These include but are not limited to poor growth, intellectual impairments, perinatal complications and increased risk of morbidity and mortality. Native Americans in South Dakota have the highest rate of deaths from avoidable causes in the nation. [The 2026 State Health Disparities Report](https://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/fund-reports/2026/apr/commonwealth-fund-2026-state-health-disparities-report?ref=sdnewswatch.org) from the Commonwealth Fund found deaths from avoidable causes among Native Americans was 1,089 deaths per 100,000 people. That's 5 times the rate of white South Dakotans. Sanderson said that for people living in some of these communities, accessing a grocery store can be difficult. Some people may have travel long distances the nearest grocery store, and if there is a lack of transportation, this becomes even harder. "When we talk about food deserts in Sioux Falls, we're talking about not having a grocery store within a mile- or 2-mile radius," Sanderson said. "In many of our communities, grocery stores are in that 25- to 50-mile range." However, even for those who can access a grocery store, they may not have proper ways to store their food or be able to afford healthy options, Sanderson said. [What to know about food resources in SDWhich organizations, nonprofits and community initiatives are working to address food insecurity in South Dakota?![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-4d0f7eb8-8208-4a2c-aeea-48ae0235218d.jpg)South Dakota News WatchMolly Wetsch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/Screenshot-2026-02-13-at-2.12.12---PM-67bb1ae7-4bfb-4bee-9b49-6b4114fd4146.png)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-food-resources-solutions/) Looking forward, she said they hope to buy an additional truck to further expand distributions within the nine tribal reservations. "It's a fun project to be a part of, and I think the the best thing is seeing change at every time you're able to do a food distribution. How grateful people are, and just knowing that access to food will create stronger students, stronger community workers and relieve some burdens on health care and even law enforcement by having access to good food," Sanderson said. [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. *Read*, *subscribe* for free and *donate* at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Elena Tittel's* internship was funded with support from the Nonprofit Newsroom Internship Program created by The Scripps Howard Fund and the Institute for Nonprofit News. *Contact:** [*elena.tittel@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:elena.tittel@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Experts: Cyberattack on Pennington County likely by foreign adversary URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/experts-cyberattack-on-pennington-county-likely-by-foreign-adversary/ Last updated: 2026-07-30T21:11:30.000Z RAPID CITY, S.D. – Based on information released by authorities so far, two cybersecurity experts said it is likely that a malicious foreign entity is behind the recent cyberattack that crippled communications and other computer-based systems in Pennington County government. Two federal agencies, meanwhile, have recently warned state and local governments across the U.S. that cyberattacks are increasingly likely, and that such attacks are likely to originate in Iran, China or Russia. On July 5, Pennington County announced that a "cybersecurity incident" had occurred and affected parts of the county's computer network. The county shut down public access to government services for a day and has since embarked on a major multi-agency investigation. The county continues efforts to bring back communication and other computer-based systems. > "The biggest concern that I have is a cyberattack that leads directly to a loss of life or multiple people losing their lives. There needs to be a prioritization of security across all government entities and health entities." > – John Strand, owner of Black Hills Information Security, a Sturgis-based company that is an industry leader in cybersecurity County officials said critical county services such as the sheriff's office, courts, 911 dispatch and jails have remained operational since the incident. Several county functions such as computer-based communications, internet access and providing record keeping and registration services to the public were slowed or otherwise affected by the incident and response. Pennington County State's Attorney's Office spokeswoman Katy Urban, who is handling all media contacts during the investigation, told News Watch that the county is not discussing the incident or the subsequent investigation and is limiting public statements to those related to how residents can access government services. "Unfortunately, there's not a lot I can say because it's an ongoing investigation," Urban told News Watch. "If anyone's personal information has been compromised, we will contact them directly as required by state law." ## Likelihood a foreign government is behind it Elements of the cyberattack point to an adversarial foreign government as the responsible party, said John Strand, owner of Black Hills Information Security, a Sturgis-based company that is an industry leader in cybersecurity. Strand told News Watch in an interview that cyberattacks on American government entities typically originate from one of two sources: international organized crime groups that seek money from victims or international adversaries that either seek intelligence on U.S. networks and systems or intend to disrupt daily life in America. Since county officials have not discussed any demands for ransom from the cyberattacker, it is more likely that a foreign adversary of the U.S. is behind the attack, Strand said. "So then you're looking at Iran, you're looking at Russia, you're looking at China," Strand said. "Most of the time, they want to dwell (within the system) and to gain access to critical infrastructure, and they want to maintain access for as long as they possibly can." ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/07/2026-07-28-Line-at-Pennington-office-1.jpeg) A line of about three dozen people waited to obtain in-person services from the Treasurer's Office at the Pennington County Administration Building in Rapid City, S.D., on July 28, 2026\. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) [The New York Times on July 30](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/30/us/politics/minnesota-water-cyberattack-iran.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&ref=sdnewswatch.org) quoted anonymous state and federal sources in an article indicating that Iran is the likely culprit of a major cybersecurity attack that sought to disrupt water systems in more than 30 communities across Minnesota in late July. The Times said federal officials were concerned the cyberattacks could be a new salvo by Iran in its ongoing war with the United States. The goal of a dwell is to gain access to a system, stay there as long as possible and gain intelligence about how American systems work or where vulnerabilities may lie, Strand said. "If you're looking at Iran, though, right now because we are in a hot conflict, their motivations would be very different," he said. "They may want to gain access and cause immediate damage to get the press around what they were able to do in the United States." ****Get free, fact-based South Dakota news and information** in a weekday email. No spam. Cancel any time. [Subscribe ](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/#/portal) A more aggressive cyberattack could not only disrupt critical services in the U.S. but could interfere with systems that keep people safe, Strand said. For example, a cyberattacker could contaminate or limit access to drinking water, send sewage to places it shouldn't go, disrupt medical or prescription drug information or even affect safe operation of traffic lights, he said. "The biggest concern that I have is a cyberattack that leads directly to a loss of life or multiple people losing their lives," Strand said. "There needs to be a prioritization of security across all government entities and health entities." ## Minnesota water systems suffer cyberattack On July 28, Minnesota officials announced that a "coordinated cyberattack" had targeted computerized operational systems at more than 30 municipal water systems in the state, disrupting processes in at least five communities. The city of Braham, about 70 miles north of Minneapolis, told residents that the city water system was offline for about two hours on July 27 due to a "malicious cyberattack of computerized operating systems by unknown actors." The city reported that the attack did not affect water quality and that the city was able to maintain uninterrupted service. "This attack did not alter or cause any issue to the physical water plant or water quality or safety," the city said in a press release. "Rather, the attackers shut down the operating controls which shut down the well and water treatment plant, causing the city to provide water to residents with only water held in the water tower." > "I think we’re cannon fodder in the Iran war. It's like they're trying to send a message that they can attack us from halfway around the world." > – Bryce Austin, a cybersecurity expert and the CEO of TCE Strategy No water quality issues or use restrictions arose as a result of the attack, the state said. The Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) department said it is working with a wide range of state and federal partners to investigate the attack and bolster security against future incidents. "Cyberattacks against critical infrastructure require a coordinated, whole-of-government response," John Israel, MNIT assistant commissioner and state chief information security officer, said in a July 28 news release. "This incident demonstrates why Minnesota has invested in strong cybersecurity capabilities and partnerships. Our response worked as intended, enabling agencies at every level of government to rapidly coordinate, contain the incident, and help prevent more serious impacts to critical services.” ## Federal agencies raise increasing concerns The South Dakota and Minnesota cyberattacks came amid warnings by a pair of federal agencies about the increased risk of cyberattacks on critical infrastructure systems, including local drinking water and wastewater systems. In May, the U.S. Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) warned that infrastructure systems that use programmable logic controller systems and which rely on the internet for communication or control were under increasing threat of cyberattack. An updated [CISA bulletin](https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/cybersecurity-advisories/aa26-097a?ref=sdnewswatch.org) in July expanded the scope of the concern to "urgently warn U.S. organizations of ongoing Iranian-affiliated cyber targeting of internet-connected operational technology." The advisory said attacks could occur "through malicious project file interactions and manipulation of data." ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/07/2026-07-28-Pennington-TV-screen-2-1.jpeg) A television that was offline at the Pennington County Administration Building in Rapid City, S.D., on July 28, 2026\. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) As far back as May 2024, the federal government issued warnings about potential cyberattacks on U.S. water systems and lax security systems in place at community water systems. An Environmental Protection Agency alert noted that attacks were likely to come from the Iran government's Islamic Revolutionary Guard and state-sponsored bad actors in Russia or China. "Cyberattacks against (community water systems) are increasing in frequency and severity across the country," the EPA [said at the time](https://www.epa.gov/enforcement/enforcement-alert-drinking-water-systems-address-cybersecurity-vulnerabilities?ref=sdnewswatch.org). "Based on actual incidents we know that a cyberattack on a vulnerable water system may allow an adversary to manipulate operational technology, which could cause significant adverse consequences for both the utility and drinking water consumers. Possible impacts include disrupting the treatment, distribution, and storage of water for the community, damaging pumps and valves, and altering the levels of chemicals to hazardous amounts." The EPA said previous inspections found "alarming cybersecurity vulnerabilities at drinking water systems across the country" that included poor password usage, single login access to the system and failure to properly lock out former employees. ## Vulnerabilities found in county governments County governments in particular may be highly vulnerable to attack for a number of reasons, including a high amount of information held within systems that are often understaffed and may not have sufficient system protections in place. A January 2025 article in the Journal of Cybersecurity drew upon a University of Maryland study that examined security risks at nearly 3,100 county governments in the U.S. – including those in South Dakota – and found worrisome gaps on cybersecurity. County governments need greater cyber protection systems and improved employee processes because counties are often responsible for providing water, policing, education and elections, and possess significant personal and financial information about residents. "The consequences of poor cybersecurity at the local level can be disastrous," the authors concluded. "Given their impact on society, documented gaps in county government cybersecurity are alarming," the authors wrote. ## 'Cannon fodder' in the ongoing war? Both governments and private industry should expect more cyberattacks in the future as more public services and commerce are conducted online and through computer networks, said Bryce Austin, a cybersecurity expert and the CEO of TCE Strategy, a Minnesota-based firm that provides cybersecurity protection and compliance services. The "one-two punch" of cyberattacks in South Dakota and Minnesota within the same month is concerning but not overly surprising, he said. Several signs point to cyberattacks by Iran, which may be trying to make a statement as it continues to battle the U.S. in war, Austin said. "I think we’re cannon fodder in the Iran war," he said. "It's like they're trying to send a message that they can attack us from halfway around the world." > "We better get used to it because this is the new normal." > – John Strand, owner of Black Hills Information Security Russia tends to seek disruptions of American systems for political or military purposes while China often seeks intelligence that can help its economy or competitiveness in the global marketplace, Austin said. Federal, state and local government agencies need to invest in stronger systems protections, employee training and larger IT workforces to potentially prevent future attacks, he said. "You don’t need your county infrastructure to have perfect cybersecurity," Austin said. "It just needs to be significantly more difficult to hack than many other counties." Strand, who launched his family-run company in his basement near Deadwood in 2008, has grown the firm to 160 employees who conduct 950 security assessments annually across the world. He complimented Pennington County on how it has handled the security breach so far but said it would be a "tragic mistake" if the county doesn't release a full accounting of the attack and its response at some point. "Just trying to hide it and bury it is almost always the wrong answer, and I'm hoping with these other breaches that we're seeing they will release information so that this can get fed back into the broader ecosystem, so everyone can learn," Strand said. "We better get used to it because this is the new normal." [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. *Read*, *subscribe* for free and *donate* at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact* content director Bart Pfankuch:605-937-9398/*[*bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Fact brief: Did Toby Doeden’s vote share decrease in runoff? URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/sd-gubernatorial-primary-runoff-results-toby-doeden-larry-rhoden/ Last updated: 2026-07-30T09:00:57.000Z # Yes. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/WhiteFACT-BRIEF--500-x-200-px--2-1-1.png) South Dakota gubernatorial candidate Toby Doeden received a smaller percentage of the vote in the runoff against Larry Rhoden on July 28 compared to the Republican primary in early June. Doeden received 31% of the vote when there were four candidates during the June 2 primary that also featured Dusty Johnson and Jon Hansen. In Tuesday’s runoff election, Doeden received 29%, and Rhoden won with 71%. Now Rhoden will meet Democratic candidate Dan Ahlers in the Nov. 3 general election. Doeden led in just two counties during the runoff – Fall River and Todd – compared to 28 during the primary. He also lost his home county (Brown), where he secured 32% of the vote Tuesday. The number of registered Republicans increased by about 7,300 since June 2, as some Democrats and Independents switched parties and new voters were added for the runoff. Those voters were expected to help Rhoden. ## Sources South Dakota Secretary of State’s Office, [Runoff election results](https://electionresults.sd.gov/resultsSW.aspx?type=SWR&map=CTY&ref=sdnewswatch.org) KELO-TV, [A surge of new Republicans eligible to vote in runoff](https://www.keloland.com/news/capitol-news-bureau/a-surge-of-new-republicans-eligible-to-vote-in-runoff/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) South Dakota News Watch, [Did Larry Rhoden beat Toby Doeden in West River voting?](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/fact-brief-sd-larry-rhoden-toby-doeden-primary-election/) Ballotpedia, [South Dakota gubernatorial election (2026)](https://ballotpedia.org/South%5FDakota%5Fgubernatorial%5Fand%5Flieutenant%5Fgubernatorial%5Felection,%5F2026?ref=sdnewswatch.org) ## About fact briefs Fact briefs are bite-sized, well-sourced explanations that offer clear "yes" or "no" answers to questions, confusions and unsupported claims circulating online. They rely on publicly available data and documents, often from the original source. Fact briefs are written and published by South Dakota News Watch as part of the [Gigafact](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) network. Submit a question for us to answer [on the tipline](https://gigafact.org/tipline/south-dakota-news-watch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at*[ *sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact freelance reporter Michael Klinski:* michael.klinski@sdnewswatch.org.* ### Rhoden wins South Dakota Republican runoff for governor URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-2026-republican-governor-runoff/ Last updated: 2026-07-29T10:14:00.000Z Gov. Larry Rhoden handily defeated Toby Doeden Tuesday in a runoff election to decide the Republican Party's candidate for governor. Rhoden [maintained a lead](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-republican-gop-governor-runoff-results-2026/) of roughly 71% to 29% over the Aberdeen businessman as results came in and that was the final outcome. "This has been a lot more fun than other election nights," Rhoden said to a roomful of supporters in Sioux Falls. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/07/SD-Primary-GOP-Governor--3-.jpg) His speech thanking his family was interrupted by a phone call from a state lawmaker. He said he received hundreds of calls like that from supporters saying they were praying for him, which helped him get through tough times, also recalling the scripture passage to "walk by faith and not by sight." Doeden vowed to eliminate property taxes and get the state on the right track, while Rhoden touted his experience as a rancher, state lawmaker and in the executive branch. “They don't think that South Dakota needs saving," Lt. Gov. Tony Venhuizen said of the voters who supported Rhoden. "They see that South Dakota is on the right track.” ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/07/2026-07-28--Supporters-cheering-1.jpg) Supporters of Gov. Larry Rhoden at his runoff election gathering June 28, 2026, in Sioux Falls, S.D. (Photo: Elena Tittel/South Dakota News Watch) The election was South Dakota's first runoff in state history because of a 1985 law stating that if no candidate reaches 35% of the vote in a primary election, the top two vote-getters advance to a runoff. Doeden received 31% of the primary vote on June 2 and Rhoden received 25%. The rest of the votes went to Congressman Dusty Johnson at 23% and Speaker of the South Dakota House Jon Hansen at 21%, both of whom failed to clear the runoff threshold. “I did get a call from Toby, Mr. Doeden, just a little bit ago, and he graciously conceded and congratulated me, and he sounded very sincere and offered his help in the general (election). And so I thank him for that,” Rhoden said. ****Get free, fact-based South Dakota news and information** in a weekday email. No spam. Cancel any time. [Subscribe ](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/#/portal) Doeden spoke to his supporters in Aberdeen after the call to congratulate Rhoden and lend his support in the campaign against Democrat Dan Ahlers in the Nov. 3 general election. "I have said since Day 1 on this long, crazy journey that my singular goal was to unite our amazing Republican Party and move this state forward. And that journey has not ended, my friends," Doeden told family and friends. He said that in 30 years of business he learned more from his losses than his wins. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/07/2026-07-28-Toby-Doeden.jpeg) Toby Doeden speaks to supporters on July 28, 2026, in his hometown of Aberdeen, S.D. Next to him is his wife, Liz. Doeden lost the Republican gubernatorial runoff election to incumbent Larry Rhoden. (Photo: Elisa Sand/Aberdeen Insider) ## Reasons behind the vote Joella Reavis said she voted for Doeden in the primary and did so again Tuesday at the polling site in South Middle School in Rapid City. Reavis, 58, who works for the Rapid City water system, said she voted for the Aberdeen businessman after seeing advertisements where he positioned himself as a political outsider. “I think he’s got some pretty good ideas, and I think it’s time for a change,” she said. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/07/2026-07-28-Voter-Joella-Reavis-1-1.jpeg) Voter Joella Reavis on July 28, 2026, in Rapid City, S.D. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch/South Dakota News Watch) Reavis said she was also put off by Rhoden’s unwillingness to debate Doeden prior to the runoff. “I think he was just kind of scared to debate,” she said. “I think he was counting on riding on the coattails he was handed (by former Gov. Kristi Noem) in the first place.” Retiree Bob Trupe of Rapid City, 87, said he did a lot of homework before deciding to cast his vote for Rhoden at South Middle School on Tuesday. He followed the campaign closely and attended a recent visit to Rapid City by Doeden to see him in person. Trupe, who owned a local camper sales company for about 50 years, said he appreciated the business acumen that Doeden carried into his candidacy. But Trupe said he was concerned that Doeden spoke as though he alone had answers to all the state’s big problems and was concerned that Doeden refused to say how he would replace the revenue lost by his plan to eliminate local property taxes. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/07/2026-07-28-Voter-Bob-Trupe-1-1.jpeg) Bob Trupe, who voted July 28, 2026, in Rapid City, S.D. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch/South Dakota News Watch) Trupe said he respects that Rhoden is a rancher and a good man who may not be a good public speaker but who is a “down to earth person.” “It can’t be all about me, me,” he said. “You’ve got to be able to work with people or you won’t get anything done.” A poll manager inside the school said turnout appeared to be low on Tuesday compared to the primary in June. ## 3rd vote for some South Dakotans In Sioux Falls, some voters cast ballots for the third time this year after a Republican primary and municipal election on June 2 and a subsequent mayoral runoff election on June 23\. In the city, some polling places on Tuesday noticed a much less busy day than on other in-person voting dates, likely because the only election taking place is the Republican runoff for governor, which is closed to Independents and Democrats. Other elections this year were open to voters from all parties. The downtown library in Sioux Falls was slower than usual, but other polling stations, especially those in regularly busier precincts, were seeing more typical numbers. The Embrace Church polling place had seen about 170 voters in total at 11:30 a.m. One poll worker told News Watch that numbers were “on pace” with what she had expected for the day. Marilyn, a voter at Harvest Church in southeastern Sioux Falls who didn't want to give her last name, told News Watch she voted for Doeden because she wanted to see a change in Pierre. “I think we need a change from (former Gov.) Kristi Noem,” she said. “We need some new blood.” ## What prompted the runoff Rhoden, who has served as governor since former Noem stepped down last January, has largely hinged his campaign around his experience in the state Legislature and executive branch. He hopes to be formally elected to the office after serving as Noem's lieutenant governor since 2018\. Rhoden is a rancher from Union Center. Doeden, a businessman from Aberdeen, has long decried the political establishment as corrupt. He has largely self-funded his campaign, donating $4 million to himself in the past year. Much of his campaign has centered around his promise to eliminate property taxes and curb government spending. [SD Republican gubernatorial runoff: How we got hereA timeline of how the state’s first-ever gubernatorial runoff shaped up, from candidate announcements to underdog wins.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-00ef153e-e1a3-4b03-bef6-a66ab3057ddb.jpg)South Dakota News WatchMolly Wetsch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/Untitled-design-1-1-d19385d3-8457-489c-93bc-90cd39e0d1b7.png)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/sd-republican-gubernatorial-primary-runoff-larry-rhoden-toby-doeden/) *This story was updated.* [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **Bart Pfankuch* and *Elena Tittel* contributed to this story produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent nonprofit. *Read*, *subscribe* for free and *donate* at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact* reporter/*[*Report for America*](https://www.reportforamerica.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *corps member *Molly Wetsch*: 605-531-7382/*[*molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Live results: South Dakota Republican governor runoff URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-republican-gop-governor-runoff-results-2026/ Last updated: 2026-07-29T18:57:58.000Z South Dakota Republican voters cast ballots Tuesday in the state's first runoff election, with Toby Doeden and Gov. Larry Rhoden vying for the chance to meet Democrat Dan Ahlers in the Nov. 3 general election. Here are real-time Associated Press results of the statewide total and county-level results that can be viewed by hovering over each one. Numbers will be updated until all votes are counted. Click the story link below for South Dakota News Watch's coverage of Tuesday's runoff, including voter input, photos and candidate responses when those come in. [Rhoden wins South Dakota Republican runoff for governorGov. Larry Rhoden took roughly a 71% to 29% lead early and maintained it over Toby Doeden.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-dabeb6b8-31ec-4903-b40b-0ee86f2cb8bf.jpg)South Dakota News WatchMolly Wetsch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/07-28-2026---Rhoden-at-end-of-speech-1-bce2b425-bb46-45fc-bee8-d1629dbdf150.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-2026-republican-governor-runoff/) ****Get free, fact-based South Dakota news and information** in a weekday email. No spam. Cancel any time. [Subscribe ](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/#/portal) [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *The Associated Press is an independent global news organization founded in 1846\. It is a source of fast, accurate, unbiased news in all formats and the essential provider of the technology and services vital to the news business.* ### Fact brief: Are all polling places for SD's runoff election the same as the primary? URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/fact-brief-sd-polling-places-gubernatorial-runoff-primary/ Last updated: 2026-07-28T09:00:34.000Z ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/WhiteFACT-BRIEF--500-x-200-px--2-1-1.png) # No. Some polling locations will be different for the July 28 runoff from the June 2 primary. Some precincts have consolidated polling places, according to a [map](https://sdsos.gov/elections-voting/upcoming-elections/general-information/2026%20Election%20Information/2026%20Election%20Assets/Runoff/PrecinctPollingPlaces%20for%20Runoff.pdf?ref=sdnewswatch.org) provided by the Secretary of State’s website. Voters can also view their polling place location for primary and general elections at the Secretary of State’s [Voter Information Portal](https://vip.sdsos.gov/VIPLogin.aspx?ref=sdnewswatch.org). [Absentee ballots](https://sdsos.gov/elections-voting/voting/absentee-voting.aspx?ref=sdnewswatch.org) can be tracked on the website. Voters can track their absentee ballot applications and the date absentee ballots were sent and received by the county for the primary and general elections. An absentee ballot may be requested by a voter confined due to sickness or disability through an authorized messenger until [3 p.m. on Election Day.](https://sdsos.gov/elections-voting/upcoming-elections/general-information/2026%20Election%20Information/2026%20Election%20Assets/Runoff/2026RUN-OFFCalendar.pdf?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Polls are open today, July 28, from 7 a.m.-7 p.m. local time for the Republican runoff between Toby Doeden and Gov. Larry Rhoden. The winner will meet Democrat Dan Ahlers in the Nov. 3 general election. ℹ️ This fact brief responds to claims such as [this one](https://www.facebook.com/LWVSF/posts/pfbid02qj5EmuHJtUC4ZGZ4hwoenQd14jMfLKz1YLBG33NvyxsWuiqNJsjBQ6dNRhJ1eaLpl?rdid=BGGLR58PzhyiOz4h#). ### Sources South Dakota Secretary of State, [Voter Information Portal](https://vip.sdsos.gov/VIPLogin.aspx?ref=sdnewswatch.org) South Dakota Secretary of State, [Precinct Polling Places for runoff](https://sdsos.gov/elections-voting/upcoming-elections/general-information/2026%20Election%20Information/2026%20Election%20Assets/Runoff/PrecinctPollingPlaces%20for%20Runoff.pdf?ref=sdnewswatch.org) South Dakota Secretary of State, [Absentee Voting](https://sdsos.gov/elections-voting/voting/absentee-voting.aspx?ref=sdnewswatch.org) South Dakota Secretary of State, [Runoff July 28, 2026](https://sdsos.gov/elections-voting/upcoming-elections/general-information/2026%20Election%20Information/2026%20Election%20Assets/Runoff/2026RUN-OFFCalendar.pdf?ref=sdnewswatch.org) ### About fact briefs Fact briefs are bite-sized, well-sourced explanations that offer clear "yes" or "no" answers to questions, confusions and unsupported claims circulating online. They rely on publicly available data and documents, often from the original source. Fact briefs are written and published by South Dakota News Watch as part of the [Gigafact](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) network. **Submit a question** for us to answer [on the tipline](https://gigafact.org/tipline/south-dakota-news-watch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. *Read, subscribe* for free and *donate* at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact* freelance reporter Emily DeCock: emily.decock@sdnewswatch.org.* ### SD Republican gubernatorial runoff: How we got here URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/sd-republican-gubernatorial-primary-runoff-larry-rhoden-toby-doeden/ Last updated: 2026-07-27T09:00:13.000Z It has been a long and meandering road to July 28 for many South Dakota Republicans. Four candidates, three debates, constantly shifting polls and countless ads have certainly resulted in one of the busiest election seasons in recent memory. Here is a timeline of the more than year-long saga to the state's first ever gubernatorial runoff. **April 24, 2025:** More than a year before the primary election, Speaker of the South Dakota House Jon Hansen [announces his Republican gubernatorial campaign](https://southdakotasearchlight.com/2025/04/24/first-candidate-governor-race-jon-hansen-focuses-property-rights-spending-cuts-halting-corporate-welfare-karla-lems/?ref=sdnewswatch.org), with Karla Lems joining him as his running mate. Hansen would be the only non-incumbent to announce a lieutenant governor selection before the primary. **April 28, 2025:** An early South Dakota News Watch poll shows that voters would largely choose Congressman Dusty Johnson, Gov. Larry Rhoden and Attorney General Marty Jackley in a race for governor, though none of the men had yet announced candidacy. Jackley eventually declined to enter the governor's race, instead [choosing to run for the state's sole U.S. House seat](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/sd-house-poll-jackley-bialota-crabtree-gop-republican/). ****Get free, fact-based South Dakota news and information** in a weekday email. No spam. Cancel any time. [Subscribe ](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/#/portal) **May 28, 2025:** Toby Doeden, a businessman from Aberdeen, [announces his campaign for governor](https://www.sdpb.org/politics/2025-05-29/aberdeen-businessman-announces-candidacy-for-governor?ref=sdnewswatch.org). He does not announce a running mate but pledges to eliminate property taxes – a stance that would later become a cornerstone of his campaign. **June 30, 2025:** Johnson [announces his gubernatorial campaign](https://southdakotasearchlight.com/2025/06/30/dusty-johnson-makes-it-official-with-announcement-of-campaign-for-governor/?ref=sdnewswatch.org), a move that had long been anticipated by some South Dakota Republicans, saying the state is at a "sincere crossroads." He does not announce a running mate. **Oct. 27, 2025:** A [South Dakota News Watch poll](https://southdakotasearchlight.com/2025/06/30/dusty-johnson-makes-it-official-with-announcement-of-campaign-for-governor/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) indicates a strong lead for Johnson and Rhoden at 28% and 27%, respectively. Doeden and Hansen see increases in voter support from previous polling, at 15% and 10%. **Nov. 18, 2025:** Rhoden [announces that he will be running for governor](https://www.sdpb.org/politics/2025-11-18/gov-larry-rhoden-officially-announces-election-campaign?ref=sdnewswatch.org). He seeks to be officially elected to the office after taking over from former Gov. Kristi Noem and is the last candidate to announce his run – notably, less than a year before the general election and just six months from the primary. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/07/Screenshot-2026-07-23-at-11.20.26---AM.png) The four Republican candidates for South Dakota governor, from left to right: Toby Doeden, Jon Hansen, Dusty Johnson, Gov. Larry Rhoden. **Jan. 30, 2026:** The first campaign finance deadline, for raising and spending through 2025\. Notable revelations from those filings include that Johnson raised more than $1.6 million and spent over $650,000 in 2025 in addition to an already-stocked war chest, and that [Doeden ](https://sdcfr.sdsos.gov/Document.aspx?DocumentID=6450&type=img&ref=sdnewswatch.org)had followed through on his promise to self-fund his campaign, loaning $2 million of his own money in 2025\. **Mar. 31, 2026:** KELO-TV [hosts the first of three debates between Republican gubernatorial candidates](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OxgnlK0lqvQ&ref=sdnewswatch.org). Notably, Johnson and Rhoden disagree about the efficacy of property tax bills that Rhoden touts as the largest property tax cut in South Dakota history. Johnson says those bills led to a large sales tax increase for South Dakotans. **April 13, 2026:** The four candidates square off in a [debate moderated by SDPB and South Dakota News Watch](https://www.sdpb.org/politics/2026-04-13/2026-republican-gubernatorial-candidate-debate?ref=sdnewswatch.org). Johnson and Rhoden once again clash over property tax bills passed in the South Dakota Legislature earlier in the year. Doeden reiterates his plan to eliminate property taxes in the state. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/07/236A2876-1.JPG) Toby Doeden, Dusty Johnson, Gov. Larry Rhoden and Jon Hansen at a gubernatorial debate in Sioux Falls, S.D. on April 13, 2026\. (Photo: Jon Beringer/South Dakota News Watch) **April 27, 2026:** The third and final debate among the candidates before the primary election, [hosted by Sioux Falls Live and the Dakota Scout](https://www.siouxfallslive.com/news/south-dakota/watch-south-dakotas-gop-candidates-take-the-debate-stage?ref=sdnewswatch.org). Arguments largely reflect that of previous debates, sparring over property tax policy, education, economic development and affordability. **May 1, 2026:** Rhoden [tells a group of journalists](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/republican-governor-race-rhoden-johnson-threat/) at the South Dakota NewsMedia Association conference that a candidate tried to "blackmail" him to prevent him entering the governor's race. He later confirmed to News Watch that he was talking about Johnson, saying, "They let me know he had more than just the $6 (million) or $7 million in his personal fund. That he also had these dark money super PACs that he could maintain cover on." The statement reflects a race that has frequently resulted in jabs between candidates. **May 18, 2026:** The pre-primary campaign finance deadline. [Johnson reports a total of $3.7 million raised](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/governor-primary-campaign-election-financing/), significantly outpacing his competitors and underscoring his financial lead in the campaign. Doeden donates another $2 million to his campaign, bringing his personal spending total to $4 million. Rhoden reports raising just over $1 million. **May 21, 2026:** [KELO releases a poll](https://www.keloland.com/keloland-com-original/doeden-surpasses-johnson-in-latest-keloland-emerson-poll/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) showing Doeden leading in the primary election with 26% of the vote and Johnson with 23%, within the margin of error. It is the first third-party poll in which Doeden didn't poll behind Rhoden and Johnson since the race began. **June 2, 2026:** Primary election day. As results come in, no candidate earns 35% of the vote, triggering the state's first-ever gubernatorial runoff. Doeden, receiving 31%, and Rhoden, with 25%, advance. Johnson, once considered a favorite in the race, fails to secure enough votes to advance with 23%. Hansen also falls short with 21%. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/07/2026-06-02-Larry-Rhoden-with-supporters-1.jpeg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/07/2026-06-02-Man-holding-sign-for-Doeden--Sioux-Falls-1.JPG) Gov. Larry Rhoden (left) speaks to supporters at his campaign party on June 2, 2026 in Rapid City, S.D. A man (right) holds a "Team Doeden" sign at Toby Doeden's campaign party on June 2, 2026 in Sioux Falls, S.D. (Photos: Bart Pfankuch and Molly Wetsch/South Dakota News Watch) **June 12, 2026:** Rhoden says [he will not debate Doeden](https://www.keloland.com/news/local-news/rhoden-declining-to-debate-doeden/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) ahead of the runoff, citing "outrageous, false claims" from Doeden. Doeden and Rhoden will continue to spar in [back-and-forth negative ads and in the media](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-republican-gop-gubernatorial-race-larry-rhoden-toby-doeden/). **July 13, 2026:** The last day for South Dakota voters to register to vote or switch their party affiliation before the runoff election. Since the primary election, the Republican party [has gained more than 7,000 new registered voters](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/record-republican-registration-doeden-rhoden/). **July 15, 2026:** [KELO releases a poll](https://www.keloland.com/keloland-com-original/republicans-picking-rhoden-by-wide-margin-in-new-poll/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) showing that 62% of likely voters would choose Rhoden over Doeden, who received 32%. **July 23, 2026:** Recently elected mayor of Sioux Falls, Christine Erickson, just weeks after her own runoff election, [endorses Rhoden for governor](https://www.dakotanewsnow.com/2026/07/23/mayor-christine-erickson-endorses-governor-larry-rhoden-reelection/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). Both Rhoden and Doeden endorsed Erickson in her mayoral race against Jamie Smith, which ended in a runoff on June 23. **July 27, 2026:** The last day for Republican voters can vote early for the runoff election. **July 28, 2026:** Polls open at 7 a.m. local time and close at 7 p.m. Voters will choose between Rhoden and Doeden for the final time. The winning candidate faces Democrat Dan Ahlers in the Nov. 3 general election. [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. *Read*, *subscribe* for free and *donate* at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact* reporter/*[*Report for America*](https://www.reportforamerica.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *corps member Molly Wetsch: 605-531-7382/*[*molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Big paydays result from $50M auction of SD T. rex skeleton URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/dinosaur-trex-gus-science-fossil-sales-auction-sothebys/ Last updated: 2026-07-24T09:00:40.000Z Multi-million dollar paydays are in store for the company that excavated the Tyrannosaurus Rex fossil that sold last week for $50.1 million, the rancher whose western South Dakota land it was found on and the firm that conducted the public auction. While details of auction sale proceeds are proprietary, famed Hill City paleontologist Peter Larson told News Watch that there is a formula typical of other dinosaur auctions that can estimate who received how much from the sale. > "If somebody thinks they’re going to get rich by pulling up to an outcrop and tying a log chain to a dinosaur’s tail and dragging it out and selling it for millions of dollars, it doesn’t happen that way." > – Pete Larson, president of Black Hills Institute for Geological Research Larson, president of the Black Hills Institute for Geological Research, said the actual sale price of Gus, the nickname for the T. rex sold at auction in New York on July 14 was $43 million. The $50.13 million total includes a roughly $7 million “buyer’s fee” paid to Sotheby’s auction house by the anonymous person or institution that bought the skeleton. Sotheby’s likely then collected a 10% commission on the sale, which would be roughly $4.3 million and is paid by the sellers. That leaves more than $38 million to be split between Theropoda Expeditions, which excavated and reassembled the skeleton and prepared it for sale, and Dana Licking, owner of the Harding County ranch where Gus was discovered. ![Paleontologist Peter Larson of Hill City, S.D., is shown working to extract bones from Sue the T. rex in 1990](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/07/Peter-Larson-on-dig-of-Sue.JPG) Paleontologist Peter Larson of Hill City, S.D., is shown working to extract bones from Sue the T. rex, discovered near Faith, S.D. in 1990\. (Photo: Courtesy Black Hills Institute of Geological Research) The first bones from Gus were found in 2021 on land owned by Licking and her late husband, Gary, whose nickname was Gus. Theropoda Expeditions, owned by Thomas Heitkamp, is a Texas company specializing in commercial excavation, preparation and mounting of dinosaur fossils. ## 25,000 hours of labor required Larson, who has led numerous fossil discoveries including two T. rex skeletons, said he doesn’t know what type of proceed split was agreed to between Theropoda and Licking. But Larson said his past excavations that led to auction sales contained a 50-50 split of proceeds between the discoverer and the landowner, which in this case would mean both parties would receive about $19 million. Any proceeds, however, would be subject to taxation and must cover the costs of the digging and preparation that in this case took five years. [South Dakota T. rex fetches $50 million at auctionThe 38-foot dinosaur fossil was found in 2021 on a ranch in Harding County.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-00f2c26c-0b0d-4007-8398-81cbf42be695.jpg)South Dakota News WatchBart Pfankuch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/T-rex-Gus-front-wide-1-49509065-96b1-4776-ab34-d5c5cc8f8963.png)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/dinosaur-fossil-gus-sothebys-auction/) Larson pointed out that the process to discover, excavate and prepare a T. rex skeleton requires about 25,000 hours of manpower. He added that fossil excavation is an arduous process that requires extensive up-front and overhead expenditures and a team of scientists working in tough conditions to properly dig up and protect the bones. “I think everybody was pretty happy with what it brought," said Larson, who famously led the extraction of Stan the T. rex in 1987 and Sue the T. rex in 1990, both found in western South Dakota. “It’s nice and very satisfying to see the approval from the public and to realize how much the public understands the true worth of these dinosaurs.” ## Angst, then elation during tense auction Larson was present at the auction at Sotheby’s offices in New York on July 14, mostly to witness the dinosaur auction and provide support to Heitkamp and Licking, who were also in attendance. The skeleton of Gus was expected to draw a price tag of up to $30 million due to its condition and the professionalism of its extraction and preparation. The 38-foot long skeleton stands more than 12 feet tall and has one of the most complete T. rex skeletons ever found at roughly 61% of bones recovered. The dinosaur, believed to have lived on Earth during the late Cretaceous Period about 67 million years ago, is mounted in an upright walking position and was on display at Sotheby's offices prior to the sale. ![The mounted skeleton of "Gus" on display at Sotheby's in New York](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/07/2026-07-08-Gus-rex-at-Sotheby-s-wide-2-1.jpeg) The mounted skeleton of "Gus" on display at Sotheby's in New York, where it was auctioned. The Tyrannosaurus Rex fossil was excavated on private land in Harding County, S.D. (Photo: Malcolm Ritter) The mood in the auction room was tense as bidding began, Larson said. "There was some anxiety with the sellers and the potential buyers and the auction company because they were hoping it would break records," Larson said. According to The Associated Press, the winning bidder participated by phone and outbid six other prospective buyers during Tuesday’s 10-minute bidding battle that was conducted both live and online. At one point, auctioneer Phyllis Kao tried to stimulate more bidding. “Try a bigger bite,” Kao said. “It’s a T. rex, after all.” [![CTA Image](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/04/SDNW-Logo-Vertical.jpg)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) This newsletter and all our stories are free because we believe that ****essential, fact-based information should be available to everyone**, not just those who can pay for it. If you can afford it, ****please consider joining others and becoming a supporter**. Thank you. [Donate ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) As the price climbed into record territory and the sale eventually closed, a sense of accomplishment fell over the room, Larson said. "A lot of people were anxious, but once it was done, everybody breathed a sigh of relief and said, 'Wow, this is great,'" Larson said. ## Good for science – and for South Dakota The record sale price for Gus the T. rex could have several ripple effects that will land in South Dakota, said Walter Stein, a paleontologist from Belle Fourche. The Licking ranch lies in the famed Hell Creek Formation, a geological region of northwestern South Dakota and parts of Montana, North Dakota and Wyoming where dinosaur finds are fairly common. Hearing about a $50 million sale could draw more fossil hunters to western South Dakota and nearby environs, Stein said. "Historically we can see that," said Stein, who runs PaleoAdventures and the Dinosaurs of the Hell Creek Museum in Belle Fourche. "When Sue sold for $8.3 million (in 1997), you had everyone and their grandma digging up here." ![The mounted skull of "Gus" on display July 8, 2026](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/07/2026-07-08-T.rex-Gus-skull-at-Sotheby-s-1.jpeg) The mounted skull of "Gus" on display July 8, 2026, at Sotheby's in New York, where it was auctioned for $50.1 million. The Tyrannosaurus Rex fossil was excavated on private land in Harding County, S.D. (Photo: Diana Shih) The negative side of that heightened interest is that it could attract unscrupulous or careless fossil hunters who trespass on private lands, destroy fragile fossils or poach other paleontologists' active dig sites. "If somebody thinks they’re going to get rich by pulling up to an outcrop and tying a log chain to a dinosaur’s tail and dragging it out and selling it for millions of dollars, it doesn’t happen that way," Larson said. Larson cautioned landowners who believe fossils are on their land to be careful and work only with experienced, established paleontologists who hold reputations for honesty and scientific rigor. ****Get free, fact-based South Dakota news and information** in a weekday email. No spam. Cancel any time. [Subscribe ](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/#/portal) On the plus side, more fossil activity could increase the number of dinosaur finds, Stein said. "More people digging means more discoveries,” Stein said. “Whether you like commercial paleontology or not, the profit motive certainly drives and sustains us to find and recover more fossils and learn more about this incredible science.” Stein said he was shocked but pleased to see the record-breaking price for Gus. “Absolutely it gives us motivation to keep pushing on,” said Stein, who on July 15 was leading a group of clients on a fossil dig in Harding County, not far from where Gus was discovered. “We’re pushing forward right now in 105 degree temperatures with a 60 mph wind that kicks up every once in a while.” ![Paleontologist Peter Larson is shown while working at the Wyrex dig site in Montana in 2004. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/07/Peter-Larson-on-a-dig-vertical-1.JPG) The high-profile sale of Gus could also generate greater interest in the science behind paleontology and in the history of dinosaurs, Larson said. That would be good news for the dinosaur museum industry in western South Dakota, including for the Black Hills institute, which recently purchased the former Prairie Berry Winery building near Hill City. The winery is being converted into a 40,000 square-foot dinosaur museum, Larson said. "I tell people that dinosaurs and fossils are the gateway drug to science for both kids and adults," he said. "This definitely shows how important these dinosaurs are, and it shows that the public is super interested in them." ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/07/2025-04-03-Chicago-museum-dinosaur-Sue-1.JPG) A visitor to the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago has his photo taken on April 3, 2025, with the skeleton of Sue, the T. rex fossil found in western South Dakota in 1990\. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) Both Stein and Larson said they are aware of the concerns that skyrocketing prices are leading to increased private ownership of dinosaur fossils, which critics say could limit the public's ability to view them and learn more about the animals, earth history and paleontology. But Stein said there are enough dinosaur skeletons on display in museums these days that it's fairly easy for people to see them. Larson noted that most dinosaurs bought by private owners eventually make it into a museum under some form of display agreement. "They’ll end up in museums, not to worry," he said. "We should be happy that people respect our science and respect the fossils to that degree." [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. *Read*, *subscribe* for free and *donate* at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact* content director Bart Pfankuch:605-937-9398/*[*bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Fact brief: Is SD the only state with 35% election runoff rule? URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/fact-brief-south-dakota-runoff-election-larry-rhoden-toby-doeden/ Last updated: 2026-07-23T10:42:26.000Z ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/WhiteFACT-BRIEF--500-x-200-px--2-1-1.png) # Yes. South Dakota is the only state in the nation that requires candidates receive 35% of the vote to win a multi-candidate primary in certain races. Several states require a candidate to receive at least 50% of the vote in some primaries, and three states require runoff elections in some general elections. North Carolina's is 30% in some races. In South Dakota, the runoff rule is used in U.S. Senate, U.S. House and the governor's primaries. Republican gubernatorial candidates Toby Doeden and Larry Rhoden will face off in a runoff July 28 after neither candidate received 35% of the vote in the four-person primary. The South Dakota law was passed in 1985\. Before that, delegates at state party conventions decided the winner if a primary candidate didn’t receive 35% of the vote. Doeden called the law “ridiculous” after he finished first but didn’t secure 35% of the vote. ℹ️ This fact brief responds to claims such as [this one](https://www.reddit.com/r/SouthDakota/comments/1tvmlp3/doeden%5Fand%5Frhoden%5Fadvance%5Fto%5Frunoff%5Fin%5Frepublican/?solution=24b2cdce686c6c4824b2cdce686c6c48&js%5Fchallenge=1&token=7afd7253fec22262ff1c52b1703fe9ecadc6fa04c32b6f1e4db493309deb46ee&jsc%5Forig%5Fr=&ref=sdnewswatch.org). ### Sources National Conference of State Legislatures, [Runoffs in primary and general elections](https://www.ncsl.org/elections-and-campaigns/primary-runoffs?ref=sdnewswatch.org) South Dakota Codified laws, [12-6-51.1](https://sdlegislature.gov/Statutes/12-6-51.1?ref=sdnewswatch.org) South Dakota News Watch, [7 things to know ahead of the SD gubernatorial runoff](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-republican-gop-gubernatorial-race-larry-rhoden-toby-doeden/) South Dakota Searchlight, [Candidate condemns ‘whoever’ approved a runoff law, and it turns out to be a legend from his city](https://southdakotasearchlight.com/2026/06/09/candidate-condemns-whoever-approved-a-runoff-law-and-it-turns-out-to-be-a-legend-from-his-city/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) ### About fact briefs Fact briefs are bite-sized, well-sourced explanations that offer clear "yes" or "no" answers to questions, confusions and unsupported claims circulating online. They rely on publicly available data and documents, often from the original source. Fact briefs are written and published by South Dakota News Watch as part of the [Gigafact](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) network. **Submit a question** for us to answer [on the tipline](https://gigafact.org/tipline/south-dakota-news-watch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. *Read, subscribe* for free and *donate* at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact* freelance reporter Michael Klinski:*[*michael.klinski@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:Michael.Klinski@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### 7 things to know ahead of the SD gubernatorial runoff URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-republican-gop-gubernatorial-race-larry-rhoden-toby-doeden/ Last updated: 2026-07-22T19:47:14.000Z South Dakota Republican voters once again head back to the polls next week. The gubernatorial runoff on July 28 is the result of more than a year of campaigning in a pool of what was once four candidates for the Republican nomination. It comes after the primary election on June 2 declared Gov. Larry Rhoden and Toby Doeden the two candidates moving on. Here's what to know about the runoff: ## It's the first one. The South Dakota law requiring a runoff if no candidate meets a certain threshold in primary voting has been around for more than 40 years. But this is the first election that it's been required since the law was passed in 1985 by former lawmaker Joe Barnett. Doeden received 31% of the vote on June 2 and Rhoden received 25%. Other candidates, Congressman Dusty Johnson and Speaker of the South Dakota House Jon Hansen, received 23% and 21%, respectively. No candidate received 35% of the vote, which is required to advance to the general election. The runoff brings a new level of uncertainty to the race, which saw one of the most crowded candidate fields in recent memory, as well as once-presumed favorite Johnson fall short in the primary. [Jackley and Rounds win; Doeden, Rhoden to meet in runoffHouse and Senate winners cruise to victory in GOP primary but no governor candidate got needed 35%.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-a5eb5f64-0d43-4d78-9658-d9cfd336d0bc.jpg)South Dakota News WatchAlexander Rifaat![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/2026-06-02-Marty-Jackley-on-stage-723e87bf-cf76-4ed4-8489-f2803245f4b2.jpeg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/2026-primary-election-top-races/) ## Two very different candidates want the job. While both candidates are running in the Republican primary, they represent two very different sides of the political spectrum. Rhoden is the incumbent candidate. He succeeded Gov. Kristi Noem, as her lieutenant governor, after she left office to join the Department of Homeland Security in January 2025\. Rhoden is a rancher from Union Center and has spent 25 years in Pierre as a state representative, state senator and in the executive branch. Doeden, by contrast, is a businessman from Aberdeen who calls himself an "outsider" and relies on his lack of political experience as an asset. He has largely decried the "establishment" in Pierre and called for new voices in state government. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/07/2026-04-14-Toby-Doeden-SDPB-debate.JPG) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/07/Screenshot-2026-07-20-at-12.28.23---PM.png) Toby Doeden speaking at a gubernatorial debate in Sioux Falls, S.D. on April 13, 2026, (left) and Gov. Larry Rhoden at a press conference in Sioux Falls, S.D. on April 2, 2026 (right). (Photos: Jon Beringer/South Dakota News Watch and Molly Wetsch/South Dakota News Watch) ## The runoff pulls from the largest Republican voter base in state history. Voter registration for South Dakota Republicans is at an all-time high. Nearly 10,000 more voters are able to cast votes for governor on July 28 than were able to at the beginning of this year. Doeden told News Watch on Friday that he believes some of the growth in Republican voters is part of an effort from non-Republicans to sway the primary. "It's pretty natural in a state that has as many independents as we do, that you see them switching regularly," Doeden said. "Some of those are organic, that would happen in any cycle. But there's certainly been an uptick, and it would certainly seem to me that the Democrats are trying to steal a Republican election because one of the candidates is far closer to their ideology and political beliefs than I am." Rhoden's campaign did not respond to multiple requests for comment. [Number of SD Republicans at an all-time high ahead of runoffHow historic and current voter registration numbers illustrate the unprecedented nature of the July 28 gubernatorial runoff.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-0e44ee03-6708-405e-b511-2e7aa3498a85.jpg)South Dakota News WatchMolly Wetsch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/2026-06-01-Absentee-voting-sign-at-Minnehaha-County-Auditor---s-Office-38a4f16b-ca9a-46d1-9901-20d8884db132.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/record-republican-registration-doeden-rhoden/) ## It's (almost) all about property taxes. Property taxes have been a defining feature of both candidates' campaigns: One with promises to eliminate them and one who hopes that his prior reform efforts will speak for themself. Doeden's well-publicized plan to eliminate property taxes has been the subject of scrutiny from some of his opposition. He has said frequently on the campaign trail that [he plans to eliminate property taxes entirely](https://www.kotatv.com/2025/12/17/gubernatorial-candidate-toby-doeden-says-he-wants-completely-eliminate-property-taxes/?ref=sdnewswatch.org), and hinged much of his campaign on the plan. On July 17, a spokesperson from Doeden's campaign [told South Dakota Searchlight](https://southdakotasearchlight.com/2026/07/17/amid-criticism-candidate-spokesperson-says-property-tax-elimination-plan-is-only-for-homeowners/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) that plan "has never applied to any classes of property beyond owner-occupied homes." But Doeden said to News Watch that it was still his goal to eliminate all property taxes, though he said he plans to start with owner-occupied property. "I think we can get rid of all owner-occupied property taxes within three or four years. I genuinely do," Doeden said. "And if we keep and maintain strong conservative leadership in the governor's office and the Legislature, I think another four or eight years, we can get rid of commercial and ranch and ag land property tax and replace it with taxes that are more fair and equitable, like sales tax. Not raising the sales tax, but growing the economy and generating more sales tax revenue." ****Get free, fact-based South Dakota news and information** in a weekday email. No spam. Cancel any time. [Subscribe ](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/#/portal) Rhoden has largely touted his previous work in property taxes as a reflection of how he will operate in the future. Most of the bills Rhoden has brought to the table, as a state representative or as governor, have focused on tax reform. Senate bills 96 and 245 are the bills passed in this year's Legislature that Rhoden said will reduce owner-occupied property taxes by 34%. "I think for the time being, we're going to see how that plays out, see how many counties take advantage of the half-cent side of it," Rhoden [told SDPB's Jackie Hendry](https://watch.sdpb.org/video/2026-republican-gubernatorial-runoff-candidate-conversations-6sbpx0/?%5Fgl=1%2A408hlf%2A%5Fgcl%5Fau%2AMTAyMDMyNjc1My4xNzgyODQ1MTM1%2A%5Fga%2AMTU0MjA2MzUwMy4xNzczMjUxNTkz%2A%5Fga%5FBWGZXV2BJN%2AczE3ODQ1NjE3ODckbzIwJGcwJHQxNzg0NTYxNzg4JGo1OSRsMCRoMA..&ref=sdnewswatch.org) in an interview aired last week. "That coupled with the fact that, like we said before, things are starting to get back on track, I think we're in pretty good shape." ## It's gone negative. South Dakotans have likely gotten used to seeing political ads on their screens related to the governor's race. They also may have noticed that in the past few weeks, those ads have tilted toward attacks of the opposing candidate. Social media ads paid for by Doeden's campaign have called Rhoden "Lyin' Larry" and claim that he has raised taxes 400 times. On his own social media, Doeden has called Rhoden "Larry RhoBiden," in reference to former President Joe Biden. Rhoden's campaign launched a website last week that casts doubt on Doeden's property tax strategy and calls Doeden "reckless" and "too risky for South Dakota." Other ads have called Doeden out for saying he "might have voted for Barack Obama" in prior elections and for not voting in the 2016 and 2020 primaries. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/07/Screenshot-2026-07-20-at-11.35.28---AM.png) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/07/Doedennegative.jpg) Screenshots from ads currently running from Gov. Larry Rhoden (left) and Toby Doeden's (right) campaigns for governor. Doeden told News Watch that the ads his campaign is running are positive and that negative ads against Rhoden are from unaffiliated groups. He maintained that he is running a positive campaign – something he said he believes was the reason for his success in the primary – but that he thinks ads mentioning Rhoden's record are not attack ads. "If people want to call it attacking that's fine, but it's simply just pointing out the record. Every ad that Toby Doeden has run on this campaign, including since June 3rd, has been 100% positive. I have run the most positive campaign in the history (of the state)," Doeden said. "Now I know there are some people and some organizations that support me that are perhaps attacking Larry. I can't control that." ## We won't know much about how it was funded until it's over. A major point of discussion from the beginning of the race was how candidates were funding their campaigns. Doeden notably donated $4 million of his own money to his campaign. Rhoden has reported raising just over $1 million and spending just under $1 million, much of which has come from state and federal political action committees. But because campaign finance disclosure requirements are not tailored to runoff elections, the public won't know much about the past eight weeks until Oct. 19 – the next filing deadline. That makes information about who's funding Rhoden and Doeden's campaigns, and how they're spending that money, somewhat obscure. Campaign finance disclosures can illuminate which candidates were raising and spending the most money and shed light on what groups may be backing a candidate's campaign. [Real estate, dealerships, bitcoin: Toby Doeden’s empireMuch has been spoken of gubernatorial candidate Toby Doeden’s wealth and business experience. Here’s what public documents reveal about it.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-67e16c11-b6af-44a3-a121-ac74e416e994.jpg)South Dakota News WatchMolly Wetsch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/DSC_0191-1-668b86ad-9440-4f11-994d-b18f0186e780.JPG)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/real-estate-dealerships-bitcoin-toby-doeden-sd-governor-primary/) [Rhoden’s career, legislative record, campaign financesThe rancher and welder from Union Center in western South Dakota has served 25 years in state government.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-5defd7bc-ee37-4563-bf1c-54c4b8d265e4.jpg)South Dakota News WatchMolly Wetsch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/236A2848-1-1-c9b20123-2aa9-431c-804a-3d31c9e584be.JPG)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/larry-rhoden-profile-legislature-sd-governor-primary/) ## It doesn't end here. While the victorious candidate will certainly have much to celebrate after the runoff is completed, the campaign will not end on July 28\. The winning candidate will face Democrat Dan Ahlers in November for the general election. A Democratic candidate has not been elected to the office of governor in more than 50 years. Gov. Richard Kneip was elected in 1971 and served until 1978\. The winning candidate, though they may anticipate election to office in November, will have to find a way to unite Republicans that have been divided over their choice of candidate for nearly the entirety of the campaign. [South Dakota voter guideWhat South Dakotans need to know about voting in statewide elections, and who and what are on the ballot.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-50f34c1c-95e5-46ed-94df-add8c33850f2.jpg)South Dakota News WatchMolly Wetsch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/2026-06-02-Instructional-Planning-Center-signs--Sioux-Falls-1-094a1265-c541-4783-8f4f-9ad1bac1a924.JPG)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-voter-guide-primary-general-election/) Doeden said that he is not concerned about rallying the party behind him if he advances beyond the primary, comparing himself to President Donald Trump, as he has frequently during his campaign. "Ninety-five percent of the mudslinging has been from the political class towards the outsider. Once the outsider wins, that'll go away and they'll unite. The same thing happened to Donald Trump in 2016," Doeden said. Rhoden said during the SDPB conversation that politics in South Dakota had undergone "choppy waters." "We've come a long way just in the last 17 months of getting things back on track, and I think that will continue for the next period of time," Rhoden said. "I've always said we do a lot of things right in South Dakota, and our political process is one of them. Sometimes we'll get a little off track, but the ship always has a way of righting itself, and we're in the process right now of the ship righting itself in South Dakota, and I want to continue that." A recent Emerson poll from KELO-TV showed Rhoden leading with 62% to Doeden's 32% of 500 likely voters polled. Rhoden said to KELO that the poll was "encouraging," while Doeden slammed it as "absurd" and said he was "embarrassed" that he was discussing it. --- ### What else to know for July 28 **Do I have to be a Republican to vote?** Yes. The runoff is part of a closed primary, meaning only Republicans can vote. The deadline to register was June 13. **Did I have to vote in the primary to vote in the runoff?** No. As long as you are a registered Republican, whether or not you voted in prior elections does not matter. **Will my polling place be the same?** Not necessarily. Because the primary election on June 2 included municipal and other local elections for several areas, your polling place may have changed. You can check where to vote [on the Secretary of State's website](https://vip.sdsos.gov/VIPLogin.aspx?ref=sdnewswatch.org). **Both candidates discussed the issues and the campaign ahead of the runoff.** SDPB's Jackie Hendry sat down with Doeden and Rhoden for candidate conversations. It aired last week and is available at the link below. [What to know about the SD’s first gubernatorial runoffIf you didn’t vote in the primary can you vote in the runoff? Those questions and more answered in Q&A on Rhoden-Doeden governor race.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-267ec21e-c7ff-4a2f-8aef-e563b277c0f0.jpg)South Dakota News WatchMolly Wetsch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/2026-06-02-_Vote-Here_-sign--Embrace-Church-Sioux-Falls-1-f807b3bd-6865-4dad-bc44-a15d04cd7888.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-governor-republican-primary-runoff-election/) [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. *Read*, *subscribe* for free and *donate* at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact* reporter/*[*Report for America*](https://www.reportforamerica.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *corps member Molly Wetsch: 605-531-7382/*[*molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Fact brief: Was Denny Sanford South Dakota’s only billionaire? URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/fact-brief-denny-sanford-south-dakota-only-billionaire-forbes/ Last updated: 2026-07-21T09:31:18.000Z ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/WhiteFACT-BRIEF--500-x-200-px--2-1-1.png) ## Yes. T. Denny Sanford was South Dakota’s only billionaire. The philanthropist and businessman died July 18 at 90 and was South Dakota’s richest person. Sanford’s first major donation was $16 million in 2004 to what is now known as Sanford Children’s Castle of Care in Sioux Falls, according to a press release. Sanford Health was named after the businessman after he made a $400 million donation to the health system formerly known as Sioux Valley Hospitals and Health System in 2007\. Sanford donated nearly $2 billion to Sanford Health, the release said. The health system estimated Sanford donated over $4 billion over his lifetime to education, furthering research on cancer, community health, hospice and veteran care and more. Forbes currently reports his net worth at $2.4 billion. In 2022, Forbes estimated his net worth at $3.4 billion. ℹ️ This fact brief responds to claims such as [this one.](https://www.reddit.com/r/economy/comments/1v1vwwd/i%5Fwant%5Fto%5Fdie%5Fbroke%5Fbillionaire%5Fphilanthropist/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) ## Sources Forbes, [World’s Billionaires List](https://www.forbes.com/billionaires/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) World Population Review, [Most Billionaires by State 2026](https://worldpopulationreview.com/state-rankings/most-billionaires-by-state?ref=sdnewswatch.org) SDPB, [South Dakota billionaire, philanthropist T. Denny Sanford dies at age 90](https://www.sdpb.org/2026-07-19/south-dakota-billionaire-philanthropist-t-denny-sanford-dies-at-age-90?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Sanford Health, [Denny Sanford leaves legacy in healthcare and beyond](https://news.sanfordhealth.org/foundation/denny-sanford-leaves-legacy-in-health-care-and-beyond/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) ## About fact briefs Fact briefs are bite-sized, well-sourced explanations that offer clear "yes" or "no" answers to questions, confusions and unsupported claims circulating online. They rely on publicly available data and documents, often from the original source. Fact briefs are written and published by South Dakota News Watch as part of the[ Gigafact](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) network. **Submit a question** for us to answer[ on the tipline](https://gigafact.org/tipline/south-dakota-news-watch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. *Read, subscribe* for free and *donate* at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact* freelance reporter Emily DeCock: emily.decock@sdnewswatch.org.* ### Family's $150M lawsuit against US Marshals closed URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/zander-zephier-lawsuit-us-marshals/ Last updated: 2026-07-21T09:45:08.000Z A lawsuit filed against the U.S. Marshals Service after the shooting death of a young man on the Yankton Indian Reservation in 2024 has been dismissed and the case has been closed. It represents the presumed end of a long saga that questioned the actions of federal officers on tribal land. Zander Zephier, 23, was killed Nov. 27, 2024, just north of Wagner, about 40 minutes after deputy marshals arrived to arrest him on an outstanding warrant. His family filed a civil lawsuit in February alleging a violation of Zephier's constitutional rights and asking for $150 million. That came after the Department of Justice rejected the federal torts claim the family filed in May 2025, which would have settled the case without a lawsuit. The case was dismissed without prejudice, which means that while the case itself has been dismissed, [the plaintiff has the right to bring forward additional lawsuits ](https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/dismissal%5Fwithout%5Fprejudice?ref=sdnewswatch.org)based on the same legal grounds. Both parties must agree to dismiss the case. The dismissal document was filed on May 28 by Nicole Griese, the attorney for the Zephier family. Griese did not respond to requests for comment. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/07/Screenshot-2026-07-07-at-10.05.01---AM.png) The court filing indicating that the civil suit against the US Marshals Service would be dismissed. The lawsuit said that "USMS failed to coordinate with the Yankton Sioux Tribal Police, Tribal Criminal Investigators, or other tribal authorities prior to executing the warrant, in violation of DOJ directives governing operations in Indian Country," used excessive force when attempting to arrest Zephier and "severely traumatized" his great-grandmother, Conceta Zephier, who is wheelchair-bound and remained in the home while the raid was being conducted. ## Background on the case On Nov. 27 2024, deputy marshals arrived at Zephier's family home north of Wagner at 8:37 a.m. About 30 minutes later, they began throwing gas grenades into the home. At 9:46 a.m., Zephier was pronounced dead at Wagner Community Memorial Hospital. His death certificate said he died primarily of a gunshot wound to the head and also had gunshot wounds in his back, chest and arm. The deputy marshals were serving a warrant for Zephier's arrest. He was considered an escaped inmate from Charles Mix County Jail after leaving with permission for a family funeral that July and not returning. ![A United States deputy marshal emerges from the house after Zander Zephier was shot and killed Nov. 27, 2024, near Wagner, S.D., and talks with his fellow officers. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/02/2024-12-11-Marshals-outside.jpg) A United States deputy marshal emerges from the house after Zander Zephier was shot and killed Nov. 27, 2024, near Wagner, S.D., and talks with his fellow officers. (Photo: Screenshot from Zephier home security footage) Zephier's family did not dispute his criminal record, which included a federal conviction for abusive sexual contact with a minor, but told News Watch in 2024 that his death should warrant an independent investigation. "Why shoot him?" Zephier's grandmother, Jennifer, said at the time. "Why can't you tase him, you know, or find some other way of getting him to where you can handcuff him and take him to jail?" ## Case claims delay of medical aid, 'visible suffering' The lawsuit stated that the deputy marshals – who are still unnamed – spent 40 minutes from their arrival at the Zephier residence to Zephier's death. It says that the timeline is "sharply contrasting with other USMS operations involving barricaded subjects, which often last hours, involve negotiation, contacting back-up intra-agency law enforcement, and methods of de-escalation to prevent death." ![Robin Bair (left) of the Yankton Sioux Tribe sings a calling song at a candlelight vigil held Dec. 11, 2024, for Zander Zephier in the tribal community just north of Wagner, S.D.Robin Bair (left) of the Yankton Sioux Tribe sings a calling song at a candlelight vigil held Dec. 11, 2024,](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/02/2024-12-11-Calling-song-1.jpeg) Robin Bair (left) of the Yankton Sioux Tribe sings a calling song at a candlelight vigil held Dec. 11, 2024, for Zander Zephier in the tribal community just north of Wagner, S.D. (Photo: Stu Whitney / South Dakota News Watch) The lawsuit also says that marshals delayed medical aid to Zephier while laughing and taking photos in the front yard of the residence where Zephier was shot, after shooting Zephier "despite visible suffering and non-threatening behavior." "He deserved better than what happened to him here,” Zephier's brother, Zane Zephier, said during a vigil for Zander in late 2024\. “Our people deserve better, and I want you all to know I'm not leaving any stone unturned. We're going to find the truth, and we're looking at every option until we find it. They will come to know that we as a people stand up for our families. And they will know that we will fight against injustice when it shows itself in our home." [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact reporter/**[***Report for America***](https://www.reportforamerica.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) **corps member Molly Wetsch:* 605-531-7382/*[*molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### New housing forms foundation of Canistota's revitalization URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/canistota-sd-housing-revitalization-solutions/ Last updated: 2026-08-12T13:43:02.000Z CANISTOTA, S.D. – The success story unfolding in this eastern South Dakota city shows how a commitment to housing development can break the pattern of decline afflicting many rural communities across the state. Long known as home of the renowned Ortman Chiropractic Clinic, the conversion of Canistota from a largely isolated, agriculture-focused small town into a thriving regional housing hub also reveals how the commitment, fortitude and ingenuity of a few motivated individuals can be transformative in a fairly short period of time. Kaitlyn Killoran remembers well the negative vibes she felt in Canistota when she first took a job a decade ago as technology director of the local school district. "My first impression wasn't that nice," said Killoran, 37\. "I didn’t like the look of the town initially because there were a lot of rundown houses, and they would overshadow all the beautiful homes and parks you find when you really get to know the town." ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/05/Engage-SD-small-logo-1-1-1.png) Engage South Dakota identifies and shares solutions to the state's biggest challenges. Since then, Killoran has transformed herself from an educator into a developer and property manager who is playing a major role in helping Canistota grow now while also paving the way for a prosperous future. Killoran and her husband, Jake, have bought two hotels and a rental home and have built two twin homes that were sold to retirees and a young family. The couple has acquired land to build six more twin homes in the near future. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/07/2026-6-8-Canistota-Kaitlyn-Killoran-1.jpeg) Kaitlyn Killoran on June 8, 2026, in the front yard of a duplex she built in Canistota, S.D., where she has emerged as a leader in local community development. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) Their efforts to expand housing opportunities in the city of 711 people have been bolstered by another local developer, Mike Kerrigan, who has remodeled eight dilapidated houses and is building a 16-home subdivision on the city's south side. The Canistota Development Corp., meanwhile, has encouraged commercial and retail development while also beautifying the town by removing several abandoned homes. At the same time, the Killorans are in the early stages of building a $4.5 million, three-story hotel, restaurant, office space and apartment complex that will sit next to the Ortman clinic and serve its substantial pool of patients as well as potential new residents of Canistota. The complex will replace the Ortman Hotel that was razed in 2023. ****ABOUT ENGAGE SOUTH DAKOTA** This story is part of an ongoing South Dakota News Watch series called Engage South Dakota using storytelling, crowdsourcing and community engagement to identify and share potentially replicable housing solutions. Each story includes the community's ****response**, ****insights** to be learned, ****evidence** of whether the ideas are effective and ****limitations** on the efforts. Key takeaway for this story: Building new housing and rehabbing older properties makes room for new families that form the backbone of a thriving rural community. [****Read about other South Dakota housing solutions**](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/engage-south-dakota-housing-rent-own-solutions-journalism). Those combined efforts are one reason why Canistota, founded in 1883 as a railroad town, is in the midst of a rebirth of sorts into a growing small town that is attracting new families while increasingly serving as a bedroom community for people who work in Sioux Falls or Mitchell. The city has seen its population grow from 631 in 2020 to 711 in 2024, a jump of 13% over those five years. Unlike many other rural communities in South Dakota, Canistota's population skews younger, with 42% of residents age 29 or under, according to the U.S. Census. School enrollment has risen from 293 in 2022 to 308 in 2025. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/07/2026-6-8-Canistota-dino-gas-1.jpeg) The Total Stop gas station and grocery store, shown on June 8, 2026, is a common meeting place in Canistota, S.D. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) After moving her family to town eight years ago and engaging in numerous development projects, Killoran said she has done a 180-degree turn on her feelings toward Canistota. "I look at everything through the lens of being a mom, and in my opinion, it's priceless," Killoran told News Watch during an interview at the Barn and Barrel restaurant in Canistota in June. "I wouldn't trade it for the world." ## Insights: New housing creates opportunities A 2015 study commissioned by the city painted a somewhat glum forecast for housing growth in Canistota. The study showed that the number of housing units in the city grew by only one in the 20-year period from 1990 to 2010, that 26% of existing homes needed major repairs and 10% were dilapidated. At that time, the study cautioned Canistota leaders not to expect significant housing growth, even though land and homebuilding costs were considered affordable. Even with a strong education system, quality infrastructure and a solid commercial base, the study indicated that a "value gap" existed in which existing homes were priced so low that it made it infeasible for housing developments to offer a suitable profit margin for builders or be affordable for buyers. The recent surge of available housing in Canistota should create opportunities for new growth in the city, said Ryan Ortman, a doctor at the Ortman clinic who was born, raised and still lives in the city. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/08/6-8-26-Canistota-Ortman-doctor-1.jpeg) Dr. Ryan Ortman on June 8, 2026, in an office in the Ortman Chiropractic Clinic in Canistota, S.D. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) “If you’re staying stagnant, you’re probably in trouble in a small town, so this new housing should be another boom for us,” Ortman said. “The No. 1 goal is to bring in new families to make this their home and find employment in town or close to it.” Ortman, 54, said his father, Tom, and a partner embarked on their own effort to create new housing two decades ago with the development of the Evergreen Meadows Subdivision that brought 18 houses to former farmland on the city’s east side. Many of those houses have been built in the past few years. “That really is the heartbeat of a small community in that you’ve got to have the young couples moving back and raising families and supporting the town and the schools,” he said. Ortman said the clinic, first launched in 1915, will benefit from population growth in the city but not extensively since it draws patients from across the country. The clinic has developed a strong reputation for quality care and honest dealings that has drawn 3 million patients over its history, including a significant and consistent number of Amish clients from several U.S. states, Ortman said. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/07/2026-6-8-Canistota-Amish-1.jpeg) An Amish family walks on a street in downtown Canistota, S.D., on June 8, 2026\. The nearby Ortman Chiropractic Clinic is a popular place for Amish and Hutterite residents to obtain physical therapy and treatment. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) In many respects, Canistota is perfectly situated to provide a quiet and safe rural lifestyle while remaining within easy driving distance of more urban areas. The McCook County city is located about 5 miles south of Interstate 90 off Exit 368\. While some residents commute the roughly 40 miles to either Sioux Falls or Mitchell for work, Canistota has its own employment base anchored by the Ortman clinic, Engbarth Directional Drilling, agricultural suppliers, health care providers and local government and schools. The city has a wide range of amenities for a population of roughly 700, including a grocery store, a bank, a Sanford Health clinic, a Good Samaritan nursing home, four hotels, two restaurants and two churches. The school was renovated a few years ago and the city has a modern sports complex and municipal pool. "There's no other small town in this area that has all these amenities," Killoran said. ## Evidence: Turning a corner on housing Mike Kerrigan, owner of Gray Duck Builders, is making a significant contribution to the present and future of his adopted hometown. A native of Minnesota, Kerrigan lives south of Canistota with his wife, Morgan, and their nine children. Morgan grew up in Canistota and runs the Dakota Prairie Inn and Suites hotel in town. Mike Kerrigan, meanwhile, has invested significant time and money in developing new and rehabbed housing in Canistota. He has purchased roughly eight dilapidated homes and fixed them up for resale and, so far, that business effort has paid dividends for Gray Duck and for the community itself. “You’re changing a property that was falling apart into something that is in pristine condition,” he said. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/07/2026-6-8-Canistota-home-painting-1.jpeg) Painters work on a house owned by Mike Kerrigan in Canistota, S.D., on June 8, 2026\. A part of the community's recent rebirth has been due to fixing up of properties or demolition of those no longer habitable. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) Kerrigan is also building a 16-unit subdivision on the south side of town to meet what he hopes will continue to be a strong market for people moving to Canistota. To help finance the project and speed up construction, the city approved a $1 million tax increment financing district for the Gray Duck Subdivision, Kerrigan said. One completed house has sold, another is on the market and a third home is nearly complete, he said. One home has two bedrooms and two bathrooms, while the other is a four-bedroom, four-bath with 2,500 square feet of space and a finished basement. The list price for homes in the subdivision will be in the range of $425,000, which is a far lower price than for a similar new construction home in the Sioux Falls market, Kerrigan said. “Canistota is only going to grow more as the cities of Sioux Falls and Mitchell continue to do so,” Kerrigan said. “We’ve never really had a hard time selling a home in town because they go fairly quickly.” ****Get free, fact-based South Dakota news and information** in a weekday email. No spam. Cancel any time. [Subscribe ](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/#/portal) The growth is largely by a desire by young couples and families to return to a rural lifestyle, Kerrigan said. His last two home sales have been to couples in their 20s who grew up in rural America, went to college in cities and are now wanting to start a family in a safe, small town with good schools. “They can afford to live here and everything meets their criteria,” he said. Kerrigan also targets retired couples or individuals by building his new homes with zero-entry systems, which allow entrance without stairs. “There’s some older people who may want to get out of the hustle and bustle of Sioux Falls and live in a little calmer area,” he said. ## Limitations: Partnerships often required The path to building new homes in rural communities is often full of potential pitfalls – from acquiring land to obtaining funding to finding a builder and materials. In many cases, those hurdles prevent projects from launching, according to Mike Knutson, a coordinator with Dakota Resources, a nonprofit community development agency. "Being a small-scale developer in a rural community can be daunting," Knutson wrote to News Watch in an email. "In many communities, no one is willing to take that risk." ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/07/2026-6-8-Canistota-bank-1.jpeg) Downtown Canistota, S.D., is a mix of newer buildings and some older structures, including the Security State Bank building, shown on June 8, 2026\. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) In 2025, Dakota Resources held a conference where it highlighted the efforts of Killoran, who is a member of the Canistota Development Corp. In an approach proven successful in many isolated small towns, Killoran obtained funding and support from outside agencies during previous housing projects, including the South Dakota Housing Development Authority and Homes Are Possible Inc. "In small communities, a developer’s support network can be limited," Knutson said. Kerrigan said he will be the builder on a set of new duplexes being developed by Killoran, whom he considers a partner in housing projects and also a close friend. “We’re both very bullish on Canistota, and we’re sticking with it,” he said. [Engage South Dakota: Housing solutionsA list of entities and programs that can assist in developing or obtaining housing as well as links to News Watch reporting on housing solutions.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-1c789a75-038f-4610-9f67-79ea63aacac9.jpg)South Dakota News WatchBart Pfankuch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/IMG_2326-156c141c-d6ed-4a49-aeb4-7cbf2bd61086.jpeg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/engage-south-dakota-housing-rent-own-solutions-journalism/) [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. *Read*, *subscribe* for free and *donate* at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact* content director Bart Pfankuch:605-937-9398/*[*bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### South Dakota severe weather snapshot URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-severe-weather-season-2026-tornadoes-floods/ Last updated: 2026-07-17T09:00:58.000Z South Dakota is no stranger to severe weather events. The latest proof: a 131 mph wind gust on June 29 in Highmore that was one of the strongest recorded in U.S. history and the second-highest gust recorded in South Dakota. The National Weather Service issued a severe thunderstorm warning at the time of the storm and confirmed the winds did not come from a tornado, according to a[ fact brief published by News Watch](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/fact-brief-sd-highmore-wind-storm-record-turbine-damage/). Laura Edwards, SDSU Extension state climatologist, said winds exceeding 130 mph are "uncommon," but with the right ingredients, it can occur. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/07/2026-6-29-Highmore-storm-damage.jpg) Extreme winds caused significant property damage and knocked down power lines the town of Highmore, S.D., June 29, 2026\. (Photo courtesy of David Swain/Aberdeen Insider) "I think they had just the right perfect conditions with the strengthening storm as it was approaching that area," she said. "It did predict previously it had produced about 2-1/2-inch diameter hail down just south of the border in Nebraska, and South Dakota Mesonet (weather stations) had measured about 80 to 85 mile-an-hour winds already when it was just crossing the border down in Bennett and Todd County. It had strong winds coming in and basically picked up and increased strength as it approached the central part of South Dakota." Data from the National Weather Service Archive displaying recorded wind strength shows some fluctuations of strong winds in South Dakota over the past two decades. In 2008, 2015 and 2022, there were 18, eight and 13 instances of wind strengths over 100 mph, respectively. In December, a record-breaking winter windstorm swept across Custer, Fall River and Pennington counties, causing widespread damage. [According to a press release from Gov. Larry Rhoden,](https://news.sd.gov/news?id=news%5Fkb%5Farticle%5Fview&sysparm%5Farticle=KB0045834&sys%5Fkb%5Fid=2250990c1b76b290df4edb1de54bcbc8&spa=1&ref=sdnewswatch.org) the storm produced sustained winds and gusts exceeding 90 mph, bringing down power lines, snapping off and topping trees, damaging public infrastructure and leaving thousands of residents without power. It prompted Gov. Larry Rhoden to request a presidential disaster declaration, [which was received in April.](https://news.sd.gov/news?id=news%5Fkb%5Farticle%5Fview&sysparm%5Farticle=KB0046271&sys%5Fkb%5Fid=2df732eb97c487147fc1b480f053afbd&spa=1&ref=sdnewswatch.org) ## 16 federal disasters in past decade Over the past nine years, there have been 16 federal major disaster declarations, not including the COVID-19 pandemic, in the state of South Dakota, according to the [Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)](https://www.fema.gov/disaster/declarations?field%5Fdv2%5Fdeclaration%5Fdate%5Fvalue%5Bmin%5D=2016&field%5Fdv2%5Fdeclaration%5Fdate%5Fvalue%5Bmax%5D=2026&field%5Fdv2%5Fdeclaration%5Ftype%5Fvalue=DR&field%5Fdv2%5Fincident%5Ftype%5Ftarget%5Fid%5Fselective=All&field%5Fdv2%5Fstate%5Fterritory%5Ftribal%5Fvalue%5B%5D=SD&ref=sdnewswatch.org). Federal disaster declarations are determined by the president. The reasons, outlined in the graphic below, include winter storms, flooding, thunderstorms, tornadoes and straight-line winds. State disaster declarations, on the other hand, are issued by the governor. Executive orders related to state disasters from the previous decade, outlined in the graphic below, include severe winter storms, flooding, droughts and straight-line winds. "Disaster declarations are based on the extent of damage and the resources needed for recovery. Local officials conduct initial damage assessments, which the state reviews to determine whether the situation exceeds local and state capabilities," the state Office of Emergency Management said in a statement to News Watch. ## Drought-like conditions in South Dakota Aside from the two recent major wind-related storms, South Dakota has also seen a lack of precipitation in the southern parts of the state. Darren Clabo, associate professor of practice and state fire meteorologist at South Dakota Mines in Rapid City, said the jet stream drives weather across South Dakota. "So far this summer, we've largely been under what we say is northwesterly flow, so that's a jet stream that runs kind of from the northwest to the southeast," Clabo said. "Unfortunately, this year, there really hasn't been any moisture that's come with it, but it's come with a lot of wind." Andrew Kalin, senior service hydrologist for the National Weather Service in Sioux Falls, said in the northwest and other parts of the state, precipitation levels are closer to normal. [Data from the U.S. Drought Monitor](https://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/CurrentMap/StateDroughtMonitor.aspx?SD&ref=sdnewswatch.org) shows approximately 48% of the state is in moderate to extreme (D1-D4) drought, affecting an estimated 557,792 people. These drier conditions, primarily concentrated within the southern parts of the state, are causing a lack of soil moisture, especially following a drier winter that had less snow, Clabo said. Edwards said that there has been an ebb and flow of drought in the state over the past five or so years, especially along the southern part of the state. "We've had big swings from hot to cool temperatures, variable precipitation. And we've seen this a lot over the last few years with very localized conditions different than say a neighbor even 10-20 miles down the road," Edwards said. She predicts improvement will be relatively local, meaning it will not be uniform across the state. "I think the improvement that we'll see will be relatively local, and I think we're going to continue to see this ebb and flow of worsening and improvement," Edwards said. ## Staying informed: Weather alert services In instances of severe weather, South Dakotans have multiple options to stay informed. One of theses are weather sirens, which are designed to alert people who are outdoors. Sometimes, though, not everything goes according to plan. Back in early June, weather sirens in Aberdeen and Viborg experienced troubles ahead of tornado season ramping up. [2 SD cities experience unexpected weather siren troublesAberdeen and Viborg are repairing outdoor weather warning systems as tornado season ramps up.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-5fce4861-f3a5-447e-8634-6b2d3c3d909e.jpg)South Dakota News WatchElena Tittel![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1650984661050-b147cd05dee7-d970fc4a-3bed-48cf-8353-703f92edeb55)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/weather-warnings-sirens-aberdeen-viborg/) Tanner Jondahl, chief of police for the city of Aberdeen, said the backup plan is still working. The sirens are being tested every Wednesday at 6 p.m. and they expect the new primary system to be up and running sometime in August. In the southeast South Dakota town of Viborg, the sirens on the west side stopped working after a control board burned out. It has been replaced and the sirens are working again, said maintenance superintendent Jody Nelsen. Aside from weather sirens, there are multiple ways to stay informed during potentially life-threatening situations. The most widespread weather alert system is NOAA Weather Radio, a nationwide radio station network, providing 24/7 weather alerts. Aside from tuning into the radio, people can also enable wireless emergency alerts on their iPhone or Android's settings. However, it's wise not to rely solely on one weather alert system, due to potential unpredictability. For example, in Sioux Falls, [the NWS radar was offline from June 24-30 due to the replacement and repainting of the radar dome panels.](https://www.facebook.com/NWSSiouxFalls/posts/the-nws-sioux-falls-radar-will-be-offline-until-june-30-for-replacement-of-the-r/1486551350167469/) According to [reporting from Dakota News Now](https://www.dakotanewsnow.com/2026/06/24/radar-outages-ahead-potential-severe-weather-this-weekend/?ref=sdnewswatch.org), the repairs are done by a national contract, meaning contractors themselves decide when repairs are completed. These repairs are harder to do in the wintertime, due to potential difficulties posed by winter conditions. [Public radio broadcasting serves as another way for people to receive weather alerts.](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-tribal-radio-budget-cuts-mike-rounds/) While radio coverage exists statewide, radio access can be especially important in remote areas where access to cellular service is less reliable. Last summer, U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds secured $9.4 million in funding for 35 public tribe-owned radio stations. While the funding was temporary, it provided support amidst federal funding cuts for public media. Looking forward, a forecast from the [ NOAA Climate Prediction Center](https://extension.sdstate.edu/climate-and-drought-update-july-2026?ref=sdnewswatch.org), the next one to three months are projected to have warmer than average weather in the west, south and eastern parts of the state, whereas the north-central part of the state may experience near- to below-average temperatures. [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. *Read*, *subscribe* for free and *donate* at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Elena Tittel's* internship was funded with support from the Nonprofit Newsroom Internship Program created by The Scripps Howard Fund and the Institute for Nonprofit News. *Contact:** [*elena.tittel@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:elena.tittel@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Fact brief: Is it illegal for the South Dakota state government to run a deficit? URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/fact-brief-south-dakota-fiscal-year-deficit/ Last updated: 2026-07-16T10:07:49.000Z ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/WhiteFACT-BRIEF--500-x-200-px--2-1-1.png) ## Yes. South Dakota is one of 35 states that prohibits deficit carryovers from one fiscal year to the next. Article XII of the South Dakota Constitution outlines the requirements of the state to maintain a balanced budget. Section 7 says the governor’s proposed budget must not “exceed anticipated revenue and existing funds available for expenditure or appropriation.” The Legislature, similarly, cannot appropriate funds that exceed the same revenue limits. South Dakota ended fiscal year 2026 with a $69 million surplus. The state budget was $7.5 billion. The surplus in FY25 was $63 million, while operating on a $7.3 billion budget. Vermont is the only state in the U.S. that does not have balanced budget requirements written into their constitution or state laws. ℹ️ This fact brief responds to claims such as [this one.](https://www.reddit.com/r/SouthDakota/comments/1uw6loh/comment/oxhh1pl/?utm%5Fsource=share&utm%5Fmedium=web3x&utm%5Fname=web3xcss&utm%5Fterm=1&utm%5Fcontent=share%5Fbutton) ## Sources Tax Policy Center, [What are state balanced budget requirements and how do they work?](https://taxpolicycenter.org/briefing-book/state-and-local-tax/fiscal-federalism-and/what-are-state-balanced?ref=sdnewswatch.org) South Dakota Constitution, [Article XII](https://sdlegislature.gov/Constitution/12?ref=sdnewswatch.org) South Dakota Constitution, [Article XII, Section 7](https://sdlegislature.gov/Constitution/12-7?ref=sdnewswatch.org) South Dakota Searchlight, [Lawmakers adopt $7.5 billion budget with 1.4% increase for schools, state workers, health providers](https://southdakotasearchlight.com/2026/03/12/lawmakers-adopt-7-5-billion-budget-with-1-4-increase-for-schools-state-workers-health-providers/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) South Dakota State Budget, [State budget](https://bfm.sd.gov/budget/Budgets.html?ref=sdnewswatch.org) South Dakota State News, [South Dakota Ends Fiscal Year with $69 Million Surplus](https://news.sd.gov/news?id=news%5Fkb%5Farticle%5Fview&sys%5Fid=7d1ed9f947068314237fbd51026d4327&ref=sdnewswatch.org) (2026) South Dakota State News, [South Dakota Ends Fiscal Year with $63 Million Operating Surplus](https://news.sd.gov/news?id=news%5Fkb%5Farticle%5Fview&sysparm%5Farticle=KB0044556&sys%5Fkb%5Fid=692696e41bbea210f744edb5604bcb60&spa=1&ref=sdnewswatch.org) (2025) Urban Institute, [Vermont](https://www.urban.org/policy-centers/cross-center-initiatives/state-and-local-finance-initiative/projects/state-fiscal-briefs/vermont?ref=sdnewswatch.org) ## About fact briefs Fact briefs are bite-sized, well-sourced explanations that offer clear "yes" or "no" answers to questions, confusions and unsupported claims circulating online. They rely on publicly available data and documents, often from the original source. Fact briefs are written and published by South Dakota News Watch as part of the[ Gigafact](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) network. **Submit a question** for us to answer[ on the tipline](https://gigafact.org/tipline/south-dakota-news-watch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. *Read, subscribe* for free and *donate* at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact* freelance reporter Emily DeCock: emily.decock@sdnewswatch.org.* ### New project illustrates SD's love-hate relationship with solar power URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/canistota-sd-solar-power-project-renewable-energy/ Last updated: 2026-07-15T13:14:31.000Z CANISTOTA, S.D. – Construction work is proceeding at a rapid pace at the state's newest solar farm being built on 585 acres of former farmland south of this small eastern South Dakota town. The story of how the Grant Solar LLC project being developed by Geronimo Power came to fruition provides a good representation of South Dakota's ongoing love-hate relationship to development of solar energy in the state. On the one hand, the $165 million, 99-megawatt (MW) solar project just north of state Highway 42 was supported by the Board of Economic Development within the Governor's Office of Economic Development, which provided the project with $2.8 million in tax relief through the state Reinvestment Payment Program. ![A worker walks on June 8, 2026, along a trench that will carry electrical lines within the Grant Solar project now under construction in McCook County south of Canistota, S.D.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/06/2026-6-8-Solar-Canistota-electrical-trench-1.jpeg) A worker walks on June 8, 2026, along a trench that will carry electrical lines within the Grant Solar project now under construction in McCook County south of Canistota, S.D. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) The solar farm that will be located on both sides of 446th Avenue is expected to generate $31 million in direct economic impact, $15 million in new tax revenues, $495,000 in local charitable giving and 150 construction jobs and three full-time permanent local positions over its first 20 years of operation, according to a Geronimo spokeswoman. The project also proves the rising interest of power companies to tap into South Dakota's abundant resources of both sun and treeless open spaces. Conversely, the project was opposed by some neighbors who feared negative impacts on the land, nearby property values and their rural lifestyle. It took two applications to the McCook County Commission for the project to finally obtain local approval. "Our approach has been to listen, be transparent and make reasonable adjustments where we can," Geronimo spokeswoman Emily Morissette wrote to News Watch in an email. "Geronimo Power is committed to being a good neighbor in McCook County and to developing a project that provides long-term local benefits while respecting the community where it is located." ## Opposition arises to new solar projects Development of any new solar energy projects in South Dakota will come in spite of opposition from President Donald Trump, who slowed or stopped many wind and solar energy projects and cut funding for sustainable energy programs across the country during his second term. In 2023, former South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem decided against applying for part of a $7 billion program enacted by the Biden administration called "Solar for All" that provided grants to states to get proposed solar projects up and running. A Noem spokesperson at the time said the grants had too many strings attached and were part of wasteful spending by Biden. ![An opposition sign is shown on June 8, 2026, at a property on state Highway 42 just south of where the Grant Solar project is now under construction near Canistota, S.D.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/06/2026-6-8-Solar-Canistota-opposition-sign-1-1.jpeg) Opposition has arisen to some solar projects, as indicated by this sign south of Canistota, S.D., shown on June 8, 2026\. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) Meanwhile, some local governments are putting up roadblocks to solar projects. In late June, the Pennington County Commission voted 3-2 to give final approval to zoning changes that ban new utility-scale wind and solar projects on agricultural land within the county. Pennington County encompasses nearly 2,800 square miles, an area larger than the state of Delaware that includes vast stretches of open prairies. The measure limits large solar and wind projects to areas zoned industrial and would also prohibit siting of battery storage units that sometimes accompany sustainable energy projects. ****Join other South Dakotans and support statewide, fact-based news and information.** [Donate ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) County Commissioner Jerry Derr, who championed the siting restrictions, wrote on Facebook that, "I took the lead on this change because eastern Pennington County’s ag land is worth protecting." He added: "This land supports our heritage, our economy, our open space, and our rural way of life. Large-scale industrial energy projects should be located in industrial areas, not in agricultural districts." ## New solar projects but still lagging rest of US South Dakota remains near the bottom of all states in terms of solar power production, ranking 48th with 270 MW of generation. But some new projects have come online or are under construction, including the 128 MW Wild Springs solar farm operating south of New Underwood and a 5 MW solar field now under construction in Brookings County. The website for Philadelphia-based energy company Doral LLC lists a project called Six Mile Solar, a 1,000 MW project the company intends to build in Brookings County. No application from Doral has been submitted to the state, however. Some proposed solar projects do not survive regulatory scrutiny or neighbor opposition. A $120 million solar farm proposed for 1,100 acres east of Sturgis in 2023 stalled due to a county property line dispute, and no progress had been made since then. [Is SD’s percentage of clean energy the highest in the US?A fact brief that refutes or confirms a claim with supporting information and additional evidence and context.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-eb171d29-c799-4a6d-8544-658fcf3cc8d8.jpg)South Dakota News WatchMichael Klinski![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1598491621613-b1e4460573a0-536d387a-1f63-42da-bc3c-5b6b2263ccda)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/fact-brief-south-dakota-wind-solar-clean-energy-production/) The request for a conditional use permit for the Canistota project was withdrawn by the developer after opposition from neighbors arose in 2023\. But the company worked with neighbors and the county and eventually gained approval for the project after agreeing to multiple stipulations, including providing setback waivers for properties within a half mile, requiring natural plant screening and conducting a traffic study. Two experts contacted by News Watch offered two very different interpretations of the potential future for solar energy power in the state and its often bumpy path to approval. ## More solar projects possible Rodger Horr, executive director of the South Dakota Renewable Energy Association, told News Watch that the state should expect to see a "tsunami" of industrial-sized solar projects in the coming years. "South Dakota has very little solar, but it’s coming," Horr said. His predication is based on a few basic facts about solar energy and the current electricity marketplace. First, he said, is the fact that solar arrays – and wind farms for that matter – are fairly quick to install, taking only about 18 months from approval to production. Also, the need for electricity continues to rise sharply in the Great Plains to accommodate residential, commercial and industrial growth as well as possibly including data centers or other technologies yet to arrive. ![Roadways being built on June 8, 2026, at the Grant Solar project now under construction south of Canistota, S.D. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/06/2026-6-8-Solar-Canistota-roadwork-1-1.jpeg) Roadways being built on June 8, 2026, at the Grant Solar project now under construction south of Canistota, S.D. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) "You could argue that there was no growth or demand for electricity for 100 years, and now the demand is going straight up," Horr said. "We're desperate and we need electricity." Horr countered the argument by opponents that solar farms consume valuable farmland by noting that property owners make much more per acre from energy companies than from harvesting crops. He also pointed out that some agricultural land is not great for farming and can find a higher use. "If you do solar, you’re using all that land, and those landowners make bank because solar farms generate 2 to 3 times what they can make growing crops," he said. [1 of world’s largest energy storage plants launches in SDFacility will absorb excess, low-cost energy from wind turbines that might otherwise be lost due to capacity limits on the existing power grid and store it in carbon blocks for use when needed.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-24d1d1d0-01e1-4357-bbd0-94c7190a5a32.jpg)South Dakota News WatchBart Pfankuch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/2025-10-25-Poet-thermal-overhead-1-fa66efc1-b0cc-4943-9bf4-8dfcb18d572b.jpeg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-energy-storage-plant-antora-poet-biofuels/) Horr said renewable energy companies are also good neighbors in the communities where they operate, providing an economic benefit but also helping pay for road improvements and supporting schools. Renewable energy companies do all kinds of things for their communities," he said. "People say they don’t want wind turbines or solar panels. Well, what kind of energy do they like?” ## A dimmer view of solar's future Not everyone is as bullish on new solar energy production in South Dakota. Chris Nelson, chairman of the state Public Utilities Commission, told News Watch that there are no solar projects currently seeking approval from the commission. By law, the PUC only reviews and approves energy projects that are 100 MW or greater. Nelson said the rising opposition to solar projects at the local level could create a chilling effect for companies considering building solar farms in South Dakota. "As projects get proposed, there appears to be growing local opposition to those projects,” he said. “It seems they don’t want their land covered in glass panels.” Furthermore, he said generating more solar power may not be feasible due to a lack of space for new electricity in the grid that captures and moves energy. “We’ve got an energy congestion problem in northeastern South Dakota,” he said. ![Land was being cleared on June 8, 2026, at the Grant Solar project now under construction in McCook County, S.D. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/06/2026-6-8-Solar-project-Canistota-dozers-1-1.jpeg) Land was being cleared on June 8, 2026, at the Grant Solar project now under construction in McCook County, S.D. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) As previously reported by News Watch, however, two new major transmission lines are in the very early stages of consideration for both western and northeastern South Dakota, and energy storage systems are also being built to hold excess electricity until needed. Nelson also noted that the solar resources in the state – namely the level of sunshine and sunny days per year – are higher in the western part of the state but still not comparable to sun exposure in Western states such as Nevada, New Mexico and Arizona. “If we were to step back three or four years, I thought solar was on the edge of taking off, but we haven’t seen that,” he said. [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact* *content director Bart Pfankuch:** 605-937-9398*/*[*bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org). ### Number of SD Republicans at an all-time high ahead of runoff URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/record-republican-registration-doeden-rhoden/ Last updated: 2026-07-14T17:17:21.000Z South Dakota's first runoff election for governor has driven a record number of voters to register as Republican, according to state data from after Monday's registration deadline. Aberdeen businessman Toby Doeden and Gov. Larry Rhoden meet in the July 28 runoff because none of the four candidates in the June 2 GOP primary drew 35% of the vote. Only registered Republicans can vote in the contest, which will decide who meets Democrat Dan Ahlers in the Nov. 3 general election. There are now more registered Republicans in South Dakota than ever before, with about 10,000 joining the party in the past few months and roughly 2,000 of those in the past two weeks. In collaboration with South Dakota News Watch, SDPB's Jackie Hendry sat down with both candidates for in-depth interviews about key proposals. Watch on SDPB’s YouTube page, listen on the Dakota Political Junkies podcast or see it at [sdpb.org](http://sdpb.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). Watch the 90-minute unedited candidate interviews on SDPB-TV ****Thursday, July 16,** at 8 p.m. Central / 7 p.m. Mountain. That brings the party's total registration in the state to 328,829, which sits in sharp contrast to the South Dakota Democratic Party, which lost about 6,000 party members since the year began and now sits at 134,135. [South Dakota voter guideWhat South Dakotans need to know about voting in statewide elections, and who and what are on the ballot.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-b5961ae6-9632-49c1-b185-471e21ae0be2.jpg)South Dakota News WatchMolly Wetsch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/2026-06-02-Instructional-Planning-Center-signs--Sioux-Falls-1-1dfe33a9-f3cb-4160-a9a2-7ec65719535f.JPG)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-voter-guide-primary-general-election/) The rest of the voters in South Dakota are not party affiliated, Independents or Libertarians and now claim a larger chunk of voters than Democrats at 158,247 total voters between those three categories. It's illustrative of how South Dakota's political landscape has drastically changed since it once regularly elected Democrats to federal and statewide office. Those times may well be in the distant past of many voters' minds now, as Republicans have claimed South Dakotan seats in Congress for the past 15 years and the governor's office for the past 40. Representatives from both state parties did not respond to multiple requests for comment. ## Closed primaries, strong control of state make Republican party 'the only game in town' Jon Schaff, a professor of political science at Northern State University in Aberdeen, told News Watch that the gubernatorial primary is certainly one of the most likely factors behind the increased number of registrants. The Republican party in South Dakota, unlike its counterpart, hosts closed primaries, meaning only those that are registered as Republicans can vote in the party's elections and runoffs. "Specifically in our bigger counties, like Minnehaha and Pennington, there has been a concerted effort by people who are basically Democrats to register people as Republicans, precisely because they know that the real gain is in the Republican primary," Schaff said. "That has been due to some local elections, but also I know the governor's election this year has been an impetus behind that, and what is, essentially, as I understand it, has been an effort to stop Toby Doeden." That effort did not work in the primary: Doeden led the June 2 primary with 31% of the Republican vote. Rhoden held the second-highest percentage of the race at 25%. But since that primary, nearly 7,000 new Republican voters have registered, many of them right up to the July 13 deadline to register. Jenna Baker, an election supervisor in Brookings County, told News Watch that Monday was a busy day for the finance department, which houses the auditor's office. "I can't give you an exact number of how many we had, but I would say we probably had close to between that 40 to 50 mark of getting registered, changing parties, that sort of thing. (Monday) alone, we had 65 people absentee vote, so that was our busiest day yesterday," Baker said. "And I do think it probably had something to do with that deadline, that more people were coming into the office to switch. We saw a lot of that, people switching parties and then wanting to vote." ****Get free, fact-based South Dakota news and information** in a weekday email. No spam. Cancel any time. [Subscribe ](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/#/portal) Schaff said that it's hard to know what the intentions of those voters are, even if conversations about switching parties usually come from non-Republicans looking to participate in contested primaries. "When you see Republican numbers climbing, it's always a question of, 'Who are these people? Are there people with actual convictions switching parties or are there people who know, or at least sense, that the only game in town is the Republican Party?'" And when looking at historical party registration numbers, it has certainly become clear that that may be the case. Voter registration rolls from the past 40 years bring more context to how South Dakota's political landscape has drastically changed since the 20th century. There was a time where Democrats and Republicans could claim a nearly even split of the voter base in South Dakota – hovering around 43% Democrat and 48% Republican in 1988\. Now, Democrats make up just 21.7% of the total electorate, with Republicans at 52.5%. The number of registered Independents declined by about 1,000 since the beginning of the month, and so did the number of registered Democrats. While there is no way to confirm whether those voters explicitly switched to the Republican Party, the decrease in Independent and Democrat voters is nearly equal to the increase in Republicans from the same time period. When it comes to the runoff, it remains to be seen whether new Republican voters will cast their vote for Rhoden, who has served as a state legislator, lieutenant governor and governor for 25 years, or for self-described outsider Doeden, a businessman who's spent over $4 million of his own money on his campaign. --- ### Go deeper Learn more about the July 28 gubernatorial election in News Watch's profiles of the two Republican candidates: [Real estate, dealerships, bitcoin: Toby Doeden’s empireMuch has been spoken of gubernatorial candidate Toby Doeden’s wealth and business experience. Here’s what public documents reveal about it.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-17760b8c-8e0c-4b72-bf15-1c82fc4eb044.jpg)South Dakota News WatchMolly Wetsch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/DSC_0191-1-5856573d-ad8f-4e2e-81a5-b7bd123acc52.JPG)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/real-estate-dealerships-bitcoin-toby-doeden-sd-governor-primary/) [Rhoden’s career, legislative record, campaign financesThe rancher and welder from Union Center in western South Dakota has served 25 years in state government.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-ecbda523-cb72-4487-a8ad-74d62779f1c4.jpg)South Dakota News WatchMolly Wetsch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/236A2848-1-1-e60ace2c-b466-4d24-b294-ace33cc025d4.JPG)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/larry-rhoden-profile-legislature-sd-governor-primary/) [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. *Read*, *subscribe* for free and *donate* at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact* reporter/*[*Report for America*](https://www.reportforamerica.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *corps member Molly Wetsch: 605-531-7382/*[*molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### South Dakota T. rex fetches $50 million at auction URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/dinosaur-fossil-gus-sothebys-auction/ Last updated: 2026-07-14T17:21:22.000Z *This story was updated July 14 with the auction result.* A Tyrannosaurus rex fossil discovered on a ranch in western South Dakota has sold for more than $50 million in an auction held Tuesday morning in New York. According to the Sotheby’s website, the auction is closed and the dinosaur fossil nicknamed “Gus” was sold for $50.13 million after starting at $19 million, one of the highest sales ever for such a fossil. The sale price is well above the $30 million price estimated by Sotheby’s prior to the sale. No information was provided about the buyer. The find was made by paleontologists with Theropoda Expeditions, a Texas company specializing in commercial excavation, preparation and mounting of dinosaur fossils. The skeleton was found on private ranch land in Harding County in 2021 and was dug up and reassembled over a five-year period. The ranch is owned by Dana Licking and her late husband, Gary, whose nickname was Gus. The 38-foot long skeleton stands more than 12 feet tall and has one of the most complete T. rex skeletons ever found. The dinosaur is from the late Cretaceous Period and was believed to have lived on Earth 67 million years ago. The ranch lies in the famed Hell Creek Formation, a geological region of northwestern South Dakota and parts of Montana, North Dakota and Wyoming where dinosaur finds are fairly common. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/07/2026-07-08-T.rex-Gus-skull-at-Sotheby-s.jpeg) The mounted skull of "Gus" on display July 8, 2026, at Sotheby's in New York, where it was auctioned. The Tyrannosaurus Rex fossil was excavated on private land in Harding County, S.D. (Photo: Diana Shih) Several other major dinosaur finds have been made there, including Sue, the famous T. rex discovered in 1990\. After legal wrangling over ownership, Sue was auctioned in 1997 at a sale price of $8.3 million to the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago, where it remains today. Gus' skeleton is mounted in a predatory pose held up by metal rods hovering slightly above a large steel platform. [![CTA Image](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/04/SDNW-Logo-Vertical.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/#/portal) ****Get free, fact-based South Dakota news and information** in a weekday email. No spam. Cancel any time. [Subscribe ](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/#/portal) The skull of Gus is 54 inches long and has 82% of possible bones present. Marks on the skeleton reveal it was bitten in the head by another T. rex at some point and has other injuries indicated by bone fractures or areas of healing, according to Sotheby’s. The fossil consists of 183 bone elements, making up 61% of the possible bones in the dinosaur's body and representing 75% to 80% of the original bone mass by weight, Sotheby's said. The dinosaur Sue is 40 feet long and 13 feet tall and is considered the largest and most complete T. rex skeleton ever discovered at 90% of possible bone mass. ## A 5-year journey of discovery A Sotheby's spokeswoman referred News Watch to the company's media team, which did not respond to an email. According to a video on the Sotheby's website, it took three years to extract the skeleton and another two years to prepare and assemble it. "This is our longest-term project ever," Cassandra Hatton, worldwide head of Sotheby’s Science & Natural History division, said in the video. "From the day the first bone was discovered, we’ve been going back and forth to South Dakota to oversee this whole process." ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/07/T-rex-Gus-dig-site.png) The dig site for Gus the T. rex skeleton in Harding County. (Photo: Sotheby's) Gary Licking died at age 67 in February 2022, before the full extent of the T. rex skeleton was known. Gary and Dana Licking married in 1983 and lived on their family ranch 11 miles west of Buffalo, according to Gary's obituary. ## Rancher pleased with paleontology process Dana Licking said in a Sotheby's video that she was impressed at the level of skill and professionalism displayed by the paleontologists who discovered the skeleton. "I’m really grateful that they found it because it could have been lost and nobody ever would learn anything about it," she said. "To make it come to life takes a lot of love and care and dedication, and they stopped at nothing to make that happen." Thomas Heitkamp, president of Theropoda Expeditions, said he and his team members camped on the Licking property for five months each year as they worked a grid that extended up to 70 feet in multiple directions and included removal of nearly 1,000 artifacts. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/07/Dana-Licking-1-1.png) Dana Licking, owner of the South Dakota ranch where the skeleton of Gus the T. rex was found. (Photo: Screenshot from Sotheby's YouTube video) “What is out in the hills is all that will ever exist, and finding it is critical to preserving it,” Heitkamp said in the video. “You’re dealing with material that has been a part of the earth for a very, very long time and it has no interest in cooperating — it wants to stay there.” Cassandra Hatton, vice chairman of Sotheby’s Science & Natural History division, was not available for an interview with News Watch, a company spokesperson said. But in a recent video interview with Reuters, Hatton explained the reasons for the high estimated value of Gus. [‘They just won’t listen:’ Rural SD’s USPS frustrations growPostal service tries to modernize but has significantly hindered day-to-day life and operations.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-b166f499-463c-450d-8399-10fcd18fb155.jpg)South Dakota News WatchMolly Wetsch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/postbox-1-e01e399e-8e0f-4b88-9e88-d53b4a27662b.JPG)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/usps-postal-delays-newspaper-delivery/) "Gus is one of the biggest and most complete T. rexes ever found,” Hatton told Reuters. “The completeness, the quality, the size, the preservation.” Hatton said the process to excavate Gus was arduous and time-consuming. “What is really important for people to understand when we’re talking about dinosaur fossils is that they don’t come out of the ground complete,” Hatton said. “It takes highly specialized, careful, diligent, skilled people to recognize what they’re looking at, to tell the difference between a piece of rock and a piece of this animal. The time and the care that is taken to do it correctly – that is a big part of what makes this what it is.” ## Prices rising 'exponentially' Walter Stein, owner of PaleoAdventures in Belle Fourche, in western South Dakota, is an independent paleontologist who is also working to uncover fossils in the Hell Creek Formation. Stein’s first reaction to the news of the finding and pending sale of Gus was, “I’m jealous,” as he is doing field work on a ranch not far from where Gus was discovered. Western South Dakota is likely to remain a hotbed for discovery of dinosaur fossils, said Stein, who last year opened the Dinosaurs of the Hell Creek Museum in Belle Fourche, a 6,500 square-foot museum with a working paleontology lab, interactive exhibits and dinosaur displays. “Finding a Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton with 183 bones doesn’t happen every day,” he said. “But we’ve got the perfect conditions here with bones near the surface, significant private land to explore and relatively good weather (for paleontology.)" ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/07/2026-07-08-Gus-rex-at-Sotheby-s-wide-1.jpeg) The mounted skeleton of "Gus" on display at Sotheby's in New York, where it was auctioned. The Tyrannosaurus Rex fossil was excavated on private land in Harding County, S.D. (Photo: Malcolm Ritter) Stein speculated last week that Gus could be sold to either a museum or a private individual or group. It is unlikely an American museum would have the funding to acquire Gus because many are struggling or struggling financially, Stein said. Across the world, however, interest remains high in major fossils in countries where funding may be more accessible, such as in Japan, Korea, China, Dubai, Saudi Arabia or in Europe, Stein said. “On the one hand, I would love for this and every fossil I collect to go to a museum,” he said. “However, there’s so many dinosaur specimens and skeletons on display, it’s not going to affect the science that much if it ends up in private hands.” The price tag for T. rexes and other dinosaur fossils has risen “exponentially” in recent years as demand, interest and appreciation for ancient fossils has grown, Stein said. “It’s also the simple fact that dinosaurs are cool, a kind of living art,” he said. [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. *Read*, *subscribe* for free and *donate* at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact* content director Bart Pfankuch:605-937-9398/*[*bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Fact brief: Will Christine Erickson be first female mayor of the 3 state’s biggest cities? URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/fact-brief-christine-erickson-sioux-falls-sd-female-mayors/ Last updated: 2026-07-14T16:22:48.000Z ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/WhiteFACT-BRIEF--500-x-200-px--2-1-1.png) ## No. While South Dakota’s largest city is preparing to swear in its first female mayor, she will not be the first woman to lead one of the state’s three largest cities. Aberdeen, the state's third-largest city with a population of 28,479, last had a female mayor in the 1980s. Delphine “Del” Janusz was elected in 1981 and served until 1987\. Neither Sioux Falls nor Rapid City has had a female mayor, but Sioux Falls is set to inaugurate its first. Christine Erickson was elected to be the next Sioux Falls mayor in a runoff against Jamie Smith after a recount showed she won by a four-vote margin. Smith on Tuesday conceded, so Erickson will be sworn in on Friday. Erickson was a state legislator and former Sioux Falls City Council member. *This fact brief was updated to reflect Smith's decision.* ℹ️ This fact brief responds to claims such as [this one](https://www.facebook.com/Argus911/posts/pfbid06nXjZ3wHjpDpx26L4vDidiYTPMdRGujVFBUmfkSnyrhb64Z7eVW6yUzvxWsn4KRVl). ### Sources Dakota News Now, [Christine Erickson announced as winner of Sioux Falls mayoral race after recount](https://www.dakotanewsnow.com/2026/07/09/christine-erickson-announced-winner-sioux-falls-mayoral-race-after-recount/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) SiouxFallsLive.com, [Jamie Smith to detail plans in recount for Sioux Falls mayor on Tuesday](https://www.siouxfallslive.com/news/sioux-falls/jamie-smith-to-detail-plans-in-recount-for-sioux-falls-mayor-on-tuesday?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Rapid City Library, [Rapid City mayors](https://rapidcitylibrary.org/rapid-city-mayors?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Sioux Falls Argus Leader, [How Christine Erickson became Sioux Falls' first female mayor](https://www.argusleader.com/story/news/politics/elections/2026/07/10/what-happened-for-2-days-with-sioux-falls-mayor-race-recount-christine-erickson/90872407007/?gnt-cfr=1&gca-cat=p&gca-uir=true&gca-epti=z116730p000750c000750e008700v116730d--32--b--32--&gca-ft=185&gca-ds=sophi&ref=sdnewswatch.org) Census.gov, [Aberdeen population](https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/aberdeencitysouthdakota/HEA775224?ref=sdnewswatch.org) ### About fact briefs Fact briefs are bite-sized, well-sourced explanations that offer clear "yes" or "no" answers to questions, confusions and unsupported claims circulating online. They rely on publicly available data and documents, often from the original source. Fact briefs are written and published by South Dakota News Watch as part of the [Gigafact](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) network. **Submit a question** for us to answer [on the tipline](https://gigafact.org/tipline/south-dakota-news-watch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at*[ *sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact freelance reporter Michael Klinski:* michael.klinski@sdnewswatch.org.* ### Rhoden's career, legislative record, campaign finances URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/larry-rhoden-profile-legislature-sd-governor-primary/ Last updated: 2026-07-13T09:00:13.000Z Republican Gov. Larry Rhoden has spent a quarter of a century in state government. Much of that time was as a representative from rural Meade County, largely focusing on issues that he knew well as a rancher and man self-described as "raised on the rugged land of South Dakota." He ran for U.S. Senate in 2014, losing to Mike Rounds in the GOP primary, but became more well-known statewide when he was chosen as former Gov. Kristi Noem's lieutenant governor and subsequently went on to take her role after she was tapped to join the Department of Homeland Security. Now, as he seeks to be formally elected to the job he's held since last January, campaign finance records, legislative documents and voting history help to draw a picture of the candidate whose political career is longer than some voters have been alive. ## Legislative record Rhoden was first elected to the South Dakota House of Representatives in 2000 and served there until 2008\. His early years in the Legislature – and indeed, much of his career beyond that – were marked by a focus on topics like agriculture, education and taxes. Interest in those issues certainly tracks with his history. The governor owns a ranch in Union Center, which was his primary source of income throughout his political career, according to candidate financial disclosure records. He also served on the Meade 46-1 school board before running for the Legislature. Some of his prominent bills are those that have altered property tax procedure in the state, a topic that has remained a key part of the highly contested governor's race. ****Get free, fact-based South Dakota news and information** in a weekday email. No spam. Cancel any time. [Subscribe ](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/#/portal) In 2008, while serving as House majority leader, Rhoden brought forth as the prime sponsor House Bills 1005, 1006 and 1120\. Those were tax- and education-related bills that changed both agricultural property tax structure as well as the state's contribution to school funding. HB 1005 bases tax amounts for agricultural land on the income generated off the land rather than the land’s sale value. HB 1006 and HB 1120 were initiatives that reduced local school property tax levies and increased the state's share of K-12 costs. Speaking in favor of HB 1005, he said that higher land values of agricultural property meant the tax assessments for those properties far outpaced commercial and owner-occupied properties. Rhoden would spend the rest of his state Legislature career switching between the Senate, where he served from 2008 to 2015, and back to the House, where he again represented District 29 from 2015 until 2019, when he was sworn in as Noem's lieutenant governor. This year, Rhoden signed two bills authorizing [what his office called "the largest property tax cut in South Dakota history](https://southdakotasearchlight.com/2026/03/12/governor-signs-bills-to-reduce-homeowner-property-taxes-with-higher-sales-taxes/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)," which will be made possible through the use of reserve funds as well as a scheduled return to the statewide sales tax from 4.2% to 4.5% and a half-percent sales tax option for counties. ## Former colleague: Priorities remained consistent Julie Bartling, a former Democratic legislator from Burke who now serves as the Gregory County auditor, worked with Rhoden in the Legislature, including on the 2017 Senate Committee for Agriculture and Natural Resources. She told News Watch that she thinks Rhoden's priorities have remained relatively consistent throughout his career in Pierre, though some of the mechanisms themselves may have changed. "I'm quite certain agriculture was his main focus, coming from the ranch and the rural area. Education too, while we were there, that was such a big issue. Education funding, teacher salaries, things of that nature. Those became some really hot-button items, and everybody campaigned on them," Bartling said. "The focus on education, as I see it, has changed a little bit now that there's a wide segment of private schools, home schools as well as public education. The pendulum is kind of swinging a little bit differently than when he and I first started. But I know those were passions for him." Bartling also said that much of Rhoden's legislative career was centered around bringing light to rural issues – and that he often had to persuade other legislators of why they were important. "I'm from a rural area, Larry's area there at Union Center is even more rural," Bartling said. "Sometimes you had to kind of convince what I call the 'urban legislators' to see how important a bill is. Maybe it didn't help Sioux Falls out or didn't help Rapid (City) or Aberdeen, but it really had an impact on what our small rural areas were like." ## Campaign finance disclosures show higher dollar amounts, large PAC well Rhoden has certainly, since the announcement of his candidacy for governor, been launched into a larger stratosphere when it comes to campaign spending. For most of his state legislative campaigns, Rhoden rarely raised more than a few thousand dollars from individual and political action committee (PAC) donations. Historic campaign finance records show that a wide variety of in-state PACs supported Rhoden's campaigns for state House and Senate. Some of the most common donors were the Business and Industry PAC, the South Dakota Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists PAC and the Black Hills Corp. PAC. Notably, in a 2006 run for state House, Rhoden received donations from out-of-state PACs linked to pharmaceutical companies Pfizer, Johnson and Johnson and Eli Lilly. Other out-of-state donors that year included a PAC linked to railroad company BNSF and WellPac, a PAC for Wellmark Inc. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/07/Screenshot-2026-07-09-at-9.36.27---PM.png) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/07/Screenshot-2026-07-09-at-10.08.46---AM.png) Campaign finance statements from Rhoden's 2006 (left) and 2004 (right) campaigns for South Dakota House of Representatives. The list of contributing PACs to his gubernatorial campaign, however, is much shorter and the numbers much larger. Records from the South Dakota Secretary of State's office show the Strong, Safe, and Free PAC, a pro-Rhoden group led by state legislator Mike Derby, has made several donations totaling at least $269,000 to the campaign. The South Dakota Realtors PAC gave $10,000\. Those donors and some others make up the hundreds of thousands of dollars brought into his campaign through PAC spending. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/07/Screenshot-2026-07-08-at-1.54.03---PM.png) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/07/Screenshot-2026-07-08-at-2.01.14---PM.png) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/07/Screenshot-2026-07-08-at-2.01.47---PM.png) Campaign finance records from Gov. Larry Rhoden's campaign, which illustrate donations from in- and out-of-state political action committees. The Free American Fund, though, is perhaps the most elusive: Rhoden received a total of more than $244,000 from the PAC and is the only candidate to receive direct funding from the group this year. Federal Elections Commission data shows that the PAC has previously spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on digital media and advertisements to YAP Atlas Strategies in South Carolina. The PAC [also donated $17,950 to Austin Knudsen](https://www.fec.gov/data/committee/C00792218/?tab=spending&cycle=2024&ref=sdnewswatch.org) in 2023, who was then running for attorney general of Montana. While the PAC is legally a federal committee and is based in Missouri, some of its major recent contributors are South Dakotans. Banker and philanthropist [Denny Sanford gave the largest amount to the PAC at $50,000](https://www.fec.gov/data/receipts/?committee%5Fid=C00792218&two%5Fyear%5Ftransaction%5Fperiod=2026&cycle=2026&line%5Fnumber=F3X-17&data%5Ftype=processed&ref=sdnewswatch.org). Beal Distributing, led by Republican state Rep. Arch Beal of Sioux Falls, gave $10,000\. Both of those donations were filed in December. Information about the Free American Fund's political goals is limited, though a website linked to the PAC asks donors to "support conservative leadership." Ian Fury, Rhoden's campaign manager, told News Watch that "nearly all" of the dollars sent to the PAC are from South Dakota. The group's second-quarter disclosures with the FEC have not yet been filed, so contributor data is only available through March 31\. As of that day, Sanford and Beal were the only South Dakotans in the group of five donors, though their contributions make up two-thirds of the donations to the PAC. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/07/Screenshot-2026-07-07-at-9.05.31---AM-1.png) A screenshot from the only website linked to the Free American Fund, a donation site managed by WinRed. Those large donations are one of the primary differences between Rhoden's campaign and his opponent in the July 28 runoff, Toby Doeden. Doeden, who is a businessman from Aberdeen, has prided himself on being an outsider and self-financing his campaign with more than $4 million in loans, according to his own campaign finance records. [Real estate, dealerships, bitcoin: Toby Doeden’s empireMuch has been spoken of gubernatorial candidate Toby Doeden’s wealth and business experience. Here’s what public documents reveal about it.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-8643586f-9c09-4ef2-9deb-7f2dc1875491.jpg)South Dakota News WatchMolly Wetsch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/DSC_0191-1-d0aa801d-c3b1-4ceb-9606-a080713231a5.JPG)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/real-estate-dealerships-bitcoin-toby-doeden-sd-governor-primary/) Rhoden has reported raising a total of $571,853 and spending $914,052 in 2026, though that only reflects his disclosure statement filed before the June 2 primary election and not for any pre-runoff financial activity. That brought his campaign total to just over $1 million raised and just under $1 million spent. ## Noem's legacy looms Much of Rhoden's recent political career has centered around Noem, who stepped down as governor in January 2025 to become secretary of the Department of Homeland Security – a position she would hold for just over a year. Rhoden served as her lieutenant governor from 2018 until 2025, when he took over her job as she left for Washington. Noem's decision about who should serve as her second-in-command, though, didn't necessarily have a backseat driver in mind. “I would do it a little differently maybe than (former Gov. Dennis) Daugaard and (former Lt. Gov. Matt) Michels have done it,” [Noem told South Dakota Public Broadcasting before picking a running mate in 2018.](https://www.sdpb.org/kevinwoster/2018-06-10/kristi-noem-on-fixing-fence-holding-a-rummage-sale-and-picking-a-lieutenant-governor-doing-the-hor?ref=sdnewswatch.org) “I don’t see the lieutenant governor filling as big a role as Michels did. I’m just a believer that there are certain decisions the governor has to make, and so maybe it would be more of a traditional role than what we saw in the last administration.” ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/07/Rhoden-hugging-Noem--DHS-photo.jpg) Gov. Larry Rhoden hugs former South Dakota Gov. and then-Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem at her office in Washington. Noem was dismissed from the role by President Donald Trump on March 5, 2026\. (Photo: Department of Homeland Security) Rhoden has publicly maintained close ties with Noem, though he still lacks an endorsement from the former governor. He told News Watch in May that she was "smart" and frequently cites her leadership in debates and speeches as productive for the state of South Dakota. [In an October post on X](https://x.com/GovLarryRhoden/status/1974526778321547575?ref=sdnewswatch.org), he called Noem the "toughest woman I know" and a "friend." Rhoden and Noem remain good friends, Fury told News Watch, and said that while Noem may not be making a formal endorsement she has offered "encouragement and advice" on the race to Rhoden. But Rhoden has also distanced himself in some ways from some of the former governor's more controversial history. In January, tribal leaders and legislators representing reservations told News Watch that Rhoden's leadership had created a shift in the state's relationship with tribal nations. Previously, all nine tribal nations had banned Noem from their lands after she made comments insinuating that cartels were operating on the reservation under the watch of tribal governments. [State-tribal relations shift tone 1 year after Noem exit″’It was almost like a light switch went on and it just felt like that immediate ... ‘This is the olive branch that we are willing to offer.’”![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-e4ea58fc-404a-415b-9884-153b5b50d0f8.jpg)South Dakota News WatchMolly Wetsch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/YanktonSiouxTribe-1-a973c059-1f80-4622-a11d-0df2aff4d5aa.png)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-state-tribal-relations-native-american-sd/) Rhoden has hailed a return to civility as one of his critical campaign promises and said in his inaugural address to the Legislature that it would be a "cornerstone" of his administration. By all accounts, he has done that. Now, he's waiting to see if South Dakota Republicans give him the party's support and try to extend his run in Pierre or give a shot to Doeden, who has never been elected to public office. The winner of the July 28 runoff will meet Democrat Dan Ahlers in the Nov. 3 general election. [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. *Read*, *subscribe* for free and *donate* at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact* reporter/*[*Report for America*](https://www.reportforamerica.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *corps member Molly Wetsch: 605-531-7382/*[*molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Homeowners near sinkhole lose state Supreme Court case URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/homeowners-near-sinkhole-lose-supreme-court-case/ Last updated: 2026-07-10T19:57:44.000Z BLACK HAWK, S.D. – A group of homeowners whose properties were impacted by a large sinkhole just west of Rapid City have lost a major legal battle now that the South Dakota Supreme Court has ruled against them in their lawsuit against the state. The court issued [a unanimous decision](https://ujs.sd.gov/media/z01fd3ap/30899.pdf?ref=sdnewswatch.org) on Thursday in favor of the state, which argued it was not responsible for damages caused by the opening of the large sinkhole above a former underground gypsum mine in April 2020. Roughly a dozen homes in the Hideaway Hills subdivision in Black Hawk were condemned and still sit vacant in the neighborhood. Those property owners were joined by about 150 other homeowners in Hideaway Hills in filing a $60 million class-action lawsuit against the state. [![CTA Image](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/04/SDNW-Logo-Vertical.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/#/portal) ****Get free, fact-based South Dakota news and information** in a weekday email. No spam. Cancel any time. [Subscribe ](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/#/portal) In its ruling in the case of Morse V. State, the high court affirmed the ruling of a circuit court judge who said the state had sovereign immunity and, therefore, could not be sued by the homeowners. The plaintiffs had argued the state was responsible for damages because it operated a gypsum mine on the site for more than 60 years before selling it to a private owner in 1994, after which the land was developed into a subdivision. They also said the state was responsible because it retained the underground mineral rights after the sale. The origins of the sinkhole date back to the early 1900s when a company called Dakota Plaster dug underground mine shafts in search of gypsum, which slows the hardening of concrete. When the state of South Dakota opened its own concrete plant in Rapid City in 1925, it began mining for gypsum, including on the future subdivision site. Lawyers for the state said mining was done only on the surface and that no underground mining was undertaken, though blasting did occur. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/07/RCJ-sinkhole-file-photo-1.jpg) The sinkhole that opened in the Hideaway Hills neighborhood in Black Hawk, S.D., is shown shortly after the collapse in April 2020\. (Photo: Courtesy Rapid City Journal) In the 1990s, the state ended mining operations, reclaimed it for grazing and sold it in 1994 to a private owner. That owner lived and ranched on the land before selling it to a developer who obtained permission from Meade County to build a subdivision in the early 2000s. In July 2024, a class-action lawsuit was filed against the state, arguing that the gypsum mining operation was not properly reclaimed by the state when it sold the land. A circuit judge ruled in favor of the state in September 2024, and the homeowners appealed the case to the Supreme Court, making oral arguments in fall 2025. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/07/2026-5-12-Sinkhole-fencing.jpeg) About a dozen homes remain condemned in the Hideaway Hills subdivision in Meade County, shown in May 2026\. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) With representation by the national law firm of Fox Rothschild, the homeowners argued that the state improperly filled in areas where it had mined with overly soft materials that have worn away and led to the sinkhole. They argued that the state's failure to properly close its mining operation is akin to an "inverse condemnation," or a taking of their land similar to the use of eminent domain. Other attempts by the homeowners at legal remedies over the past six years have been unsuccessful. [![CTA Image](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/06/SDNW-Logo-Vertical.jpg)](https://apple.news/TtkmfHohlTJiS1a5R0TuAUw?ref=sdnewswatch.org) ****Read South Dakota News Watch on Apple News** [Follow on Apple News ](https://apple.news/TtkmfHohlTJiS1a5R0TuAUw?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Lawyers for the state had argued that the prior owner’s underground mining on the site led to the sinkhole, and that the state had only mined for gypsum on the surface. They also said the developer knew of the underground mine before building the homes, but did not alert the homeowners before they moved in. Retired Supreme Court Justice Janine Kern, who wrote the court’s opinion, said the state’s position was supported by previous case law and the state Constitution. “Plaintiffs maintain that selling the surface property to private owners while retaining the mineral rights to the property to the present date renders the State strictly liable for any damage to their private property that has occurred or will occur in the future as a result of the prior mining activities on the property,” Kern wrote. “The Plaintiffs have failed to establish that the State’s retention of the mining rights to the property is a 'public use' under the damaging clause of the South Dakota Constitution.” [SD homeowners stuck in 6 years of sinkhole limbo“If the Supreme Court rules against us, we’re pretty much done. ... As for being compensated for your loss, you’re pretty much out of luck.”![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-ea827815-a0aa-4f7e-9e51-08620eab12b6.jpg)South Dakota News WatchBart Pfankuch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/RCJ-sinkhole-photo-side-view-ab7dbf53-a31f-48ac-a61c-1361c5beaa56.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/black-hawk-sd-sinkhole-supreme-court-homes/) Near the end of the 23-page ruling, Kern sympathized with the homeowners but said state law did not support their arguments. “While we acknowledge the devastating and sympathetic circumstances in which Plaintiffs find themselves, our review is limited to the claims before us, and Plaintiffs have not presented viable claims against the State in the present action,” Kern wrote. Attorneys with Fox Rothschild did not immediately respond to News Watch contacts seeking comment. [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. *Read*, *subscribe* for free and *donate* at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact* content director Bart Pfankuch:605-937-9398/*[*bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Fact brief: Does a ruling bar SD from adding differing health warnings to pesticide labels? URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/supreme-court-health-warnings-pesticide-labels-monstanto-roundup/ Last updated: 2026-07-09T11:11:11.000Z ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/WhiteFACT-BRIEF--500-x-200-px--2-1-1.png) ## Yes. The ruling in Monsanto v. Durnell bars all sub-national entities from adding health warnings to pesticide labels different from the federal government’s. Missouri farmer John Durnell sued Monsanto, the original creator of Roundup, after Durnell developed cancer, arguing the product label should have included the pesticide’s alleged cancer risk. A jury awarded Durnell $1.25 million. The decision was appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, which ruled against him in a 7-2 vote on grounds that states cannot impose labeling requirements “in addition to or different from” those required by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. While the EPA and European Union stated Roundup is unlikely to be carcinogenic, the World Health Organization deemed it “probably carcinogenic to humans.” The South Dakota Agri-Business Association supported the court’s decision, saying a consistent national standard helps agricultural retailers, applicators and farmers when selling, handling and applying crop protection products. ℹ️ This fact brief responds to conversations such as [this one](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YLaNdddsqWk&ref=sdnewswatch.org). ### Sources Supreme Court of the United States, [Monsanto Co. v. Durnell](https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/25pdf/24-1068%5Fn7ip.pdf?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Revisor of Missouri, [Strict liability for failure to warn](https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=537.764&ref=sdnewswatch.org) European Food Safety Authority, [Glyphosate: EFSA updates toxicological profile](https://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/press/news/151112?ref=sdnewswatch.org) U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, [Glyphosate](https://www.epa.gov/ingredients-used-pesticide-products/glyphosate?ref=sdnewswatch.org) World Health Organization, [IARC Monograph on Glyphosate](https://www.iarc.who.int/featured-news/media-centre-iarc-news-glyphosate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) South Dakota Agri-Business Association, [SDABA Statement](https://sdaba.org/news%5Fmanager.php?page=44381&ref=sdnewswatch.org) ### About fact briefs Fact briefs are bite-sized, well-sourced explanations that offer clear "yes" or "no" answers to questions, confusions and unsupported claims circulating online. They rely on publicly available data and documents, often from the original source. Fact briefs are written and published by South Dakota News Watch as part of the [Gigafact](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) network. **Submit a question** for us to answer [on the tipline](https://gigafact.org/tipline/south-dakota-news-watch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. *Read, subscribe* for free and *donate* at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact* freelance reporter Emily DeCock:* [*emily.decock@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:emily.decock@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### As travel costs rise, many families find summer adventures closer to home URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/travel-costs-sd-budget-family-summer-vacations/ Last updated: 2026-07-08T11:20:09.000Z BROOKINGS, S.D. – Instead of boarding airplanes or planning weeklong vacations, many South Dakota families are spending summer weekends closer to home, filling festivals, community events and family attractions that offer affordable ways to make memories together. That trend is showing up across the state, according to South Dakota tourism officials. And organizers of many local events say they've watched it evolve over decades. "We did re-coin that term 'staycation' again this year," said Shari Budahl Avery, publicity chair for the 55-year-old Brookings Summer Arts Festival. "If things are a little tight but you want to get away for a day, we can provide that experience." ## Families are redefining summer travel Travel South Dakota has reported that many travelers are choosing more affordable destinations, taking shorter trips and staying closer to home because of continued economic uncertainty. The department said South Dakota is well positioned because many visitors already travel by car from nearby states. According to the department, 58% of visitors travel within 150 miles of home, and affordability, scenic beauty and family experiences remain among the state's strongest attractions. Travel South Dakota reports that visitors rate the state highly for affordability and family experiences, with 87% saying they would recommend South Dakota to others and 90% planning to return. Shawn Steward, public affairs manager for AAA South Dakota, said travelers look for ways to make summer vacations fit their finances rather than canceling them altogether. "People still want to travel," Steward said in an interview with South Dakota News Watch. "They're just making different choices." Steward said many families are adjusting by taking shorter trips, traveling by car instead of flying or choosing destinations closer to home, trends that align with what tourism officials and local event organizers are seeing across South Dakota. ## Local events become summer destinations Budahl Avery said those statewide trends match what festival organizers have observed for years. ![Visitors explore the Brookings Summer Arts Festival at Pioneer Park in Brookings](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/07/bsaf.jpg) Visitors explore the Brookings Summer Arts Festival at Pioneer Park in Brookings, S.D. The festival features juried artists, live entertainment, food vendors and family activities that attract visitors from across South Dakota. (Photo by [Visit Brookings](https://visitbrookingssd.com/business/brookings-summer-arts-festival/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)) "We're kind of dead center in a pretty good population center," she said. "People can come on what one friend from Texas called a 'tank trip' – somewhere you can drive on one tank of gas and get home." The two-day festival features about 178 juried artists, live entertainment, children's activities, food vendors and historical demonstrations. Budahl Avery said the goal is to create an experience where multiple generations can spend time together without needing an expensive vacation. ## Affordable, convenient entertainment During a recent stop in Brookings, the Cardin International Circus drew families from across the region. Ringmaster and comedian Rulito Videla said attendance varies from city to city, but he believes many families are looking for affordable experiences closer to home. ![Performers take their final bow on June 25, 2026 at a carnival while holding flags](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/07/WhatsApp-Image-2026-07-07-at-14.26.32-1.jpeg) Performers take their final bow on June 25, 2026, after a Carden International Circus performance at the Dakota Bank Center in Brookings, S.D. Local entertainment events such as the circus provide families with close-to-home summer activities as some travelers choose for shorter or more affordable trips. (Photo: Amina Aidarkhanova/South Dakota News Watch) "If they are staying home, support your local events," Videla said. "The circus is family-oriented entertainment. You create memories." Visitors interviewed in Brookings described making similar choices. Erica Quam said her family often prefers several smaller outings over one major vacation. "We live right near Brookings," Quam said. "It's close, there were some coupons that made it more affordable, and it's just a fun, easy activity." Sienna Vanmeveren also chose to stay closer to home this summer to save money. ![Families walk the circus floor in Brookings](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/07/WhatsApp-Image-2026-07-07-at-14.26.31-1-1.jpeg) Families visit attractions and spend time together on June 25, 2026, during intermission at the Carden International Circus in Brookings, S.D. (Photo: Amina Aidarkhanova/South Dakota News Watch) "It's easier than traveling somewhere," she said, adding that she would likely travel more if finances allowed. Not every family is changing its travel habits. Sviatlana Senchanka said her family recently completed a road trip from South Dakota to California and continues to spend time outdoors at local lakes. She said work schedules determine when her family travels more than travel costs. For Budahl Avery, however, the value of community events extends beyond economics. "What keeps families coming back?" she said. "Tradition. Joy. Making memories." Whether families travel across the country or simply across town, organizers and visitors alike say a memorable summer doesn't always require going far from home. [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. *Read*, *subscribe* for free and *donate* at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. Amina Aidarkhanova received the 2026 Jeffrey B. Nelson Investigative Journalism Endowed Internship and the Chuck Raasch and Sandy Johnson Scholarship from the SDSU Foundation. *Contact:** [*amina.aidarkhanova@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:amina.aidarkhanova@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Fact brief: Did SD have country's lowest GDP growth in early 2026? URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/fact-brief-south-dakota-gdp-growth-toby-doeden-larry-rhoden/ Last updated: 2026-07-08T11:17:28.000Z ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/WhiteFACT-BRIEF--500-x-200-px--2-1-1.png) ## Yes South Dakota recorded the nation's lowest real gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate in the first quarter of 2026, according to government data. Republican gubernatorial candidate Toby Doeden said Monday that the state’s GDP had the lowest growth in the nation in response to departing Sioux Falls Mayor Paul TenHaken endorsing Gov. Larry Rhoden in July 28 Republican primary runoff. The U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) reported that three states had negative GDP growth during the first quarter of 2026: South Dakota (-1.6%), Nebraska (-0.9%) and Iowa (-0.1%). Washington state had the highest growth at 4.5%. The BEA attributed the decline to downturns in the agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting industries. South Dakota's GDP was among the nation's best in the fourth quarter of 2025, however, at 3%. Only North Dakota (3.8%) had a better quarter. The BEA will release final second-quarter GDP data in September. ℹ️ This fact brief responds to conversations such as [this one](https://www.facebook.com/TobydoedenforSouthDakota/posts/pfbid02jcnRLdNVugfuQSnThFxzza9bYvEP8zYbDkEwTeYzpUdwnFGg2mrxSeswdj8nYiXil). ### Sources Bureau of Economic Analysis [GDP First Quarter 2026](https://www.bea.gov/news/2026/gdp-third-estimate-industries-corporate-profits-state-gdp-and-state-personal-income-1st?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Bureau of Economic Analysis [GDP Fourth Quarter 2025](https://www.bea.gov/news/2026/gdp-third-estimate-industries-corporate-profits-state-gdp-and-state-personal-income-4th?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Dakota News Now [Paul TenHaken endorses Gov. Larry Rhoden for reelection](https://www.dakotanewsnow.com/2026/07/06/paul-tenhaken-endorses-gov-larry-rhoden-reelection/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Toby Doeden [Facebook post](https://www.facebook.com/TobydoedenforSouthDakota/posts/pfbid02jcnRLdNVugfuQSnThFxzza9bYvEP8zYbDkEwTeYzpUdwnFGg2mrxSeswdj8nYiXil) ### About fact briefs Fact briefs are bite-sized, well-sourced explanations that offer clear "yes" or "no" answers to questions, confusions and unsupported claims circulating online. They rely on publicly available data and documents, often from the original source. Fact briefs are written and published by South Dakota News Watch as part of the [Gigafact](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) network. **Submit a question** for us to answer [on the tipline](https://gigafact.org/tipline/south-dakota-news-watch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. *Read, subscribe* for free and *donate* at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact* freelance reporter Michael Klinski:*[*michael.klinski@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:Michael.Klinski@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Water shortage hampers growth north of Sioux Falls but solution near URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/dell-rapids-water-projects-shared-resources-minnehaha-county/ Last updated: 2026-08-27T17:16:55.000Z DELL RAPIDS, S.D. – Scott Buss can only imagine what this city north of Sioux Falls might have looked like – and how many jobs and taxes would have been generated – if there wasn't a local shortage of available water. Buss, executive director of the Minnehaha Community Water Corp., sat in the conference room of the rural water system based in Dell Rapids recently and ticked off the industrial and agricultural projects turned away due to a lack of water. After hitting its limit on how much water it can provide a few years ago, the rural system has had to turn away proposed projects valued at hundreds of millions of dollars that offered an untold number of new jobs, he said. The rejected projects include the Agropur Cheese plant that eventually opened in Lake Norden. A few proposed hog farms and dairy expansions in northern Minnehaha County were also stalled, Buss said. ****Get South Dakota news and information** in a free email on weekdays. Cancel any time. [Subscribe ](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/#/portal) Other proposals, most of which never came to fruition in South Dakota, included the $1.5 billion Gevo corn-based jet fuel plant, the $500 million Wholestone Farms hog processing plant and a data center that at some point all eyed the Dell Rapids area for development. "All the water rights are spoken for between Dell Rapids and Sioux Falls, so there was no more water to be had in Minnehaha County,” Buss told News Watch in an interview in June. "With all the (residential) development that was coming in, we realized that our well capacity and our treatment capacity was limiting our ability to take on new high water-use customers." ![Scott Buss is pictured in his office](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/06/2026-6-9-Dell-Rapids-water-Scott-Buss-1-1.jpeg) Scott Buss on June 9, 2026, who manages the Minnehaha Community Water Corp. near Dell Rapids, S.D. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) Buss and the nonprofit corporation's board of directors aren't waiting around to potentially miss out on more opportunities. In a unique arrangement, the corporation is partnering with the neighboring Big Sioux Community Water System to the north on a $170 million expansion project called Shared Resources. The expansion, started three years ago, will use new wells into the Big Sioux Aquifer to generate 8 million gallons of water more per day starting this fall. "It’s going to be a huge and great benefit for Big Sioux and Minnehaha water," said Jodi Johanson, director of the Big Sioux system based in Egan. "This project is going to make sure that down the road we have enough water for the future." ## 2 systems get stronger together The Minnehaha water corporation is still able to bring on new residential and retail customers who consume part of the 9.2 million gallons of treated water it can provide on a daily basis. The system was formed by a group of farmers and landowners in the 1970s who sought a reliable way of providing more and cleaner water to residents of Minnehaha County outside of Sioux Falls who relied exclusively on individual wells. The system started with about 1,200 customers but has grown to more than 5,500 now in seven cities, mostly north of the Sioux Falls metro area. Given the limits on water from the aquifer, and balancing the water needs of consistent housing and retail growth in northern Minnehaha County, the water system had to say no to developments that request 1 million or more gallons of water per day, Buss said. A million gallons per day is equivalent to the water consumption of about 4,300 homes, he said. [Billions needed to keep South Dakota taps flowingSouth Dakota water systems will increasingly turn to the Missouri River to provide water for future population, agricultural and industrial growth. But plans will require billions of dollars and decades of construction to keep taps flowing freely.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-ca4d7010-0526-4adc-bacd-e6548cef9efe.jpg)South Dakota News WatchBart Pfankuch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/2026-3-18-L-C-water-purifier-1-9750118b-c552-44e3-91bb-5ea5b87fbc07.jpeg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-missouri-river-water-pipelines/) As with other rural water systems in South Dakota, the aquifers the systems rely on for their water are either running low or are legally tapped out, or both. In the case of Minnehaha water corporation, the Big Sioux River Aquifer has gotten drier, but state law is also preventing it from taking more water from the aquifer. In 1996, the state Water Management Board allocated water rights, or withdrawal limits, to systems that take groundwater from the aquifer, Buss said. Those limits have now been reached, meaning that Minnehaha water cannot take any more than the 7 million gallons per day it is drawing now. The system also receives about 2 million gallons per day from the Lewis & Clark Regional Water System, making its daily maximum capacity about 9.2 million gallons per day, which it sometimes reaches, especially during spring planting season or hot summer months. ![The aquifer under the Big Sioux River in Dell Rapids](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/06/2026-6-9-Dell-Rapids-water-Big-Sioux-view-1.jpeg) The aquifer under the Big Sioux River, shown here in Dell Rapids, S.D., on June 9, 2026, is the source of fresh water for much of eastern South Dakota. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) Directly to the north, the Big Sioux Community Water System produces up to 2 million gallons per day for about 2,400 customers in Moody and Lake counties as well as some in Brookings County and in western Minnesota, Johanson said. The system still has room within its water rights to draw more water, making it an attractive partner for Minnehaha water. Though Big Sioux Community Water System has not turned away any large projects, it needs more water to serve a boom in residential growth in the region, Johanson said. In the area around Lake Madison, near Madison, developers are considering projects that could someday bring 500 new homes and a new nine-hole golf course, she said. ****Support solutions-focused storytelling.** Help South Dakota News Watch tell stories that identify and share solutions to the state's biggest challenges. [Donate ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) The system also serves a number of dairies that use significant water and provides water to the Dakota Ethanol plant in Wentworth, which is undergoing an expansion. Farmers in the region are also using greater quantities of water to deliver chemicals onto their land, Johanson said. “This is our first expansion,” she said. “We’re looking forward and we’re trying to find the solution before we face a problem.” ## Federal government and customers pay the way The biggest Shared Resources ticket item is a new $80 million water treatment plant that is nearly completed on 240th Street a few miles north of Dell Rapids. A 20-inch pipeline from the plant to the east will end at a 1.5 million gallon water tower, and a 24-inch pipeline to the west will terminate at a ground-level storage tank with a 4 million gallon capacity. Six new wells will draw the water, and the storage tanks will provide both pressure and the ability to adapt to changing demands without service interruption, Buss said. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/08/2026-6-9-Dell-Rapids-water-new-plant.jpeg) A new $80 million water treatment plant under construction on June 9, 2026, north of Dell Rapids, S.D. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) As with most modern water projects, the costs will be shared by government and end users. The systems are funding the project with $49 million in grants from the Biden-era American Rescue Plan Act and $121 million in low-interest loans from South Dakota's Drinking Water State Revolving Fund. The two systems are sharing the cost of the project loans commensurate with how much water they will receive, meaning Minnehaha will pay 65% of the costs for its 5 million gallons per day while Big Sioux will kick in 35% for its 3 million gallons more per day. Minnehaha water is assuming $87 million in new debt and Big Sioux will take on $42 million in new debt, Buss said. > The average residential consumer in both systems that uses about 7,000 gallons per month will see their bill rise to $135 a month, roughly double the cost in 2020. "It’s a big project, and it’s a good example of how two systems can work together to have some economies of scale," Buss said. Ratepayers will see a significant increase in their monthly water bills. The average residential consumer in both systems that uses about 7,000 gallons per month will see their bill rise to $135 a month, roughly double the cost in 2020, Buss said. ## A big project, but even more water needed But both systems view the Shared Resources project as a temporary fix and both are looking toward proposed projects that will tap the Missouri River for more water in the future. Buss said his system has applied for 10 million gallons more water per day from Lewis & Clark, which has two expansion efforts planned. Minnehaha water has simultaneously applied to receive 10 million gallons per day from the proposed Dakota Mainstem Regional Water System, a potentially $10 billion project to carry Missouri River water to more than 50 communities and organizations across eastern South Dakota and parts of Minnesota and Iowa. ![A 1.5 million gallon water tower under construction June, 9, 2026, near Dell Rapids, S.D.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/06/2026-6-9-Dell-Rapids-water-new-tower.jpeg) A 1.5 million gallon water tower under construction June, 9, 2026, near Dell Rapids, S.D., as part of the Shared Resources expansion effort by two rural water systems. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) The dual application effort is to make sure Minnehaha water can rely on taking in more water from at least one of the two systems as they come online, Buss said. Johanson said Big Sioux has also signed on to accept water from Dakota Mainstem, even if it takes 20 to 40 years for the water to begin flowing. To ensure that steady supply of high-quality drinking water, [four major projects ](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/major-south-dakota-water-projects-lewis-clark/)are in progress to take more water from the Missouri River – including WEB Water in the northeast, Lewis & Clark and the proposed Dakota Mainstem in the southeast as well as the proposed Western Dakota Regional Water System in western South Dakota and the Black Hills. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/07/Shared_Resources_Mailer__1_-2-1.png) A map for the Shared Resources water project shows the proposed watermain lines. The projects are part of a wide-scale increase in water service capacity now underway in South Dakota, where water managers of several systems are implementing plans to serve the state for the next 40 to 50 years. Regional rural water systems such as Minnehaha and Big Sioux are critical components of those projects because they provide water to communities and individual customers at the end of the delivery system. Alicia Deschepper, zoning administrator for Moody County, said the water system expansions should allow for more growth to occur in Moody and Minnehaha counties, which are seeing new single-family housing developed at a rapid rate. “I think it will be a great thing for our county and hopefully enable us to bring in more bigger businesses as well as more homes,” Deschepper said. [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. *Read*, *subscribe* for free and *donate* at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact* content director Bart Pfankuch:605-937-9398/*[*bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Fact brief: Are lieutenant governor picks always announced after the nominee is selected? URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/fact-brief-lieutenant-governor-running-mate/ Last updated: 2026-07-08T11:17:13.000Z ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/WhiteFACT-BRIEF--500-x-200-px--2-1-1.png) ## No Gubernatorial running mates in South Dakota are not always chosen after the nominee is selected. Republican nominee Jon Hansen chose Karla Lems as his running mate on April 24, 2025, over a year before the primary on June 2. Gov. Larry Rhoden announced that Lt. Gov. Tony Venhuizen would stay on as his running mate when he announced his re-election campaign on Nov. 18. In 1994, former Gov. Bill Janklow tapped Carole Hillard prior to the primary. Janklow went on to beat Walter Miller in the primary, and Hillard became the first woman to serve as lieutenant governor of South Dakota. In May 2025, Rhoden signed into law a bill that requires governor candidates to nominate a candidate for lieutenant governor by 5 p.m. on the second Tuesday of August on election years. In 2026, Aug. 11 is the deadline for governor hopefuls to choose running mates. ℹ️ This fact brief responds to conversations such as [this one](https://x.com/TobyForSD/status/2069452743522001373?s=20&ref=sdnewswatch.org). ### Sources South Dakota Legislature [House Bill 1164](https://mylrc.sdlegislature.gov/api/Documents/283881.pdf?ref=sdnewswatch.org) SDPB [Gov. Larry Rhoden officially announces campaign](https://www.sdpb.org/politics/2025-11-18/gov-larry-rhoden-officially-announces-election-campaign?ref=sdnewswatch.org) [Larry Rhoden campaign website](https://governorlarryrhoden.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) [John Hansen website](https://www.hansenlems2026.com/2025/04/21/campaign-announcement/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) [South Dakota Secretary of State](https://sdsos.gov/elections-voting/upcoming-elections/general-information/default.aspx?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Keloland News [A look back at 40 years of South Dakota governor elections](https://www.keloland.com/news/capitol-news-bureau/a-look-back-at-40-years-of-south-dakota-governor-elections/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) ### About fact briefs Fact briefs are bite-sized, well-sourced explanations that offer clear "yes" or "no" answers to questions, confusions and unsupported claims circulating online. They rely on publicly available data and documents, often from the original source. Fact briefs are written and published by South Dakota News Watch as part of the [Gigafact](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) network. **Submit a question** for us to answer [on the tipline](https://gigafact.org/tipline/south-dakota-news-watch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. *Read, subscribe* for free and *donate* at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact* freelance reporter Emily DeCock:* [*emily.decock@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:emily.decock@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### 'How do I keep going:?' Farmer mental health solutions URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/farmer-mental-health-solutions-south-dakota/ Last updated: 2026-07-08T11:22:22.000Z MT. VERNON, S.D. – About 20 miles from Mitchell sits a 100-year-old barn. Merely driving by, it looks like nothing out of the ordinary: just one of many such farming landmarks off of I-90 surrounded by fields of crops and tall grass. That barn belongs to Colleen Stegenga, a licensed clinical social worker and therapist who runs Embracing Change Counseling Services. Stegenga grew up on a cattle farm about 5 miles from where she currently lives. While peaceful, growing up on the farm was not always easy. She never imagined coming back once she left for college. However, when one of her family members who ran the family farm had a health crisis three years ago, she and her siblings came together to help out. "It was a crazy few weeks because it was planting season, the cows still needed to be milked and he still had bills to pay. And so that's when I started to realize farmers have a lot of stuff they have to deal with," Stegenga said. "I got a really brief snapshot when I was working with my family. Like how do these people do this?" ****Join other South Dakotans and support statewide, fact-based news and information.** [Donate ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Shortly thereafter, she decided to put more focus into helping the agricultural community by transforming an old barn to house therapy animals, so as to offer therapeutic services to farmers. Once the barn is finished, she hopes to get horses, mini highland cows and babydoll sheep. According to Stegenga, work on the farm never ends. This may increase the risk of anxiety, depression, stress, relationship or family issues and suicide. "(People tell me) how do I keep going? I'm not sleeping, the bank is telling me I have to come up with more collateral and I don't know what I'm going to do," Stegenga said. ## Stigma, distance create barriers in ag communities Mental health concerns are not a new issue among agricultural communities. However, accessing care remains an obstacle. Karl Oehlke, a physician assistant on the Avera Behavioral Health team, said there is a longstanding history of stigma surrounding mental health among not just agricultural communities but Midwesterners in general. > "It's a lot of a Midwestern culture, that perception that you should just pull your bootstraps up or rub some dirt on it." > – Karl Oehlke, physician assistant Because some farmers feel pressure to tough it out, they may fear being recognized while using in-person services such as seeing a live therapist, attending an alcoholics anonymous meeting or even picking up a psychiatric prescription at the local pharmacy. "I heard a number of folks say that their primary care providers are the same person they see at church or go to a basketball game at the high school with," Oehlke said. "They're quite comfortable talking about a plan for cholesterol or diabetes or a broken arm. But divulging that they are having issues psychiatrically is even harder in that situation." [South Dakotans’ biggest needs, according to 211 callsCalls to 211 in 2025 indicate that many South Dakotans are concerned about access to housing, food and utilities.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-1d2cd80e-0412-489c-8914-5c91612b01ab.jpg)South Dakota News WatchMolly Wetsch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/IMG_0223-1-74157504-c8a3-4844-af29-f32eb4cb0ffe.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-211-helpline-center-housing-food-utilities/) However, many of those who feel comfortable going in person often can't. South Dakota currently has a statewide mental health care provider shortage. Of the state's 66 counties, only four – McCook, Minnehaha, Turner and Lincoln – do not have a geographic shortage of mental health care providers. Those four counties instead have a population shortage. [A population shortage](https://doh.wa.gov/public-health-provider-resources/health-workforce-and-primary-care-systems-development/health-professional-shortage-area-designation?ref=sdnewswatch.org) refers to a shortage of providers within a defined geographic area for a specific group of people, such as those who are low-income or face cultural or social barriers. A contributing factor is a lack of provider training in rural areas. Dr. David Newman, chief medical officer of virtual care at Sanford Health in Sioux Falls who is based in Fargo, North Dakota, said that while training programs exist, they typically are for those wanting to practice within urban areas. "It's very, very tricky to get somebody to move to rural America that isn't from rural America," Newman said. Olivia Bury, a licensed professional counselor and behavioral health coordinator at AgriSafe Network – a nonprofit dedicated to improving health care disparities in agricultural communities – said a shortage of providers outside of urban areas creates barriers for farmers in isolated places. ![Some people in rural agricultural communities may have to travel several hours to see an in-person mental health care provider.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/06/long-dirt-road.png) Some people in rural agricultural communities may have to travel several hours to see an in-person mental health care provider. Rural Davison County, S.D., on June 19, 2026\. (Photo: Elena Tittel/South Dakota News Watch) "(Agricultural workers) also have to work those long, demanding hours, which could leave very little time to prioritize their own personal health care, especially during those planting, harvests or calving seasons. They probably don't want to drive an hour or two to go to therapy or an appointment," Bury said. ## Solution: Virtual mental health services show success For patients of Stegenga's who cannot easily get to her in-person offices, have fear of being recognized or cannot step away from work, she has found virtual services – whether a phone call or a video chat – to be just as successful. "I do have people that just step out into their car on their lunch break, and we can do therapy that way," Stegenga said. "You don't have to leave work, or for my farmers and ranchers, 'Hey, if you're in the field, just get your phone propped up, and we can talk,' so it is really helpful." Newman said virtual services such as telehealth appointments have been widely accessible at Sanford Health, too. The health center's virtual care system took off in 2021 after receiving a [$350 million virtual care investment.](https://news.sanfordhealth.org/news-release/sanford-health-reaches-virtual-care-milestone/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) "When we first started the virtual perination, we thought that broadband access was going to be a problem. It hasn't been a problem surprisingly, (and) we found that 99% of our patients have access to a telephone or broadband connection," Newman said. In 2025, patients at Sanford Health who used virtual services [saved an estimated $41 million ](https://news.sanfordhealth.org/news-release/sanford-health-reaches-virtual-care-milestone/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)by reducing the need to take off time from work and pay for travel-related expenses. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/07/HelpLineInformation.png) The Helpline Center provides resources for those who need someone to talk to. (Photo: Helpline Center) For patients of Horizon Health and Monument Health – two other large health care systems in South Dakota – in-person and virtual services are also available. Patients at Horizon Health can go to one of its 27 clinics at one of their 19 locations or, based on circumstance,[ see a provider via telehome](https://www.horizonhealthcare.org/telehome/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). Patients at Monument Health can also see providers in-person or virtually, depending on their circumstance and if their specific provider offers virtual services, a representative told News Watch. Telehealth appointments are not the only virtual behavioral health resource. Those wanting immediate support from a mental health professional can utilize 24/7 hotlines such as 988 (formally the National Suicide Prevention Line) and the [Farm and Rural Stress Hotline ](https://www.avera.org/services/behavioral-mental-health/farm-stress-hotline/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)(800-691-4436). Oehlke, a farmer himself, helped champion the Farm and Rural Stress Hotline in 2019 following an especially tough fall. "The hotline was kind of a manifestation of a number of issues that were transpiring in the fall of 2018, even myself was struggling with some depression and anxiety concerns," Oehlke said. "I knew that other producers in the area certainly were experiencing those same things but maybe struggled with the stigma of mental health or that inability to know that there were programs and individuals out there that could potentially facilitate some help for them." Jordan Mounga, program manager for Suicide Prevention & Crisis Services at the South Dakota Department of Social Services, said hotlines are not solely reserved for people in immediate crisis. "(It is important) knowing that you don't have to be in a crisis to be able to reach out, so when that emotional distress or those relationship issues are coming up, that they absolutely can reach out to a platform like 988 or reach out to those community mental health centers," Mougna said. What makes this topic vital right now is letting people know they are not alone, she said. "There is help and that there are ways no matter where you're at, whether it's the use of telehealth services, being able to call, text or chat 988 or accessing short-term crisis services." **Correction on July 1, 2026:* An earlier version referred to the barn as a clinic. The latest version has been updated to clarify the purpose of the barn.* [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. *Read*, *subscribe* for free and *donate* at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Elena Tittel's* internship was funded with support from the Nonprofit Newsroom Internship Program created by The Scripps Howard Fund and the Institute for Nonprofit News. *Contact:** [*elena.tittel@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:elena.tittel@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Fact brief: Was a SD storm's wind gust among the strongest in US history? URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/fact-brief-sd-highmore-wind-storm-record-turbine-damage/ Last updated: 2026-06-30T10:00:12.000Z # Yes. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/WhiteFACT-BRIEF--500-x-200-px--2-1-1.png) Winds in excess of 130 mph hit north-central South Dakota early Monday, breaking records and causing significant damage. The National Weather Service Aberdeen office reported a 131 mph wind gust in Highmore in Hyde County. Photos posted by multiple media outlets show numerous trees uprooted, roofs ripped off buildings, grain silos folded in and downed wind turbines. The NWS had issued a severe thunderstorm warning at the time of the storm, and it would be the highest recorded thunderstorm wind gust (not from a tornado or derecho) since 1983\. The NWS confirmed the winds did not come from a tornado. Meanwhile, a tornado was reported 2 miles south of Andover. No injuries were reported. If the 131 mph gust is verified, it would be the 15th-strongest thunderstorm wind gust ever recorded in the United States and second-highest gust in South Dakota. In 2010, winds of 142 mph were measured in Lantry (Dewey County). *This fact brief responds to claims such as* [*this one.*](https://www.reddit.com/r/SouthDakota/comments/1uirjaj/reports%5Fof%5F130mph%5Fwind%5Fbeing%5Fmeasured%5Fthis/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) ### **Sources** The Washington Post, [Why a 131-mph wind gust in South Dakota caught my attention](https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2026/06/29/why-131-mph-wind-gust-south-dakota-caught-my-attention/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Aberdeen National Weather Service office Facebook page, [Wind summary for June 29 storms](https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=1357439549819448&set=a.274055078157906) KELO-TV, [Early morning storm impacting area Monday](https://www.keloland.com/news/local-news/photos-early-morning-storm-impacting-keloland-monday/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Aberdeen Insider, [Aberdeen spared as two tornados, gusts as high as 131 mph recorded](https://aberdeeninsider.com/aberdeen-spared-as-two-tornados-gusts-as-high-as-131-mph-recorded/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Meteorologist Max Velocity,[ Facebook Post](https://www.facebook.com/maxvelocitywx/posts/pfbid02mADtwVk1h3EeURV1dNaDddJr4dqL1dNarwC1DzeZ1YsZjy3AoFZQrtpXt8Z9g55jl) --- [South Dakota News Watch](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/) partners with [Gigafact](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) to publish fact briefs that refute or confirm a claim with supporting information and additional evidence and context. Send questions or feedback to [news@sdnewswatch.org](mailto:news@sdnewswatch.org). Submit a question for us to answer [on the tipline](https://gigafact.org/tipline/south-dakota-news-watch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact freelance reporter Michael Klinski:* michael.klinski@sdnewswatch.org.* ### Tribal elections include leadership shakeup in Flandreau URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-2026-election-tribal/ Last updated: 2026-06-30T11:27:42.000Z One tribe in South Dakota will see a major change in its government leadership this year as longtime Flandreau Santee Sioux tribal president Anthony Reider did not file a petition for re-election. He has served in the role for 16 years. The tribe's primary election, which included the president as well as tribal secretary and two trustee positions, took place on June 15\. Ryan L. Kills-A-Hundred, who serves as the current tribal secretary, current trustee David Ross and Gabriel Weston sought to advance to the general election for president in August. The top two candidates from the primary election advanced. ****Get South Dakota news and information** in a free email on weekdays. Cancel any time. [Subscribe ](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/#/portal) Though Reider did not seek re-election for president, he did file a petition to run for a trustee seat, where he challenged Kenneth Weston and Elizabeth Fisherman. Other seats up for election were for tribal secretary and for another trustee, where five candidates ran for each spot. A tribal spokesperson said in an email that the tribe does not release results publicly. It's one of several tribal elections scheduled for this year across nine tribal nations in the state. ## Lengkeek re-elected for Crow Creek On April 16, the chairman of the Crow Creek Sioux Tribe was re-elected in the first of this year's tribal elections in South Dakota. Peter Lengkeek, who has served the central South Dakota tribe in the role since 2020, will serve another two-year term. He won with a vote of 545-349 over Albert “Buc” Fallis Sr. The early portion of Lengkeek’s time in office was colored by ongoing tribal relations disputes with former Gov. Kristi Noem, who at one point was banned from all nine tribal nations in South Dakota, and the COVID-19 pandemic. Lengkeek told News Watch in January that his experience working with state government officials was difficult in the beginning but had improved. “I myself have always strived for a relationship with the state because we need them and they need us,” Lengkeek said. “The closer we can come together as state and tribes, the better off we’re going to be.” In recent years, his leadership has been characterized by collaboration with state officials and agencies. The tribe is the only one in the state to sign a memorandum of understanding allowing the South Dakota Highway Patrol to assist tribal law enforcement. Lengkeek said in January that he hopes to continue to help the Crow Creek Sioux Tribe, as well as others in the area, develop economic and cultural sovereignty. “The further away we get from the federal government, the better off we’re going to be,” Lengkeek said. “We’re developing things for our future generations. Tribes are coming together and they’re working on things that are going to make an immense impact within Indian country soon.” ## Other tribal elections set for later this year Tribal elections do not follow the same schedule as local, state and federal elections but often see similar term lengths and limits. In all tribal elections in South Dakota, voters must be enrolled members of the tribe for the election in which they are voting. Besides **Crow Creek** and the **Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe,** which holds its general election in August, here are other tribes holding elections this year. [A guide to South Dakota’s 9 Native American tribesThe governance, geography, people and economy of South Dakota’s nine Native American reservations and tribes.![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)South Dakota News WatchMolly Wetsch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/01/sdtribes-map-1.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/nine-south-dakota-native-american-tribes-reservations-guide/) The **Oglala Sioux Tribe** will hold an election for its president and tribal council in November. Current president Frank Star Comes Out has served in the role since 2022, serving two two-year terms. The **Rosebud Sioux Tribe** will hold elections for 10 of 24 total tribal council spots this year, but not for its highest positions. President and vice president terms are three years long, and current President Kathleen Wooden Knife was elected in 2024\. Treasurer and secretary terms are two years long, and the most recent election for those positions was in 2025\. Tribal council terms, divided into 20 total districts, are also three years long – the most recent election for the 10 spots now up for grabs took place in 2023\. The **Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe** will also hold elections for its chairman and tribal council in November. Current chairman Ryman LeBeau was elected in 2022, ousting incumbent Harold Frazier, and is in the last year of a four-year term. The **Lower Brule Sioux Tribe**, or Kul Wicasa Oyate, will have elections for its tribal council and chairman in September. The tribe elected its current chairman Boyd Gorneau in 2024\. He previously served as chairman from 2016-2020. The **Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate** will host its election for tribal chairperson and other council positions later this year. Current chairman J. Garret Renville is serving his second term, which he was elected for in 2024. The **Yankton Sioux Tribe** elected Chelaine Knudsen as its chairwoman for her first two-year term last October. The next election will be in September 2027. The **Standing Rock Sioux Tribe** held its election for chairman last year, where Steve Sitting Bear was elected to his first four-year term and will not be up for re-election until 2029\. [![CTA Image](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/04/SDNW-Logo-Vertical.jpg)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) ****Partner with South Dakota News Watch** and support fact-based news and information. [Donate ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact reporter/**[***Report for America***](https://www.reportforamerica.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) **corps member Molly Wetsch:* 605-531-7382/*[*molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Opposition arises to rebuild of US 85 through the Black Hills URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/us-highway-85-construction-black-hills-sd/ Last updated: 2026-06-29T21:26:31.000Z CHEYENNE CROSSING, S.D. – Colorado tourists Kay and Dan Rider made a conscious decision to avoid interstates and busy highways on their way to a family vacation in western South Dakota. The decision to take the scenic route led them to a stretch of U.S. Highway 85 in the northern Black Hills on June 25 that would eventually take them through the Lead/Deadwood area on their way to Rapid City. The couple stopped briefly to take a break in one of the many pull-offs that straddle the highway. The small parking areas provide motorists with a spot to soak in the beauty of the majestic pines and rocky ridges that frame the highway or to find calm in the gentle babble of Spearfish Creek that flows a few feet from the travel lanes in some areas. "This is wonderful," Kay Rider said of the highway. "We've just been talking about how beautiful the drive is and what great shape the road is in." ![Colorado tourists Kay and Dan Rider enjoyed a drive on U.S. 85 i](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/06/2026-6-25-US-85-Colorado-tourists-1.jpeg) Colorado tourists Kay and Dan Rider enjoyed a drive on U.S. 85 in the Black Hills of South Dakota on June 25, 2026, and do not support a reconstruction of the highway that could alter its aesthetics. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) The Riders were surprised to learn that the state of South Dakota has plans for a major reconstruction of that 16-mile stretch of U.S. 85 from the Wyoming border on the west to its intersection with U.S. 14A at Cheyenne Crossing on the east. The couple said it didn't make sense to them that the Department of Transportation would do anything that could alter the aesthetics of the highway. "If I was paying taxes in South Dakota and that money was going to this project, I would be highly upset," Dan Rider said. ## Similar US 385 project spurs concern That sentiment is shared by more than a few residents and business owners in the Black Hills region. As it plans the $47 million project that could begin in 2030, the state DOT has received extensive public input, some in support of its efforts to improve the condition and safety of the highway, but much more in opposition. ![This image shows a waterfall on Spearfish Creek](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/06/US-85-Horsted-waterfall-1.jpg) This image shows a waterfall on Spearfish Creek that is easily visible from the travel lanes of U.S. 85 in the northern Black Hills of South Dakota. (Photo: Courtesy of Paul Horsted) "It’s hard to define the character of the Black Hills, but you kind of know it when you see it," said Paul Horsted, a renowned nature and landscape photographer from Custer who is opposed to the current plans to redo U.S. 85\. "The scenery and the stream on one side of the road and the cliffs on the other side – there's nothing that can match that." Horsted said he and others are worried that the DOT could take the same approach to rebuilding U.S. 85 as it has with the ongoing project to reconstruct U.S. 385, another scenic road through the Black Hills. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/06/Screenshot-2026-06-28-at-10.50.27---PM.png) A stretch of Highway 85 from the Wyoming/South Dakota border to Cheyenne Crossing could include wider lanes and extended shoulders to the road southwest of Deadwood. (Photo: Google Maps) That three-year, $72 million project that will conclude in 2027 is bringing wider lanes, extended road shoulders and fewer curves to the north-south highway between Deadwood and Hill City. To improve safety, the DOT has made more room for the highway by clearing trees, blasting rock and scraping away ridges. [Roadwork on U.S. 385](https://us-385.com/project-updates/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) is continuing with flaggers and 15-minute delays between Pactola Reservoir and Calumet Road. The highway will be fully open on July 4 and during the Sturgis motorcycle rally in early August. ![This photo by renowned landscape photographer Paul Horsted](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/06/US-85-Horsted-ridge-and-creek-1.jpg) This photo by renowned landscape photographer Paul Horsted shows the combination of majestic rocky ridge lines and pristine Spearfish Creek that flank U.S. 85 in the northern Black Hills of South Dakota. (Photo: Courtesy Paul Horsted) Horsted said the U.S. 385 project will surely improve safety but will come at the cost of a loss of scenic views, ecological diversity and uniqueness. Horsted said overly invasive road projects are part of what he calls the ongoing "urbanization" of the Black Hills. "None of us are against safety measures, but my question is whether the only answer to make a road safer is to widen it," Horsted told News Watch. > "I understand they need to resurface it and make it drivable, but please try to do with a sense of what the Black Hills are all about." > – Paul Horsted, renowned nature and landscape photographer from Custer Horsted, whose latest project "South Dakota Yesterday & Today" contains modern photos of historic sites across the state, suggested the DOT could make U.S. 85 safer by adding a shoulder on only one side or lowering speed limits. "I understand they need to resurface it and make it drivable, but please try to do with a sense of what the Black Hills are all about," he said. "We’re asking the DOT to do the minimum necessary to build a reasonably safe road that maintains the scenic and ecological aspects of this beautiful Black Hills highway." ## State says safety concerns driving project DOT reports show the existing roadway is in poor condition, has 20 curves with reduced speed limits and is marred by eroded roadway edges. The highway has been re-graded, resurfaced or repaired 10 times since 1950 but hasn't been upgraded since a resurfacing project in 2010. The major goal of the project is to improve safety by widening the "clear zones" in which vehicles have wider lanes and additional space to maneuver in case they leave the travel lanes. The highway sees about 600 vehicles per day on weekdays and roughly 850 vehicles per day on weekends. The speed limit is 55 mph in most stretches. ![This westbound stretch of U.S. 85 in the northern Black Hills of South Dakota](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/06/2026-6-25-US-85-turning-vehicles-sign-1.jpeg) This westbound stretch of U.S. 85 in the northern Black Hills of South Dakota, shown on June 25, 2026, requires caution due to a rock ledge on the highway shoulder and scenic pull-offs just ahead. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) The preliminary plan is to resurface the roadway and widen traffic lanes from 11 feet to 12 feet in most areas and add 4-foot to 6-foot paved shoulders where ditches or rocky outcrops mostly exist now. Some curves could be straightened. ## High crash rate for cars and motorcycles The 16-mile stretch of two-lane highway had 140 crashes with three fatalities and 56 injuries reported during the decade from 2013 to 2022\. About a third of the accidents involved motorcycles, and nearly two-third of wrecks came from vehicles leaving the roadway. More than 20% of wrecks resulted from wild animal encounters, according to DOT data. The crash rate on the road of 8.5 accidents per million vehicle miles traveled was nearly six times the state average of 1.5 accidents for similar highways over that decade, the DOT said. More recent crash data, from 2020-2024, showed 77 accidents with one fatality and 31 injuries and a crash rate that rose to 9.1 per million vehicle miles. Four vehicles ended up in Spearfish Creek during that five-year period, DOT said. ![This image from June 25, 2026, shows the west end of the U.S. 85](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/06/2026-6-25-US-85-SD-entry-sign-1.jpeg) This image from June 25, 2026, shows the west end of the U.S. 85 rebuild project at the South Dakota/Wyoming border and reveals how the road shoulder and rumble strips used in Wyoming end at the South Dakota line. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) "This corridor is very unique, (and) as we develop alternatives or refine current options, we will continue to request input from stakeholders and the public to refine ways to modify the design such that we minimize work near the creek, ensure the natural flow of surface water is capitalized, and strive to reduce impacts to adjacent property owners," DOT spokeswoman Julie Stevenson wrote to News Watch in an email. Stevenson said the agency is considering construction of a short retaining wall to protect the creek. Plans for lane or road closures are not yet set, she said. ****Get South Dakota news and information** in a free email on weekdays. Cancel any time. [Subscribe ](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/#/portal) "Having a safer highway and an aesthetically pleasing highway do not have to be mutually exclusive," she wrote. "The challenge is to balance the impact on the environment while trying to advance safety benefits to the roadway user." After receiving significant public input already, the DOT has extended the written comment period this year from the original date of June 19 to Sept. 4\. Written comments may be made on the agency [website](https://dot.sd.gov/ushighway85towy?ref=sdnewswatch.org) or via email at [mark.malone@state.sd.us](mailto:mark.malone@state.sd.us). ## Neighbor has witnessed two crashes In providing a rationale for the project, DOT officials used the example of improved safety that occurred on a stretch of U.S. 14A when a curvy stretch of road was straightened with wider lanes and shoulders in 2020\. That project reduced the number of crashes from 2.6 per year to less than one crash per year. Steve Paula, 74, lives in Brookings but spends a couple months a year at his cabin located on the north side of U.S. 85 a few miles west of Cheyenne Crossing. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/06/2026-6-25-US-85-cabin-resident-1.jpeg) Steve Paula of Brookings, S.D., shown on June 25, 2026, owns a cabin along U.S. 85 in the northern Black Hills of South Dakota and has witnessed a pair of motorcycle accidents on the highway over the past several years. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) Paula said he has witnessed two accidents in recent years that were caused in part by the poor condition and curvy configuration of the highway. In one, a motorcyclist flipped off his cycle after braking too hard when turning on the sharp curve where Paula's cabin is located. Another time, a biker wrecked after his tires left the roadway and were caught by uneven shoulders that have worn off over time. "Look at the road and look at the shoulders because it's an 8-inch drop where it falls off," Paula said while standing in the driveway of his cabin. "On a motorcycle, a bicycle or even a car, you have no way to make it back from that, and you're going to have an accident." ![The shoulder of eastbound U.S. 85 in western South Dakota has fully worn away in spots ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/06/2026-6-25-US-85-degraaded-shoulder.jpeg) The shoulder of eastbound U.S. 85 in western South Dakota, shown on June 25, 2026, has fully worn away in spots and is one reason the state of South Dakota has proposed rebuilding the highway. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) Paula said a new surface, improved shoulders and a lower speed limit could make the highway safer without more invasive interventions. He said he understands the opinions of many of his neighbors who want to leave the highway as it is, but he also wants it to be safer for all users. Paula said he has been impressed with the DOT's willingness to receive public input and is hopeful the agency will find a way to improve safety without harming the aesthetics or damaging Spearfish Creek. "We don't want it destroyed," he said. "But there's a reasonableness in play in that we want safe roads, and I do believe the DOT is sincere in saying that they don't want to screw it up either." [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact* *content director Bart Pfankuch:** 605-937-9398*/*[*bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org). ### Independence Day travel could reach record levels URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/july-4-independence-day-travel-south-dakota-mount-rushmore/ Last updated: 2026-06-26T10:22:13.000Z As Americans prepare to celebrate Independence Day during the nation's 250th anniversary year, South Dakotans will join millions of travelers on the road despite rising costs for gasoline, hotels and airfare. AAA projects that 216,942 South Dakotans will travel during the Independence Day holiday period, which runs from June 27 through July 5\. The forecast represents a slight increase from 215,448 travelers in 2025 and 214,201 in 2024, continuing a steady upward trend in holiday travel. Nationally, [AAA expects 72.2 million Americans to travel](https://newsroom.aaa.com/2026/06/72-2-million-americans-expected-to-travel-over-july-4th-week/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) at least 50 miles from home during the holiday period, setting a new record and surpassing last year's mark of 71.8 million travelers. "For many Americans, July Fourth travel is a longstanding tradition, and that tradition remains strong this year even as prices rise for most modes of transportation," said Shawn Steward, public affairs manager for AAA South Dakota. Most South Dakotans are expected to travel by car. AAA estimates roughly 181,000 state residents will take road trips, mirroring a national trend in which 85% of holiday travelers are expected to drive. The continued popularity of road travel comes despite significantly higher fuel costs. According to AAA, the average gasoline price in South Dakota is approximately 80 cents per gallon higher than it was at the same time last year. Even so, travel experts say many families are adjusting their plans rather than canceling vacations altogether. "People love to get out and spend time with their families, seeing new places and exploring new things," Steward said. "People are still making plans to take summer vacations despite the higher costs." ## South Dakota's ties to 250th anniversary While inflation and economic uncertainty continue to influence travel decisions, those same factors may create opportunities for South Dakota's tourism industry. According to information provided by the South Dakota Department of Tourism, travelers increasingly are seeking affordable destinations, staying closer to home and taking shorter trips. Because South Dakota has traditionally been a regional drive-market destination, tourism officials believe the state is well-positioned to benefit from those changing travel habits. [SD tourism leader: High gas prices could hold ‘silver lining’While some tourism officials and operators are concerned about high gas prices, one official says higher fuel costs could hold “a silver lining”.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-c5c95f2f-3660-4c8a-b9ce-e3ed6bd15ffa.jpg)South Dakota News WatchBart Pfankuch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/2025-10-2-Mt-Rushmore-event-1-d77e15ec-2a3d-4b15-86d7-942fd70ab58a.jpeg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/gas-prices-south-dakota-tourism-outlook-mount-rushmore-black-hills/) More than half of South Dakota visitors, approximately 58%, travel from within 150 miles of home, according to tourism research conducted by Future Partners. The state's combination of outdoor recreation, scenic drives, historic landmarks and family-friendly attractions aligns with many of the experiences travelers currently prioritize. "Some people may make changes in where they travel, or maybe stay in a less expensive hotel, or travel closer to home," Steward said. "But most people are still looking for ways they can get out and enjoy the summer with a vacation." Another wave of national attention may come from President Donald Trump’s planned visit to South Dakota. [Freedom 250 announced](https://freedom250.org/media-center/press-release/freedom-250-president-trump-mount-rushmore-celebration?ref=sdnewswatch.org) that Trump plans to attend the July 3 event at Mount Rushmore, which will feature fireworks and other activities tied to the nation’s 250th anniversary. The organization said in a press release that “the event will culminate with keynote remarks by President Trump beneath one of the nation’s most recognizable symbols of freedom and self-government." South Dakota's tourism officials view the state's connection to American history as a significant advantage during the country's 250th anniversary year. Besides Mount Rushmore National Memorial, the Black Hills and historic communities across the state are expected to attract visitors looking for patriotic travel experiences. In Rapid City, local leaders are preparing for what they expect to be one of the busiest Independence Day weekends in recent memory. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/06/rapid-city.jpg) Fireworks illuminate the sky over Rapid City during an Independence Day celebration. Local officials expect strong visitor turnout for the city's Real America Birthday Bash and other events tied to the nation's 250th anniversary. (Photo by [Visit Rapid City](https://www.visitrapidcity.com/blog/post/america-250-getaway/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)) "We thought it was only fitting that Rapid City, being as close as it is to that iconic monument, really embrace America's 250th birthday," said Allie Froning, CEO of Visit Rapid City. The city has organized a five-day "Real America Birthday Bash" from July 1 through July 5 featuring concerts, a parade, food vendors, family activities, fireworks and a drone show. Froning said she expects between 10,000 and 20,000 people to be participating in downtown festivities at any given time during the celebration. [Iconic movies shot in South DakotaFrom ‘Dances With Wolves’ to ‘National Treasure,’ these notable movies were filmed in South Dakota.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-3bf72a1e-055b-4573-beb6-cca405c7fef4.jpg)South Dakota News WatchMolly Wetsch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/dances2---ea3d7367-fc47-426e-9b1e-48ef9f769be0.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/movies-filmed-south-dakota-dances-with-wolves-national-treasure/) The festivities coincide with the return of fireworks at Mount Rushmore National Memorial on July 3\. Attendance for the event is limited through a public lottery system, but Rapid City plans to host a downtown watch party and livestream for visitors unable to secure tickets. Tourism officials believe the anniversary is generating additional interest in destinations tied to American history. "I think there is a lot of energy behind the anniversary and a lot of people traveling to destinations that have a tie to American history," Froning said. "There is a lot of demand for that right now." ## Early tourism indicators suggest strong summer demand Early tourism-related indicators suggest demand remains strong across South Dakota. According to data from the Department of Tourism, Fourth of July week short-term rental bookings are pacing ahead of last year, with occupancy up 27% and revenue per available room increasing 36%. Hotel demand also continues to grow. Through May, statewide hotel occupancy increased 2.1% compared with the same period last year, while hotel room demand rose 2.7%. ****Get South Dakota news and information** in a free email on weekdays. Cancel any time. [Subscribe ](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/#/portal) Rapid City has seen even stronger growth. "Just in the month of May, hotel occupancy was up 11% for Rapid City hotels," Froning said. South Dakota's reputation among visitors remains another source of optimism. Tourism surveys show 87% of visitors are likely to recommend the state to others, while 90% said they plan to return. For many Americans, the question this Independence Day may not be whether to travel but where. As travelers seek affordable vacations closer to home, South Dakota's combination of scenic landscapes, historic attractions and anniversary celebrations may position the state to benefit from one of the busiest holiday travel periods. [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Amina Aidarkhanova* received the 2026 Jeffrey B. Nelson Investigative Journalism Endowed Internship and the Chuck Raasch and Sandy Johnson Scholarship from the SDSU Foundation. Contact:*[*amina.aidarkhanova@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:amina.aidarkhanova@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Fact brief: Will lots be drawn if the Sioux Falls mayoral race ends in a tie? URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/fact-brief-sioux-falls-mayor-race-election-christine-erickson-jamie-smith/ Last updated: 2026-06-25T11:00:11.000Z # Yes. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/WhiteFACT-BRIEF--500-x-200-px--2-1-1.png) South Dakota state law governing municipal elections dictates that lots are drawn in the event of a tie in a city election. The Sioux Falls mayoral race is headed for a likely recount after more than 36,000 votes were counted in a runoff election Tuesday. Christine Erickson leads by just two votes over Jamie Smith as of Wednesday night. The Sioux Falls City Council is expected to certify the election results next week, at which point the losing candidate must file a written request for a recount. If the recount ends in a tie, the finance officer will direct the drawing of lots, according to state law. On June 22, two candidates for the Republican Party precinct position in District 9 were decided by a drawing of playing cards after each candidate received 152 votes. In 2021, Tracy Peterson won the Baltic mayor's race after a tie through the same tiebreaker. *This fact brief responds to claims such as* [*this one.*](https://www.reddit.com/r/fivethirtyeight/comments/1uee6u6/headed%5Fto%5Frecount%5Fdemocrats%5Fappear%5Fto%5Ffall%5Fjust/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) **Sources**: The Dakota Scout, [Winner of Sioux Falls mayoral race won't be decided for weeks](https://www.thedakotascout.com/p/winner-of-sioux-falls-mayoral-race-4df?ref=sdnewswatch.org) South Dakota Codified Laws,[ ](https://sdlegislature.gov/Statutes/13-27-3?ref=sdnewswatch.org)[South Dakota Codified laws, 9-13-27.2\. Tie vote - Recount - Determination by lot](https://sdlegislature.gov/Statutes/9-13-27.2?ref=sdnewswatch.org) South Dakota Secretary of State Office, [Municipal and School Recount Manual](https://sdsos.gov/elections-voting/assets/2026%20Documents/2025-2026MunicipalSchoolRecountManual.pdf?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Dakota News Now, [Election tie breaker decided with card draw](https://www.dakotanewsnow.com/2026/06/22/election-tie-breaker-decided-with-card-draw/?outputType=amp&ref=sdnewswatch.org) Dakota News Now, [Baltic mayor's race decided by luck of the draw](https://www.dakotanewsnow.com/2021/06/25/baltic-mayors-race-decided-by-luck-draw/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) ### Business bankruptcies down but closures and farm reorgs up URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-business-bankruptcy-levels-below-pre-pandemic/ Last updated: 2026-06-24T11:08:33.000Z SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – While post-pandemic Chapter 11 business bankruptcy filings in South Dakota are down, the number of business closures and Chapter 12 filings, common with farmers, have risen. Between 2019 to 2026, 292 businesses in South Dakota filed for bankruptcy. Compared to most other states, South Dakota's business bankruptcy filing levels are lower. [A report published by The Kaplan Group,](https://www.kaplancollectionagency.com/business-advice/which-states-are-driving-the-new-wave-of-business-bankruptcies/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) a commercial collection agency based in Los Angeles, found that among the 50 states, Connecticut, Kentucky and South Dakota remained well below their pre-pandemic bankruptcy levels in 2025. ## More businesses closing down in Chapter 7, rather than restructuring However, after briefly decreasing between 2022 and 2024, more businesses are filing [Chapter 7 bankruptcies](https://www.uscourts.gov/court-programs/bankruptcy/bankruptcy-basics/chapter-7-bankruptcy-basics?ref=sdnewswatch.org), also referred to as liquidation. "Since the last few years, there's been more businesses that have just decided to wrap it up and close it down, rather than attempt to restructure," said Clair Gerry, a bankruptcy attorney in Sioux Falls. Currently, Chapter 7 filings are the most common in South Dakota, totaling 125 cases between 2019 and 2026. ## Chapter 13 filings more successful in SD Second most common in South Dakota are [Chapter 13 filings](https://www.uscourts.gov/court-programs/bankruptcy/bankruptcy-basics/chapter-13-bankruptcy-basics?ref=sdnewswatch.org), allowing an individual to repay their debts back over time, usually between three and five years. Between 2019 and 2026, there were 77 cases of businesses filing a Chapter 13 bankruptcy. According to Robert Miller, an associate professor of law at the University of South Dakota in Vermillion, Chapter 13s typically have high failure rates nationwide. "From an academic perspective, (Chapter 13s) have been considered largely a failure," he said. "But South Dakota, over the years, has been extremely successful." ## Chapter 11 reorganization filings peaked in 2021 Less common are [Chapter 11 filings](https://www.uscourts.gov/court-programs/bankruptcy/bankruptcy-basics/chapter-11-bankruptcy-basics?ref=sdnewswatch.org), a legal process allowing for reorganization to keep a business alive. During this seven-year timeframe, there were 28 cases filed under Chapter 11, peaking in 2021 at seven total. Miller said a reason for this may be because Chapter 11 filings are a more expensive undertaking. "It's a very detailed process, and it requires usually a significant retainer for the attorney, maybe some financial advisers, and that can be a huge upfront outlay for an entity," Miller said. "It may just make more sense to liquidate and then start a new company rather than try to reorganize and incur all of that cost, or maybe you don't have the cash to do that." ## Chapter 12 filings common option for farms On the rise are [Chapter 12 filings](https://www.uscourts.gov/court-programs/bankruptcy/bankruptcy-basics/chapter-12-bankruptcy-basics?ref=sdnewswatch.org), specifically reserved for family farmers with a regular annual income, allowing them to propose and carry out a plan to repay all or part of their debts. "For certain states that may not be agrarian, like South Dakota, the business filings would be the Chapter 11s. While for a state like South Dakota, where agribusiness is a huge part of the state's economy, and a lot of the big businesses, or at least the small, medium-sized businesses that would count within that Chapter 11 number are instead going to be Chapter 12s," Miller said. [Data from the American Bankruptcy Institute](https://abi-org.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/Newsroom/State%5FFiling%5FTrends/2026/Filing%5FTrends%5FSouth%5FDakota.pdf?ref=sdnewswatch.org) shows that Chapter 12 filings in South Dakota peaked in 2020 at 20 total cases. In comparison, only five Chapter 11 cases were filed in 2020. Miller said one reason Chapter 12s are a common option among farmers is due to tax incentives, whereas a Chapter 7 filing may be a better move for farmers looking for a fresh start. "Even if you're going to liquidate a farm, there are tax benefits to a Chapter 12 that would lead me to believe that you would at least try finagle your way into a Chapter 12," Miller said. ## Insights: Businesses may consider exit plans For businesses that may not want to file for bankruptcy, they may consider adapting a different exit plan. Katie Johnson, co-founder of Next Phase Strategy Partners – a professional transition, exit planning and business advisory firm – said only a small number of businesses actually transit or exit successfully and the rest of them tend to liquidate. She said the main reason for that is they are not planning in advance. "Unfortunately, most people coordinate their own exit, and they don't feel great about how the exit went down, so what we're really trying to do is educate people about (exiting as an option)," Johnson said. [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Elena Tittel's* internship was funded with support from the Nonprofit Newsroom Internship Program created by The Scripps Howard Fund and the Institute for Nonprofit News. Contact:* [*elena.tittel@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:elena.tittel@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### 'They just won't listen:' Rural SD nears postal breaking point URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/usps-postal-delays-newspaper-delivery/ Last updated: 2026-06-24T12:56:35.000Z *This story was updated on June 24, 2026, to reflect the fact that the U.S. Postal Service is now conducting an audit on delivery systems in South Dakota.* PHILIP, S.D. – At Petersen's Variety store, there are no less than three signs in the window advertising that residents of Philip can ship, pick up and drop off packages via UPS. The store is just a block away from the town's post office. Residents in this western South Dakota town may be forgiven for choosing the – often more expensive – private shipping company over the nation's postal service: Long delivery times and unreliable service have led to growing distrust and dissatisfaction with the United States Postal Service's operations in rural parts of the state. > "There's no good news here. It's all bad news when it comes to the future, in terms of what they've done to the system, what it's costing, where they're at. And Congress is reluctant to do anything about it." > – David Bordewyk, executive director of South Dakota NewsMedia Association In early 2024, USPS downgraded a distribution facility in Huron to a local processing-only facility. The service had also initially planned to downsize its Sioux Falls distribution facility but later said that the plan had been paused. [USPS pauses downgrade of South Dakota mail operationsThe original Sioux Falls plan involved shifting non-local mail operations in South Dakota’s largest city to a facility in Omaha.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-b5475b8b-aa5a-409e-abb3-02222e833984.jpg)South Dakota News WatchStu Whitney![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/post.3-2-1-16657f3e-6f8a-4075-867c-d0e774ae7b15.jpeg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/usps-postal-service-sioux-falls-office-downgrade-plan/) USPS spokesperson Tara Jarrett offered a few details on the impact of those changes in a statement to News Watch. "Local mail continues to be processed in our Sioux Falls (570-571 ZIP Codes), Dakota Central (572-575 ZIP Codes), and Rapid City (577 ZIP Codes) plants, and that mail does *not* leave the state for additional processing if it is staying in that region," she said. "Mail in the 576 ZIP Codes continues to be served by our Bismarck, ND plant." The organization has also recently begun rolling out its reduced service of rural post offices, stopping delivery vehicles at rural sites once a day, rather than twice. ![Petersen's Variety in Philip, S.D., on May 2, 2026. The store advertises that residents can deliver and pick-up mail from UPS at the site.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/06/Philip-we-ship-via-UPS-1-1.JPG) Petersen's Variety in Philip, S.D., on May 2, 2026\. The store advertises that residents can deliver and pick-up mail from UPS at the site. (Photo: Molly Wetsch/South Dakota News Watch) The moves, which are part of USPS’s Delivering for America plan, aimed to “modernize the nation’s aged and neglected postal network.” But for thousands of people across the state, including dozens of local newspaper publishers, that effort has significantly hindered day-to-day life and operations. ## West River publisher sees dramatic changes in delivery times Don Ravellette’s family has been publishing papers out of Philip for nearly 50 years through the company Ravellette Publications. The Philip Pioneer Review, the company's primary imprint, now publishes news from Murdo, Wall, Bison, Kadoka and Faith. The Pioneer Review is a true community paper: Recent stories include the details of a new lighted stop sign in Philip, the results of the Harding County regional high school rodeo and a story about how Murdo residents rallied together to clean up a city planter with new soil and flowers. ****Get South Dakota news and information** in a free email on weekdays. Cancel any time. [Subscribe ](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/#/portal) Ravellette said that for the past two years, he's been having a harder time making sure that news is delivered to subscribers in a timely manner. He's also chosen to regularly direct employees to drive to Wall to deliver papers. Ravellette said the town's 577 ZIP code – compared to Philip's 575 – means that subscribers receive papers in a timelier manner. "More and more publishers have had to do that, this exceptional dispatch, where they're literally doing the work of what the post office used to do, in terms of taking these bundles to surrounding post offices. Just to try to get them to expedite the delivery, particularly in the local area," Dave Bordewyk, executive director of the South Dakota NewsMedia Association told News Watch. ![Ravellette Publications, which publishes the Pioneer Review, in Philip, S.D.,](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/06/Ravellette-Publications-office-1-1.JPG) Ravellette Publications, which publishes the Pioneer Review, in Philip, S.D., on May 2, 2026\. (Photo: Molly Wetsch/South Dakota News Watch) Ravellette told News Watch he is experiencing more frustration than ever before with the postal service. "It's common talk from the coffee shops to the business owners that the post office is still unreliable. It's not even funny," Ravellette said. "And when we send out 1,000 livestock catalogs, it's sad when the out-of-state ones get delivered before the ones you mail out 25 miles from your house, from your post office." In rural areas, the postal service is a lifeline because it is legally mandated to provide delivery and mail services to every ZIP code in the country. That means that routes cannot be discontinued or disrupted if they aren't used frequently or are not profitable. Ravellette said that many of his subscribers do not see the value in having a weekly subscription to the newspaper when they can't expect it will arrive on time. "They were saying, 'Well, we might just have to quit our subscription, maybe we'll just stop in and buy a paper whenever we can.' So there goes 50 bucks. And if you get 100 of those, you do the math," Ravellette said. Ravellette said that he feels like decisions are being made at the national level that aren't considering the needs of rural America. "They just won't listen. They just won't," he said. ## Delivery worsened for 65% of papers that responded to survey Ravellette is not the only publisher frustrated with the postal service. Bordewyk recently sent a survey to members of the South Dakota NewsMedia Association, which includes 109 newspaper publishers and digital media outlets from across the state. The organization had 64 publishers respond to the survey, of which about 65% said deliveries of their newspapers had worsened in the past year. Just 7% said deliveries had improved. Common complaints issued through the survey were inconsistencies with delivery times, struggles retaining advertisers and subscribers not receiving papers at all. > "I know there's information out there suggesting that we have good service in South Dakota. I reject that. I think the clear evidence is that the mail service is terrible in South Dakota." > – U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds On June 4, Bordewyk met with the USPS Inspector General's office to discuss commonly expressed issues with the state's mailing system. He said that he thought the meeting went well and that the office seemed alarmed at publishers' complaints. But he expressed concern at the organization's ability to fix what has already been broken. "There's no good news here. It's all bad news when it comes to the future, in terms of what they've done to the system, what it's costing, where they're at. And Congress is reluctant to do anything about it," Bordewyk said. ## USPS data shows meandering routes, longer delivery times USPS’ Service Performance Dashboard provides data about on-time delivery rates for four types of mail shipped through the service: First Class Mail, newspapers and periodicals, marketing mail and bound printed matter, media and library mail. A News Watch analysis of the data found that at the ZIP3 level, which is the first three numbers of a ZIP code, the percentage of on-time inbound delivery for newspapers and periodicals varies greatly across the state. Inbound delivery times illustrate the average time it takes for papers and periodicals to arrive to addresses in a specific ZIP code. Just 57.81% of papers arriving to 575 ZIP codes arrived on time in the second quarter of 2026, compared to 86.37% in 570 ZIP codes. The ZIP3 code 575, where Philip is located, also sees the slowest average delivery time at 4.3 days this year. Outbound delivery, though, which measures the timeliness of mail being sent from a specific ZIP code, is a reflection of the on-time rate that local papers can expect when sending their publications to subscribers from their town's post office. In the 575 ZIP3 code, the average delivery time for outbound newspapers this year is 5.3 days. "All the newspapers mail us copies of their paper to the (SDNA) office here in Brookings," Bordewyk said. "One-hundred newspapers are sending them to us. It used to be by the end of the week, by Friday – because most weeklies would be printing and mailing on a Tuesday or Wednesday – we would see more than 90% of the newspapers. Today, by Friday, less than half of them are showing up." Newspapers see much lower on-time delivery rates and more days to deliver than other tracked USPS mail types like First-Class Mail or marketing mail. Ravellette shared a tracking number with News Watch for a package received by a rancher near Quinn, in western South Dakota. The package, which was shipped on July 28, 2025, from Phoenix, was received on Aug. 12, 2025\. The archive tracking statement for the package shows that it made its way through 14 cities on its way to Quinn. It notably ended up in Omaha, Nebraska, and Sioux Falls twice – once after making the 600-mile trip out to Billings, Montana. The roughly 1,300-mile trip from Phoenix, the package's original destination, to Quinn turned into a 3,600-mile odyssey under USPS' care. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/06/Screenshot-2026-06-10-at-3.35.45---PM-1.png) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/06/Screenshot-2026-06-10-at-3.35.56---PM-1.png) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/06/Screenshot-2026-06-10-at-3.36.05---PM-1.png) The archived tracking statement for a package sent from Phoenix, A.Z. to Quinn, S.D. on July 28, 2025\. USPS maintained in its statement to News Watch that its delivery performance in South Dakota is above average. "USPS delivery performance in South Dakota is strong. About half of all First-Class Mail is delivered early. In the Sioux Falls area specifically, for the week ending 5/22/26, 92.6% of incoming mail was delivered on time, above our national target of 89%," Jarrett said. The organization did not address questions about whether it is aware of issues in rural South Dakota and if there are any plans to speed up service in those areas. South Dakota U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds told News Watch that he was unsatisfied with notions that the service in South Dakota was up to par. "I know there's information out there suggesting that we have good service in South Dakota. I reject that," Rounds said. "I think the clear evidence is that the mail service is terrible in South Dakota." ## Members of Congress looking for action Rounds has previously been vocal about his dissatisfaction with USPS' performance in the state. In a press release in December 2025, he said the service has “deteriorated to critical levels” in South Dakota. He also said that the Postmaster General David Steiner had "downplayed such issue existed in South Dakota." Rounds [called for an investigation into the service](https://www.rounds.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/rounds-requests-investigation-into-postal-service-issues-in-south-dakota?ref=sdnewswatch.org) in the state, and the USPS Inspector General's office is now soliciting input from those with information about South Dakota's postal system, [according to their Upcoming Audit Work page](https://www.uspsoig.gov/reports/upcoming-audit-work?source=Network%20Changes%3A%20Impacts%20in%20South%20Dakota%20-%209873&source%5Ftype=upcoming%5Faudit&token=Emhmi4RObcUxT5RV-kLjhnP0Q5cArUjTBMAuhsNIiqU). Rounds told News Watch, though, that he is aware of ongoing investigations in South Dakota. On June 11, he sent a letter to chairman Sen. Rand Paul and ranking member Sen. Gary Peters of the Senate Homeland Security Committee. In that letter, he said he would reject any nominations to four open postal service positions until a plan was in place to fix issues in South Dakota. "I would, at this point, remind South Dakotans that your local postal employees are trying to help us," Rounds said to News Watch. "This is a systemic problem, and it has to be fixed with a systemic change." The impact of slow USPS delivery extends beyond birthday cards and bank statements. ****Support stories about rural South Dakota with a tax-deductible donation.** [Donate ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/reportforamerica/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson said in a column in January that he had surveyed 4,000 South Dakotans and held a roundtable in Sioux Falls where constituents shared issues with the postal service. Many spoke of financial consequences, concerns with delayed medical prescriptions and other problems that have significantly impacted their day-to-day lives, he said. "I heard from folks like Susan from Faulkton who incurred a $2,700 late fee because her check took 25 days to get to Sioux Falls. There’s a business in Bath whose customers often don’t receive their checks or get them two months late. And some people like Mary bought Christmas presents early, only to have them travel to nine different states before being delivered to Huron – 10 days late and after Christmas," Johnson wrote in the column. Bordewyk said that while conversations with the Inspector General's office were generally reassuring, newspaper publishers across the state will still have to reckon with the fact that the system may never go back to the way it was – and be willing to make changes. "The question for all of us is, will the postal service decide to walk back these system changes that they made?" Bordewyk said. "I understand your audience, your subscribers want that printed product, and that still serves a predominant need. But the move to a digital delivery is just going to be more and more necessary for even our smallest newspapers going forward. In order to survive, that's what's going to be necessary." **Correction on June 15, 2026*: An earlier version of this story incorrectly identified Dave Bordewyk's position at the South Dakota NewsMedia Association. He is the executive director, not the president.* [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **Molly Wetsch* is a* [*Report for America*](https://www.reportforamerica.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *corps member who writes about rural and Native American issues for South Dakota News Watch.*[*Your donation to match our RFA grant*](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *helps keep her writing stories like this. Contact Molly: 605-531-7382/*[*molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Fact brief: Does SD require a high school diploma to homeschool a child? URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/fact-brief-south-dakota-home-school-high-school-diploma-teacher/ Last updated: 2026-06-23T11:03:57.000Z # No. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/WhiteFACT-BRIEF--500-x-200-px--2-1-1.png) South Dakota is one of dozens of states that doesn’t require a high school degree or teaching certifications to homeschool children. South Dakota law places minimal restrictions on teachers who homeschool, also known as alternative instruction. The statute limits them to teaching no more than 22 children and requires that instruction be given "so as to lead to a mastery of the English language." According to the Coalition for Responsible Home Education, North Dakota is the only regional state to South Dakota that requires a high school diploma or equivalent. The Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) reports that adults must notify the state's Department of Education within 30 days of starting to homeschool a child. South Dakota’s rate of homeschooled students increased 143% from 2015-16 to 2023-24, according to a database compiled by Johns Hopkins University, the highest increase of any state that reported data. *This fact brief responds to claims such as* [*this one*](https://www.threads.com/@olivia%5Fstrom/post/DZyOtovlb4r?hl=en&ref=sdnewswatch.org)*.* **Sources**: HSLDA, [How to comply with South Dakota’s homeschool law](https://hslda.org/post/how-to-comply-with-south-dakotas-homeschool-law?ref=sdnewswatch.org) South Dakota Codified Laws, [13-27-3 Alternative instruction - Notification – Requirements](https://sdlegislature.gov/Statutes/13-27-3?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Coalition for Responsible Home Education, [South Dakota ](https://crhe.org/south-dakota/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) South Dakota News Watch, [Has South Dakota seen the largest homeschool growth of any state?](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/fact-brief-south-dakota-homeschool-rate-comparison/) ### Spearfish affordable housing project 1st to tap new fed funds URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/spearfish-sd-affordable-housing-engage-south-dakota/ Last updated: 2026-06-22T11:31:11.000Z SPEARFISH, S.D. – A proposed $9.3 million apartment complex planned for this fast-growing city in western South Dakota will be the first to use part of a federal affordable housing fund approved by Congress in 2024. The proposed 32-unit Peak View II apartments on 3.5 acres off Paramount Drive in eastern Spearfish should begin accepting tenants in summer 2027. The project will rely in part on a low-interest loan made from a $30 million pool of money allocated by Congress for affordable housing projects across the greater Black Hills region. > "We could build market-rate apartments where rents are higher, and that would be more profitable for us. But we wanted to be part of the solution, to find a win-win that helps the community and was still good for us." > – John Buxton, co-owner of Buxton Enterprises and the developer of the project The [South Dakota Ellsworth Development Authority](https://ellsworthauthority.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) was provided access to the funding through an earmark pushed by U.S. Sens. John Thune and Mike Rounds as part of a $468 billion congressional spending package passed by Congress in March 2024\. The money was allocated in advance of the $2 billion expansion of the Ellsworth Air Force Base in Box Elder, which will be home to the new B-21 Raider bomber fleet. ![The Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider in a hangar at Plant 42](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/06/B-21_Plant_42_hangar.jpg) The Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider in a hangar at Plant 42, Palmdale, California. (Photo: Staff Sgt. Jeremy Mosier / US Air Force) The funding was allocated to the South Dakota Ellsworth Development Authority, and it is partnering with the Black Hills Area Community Foundation to approve and administer low-interest loans for affordable housing projects across the region. The community foundation approved a $750,000 loan to aid in funding the Peak View II project. "We look forward to this being an asset to the Spearfish community for decades to come," Greg Litton, director of strategic housing at the foundation, said June 5 at a groundbreaking ceremony for the apartment complex. ## Subsidized rents will aid low-wage earners Depending on their income – which can range from 30% to 60% of the federal area median income level of $96,100 – subsidized tenants in Peak View II will pay $600 to $1,300 a month for rent and utilities, said John Buxton, co-owner of Buxton Enterprises and the developer of the project. ![Developer John Buxton speaks on June 5, 2026](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/06/2026-06-05-Spearfish-housing-John-Buxton-1.jpeg) Developer John Buxton speaks on June 5, 2026, at the site of a proposed new affordable housing project in Spearfish, S.D. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) Buxton said the subsidized rents are well below current market rate rents in Spearfish. Federal law requires the project to maintain rents at an affordable level for the next 40 years, Buxton said. Lloyd Companies of Sioux Falls will be the builder of the Peak View II project. ****Get South Dakota news and information** in a free email on weekdays. Cancel any time. [Subscribe ](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/#/portal) Spearfish has shown rapid growth in recent years, from a population of 10,494 in 2010 to 14,154 in 2025, a 34.8% increase over that 15 years, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The number of households has not kept pace with that population growth, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, rising from 4,644 in 2010 to 5,932 in 2024, a 28% jump. ## Housing a major need in fast-growing Spearfish A 2016 housing study conducted by the city noted that much more rental housing is needed and included a recommendation that the city find a way to generate 230 new apartments to meet the need at that time. As with most South Dakota cities, Spearfish faces an acute need for more affordable housing. Average rents in June ranged from $1,200 to $1,650 per month, according to Apartments.com. To afford an apartment at the top end of that range, a tenant would need to make gross wages of $66,000 a year to not be considered "rent burdened." Meanwhile, 15.2% of the population of Spearfish lives beneath the national poverty level, according to the Census. In 2025, the U.S. poverty threshold was $32,150 in annual income for a family of four. ![The proposed affordable housing complex known as Peak View II](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/06/2026-06-05-Spearfish-housing-Peak-View-apartments-1.jpeg) The proposed affordable housing complex known as Peak View II will look just like the existing Peak View apartments, shown in Spearfish, S.D., on June 5, 2026\. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) Jeremy Hoven, president of the Black Hills Community Bank branch in Spearfish, said finding an affordable apartment or home in Spearfish is difficult right now. "We really need housing like this – affordable workforce housing," said Hoven, who serves on the Spearfish Housing Trust Advisory Board. "The overall affordability of housing is the big issue." Hoven said Spearfish has relatively high housing costs, so market rate apartments might be out of reach for some residents. "It's nothing against other nearby towns like Belle Fourche, where I grew up. But if you want to live in Spearfish, you have to pay a premium, so to speak." [How a hospital is helping solve a hometown housing shortageAfter years of enduring a stifling housing shortage, a rural hospital in Hot Springs is investing in a subdivision project that will benefit the entire community.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-a1663692-64fd-4076-b878-9ccdaef7b0cc.jpg)South Dakota News WatchBart Pfankuch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/2026-5-27-Hot-Springs-mural-1-11dc6687-8f44-4856-8176-92a2b96c8653.jpeg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/housing-solutions-hot-springs-south-dakota-sd-hospital/) Hoven said the increasing costs of housing construction make it hard for developers to build affordable units without some form of subsidization and collaboration among funders. "We need some help," he said. "With high land costs, building costs, engineering costs and soft costs, it's pretty hard to make a project work without some type of subsidy." ## A variety of funding sources in play The Peak View II project falls into that category. The proposed project's $9.3 million price tag will be funded through a variety of sources, said Buxton, co-owner of Buxton Enterprises, which built Peak View and is the developer on Peak View II as well. ![Spearfish mayor John Senden, speaking on June 5, 2026](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/06/2026-06-02-Spearfish-housing-Mayor-Senden-1.jpeg) Spearfish mayor John Senden, speaking on June 5, 2026, at the site of a proposed affordable housing project, said there is a great need for more affordable housing in the area. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) Buxton received nearly $9 million in gross grant and loan funding from three programs run by the South Dakota Housing Development Authority. That includes $7.4 million in gross federal tax credits, $1 million from the HOME Program and $600,000 from the Housing Trust Fund. The proposed Peak View II complex will be almost identical to the 32-unit Peak View apartments that opened in 2024 in the 2500 block of Paramount Drive in eastern Spearfish. Peak View II will be located next door and feature one-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments, Buxton said. Two units in each complex will rent at market rates with the other 60 available at subsidized affordable rates. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/06/2026-06-05-Spearfish-housing-site-sign-1.jpeg) The proposed 32-unit affordable housing project known as Peak View II will be located on this site on the east side of Spearfish, S.D., shown on June 5, 2026\. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) Buxton, who lives in Spearfish, told News Watch that Buxton Enterprises is focusing on affordable housing as a way to support opportunities for anyone who wants to call Spearfish their home. "We could build market-rate apartments where rents are higher, and that would be more profitable for us," he said. "But we wanted to be part of the solution, to find a win-win that helps the community and was still good for us." In addition to being the first project using the federal earmark money, the Peak View II project is also a continuation of the larger [Strategic Housing Initiative](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/solutions-affordable-housing-investments-rapid-city/) being conducted over the past decade. [Engage South Dakota: Housing solutionsA list of entities and programs that can assist in developing or obtaining housing as well as links to News Watch reporting on housing solutions.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-d899ae42-6144-4baf-a980-e5d52eee26e1.jpg)South Dakota News WatchBart Pfankuch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/IMG_2326-e7aa7e10-bcda-4efb-94db-4c5ff5369661.jpeg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/engage-south-dakota-housing-rent-own-solutions-journalism/) The initiative is a partnership among local and regional philanthropic groups that has shown success in expanding access to affordable housing for low-income individuals and families in the Black Hills region. As of this spring, the initiative that began roughly a decade ago has resulted in development or retention of 645 apartments totaling more than 1,230 bedrooms for people who have difficulty obtaining and affording quality housing in the area. [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact* *content director Bart Pfankuch:** 605-937-9398*/*[*bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org). ### Real estate, car dealerships, bitcoin and a TIF: A look into Toby Doeden's empire URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/real-estate-dealerships-bitcoin-toby-doeden-sd-governor-primary/ Last updated: 2026-06-19T17:07:30.000Z ABERDEEN, S.D. – Businessman Toby Doeden, whose campaign for governor has hinged largely on the elimination of all property taxes for South Dakotans, has links to real estate investment companies that would save more than half a million dollars every year under that plan, according to public records. That number reflects the sheer size of the candidate's reach and business experience in the state's third-largest city. Though Doeden has frequently referred to his experience in the business world as his primary qualifier for the office of governor, little was known about the full extent of his ventures and wealth. > "Here's how to measure Toby's success. When he buys up enough of Aberdeen that we get to name the town 'Aber-Doeden,' that's when we know he's successful." > – Brown County GOP chair Richard Hilgemann In addition to a vast portfolio acquired through multiple real estate investment and development companies, Doeden also owns the Aberdeen Chrysler dealership in Aberdeen and [Redfield Ford in Redfield](https://performancebrokerageservices.com/toby-doeden-acquires-harrs-redfield-ford-in-redfield-south-dakota-from-matt-harr/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). He also has ties to land next to the Aberdeen dealership that company Plaza Rentals and his son had rezoned in 2020 to allow for bitcoin mining. And that's only a few of the two dozen LLCs with links to Doeden. Searches of the Better Business Bureau, court records and the state of South Dakota's consumer protection portal paint a generally positive picture of the empire: Doeden's companies are in good standing and have not had any major outstanding legal or civil issues. All but one of his limited liability companies remain active on the South Dakota Secretary of State's website, [Scotty's Diner, LLC, which closed in 2024.](https://www.dakotanewsnow.com/2024/05/29/aberdeen-diner-set-close-local-catering-business-fill-space/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Doeden declined a phone interview with News Watch to clarify his current status at the companies but provided a statement. “I am extremely proud of the work my team and I have been able to accomplish over the years at Doeden Investment Group. Being able to give back to the people and state that have given me so much has been the honor of a lifetime," Doeden said in the statement. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/06/TobyDoeden.jpeg) Toby Doeden is competing against Larry Rhoden in the Republican gubernatorial runoff for a place on South Dakota's general election ballot. (Photo: Toby Doeden) "We have created thousands of jobs, grown countless businesses, and invested 100% of that money back into our communities right here in South Dakota. I look forward to bringing that much needed business experience directly to Pierre as Governor." Doeden Investment Group [is the mechanism behind much](https://doedeninvestmentgroup.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) of Doeden's real estate and business portfolio. It describes itself as "a leading investment firm dedicated to identifying and nurturing business opportunities that drive growth and prosperity within communities" and says it has " a diverse portfolio spanning various industries." ## Dozens of properties make up real estate portfolio in northeastern SD Companies Plaza Rentals LLP, Tenth Street Properties LLC and Five-Star Management LLC, all with links to Doeden through years of annual reports filed with the South Dakota Secretary of State's office, own more than $30 million of property in and around Aberdeen. That includes single-family homes, commercial buildings and multi-family buildings, according to data from the Brown County Equalization Department. ![The Roosevelt Apartments at 214 S. Kline St. in Aberdeen, S.D., on June 15, 2026. Doeden's Plaza Rentals owns and operates the 32-unit building.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/06/DSC_0177-1.JPG) The Roosevelt Apartments at 214 S. Kline St. in Aberdeen, S.D., on June 15, 2026\. Doeden's Plaza Rentals owns and operates the 32-unit building. The property was originally purchased and renovated in 2013 by Roosevelt Apartments LLC. Brown County Register of Deeds records indicate Plaza Rentals took out a mortgage on the property in 2021\. (Photo: Molly Wetsch/South Dakota News Watch) Doeden [told the Aberdeen Insider on June 17](https://aberdeeninsider.com/as-runoff-looms-doeden-feels-voters-appreciate-outsider-status-business-success/?ref=sdnewswatch.org), though, that categorizing him as a major property owner in Aberdeen is incorrect because he is no longer deeply involved with the companies' business dealings. Several other individuals are involved in the day-to-day management of those real estate companies, including sons Jonathan and Jackson and daughter Josie. “But I hear, ‘Toby owns all the property… .’ Well, Toby doesn’t hardly own any property in Aberdeen, and I haven’t for a long time. That property was put into a trust many years ago. I don’t control it. I don’t manage the companies. They’re trying to connect me to things that (I’m not even) involved with anymore, that I don’t even own anymore. And it’s unfortunate,” Doeden told the Insider. But that doesn't jibe with his current Statement of Financial Interest submitted to the South Dakota Secretary of State's Office in April, which lists him as an owner, employee and shareholder, partner or shareholder of 24 companies and funding sources. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/06/TobyDoedencampaign-finance-disclosure-1.jpeg) Toby Doeden's Statement of Financial Interest submitted to the South Dakota Secretary of State's Office, which lists him as an owner, employee, partner or shareholder of several companies. Doeden is the registered agent for Tenth Street Properties and was the registered agent for Plaza Rentals until Tuesday, June 16, when the company's annual report removed him and listed Mariah Bloom-McNeece, who [serves as general counsel for Doeden Investment Group](https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariah-bloom-47460ab5/?isSelfProfile=false&ref=sdnewswatch.org), as the new registered agent. He is still listed as a partner in the company along with the "Trustees of 4J 2023 Trust." The trust was added to annual reports for Plaza Rentals starting in 2024. Designating a registered agent is required for the formation of an LLC. The registered agent is the individual who is authorized to receive legal, tax and other government correspondence on behalf of the LLC and is usually a member of the LLC – though not necessarily the owner – or an individual through a professional registered agent service. ****Get South Dakota news and information** in a free email on weekdays. Cancel any time. [Subscribe ](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/#/portal) Doeden was also identified explicitly as a partner in Plaza Rentals both on his candidate statement of financial interest and in 2023, when [the city of Aberdeen implemented a Tax Increment Financing (TIF) district](https://dor.sd.gov/media/zp4cgfvx/tif-annual-report-2024.pdf?ref=sdnewswatch.org) for several apartment buildings that the company purchased and redeveloped on North 2nd Street in Aberdeen, now called 4J Commons, after Doeden's four children. The TIF's purpose is to "redevelop and repurpose a dilapidated apartment complex" and is estimated to mature in 2043. Doeden also runs a [charitable organization](https://www.4jfoundation.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) called the 4J Foundation. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/06/Screenshot-2026-06-17-at-2.46.45---PM.png) A copy of the agreement signed by Toby Doeden on behalf of Plaza Rentals to incorporate its land on North 2nd Street in Aberdeen, S.D., into a Tax Increment Financing (TIF) district in 2023. [At least 75 properties in Aberdeen and Groton are linked to Plaza Rentals, Tenth Street Properties and Five-Star Management](https://www.plaza-rentals.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org), with a current taxable portfolio value of at least $34,246,283 and a property tax commitment this year of at least $558,129, according to [public records from the Brown County director of equalization's office](https://beacon.schneidercorp.com/Application.aspx?AppID=68&LayerID=436&PageTypeID=3&PageID=376&Q=1569788264&KeyValue=10038&ref=sdnewswatch.org). ![Street Corner Urban Market in Aberdeen](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/06/DSC_0181-1.JPG) Street Corner Urban Market in Aberdeen, S.D., a company for which Doeden is the registered agent, on June 15, 2026\. Legends Liquor and Casino also recently opened in the building. (Photo: Molly Wetsch/South Dakota News Watch) Tenth Street Properties is the deed holder to the building housing Street Corner Urban Market – another LLC tied to Doeden – in Aberdeen, as well as Legends Liquor and Casino. Mulligan's Sports Bar and Casino is also located in the complex owned by Tenth Street Properties. ## Bitcoin mining Real estate is not Doeden's only business venture. One of his businesses was involved in the[ zoning of a building for 150 bitcoin mining units](https://www.aberdeen.sd.us/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Minutes/%5F06092022-1002?ref=sdnewswatch.org) near his Aberdeen dealership. That zoning permit, which was issued to son Jackson Doeden and company Plaza Rentals, was initially granted in February 2022 for 70 units and was upgraded to 150 units in June 2022, [according to the Aberdeen American News](https://www.aberdeennews.com/story/news/local/2022/06/19/more-bitcoin-mining-machines-approved-aberdeen-business/7653684001/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) and minutes from the Aberdeen Board of Zoning meetings. [Aberdeen Board of Zoning Meeting Minutes 2022-06-09Aberdeen Board of Zoning Meeting Minutes 2022-06-09.pdf88 KBdownload-circle](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/content/files/2026/06/Aberdeen-Board-of-Zoning-Meeting-Minutes-2022-06-09.pdf "Download") Aberdeen Community Development planner Eric Miller told News Watch that as far as he knew, the mining operation was still active today. But since no extended licensing is required to continue operation of the facility, he could not confirm whether it is still taking place. ![A building at 605 East Drive in Aberdeen](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/06/DSC_0156-1.JPG) Bitcoin mining units are [large, complex computers that generate units of cryptocurrency through computing efforts](https://www.forbes.com/advisor/in/investing/cryptocurrency/how-are-bitcoins-mined/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). A large-scale center like the one in Aberdeen can become a mostly passive income stream after the initial investment of the mining units, which [can cost up to several thousand dollars](https://koinly.io/blog/best-crypto-mining-hardware/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) per machine, depending on the model. Because of the largely-opaque nature of cryptocurrency and how it is produced and sold, it is unclear what the Plaza Rentals facility's bitcoin output is per year, and therefore how much it earns from the operation. Doeden did, however, disclose "digital assets" as a source of funding on his April candidate statement of financial interest. Examples of digital assets, [according to the IRS](https://www.irs.gov/filing/digital-assets?ref=sdnewswatch.org), include convertible virtual currencies and cryptocurrencies like bitcoin, stablecoins and non-fungible tokens (NFTs). ## Business experience key to campaign Doeden has spoken about his experience in business frequently and touts it as his biggest qualification for governor, often calling himself the "outsider" and the "businessman" in the governor's race. Doeden came out on top in the June 2 Republican primary election with 31%, followed by Gov. Larry Rhoden with 25%. U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson was third with 23% and state House Speaker Jon Hanson fourth with 21%. Because no one received 35% of the vote, Doeden and Rhoden are headed to a July 28 runoff election for the Republican nomination for governor. The winner will meet Democrat Dan Ahlers in the Nov. 3 general election. Doeden backed up his promise to largely self-fund his campaign by loaning it another $2 million this year, in addition to the $2 million he put up in 2025, according to his [campaign finance disclosure reports](https://sdcfr.sdsos.gov/Document.aspx?DocumentID=6517&type=img&ref=sdnewswatch.org). Of that latest $2 million, roughly $1.4 million has gone to advertisements, while he has also spent $210,000 on salaries for campaign staff. [What to know about the SD’s first gubernatorial runoffIf you didn’t vote in the primary can you vote in the runoff? Those questions and more answered in Q&A on Rhoden-Doeden governor race.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-74fef0f7-2f63-4922-b5a6-e04511dc4497.jpg)South Dakota News WatchMolly Wetsch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/2026-06-02-_Vote-Here_-sign--Embrace-Church-Sioux-Falls-1-ff2982cd-1cde-4701-bf6d-f7e44bb3134d.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-governor-republican-primary-runoff-election/) [Doeden's campaign website says](https://tobydoeden.com/about/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) that he is "one of South Dakota’s most successful self-made business owners." His campaign ads, too, tout years of business experience and his creation of "thousands of jobs" in South Dakota. "No one is able to outwork me," he said in one ad. In 2023, [Doeden told the Aberdeen Insider](https://aberdeeninsider.com/toby-doeden-has-been-busy-and-aberdeen-has-noticed/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) that the growth of other enterprises he is linked to and his success in the business world can be entirely credited to his work at Aberdeen Chrysler. “Aberdeen Chrysler is a very successful business,” Doeden said. “That afforded me the ability to start these other companies. Without Aberdeen Chrysler, none of these things would have happened.” ![Aberdeen Chrysler Center, which Toby Doeden took over ownership of in 2020, in Aberdeen, S.D., on June 15, 2026.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/06/DSC_0185-1-1.JPG) Aberdeen Chrysler Center, which Toby Doeden took over ownership of in 2020, in Aberdeen, S.D., on June 15, 2026\. (Photo: Molly Wetsch/South Dakota News Watch) One comment made at an event before Doeden announced his gubernatorial run illustrates just how much the Doeden name means in Aberdeen. "Here's how to measure Toby's success," Brown County GOP chair Richard Hilgemann joked at the 2025 Brown County Lincoln Day Dinner. "When he buys up enough of Aberdeen that we get to name the town 'Aber-Doeden,' that's when we know he's successful." ## Post-pandemic lucrative era for Doeden Doeden's fast rise to success seems to have started roughly six years ago. The South Dakota Secretary of State's office shows that he took over Plaza Rentals as its registered agent in 2020\. That's also when Doeden took ownership of the Aberdeen Chrysler Center after serving as general manager for nine years and gradually purchasing stock. Roger Gray [was the prior owner of Aberdeen Chrysler](https://www.bbb.org/us/sd/aberdeen/profile/new-car-dealers/aberdeen-chrysler-center-0714-119001752?ref=sdnewswatch.org) and also was the registered agent for Plaza Rentals when it was founded in 2007. All but two of the 27 companies Doeden is linked to were incorporated in or after 2020\. Doeden credits his innovative thinking to his success during the pandemic, citing a risk-taking approach and careful planning. “You can either suffer or find a way to come out the other end,” Doeden said of the pandemic to the Aberdeen Insider in 2023\. “We got together, had a plan and had a fantastic three years.” [Toby Doeden makes establishment nervous. So what’s next?The Aberdeen businessman boosted Republican populist candidates in last year’s legislative primaries and is exploring his own run in 2026.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-f557a04d-620e-4760-a80b-918c70542537.jpg)South Dakota News WatchStu Whitney![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/doeden.2-1-c907c7f3-a61d-4b49-be75-6b1dd7fe2b2c.JPG)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/tony-doeden-south-dakota-governor-race-2026-election/) Doeden's business activity during the pandemic, though, has also come under scrutiny on the campaign trail. [During a gubernatorial debate in April](https://www.thedakotascout.com/p/watch-the-replay-final-gop-debate?ref=sdnewswatch.org), The Dakota Scout's Jonathan Ellis asked Doeden why he thought it was appropriate to "personally benefit from federal PPP (Paycheck Protection Program) funds and leverage those programs to grow your businesses" when the candidate has come out against government-led economic development programs. Doeden railed against Ellis' questioning. "I don't appreciate you saying that I used it to further my business interests. That is a flat-out lie, and as a moderator, you should apologize to the people here tonight because it's a flat-out, utter lie," Doeden said during the debate. Aberdeen Chrysler is a member of the Rydell Automotive Group. [](https://www.rydellauto.com/aboutus.aspx?ref=sdnewswatch.org)PPP data shows that Aberdeen Auto Center, also known as Aberdeen Chrysler, [received $1.1 million in loans in 2020](https://projects.propublica.org/coronavirus/bailouts/loans/aberdeen-auto-center-inc-5098897003?ref=sdnewswatch.org). Doeden said during the debate that 150 jobs were saved at his company from the program. PPP loans were sent directly to businesses and were largely intended to cover employee salaries during the COVID-19 pandemic. "Where would our state economy be today if we hadn't fought to keep our companies open? I'm proud of that one loan," Doeden said. ****Trusted, independent sources of information are needed more than ever. Partner with us to produce fact-based news.** [Donate ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Other loans in Plaza Rentals' holdings include 77 mortgages on properties in and around Aberdeen since 2020, according to information from the Brown County Register of Deeds' office. But long-term debt certainly is not part of the Plaza Rentals business plan. Many of those mortgages were taken out on five-year terms – a relatively short lifespan. At least 20 of them have been fully satisfied, with several others partially paid. Notably, records show a $4 million mortgage for the 4J Commons complex was fully satisfied in just one year, between 2023 and 2024\. Doeden has in the past credited strong[, trusting relationships with lenders](https://aberdeeninsider.com/toby-doeden-has-been-busy-and-aberdeen-has-noticed/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) as a reason for his ability to acquire large amounts of property in a short period of time. ## What we don't know Though public records can illustrate a broad picture of how Doeden came to his financial success and status as a top vote-getter in the gubernatorial campaign, there are still some portions of the story that are unclear. The trust industry is largely a hidden one, especially in South Dakota. The [state's privacy statute](https://sdlegislature.gov/Statutes/21-22-28?ref=sdnewswatch.org) prevents any trust information from being revealed to the public in court proceedings, and trusts by nature are opaque. We do not know whether the trust Doeden refers to is revocable (a living trust), which can be altered, or irrevocable, an established trust that cannot be altered and essentially cedes ownership of property. Information also unavailable to the public includes beneficiaries of the trust – though the trust is ostensibly named after Doeden's children – and how many properties are actually in trust. It is also unclear how much real financial stake and income Doeden maintains in and from the companies he is linked to. **Correction on June 19:* A prior version of this story referenced PPP loans to Rydell Automotive Group. Doeden's company, Aberdeen Chrysler, received a PPP loan under the name of Aberdeen Auto Center, not Rydell Automotive Group.* --- ### How we reported this story Details for this story were largely sourced from public records at the South Dakota Secretary of State’s Office, the Brown County Director of Equalization, Aberdeen’s Board of Zoning Adjustment and the Brown County Register of Deeds. Property values and property tax payments were determined through the most recent tax-assessed data from the Brown County Director of Equalization's BEACON system. Addresses associated with companies Plaza Rentals, Tenth Street Properties and 5-Star Management – through deeds and tax payer status – were included in the calculation. Reporter Molly Wetsch visited the Brown County Register of Deeds on June 15 and spent hours viewing public documents. The office does not allow computers or phones when accessing public computers, so notes on mortgage and other deed information were taken by hand. Wetsch also utilized prior reporting about Doeden and his companies from news outlets across the state. [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **Molly Wetsch* is a* [*Report for America*](https://www.reportforamerica.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *corps member who writes about rural and Native American issues for South Dakota News Watch.*[*Your donation to match our RFA grant*](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *helps keep her writing stories like this. Contact Molly: 605-531-7382/*[*molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Fact brief: Can Democrats change parties and vote in the SD Republican primary? URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-gubernatorial-primary-democrats-republican-register-vote/ Last updated: 2026-07-02T11:08:51.000Z # Yes. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/WhiteFACT-BRIEF--500-x-200-px--2-1-1.png) South Dakota allows voters to change parties and vote in a primary or general election as long as the voter registration form is received by the county auditor 15 days before the election. That means Democrats, independents and members of other parties could vote in the Republican runoff gubernatorial election July 28 if they change their party affiliation to Republican by the deadline. The winner of the race between Toby Doeden and Larry Rhoden will face Democrat Dan Ahlers in the Nov. 3 general election. South Dakota is one of about 10 states that are in a partially closed primary system, meaning you must vote in the primary of your party affiliation but can change before the deadline. Other states have an open primary — where Republicans can request a Democratic Party ballot, for instance. The practice of switching parties for primaries is more appealing for Democrats since they typically don’t field enough candidates for primaries in statewide races in South Dakota. **Sources**: South Dakota Secretary of State’s Office, [Registration and Voting](https://sdsos.gov/elections-voting/voting/register-to-vote/default.aspx?ref=sdnewswatch.org) CBS News, [Bitter GOP primary for South Dakota governor heads to runoff](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/south-dakota-governor-gop-primary-doeden-rhoden-johnson-hansen/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Legal Clarity, [Crossover voting in primary elections](https://legalclarity.org/what-is-crossover-voting-in-a-primary-election/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Genius or Unethical? [Voters talk temporary Republican switch](https://www.dakotanewsnow.com/2026/06/09/genius-or-unethical-voters-talk-temporary-republican-switch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) National Conference of State Legislatures, [Voter Party Affiliation Deadlines for Primaries](https://www.ncsl.org/elections-and-campaigns/voter-party-affiliation-deadlines-for-primaries?ref=sdnewswatch.org) --- [South Dakota News Watch](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/) partners with [Gigafact](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) to publish fact briefs that refute or confirm a claim with supporting information and additional evidence and context. Send questions or feedback to [news@sdnewswatch.org](mailto:news@sdnewswatch.org). Submit a question for us to answer [on the tipline](https://gigafact.org/tipline/south-dakota-news-watch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact freelance reporter Michael Klinski:* michael.klinski@sdnewswatch.org.* ### Fact brief: Has anyone from South Dakota played in MLS? URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/fact-brief-south-dakota-major-league-soccer-players/ Last updated: 2026-06-16T10:00:19.000Z ## Yes. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/WhiteFACT-BRIEF--500-x-200-px--2-1-1.png) At least one person from South Dakota has played professional soccer at the highest level in the United States. Chris Houser, who was born in Pierre and graduated high school from Sioux Falls Washington, was selected in the second round of the Major League Soccer Draft by the Tampa Bay Mutiny in 1998 after he spent three years at Southern Connecticut State. Houser played three seasons for Tampa Bay as a defender and was a Rookie of the Year nominee after his first season. While in college, he played for the national team in the World University Games in 1997\. When it comes to professional athletes, South Dakota has produced no shortage of standouts in football, basketball and baseball, but the same can’t be said for soccer. A Wikipedia page for noteworthy soccer players from South Dakota features just three names, including Houser. **Sources**: Sioux Falls Live, [Local soccer legend Chris Houser set to bring spring showcase to Sioux Falls](https://www.siouxfallslive.com/sports/college/local-soccer-legend-chris-houser-creighton-coach-johnny-torres-set-to-bring-spring-showcase-to-sioux-falls?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Sioux Falls Argus Leader, [Pro soccer beckons for Washington High School grad](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1R7099K3-TaG7gICSyQc72QCxo82uotMa/view?usp=drive%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) Wikipedia, [Soccer players from South Dakota](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Soccer%5Fplayers%5Ffrom%5FSouth%5FDakota?ref=sdnewswatch.org) --- [South Dakota News Watch](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/) partners with [Gigafact](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) to publish fact briefs that refute or confirm a claim with supporting information and additional evidence and context. Send questions or feedback to [news@sdnewswatch.org](mailto:news@sdnewswatch.org). Submit a question for us to answer [on the tipline](https://gigafact.org/tipline/south-dakota-news-watch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact freelance reporter Michael Klinski:* michael.klinski@sdnewswatch.org.* ### 14-year-old wins South Dakota state civics bee URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-state-civics-bee-2026-2/ Last updated: 2026-06-12T15:42:35.000Z SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – After impressing judges with her ideas on addressing homelessness in South Dakota and answering questions with speed and accuracy, a rising ninth grader advanced to the National Civics Bee in Washington by winning the state civics bee. "I think lots of people just assume that they're not gonna be able to make a difference just by helping out, so I think that if we assure people that doing little things will make a difference, that can encourage them to help and work harder," 14-year-old Chloe Dabney from Brandon Valley Middle School told the panel of judges Thursday. Organized by the South Dakota Chamber of Commerce for a second year, the National Civics Bee aims to engage middle schoolers in civics in a fun way. "Given sort of the state of the world, I think that this is kind of a nice reprieve," said Ryan Budmayr, president and CEO of South Dakota Chamber of Commerce & Industry. "My dad was my fifth grade history teacher (and) my civics teacher in Belle Fourche High School was a mentor and kind of helped shape my life. ... So it's really fun to be on the other side of it and be promoting it across the state." ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/06/FullSizeRender-1.png) Eleven South Dakota middle school students getting ready for the second round of the National Civics Bee South Dakota State Finals on June 11, 2026, at Augustana University in Sioux Falls, S.D. (Photo: Elena Tittel/South Dakota News Watch) Students submitted essays regarding community-solutions ahead of time and then competed regionally against other students. Dabney was one of 11 middle school students to advance from regionals to the South Dakota state finals. During the competition, finalists had to answer trivia-based questions about civics, ranging from questions about Congress to court cases. After two rounds of questions, five students were selected to present their community-solutions in front of a panel of judges. The three finalists were determined by the panel based upon their presentation and combined score from the quizzes. In addition to Dabney winning first place, Elliott Fickbaum, 14, a rising ninth grader from Harrisburg North Middle School took second place, and Jay KC, 14, a rising ninth grader from George S. Mickelson Middle School took third place. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/06/winners.png) Winners Elliott Fickbaum, Jay KC and Chloe Dabney standing with their trophies on June 11, 2026, in Sioux Falls, S.D. Dabney will advance to the National Championship later this fall in Washington. (Photo: Elena Tittel/South Dakota News Watch) For KC, this competition has been a great way to meet people and get his ideas across. His idea was to improve access to resources for children with special needs in his hometown of Brookings, inspired by his family's experiences with his brother on the spectrum. "This is not just a personal issue, this is a civic issue that deals with equality," KC said. "I feel that people who are disabled should be able (to) share all resources and not have to go to a different town just to experience the same things." ****Get South Dakota news and information** in a free email on weekdays. Cancel any time. [Subscribe ](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/#/portal) Ruth Abeta, 12, who placed first at Dakota Valley School and wrote her essay about air pollution, said this process has been challenging, yet rewarding. "It's been fun and stressful at the same time to study, but overall, it's been good for the wellness of all of us," Abeta said. Learning about civics does not just help kids learn more about the government but gain a better understanding of American democracy as a whole. “If they’re really going to be free people, they have to understand not only the rules of the game, the Constitution and the laws, but they need to be able to think through the facts and the evidence,” said Ben Jones, state historian and director of the South Dakota State Historical Society. **Correction on June 12, 2026:* An earlier version of this story did not include the full name of Brandon Valley Middle School.* [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Elena Tittel's* internship was funded with support from the Nonprofit Newsroom Internship Program created by The Scripps Howard Fund and the Institute for Nonprofit News. Contact:* [*elena.tittel@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:elena.tittel@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Silent sirens: 2 South Dakota cities experience weather warning troubles URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/weather-warnings-sirens-aberdeen-viborg/ Last updated: 2026-06-12T18:49:39.000Z SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – When computer technicians investigated Aberdeen's weather sirens in mid-April, they noticed something didn't seem right. Ahead of expected severe weather, at 5:49 p.m. Monday, June 8, Travis Schaunaman, mayor of Aberdeen, [announced on Facebook ](https://www.facebook.com/AberdeenMayorTravisSchaunaman/posts/pfbid02iHkXs294LctU3nc5pt2hbQtDeEMsuduLJLRLN7fnAkMJwGoKusZ6dXeAi7GZzJel)that the tornado siren system was "not operating as intended." Tanner Jondahl, chief of police for the city of Aberdeen, said it had never happened before, as far as he knew. "This is the first time I'm aware of having this type of a catastrophic failure like this," Jondahl said. "We've had some minor issues here and there but nothing to where the entire system was down that I could think of." Some people on Facebook were not happy with the news, expressing confusion as to why this was not addressed earlier. "This seems like it should have been a major priority," one person commented. ****Get South Dakota news and information** in a free email on weekdays. Cancel any time. [Subscribe ](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/#/portal) According to Schaunaman, the weather alert system is shut off in the fall and remains unused throughout winter, which is how no one realized something was wrong. Jondahl said it took a few weeks to identify a component that had failed. Initially, the local officials believed fixing that component would get the system operating again but later learned that repairs required an entire software and computer upgrade. Currently, three out of the city's 18 siren locations are nonfunctional. Four siren locations are in need of attention and two require extra attention from the city. Aberdeen was not the only city with recent siren issues. The city of Viborg [posted on Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/ViborgSD/posts/pfbid03qhvqG799gECaP6Ji6j7YKGG1nCWQoneBJk7Qb976N2mrvJqfxDuw3XtuBM3Nd3vl?rdid=cBcGKklVMaWp9nO7#) Tuesday, June 9, that it was experiencing problems with its siren warning system on the west side of town. In the post, the city said parts to repair the system have been ordered and it's expected to be fully operating in the next couple of days. The sirens on the east side of town remain functional. Viborg Mayor John Edelman could not immediately be reached for comment. ## Oversight and funding of weather sirens A part of "Tornado Alley," South Dakota has a long history of being hit by tornadoes, experiencing 28 on average a year, highlighting the importance of reliable weather warning systems. From 1950 to 2025, South Dakota was hit with 1,938 tornadoes, according to data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Within that time frame, tornadoes have resulted in approximately $259,177,780 in property damages, 488 direct injuries and 19 fatalities. [According to the National Weather Service](https://www.weather.gov/abr/SD%5Fseverewxaware%5F3?ref=sdnewswatch.org), outdoor weather sirens are activated primarily by city or county officials who establish their own guidelines, meaning there is no state standard for outdoor sirens. The only uniform standard across the state is during South Dakota Severe Weather Awareness week in April, when all weather sirens are tested. For example, in Sioux Falls, outdoor warning sirens are tested at 11 a.m. on the first Friday of the month from March through November, whereas in Aberdeen, sirens are tested weekly on Wednesday evening at 6 p.m. Projects such as outdoor warning sirens are funded by a combination of federal and nonfederal funds. One source of funding comes from the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP), which becomes available following a presidentially declared disaster. HMGP funds may be used to pay up to 75% of the eligible costs, according to a spokesperson from FEMA. However, repairing defective sirens comes directly out of the city's budget. Because of the potential unreliability of the sirens, people are encouraged to subscribe to multiple weather alert services, such as weather apps, NOAA Weather Radio, local media outlets and Wireless Emergency Alerts. ## Looking forward The Aberdeen Fire Department completed a successful test of the backup activation system Tuesday, June 9, at 1 p.m. Typically, dispatchers do not have to go to the physical site and can operate remotely, as the primary system is connected to the police department's dispatch center. But someone now must go to a location in a different building and manually push buttons to send out a signal, a system that has not been used for quite some time, Johndahl said. The new equipment, costing approximately $14,000, has been ordered, but officials have yet to determine a delivery date. "The real urgency of the issue is being taken care of by the process that we've got in place right now, which will do a suitable job for the time being," Schaunaman said. [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Elena Tittel's* internship was funded with support from the Nonprofit Newsroom Internship Program created by The Scripps Howard Fund and the Institute for Nonprofit News. Contact:* [*elena.tittel@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:elena.tittel@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Q&A: What to know about South Dakota's first gubernatorial runoff URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-governor-republican-primary-runoff-election/ Last updated: 2026-06-10T10:25:46.000Z For the first time in the state's history, South Dakotans will vote in a runoff election July 28 to choose a candidate for governor. Republicans Toby Doeden and Gov. Larry Rhoden were the top two candidates in the June 2 primary election, but neither received 35% of the vote, which triggered the runoff. Here are answers to some commonly asked questions about the runoff election: ### If I didn't vote in the June 2 Republican primary, may I still vote in the runoff? Yes. Registered Republicans, regardless of whether they voted on June 2, may vote in the runoff election. ### What about the general election in the fall? Yes. You are not required to vote in primary elections to cast your ballot in general elections. ### How long do I have to change my voter registration? Voters have until July 13 to change or register their voting affiliation. You can find the form to do so on [the South Dakota Secretary of State's website](https://sdsos.gov/elections-voting/voting/register-to-vote/default.aspx?ref=sdnewswatch.org), where you will print the form and submit it to your county auditor. [South Dakota voter guideWhat South Dakotans need to know about voting in statewide elections, and who and what are on the ballot.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-1bf746a8-4afe-411f-8399-79153b2a4d15.jpg)South Dakota News WatchCarson Walker![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/2024-6-4-Election-signs-1-0cbacd09-5f7c-4d60-97ee-e4726588e513.JPG)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-voter-guide-primary-general-election/) ### Who pays for the runoff? South Dakota state law says that [counties are responsible for paying all statewide general election fees](https://electioninnovation.org/research/who-pays-for-election-admin/?ref=sdnewswatch.org#sd). That includes the cost of ballots, poll workers and election equipment. The South Dakota Secretary of State's office reimburses counties for the cost of post-election audits and administers the system that allows overseas voters, including military personnel, to vote and request ballots. ### How do I know where I vote? You can view your polling place for the July 28 election on the [South Dakota ](https://vip.sdsos.gov/VIPLogin.aspx?ref=sdnewswatch.org)[Secretary of State's voter information portal](https://vip.sdsos.gov/VIPLogin.aspx?ref=sdnewswatch.org). You will need to provide your full name and either your ZIP code or birthday. ### Is this the first runoff for governor? Yes. The state's first-ever runoff for governor is happening this year because of a law passed in 1985\. Codified law [12-6-51.1](https://sdlegislature.gov/Statutes?Statute=12-6-51.1&ref=sdnewswatch.org) says if one candidate does not receive 35% of the vote in a primary, a runoff election between the top two candidates will take place eight weeks later to determine who advances to the general election. Before that law was passed, if a candidate did not receive 35% of the vote, the winner was decided at state party conventions. [Former Aberdeen Legislator Crafted Law That’s Led To South Dakota’s First Gubernatorial Runoff | Aberdeen InsiderHis blog can be found online at sodakgovs.com, and he added a Wednesday, June 3 entry about the first gubernatorial runoff election in state history.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/cropped-favicon-2-270x270-d8c9c16d-a6ce-4c76-942b-5b6f344b2401.png)Aberdeen InsiderScott Waltman![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/combined-image-1-d74d7412-35ae-4a0b-9286-67797d67047a.jpg)](https://aberdeeninsider.com/former-aberdeen-legislator-crafted-law-thats-led-to-south-dakotas-first-gubernatorial-runoff/?utm%5Fsource%5Fplatform=mailpoet&ref=sdnewswatch.org) ### If I live in Sioux Falls, may I vote in runoff elections for mayor and governor at the same time? Yes, but for a limited amount of time, and only at specific locations. The runoff election for Sioux Falls mayor will take place on June 23, and the runoff election for governor will take place on July 28\. They are separately administered elections. But absentee voting for governor opens June 12 and absentee voting for mayor opens June 16\. Sioux Falls residents may absentee vote for both races at either the Minnehaha or Lincoln County auditor's offices. That means that between June 16 and June 22 – the day before the Sioux Falls mayoral election – registered Republicans can visit either office and vote absentee for both elections on the same day. Absentee voting is not available on election day. **Sioux Falls Simplified, The Dakota Scout and Sioux Falls Live are hosting a public mayoral debate on June 12 between candidates Christine Erickson and Jamie Smith. The debate will take place at 4 p.m. at Carnegie Town Hall in Sioux Falls and is free and open to all members of the public. Megan Raposa, founder of Sioux Falls Simplified, said of the debate: "The goal is to discuss specific policy questions based on input from community stakeholders."* [Start here: Sioux Falls 101Want to get involved in the decisions that shape Sioux Falls? Start here to get a local government crash course.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/Untitled-design--2--2ad91460-e169-4957-93cf-b2709a8f9ac7.png)Sioux Falls SimplifiedMakayla Voris![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/Clickable-Gov-t-Infographics-2-c90c82c7-ffb2-45fb-b15b-1844e07a1c4c.png)](https://www.sfsimplified.com/sioux-falls-101-start-here-civic-health-get-involved-sioux-falls-simplified-grassroots-organizing/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact reporter/**[***Report for America***](https://www.reportforamerica.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) **corps member Molly Wetsch:* 605-531-7382/*[*molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Fact brief: Is it possible to add a fifth face to Mount Rushmore? URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/fact-brief-fifth-face-mount-rushmore-president-trump/ Last updated: 2026-06-09T10:00:19.000Z # No. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/WhiteFACT-BRIEF--500-x-200-px--2-1-1.png) Despite calls for presidents such as Reagan, Obama, Trump or others to be added as a fifth face onto Mount Rushmore, it’s not possible. "There is no more carvable space up on the sculpture," the landmark’s public information officer said in 2020, adding that it’s one of the most common questions park employees receive. Then-U.S. Rep. Kristi Noem recalled President Trump telling her in his first term that it was his “dream” to be on Mount Rushmore. Noem said she started to laugh, assuming he was joking, but that he was “totally serious.” Trump has made several references to being on Mount Rushmore over the years, including sharing in May an AI-generated image of himself on the mountain next to Lincoln. When Noem was governor, she gave Trump a $1,100 bust that depicted the president on Mount Rushmore when he visited on July 3, 2020, for an Independence Day fireworks celebration. **Sources**: President Trump, [Truth Social Post](https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/116665736428394767?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Sioux Falls Argus Leader, [Mount Trumpmore? It's the president's 'dream,' Rep. Kristi Noem says](https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2018/04/24/president-donald-trump-mount-rushmore-trumpmore/544597002/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) NBC News, [There's no room for Trump's face on Mount Rushmore, despite MAGA push](https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/donald-trump-mount-rushmore-no-room-stone-rcna227086?ref=sdnewswatch.org) --- [South Dakota News Watch](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/) partners with [Gigafact](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) to publish fact briefs that refute or confirm a claim with supporting information and additional evidence and context. Send questions or feedback to [news@sdnewswatch.org](mailto:news@sdnewswatch.org). Submit a question for us to answer [on the tipline](https://gigafact.org/tipline/south-dakota-news-watch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). ****Support fact briefs.** Help us fight misinformation by supporting fact briefs that refute or confirm a claim with supporting information and additional evidence and context. [Donate ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact freelance reporter Michael Klinski:* michael.klinski@sdnewswatch.org.* ### How a hospital is helping solve a hometown housing shortage URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/housing-solutions-hot-springs-south-dakota-sd-hospital/ Last updated: 2026-06-08T10:37:39.000Z HOT SPRINGS, S.D. – In a first-of-its-kind project in South Dakota, the small hospital in this southern Black Hills town is investing in a subdivision project to provide housing for its employees. Fall River Health Services, an independent nonprofit medical center in Hot Springs, is paying $2.3 million of the overall $3.4 million cost of infrastructure for a subdivision that could create 48 new affordable housing units a few hundred yards from the hospital campus. > "It's not wages or benefits keeping employees away, it’s simply that housing just isn’t available." > – Jesse Naze, chief financial officer at Fall River Health Services Like many South Dakota employers, Fall River Health is enduring a long-range worker shortage that has put pressure on its existing staff and driven up costs due to hiring of expensive traveling, short-term medical employees. As of May 29, the hospital had 19 job openings, most of them in direct patient care, a shortage of 10% of its needed workforce of 190\. In the past couple years, the hospital has lost dozens of prospective health care workers because they couldn't find affordable or suitable local housing, said Jesse Naze, chief financial officer at Fall River Health. "You can't stop providing care, so we need workforce to care for our local population," Naze told News Watch in an interview. "It's not wages or benefits keeping employees away, it’s simply that housing just isn’t available." ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/05/Engage-SD-small-logo-1-1-1.png) Engage South Dakota identifies and shares solutions to the state's biggest challenges. The hospital's investment in the Cascade Hills subdivision project is part of a growing trend in which South Dakota employers are finding ways to provide housing for their workers. Wall Drug president Rick Hustead told News Watch in 2025 that [he provides mobile homes and other housing](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/wall-drug-badlands-south-dakota-population-housing/) for more than 100 seasonal employees who would otherwise have nowhere to live. ****Get South Dakota news and information** in a free email on weekdays. Cancel any time. [Subscribe ](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/#/portal) Similarly, business operators [in Keystone](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/politics-of-immigration-debate-curtail-guest-worker-programs-critical-to-sd-businesses/) have said they provide recreational vehicles as housing for summer workers who arrive under the H-2B Visa program each year. However, Chas Olson, executive director of the South Dakota Housing Development Authority (South Dakota Housing), told News Watch he isn't aware of any South Dakota project in which an employer invested money on permanent housing that will benefit the business as well as the community at large for years to come. ****ABOUT ENGAGE SOUTH DAKOTA** This story is part of an ongoing South Dakota News Watch series called Engage South Dakota using storytelling, crowdsourcing and community engagement to identify and share potentially replicable housing solutions. Each story includes the community's ****response**, ****insights** to be learned, ****evidence** of whether the ideas are effective and ****limitations** on the efforts. Key takeaway for this story: Private businesses facing worker shortages can't wait for developers to build affordable housing, so they're finding unique ways to invest in workforce housing on their own. [****Read about other South Dakota housing solutions**](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/engage-south-dakota-housing-rent-own-solutions-journalism). The private hospital with 25 beds saved money for years to be able to invest in the proposed housing project in which some homeowners could see a financial benefit if they take jobs at the hospital and stay for at least five years. "The hospital is fronting the cash to get this infrastructure put in so we can get this project going," Naze said. "There's only so much local workforce, so we need to attract employees, and this should be a big help." ## Evidence: Various sizes and price points South Dakota Housing has high hopes for the Hot Springs project and in October approved a nearly $1.2 million grant to support the project. The money came from the $200 million Housing Infrastructure Financing Program approved by the Legislature in 2023. Olson said the authority had been in discussion with officials from Hot Springs and Fall River Health for several years to generate a plan for an affordable housing project. “We knew they were having issues recruiting and keeping workers there because the (existing) housing is old and aging,” Olson said. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/05/2026-5-27-Fall-River-Health-Services-sign-building-1.jpeg) The Fall River Health Services of Hot Springs, S.D., shown on May 27, 2026, is investing in a housing project in hopes of attracting new employees. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) The Cascade Hills project has a solid development plan, highly engaged people managing construction and strong overall community support, he said. “When you combine all those things, it gave us comfort that the housing will get built,” Olson said. According to a project summary by South Dakota Housing, the infrastructure grant could help lower lot prices by $30,000 each and allow rents to be up to $100 a month cheaper. The grants typically help pay expenses such as installation of utilities, streets, and curb and gutter. ****Support solutions-focused storytelling.** Help South Dakota News Watch tell stories that identify and share solutions to the state's biggest challenges. [Donate ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) The current plan for the subdivision is to build a mix of single-family and multi-family buildings that will create 48 total housing units with a wide range of square footages and prices, said Dennis Fischer, a former Hot Springs schools superintendent who now serves on the local hospital and housing boards. Single-family homes of about 1,300 square feet should cost about $350,000, including the lot. Smaller villas, duplexes and townhomes could come in as low as $285,000, including lot costs, he said. Any of those prices fall within the South Dakota Housing Authority threshold for "affordable" housing projects. "We're hoping that isn't out of reach for homeowners," he said. ![Dennis Fischer, a member of the housing and hospital boards in Hot Springs, S.D., ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/05/2026-5-27-Hot-Springs-board-member-at-site-1.jpeg) Dennis Fischer, a member of the housing and hospital boards in Hot Springs, S.D., stood on May 27, 2026, across Highway 71 from a proposed affordable housing development. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) Project managers are working out details of a special mortgage for hospital employees who buy a home in which lot costs of up to $54,000 could be returned if they remain employed for five years, Fischer said. As of May 27, the subdivision site remained open pastureland, though Fischer said infrastructure work could begin any day, with utility installation and road work the starting points. The 11-acre project on state Highway 71 south of the city will include space for a community park, he said. The housing units will be built by private developers, who are not yet on board, Fischer said. The local school district has some of the same hiring challenges as the hospital, he said. "Teachers who couldn't find housing turned down job offers or left after a couple years because they didn't feel like they were getting ahead in terms of home ownership," he said. The partnership approach to funding the subdivision has expedited the timeline of the project, Fischer said. "The hospital didn't have deep enough pockets to do it on their own." Fischer said a hopeful timeline for full development and sale of the housing would be in eight to 10 years, though he acknowledged it could be longer. ## Insights: Study shows need for new ideas A 2023 housing study revealed some of the challenges facing Hot Springs, many of which are common in small cities across the state. The city lost 4.5% of its population from 1990 to 2000 and saw another 10.1% decline from 2000 to 2010, falling from 4,129 to 3,395 over that 20-year period, according to the U.S. Census. Perhaps more alarming and indicative of the city's increasing position as a retirement community is that 60% of the city's population was age 45 or older in 2022, with a loss of 125 people age 14 or under in the decade prior. Meanwhile, from 2010 to 2020, Hot Springs lost 121 households, roughly 7% of its housing stock, though some data models anticipated household growth in the near future. ![A home for sale in Hot Springs](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/05/2026-5-27-Hot-Springs-house-for-sale-1.jpeg) This home on South Chicago Street in Hot Springs, S.D, shown on May 27, 2026, was one of the few homes on the market at that time. (Photo: .Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) The study also noted strengths and weaknesses in the city's current and prospective housing efforts. Strengths include the city's role as a regional economic center, strong educational and health care systems, abundant outdoor recreation, attractiveness to retirees and generally affordable housing. Negatives include the increasing population age and declining condition of housing, low-pay jobs, commutable proximity to Rapid City and a lack of available infrastructure. > "We're trying to get people of working age to come here and bring their family and put their kids in our schools and shop at our local stores." > – Aerial Allison, Hot Springs city administrator The study ultimately called for development of about 100 local rental units, finding more developable land for single-family homes, and improvement or demolition of dilapidated houses and mobile homes. Interestingly, the study called directly for two components that would be achieved by the Cascade Hills subdivision: promoting employer involvement in housing development and greater development of twin-home and townhouse units. ## Limitations: Holistic housing approach needed So far, the city of Hot Springs and its residents have been big supporters of the Cascade Hills project, said Aerial Allison, city administrator. With no significant resident opposition and a unanimous city council vote, the city approved a $2.3 million tax increment financing (TIF) district to expedite development, she said. ![Hot Springs, S.D. city administrator Aerial Allison outside city hall on May 27, 2026.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/05/2026-5-27-Hot-Springs-city-administrator-portrait-1.jpeg) Hot Springs, S.D. city administrator Aerial Allison outside city hall on May 27, 2026\. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) No local tax money is expected to be needed on the project that could generate opportunities for new or existing employers to hire workers and potentially expand, Allison said. "We've got some job openings (in city government) and I know they've been struggling at the hospital to fill jobs and retain them," she said. "But I think all our employers would see a benefit." Yet the subdivision is only one part of a larger strategy to increase housing options in Hot Springs, Allison said. Quality housing has been increasingly hard to come by as the city's reputation as a pleasant retirement community has grown. Adding to the demand is a large number of out-of-state people who moved to Hot Springs and bought homes during and since the COVID-19 pandemic. "Not to blame them for anything, but we're really excited this project is focused on workforce housing," Allison said. "We're trying to get people of working age to come here and bring their family and put their kids in our schools and shop at our local stores." ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/05/2026-5-27-Hot-Springs-mobile-homes-2-1.jpeg) The city of Hot Springs, S.D., is working to fix up or remove properties in need of repair in order to bolster its housing stock, such as these aging mobile homes on Houston Avenue shown on May 27, 2026\. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) Meanwhile, the city has become more assertive recently in trying to buy and rehabilitate or tear down dilapidated housing, especially in some aging local mobile home parks. Part of that plan is to find suitable housing for people who leave those aged houses, Allison said The city is also trying to connect homeowners with resources to help pay for home improvements or to upgrade their housing status, she said. [Engage South Dakota: Housing solutionsA list of entities and programs that can assist in developing or obtaining housing as well as links to News Watch reporting on housing solutions.![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)South Dakota News WatchBart Pfankuch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/IMG_2326-9c23ca27ce6c95497f89871546e1f925856375c91c942c0e4e14fc8d3d98f6b0.jpeg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/engage-south-dakota-housing-rent-own-solutions-journalism/) "Our jobs here haven't really kept up with other rising costs, and especially housing costs, so people may need some help," Allison said. If the Cascade Hills project goes well, and houses get built and sold fairly quickly, it could spur more housing development, population growth and economic activity in the city, she said. "It's a good first step for us, a really big first step," she said. [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact* *content director Bart Pfankuch:** 605-937-9398*/*[*bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org). ### Legislature election recap: Nelson holds off Hunhoff; Carley ousted URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/legislature-primary-election-recap/ Last updated: 2026-06-04T12:10:44.000Z PIERRE, S.D. – Besides the statewide primary contests that took place Tuesday, which included a hotly contested governor's race, South Dakota Republicans also voted for their nominees for the state Legislature. Here is a recap of the results in some of the key races. State Sen. Lauren Nelson of Yankton defeated challenger Jean Hunhoff in **District 18,** 53%-47%. The contest was a rematch from two years ago when Nelson upset Hunhoff, who at that time was the sitting state senator, in a close race. [Jackley and Rounds win; Doeden, Rhoden to meet in runoffHouse and Senate winners cruise to victory in GOP primary but no governor candidate got needed 35%.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-fd1047af-2db5-4791-9dd6-334f89431247.jpg)South Dakota News WatchAlexander Rifaat![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/2026-06-02-Marty-Jackley-on-stage-23a09a65-49fc-4204-a977-2e202793b1d3.jpeg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/2026-primary-election-top-races/) Several incumbents fell, including state Sen. John Carley of Piedmont in **District 29**, who lost to William Meirose in a close contest, 49%-51%. Carley was derided early this year during the 2026 legislative session when he abruptly [disappeared](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-senate-data-center-vote/) from the Capitol ahead of a key vote pertaining to data centers. Another controversial incumbent, state Sen. Tamara Grove of **District 26**, lost her bid to stay in office, losing to Rebecca Reimer. It was recently revealed that Grove, whose district includes Presho, Chamberlain and White River, had listed a property in Sioux Falls as her primary residency for tax purposes. In one of the more notable results of the night, Katie Washnok recorded a resounding victory over state Sen. Carl Perry in **District 3**. Washnok, who won 63%-37%, had lost to Perry two years ago. [Bountiful ballots: Local election added to June primaryA law change added numerous local nonpartisan and political races to the statewide Republican and Democratic primaries.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-90d17840-82f9-4615-94f9-1eb31eecf002.jpg)South Dakota News WatchMolly Wetsch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/2026-06-02-Instructional-Planning-Center-signs--Sioux-Falls-1-57e56cc7-c03a-4204-b591-6671f10637fb.JPG)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/2026-primary-election-local-races/) Another 2024 primary rematch took place in **District 21**, where state Sen. MyKala Voita of Bonesteel defeated former state Sen. Erin Tobin 59%-41%. Voita, whose district includes Platte, Burke and White Lake, increased her margin of victory significantly from the contest of two years ago. In **District 24**, which includes Pierre, state Sen. Jim Mehlhaff held off two primary challengers to secure 55% of the vote. The contest, which included Brian Murphy and Mark Nelson, was the only three-way primary state Senate race in the state this year. On the House side, Rep. Phil Jensen of **District 33**, which includes Rapid City, comfortably secured nomination for one of the two House seats. Jensen was [suspended](https://www.keloland.com/keloland-com-original/rep-phil-jensen-removed-from-republican-caucus/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) by the South Dakota GOP earlier this year for remarks he made toward other House members. ****Get South Dakota news and information** in a free email on weekdays. Cancel any time. [Subscribe ](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/#/portal) While his brother secured his nomination for the U.S. Senate race, former state House Rep. Tim Rounds, brother of U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds, was unsuccessful in securing a nomination for a House seat in **District 24**. Mike Weisgram and Laurie Gill were the winners in that contest. The South Dakota Secretary of State's office has identified seven races that could be heading toward a runoff. While Jensen secured one of the spots in District 33 House race, it is a close contest for who will gain the GOP nomination for the other seat, with Curt Massie holding a lead of just five votes over Jeff Marlette. If the criteria for a recount are met, the losing candidate has until 5 p.m. Friday to file a petition. [See the results of all legislative elections](https://electionresults.sd.gov/resultsSW.aspx?type=LEG&map=DIST&ref=sdnewswatch.org). [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact politics and statehouse reporter Alexander Rifaat:* 605-736-4396/*[*alexander.rifaat@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:alexander.rifaat@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Fact brief: Did Larry Rhoden beat Toby Doeden in West River voting? URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/fact-brief-sd-larry-rhoden-toby-doeden-primary-election/ Last updated: 2026-06-04T10:00:48.000Z ### No. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/WhiteFACT-BRIEF--500-x-200-px--2-1-1.png) Toby Doeden outperformed Larry Rhoden in both the western and eastern parts of the state in the June 2 South Dakota Republican gubernatorial primary. Neither candidate secured 35% of the total vote in the field that included Jon Hansen and Dusty Johnson. Doeden and Rhoden will meet on July 28 for the right to challenge Democrat Dan Ahlers in November’s general election. Rhoden, who is from Union Center in Meade County, is the only candidate from the western part of the state and has also been a rancher his entire life. Doeden got 34% of the vote in West River and had Rhoden 32%, while Doeden earned 29% of the vote in East River to Rhoden’s 22%. Of the 22 West River counties, Rhoden secured the most votes in 15 of them. Doeden won six, including Pennington, the second-largest county in the state. Hansen finished first in Gregory. **Sources**: South Dakota News Watch, [Jackley and Rounds win; Doeden, Rhoden to meet in runoff](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/2026-primary-election-top-races/) Dakota News Now, [Democratic Gubernatorial candidate Dan Ahlers reacts to Republican primary election results](https://www.dakotanewsnow.com/2026/06/03/democratic-gubernatorial-candidate-dan-ahlers-reacts-republican-primary-election-results/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) State of South Dakota, [Larry Rhoden](https://governor.sd.gov/governor/about.aspx?ref=sdnewswatch.org) South Dakota Secretary of State’s Office, [Primary results](https://electionresults.sd.gov/resultsSW.aspx?type=SWR&map=CTY&ref=sdnewswatch.org) --- [South Dakota News Watch](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/) partners with [Gigafact](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) to publish fact briefs that refute or confirm a claim with supporting information and additional evidence and context. Send questions or feedback to [news@sdnewswatch.org](mailto:news@sdnewswatch.org). Submit a question for us to answer [on the tipline](https://gigafact.org/tipline/south-dakota-news-watch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact freelance reporter Michael Klinski:* michael.klinski@sdnewswatch.org.* ### Bountiful ballots: Local election added to June primary URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/2026-primary-election-local-races/ Last updated: 2026-06-10T13:09:34.000Z SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – Just as the red-hot race for governor will go to a runoff on July 28 between Toby Doeden and Gov. Larry Rhoden, voters in Sioux Falls will also return to the polls later this month. Mayoral candidates Christine Erickson and Jamie Smith, who received 37% and 28% of the votes, respectively, were the top two candidates in Tuesday’s race and will face off on June 23\. Just one of five municipal races in Sioux Falls was decided on election night. Incumbent Rich Merkouris kept his At-Large B City Council seat, defeating Samantha Scarlata with 60% of the vote. The Central, Southeast and At-Large A districts for City Council[ did not see a candidate earn 50% of the vote](https://www.sfsimplified.com/election-26-sioux-falls-election-results-why-most-city-races-went-to-a-run-off-mayor-results-election-city-council/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) and will head to a runoff election on the same day as the mayoral election. It reflects an election day that was heavily contested statewide, even for down-ballot local races. ## **Sheriff’s races: In Brown County, high voter turnout ousts incumbent** The primary race for Brown County sheriff saw four Republican candidates fighting for a place to face Democrat Anthony Sorenson in November. Director of the South Dakota Office of Highway Safety Rob Weinmeister won that race with 48% of the vote, ousting incumbent sheriff Dave Lunzman. Lunzman placed third, receiving just 14% of overall votes. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/06/weinmeister-2-1.jpeg) Rob Weinmeister, who won the Republican primary for Brown County sheriff on June 2, 2026\. (Photo provided by the Aberdeen Insider) Voter turnout in Brown County increased greatly compared to the 2024 primary election:[ 48.43% of registered Republican voters cast ballots Tuesday, with just 17% on the same election day in 2024.](https://aberdeeninsider.com/brown-county-turnout-tops-48-other-area-races-decided/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) There were other notable sheriff’s races decided Tuesday night. Josh Phillips beat Bobby Smith with 84% of the vote in Minnehaha County, where he will take over from longtime sheriff Mike Milstead. Milstead’s 60-year career in law enforcement and 29-year tenure as Minnehaha County sheriff will end as he retires in January. Southeast of Sioux Falls, in Turner County, the auditor's office will be conducting a recount as incumbent Sheriff Dan Glover won over Robert Kervin by just three votes.[ Turner County Auditor Misty Dahl told Sioux Falls Live](https://www.siouxfallslive.com/news/sioux-falls/turner-county-sheriff-primary-election-2026?ref=sdnewswatch.org) that the situation is new to the county. “I’ve never been through this before,” Dahl said. In Perkins County, Matthew Kindsvogel defeated other Republicans Gregory Karels and Timothy McCartney for the sheriff’s position. ## **Auditor races: Fall River County sees victory for 1 Republican candidate among 4** In far southwestern South Dakota, Bobbie J. Janis won the Republican nomination for Fall River County auditor amid a crowded field of competitors. She earned 48% of the vote, ousting three other candidates looking to fill the spot. Janis will face independent candidate Lily Heidebrink in November. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/06/Bobbie-Janis-2-1.jpg) Bobbie J. Janis, who won the Republican nomination for Fall River County Auditor on June 2, 2026\. (Photo provided by the Fall River County Herald Star) In Sioux Falls, incumbent Minnehaha County Auditor Leah Anderson held onto her seat, defeating challenger Samuel McCarty with 73% of the vote. Anderson won among a busy election season: her office reported preparing 324 different ballot styles for Tuesday's election. ## **School board races: Contentious Oldham-Ramona-Rutland district gets 2 new members** The Oldham-Ramona-Rutland school district, which narrowly avoided dissolution in December, elected two new members to its school board. Challenger Mitchell Maher defeated incumbent Amber Malisch with 76% of the vote in the Rutland district, and Ashlee Roling came out on top against Jennifer LeBahn in the Oldham-Ramona district with 54%. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/06/Ashlee-Roling-2-1.jpeg) Ashlee Roling, who won a seat on the Oldham-Ramona-Rutland school board on June 2, 2026\. (Photo provided by the Madison Daily Leader) The Britton-Hecla school district, which was looking to elect three members from six total candidates, was marked as a "possible recount" on the South Dakota Secretary of State's website Wednesday morning. Amy Jo Vietor, Jeff Christenson and Angela Grupe came out on top, with 27%, 20% and 18% of the votes respectively. Just 36 votes separated Grupe and Heather Landreth, who received 17% of the vote. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/06/2026-06-02-Election-signs-in-Rapid-City.jpeg) Signs are common during any election and were again this year on the southeast corner of Fifth and North streets in Rapid City, S.D. on June 2, 2026\. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) ## Crowded ballots, big decisions As of May 26, 34,517 ballots had been cast in early voting, according to the Secretary of State. That includes absentee ballots, walk-in voting, and military personnel and South Dakota residents living overseas. Because of a new state law, several elections that were open to all voters took place the same day as closed Republican primaries for offices like governor. Michael Haugen, of Sioux Falls, said that while he believes it is his “civic duty” to vote, this election was particularly important due to the high number of open offices. “There’s a lot of things on the ballot, both from a state perspective and local perspective,” said Haugen, 67, adding that he let his own experiences guide his voting and didn’t vote for candidates in certain races if he didn't think he knew enough to cast a vote. “Quite frankly, if I didn’t know a candidate or if there was a spot that I didn’t feel comfortable putting (a candidate down), I didn’t fill the square. If you know your candidates – and I went to several forums with the people and listened to what they had to say – I was pretty comfortable with how I voted and why I voted the way I did,” Haugen said. [Jackley and Rounds win; Doeden, Rhoden to meet in runoffHouse and Senate winners cruise to victory in GOP primary but no governor candidate got needed 35%.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-f773d611-b7c9-490b-a236-b3b3bbfc417d.jpg)South Dakota News WatchAlexander Rifaat![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/2026-06-02-Marty-Jackley-on-stage-88ccc15d-fc2e-4d20-a0a2-186591ebbfb7.jpeg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/2026-primary-election-top-races/) Across the state, Democrat Ron Fisher, of Rapid City, was determined to vote on Tuesday, even if he had to take public transit to the downtown library to do so and even if he could only vote in one City Council precinct. A retiree who uses a walker, Fisher, 78, said he felt it was important to exercise his right to vote. But he was disappointed in the state’s closed primary rules that cut him off from voting in the GOP primary for statewide offices. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/06/2026-06-02-Rapid-City-voter-Ron-Fisher--D--2-1.jpeg) Rapid City retiree Ron Fisher, a registered Democrat, voted in the municipal election at the Rapid City Public Library on Tuesday, June 2, 2026\. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) “That’s a bunch of hooey,” said Fisher, an Army veteran. “I should be able to have a say in who makes it through the primary.” Fisher also expressed great disappointment in how Rapid City, the state and the federal government are being run. He said he reflexively voted against the incumbent in the City Council race in hopes that a new candidate could get a chance to govern. “It’s just pathetic how this state and Washington are being run,” he said. “I can’t believe that people are starving to death and paying exorbitant prices for gas, yet they are still supporting the current administration." ****Get South Dakota news and information** in a free email on weekdays. Cancel any time. [Subscribe ](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/#/portal) Fisher said he will vote for Democrats in the general election in November, including Dan Ahlers for governor. ## Lack of resources on the candidates Ayden Gage, a 21-year-old from Sioux Falls, told News Watch outside of All Souls Church that she felt there “weren’t a lot of resources out there” to find information about candidates for local and county offices in Sioux Falls and Minnehaha County. She said that she had to do quite a bit of individual research to determine each candidates’ platforms on the issues, which included visiting individual campaign websites and social media pages. Lloyd McKibban, 57, stepped out of the voting booths around noon at Harvey Dunn Elementary School in Sioux Falls. He had similar feelings to Gage about the quantity of votes he needed to cast. McKibban told News Watch that an “overwhelming number of candidates, and not really an explanation of what they stand for and what they’re about” made the process complex, but that he felt he had made informed decisions. [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **Reporters Bart Pfankuch* and *Alexander Rifaat* contributed to this story. *Molly Wetsch* is a* [*Report for America*](https://www.reportforamerica.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *corps member who writes about rural and Native American issues for South Dakota News Watch.Contact Molly: 605-531-7382/*[*molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Jackley and Rounds win; Doeden, Rhoden to meet in runoff URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/2026-primary-election-top-races/ Last updated: 2026-06-03T23:52:01.000Z *The story has been updated to reflect results.* PIERRE, S.D. – Toby Doeden and Gov. Larry Rhoden are headed to a July 28 runoff election for the Republican nomination for governor, while Attorney General Marty Jackley and U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds cruised to victory Tuesday. After all 686 precincts posted their results, Doeden came out on top in the four-man race with 31%, followed by Rhoden with 25%. U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson was third with 23% and state House Speaker Jon Hanson fourth with 21%. The statewide voter turnout for the election was 35%. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/06/Screenshot-2026-06-03-at-6.51.01---PM.png) “I said we were going to prove them wrong. That’s exactly what we’re doing," Doeden said in a late evening news conference in Sioux Falls covered by KELO-TV. "Clearly we’re in a very good, strong position. And we feel more confident than ever that I’m going to be the next governor of the great state of South Dakota.” ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/06/236A2833-1-1-1.JPG) Toby Doeden makes a point April 13, 2026, in Sioux Falls, S.D., at the SDPB/South Dakota News Watch debate. (Photo: Jon Beringer) Because no one got 35% of support, the two top vote-getters will meet in a runoff eight weeks later, on July 28\. The winner meets Democrat Dan Ahlers in the Nov. 3 general election. Doeden, a businessman from Aberdeen, self-financed his campaign with $4 million. Johnson, who led in fundraising, came up short. “It has been the honor of my lifetime to represent South Dakota in Congress these past eight years,” Johnson said Wednesday morning in a statement. “While I am disappointed in the outcome, I am committed to helping Republican candidates get elected in November.” Johnson will leave office Jan. 2. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/06/2026-06-02-Dusty-giving-speech--Sioux-Falls.JPG) Dusty Johnson speaks to supporters in Sioux Falls, S.D. on June 2, 2026\. (Photo: Molly Wetsch/South Dakota News Watch) Rhoden, his family and about 75 supporters gathered at The Rushmore Hotel in downtown Rapid City on Tuesday night to watch the election returns. The governor wore a black cowboy hat as he mingled with supporters who monitored county-by-county returns they hoped would favor the incumbent, who is from the West River town of Union Center. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/06/2026-06-02-Tony-Venhuizen-and-Larry-Rhoden-1.jpeg) Lt. Gov. Tony Venhuizen and Gov. Larry Rhoden viewing an election map on June 2, 2026, in Rapid City, S.D. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch/South Dakota News Watch) The governor’s extended family backed him throughout the night, including his 4-year-old granddaughter, Birkin Rhoden, who showed her support by wearing a red, white and blue dress that said “Grandpa for Governor” on the front. Rhoden’s running mate, Lt. Gov. Tony Venhuizen, said the campaign went well for the Rhoden camp, even if at times some advertising by his opponents turned negative. “The governor focused on the record he has in the state and the results he’s achieved in office,” Venhuizen said. “I think the voters have really responded to that.” ## **Rounds and Jackley win** In the Republican primary for U.S. Senate, Justin McNeal was unsuccessful in challenging Rounds, who will now meet Democrat Julian Beaudion and Independent Brian Bengs in the Nov. 3 general election. The final result gave Rounds a commanding 76% to 24% victory. At Jackley's campaign watch party in Rapid City, the mood was upbeat as election results rolled in and showed a wide margin of victory. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/06/Screenshot-2026-06-03-at-6.49.05---PM.png) He defeated primary challenger James Bialota, as the two sought to win the post now held by Johnson. The final tally in that race put Jackley at 79% to Bialota’s 21%. About 150 supporters, including several West River Republican candidates and office-holders, snacked on nachos and drank beers or sodas as they watched the results get posted on numerous big-screen TVs in the performance area of the bowling alley complex. [Bountiful ballots: Local election added to June primaryA law change added numerous local nonpartisan and political races to the statewide Republican and Democratic primaries.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-19fb4682-a7b3-4abe-adff-4e0092ac774b.jpg)South Dakota News WatchMolly Wetsch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/2026-06-02-Instructional-Planning-Center-signs--Sioux-Falls-1-dbe1d067-90e3-4f69-a7cc-cc333e8c4e4f.JPG)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/2026-primary-election-local-races/) In an interview with News Watch, Jackley said he found the level of statewide support for his candidacy both “humbling and enormous,” which occurred because he “always took the high road” in the campaign. During his celebratory speech, Jackley mentioned that he and his supporters will need to maintain their high energy level and continue to work hard in order to win the general election. He will meet Democrat Nicole Gronli on Nov. 3. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/06/Screenshot-2026-06-03-at-6.49.38---PM-1.png) Jackley said he is aware that many people see Congress as suffering from divisive gridlock, but he has the experience and temperament to get things done. He said he has worked well with Republicans, Democrats and Independents while serving as attorney general and as a leader in the National Association of Attorneys General. “I feel I’ve built a level of trust,” he said. ## More local and nonpartisan elections also on the ballot Because of a law change that put many local contests on Tuesday's ballot, the Republican and Democratic primaries included races for sheriff, county auditor, school board and other county and local offices as well as nonpartisan contests like mayor and city council. Courtney Bahe took a break from her job in the Meade County Assessor’s Office in Sturgis near lunchtime on Tuesday to cast her votes in the GOP primary. Bahe, 36, said she voted for Larry Rhoden for governor because he’s done “a decent job” and because she didn’t care much for the other three candidates. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/06/Courtney-Bahe-1.jpeg) Courtney Bahe of Vale cast her GOP primary ballot at the Sturgis Community Center in Sturgis, S.D., on June 2, 2026\. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) “He (Rhoden) is generally fairly honest in what he’s doing, and he doesn’t try to misrepresent himself,” said Bahe, who's from Vale, which is 20 miles north of Sturgis and 45 miles west of Rhoden's hometown of Union Center. Bahe, who has been a registered Republican since she became eligible to vote 18 years ago, also cast votes for Jackley for House and Rounds for Senate. ****Get South Dakota news and information** in a free email on weekdays. Cancel any time. [Subscribe ](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/#/portal) Dave Dahl from Pierre said he backed Rhoden in the governor’s race. “He’s done a good enough job for the time he’s been in office.” Frank Turner, 31, a communications professional for the South Dakota Rural Electric Association, said he voted for Johnson at his polling place in the capital city. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/06/2026-06-02-Dusty-cardboard-cutout--Sioux-Falls-1.JPG) Supporters of Dusty Johnson and other Republican candidates do some last minute campaigning on June 2, 2026, in Sioux Falls, S.D. (Photo: Molly Wetsch/South Dakota News Watch) “I do a lot of trips to DC for legislative conferences. I know Dusty Johnson to be someone who is charismatic but also clearly has a mind and a drive when it comes to public office. He served on the PUC (Public Utilities Commission) for a long time as well, so him coming out in support of data centers is something I appreciated,” Turner said. “There’s a bunch of misinformation out there when it comes to their water usage. These systems pull in thousands and thousands of dollars in tax revenue.” ## Did his homework; negative ads Jackley earned the vote of Caleb Benson, who cast his primary votes just west of Rapid City, in Summerset. The college student educated himself about the election by talking with family, watching television advertisements and reading about candidates online. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/06/Caleb-Benson-1-1-1-1.jpeg) Summerset resident Caleb Benson voted in the June 2, 2026 Republican primary at the Summerset, S.D., city hall. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) Benson, 22, also voted for Rhoden for governor and Rounds for Senate. “I like that he (Rhoden) was a rancher and service member, and that goes towards having good South Dakota values,” said Benson, who is studying communications at Black Hills State University in nearby Spearfish. Benson said Rounds has represented South Dakota’s interests well in the Senate, and Jackley has the experience to perform well in Congress. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/06/2026-06-02-Vote-sign-outside-state-capitol-polling-location-1-1.jpeg) A sign leads voters to a polling place at the South Dakota Capitol building in Pierre, S.D., on June 2, 2026\. (Photo: Alexander Rifaat/South Dakota News Watch) The negative tone of the gubernatorial race was a factor for at least one Pierre voter, a young woman who didn't want to be identified due to her employment at the state Capitol. She told News Watch she left her choice for governor blank because of frustration at the slew of ads that have been released during the campaign. “I wish they would put as much money as they did for the text messages, the spam calls and the junk mail towards something actually good. It was insane,” she said. ## **‘Anti-government’ sentiment** Julia Hellwege of the Chiesman Center for Democracy believes Doeden’s strong performance in the gubernatorial race came down to who ultimately showed up to the polls. “This is a turnout question, and Doeden voters were highly motivated,” Hellwege told News Watch. “We know in primaries, it tends to swing further to the extreme. With South Dakota being a Republican state, that brings out further right voters and those populist voters are highly motivated, so more likely to turn out, while moderate voters tend to be less motivated. I think you see a general anti-government sentiment.” Doeden made his lack of a career as a politician a [key tenet](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/toby-doeden-republican-governor-sd-primary-election/) of his campaign. Hellwege added that the anti-government feelings among voters appeared to be confined to Washington and not necessarily Pierre, which ultimately helped Rhoden sneak past Johnson for second place. “That was a big question: Rhoden not having been elected previously but serving as governor versus Johnson, who won statewide elections in the past and has that campaign experience but on the other hand is sort of the outsider in this context as a member of Congress,” Hellwege said. Rhoden [lambasted ](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/larry-rhoden-republican-primary-governor/)Johnson for running a series of attack ads against him and repeatedly hit back at Johnson during the debates for what he called “D.C.B.S.” Hellwege said the key factor now for the July 28 runoff will be whether those who voted for Johnson, who represents the moderate wing of the GOP, will be motivated enough to vote for Rhoden or stay home. “The Johnson voters are going to make that choice. Do they feel strongly enough anti-Doeden that it's going to make them turn out to vote?” --- ### Photos from the election and campaign parties ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/06/2026-06-02-Man-holding-sign-for-Doeden--Sioux-Falls.JPG) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/06/2026-06-02-Hansen-man-dressed-up--Sioux-Falls.JPG) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/06/2026-06-02-Sturgis-polling-site-voters-outside-1.jpeg) Voter turnout was brisk at the Sturgis Community Center polling site in Sturgis, S.D., just before the lunch hour on Tuesday, June 2, 2026\. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) ****Trusted, independent sources of information are needed more than ever. Partner with us to produce fact-based news.** [Donate ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **Reporter Molly Wetsch* contributed to this story. *Contact politics and statehouse reporter Alexander Rifaat:* 605-736-4396/*[*alexander.rifaat@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:alexander.rifaat@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Interns from SDSU and Northwestern join News Watch URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/2026-news-watch-interns/ Last updated: 2026-06-02T16:08:19.000Z South Dakota News Watch is again hosting two young journalists this summer through paid internships from the South Dakota State University Foundation and the Scripps Howard Foundation. They both start next week. Here are their biographies. ## Amina Aidarkhanova, SDSU **Amina Aidarkhanova** (eye-dar-HA-no-va) is pursuing a double major in sociology and journalism at South Dakota State University in Brookings. Originally from Karaganda, Kazakhstan, she brings an international and cross-cultural perspective to her reporting, with a particular interest in rural communities, social inequality and the experiences of underrepresented groups. At SDSU, Aidarkhanova is a reporter for The Collegian, covering campus and community stories. Her academic work in sociology has strengthened her interest in examining how larger social forces shape individual lives, an approach she hopes to bring to her reporting at News Watch. In addition to her journalism experience, she is conducting independent research through a university fellowship focused on the role of women in rural communities. Fluent in Kazakh and Russian, proficient in English and intermediate level in French, Aidarkhanova is passionate about thoughtful, data-informed storytelling that connects local issues to broader social contexts. In her spare time, she enjoys reading research articles, exploring different cultures through language, travel and playing different kinds of sport. Aidarkhanova received the 2026 **Jeffrey B. Nelson** Investigative Journalism Endowed Internship and the **Chuck Raasch** and **Sandy Johnson** Scholarship from the **SDSU Foundation**, which cover her salary and tuition expenses. ## Elena Tittel, Northwestern University **Elena Tittel** is a master’s student at Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism in Chicago and in the Medill Investigative Lab based in Washington. She earned a bachelor of the arts degree in English and psychology from Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, New York. A research-oriented and data-driven reporter, who has previously covered housing, homelessness, public health and community events and organizations, she has experience reporting for ProPublica, Medill Investigative Lab D.C., Hyde Park Herald, The Fauquier Times, WAMC Northeast Public Radio, The Saratogian, Franky in New York, The Skidmore News and Medill News Service, reporting on the Capitol Hill. With an extensive, strong background in local journalism, Tittel is extremely passionate about community-centric reporting and amplifying the voices of those who may not otherwise be heard. She is expected to finish her degree in August. Tittel's internship was funded with support from the Nonprofit Newsroom Internship Program created by **The Scripps Howard Fund** and the **Institute for Nonprofit News**. ****Do you value education?** Please consider helping to cover the investment of our internship program. [Yes, I will support News Watch's interns ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact:** [*info@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:info@sdnewswatch.org). ### South Dakota primary and local election preview URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-2026-primary-election-preview/ Last updated: 2026-06-01T12:42:31.000Z For a non-presidential election year, 2026 has the makings of one of those political seasons that South Dakotans talk about years or even decades to come. Advertising and communication in a contentious Republican race for governor has dominated airwaves, social media feeds and text notifications. But because of a law change that puts many local contests on Tuesday's ballot, more than just the party faithful have something at stake in a lot of places across the state. ****Get South Dakota news and information** in a free email on weekdays. Cancel any time. [Subscribe ](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/#/portal) [Find out which district you live in](https://vip.sdsos.gov/VIPLogin.aspx?ref=sdnewswatch.org) through the South Dakota Secretary of State website and also see [the list of candidates](https://vip.sdsos.gov/candidatelist.aspx?eid=773&ref=sdnewswatch.org) you can vote for as well as a sample ballot, though it may not include all local races. Early and absentee voting started last month, but if you're early voting Monday or going to the polls Tuesday, here's a summary of the key races along with links to South Dakota News Watch's coverage. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/06/SD-Candidates-collage.jpg) Top row from left: South Dakota GOP gubernatorial candidates Toby Doeden, Jon Hansen, Dusty Johnson and Larry Rhoden. Bottom row from left: Senate candidates Mike Rounds and Justin McNeal; House candidates Marty Jackley and James Bialota. ### South Dakota governor Four Republicans are running to represent the party and meet Democratic candidate Dan Ahlers in the Nov. 3 general election nomination. Here are the Republican candidates with links to profiles by News Watch's Alexander Rifaat: - Aberdeen businessman Toby Doeden (R) [Read his profile](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/toby-doeden-republican-governor-sd-primary-election/) - State House Speaker Jon Hansen (R) [Read his profile](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/jon-hansen-republican-primary-governor/) - U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson (R) [Read his profile](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/dusty-johnson-republican-primary-governor/) - Gov. Larry Rhoden (R) [Read his profile](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/larry-rhoden-republican-primary-governor/) If Doeden, Hansen, Johnson or Rhoden doesn't receive 35% of the vote in the Republican primary, a runoff election between the two top vote-getters will be held eight weeks later, on July 28\. [Read about the latest campaign finance reports filed by each Republican candidate](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/governor-primary-campaign-election-financing/) Watch the debates involving the four Republicans running for governor: - [KELO-TV, March 31, 2026](https://www.keloland.com/video/keloland-news-republican-gubernatorial-debate/11658448?ref=sdnewswatch.org) - [SDPB/SDNW, April 13, 2026](https://www.sdpb.org/politics/2026-04-13/2026-republican-gubernatorial-candidate-debate?ref=sdnewswatch.org) - [Forum/Dakota Scout, April 27, 2026](https://www.thedakotascout.com/p/live-730-final-gop-debate-between?ref=sdnewswatch.org) ### US Senate U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds, one of two U.S. senators in Congress from South Dakota, is up for re-election this year. Republican voters in Tuesday's primary are choosing between him and challenger Justin McNeal. The winner will meet Democrat Julian Beaudion and Independent Brian Bengs in the Nov. 3 general election. [Read more about McNeal and Rounds](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-gop-primary-election-us-senate-mike-rounds-justin-mcneal/) ### US House of Representatives When Johnson opted to run for governor, it opened up South Dakota's only seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. Republican voters on Tuesday will choose between Attorney General Marty Jackley and James Bialota Jr., and the winner will meet Democrat Nicole Gronli in the Nov. 3 general election. [Read more about Bialota and Jackley](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-gop-primary-election-us-house-marty-jackley-james-bialota/) ### South Dakota Legislature The South Dakota Legislature is comprised of 105 lawmakers from 35 legislative districts, each of which has one senator and two representatives. [Read about some of the key primary races](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-senate-primary-rematches-election/) ### Local races A new South Dakota law about municipal election dates added a lot of races to ballots for many voters, but it also means many non-partisan voters have something to vote on Tuesday. That includes in Sioux Falls, where the city's municipal elections used to be held in April. Voters will be choosing a new mayor, city council members and school board members Tuesday. Elsewhere in the state, local ballots include positions like county commissioners, auditor, sheriff and the register of deeds. [Read Molly Wetsch's story about some hotly contested local elections](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-primary-election-local-races-june-2-voting/), including in Brown and Fall River counties and elsewhere. ### More information about voting and elections [South Dakota News Watch's voter guide](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-voter-guide-primary-general-election/) includes much more information about voting, including what to take to the polls, important dates ahead of the November election and how other candidates for other statewide offices are chosen. ****Trusted, independent sources of information are needed more than ever. Partner with us to produce fact-based news.** [Donate ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact:** [*info@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:info@sdnewswatch.org). ### Fact brief: Does eating out cost an average of $28 in South Dakota? URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/fact-brief-south-dakota-average-dinner-cost-kevin-oleary/ Last updated: 2026-06-01T10:00:19.000Z # No. The average price to eat out is not $28 in any state, including South Dakota. Canadian businessman and television personality Kevin O’Leary sparked a national debate after saying young people overspend on meals instead of saving and investing. “I can’t stand it when I see kids that are making 70 grand a year and spending $28 dollars on lunch,” he said. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/06/FactBrief.png) The telehealth company Top Nutrition Coaching compared the cost of eating out to the cost of eating in for the most populated city in each state. It found that in South Dakota, the cost of eating out at a more affordable restaurant was $14.75\. In contrast, the cost of eating in was $4.18, a difference of $10.57. Nationwide, the average cost to eat out was $16.28 versus $4.23 to eat in. That’s almost four at-home meals for every one restaurant meal. *This fact brief responds to claims such as* [*this one*](https://x.com/intent/like?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E2056460553313476902%7Ctwgr%5Ecb4a391233baf5671ae1c71319be0128b40a45e3%7Ctwcon%5Es1%5F&ref%5Furl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ibtimes.co.uk%2Fkevin-oleary-financial-discipline-inflation-debate-1797825&tweet%5Fid=2056460553313476902&ref=sdnewswatch.org)*.* ## Sources Top Nutrition Coaching: [The cost of eating out versus eating in by state](https://www.topnutritioncoaching.com/blog/cost-of-eating-out-vs-eating-in?ref=sdnewswatch.org) US Bureau of Labor Statistics: [Consumer Price Index — April 2026](https://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/cpi.pdf?ref=sdnewswatch.org) --- [South Dakota News Watch](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/) partners with [Gigafact](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) to publish fact briefs that refute or confirm a claim with supporting information and additional evidence and context. Send questions or feedback to [news@sdnewswatch.org](mailto:news@sdnewswatch.org). Submit a question for us to answer [on the tipline](https://gigafact.org/tipline/south-dakota-news-watch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact freelance reporter Michael Klinski:* michael.klinski@sdnewswatch.org.* ### Larry Rhoden: The Incumbent URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/larry-rhoden-republican-primary-governor/ Last updated: 2026-05-30T17:41:17.000Z *This is the final installment in a four-part series profiling the four candidates seeking the GOP nomination for governor of South Dakota.* PIERRE, S.D. – Gov. Larry Rhoden doesn't hold back when asked about the slew of ads attacking his record that have flooded South Dakota airwaves and social media feeds over the past few weeks. "Somebody who will willfully, intentionally and maliciously lie about another candidate to the people of South Dakota in order to gain political favor has no business running for office," Rhoden told News Watch. "It's a harsh thing to say, and I never would have dreamed of saying it, but I have to." While not explicitly mentioning him by name, Rhoden was almost certainly referring to one of his Republican challengers, U.S. House Rep. Dusty Johnson. Johnson has put out a series of ads slamming recent legislation signed into law by the governor that, in some fashion, lowers property taxes in exchange for raising sales taxes. > "I went from being a farm boy to being majority leader in four years." > – South Dakota Gov. Larry Rhoden What does Rhoden make of Johnson saying the measures represent the largest sales tax increase in state history? "It is unquestionably false, and people know that," Rhoden said. Rhoden invited News Watch to the governor's mansion for an interview as the race to secure the GOP gubernatorial nomination heads into the final stretch. According to a poll [commissioned](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-republican-gop-primary-governor-gubernatorial/) by News Watch and the Chiesman Center for Democracy released last month, Johnson held a comfortable lead, but not enough to avoid a runoff, over Rhoden and the two other contestants: state House Speaker Jon Hansen and Aberdeen businessman Toby Doeden. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/05/Larry-Rhoden-debate.JPG) South Dakota Gov. Larry Rhoden and First Lady Sandy Rhoden speak with attendees ahead of GOP gubernatorial debate on Monday, April 14, at the SDPB studious in Sioux Falls. (Photo: Jon Beringer / for South Dakota News Watch) If no candidate achieves at least 35% of the vote come June 2, the top two finishers will head to a runoff scheduled for July 28\. The winner of that contest will meet Democrat Dan Ahlers in the Nov. 3 general election. While [theoretically](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-sales-tax-governor-primary-fact-brief/) Johnson's sales tax claim does have some veracity under specific circumstances, Rhoden's response appears to show a man caught between wanting to hit back at accusations leveled against him but at the same time mindful he often touts restoring civility in politics as one of the tenets both of his administration and campaign. Last month, [Rhoden told a gathering of journalists](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/republican-governor-race-rhoden-johnson-threat/) that Johnson, through a mutual friend, tried to keep him from entering the governor's race. As election day draws near, Rhoden seems to, subtly, be taking off the gloves. ## A sense of service Rhoden was lieutenant governor in January 2025 when President Donald Trump picked former Gov. Kristi Noem to be secretary of the Department of Homeland Security. While Rhoden battles to keep his job as governor, he cited his parents and the upbringing he and his four siblings, including a fraternal twin sister, experienced in rural Meade County as a source of motivation and guidance. "I was born and raised on a small farm that was stereotypical of the day. We had everything from milk cows, beef cows, horses, sheep, pigs, chickens. You name it. We had it," Rhoden said. "Our parents always instilled in us a sense of service." Rhoden's grandfather fought in World War I, his father served in World War II and his brother fought in Vietnam. Meanwhile Rhoden served in the National Guard from 1978 to 1985\. Rhoden described both of his parents as staunch Roosevelt Democrats. "They grew up as children of the Depression on a small farm, so they were very beholden to Roosevelt," Rhoden said. ****Get South Dakota news and information** in a free email on weekdays. Cancel any time. [Subscribe ](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/#/portal) He said that as a young adult, he felt the agriculture- and rural-friendly Democratic Party his parents once supported had begun to waver and eventually was drawn by former President Ronald Reagan to the Republican Party. "Reagan was a huge influence on me because he drew a bright line in the sand as far as defining what it meant to be a conservative or liberal," Rhoden said. "It was a defining moment for me because I felt, 'I'm not leaving the Democrat Party, the Democrat Party left me.'" When asked about his steady rise in politics, Rhoden attempted to portray the attitude of an office seeking the man rather than the man seeking the office. "Someone asked if I would run for the school board, so I did. Then one of the commissioners said I should run for the Legislature," Rhoden said. "I jokingly say that when I found out that I would have to resign from the school board if I won that's what made me agree (to run for the Legislature)." [South Dakota Election Voter GuideEverything South Dakota voters need to know about statewide contests in the primary and general elections.![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)South Dakota News WatchAlexander Rifaat![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/size/w1200/2025/11/2024-6-4-Election-signs-1.JPG)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-voter-guide-primary-general-election/) Rhoden was elected to the South Dakota House in 2000, the first election impacted by new term limit laws. "We had a huge class of freshman lawmakers. The most significant impact it had was all the veteran legislators in leadership positions were booted out, so there was a vacuum," Rhoden said. The absence of an established hierarchy allowed Rhoden to quickly rise up the leadership ranks, becoming House majority leader after the 2004 elections. "I went from being a farm boy to being majority leader in four years," Rhoden said. He said that time period helped develop his leadership abilities by understanding his own limitations and knowing when to delegate tasks. "I understood my weaknesses. I knew there was a lot I didn't know. But I knew well enough to put the right people in the room with me," Rhoden said. After serving in the state House, Rhoden moved to the state Senate for six years before moving back to the House until Noem picked him as her lieutenant governor. ## Calming the waters Rhoden said his time as Noem's deputy was productive but challenging, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, and that by the time he ascended to the governorship a toxic atmosphere of infighting within South Dakota's Republican Party had taken shape. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/05/2025-12-2-Rhoden-budget-address-podium.jpeg) Gov. Larry Rhoden delivers his budget address in the state Capitol in Pierre, S.D., on Dec. 2, 2025\. (Photo: Courtesy South Dakota Governor's Office) "One of the missions I was on when I took the reigns was to calm the waters and make civility, openness and responsiveness the cornerstones of my administration," Rhoden said, not acknowledging Noem's own role in creating a divisive environment in Pierre. When asked about his proudest accomplishment as governor, Rhoden points to a deal reached last year with the Legislature during a special session to fund a new prison in Sioux Falls. "To turn that around from not being able to get a majority vote during regular session then get a two-thirds majority approving it says something about my leadership," Rhoden said. ****Trusted, independent sources of information are needed more than ever. Partner with us to produce fact-based news.** [Donate ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) While the $650 million prison deal does put in place a long overdue replacement to the state penitentiary complex in Sioux Falls, commonly known as "The Hill," it did not tackle the [larger issue](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-mens-prison-recidivism-treatment/) of recidivism that has plagued South Dakota in recent years. Nevertheless, Rhoden said he decided to enter the governor's race after feeling his potential gubernatorial opponents tried to sabotage the prison agreement. "It was the final litmus test for me. The three other candidates became more and more divisive and none of them wanted to give me a win because they knew there was a possibility I would be getting in the race," Rhoden said. "If we can prevail against these kind of odds, I feel like I'm the right guy for the job." Rhoden announced his bid last November, much later than his three opponents. Does he regret not getting into the race sooner? "I knew there were pluses and minuses to waiting, but it was important for me to know in my heart of hearts that I was making that decision for the right reasons," Rhoden said. ## On Trump and Noem One aspect of this contentious gubernatorial primary battle so far has been the absence of a coveted endorsement by Trump, who has been seen as a Republican kingmaker in recent years. That was evidenced most recently in Texas with state Attorney General Ken Paxton's win over U.S. Sen. John Cornyn in that state's GOP Senate primary. Trump publicly backed Paxton in the final days of the race. When asked about the lack of an endorsement, Rhoden shrugged it off and suggested Trump only likes to pick on safe bets. "I don't spend a lot of time fretting about it. If you look at who he's endorsed, he likes endorsing winners and seldom goes out on a limb. And here we have a four-way primary with a seated House member in the race," Rhoden said. "I just think he's outside his comfort zone in terms of making an endorsement in this race." ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/05/2024-3-13-Rhoden-w_Noem-1.JPG) Gov. Larry Rhoden, appearing March 13, 2024, at a town hall meeting in Mitchell, S.D., with former Gov. Kristi Noem. (Photo: Stu Whitney / South Dakota News Watch) Rhoden also dismissed concerns his association with Noem could damage his chances in the contest. "I have established my own record of results to stand on," Rhoden said. When asked about the News Watch/Chiesman Center poll last month that [showed ](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-poll-trump-noem-rounds-thune-rhoden/)a majority of South Dakotans disapproved of Noem's job as DHS secretary and approved of Trump's decision to fire her, Rhoden defended her. "She was the victim of some unfortunate incidents that took place," he said. Under Noem's leadership, Immigration, Customs and Enforcement (ICE) officers in January shot and killed two protestors in Minnesota. Noem was widely slammed for saying the individuals were committing "domestic terrorism." Trump replaced her in March, with Noem moving to a newly created position as special envoy for the Shield of the Americas. Rhoden called Noem "smart" and said that in discussions with her it was apparent she knew what she was getting into. "In Trump's first term, he went through five different secretaries of Homeland Security. She probably wasn't expecting to stay there all four years given all the turmoil," Rhoden said. Heading into the final stretch of the campaign, Rhoden said his emphasis on his rural roots and years of pubic service will resonate with voters. "I'm the only one in the race that has earned my living in agriculture. The only one who has served as commander-in-chief of the South Dakota National Guard. The only one who has even served as a volunteer fireman. This goes back to my commitment to service," Rhoden said. "I joke that I'm in pretty good shape for the shape I'm in. We've done everything we can. The more people I talk to, the more encouragement I get." [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact politics and statehouse reporter Alexander Rifaat:* 605-736-4396/*[*alexander.rifaat@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:alexander.rifaat@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Documentary about SD boarding school premieres in New York City URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/native-american-indian-boarding-school-documentary-premiere-new-york/ Last updated: 2026-05-31T22:05:35.000Z NEW YORK – The Walter Reade Theater at Lincoln Center was packed Wednesday night for a movie premiere, but it wasn’t filled with the usual sparkling gowns and tuxedos. Instead, attendees wore ribbon skirts, beadwork, full regalia and other Native-made designs. The sold-out world premiere of “Nine Little Indians,” a documentary about the nine Charbonneau sisters’ experiences of abuse at a Native boarding school in South Dakota, was equal parts a celebration and a somber affair. Handshakes and greetings said "Congratulations" and "I'm sorry" at the same time. Screenings of the film in South Dakota are being planned for later this year. [‘Nine Little Indians’ tells story from SD’s ‘painful’ Native boarding schoolsHow a film about nine sisters abused at a Native American boarding school illustrates the broad scope of South Dakota’s history with the system.![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)South Dakota News WatchMolly Wetsch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/ninelittleindians2-96078496e27e15d32f59e8f81a60020c038779021723bac3771774f9fa7e0561.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/nine-little-indians-documentary-south-dakota-native-boarding-schools/) ## Premiere mixes Hollywood with South Dakota During the premiere, executive producers Tony Robbins and George DiCaprio, father of actor Leonardo DiCaprio, rubbed shoulders with members of various tribes in South Dakota, some of whom made their first trip to New York City. One young girl, with two braids in her hair and wearing a flashy red and yellow ribbon skirt, excitedly bounced up to the box office window to collect her ticket, proudly stating "I'm in the movie!" She was one of several Native children hired to star in recreations of the sisters' experience at the school. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/05/IMG_0340_2.jpg) Attendees at the world premiere of "Nine Little Indians" on May 27, 2026, in New York wearing a ribbon skirt and ribbon pants, which are traditional Indigenous designs. (Photo: Molly Wetsch/South Dakota News Watch) When attendees were seated, it became clear that the following several hours would be much heavier than the light, excited and anticipatory atmosphere outside the theater. Lakota historian and Oglala Lakota College instructor Darrell Red Cloud performed a ceremonial prayer song before the film began. ![Director Shannon Kring, Yvonne Charbonneau, Darrell Red Cloud and George DiCaprio](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/05/IMG_0400-2.jpg) Director Shannon Kring, Yvonne Charbonneau, Darrell Red Cloud and George DiCaprio at the premiere of "Nine Little Indians" in New York on May 27, 2026\. (Photo: Molly Wetsch/South Dakota News Watch) "We sing this song whenever we're starting our ceremony, asking the Great Spirit to look down upon us and have pity upon us as we struggle in this life upon Mother Earth," Red Cloud said before he began. In a striking a display of solidarity, every person in the theater stood for the entirety of Red Cloud's performance, which lasted for about three minutes. He ended the song by saying "Mitákuye Oyás'iŋ," a Lakota phrase that means "all my relations" or "we are all related." ## Documentary tackles generational trauma, legal battles The film spans decades of the Charbonneau sisters' lives. It begins with the story of their childhood at the Yankton Sioux Tribe's Marty Indian School, with gripping, devastating recreations of traumatic events layered over the sisters' own storytelling. Later, their ongoing battle in the South Dakota legal system takes the forefront, as their former attorney, Gregory A. Yates, explains their [attempted civil lawsuit against the Catholic Diocese of Sioux Falls](https://nativenewsonline.net/sovereignty/nine-little-girls-part-1/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) and the passage of HB 1104 in 2010\. That was legislation passed surrounding the statute of limitations for child sexual abuse that effectively killed the sisters' case. Then, the documentary plants itself firmly in the present day as Marsha Small continues an active search for graves at the school. The film also features several members of the Catholic faith, including former abbott of the Blue Cloud Abbey Thomas Hillenbrand. The abbey provided priests to the school that the sisters attended, including those whom they said abused them. Hillenbrand expressed sympathy for the sisters and said that the church should be willing to rectify its mistakes. ****Get South Dakota news and information** in a free email on weekdays. Cancel any time. [Subscribe ](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/#/portal) In a panel discussion after the showing, director Shannon Kring said that an important aspect of the film was demonstrating how the sisters – and their families – have a desire to find accountability and healing through the film. "The trauma has passed from generation to generation due to what has happened in the Indian boarding school system," Kring said. "But so, too, has the strength and the desire for there to be some healing, and that's what was really easy to capture." ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/05/IMG_9635-2.JPG) Left to right: Lincoln Center programming director Madeline Whittle, director Shannon Kring, Yvonne Charbonneau, Marsha Small, Darrell Red Cloud and George DiCaprio speaking at a panel at the premiere of "Nine Little Indians" in New York on May 27, 2026\. (Photo: Molly Wetsch/South Dakota News Watch) Three of the five living Charbonneau sisters attended the premiere: Yvonne, who spoke in the panel, Geraldine and Francine. They clung tightly to each other throughout the evening. During the panel, Kring asked the sisters to stand and be acknowledged for their bravery after Yvonne named her eight sisters: Joann, Mary Lou, Francine, Roberta, Geraldine, Louise, Barbara and Laurette. A thunderous applause and standing ovation of more than a minute followed as Francine and Geraldine held each other in a tight embrace. Although the film may not necessarily have a happy ending – Small is still searching for graves, and the sisters' case has never been resolved – an undercurrent of hope hung in the air after the film's end. Yvonne said that she thinks the film will help carry on the sisters' fight for justice, and that despite the challenges, she and sisters still see a bright future. "You have to have hope. You have to," Yvonne said during the panel. "If you don't have hope, then you just stay where you are and you don't move forward. So that hope brings you to a place where you need to be. And it's a journey every single day." [Iconic movies shot in South DakotaFrom ‘Dances With Wolves’ to ‘National Treasure,’ these notable movies were filmed in South Dakota.![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)South Dakota News WatchMolly Wetsch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/dances2---9025fcd7c2cc0e19823127a75a6051f4d4ffbc798125d810f0d27c26afb7821c.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/movies-filmed-south-dakota-dances-with-wolves-national-treasure/) --- *Correction on May 31, 2026: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated that there were six living Charbonneau sisters. There are five.* ### More photos from the premiere of "Nine Little Indians" ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/05/IMG_0468_2.jpg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/05/IMG_0322.jpg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/05/IMG_0318-1.jpg) Left to right: Director of "Nine Little Indians" Shannon Kring and executive producer Tony Robbins, Kring speaking with attendees outside the Walter Reade Theater, executive producer George DiCaprio speaking with attendees outside the Walter Reade Theater on May 27, 2026, in New York. (Photos: Molly Wetsch/South Dakota News Watch) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/05/IMG_0485.jpg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/05/IMG_0333_2.jpg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-28-at-1.11.10---PM.png) Left to right: Executive producers of "Nine Little Indians." Skirts that say "Nine little girls," the Charbonneau sisters' advocacy group that works for justice for boarding schools survivors. A ticket to the premiere of "Nine Little Indians" on May 27, 2026 in New York. (Photos: Molly Wetsch/South Dakota News Watch) --- *Molly Wetsch is South Dakota News Watch’s Native and rural communities reporter. Wetsch was born and raised in South Dakota and is a descendant of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe. Her maternal grandfather attended Indian boarding schools in South Dakota: the Holy Rosary Mission School (now Maȟpíya Lúta)* *on the Pine Ridge Reservation and St. Joseph’s Indian School in Chamberlain.* [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact reporter/**[***Report for America***](https://www.reportforamerica.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) **corps member Molly Wetsch:* 605-531-7382/*[*molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Dusty Johnson: The Problem Solver URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/dusty-johnson-republican-primary-governor/ Last updated: 2026-05-29T10:50:31.000Z *This is the third installment in a four-part series profiling the four candidates seeking the GOP nomination for governor of South Dakota.* PIERRE, S.D. – When listening to U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson speak, his vernacular usually includes one sentence identifying a "problem" followed by a sentence on how he would "solve" it. Naturally then, it made sense for Johnson to be a part of the Problem Solvers Caucus, a bipartisan group of Democrats and Republicans in Congress whose stated mission is to change the culture of "obstructionism" in Washington. So why is Johnson looking to swap tackling the multitude of national problems in exchange for coming home to run for governor and confront a number of issues in South Dakota? "Ultimately, this is about leadership," Johnson told News Watch in a telephone interview from his campaign office in Sioux Falls (we were unable to meet in person due to a scheduling conflict). ****Get South Dakota news and information** in a free email on weekdays. Cancel any time. [Subscribe ](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/#/portal) Johnson said South Dakota's rising prison recidivism rate and decreasing education scores in particular are troubling and indicate the state has not had the sort of leadership needed to solve those problems. "We are absolutely capable of fixing both of those things. But it's going to require greater-than-average energy and vision," he said. Johnson said he fits the bill, and a plurality of potential South Dakota Republican primary voters seem to agree, according to a poll [commissioned](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-republican-gop-primary-governor-gubernatorial/) by News Watch and the Chiesman Center for Democracy released last month. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/05/2026-4-13-Dusty-Johnson-SDPB-debate-1.JPG) South Dakota U.S. House member Dusty Johnson prepares for the GOP gubrnatorial debate on Monday, April 13, at the SDPB studious in Sioux Falls. (Photo: Photo: Jon Beringer / for South Dakota News Watch) The survey of registered Republicans found Johnson ahead by a healthy margin in the four-way race to secure the GOP nomination for governor, which also includes current Gov. Larry Rhoden, state House Speaker Jon Hansen and Aberdeen businessman Toby Doeden. At 34% of support from GOP primary voters, Johnson was close to the 35% needed to avoid a runoff. If no candidate reaches that number in the June 2 primary ballot, the top two candidates will face off in a runoff eight weeks later, on July 28\. Whoever wins the Republican contest will then take on Democrat Dan Ahlers of Dell Rapids in the general election in November. ## Home sweet home If Johnson were to win the governorship and head to Pierre, he would be coming home, literally. Johnson was born in Pierre and raised between there and Fort Pierre across the river. > "As a young person, I understood the role of assistance programs. But I also understood if government does too much for people it breeds dependence and not independence." – Dusty Johnson, candidate for South Dakota governor "Sometimes we were on one side of the river. Other times we were on the other side," he said. Johnson, widely considered to represent the moderate wing of the Republican party, said growing up in tough economic conditions instilled in him a belief that government can be a force of good, with limitations. "As a young person, I understood the role of assistance programs. But I also understood if government does too much for people it breeds dependence and not independence," Johnson said. "Since I was a kid, I've always been fascinated about how do we hit that goldilocks spot." That fascination in the mechanics of government eventually led Johnson to the University of South Dakota in Vermillion, where he got his bachelor's degree in political science. After adding a master's degree from the University of Kansas and serving as an adviser to former South Dakota Gov. Mike Rounds, Johnson was elected to the South Dakota Public Utilities Commission and later resigned to serve as chief of staff to Gov. Dennis Daugaard. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/05/DustyJohnson.jpg) Dusty Johnson with his wife, Jacquelyn, and three sons. (Photo: Dusty Johnson for Governor) From there, Johnson jumped to the private sector in 2014, joining the engineering consulting firm Vantage Point Solutions in Mitchell, where he now lives with his wife, Jacquelyn, and their three sons. Johnson took the plunge in 2018 and successfully won South Dakota's sole U.S. House seat, succeeding Kristi Noem, who, in what Johnson hopes to emulate, made the switch from serving in Washington to the governor's mansion in Pierre. ## Mr. Johnson goes to Washington Johnson said his record in Washington shows he has successfully been able to solve many problems important to the conservative agenda. He was named "the most effective House Republican" in Congress on agriculture issues for two straight legislative sessions by the nonpartisan Center for Effective Lawmaking. That same organization last year also named Johnson the most effective House member on Native American affairs and third most effective on transportation issues. Johnson said one of the accomplishments in Washington he is most proud of is the recently passed Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026, commonly known as the Farm Bill. ****Support solutions-focused storytelling.** Help South Dakota News Watch tell stories that identify and share solutions to the state's biggest challenges. [Donate ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) The legislation provides financial and educational support for farmers and ranchers and institutes a number of measures to safeguard them from "unfair" trade practices of foreign countries. Johnson worked to remove a measure that he said could have negatively impacted the use and training of hunting dogs. However, one controversial measure of the bill, which Johnson supported, would have given pesticide companies some protection from "failure-to-warn" lawsuits. Several lawsuits have popped up in recent years linking certain pesticides to cancer. That provision was successfully removed after an effort led by House Republican Congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna of Florida. Johnson defended his support for the measure and said it was being misrepresented. "If you go and read the text, this is about making sure states use actual science to generate labels for the proper and safe use of pesticides rather than political science," Johnson said. "The EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) has a robust, evidence-based, science-driven existing process." ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/05/DustyJohnsonMountRushmore.jpg) Rep. Dusty Johnson speaks during a naturalization ceremony at Mount Rushmore National Memorial on Oct. 2, 2025\. (DHS photo by Tia Dufour) Johnson compared the pesticides issue to the labelling of food products. "We have one nutrition label for food that reduces confusion in the marketplace. We just want to make sure that every state does not have their own label that is unconnected to science," Johnson said. "If we let every single state have a nutrition label, for every box of Cheerios, it would be incomprehensible to consumers." ## Solving problems Johnson said his years representing South Dakota has best positioned him to tackle several of the pressing issues facing the Mount Rushmore State. Turning back to recidivism, Johnson has laid out a plan that calls for a task force with representatives from law enforcement, the judicial branch and parole boards to look at ways to improve supervision of offenders and reform the commutation and clemency process. Johnson hit out at Rhoden for presiding over South Dakota [jumping](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/fact-brief-south-dakota-rate-recidivism-inmates/) to a 50% recidivism rate and said officials are openly expressing their dissatisfaction with the governor. "This is why you're seeing in our largest cities mayors, police chiefs, sheriffs, state attorneys, in a pretty uncharacteristic way, willing to publicly criticize the governor," Johnson said. South Dakota's Fraternal Order of Police has endorsed Johnson. [South Dakota Election Voter GuideEverything South Dakota voters need to know about statewide contests in the primary and general elections.![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)South Dakota News WatchAlexander Rifaat![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/size/w1200/2025/11/2024-6-4-Election-signs-1.JPG)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-voter-guide-primary-general-election/) On education, Johnson also criticized Rhoden for not prioritizing greater funding for K-12 schooling. While Rhoden had proposed keeping education funding flat for fiscal year 2027, South Dakota legislators and Rhoden agreed to compromise, which raised funding for the so-called "big three" — education, state employee salaries, and medicare providers — by 1.4%. Johnson said he wants to set up a task force to examine how states such as Mississippi were able to implement rapid growth in their test scores. "The governor has been pretty public with these failures, but I'm the only one who's actually come out with a comprehensive plan," Johnson said. Heading into the final few days of the race, Johnson is optimistic of his chances. "I feel good about the race we have run. I've talked about the future of South Dakota and how the next 20 years can be the best 20 years," Johnson said. "People understand that we have a great state, but there are some key things we need to do better." [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact politics and statehouse reporter Alexander Rifaat:* 605-736-4396/*[*alexander.rifaat@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:alexander.rifaat@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Iconic movies shot in South Dakota URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/movies-filmed-south-dakota-dances-with-wolves-national-treasure/ Last updated: 2026-05-29T14:26:54.000Z South Dakota has played host to plenty of production crews, many of which use the state's unique physical and cultural landscape – from the rolling prairies to the Badlands and from Indigenous people to early settlers – as inspiration for their stories. ## 'Dances With Wolves' (1990) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/09/dances--.jpg) Kevin Costner against the dramatic rolling prairie in 'Dances With Wolves,' which was shot in western South Dakota in 1989\. (Photo: Dean Semler) Arguably the state's most iconic film, "Dances With Wolves" was shot in western South Dakota in 1989 and released worldwide in 1990\. Directed by Kevin Costner, it tells the story of Costner as Lt. John J. Dunbar, who travels to a South Dakota military post and meets a group of Lakota people. Notably, much of the dialogue in the film is in the Lakota language, which was translated by Doris Leader Charge. Leader Charge taught Lakota studies courses at Sinte Gleska University on the Rosebud Indian Reservation. ## ****Get South Dakota stories** An email summary on most weekdays that links to the full version. Cancel anytime. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. The film won Best Picture, Best Director for Costner and five other Oscars in 1991\. Visitors to western South Dakota can see set pieces from the film at Fort Hays outside of Rapid City, the Tatanka Museum in Deadwood and the 1880 Cowboy Town outside of Murdo. ## 'Thunderheart' and 'Incident at Oglala' (1992) "Thunderheart" is a 1992 film starring Val Kilmer and Graham Greene, directed by Michael Apted. Kilmer plays an FBI agent with Indigenous heritage visiting a reservation to investigate the homicide of a tribal council member. "Thunderheart" was shot on the Pine Ridge Reservation, which is called the "Bear Creek Reservation" in the film, and in the Badlands. The film was well-known for casting Lakota elders like Ted Thin Elk and John Trudell to play critical characters in the story which reflected their own lives. The movie is loosely based off of the events of the American Indian Movement's occupation of Wounded Knee in 1973\. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/09/Thunderheart.webp) Graham Greene and Val Kilmer in "Thunderheart," Michael Apted's fictional story based on the AIM occupation of Wounded Knee and shot in South Dakota. (Photo: Roger Deakins) Apted also directed "Incident at Oglala," a documentary about the occupation. "Incident at Oglala" is narrated by Robert Redford and tells the story of the American Indian Movement, covering the death of two FBI agents and a member of AIM on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation on June 26, 1975\. The film follows the trial of AIM leader Leonard Peltier, who was convicted of murder and given two life sentences. His sentence was commuted to home confinement earlier this year. ## 'National Treasure: Book of Secrets' (2007) "National Treasure: Book of Secrets" famously shot one of its critical scenes at Mount Rushmore National Memorial. In the film, the monument was revealed to be constructed to cover up natural landmarks that led to Cibola, the city of gold. Scenes from "National Treasure," which starred Nicolas Cage, Diane Kruger and Helen Mirren, were shot on location at Mount Rushmore and also at nearby Sylvan Lake in Custer State Park. ## 'North by Northwest' (1959) One of the most iconic films shot in South Dakota, "North by Northwest" is an Alfred Hitchcock spy film starring Cary Grant. Grant's character, an advertising executive, spends time in South Dakota as he is chased across the country by a spy, played by James Mason. The film was nominated for three Academy Awards. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/05/2025-11-14-Highway-244-sign-2.JPG) A sign on Highway 244 in the Black Hills, indicating filming locations for "North by Northwest" and "National Treasure: Book of Secrets." (Photo: Carson Walker/South Dakota News Watch) ## 'East of Wall' (2025) Kate Beecroft's directorial debut "East of Wall" features a western South Dakota rodeo family that grapples with the harsh realities of ranching life. Tabatha and Porshia Zimiga star as themselves in the 2025 "docu-fiction" film, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and won both the NEXT Innovator Award and the NEXT Audience Award. Actors Scoot McNairy and Jennifer Ehle also star in the film. ## 'The Rider' (2017) and 'Nomadland' (2020) Director Chloe Zhao has been inspired by the state of South Dakota for much of her career. A master of "docu-fiction," Zhao has told stories of real South Dakotans, who often play themselves. "The Rider" and "Nomadland," Zhao's most successful releases, were shot in western South Dakota. "The Rider" follows the true story of Brady Jandreau, who is Lakota from Pine Ridge, after a head injury ends his rodeo career. It was primarily shot on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation and the Badlands. Jandreau plays himself in the film, as well as several of his family members. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/09/the-rider.webp) Brady Jandreau as himself in "The Rider," one of Chloe Zhao's many films shot in South Dakota. (Photo: Joshua James Richards) "Nomadland" follows Frances McDormand as Fern as she travels across rural America. She spends a significant portion of time in the film in the Badlands and at Wall Drug. "Nomadland" won three Oscars in 2021: Best Picture, Best Director for Zhao and Best Actress for McDormand. ****Your donation supports trusted, balanced storytelling that's delivered for free to all South Dakotans.** [Donate ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email) *for statewide stories. Investigative reporter *Molly Wetsch* is a* [*Report for America*](https://www.reportforamerica.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *corps member covering rural and Indigenous issues. Contact her at* [*molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### South Dakota student makes it to 2nd round of national spelling bee URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/scripps-national-spelling-bee-2026/ Last updated: 2026-07-08T11:24:37.000Z The student representing South Dakota in the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington made it to the second round of this week's competition. [Oscar Quezada](https://www.spellingbee.com/meet-the-spellers?ref=sdnewswatch.org), who attends Challenge Center Elementary School in Sioux Falls, correctly spelled "taoiseach" in the first round but stumbled in the second, vocabulary round on "protean." The national bee finals will air live from 7-9 p.m. Central time on Thursday, May 28, on ION. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/05/unnamed-1.jpg) Oscar Quezada of Sioux Falls, S.D., representing Challenge Center at Robert Frost Elementary School, competes in the Preliminary Round of the 2026 Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington on Tuesday, May 26, 2026\. (Photo: Scripps National Spelling Bee) Oscar won the 2026 South Dakota State Spelling Bee on Feb. 7 in the 19th round after correctly spelling "arrearage." For the second year, South Dakota News Watch and Dakota Wesleyan University sponsored the state competition, which was held at DWU. Financial support for Black Hills area students also came from the Independent Insurance Agents of Rapid City. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/05/2026-2-7-top-3-spelling-bee-winners-1.jpeg) The top three finishers in the South Dakota State Spelling Bee, held Feb. 7, 2026, in Mitchell, S.D.: Pleroma Otang (2nd place), Oscar Quezada (1st place) and Ashika Gupta (3rd place). (Photo: Carson Walker/South Dakota News Watch) Pleroma Otang, 11, a 6th grader from Brandon Valley Intermedia School, took second place at the state bee and Ashika Gupta, 13, an 8th grader from Dakota Valley Upper Elementary Middle School placed 3rd. Oscar is among 247 elementary and middle school students from around the country who qualified to gather in Washington for the 2026 Scripps National Spelling Bee. [11 middle schoolers to compete in state civics beeThe winners chosen from four regional competitions will meet June 11 at Augustana University.![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)South Dakota News WatchCarson Walker![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/DSC05702-copy-1-f831ed8851a618a6b5015804c44ffef0a64160f64adc3e969a92ff8354d56fb4.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-state-civics-bee-2026/) ****Do you value education?** Please consider partnering with us by helping to cover the sponsorship costs at the link below to ensure the state competition continues. [Yes, I will support the bee ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. *Read*, *subscribe* for free and *donate* at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact* CEO Carson Walker: 605-610-9366/*[*carson.walker@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:carson.walker@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Jon Hansen: The Comeback Kid? URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/jon-hansen-republican-primary-governor/ Last updated: 2026-06-04T10:26:43.000Z *This is the second installment in a four-part series profiling the four candidates seeking the GOP nomination for governor of South Dakota.* DELL RAPIDS, S.D. – The city of Dell Rapids, roughly 20 miles north of Sioux Falls, labels itself "The Little City with the Big Attractions." And it's here, in a relatively humble law office off the main road leading into town, News Watch met with one of its biggest current draws. Over the past few weeks, state House Speaker Jon Hansen has enjoyed a growing prominence in the race to be the Republican nominee for governor. After polling at just 2% when he initially announced his candidacy in April of last year, Hansen, who at 40 is the youngest in the race, now finds himself within striking distance of being one of the two candidates that could make a potential runoff. ![Hansen's law office in Dell Rapids, S.D., on May 11, 2026. (](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/05/IMG_0143-1.jpeg) Jon Hansen's law office in Dell Rapids, S.D., on May 11, 2026\. (Photo: Alexander Rifaat/South Dakota News Watch) In a poll [commissioned](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-republican-gop-primary-governor-gubernatorial/) by News Watch and the Chiesman Center for Democracy last month, Hansen, a lawyer by training, drew 18% of support from potential GOP primary voters. If no candidate receives at least 35% of the vote on June 2, the runoff will be held eight weeks later, on July 28\. The winner of that contest will meet Democrat Dan Ahlers, also of Dell Rapids, in the Nov. 3 general election. So what does Hansen put his steady rise in the race down to after spending the previous few months being viewed as the long shot candidate? "The debates were a huge factor because people across South Dakota were able to line up those four candidates on the stage and take a measure and get a sense of who is honest and who is genuine," Hansen told News Watch. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/05/Hansen-Debate-Photo-1-1.JPG) Jon Hansen speaking at a GOP gubernatorial debate co-moderated by South Dakota News Watch and South Dakota Public Broadcasting on April 13, 2026, in Sioux Falls, S.D. (Photo: Jon Beringer) In a [poll](https://www.keloland.com/keloland-com-original/poll-who-won-the-gop-governor-primary-debate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) of viewers after the first GOP gubernatorial debate on KELO-TV in March, Hansen was seen as the winner, while observers were also left impressed by his performance in the second debate co-moderated by News Watch and SDPB. "The more people have been able to line up the four candidates, the more they have been coming our direction," Hansen said. ****Get South Dakota news and information** in a free email on weekdays. Cancel any time. [Subscribe ](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/#/portal) In the same News Watch/Chiesman poll from last month, 27% of respondents did not know Hansen, which, some observers believe, could indicate he has the most potential of the four candidates to grow his support. "A lot of people hadn't heard of us and in large part, it's never been about us. Karla and I have been fighting for the issues. We're not big self-promoters," Hansen said, referring to his running mate for lieutenant governor, Karla Lems. ## From tragedy to political awakening Hansen's early childhood was marked by the death of his father, who died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Hansen describes the experience as "awful" but that it allowed him, his mother and his sister to grow closer. "For awhile it was just my mom, my sister and I, and what really pulled us through that was the unconditional love we had for each other," Hansen said. His mother eventually remarried and they moved from Yankton, where he was born, to Dell Rapids, where he has lived for most of his adult life. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/05/IMG_1282-2-1-1.jpeg) The movie theater in Dells Rapids, S.D., on May 11, 2026, where Hansen previously worked (Photo: Alexander Rifaat/South Dakota News Watch) He said he had fond memories growing up in Dell Rapids, but he wasn't the best of students. He also wasn't interested in politics. Hansen said that all changed when he got a job working at the local movie theater, where he befriended a female coworker involved in the pro-life movement. "One day she brought up the issue of abortion and, after we had a bit of a back and forth, I told her. 'I don't get it. The baby doesn't even know the baby exists. I don't see what the big deal is?' Then it got real quiet and I noticed that she started to cry. In that moment, I realized there was something I was missing," Hansen said. "I think a lot of people have those moments that get them engaged in the political process," he said. Hansen said the conversation not only awakened his desire to enter the political arena but that it also reconnected him to his Catholic faith. He is married to his high school sweetheart, Sheila, and they have six children. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/05/Jon-Hansen-for-Governor-Family-v2.jpg) Jon Hansen and his wife, Sheila, have six children. (Photo: Jon Hansen for Governor) Hansen subsequently got involved in anti-abortion campaigns in 2006 and 2008, which didn't turn out the way he wanted. In both years, South Dakota voters rejected initiatives that would have instituted a near-total ban on abortions. "The pro-life side lost those fights, but it started the journey I'm on now." After completing an internship at the South Dakota Legislature during college, in 2010 Hansen successfully won an open seat in the state House against a Democratic opponent who, it turned out, was his high school government teacher. "Believe me, he never saw it coming because I was not a good high school student," Hansen joked. Hansen served one term and, after his return to the Legislature in 2019, played a role in South Dakota eventually enacting an abortion ban in 2022\. On the campaign trail, he has also touted his involvement in defeating Amendment G in 2024, which would have enshrined the right to an abortion in the state's Constitution. ## 'In the arena' Hansen said his work on abortion underscores his ability to deliver for the conservative Republican agenda. "I've not just talked. I've been in the arena fighting the fight on the issues," Hansen said. Besides abortion, Hansen also highlighted his work to lower property taxes, which has come under heavy scrutiny from one of his primary challengers, U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson. In recent weeks, Johnson has [utilized](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/governor-primary-campaign-election-financing/) his significant campaign war chest to attack Hansen's role in the passage of a series of bills during this year's legislative session that, in some fashion, lower property taxes in exchange for raising sales taxes. ****Trusted, independent sources of information are needed more than ever. Partner with us to produce fact-based news.** [Donate ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) In particular, there is Senate Bill 245, which will create a property tax relief fund using money generated from the planned 0.3% sales tax increase set to take effect next year. Former Gov. Kristi Noem enacted a law in 2023 that lowered the sales tax from 4.5% to 4.2% until 2027\. Efforts to make the measure permanent were rejected in the state Senate. Hansen said Johnson's claims that Hansen has raised sales taxes are "disingenuous" and pointed out that, at least when it comes to the scheduled sales tax increase, it was a case of trying to make lemonade out of lemons. > "I just don't think it's appropriate for South Dakotans to give out tax breaks to some of the world's richest tech companies. They want to come to South Dakota, they can pay taxes just like everyone else." > – Republican gubernatorial candidate Jon Hansen "We (the state House) wanted to make the cut permanent, but we didn't have the votes in the Senate. Every year after, we tried to make that sales tax cut permanent and every year the Senate didn't have the votes," Hansen said. "So the reality is it was going up anyway." "The next best thing we could build a consensus around was take all that money, dollar for dollar, and put that towards property tax relief," Hansen said, arguing that the break in property taxes will outweigh any rise in sales taxes. ## Cut out waste, promote small businesses Hansen said if he were to ascend to the top job in Pierre, he would focus on examining state finances to see where he could potentially cut more taxes. "We're going to look at our state budget and cut government spending and use that savings to provide more tax relief," he said. Hansen said he also wants to clean up what he sees as a culture of grift in Pierre that favors larger corporations over small businesses. "It's a breeding ground for corruption. You see it when people who sit on the Governor's Office of Economic Development (GOED) board dole out money to certain companies then get executive jobs with those companies," Hansen said, citing the recent [example](https://southdakotasearchlight.com/2025/12/19/company-that-hired-states-former-head-of-economic-development-benefits-from-69-million-in-aid/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) of CJ Schwan's, a food manufacturer that hired a former GOED commissioner and received $69 million in state grants and loans. "I don't think it's appropriate. It seems very Washington, D.C.-esque to me," Hansen said. Hansen's hostility toward larger corporations is further illustrated by another piece of key legislation he passed in this past session. [South Dakota Election Voter GuideEverything South Dakota voters need to know about statewide contests in the primary and general elections.![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)South Dakota News WatchAlexander Rifaat![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/size/w1200/2025/11/2024-6-4-Election-signs-1.JPG)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-voter-guide-primary-general-election/) Along with Senate President Pro Tempore Chris Karr, Hansen passed Senate Bill 135, dubbed the Data Center Bill of Rights for Citizens, which puts certain restrictions in place for any future data center project. He ruled out being open to providing data center companies any special tax privileges to operate in the state. "I just don't think it's appropriate for South Dakotans to give out tax breaks to some of the world's richest tech companies," Hansen said. "They want to come to South Dakota, they can pay taxes just like everyone else." With the campaign entering the final stretch, what's his strategy to win over voters before they vote? "We're going to continue being positive, share our vision of the state and show our track record of results," Hansen said. [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact politics and statehouse reporter Alexander Rifaat:* 605-736-4396/*[*alexander.rifaat@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:alexander.rifaat@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Toby Doeden: The 'Outsider' URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/toby-doeden-republican-governor-sd-primary-election/ Last updated: 2026-05-27T10:35:16.000Z *This is the first installment in a four-part series profiling the four candidates seeking the GOP nomination for governor of South Dakota.* SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – Businessman Toby Doeden said his decision to run for governor of South Dakota wasn't solidified in conversations with family and friends in his hometown of Aberdeen but rather in events that unfolded on a fateful afternoon in Butler, Pennsylvania, in July 2024\. "The second Trump stood up and was yelling 'fight, fight, fight', I knew in that moment God was sending me a message," Doeden said, referring to the attempted assassination of then-candidate Donald Trump, which marked a seminal moment in his successful bid to reclaim the White House in the 2024 presidential election. Doeden said the incident sparked his belief South Dakota needed someone like President Trump, a businessman with little to no experience dealing with the typical horse trading that goes on in the political arena, to fix the ills plaguing the Mount Rushmore State. "We needed a bold outsider to step up," Doeden said. He believes he is that outsider. [South Dakota Election Voter GuideEverything South Dakota voters need to know about statewide contests in the primary and general elections.![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)South Dakota News WatchAlexander Rifaat![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/size/w1200/2025/11/2024-6-4-Election-signs-1.JPG)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-voter-guide-primary-general-election/) News Watch met with Doeden last week in downtown Sioux Falls, where, in addition to being flanked by a handful of campaign staffers, he was joined by his wife of 30 years, Elizabeth. Just a few hours earlier, Doeden received a major boost when a KELO-TV/Emerson College [poll ](https://www.keloland.com/keloland-com-original/doeden-surpasses-johnson-in-latest-keloland-emerson-poll/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)came out that found him leading the GOP gubernatorial primary race at 26%. Doeden, however, appeared cerebral when asked what he thought of the latest figures. "I looked at the poll for about three seconds this morning and went right back to work," he said. Doeden said his own internal polling had shown rising support, but he didn't want to publicize it for fear of accusations of "doctoring the numbers." Doeden said a major factor behind the uptick is the growing number of negative political ads centered on his three opponents: Gov. Larry Rhoden, U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson and state House Speaker Jon Hansen. "It feels different the last couple of months. I wasn't able to put my finger on it. Then we started going to events and when I would shake everybody's hands afterwards they would tell me: 'We weren't going to vote for you, but now we are because we are sick and tired of the three politicians battling it out over the airwaves. We can't even enjoy television anymore,'" Doeden said. ****Get South Dakota news and information** in a free email on weekdays. Cancel any time. [Subscribe ](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/#/portal) Doeden, while critical of his primary opponents, said his campaign strategy has sought to avoid relying on attack ads and has remained focused on bread-and-butter issues such as the cost of living, crime and education. His belief in this approach has been underscored by the amount of his own money he has already put into his campaign. According the [latest financial figures](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/governor-primary-campaign-election-financing/), Doeden has loaned his campaign a total of $4 million since he entered the contest last year. "We're going to win this race. One-hundred percent," Doeden said. ## The boy from Groton Doeden's status as a multimillionaire businessman is a far cry from his upbringing in Groton, 20 miles east of Aberdeen. He owns a number of ventures, including rental property, car dealerships and a casino. While Doeden is keen to talk up his business acumen, little is actually known as to the extent of his wealth. In a gubernatorial debate in Sioux Falls last month, Doeden snapped at a moderator who pointed out that while Doeden had voiced his opposition to government-led economic development programs, he benefitted from pandemic-era paycheck protection program loans. "I don't appreciate you saying that I used it to further my business interests. That's a flat-out lie," Doeden said. He said took out one PPP loan for one of the dozen companies he owns and defended other businesses that used such loans during the pandemic that were intended to help small businesses by funding up to eight weeks of their payroll costs. "Where would our state economy be today if we hadn't fought to keep our companies open? I'm proud of that one loan," Doeden said. ![Toby Doeden and his wife Elizabeth with their four children](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/05/DoedenFamily-1.png) Toby Doeden and his wife, Elizabeth, with their four children: Jackson, Jonathan, Josie and Jennie. (Photo: TobyDoeden.com) The youngest of four children, Doeden said his childhood was largely shaped by seeing his mother, Arlis, work multiple jobs to provide for their family after his father, Doug, was permanently disabled. He died in 2020 and she died in 2021\. "You want to find a role model in life? Find someone that is willing to work seven days a week for 20 straight years and never complain," Doeden said. "She was old school: You do whatever you got to do to provide for your kids." While his father was a self-styled "JFK Democrat," Doeden said his formative years were shaped by his mom's admiration for President Ronald Reagan. "For the very few moments I got with her when she wasn't at work or asleep, she would talk about how much she loved Reagan," Doeden said. Doeden lived in Groton for most of his life until eight years ago, when he moved to Aberdeen after all four of his children graduated from Groton High School. ## Affordability, fiscal discipline top of mind It is perhaps the experience of growing up under strained financial circumstances that leads Doeden to bring up the issues of affordability and the need for greater fiscal discipline at the state level. When it comes to cost of living concerns in South Dakota, Doeden pins the blame not just on former President Joe Biden and what he said were inflationary policies introduced during the pandemic but also on runaway spending in Pierre that, due to a subsequent rise in taxes, has dampened economic activity. "Taxes were increasing at breakneck speeds, yet our revenue remained flat. That's a big, big red flag for somebody who has been in the business world," Doeden said. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/05/TobyDoeden.jpg) Businessman Toby Doeden prepares for the South Dakota GOP gubernatorial debate on Monday, April 13, 2026, at the SDPB studious in Sioux Falls, S.D. (Photo: Photo: Jon Beringer / South Dakota News Watch) While Doeden said the state budget had doubled in seven years from 2017 to 2024, the figure is closer to 61 percent, [according](https://www.urban.org/policy-centers/cross-center-initiatives/state-and-local-finance-initiative/projects/state-fiscal-briefs/south-dakota?ref=sdnewswatch.org) to the Urban Institute. Doeden also appears to run into a math problem when it comes to his plan to eliminate property taxes as a way to provide relief to South Dakotans. Enacting such a measure would lead to an estimated $1.8 billion hole in the state budget, which could deprive the state funding for some of Doeden's other promises, such as raising teacher pay. ## The Trump factor For all the ways Doeden has sought to tie his own brand of populist conservatism with Trump, that still hasn't translated into a coveted endorsement from the president, which he played down. "President Trump has been a little busy. He has ended countless wars. He shut down our Southern border. He's collecting billions of dollars in tariffs to help fund our federal government. I doubt there are too many days he is scrolling Facebook looking at Toby Doeden videos," Doeden said. "I suspect Team Trump is pulling for Toby, whether it's publicly or behind the scenes." Doeden said that, while the other three candidates only demonstrated lukewarm support for Trump on the debate stage, he had no qualms about pledging his loyalty. "I looked at the camera and I said, 'I love Donald Trump,'" Doeden said. [![CTA Image](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/04/SDNW-Logo-Vertical.jpg)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) ****Partner with South Dakota News Watch** and support fact-based news and information. [Donate ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) He added that the president needed a strong "Midwest ally" to ensure South Dakota didn't turn into states such as Minnesota and Colorado that have become solidly Democratic in recent years. Perhaps Doeden's most Trump-esque moment of the interview came when he was pressed on his support for the administration's tariff policy, which was seen as negatively impacting U.S. agriculture. A poll [last month ](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-poll-property-taxes-data-centers-tariffs-voting/)commissioned by News Watch and the Chiesman Center for Democracy found a majority of respondents in South Dakota agreed with the Supreme Court's ruling to strike down the tariffs. > "If they can't at least say the words out loud, 'Thank you Donald Trump for saving our country from Kamala Harris,' I have nothing in common with that person." > \-- South Dakota gubernatorial candidate Toby Doeden on his support for President Trump "I think the people that respond to polls like that, many of them are liberals and they would say 'Donald Trump is terrible' even if he handed them a million dollars in cash. There's nothing to please them," Doeden said. While Doeden appeared to agree that civility in politics was important, he said detractors of Trump's style, especially within the Republican party, should remember the wider context of the 2024 presidential vote. "If they can't at least say the words out loud 'Thank you Donald Trump for saving our country from Kamala Harris,' I have nothing in common with that person." If Doeden, Hansen, Johnson or Rhoden doesn't receive 35% of the vote in the June 2 Republican primary, a runoff election between the two top vote-getters will be held July 28\. The winner of that contest will meet Democrat Dan Ahlers in the Nov. 3 general election. [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact politics and statehouse reporter Alexander Rifaat:* 605-736-4396/*[*alexander.rifaat@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:alexander.rifaat@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Fact brief: Is SD's point-of-sale tax rate at an all-time high? URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-sales-tax-governor-primary-fact-brief/ Last updated: 2026-05-27T10:00:39.000Z ## Yes. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/WhiteFACT-BRIEF--500-x-200-px--2-1-1.png) South Dakotans could pay a record amount of point-of-sale taxes when combining all of the possible taxes across sectors and municipalities. An ad from [Dusty for Governor](https://adstransparency.google.com/advertiser/AR15648079251184287745/creative/CR15469392007327121409?region=US&ref=sdnewswatch.org) claims that Larry Rhoden's and Jon Hansen supported legislation that led to the "highest tax rate in South Dakota's history." The claim is only true when factoring in all of the possible taxes at a point of purchase for certain products and services in certain locations. Point-of-sale taxes include the state sales tax (4.2%, which is increasing back to 4.5% in 2027), municipal sales tax (1-2%) plus a 1.5% tourism tax and 1% municipal “bed, board and booze” tax when applicable. In an effort to allow cities and counties to lower property taxes, the South Dakota Legislature voted in January to allow counties to add an additional 0.5% tax. Municipalities can add 1% to help fund special projects. *This fact brief responds to conversations* [*such as this one*](https://www.reddit.com/r/SouthDakota/comments/1rrskub/higher%5Fsales%5Ftaxes%5Ffor%5Flower%5Fproperty%5Ftaxes%5Ffinal/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*.* ## Sources Google Ad Transparency Center, [Dusty for Governor ad](https://adstransparency.google.com/advertiser/AR15648079251184287745/creative/CR15469392007327121409?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Sales Tax Institute, [South Dakota](https://www.salestaxinstitute.com/jurisdiction/south-dakota?ref=sdnewswatch.org) South Dakota Searchlight, [Yes, sales taxes in South Dakota can add up to 10%](https://southdakotasearchlight.com/2026/04/28/yes-sales-taxes-in-south-dakota-can-add-up-to-10/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) South Dakota Department of Revenue, [Sales and Use Tax](https://dor.sd.gov/individuals/taxes/sales-use-tax/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) South Dakota Department of Revenue, [Municipal Tax Guide](https://dor.sd.gov/media/btoniepk/2026-01%5Fmunicipal-tax-guide.pdf?ref=sdnewswatch.org) South Dakota Department of Revenue, [Tax Guide for County Officials](https://dor.sd.gov/media/lynpyy22/2026-04%5Ftaxguidecountyofficials.pdf?ref=sdnewswatch.org) KELO-TV, Senate passes HB 1245, [giving cities a new tax tool that could raise local sales taxes for capital projects](https://www.kotatv.com/2026/03/25/senate-passes-hb-1245-giving-cities-new-tax-tool-that-could-raise-local-sales-taxes-capital-projects/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) --- [South Dakota News Watch](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/) partners with [Gigafact](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) to publish fact briefs that refute or confirm a claim with supporting information and additional evidence and context. Send questions or feedback to [news@sdnewswatch.org](mailto:news@sdnewswatch.org). Submit a question for us to answer [on the tipline](https://gigafact.org/tipline/south-dakota-news-watch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact freelance reporter Michael Klinski:* michael.klinski@sdnewswatch.org.* ### South Dakota GOP primary preview: US Senate URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-gop-primary-election-us-senate-mike-rounds-justin-mcneal/ Last updated: 2026-05-26T13:21:31.000Z While the race to secure the nomination for governor has dominated the headlines ahead of the June 2 primary, Republican voters will also choose a candidate for one of South Dakota's two U.S. Senate seats. Incumbent U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds, who is seeking a third, six-year term, holds a comfortable lead over his GOP primary challenger, Justin McNeal, a Navy veteran and business owner from Rapid City, according to [the latest poll](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-republican-gop-primary-governor-gubernatorial/) from News Watch and the Chiesman Center for Democracy. Here is a recap of the two candidates along with their thoughts heading into the June 2 election. The winner of the Republican primary will meet Democrat Julian Beaudion and Independent Brian Bengs in the Nov. 3 general election. ## Mike Rounds **Hometown:** Fort Pierre **Age**: 71 **Occupation:** Insurance broker; businessman; former governor (2003-2011); U.S. senator since 2015 **In their own words**: Rounds provided the following statement to News Watch: "Working in the U.S. Senate, I’ve stayed focused on results that matter for our kids and grandkids. That means keeping the government off your back and out of your business and wallet. That means keeping our communities safe and creating a business climate that encourages job growth to keep our kids in South Dakota. And that means safety through a commitment to our men and women in uniform. ****Get South Dakota news and information** in a free email on weekdays. Cancel any time. [Subscribe ](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/#/portal) This past summer, we worked with President Trump to pass the Republicans’ Working Families Tax Cuts legislation. Without Congressional action, the average South Dakota family would have seen a $2,500 tax hike this year. Our legislation not only prevented the largest tax increase in American history, but it also provided additional tax relief for hard-working South Dakota families. That includes no tax on tips, no tax on overtime and no tax on Social Security for nearly 9 out of 10 seniors. We’ve accomplished some great things, but our work is not done. I am running for reelection to continue bringing results back home to South Dakota." ## Justin McNeal **Hometown**: Rapid City (born in Illinois and raised in Texas) **Age**: 42 **Occupation**: Business owner (Dakota BioChar); Navy veteran (2001-2007) **In their own words**: "I'm feeling the people in South Dakota are ready for a change. The challenge we are running into is that not enough people know who we are, but as soon as they know who we are, it's an easy decision for them," McNeal told News Watch in a phone interview. "I don't have millions and millions of dollars. I've been largely self-funding this race up to this point." McNeal, who is a licensed pilot, said he has flown his small plane to events throughout the state in an attempt to get his name out. [New SD law congests local elections; races to watchA new South Dakota law about municipal election dates is adding to an already-heavy ballot for many voters this June.![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)South Dakota News WatchMolly Wetsch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/05/Local-election-graphics.png)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-primary-election-local-races-june-2-voting/) "I talk to people about the issues that matter and I tell them the biggest thing you can do to help me is tell 10 people about me and to go vote June 2\. We need about 50,000 votes to win the primary," he said. McNeal is not critical of Rounds and conceded "he is very popular" but said Rounds has not done enough to tackle the country's growing fiscal deficit. "I don't think Mike is doing a bad job. I'm just concerned with the federal debt and the people that got us into that mess are not going to be the ones to get us out of it," McNeal said. "This is going to cripple the country. It just seems like politicians are focused on what they can bring to their home district or home state. And the problem with that is every member of Congress is doing the same thing, so everyone is taking and taking without making sure we can pay for it." [South Dakota Election Voter GuideEverything South Dakota voters need to know about statewide contests in the primary and general elections.![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)South Dakota News WatchAlexander Rifaat![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/size/w1200/2025/11/2024-6-4-Election-signs-1.JPG)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-voter-guide-primary-general-election/) [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact politics and statehouse reporter Alexander Rifaat:* 605-736-4396/*[*alexander.rifaat@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:alexander.rifaat@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### South Dakota GOP primary preview: US House URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-gop-primary-election-us-house-marty-jackley-james-bialota/ Last updated: 2026-05-26T22:15:20.000Z When U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson opted to run for governor instead of seeking re-election, it opened up South Dakota's sole seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, which he has held since 2019\. In the June 2 Republican primary race, Attorney General Marty Jackley of Pierre holds a commanding lead over gun store owner James Bialota from Piedmont, according to [the latest poll](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-republican-gop-primary-governor-gubernatorial/) from News Watch and the Chiesman Center for Democracy. Here is a recap of the two candidates along with their thoughts heading into the June 2 election. The winner will meet Democrat Nicole Gronli in the Nov. 3 general election. ## Marty Jackley **Hometown:** Sturgis **Age:** 55 **Occupation:** Lawyer; politician; former U.S. attorney for South Dakota (2006-2009); state attorney general (2009-2019; 2023-present) **In their own words:** "South Dakotans have been so kind to me, inviting me into their homes and businesses to talk about how we can make our state and country stronger. I am honored to have earned the endorsements of President Trump, the NRA (National Rifle Association), and the strong support of so many South Dakotans," Jackley said in an email to News Watch. "I am running for Congress because the fight to save our country is in Washington. I will work with the President to strengthen our economy, keep families safe, rebuild our national defense, reduce the size of government, and cut taxes for hard working South Dakotans," Jackley said. ****Get South Dakota news and information** in a free email on weekdays. Cancel any time. [Subscribe ](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/#/portal) ## James Bialota, Jr. **Hometown:** Piedmont **Age:** 48 **Occupation:** Business owner (Dead On Surplus); Air Force veteran **In their own words:** In an interview conducted over the phone with News Watch, Bialota sounded optimistic despite the seemingly large gap in the polls. "It's going a lot better than what other people would like. Let's put it that way," Bialota said. "He's got a record nobody likes." Bialota criticized Jackley in particular as being weak on crime and accused him of misusing state resources but didn't provide any evidence. He has also accused Jackley of falsifying financial disclosure statements and filed a complaint with the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation. While he told News Watch an investigation by the North Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, which handled the matter due to a conflict of interest, proved illegal activity, in fact, when we viewed the report Bialota sent us it showed that his complaint against Jackley was dismissed, citing a lack of evidence. He also sought to play down concerns over his own [conviction](https://southdakotasearchlight.com/2023/06/16/how-stand-your-ground-plays-out-in-court/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) for assault stemming from a 2021 incident in which he took down a 12-year-old boy. Bialota claims he was acting in self-defense in a racially motivated attack and said he is fighting the case in court. While relatively mum when asked what his plan was to gather more support before June 2, Bialota said he was encouraged by the engagement he has seen on platforms such as Facebook. "I like to keep my strategy close to my chest. We do have a strategy and it is playing well. Our social media game is on fire," Bialota said. [South Dakota Election Voter GuideEverything South Dakota voters need to know about statewide contests in the primary and general elections.![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)South Dakota News WatchAlexander Rifaat![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/size/w1200/2025/11/2024-6-4-Election-signs-1.JPG)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-voter-guide-primary-general-election/) [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact politics and statehouse reporter Alexander Rifaat:* 605-736-4396/*[*alexander.rifaat@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:alexander.rifaat@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### The wall and on the web: New ways to honor SD Vietnam vets URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/vietnam-veterans-memorial-day-in-memory-ceremony/ Last updated: 2026-05-25T14:01:23.000Z RAPID CITY, S.D. – In 28 years of being Timothy Bjork's best friend, travel buddy and devoted wife, Bonnie Bjork said there was one topic that her "Tim" was reluctant to talk about. His two tours of duty in the Vietnam War. Tim died in March 2025 at age 77 from multiple cancers tied to his military service. so Bonnie said she can't be 100% certain why he didn't discuss the war. But she knew him well and suspects it was because that while Tim was proud of his service and the important non-combat medical supply duties he performed, he was also somewhat bitter. ![Bonnie and Tim Bjork were married for 28 years and spent much of their free time traveling and experiencing the outdoors.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/05/Bonnie-and-Tim-Bjork-on-a-hike-1-1.jpg) Bonnie and Tim Bjork were married for 28 years and spent much of their free time traveling and experiencing the outdoors. (Photo: Courtesy Bonnie Bjork) He was put off, Bonnie believes, because he was compelled to serve by the draft in an unpopular war that was horrific for both sides. It bothered him that he was so disrespected by his fellow Americans that he had to change out of his Army uniform and into civilian clothes to avoid harassment at airports when he arrived home from war. And – perhaps most of all – Tim came to realize that his service in Cam Ranh Bay and Phu Bai Combat Base exposed him to the carcinogenic defoliant Agent Orange, which would cast a constant shadow over his health and ultimately take his life. "There was some anger in there, and he felt guilty about some of the things that we did to people over there," Bonnie said. "He was very reluctant, and he didn't talk much about Vietnam until recent years, but I think he accepted the way things are and that you can't go back and change the past." ****Get South Dakota news and information** in a free email on weekdays. Cancel any time. [Subscribe ](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/#/portal) And yet, Tim – who didn't wear Vietnam emblems or hats or walk in Memorial Day parades – quietly supported his fellow veterans and support organizations. He spoke frequently with other sick soldiers he met at the VA hospital in Sturgis to soothe them. He attended Vietnam memorial events in Pierre and the nation's capital. And he gave money and time to the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the Disabled American Veterans. Decades after the war, Bonnie said Tim underwent a shift and began to open up more about the war and became more accepting of any appreciation he received for his service in Vietnam. "I think he would appreciate being recognized, but he would also want me to promote other people to be recognized in the same way," Bonnie said. "He felt like he was part of a group, and that all the people in that group need to be recognized." ## 2 memorial events to honor Vietnam veterans With that sentiment in mind, Bonnie said she believes Tim would welcome two posthumous forms of recognition he and other South Dakota veterans of Vietnam will receive in June. ### Vietnam wall replica in Brookings From June 11-14, Tim and a few dozen other South Dakota veterans will be feted in Brookings when "The Wall that Heals" arrives to honor veterans killed in Vietnam and those who served there and have died since. The healing wall is a three-quarter sized replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial wall that contains the names of fallen service members in Washington. [Illnesses related to firefighting foam latest burden for South Dakota veteransMilitary veterans who served at Ellsworth Air Force Base near Rapid City and at Joe Foss Field Air National Guard Station in Sioux Falls are part of new national class-action lawsuits seeking damages due to exposure to toxic chemicals in firefighting foam.![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)South Dakota News WatchBart Pfankuch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/Fire-foam-stock-image-3cb6cf63020d599ab527076c4a2bb9d3769adbcccde012a084543062cd528006.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/firefighting-foam-air-force-military-veterans-ellsworth-south-dakota/) The traveling wall is 375 feet long and nearly 8 feet high and will be accompanied by a mobile education center that will be open to the public 24 hours a day from Thursday, June 11, through 2 p.m. Sunday, June 14, at the Fishback Soccer Complex, 1100 20th St. S. in Brookings. ### In Memory ceremony Then, on June 20, Tim and two other late residents of South Dakota will be among 768 Vietnam veterans who will be formally inducted into the "In Memory" program run by the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund (VVMF) at a ceremony in Washington. The program has provided recognition for more than 8,300 veterans who died due to medical conditions suffered after returning home from the war. Many of those honored died from conditions related to Agent Orange, a defoliant used in Vietnam until 1971 and which an estimated 2.6 million to 3.8 million U.S. service members suffered exposure. The Veterans Administration determined that roughly 20 major illnesses, including cancers and heart disease, were caused by the compound. ![Tim Bjork wears his military uniform in this archive photo](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/05/Timothy-Bjork-Army-dress-living-room-1-1.jpg) Tim Bjork, who was born in Luverne, Minn., and also lived in the South Dakota cities of Madison, Pierre and Rapid City, served two tours in Vietnam where he worked as an Army medical supply clerk. (Photo: Courtesy Bonnie Bjork) The names of the new honorees, including the three veterans from South Dakota, will be read aloud starting at 10 a.m. Eastern Time on June 20 in a ceremony on the East Knoll of the wall memorial. The ceremony will be shown live on the [VVMF website](https://www.vvmf.org/live/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). “For many Vietnam veterans, coming home from Vietnam was just the beginning of a whole new fight," Jim Knotts, president and CEO of the VVMF, said in a news release. "Many never fully recovered, either physically or emotionally, from their experiences. As these veterans pass, it is our duty and solemn promise to welcome them home to the place that our nation has set aside to remember our Vietnam veterans." As part of the recognition, In Memory veterans are also given an individual memorial page on the VVMF website, which is already accessible to the public for the 2026 honorees. ### In Memory honorees Here are the three 2026 South Dakota In Memory honorees and links to their personal information pages on the memorial website: ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/05/Timothy-Bjork-military-portrait-2-1.jpeg) Timothy M. Bjork [Timothy M. Bjork](https://www.vvmf.org/Honor-Roll/506745/Timothy-M-Bjork?ref=sdnewswatch.org), of Rapid City. Born May 4, 1947, and died March 3, 2025\. Worked for former South Dakota Department of Environment and Natural Resources and for South Dakota Parks and Wildlife Foundation. Due to exposure to Agent Orange in Vietnam, Bjork died of metastatic skin cancer. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/05/Theodore-Knudson-headshot-2-1-1-1.png) Theodore G. Knudsen [Theodore G. Knudsen](https://www.vvmf.org/Honor-Roll/503948/Theodore-G-Knudsen?ref=sdnewswatch.org), of Rosholt. Born Jan. 10, 1948, and died July 25, 2024\. Served in Army in Vietnam, where he was awarded the Purple Heart, Bronze Star with “V”, Air Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Combat Infantry Badge, and Parachutist Badge. Knudson worked as an administrator and coach in five school districts, including in Gregory, Wessington and Bowdle. He suffered post-traumatic stress disorder and exposure to Agent Orange in Vietnam and died of dementia. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/05/Gregory-Overholt-head-shot-2-1.jpg) Gregory J. Overholt [Gregory J. Overholt](https://www.vvmf.org/Honor-Roll/506803/Gregory-John-Overholt?ref=sdnewswatch.org) of Piedmont. Born March 21, 1948, and died July 17, 2025\. Overholt served in the Army in Vietnam. He worked as a military recruiter and later retired as a corrections administrator at the Pennington County Sheriff's Office. No cause of death was listed. Anyone interested in nominating a veteran for the In Memory program can visit [this website](https://www.vvmf.org/In-Memory-Program/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) to learn the details. ## Overcoming a variety of health hurdles Visitors to the In Memory web page for Tim Bjork will learn much about his service, his life, his family and the laborious but mostly successful battle he fought against myriad illnesses related to his service in Vietnam. Tim had a heart attack at age 33 and later obtained a heart transplant in 2006, which helped him thrive for nearly 20 more years. He suffered from other cancers that attacked his skin, an area above his eye and his lungs. [![CTA Image](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/04/SDNW-Logo-Vertical.jpg)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) ****Partner with South Dakota News Watch** and support fact-based news and information. [Donate ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) After numerous visitors to VA hospitals in Sturgis and Rapid City and to the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, Bonnie said she and Tim were able to live a very full life filled with career accomplishments, volunteerism, travel, outdoor activities and many moments of joy. Both Bonnie and Tim worked for years in state government, where Bonnie served as commissioner of economic development and in Medicaid administration. Tim worked in pollution control within the former Department of Environment and Natural Resources. Later, he served as executive director of the South Dakota Parks & Wildlife Foundation, where he helped establish the Mickelson Trail and the Outdoor Campus West, Bonnie said. ## Angler, hunter and traveling companion One unexpected benefit of Tim's time in Vietnam was that he met a soldier from Idaho who shared hunting and fishing magazines that kicked off Tim's lifelong love of outdoor recreation and environmental protectionism. ![Tim Bjork holds a fish in a South Dakota river](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/05/Timothy-Bjork-with-trout-1.jpg) After a fellow soldier in Vietnam shared outdoor magazines with him during their service, Tim Bjork returned home with a passion for hunting, fishing and the environment that became a big part of his post-war life. (Photo: Courtesy Bonnie Bjork) Tim was active in civic and environmental organizations, including Rotary, LifeSource organ donation, Ducks Unlimited and the South Dakota Water Management Board. He also took part in local fly fishing and fly-tying clubs and held fishing licenses in six states at one point. Tim had a daughter, Kimberly Nightser Rensch, and four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. On Sunday, May 24, the day before Memorial Day, Bonnie planned to honor Tim and other veterans by upholding a family tradition of placing flags on graves at the Black Hills National Cemetery near Sturgis, including in Section S, where Tim is buried. She said she will visit the healing wall when it is in Brookings and travel to Washington with Tim's sister to attend the In Memory honor event in June. During a recent interview with News Watch, Bonnie was asked what she will miss most about her beloved Tim. Fighting back tears, Bonnie replied: "It's the companionship because we did a lot of things together. He was the guy that would say, 'OK, it's a beautiful day. Let's go up to Pactola (Reservoir),' and he would fish and I would take a little hike or sit by a stream and read a book. And we'd always ask each other, 'Where is our next trip going to be?'" [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact* *content director Bart Pfankuch:** 605-937-9398*/*[*bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org). ### 11 middle schoolers to compete in state civics bee URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-state-civics-bee-2026/ Last updated: 2026-05-22T11:50:24.000Z Eleven 6th to 8th grade students will compete in the South Dakota State Civics Bee on Thursday, June 11, at Augustana University in Sioux Falls for a chance to advance to the national bee later this year. They earned their place through four regional competitions held this spring. It's the second year the state has hosted the bee, which is organized by the South Dakota Chamber of Commerce and Industry. ****Get South Dakota news and information** in a free email on weekdays. Cancel any time. [Subscribe ](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/#/portal) The bee is designed to inspire middle school students to engage in civics, contribute to their communities and better understand American democracy. Dan Kirby, a Sioux Falls businessman and philanthropist, urged the Chamber to bring the competition to the state because of his service on the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation board. "It's their baby. They invented it out of a realization that our civics education and civics knowledge is slipping greatly in most recent generations," he said. "We have more and more voters that really don't understand the structure of the American government, so their expectations are often at great variance from what our system is set up to do." ## Venhuizen, Crabtree among the judges The 11 finalists from the four regional tournaments who will compete: - Brookings: Rachel E., Jay K. and Moustafa S. - Elevate (Rapid City): Kaylin M. and Imogen G. - Dakota Valley (southeast): Ruth A., Grace R. and Maddie P. - Sioux Falls: Elliott F., Samuel D. and Chloe D. The 90-minute state bee starts at 10 a.m. June 11 in Augustana's Hamre Recital Hall in three rounds, said Ali Gabriel, vice president of development at the state Chamber. The first two rounds will be timed multiple choice questions on tablets, with the answers projected on a big screen for the audience to see. The top five students will then meet in the final round and be questioned by five judges about essays they wrote ahead of time. Lt. Gov. Tony Venhuizen and state Sen. Casey Crabtree will both speak during the bee, which will be emceed by Tyler Tordsen, CEO of Sioux Metro Growth Alliance. Judges include Venhuizen, attorney John Archer, state historian Ben Jones, Minnehaha County Commissioner Joe Kippley and Eric Jepsen, chair of the Department of Political Science at the University of South Dakota. [Sioux Falls 5th grader wins South Dakota State Spelling Bee11-year-old is headed to the 2026 Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington after nailing “arrearage.”![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)South Dakota News WatchCarson Walker![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/size/w1200/2026/02/2026-2-7-spelling-bee-participants.jpeg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-state-spelling-bee-results-2026/) Prizes are $1,000 for first place, $500 for second and $250 for third. The winner will advance to the National Civics Bee this fall in Washington. The state bee is free and open to the public. [Registration is recommended](https://www.southdakotabusiness.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) but not required. There will be light refreshments afterward. USD and the Chiesman Center for Democracy are the title sponsors. Other sponsors include Dan and Arlene Kirby, Bluestem Capital Partners, First Premier Bank and Premier Bankcard, Gabriel said. "The reason civics is important for children is political socialization starts very early," said Julia Hellwege, associate professor in political science and director of the Chiesman Center. "The more you are engaged as a child, the more civically engaged you will become as an adult. Investing in our democracy means investing in our children." If people understand governmental processes and get involved, they're more apt to believe their voice counts, she said. "We understand our role and not just that these things are happening to us." ## Other civics-related efforts The state civics bee is one of several ongoing efforts to educate and engage young people and adults alike in the basics of civics and the role it plays in society and government. Here are some of the others. ### Higher education This was the first school year with a South Dakota Board of Regents [requirement that students be proficient in civics](https://sdbor.edu/news/new-civic-graduation-requirement-12-12-24/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) before graduation. To complement those required classes, the Chiesman Center sponsored the [Higher Education Civic Engagement Award](https://sites.google.com/usd.edu/chiesman/civics-award?ref=sdnewswatch.org) that entails teams of two to five students from the [six public universities](https://sdbor.edu/our-schools/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) doing civic engagement projects, with a top prize of $500 per student. This year’s award was granted to a team of USD students: Rejoice Kunadu Adawuvi, Simon Durr, Irene Kamau and Faith Nderitu. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/05/2026-04-09-Chiesman-engagement-award-winners.jpeg) Winners of the Higher Education Civic Engagement Award. (Photo: Jon Beringer) Other Chiesman efforts include the student-led [Dakota Dialogues podcast](https://sites.google.com/usd.edu/chiesman/dakota-dialogues?ref=sdnewswatch.org) focusing on civic education Additionally, Black Hills State University in Spearfish launched the [Center for Civic Engagement](https://bhsu.edu/about/centers/cce/index.html?ref=sdnewswatch.org) in 2024 to provide undergraduate students with civics training. ### '250+ years of American civics and news' South Dakota News Watch partners with Chiesman, SDPB, the Mike Huether Public Service Academy at South Dakota State University and the League of Women Voters of South Dakota to hold interactive community gatherings [on civics and its relationship to news and information](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-civics-media-politics-voting-series/). It has been in Yankton, Rapid City, Pierre and Brookings, and is coming to Vermillion, Watertown, Sioux Falls and the Black Hills Playhouse. ### South Dakota voter guide News Watch is again updating its [South Dakota voter guide](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-voter-guide-primary-general-election/) to clearly explain the process of registering to vote and what's on the ballot this year. ### Election law training As part of its biannual training for journalists sponsored by News Watch, SDPB and the South Dakota Bar Foundation, a national election expert led a free virtual session May 8 on the 2020 election and some new and proposed laws. David Becker, founder and executive director of the nonpartisan nonprofit Center for Election Innovation and Research, was joined by David Bordewyk, executive director of the South Dakota NewsMedia Association, and Justin G. Smith, a Sioux Falls lawyer and legislative lobbyist. Watch the hourlong presentation on [SDPB's YouTube channel](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCvVBOK6lIHubLbsZhA1hxhPHxrefBuGF&ref=sdnewswatch.org). ****Trusted, independent sources of information are needed more than ever. Partner with us to produce fact-based news.** [Donate ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact CEO Carson Walker:* 605-610-9366/*[*carson.walker@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:carson.walker@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### 'Nine Little Indians' tells story from South Dakota's Native boarding schools URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/nine-little-indians-documentary-south-dakota-native-boarding-schools/ Last updated: 2026-05-22T10:34:45.000Z A documentary about nine sisters who attended a boarding school for Native American children in South Dakota and later underwent a lengthy legal battle with the Catholic Diocese of Sioux Falls will premiere globally this month. “[Nine Little Indians](https://www.filmlinc.org/films/nine-little-indians/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)" follows the Charbonneau sisters, who are members of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians. They attended St. Paul’s Indian Mission School, also known as Marty Indian School, in Marty, South Dakota. All nine sisters said they experienced abuse at the hands of priests and nuns at the school. Native American children were sent to boarding schools as early as the mid-19th century. Many boarding schools were affiliated with religious groups, and many were directly funded or supported by the federal government through the Indian Civilization Fund Act. That legislation allowed for funding to religious groups that wanted to open schools for Native Americans in an effort to introduce tribes to the “arts of civilization." > “We cracked 7.5 million (total) views on the trailer in two weeks and a day. Viral, for a documentary, is considered 500,000 views. If that doesn’t speak to the interest in this topic, I don’t know what does. We have no help, we have no marketing budget. This is happening organically.” > \-- Shannon Kring, director of "Nine Little Indians" Shannon Kring, the film's director, has worked with Indigenous communities across the world and directed the 2021 documentary “End of the Line: The Women of Standing Rock." That film chronicles the yearslong fight of the Standing Rock Sioux and other Native American people against the Dakota Access Pipeline. For "Nine Little Indians," Kring worked with executive producers actor Leonardo DiCaprio and motivational speaker and author Tony Robbins. ## Documentary hopes to demonstrate truth of boarding school history While the documentary is an explicit portrait of the sisters’ experience, chronicling their journey and struggles in the South Dakota legal system, it also takes a broader stroke to the nationwide impact of Indian boarding schools. Marsha Small (Northern Cheyenne), a geophysical surveyor, is featured throughout the film as she searches for unmarked graves in the area of Marty Indian School using ground penetrating radar. Small has conducted similar searches at other boarding schools across the nation and has helped to create protocols for surveying burial sites. Searching for graves is an unfortunate reality of the ongoing work investigating boarding schools. [At least 3,000 children died](https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/interactive/2024/native-american-deaths-burial-sites-boarding-schools/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) in Native American boarding schools in the United States between 1828 and 1970, according to an investigation by the Washington Post. ![A class photo of students at the St. Paul's Indian Mission School in Marty, S.D., featured in "Nine Little Indians."](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/05/9LI-12.png) A class photo of students at the St. Paul's Indian Mission School in Marty, S.D., featured in "Nine Little Indians." Kring told News Watch that she wants the film to be a "healing tool" for all of those who were involved in the boarding school system, as well as their descendants, and acknowledged that it will likely bring up difficult feelings for many who have experiences at boarding schools, even outside of South Dakota. Kring said that conversations throughout the film's production and release rollout indicate a general unawareness of the country's boarding school system. An important part of ensuring the film's salience is hitting on the scale and scope of the system, she said. Just [10 states in the country](https://boardingschoolhealing.org/list-of-indian-boarding-schools/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) did not have any Native American boarding schools, and a study from the National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition said that the United States had a total of 526 schools. At their peak in 1926, around 83% of Native American children were enrolled in a boarding school, according to scholar David Wallace Adams. “When we’re out pitching this in whatever form we’re doing it, we keep hitting those numbers, explaining that (there were) more than 500 schools. Saying things like, 'These were government and church-run, and sometimes both, schools.' People have such limited awareness of this that I keep saying to people, ‘How would you explain it to a kid?’" Kring said. [The film will premiere at Lincoln Center](https://www.filmlinc.org/films/nine-little-indians/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) in New York City on Wednesday, May 27\. The sold-out showing will also feature a panel discussion with Kring, Small, Yvonne "Pat" Charbonneau, one of the victims from Yankton, and George DiCaprio, Leonardo DiCaprio's father. Darrell Red Cloud, a Lakota historian and the great-great grandson of Chief Red Cloud, will open the premiere with a prayer song. Kring told News Watch that the premiere will also include a recitation of the Lord's Prayer. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/05/9LI-BUS-EMPTY-LOW-RES-copy-1.jpg) The poster for "Nine Little Indians," directed by Shannon Kring and executive produced by Leonardo DiCaprio and Tony Robbins. Kring also plans showings in South Dakota this summer. She said that she hopes the documentary will resonate even with those who don't have connections to the boarding school system. She has seen a significant public interest in the topic. “We cracked 7.5 million (total) views on the trailer in two weeks and a day. Viral, for a documentary, is considered 500,000 views. If that doesn’t speak to the interest in this topic, I don’t know what does. We have no help, we have no marketing budget. This is happening organically,” Kring said. ## In South Dakota, boarding school history runs deep All of the nine tribes in South Dakota had boarding schools operate on their reservations, and several existed outside of tribal lands. Research from the National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition said that at least 35 boarding schools operated in South Dakota. The National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition (NABS) is also doing its part to preserve the stories of those who attended Indian boarding schools throughout the United States. The organization, which was founded in 2012, is near the end of its [two-year oral history project funded by the Department of the Interior](https://www.doi.gov/pressreleases/interior-department-launches-effort-preserve-federal-indian-boarding-school-oral?ref=sdnewswatch.org). That initiative has involved nearly 400 survivors of boarding schools across the United States sitting down with historians to share their experiences at the schools in video interviews, which will be stored in a permanent, public archive of survivor stories. [A guide to South Dakota’s 9 Native American tribesThe governance, geography, people and economy of South Dakota’s nine Native American reservations and tribes.![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)South Dakota News WatchMolly Wetsch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/sdtribes-map-1-24a212555431e129216479a95f3e88a4a3ea053afcabcdb4b0a59e8e41847e99.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/nine-south-dakota-native-american-tribes-reservations-guide/) It has only been in recent years that the federal government, including the Department of the Interior, has acknowledged its role in the crisis. In 2021, then-secretary of the Department of the Interior Deb Haaland (Laguna Pueblo) announced the creation of the Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative, which is "a comprehensive effort to recognize the troubled legacy of federal Indian boarding school policies." In 2024, former President Joe Biden issued an formal apology for the boarding school system, calling it "a sin on our soul." ****Get South Dakota news and information** in a free email on weekdays. Cancel any time. [Subscribe ](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/#/portal) Charlee Brissette (Sault St. Marie Ojibwe), co-director of the oral history project, told News Watch that heightened public awareness of the history of boarding schools has allowed for more survivors to come forward. It illustrates the vast, often-unexplored scope of the system, she said. "Once it was put on a public platform in a national way is when survivors really started feeling safer to talk about it. We've heard many times that, for decades, they didn't talk about it because nobody believed them," Brissette said. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/05/ninelittleindians1.jpg) A stained glass window, featuring biblical and Native American imagery, at Marty Indian School in Marty, S.D., featured in "Nine Little Indians." Brisette said that hearing real stories, like those told in "Nine Little Indians" and in the oral history project, can allow for a much more potent understanding of the system – especially considering survivors are still alive today. "It really tries to re-humanize it because we can look at stats, we can read books and we can read articles about what's happened. For many people in Indian Country, we all have an idea, we all have this inherent knowledge of boarding schools and what they've done to our communities and our families," Brisette said. "But to be able to witness firsthand stories from survivors ... we're able to see a face of somebody who's been directly impacted. We're able to hear exactly what they've gone through, and how that experience has impacted their life and shaped them as a person." ## Moving forward rooted in reconciliation, collaboration The legacy of boarding schools also lives on in many of the institutions that currently educate Indigenous children in South Dakota. Oftentimes, those legacies are just as complex as the schools that shaped them. Some modern-day schools are on or near the land that former boarding schools operated on. Some former boarding schools transferred to tribal ownership and now operate in a different capacity. Some boarding schools are still open, albeit with very different practices than their historical counterparts. That leads to further conversations about how best to move forward. Bissette said it should be up to tribes and survivors. [Indian rodeo: Documenting 1 of South Dakota’s oldest traditionsHow a lifelong statehouse lobbyist also captures the nuances of rural and reservation rodeos. “I fear I’m documenting the end of something.”![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)South Dakota News WatchMolly Wetsch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/Screenshot-2026-05-06-at-11.18.10---AM-1752dbf74460e8437a9123ccb4d371b70e02ac1923d8a824c64bccfef48ee46c.png)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/indian-rodeo-south-dakota-tradition-jeremiah-murphy-photos/) “Even the question of 'When did the last boarding school close?' … Well, there's still some open, you know? So it's hard. You’ve got to look at it individually, not as a broad perspective because it's like, ‘Is it tribally controlled now? Is it the tribe that took it over?’ That's the main thing,” Brissette said. “It’s school by school. It's hard to have an overall opinion on them as a whole. We support what survivors want and what tribes want. It's really up to the tribal nations to determine what's best for their people, if it's in a jurisdiction that works for their tribe.” It is very likely that through both the oral history project and "Nine Little Indians," public awareness of the ongoing impact of boarding schools will grow. There is, of course, a desire for an increased national understanding of the boarding school system. Generally, though, these initiatives’ greatest goals center around widespread healing for survivors and their communities. [![CTA Image](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/04/SDNW-Logo-Vertical.jpg)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) ****Partner with South Dakota News Watch** and support fact-based news and information. [Donate ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Co-director of the oral history project Lacey Kinnart (Sault St. Marie Ojibwe) told News Watch that oftentimes, allowing someone to speak about their boarding school experience is the most important step in addressing any trauma from the experience. "We definitely can't understate the change that can happen for an individual by sharing their story. We've seen it. Every single week, at least one person says, 'I feel such a relief by sharing my story,'" Kinnart said. "So many people, too, throughout the years have said, 'I've waited 64 years,' or, 'I've waited 70 years to share my story.' And it's the first time they're sharing their story. It is huge, to have the courage and to get to a point where they want to share their story." --- *Molly Wetsch is South Dakota News Watch’s Native and rural communities reporter. Wetsch was born and raised in South Dakota and is a descendant of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe. Her maternal grandfather attended Indian boarding schools in South Dakota: the Holy Rosary Mission School (now Maȟpíya Lúta)* *on the Pine Ridge Reservation and St. Joseph’s Indian School in Chamberlain.* [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact reporter/**[***Report for America***](https://www.reportforamerica.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) **corps member Molly Wetsch:* 605-531-7382/*[*molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Fact brief: Did Dusty Johnson lead the House in charter-flight expenses? URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/dusty-south-dakota-chartered-flights-governor-primary/ Last updated: 2026-05-22T14:03:54.000Z ## Yes. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/WhiteFACT-BRIEF--500-x-200-px--2-1-1.png) South Dakota Rep. Dusty Johnson was reimbursed for private flights more than any member of the U.S. House from 2019 until June 2025, according to an analysis from the nonprofit news organization The Center Square. The outlet examined House disbursement during that time and found that Johnson was reimbursed $63,000 for six years of charter flights, almost $45,000 more than the next representative. The claim was made in an ad by Defend US PAC ahead of the South Dakota Republican primary for governor on June 2. Johnson spokeswoman Kristin Blakely said the large district makes chartered flights necessary. About once a year, Johnson charters a plane to conduct official business, after receiving the necessary approval, she said. South Dakota is the fourth-largest congressional district by land area, and the practice is common for elected South Dakota officials because of the remote nature of the state, Blakely said. *This fact brief responds to conversations such as* [*this one.*](https://www.facebook.com/centersquarenews/posts/pfbid02EcGTkDYZ5Hzf4oGQcTbJNC6C7pAgKkxBAfsZVQE7EhwCkwa4Us4KQTncWTLXMZn4l) **Clarification on May 22, 2026:* This story has been updated to focus only on the House's private plane data reimbursements and add context about in-state travel.* ## Sources The Center Square, [Congressional Perks: Congress spends on pricey airfare, lodging and private jets](https://www.thecentersquare.com/national/article%5Fac8834ed-5d37-47bc-8648-a8701fae7f47.html?utm%5Fcontent=buffere38c6&utm%5Fmedium=social&utm%5Fsource=facebook.com&utm%5Fcampaign=buffer&fbclid=IwY2xjawR71RhleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFhQ1RJTzUyd05PNGs3SFhic3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHiwDuApbUNPzI4ql5B115ZmogbVeBA-TaDBZDW2BzY4Pw5iuqOPfxXA3ss9x%5Faem%5Fqi1IB6Ne3NQftg18Rv7Cvg) Newsweek, [Taxpayers fuel pricey private flights for Gillibrand, Schumer, other senators](https://www.newsweek.com/taxpayers-fuel-pricey-private-flights-gillibrand-schumer-other-senators-1765170?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Google Ads Transparency Center, [Defend US PAC ad](https://adstransparency.google.com/advertiser/AR16687871334394363905?utm%5Fsource=chatgpt.com®ion=US&topic=political) --- [South Dakota News Watch](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/) partners with [Gigafact](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) to publish fact briefs that refute or confirm a claim with supporting information and additional evidence and context. Send questions or feedback to [news@sdnewswatch.org](mailto:news@sdnewswatch.org). Submit a question for us to answer [on the tipline](https://gigafact.org/tipline/south-dakota-news-watch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). ****Support fact briefs.** Help us fight misinformation by supporting fact briefs that refute or confirm a claim with supporting information and additional evidence and context. [Donate ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact freelance reporter Michael Klinski:* michael.klinski@sdnewswatch.org.* ### Final primary campaign filings underscore Johnson's financial edge URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/governor-primary-campaign-election-financing/ Last updated: 2026-05-21T13:53:55.000Z PIERRE, S.D. – Republican governor hopeful U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson heads into the final two weeks of the June 2 primary campaign with a substantial war chest compared to his rivals. His pre-primary campaign finance disclosure form, which all candidates had to submit by May 18, indicates that Johnson, who started the year with roughly $955,000 available in funds, received $3.7 million in contributions through mid-May and spent nearly the same amount, leaving him with a [current balance of $931,000](https://sdcfr.sdsos.gov/Document.aspx?DocumentID=6496&type=img&ref=sdnewswatch.org). That figure dwarfs the balances of his opponents, with [Gov. Larry Rhoden's campaign reporting $170,000](https://sdcfr.sdsos.gov/Document.aspx?DocumentID=6538&type=img&ref=sdnewswatch.org) cash on hand, state [House Speaker Jon Hansen's camp reporting $164,000](https://sdcfr.sdsos.gov/Document.aspx?DocumentID=6539&type=img&ref=sdnewswatch.org) and [Aberdeen businessman Toby Doeden reporting $214,000](https://sdcfr.sdsos.gov/Document.aspx?DocumentID=6517&type=img&ref=sdnewswatch.org). If no candidate receives at least 35% of the vote, a runoff will be scheduled for July 28. [Here are filings for other races](https://sdcfr.sdsos.gov/Search/Search.aspx?ref=sdnewswatch.org). The vast majority of the money Johnson's gubernatorial campaign received came in the form of a $3 million transfer from his congressional political action committee, Friends of Dusty Johnson. While federal law prohibits candidates for federal offices from transferring funds from a state campaign to a federal one, there is no such law that outlaws the practice of transferring funds the other way. Johnson has used those funds to go on a media blitz in the past few weeks as the race to secure the GOP nomination for governor kicked into high gear. According to his filing, Johnson has spent roughly $3.4 million on advertisements alone. In addition to having more cash on hand, Johnson has also been boosted by the spending of political action committees that, while not explicitly supporting his campaign, have voiced their opposition to his rivals. [South Dakota Election Voter GuideEverything South Dakota voters need to know about statewide contests in the primary and general elections.![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)South Dakota News WatchAlexander Rifaat![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/size/w1200/2025/11/2024-6-4-Election-signs-1.JPG)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-voter-guide-primary-general-election/) A filing by the [state political action committee Rushmore Principles](https://sdcfr.sdsos.gov/Document.aspx?DocumentID=109030&type=doc&ref=sdnewswatch.org) showed the group spent more than $1.2 million on television ads and mail attacking Rhoden. Interestingly, and perhaps due to [his steady rise in the polls](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-republican-gop-primary-governor-gubernatorial/), the group reported spending $50,000 on direct mail targeting Hansen. The ads have mainly focused on recent bills passed by Hansen and signed into law by Rhoden which, in some form, raise sales taxes in exchange for lowering property taxes. Johnson claims the slew of legislation amounts to the largest sales tax increase in state history. ## Doeden digs back into his pockets Meanwhile, Doeden has backed up his promise to largely self-fund his campaign by loaning it another $2 million. Doeden gave his campaign $2 million in 2025 and spent nearly all of it by year's end, starting this year with $41,000 on hand. According to his latest filing, Doeden has received approximately $10,000 in contributions this year. Of the $2 million he lent his campaign in 2026, roughly $1.4 million has gone to advertisements, while he has also spent $210,000 on salaries for campaign staff, by far the highest of any of the four candidates. Loans made by a candidate to his own campaign are not tax deductible. ## Key takeaways Michael Card, professor emeritus of political science at the University of South Dakota, said Johnson's financial strength highlights the growing importance of out-of-state money. "I think it’s ironic because most South Dakota politicians will say they hate out-of-state money, but here we are," Card told News Watch. While a large portion of donations to Johnson's federal campaign fund were from South Dakota, he still did receive numerous donations from other states, according to filings with the Federal Election Commission. In addition, the mailing address for the treasurer of the Johnson-friendly Rushmore Principles is listed in Alabama, not South Dakota. ****Get South Dakota news and information** in a free email on weekdays. Cancel any time. [Subscribe ](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/#/portal) Card said that while Doeden has been able to spend a lot of money, the small number of contributors could be a bad sign for him in terms of gauging his level of support. "He had only 20 individual itemized contributions. That's really small," Card said. Candidates are required to itemize any contribution over $100\. Of the $10,000 in itemized contributions Doeden listed on his campaign form, $4,000 came from an individual based in Oklahoma. Card said the strong number of unitemized contributions for the other three candidates could spell trouble for Doeden. "I think the amount of small-dollar donors makes it more likely that those people will turn out to vote. That works against Doeden because he doesn't have many contributors," Card said. [New SD law congests local elections; races to watchA new South Dakota law about municipal election dates is adding to an already-heavy ballot for many voters this June.![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)South Dakota News WatchMolly Wetsch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/Local-election-graphics-03beff2a97f05fc3ad27db78c8c9267c84d66ed0163202c8f90e8fa2922b645e.png)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-primary-election-local-races-june-2-voting/) Doeden recorded $806 in unitemized contributions, while Johnson raised $10,000, and both Rhoden and Hansen recorded $18,000 in such donations. Card said Hansen might be the one best placed to challenge Johnson if the numerous small-dollar donations listed on his campaign finance form translate into votes in two weeks. "Hansen has a grassroots campaign. No doubt about it. He has pages and pages of people," Card said. ****Trusted, independent sources of information are needed more than ever. Partner with us to produce fact-based news.** [Donate ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact politics and statehouse reporter Alexander Rifaat:* 605-736-4396/*[*alexander.rifaat@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:alexander.rifaat@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### New SD law congests local elections; races to watch URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-primary-election-local-races-june-2-voting/ Last updated: 2026-05-20T10:23:29.000Z A new South Dakota law about municipal election dates is adding to an already-heavy ballot for many voters this June. Hotly contested primaries for governor and other statehouse and federal seats in South Dakota have largely been the focus of the ballot that Republican voters will see on election day, June 2\. At the local level, elections also have crowded tickets for primary races. That includes positions like county commissioners, auditor, sheriff and the register of deeds. And even Independents and Democrats across the state, who will in many places not be voting for primary candidates, will want to head to the polls next month to elect positions like city council, mayor and school board members. The packed races reflect an election year with high political involvement across the state, especially in the Republican Party. ![Julia Hellwege, associate professor of political science and current director of USD's Chiesman Center for Democracy](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/05/Hellwege--Julia-1-1-1.jpg) Julia Hellwege, associate professor of political science and current director of the University of South Dakota's Chiesman Center for Democracy. Julia Hellwege, associate professor of political science and current director of the Chiesman Center for Democracy at the University of South Dakota, told News Watch that years with prominent elections, like gubernatorial or national races, often fuel more competition at the local level. "Anytime there's that larger level of salience, meaning how important something is – as much as people want to say, 'I don't like national politics,' there's attention being paid, whether that's by the people or the media," Hellwege said. "So there's attention being spent, and that breeds competition and competition breeds (voter) engagement." ## New municipal election date law aims to boost voter engagement, with extra work for auditors Some cities and towns will also see municipal elections this June as a new election law comes into effect. HB 1130 requires municipalities to hold elections either on statewide primary election day in June or general election day in November. Legislators approved the measure in 2025, and it officially took effect Jan. 1, making this the first election year to see the new date requirements. [South Dakota Election Voter GuideEverything South Dakota voters need to know about statewide contests in the primary and general elections.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-470.jpg)South Dakota News WatchAlexander Rifaat![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/2024-6-4-Election-signs-1-10.JPG)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-voter-guide-primary-general-election/) [South Dakota Searchlight](https://southdakotasearchlight.com/2026/05/01/new-requirement-for-combined-state-local-elections-brings-dizzying-array-of-ballot-variations/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) reported that auditors across the state, who are responsible for election administration, are enduring arduous ballot creation processes, partially because of the increased number of races on primary day due to HB 1130\. Minnehaha County auditor Leah Anderson said her office will print 324 different ballot styles for the June election. A survey from the South Dakota Municipal League indicated that around 61% of cities are holding their elections in June, rather than in November. The bill, which was introduced by former Rep. Will Mortenson, a Republican from Fort Pierre, is intended to increase voter engagement in municipal elections. “Whenever there’s a conflict of administrative ease and voter convenience, I try to put the voter first,” Mortenson told Searchlight. ****Get South Dakota news and information** in a free email on weekdays. Cancel any time. [Subscribe ](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/#/portal) Sioux Falls, the state's largest city, will hold its election on June 2\. Previously, the city's municipal elections were held in April. Voters will be choosing a new mayor, city council members and school board members. Hellwege said it is important that voters understand even though municipal elections occur on the same day as primaries, they are open to all voters – not just those registered with a specific party. "If we talk about this as the gubernatorial primary election, you're both sending a message about what the important ticket is, but you're also sending a message about who can vote," Hellwege said. "If you are not a Republican, even if you are allowed to vote for several of the (municipal) offices, you might not even know or realize that because you just think of it as the primary." Here are some local races to watch. ## Brown County Sheriff: Incumbent faces 3 challengers amid county commission conflicts In Brown County, current Sheriff Dave Lunzman is being challenged by three other Republican candidates: Dan Kaiser, Linn Kamin and Rob Weinmeister. Kaiser formerly served as a District 3 representative in the state House of Representatives. Kamin is a deputy at the Brown County Sheriff's Office, Kaiser is a sergeant at the Aberdeen Police Department and Weinmeister is the director of the South Dakota Office of Highway Safety. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/05/Untitled-design--6--1.png) Republican candidates for Brown County Sheriff, left to right: Rob Weinmeister, Dan Kaiser, Linn Kamin and Dave Lunzman. (Photos provided by the Aberdeen Insider) The winner of the June primary will meet Democrat Anthony "Tony" Sorenson in November. [A forum](https://dakotabroadcasting.com/news/2026-primary-debate-candidate-forum/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) hosted by the Aberdeen League of Women Voters saw more than 50 questions submitted by voters for the candidates, some of which revolved around issues like the county's purchase of a new jail building and how to remain professional when working with county commissioners. Lunzman's tenure as sheriff has been [marked by high-profile clashes with other county officials](https://aberdeeninsider.com/civil-lawsuit-filed-by-mj-lunzman-against-brown-county-dismissed/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). That includes a federal lawsuit his wife filed against several county commissioners and employees claiming discrimination, which was dismissed, and a disagreement about the control of jail staffing. Lunzman, in the forum, said that there has been "a lot of publicity" about his disagreements with county commissioners but maintained that he had done the right thing when it comes to jail staffing issues. “When the commission tries to do something that is not legal, I have to look out for you guys … because you are actually my boss, not them,” Lunzman said of commissioners. ## Fall River County Auditor: 5 vying for role in packed race left open by longtime auditor's retirement In far southwestern South Dakota in Fall River County, the retirement of longtime Auditor Sue Ganje created an opening that five candidates look to fill. Four Republicans will be on the ballot in June: Cindy Burns, Everett Dossey, Bobbie J. Janis and Carol Boche. Lily Heidebrink, an independent, will face the primary winner in November. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/05/Untitled-design--5--1.png) Republican candidates for Fall River County Auditor from left: Cindy Burns, Everett Dossey, Carol Boche and Bobbie J. Janis. (Photos provided by Fall River County Herald Star) Heidebrink formerly served as director of equalization for the county, while Dossey is the current director. Burns, Janis and Boche have also been county employees at some point in their careers – Burns and Janis in the auditor's office and Boche at the state's attorney's office. The election is unusually contested for an auditor's race, especially in Fall River County: Ganje has served as auditor since 2005 and worked in the auditor's office since 1983\. She rarely had opposition when running for re-election. [![CTA Image](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/04/SDNW-Logo-Vertical.jpg)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) ****Partner with South Dakota News Watch** and support fact-based news and information. [Donate ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Hellwege said that [ongoing concerns about property taxes in Fall River County ](https://www.kotatv.com/2024/05/24/property-taxes-increasing-residents-black-hills-region/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)may be a reason that the auditor's race drew more candidates. In 2024, some residents in the county said taxes on their property had increased up to 65%. The South Dakota Department of Revenue describes the county auditor as "the watchdog of the county for property taxes." "That has severely impacted them and has been a serious issue in Hot Springs. And so it doesn't really surprise me that auditor is one of the offices that becomes them so highly contested. Because everybody wants to do something to fix it," Hellwege said. ## Oldham-Ramona-Rutland school board: After narrowly avoiding dissolution, candidates seek to lead district in new era Four candidates are [running to fill two non-partisan spots on the Oldham-Ramona-Rutland school board](https://www.madisondailyleader.com/news/local/local-voters-guide-get-to-know-your-candidates-before-the-primaries?ref=sdnewswatch.org) – one two-year term representing Oldham-Ramona and one single-year term representing Rutland. It comes as the district faced several shakeups in the past year. A vote was held in December for a special school board election that decided the future of the Oldham-Ramona-Rutland School District. Just four votes divided those for reorganization, which would have dissolved the school district and allocated students to surrounding districts, and those against. Oldham-Ramona-Rutland's tumultuous several months also included the appointment of a new superintendent after former superintendent Dawn Hoeke resigned in February. [250+ years of American civics and newsNonpartisan events in Vermillion, Watertown, Sioux Falls and Custer State Park include a discussion about civic responsibilities and how to find fact-based news and information.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-471.jpg)South Dakota News WatchSD News Watch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/FA0A9011-1.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-civics-media-politics-voting-series/) "Over the past two years, I have witnessed and been the target of hatred, control and entitlement that contradict the principles of faith and decency I hold dear. My heart aches for the division and harm caused by those who seek to dismantle this district, regardless of the impact on students and staff," [Hoeke said in the school board meeting](https://www.siouxfallslive.com/news/south-dakota/sadness-disappointment-and-disbelief-orr-superintendent-resigns-with-charged-letter?ref=sdnewswatch.org) where she resigned. Candidates Jennifer Lebahn and Ashlee Roling, who are running for the Oldham-Ramona seat, and Mitchell Maher, who is running for the Rutland seat, have not previously served on the school board. Amber Malisch is currently serving a one-year term on the board representing the Rutland community and is running for re-election. ## Local elections represent local concerns but can have statewide impact Hellwege said that heavily contested local races can indicate what voters are most concerned about in their counties. "At the local level, when things are going well, you don't really think about it, right? Like, 'My electricity is on, my streets are working' and you don't think of those as political issues necessarily. Local elections, in particular, you tend to think of when something goes wrong. And so that's when you need to go and do something about it," Hellwege said. "With national government, you're like, 'We can change the trajectory and let's move this direction. Let's move that direction.' At the local stage we as voters don't necessarily think about local politics in that same way." [Lengkeek re-elected as Crow Creek chairman; other tribal elections in 2026Which tribes in South Dakota are holding elections for leadership positions in 2026.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-469.jpg)South Dakota News WatchMolly Wetsch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/Peter-Lengkeek-2-1-1.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-2026-election-tribal/) Election to these offices, though, can also allow for representation in statewide issues. Hellwege said that because of statewide intergovernmental organizations like the South Dakota Municipal League, local representatives can wield power on issues that have an effect on all South Dakotans, especially when officials collaborate. "Local officeholders do have quite a bit of political power, just to share with state legislators about what's going on in the local governments. And so the kind of person that you elect, not only their partisanship, not only their ideology, but also their process of procedures, the kind of person they are. The more these elected officials communicate with each other, they actually can exert greater lobbying power at the state Legislature," Hellwege said. "Now, obviously Sioux Falls and Rapid City can exert greater power more directly because of their size. But even small town sheriffs, small town school boards and so on, right? They do have an impact on what happens at the state." ## Other races to watch Here are a few other local races to watch: - The **Britton-Hecla School District** has three school board seats up for election, with six candidates running. Incumbents Angela Grupe and Heather Landreth are challenged by Jeff Christenson, Amy Jo Vietor, Jeanne Ahlgren and Heidi Eimers. - **Stanley, Perkins and McCook counties** all have three candidates running for sheriff. In all three races, all of the candidates are Republicans and will be on the ballot in June. - In **Day County**, three county commission spots are up for grabs. In all of those elections, two Republicans and one Democrat are running for each seat. That means the Republicans who win in the June 2 primary will face the Democratic candidates in November for the role. Brothers David and Paul Dulitz may square off in November for a seat – David as a Republican and Paul as a Democrat. David is looking to unseat longtime county commissioner Derek Sinner next month. You can view a full list of candidates for state, federal and local office on the [South Dakota Secretary of State's website](https://vip.sdsos.gov/candidatelist.aspx?eid=773&ref=sdnewswatch.org). [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact reporter/**[***Report for America***](https://www.reportforamerica.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) **corps member Molly Wetsch:* 605-531-7382/*[*molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### 1 of world's largest energy storage plants launches in SD URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-energy-storage-plant-antora-poet-biofuels/ Last updated: 2026-05-19T13:00:14.000Z BIG STONE CITY, S.D. – This small city in rural northeastern South Dakota has established itself as an energy hub for the entire Great Plains region, and that reputation has received a big boost by landing what will be among the world's largest energy storage projects. In a groundbreaking project, South Dakota-based POET has partnered with Antora Energy of California to launch a thermal energy storage system adjacent to POET's ethanol plant in Big Stone City. The 5 gigawatt-hour thermal energy storage facility will absorb excess, low-cost energy from wind turbines that might otherwise be lost due to capacity limits on the existing power grid and store it in carbon blocks for use when needed. Officials said the new technology will be a major economic and environmental boost to South Dakota while also pioneering the use of a new energy technology for potential use across the country and the world. ## Developers cite potential benefits Leaders of the two companies told News Watch in exclusive interviews that the storage facility – the first to be put in commercial production by Antora – will generate several benefits now and well into the future for South Dakota, including: - The facility will improve efficiency and increase outputs at POET's ethanol plant in Big Stone City by providing a reliable source of sustainable energy both during times of peak and non-peak power demand, ultimately reducing consumer costs for ethanol at the gas pump. - It will increase production opportunities for South Dakota corn growers, who will see expanded markets for their grains to be converted into ethanol. - It will reduce reliance on fossil fuels by enabling greater storage of energy generated by wind, solar or other sustainable sources. - Construction and development of the plant has supported 300 new construction jobs in South Dakota and California and will generate new full-time employment in the Big Stone City area. ![These compartments contain carbon blocks that store energy until it is needed at the Antora Energy facility in Big Stone City, S.D. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/05/Antora-batteries-in-Big-Stone-1-1.jpg) These compartments contain carbon blocks that store energy until it is needed at the Antora Energy facility in Big Stone City, S.D. (Photo: Courtesy Antora Energy) "They're taking excess wind energy that doesn't have a home on the grid and otherwise would be wasted, and they're capturing that," said Jeff Lautt, president and chief operating officer of POET in Sioux Falls, the world's largest producer of ethanol. "Nobody’s got a switch for the wind, so it blows when it wants to blow, yet there’s a steady demand for power that has to be met, and this system will provide for that." [![CTA Image](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/04/SDNW-Logo-Vertical.jpg)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) ****Partner with South Dakota News Watch** and support fact-based news and information. [Donate ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Andrew Ponec, chief executive officer of Antora Energy, was unwilling to share the total cost of the project. But a press release on the storage project noted that Antora has "catalyzed hundreds of millions in private investment in the company." Ponec said the majority of costs for the Big Stone project were paid through private financing, led by Grok Ventures of Australia, and not the U.S. government. He added, however, that thermal storage has received strong bipartisan support, including in the Big Beautiful Bill passed by Congress in 2025. [Student interest in SD energy programs on the riseThree students in Lake Area Technical College’s energy programs speak to News Watch about why they chose to join the rapidly growing sector.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-3101867ea146d30fba128d97aa6ea913590978cc168ab692ed949302ef36fdff.jpg)South Dakota News WatchMolly Wetsch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/Screenshot-2025-12-29-at-12.20.38---PM-3a13b693b7645707893c070c88de54084ab6f5657132406d263da3502b3def8a.png)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-student-interest-energy-lake-area-tech/) A May 19 press release on the project from POET and Antora included statements of support from U.S. Sens. John Thune and Mike Rounds, U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson and South Dakota Gov. Larry Rhoden. "America's need for energy is continuing to rise year after year, (so) the more of that energy we can take right here at home, the better," Rounds said in the release. "(This) project in Big Stone City will have a real economic impact in South Dakota while also creating jobs and boosting our domestic energy production." ## A regional power hub set in a small town Big Stone City was selected as the site for Antora's first large-scale thermal energy storage system because of the existing POET biofuels plant and the Otter Trail Power Co. plant on the site, and due to the city's location as a major hub on the regional Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) power grid system, Ponec said. "We’re an energy technology company, so we’re going to go to wherever there are big concentrations of energy users," he said. ![This image taken on October. 25, 2025, from the roof of the nearby Otter Tail power plant shows the Poet Biofuels plant and its grain bins on the left and the Antora Energy plant under construction ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/05/2025-10-25-Poet-and-thermal-storage-1-1.jpeg) This image taken on October. 25, 2025, from the roof of the nearby Otter Tail power plant shows the Poet Biofuels plant and its grain bins on the left and the Antora Energy plant under construction on the upper right. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) Thermal energy storage collects low-cost, off-peak energy from virtually any source – local wind turbines in this case – and stores it as heat in insulated blocks of solid carbon that reach 4,000 degrees Fahrenheit. The heat, which can be stored until needed, is then transferred into an oil that allows it to be carried to industrial users, in this instance the POET plant next door. There, the heat is transferred to steam that powers boilers, distillers and other machinery used in production of ethanol and a host of other byproducts generated at the POET plant. The Big Stone plant produces 92 million gallons of ethanol annually, Lautt said. Ponec likened the thermal storage process – which consists of dozens of large white metal boxes on the ground – to the operations of a giant toaster. Electricity from the outlet (energy from wind towers) is transferred to the toaster heating coils (the carbon blocks), which then generates heat to brown the bread (run machinery in the ethanol plant.) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/05/2026-5-18-Antora-CEO-in-Zoom-1-1-1.jpeg) Antora Energy CEO Andrew Ponec is shown during a May 18, 2026 video interview with South Dakota News Watch. Ponec said he has visited Sioux Falls and Big Stone City in South Dakota several times over the past year. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) The project uses very little water and does not create any substantial emissions, Ponec said. To illustrate the nimble nature of thermal storage, Ponec noted that the Big Stone facility was built in less than a year. The facility is already providing power to POET's plant and should be fully online in October. ## Another type of energy storage for South Dakota Thermal energy storage is similar to lithium ion energy storage in that both concepts seek to capture power that can be held until demand goes up and may exceed supply, thereby stabilizing the power grid and reducing costs for consumers. But while lithium batteries store actual electricity and only for a few hours, thermal storage holds the energy as heat and can hold it for much longer periods, Ponec said. ****Get South Dakota news and information** in a free email on weekdays. Cancel any time. [Subscribe ](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/#/portal) South Dakota might soon be home to a pair of lithium battery projects, including in Codington and Brookings counties, which backers said will create new opportunities for wind and solar production in the state. Antora makes money on the project by selling its energy to POET while opening the door to greater sustainable electricity production in the region and lowering power costs for the ethanol plant, Lautt said. "It creates more efficiency for us, so we're then using less natural gas to operate the facility, which makes us greener," he said. "It really creates a win-win-win all across the footprint." --- ### Other energy industry coverage by News Watch [Major power line expansions will fuel future growth in SDMajor new power lines are coming to South Dakota, which could provide a path for new development over the next few decades.![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)South Dakota News WatchBart Pfankuch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/2025-9-24-Elec-tower-near-White--SD-1-fbf74a14e1a7bc40e6dbcac517fff4dfcd8b143275c2ec7d8097bf8c0377b0f0.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/electric-power-transmission-crypto-data-mining-sd/) [South Dakota sees new interest in solar powerDespite being home to wide-open spaces and abundant sunshine, South Dakota ranks 47th in the nation for production of solar power.![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)South Dakota News WatchBart Pfankuch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/sd_lookout_solar_park_project_pine_ridge_img1-1-124d3777c80f97be4db73625a83c547a4cec9a5acfe123ac1891e41e96fb4cf0.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-solar-power-wind-renewable-energy-electricity/) [Large lithium batteries next step in SD wind power growthOne neighbor worries about the chance of fire from the system designed to provide energy when it’s needed.![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)South Dakota News WatchBart Pfankuch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/Manatee-Energy-Storage-Center-in-Parrish--Florida.-Photo-by-Doug-Murray-for-FPL-Rainbow-74b2497f5d9a5f0b05692887808fb61ec4c15ca2fcc91c6d1b7d0c92c70ee531.JPG)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/large-lithium-batteries-rural-solar-wind-power/) [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact* *content director Bart Pfankuch:** 605-937-9398*/*[*bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org). ### Fact brief: Has SD ever elected a woman to the US Senate? URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/fact-brief-south-dakota-united-states-senator/ Last updated: 2026-05-19T09:02:50.000Z ## Yes. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/WhiteFACT-BRIEF--500-x-200-px--2-1-1.png) South Dakota is one of 34 states that have had a woman senator, though both served brief terms. As of 2026, 64 women have served in the United States Senate. Two were from South Dakota. Gladys Pyle, born in Huron in 1890, was the first woman in the state House. She later unsuccessfully ran for governor but was elected to the U.S. Senate in a special election after the death of Peter Norbeck. Pyle served from Nov. 9, 1938, to Jan. 3, 1939\. She was the first Republican woman elected to the Senate The state’s second woman to serve in the U.S. Senate, Vera Bushfield, was born in Miller in 1889, and was appointed on Oct. 6, 1948, to fill the vacancy caused by the death of her husband, Sen. Harlan Bushfield. She served until Dec. 27, 1948, when she resigned. *This fact brief responds to conversations such as* [*this one.*](https://www.reddit.com/r/MapPorn/comments/vonn2b/number%5Fof%5Fwomen%5Fthat%5Fserved%5Fin%5Fand%5Fwere%5Felected/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) ## Sources Senate.Gov, [Women senators](https://www.senate.gov/senators/ListofWomenSenators.htm?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Biographical Directory of the United States Congress, [Vera Bushfield](https://bioguide.congress.gov/search/bio/B001169?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Biographical Directory of the United States Congress, [Gladys Pyle](https://bioguide.congress.gov/search/bio/P000581?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Rutgers, [Women in Congress](https://womenrun.rutgers.edu/2024-report/congress/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) New York Times, [Women in the Senate](https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/interactive/2013/03/22/us/politics/women-in-the-senate.html?ref=politics) Pew Research Center, [Women account for 28% of lawmakers in the 119th Congress – unchanged from the last Congress](https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2025/02/21/women-account-for-28-of-lawmakers-in-the-119th-congress-unchanged-from-the-last-congress/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) --- [South Dakota News Watch](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/) partners with [Gigafact](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) to publish fact briefs that refute or confirm a claim with supporting information and additional evidence and context. Send questions or feedback to [news@sdnewswatch.org](mailto:news@sdnewswatch.org). Submit a question for us to answer [on the tipline](https://gigafact.org/tipline/south-dakota-news-watch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact freelance reporter Michael Klinski:* michael.klinski@sdnewswatch.org.* ### Homeowners stuck in 6 years of sinkhole limbo URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/black-hawk-sd-sinkhole-supreme-court-homes/ Last updated: 2026-05-18T10:17:04.000Z BLACK HAWK, S.D. – Six years ago, a huge sinkhole opened in a residential neighborhood in this unincorporated town that serves largely as a bedroom community for Rapid City. After all that time, the homeowners directly affected and those put at risk by the sinkhole have received no financial relief for their ongoing or potential losses. Meanwhile, the immediate area around the sinkhole in the northeast end of the Hideaway Hills subdivision – easily visible from nearby Interstate 90 – has an almost apocalyptic appearance. Chain-link fences surround the roughly dozen properties where residents were forced to flee in April 2020, unable to return over fears of further collapse of the underground mine upon which their houses were built. > “I would think that an engineer or geologist who had access to that information (location of abandoned underground mines) could have seen this problem beforehand.” > – Paul Santi, a sinkhole expert from Colorado Their homes and many of their belongings have since been left to rot, and their properties are virtually worthless. Tall grass and weeds have overgrown their yards and the road. A vehicle sits stalled in one driveway. Fences are collapsing. Those families and about 150 other neighboring homeowners have pinned their hopes for help on a lawsuit against the state now pending before the South Dakota Supreme Court. They allege that the state, which previously owned and mined gypsum on the site, is responsible for monetary damages of more than $60 million. "If the Supreme Court rules against us, we're pretty much done," said Carolyn Lorge, a retiree who lives with husband Mike on East Daisy Drive in Black Hawk, just two houses away from the condemnation area. "I mean, you can still move, you can still try to sell your home, but as for being compensated for your loss, you're pretty much out of luck." As the Supreme Court considers the case, News Watch conducted interviews, reviewed documents and media accounts, and listened to the high court hearing to provide this update on the sinkhole saga that has simmered for six years without resolution. ## A sudden opening in the earth The origins of the sinkhole date back to the early 1900s when a company called Dakota Plaster dug underground mine shafts in search of gypsum, which slows the hardening of concrete. When the state of South Dakota opened its own concrete plant in Rapid City in 1925, it began mining for gypsum, including on the future subdivision site. Lawyers for the state said mining was done only on the surface and that no underground mining was undertaken, though blasting did occur. In the 1990s, the state ended mining operations, reclaimed it for grazing and sold it in 1994 to a private owner. That owner lived and ranched on the land before selling it to a developer who obtained permission from Meade County to build a subdivision in the early 2000s. The presence of the mine was noted at several points during the land transactions, though homebuyers were not told, according to court documents. Terra Larson, a Pierre attorney representing the state in the Supreme Court case, said the developer disclosed the mine location to the home builder, "who fraudulently concealed it to all the people who would be living there." ![The sinkhole that opened in the Hideaway Hills neighborhood in Black Hawk, S.D., is shown shortly after the collapse in April 2020. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/05/RCJ-sinkhole-file-shows-tunnel.jpg) The sinkhole that opened in the Hideaway Hills neighborhood in Black Hawk, S.D., is shown shortly after the collapse in April 2020\. (Photo: Courtesy Rapid City Journal) As early as 2008, Hideaway Hills homeowners began reporting shifting in the foundation of their homes, and in April 2020, the sinkhole opened in the northeast edge of the subdivision. No one was injured, though at least one neighbor was nearby when it happened. Amateur spelunkers who explored the sinkhole said the main cavern is 85 feet deep, 650 feet long and about 100 feet wide. They found construction debris and even an old car inside the cavern. Scientists found that the tunnel does not extend under I-90, but [research](https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/rapidcityjournal.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/1/e8/1e8dee3d-c40a-5fd4-a648-dd00adf178a4/614ce6a259d56.pdf.pdf?ref=sdnewswatch.org) by Montana Technical University found that two other tunnels exist under the subdivision with either high or medium risk of geological disturbances. ## Seeking a high court ruling In July 2024, a class-action lawsuit was filed against the state, arguing that the gypsum mining operation was not properly reclaimed when it sold the land. A circuit judge ruled in favor of the state in September 2024, and the homeowners appealed the case to the Supreme Court. With representation by the national law firm of Fox Rothschild, the homeowners argued that the state improperly filled in areas where it had mined with overly soft materials that have worn away and led to the sinkhole. They argued that the state's failure to properly close its mining operation is akin to an "inverse condemnation," or a taking of their land similar to the use of eminent domain. ****Get South Dakota news and information** in a free email on weekdays. Cancel any time. [Subscribe ](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/#/portal) They said the state is also responsible because it retained the mineral rights to the land after the sale, and because the state blasted open the underground mine and further weakened it, a claim the state denies. "Plaintiffs' properties are sinking into the earth, and their houses are coming apart at the seams. The state is responsible for this destruction. It owns the subsurface beneath Plaintiffs' properties, a subsurface it filled with crumbling minerals and loose garbage," the October 2025 appeal to the high court states. "These materials are insufficient to support the surface, and it was only a matter of time before the ground began to collapse under its own weight." ![Fences and signage warn people to stay away from the immediate area around the sinkhole in the Hideaway Hills subdivision in Black Hawk, S.D., shown on May 12, 2026. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/05/2026-5-12-Sinkhole-fencing-1.jpeg) Fences and signage warn people to stay away from the immediate area around the sinkhole in the Hideaway Hills subdivision in Black Hawk, S.D., shown on May 12, 2026\. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) The state said it did not open any tunnels during its surface mining operations, and argues largely that the lawsuit is technically a "tort" from which the state has sovereign immunity that blocks such legal actions. The Supreme Court is expected to rule on the case in the near future. It could side with the state or send the case back to the circuit court where, among other things, a trial for damages could be ordered. ## 'Worst things you can put up there' Underground mines once used to take coal or gypsum are the biggest culprits of sinkholes in the Mountain West region of the United States, said Paul Santi, a sinkhole expert and professor at the Colorado School of Mines. “Unfortunately, it is fairly common, but subdivisions are among the worst things you can put up there,” Santi said. ![The Hideaway Hills subdivision in Black Hawk, S.D.,](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/05/2026-5-12-sinkhole-neighborhood-sign-1.jpeg) The Hideaway Hills subdivision in Black Hawk, S.D., where a large sinkhole opened in 2020, has roughly 160 moderately priced homes but is at risk of further geological settling. Many of the streets in the subdivision, shown on May 12, 2026, are buckled or cracking. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) Gypsum is soluble in water and prone to wearing away over time, he said. Santi, who has testified as an expert witness in sinkhole lawsuits, said he is also called upon to help avoid developments from being located on surfaces prone to collapse. Unlike South Dakota, Colorado has an extensive mine mapping service and a geological survey agency within state government, which helps avoid disasters like the one in Hideaway Hills, Santi said. He said that for one proposed development in Colorado, he spent only 15 minutes looking at mine maps to determine the proposal was not sound. “I would think that an engineer or geologist who had access to that information could have seen this problem beforehand,” he said. “There’s clearly a chain of knowledge there that broke down in a few places.” ## Living with losses and an 'eyesore' next door For those in and around the evacuation zone, the emotional stress can rival the financial worries that have resulted from having a sinkhole in your neighborhood. With a fence and warning signs a few steps north of their driveway, Carolyn Lorge told News Watch that she isn’t sure if she could sell her family's four-bedroom, three-bath home on East Daisy Drive, even just for the $190,000 they paid for it a decade ago. “That used to just eat me up, all that uncertainty,” Lorge said. “But as time goes by, you live with it, and you make the best of it.” ![Carolyn Lorge of Black Hawk stands in her backyard](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/05/2026-5-12-Sinkhole-neighbor-1.jpeg) Carolyn Lorge of Black Hawk, S.D., shown on May 12, 2026, said the sinkhole that opened near her home has not prevented her from being an active gardener and landscaper who has beautified her property despite its reduced value. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) Neighbors within the evacuation area have gotten some relief from their mortgage lenders, but all expect that their homes are no longer of value, Lorge said. A home across the street from the Lorges sold for about $200,000 a while back, and the Lorges did get some property tax relief from Meade County a few years ago, she said. But the homeowners who are part of the class-action lawsuit against the state, including the Lorges, said they haven’t been supported by government agencies or elected officials. Lorge said there is no money to seek from the builder of the homes, leaving the state as the only viable litigant. “Our lawmakers and the rest of them won't even say that what happened to us really sucks,” she said. “Somebody dropped the ball here, but no one wants to take any accountability.” [![CTA Image](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/04/SDNW-Logo-Vertical.jpg)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) ****Partner with South Dakota News Watch** and support fact-based news and information. [Donate ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Lorge said that over the years, her hope for a positive resolution has slowly faded, and that she and her husband are moving forward with their lives in the happiest way possible. Mapping of the tunnels after the sinkhole appeared showed that their house is not directly over an underground mine, she said. Lorge said her last ditch hope is that the Supreme Court rules in favor of the neighbors and that there is then a jury trial for damages, which could lead to a sympathetic verdict for the residents. “For the first few years, you clung onto all kinds of hope and thinking that any new finding would be our saving grace, and it turned out it wasn’t,” she said. “But this place is so us, and we really love it here, even living next to this eyesore.” [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact* *content director Bart Pfankuch:** 605-937-9398*/*[*bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org). ### Back to the future? SD Senate primaries see a slew of rematches URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-senate-primary-rematches-election/ Last updated: 2026-05-15T19:20:53.000Z PIERRE, S.D. – Some Republican primary voters in South Dakota may be forgiven for getting a case of deja vu when they head to the polls on June 2\. Besides the hotly contested governor's race and the two other statewide contests taking place, some state Senate districts are seeing a rematch of GOP primary opponents from 2024\. > "If property rights are important to people, they're not going to forget." – Sen. Mykala Voita While those who lost two years ago hope higher turnout in this election cycle will work in their favor, those who were successful in 2024 and running for reelection are confident voters will remember the circumstances that got them elected in the first place. Here are factors driving these rematches and a look at whether a candidate's endorsement in the Republican gubernatorial contest could play a role in the outcome of their own race. ## Take me back Two of the state Senate rematches pit a former incumbent looking to reclaim their seat versus an opponent who was successful in ousting them, in part, due to concerns over property rights. In District 18, which encompasses Yankton, state Sen. Lauren Nelson told News Watch voters she talked to still remember her opponent, former state Sen. Jean Hunhoff, voting in favor of Senate Bill 201 in the 2024 state legislative session. The South Dakota Legislature is comprised of 105 lawmakers from 35 legislative districts, each of which has one senator and two representatives. [Find out which district you live in](https://vip.sdsos.gov/VIPLogin.aspx?ref=sdnewswatch.org) and also [the list of candidates](https://vip.sdsos.gov/candidatelist.aspx?eid=773&ref=sdnewswatch.org). The legislation was ostensibly meant to put in place restrictions for a potential pipeline. But detractors cried foul over the bill, arguing it reduced local control as it allowed South Dakota's Public Utilities Commission to override county ordinances they deemed to be "unreasonably restrictive." The bill was ultimately repealed via a referendum, Referred Law 21 (RL 21), in November that year, with 59% voting against the adoption of SB 201\. ****Get South Dakota news and information** in a free email on weekdays. Cancel any time. [Subscribe ](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/#/portal) "When I talk to people, it goes back to two years ago and SB 201," Nelson told News Watch. "People still have that in the back of their heads. They remember those legislators who voted for SB 201 and precipitated the RL 21 movement we had to go through." Nelson, who defeated Hunhoff by fewer than 100 votes in the 2024 primary, hopes that issue, along with her voting record the past two years in Pierre, will get her over the line this year. "I'm just focused on what I need to do," Nelson said. "Whatever happens on June 2 happens." Hunhoff did not respond to a request for an interview. ## 'They're not going to forget' In District 21, which includes Winner, Burke and Platte, state Sen. Mykala Voita is squaring off against former state Sen. Erin Tobin, whom she beat by 48 votes in 2024\. Speaking to News Watch, Voita echoed Nelson's sentiments that SB 201 is still a factor in this year's primary. "I absolutely think it's relevant (SB 201). When they played that hand with that bill, they showed where their loyalties lied," Voita said. "If property rights are important to people, they're not going to forget." ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/05/SenateDebate.png) State Sen. Mykala Voita and former state Sen. Erin Tobin debate April 20 in Colome. (Photo: Mykala Voita for District 21 Facebook page)Th As with Hunhoff, Tobin voted in favor of SB 201\. Voita argued the vote, similar to the debate over data centers, has showcased a divide in the South Dakota Republican Party between those who favor business interests and those seeking to preserve the state's rural character and tradition for limited government. "I'm not here to entice big corporations. I'm here to pull government back to its main role, which is securing our rights," Voita said. Tobin declined a request for an interview. ## The gubernatorial factor While the two other state Senate rematches are not as clear-cut as a former lawmaker looking to reclaim their seat after a controversial vote, they do encapsulate the division Voita alludes to within the GOP that's playing out in the primary race for governor. In District 3, which encompasses Aberdeen, state Sen. Carl Perry is seeking reelection and will meet Katie Washnok, whom he defeated in the 2024 GOP primary election. Washnok said her defeat two years ago was down to a lack of people going to the polls and that the governor's race will drive up those numbers this year. [Showing our math: The numbers behind the latest pollIn the final story of this week’s series examining the results of our new poll, we look back at the main takeaways and explain the methodology.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-467.jpg)South Dakota News WatchAlexander Rifaat![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1540910419892-4a36d2c3266c)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/spring-2026-poll-recap-sd-house-congress-governor/) "This cycle will be better because of the voter turnout. I think voters will be more engaged," Washnok told News Watch. Washnok is backing [front-runner ](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-republican-gop-primary-governor-gubernatorial/)U.S. House Rep. Dusty Johnson, viewed as representing the more moderate wing of the party, in the GOP gubernatorial race. "He's never shied away from a question and I've asked him some pretty hard questions over the years," Washnok said. "To me, he was the only candidate that came out of the gate with a solid vision for South Dakota that I was excited about and could totally get behind." [![CTA Image](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/04/SDNW-Logo-Vertical.jpg)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) ****Partner with South Dakota News Watch** and support fact-based news and information. [Donate ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Meanwhile, Perry told News Watch he is for "anybody but Dusty" but wasn't sure yet if he would endorse either state House Speaker Jon Hansen, Gov. Larry Rhoden or Aberdeen businessman Toby Doeden. "The three other candidates all have their merits. Jon has good experience and is a good guy. I just wish he was better funded. People say that Larry is not well spoken, but I can tell you he's a good thinker and a good man. And Toby has a lot of enthusiasm for his campaign," Perry said. While Perry tiptoed around endorsing a candidate, other anti-Johnson state Senate candidates, including Nelson and Voita, are coalescing around Hansen, who has seen his support steadily rise in recent weeks. Hunhoff and Tobin have not weighed in on the governor's race with an endorsement. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/05/Gubernatorial-collage.jpg) From left, South Dakota Republican gubernatorial candidates Toby Doeden, Jon Hansen, Dusty Johnson and Larry Rhoden. In District 17, which includes Vermillion, Jeffery Church, who is in a rematch against state Sen. Sydney Davis, told News Watch he is backing Hansen, citing his record on property rights and his role in defeating Amendment G in 2024, which would have established abortion rights in South Dakota. Davis, who beat Church in 2024 by more than 30 percentage points and was one of several lawmakers last year to endorse Johnson, told News Watch she has had "zero comments" from constituents regarding her vote to approve the controversial SB 201\. ## Voter turnout up in the air Michael Card, professor emeritus of political science at the University of South Dakota, agreed that voter turnout will be significantly higher this year compared to 2024 but said it's unclear how it will impact the state Senate results. Card told News Watch, using District 3 as an example, he could see a scenario where the candidate's preference for governor could help, or hurt, their case. "If the percentages in the governor's race stay the way that they are, that may greatly benefit Katie Washnok in terms of getting more support because Dusty has got a 2-to-1 lead," Card said. "And on the other hand, if Carl Perry is saying 'anybody but Dusty,' that may not help him that much unless somebody is making big strides." Card said Hansen has the best chance to challenge Johnson, but it remains to be seen whether he can carry the momentum and take those state Senate candidates supporting him along the way to victory. [South Dakota Election Voter GuideEverything South Dakota voters need to know about statewide contests in the primary and general elections.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-464.jpg)South Dakota News WatchAlexander Rifaat![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/2024-6-4-Election-signs-1-8.JPG)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-voter-guide-primary-general-election/) In addition to the governor's race, Card said another potential factor in the state Senate races could be recent property tax legislation, specifically Senate Bill 96, which gives counties the option to impose a half-cent sales tax increase in exchange for lowering property taxes. In a [poll sponsored by South Dakota News Watch](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-poll-property-taxes-data-centers-tariffs-voting/) and the Chiesman Center for Democracy at the University of South Dakota released last month, nearly half of respondents disapproved of the new bill, which was championed by Rhoden. "SB 96 is really the one to campaign on if property taxes are the main issue," Card said. On that bill, Voita, Nelson and Davis voted no, while Perry voted yes. ## Other key Senate races Besides the rematches taking place, the 2026 state Senate primary election contain a number of other tightly contested races. In **District 2**, which includes Brandon, just east of Sioux Falls, state House Reps. David Kull and John Sjaarda are battling to succeed retiring state Sen. Steve Kolbeck. Senate President Pro Tempore Chris Karr of **District 11**, which encompasses parts of Sioux Falls, is being challenged by attorney Graham Oey. In Senate **District 24**, which includes Pierre, state Senate Majority Leader Jim Mehlhaff faces not one but two primary challengers. Mehlhaff was the sole senator to vote "no" on Senate Bill 135 in the 2026 legislative session, which was billed the "Data Center Bill of Rights for Citizens" and promoted by Hansen and Karr. Senate Majority Whip Randy Diebert of Spearfish, representing **District 31**, also has a primary opponent. Diebert, who recently received the inaugural Champion of Local Control Award by the South Dakota Municipal League, told News Watch he is optimistic about the outcome of his race. "I'm hoping they know how engaged I am. When I'm not in Pierre, I've come back to help solve local issues," Diebert said. [250+ years of American civics and newsNonpartisan events in Vermillion, Watertown, Sioux Falls and Custer State Park include a discussion about civic responsibilities and how to find fact-based news and information.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-465.jpg)South Dakota News WatchSD News Watch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/FA0A9011.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-civics-media-politics-voting-series/) Meanwhile, **District 26**, which includes Presho, Chamberlain and the Rosebud Indian Reservation, might have the most intriguing of all races. Not only is state Sen. Tamara Grove facing a GOP primary challenger in Rebecca Reimer, on the Democratic side, former state Sen. Shawn Bordeaux, who lost to Grove in the 2024 general election, is attempting a comeback in what is the only competitive Democratic state Senate primary. Bordeaux will face Troy Lunderman. Speaking to News Watch, Grove is confident of her chances both in the primary and in the general election. "I said I was going to work for the tribes, and I have, while at the same time saying I will work for those not in Indian Country, which I have, " Grove said. "I feel good about it." In the governor's race, while she initially backed Doeden, Grove told News Watch she is leaning toward endorsing Hansen, citing his support for placing restrictions on potential data centers. "If the primary were held today, my vote would go to Jon Hansen and Karla Lems (for lieutenant governor) because I know I can trust them to not force data centers or impose eminent domain," Grove said. Democratic state Sen. Erik Muckey of District 15, which includes downtown Sioux Falls, believes his party has a strong chance to take back District 26 this year. "There are large numbers of Democratic voters across the district and a full slate of Democratic House candidates on both sides of the district. With an extremely negative Republican primary rolling out attacks on Democratic voters, a hard-working Democratic campaign that reaches voters across the district can win," Muckey told News Watch. **Correction on May 15, 2026:* An earlier version of this story incorrectly spelled Sen. Tamara Grove's last name.* [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact politics and statehouse reporter Alexander Rifaat:* 605-736-4396/*[*alexander.rifaat@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:alexander.rifaat@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Fact brief: Was an east-west split of Dakota Territory considered? URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/fact-brief-east-west-south-north-dakota-territory-statehood/ Last updated: 2026-05-14T11:16:10.000Z ## Yes. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/WhiteFACT-BRIEF--500-x-200-px--2-1-1.png) Legislation was considered to split Dakota Territory east-west at the Missouri River instead of the current north-south split that was approved in 1889. A retrospective released by the state of South Dakota on the 125th anniversary of statehood noted that the east-west proposal did have some support. The East/West Dakota would have followed the Missouri River and aligned regions with similar geographic and cultural identities. The north-south border decision was motivated partially by resentment between the northern and southern portions of Dakota Territory over the location of the state capital. In 1883, the territory's capital was moved from Yankton to Bismarck. Other reasons cited included separate railroad systems, economic ties to major eastern cities (Sioux Falls and Fargo) and the growth of separate systems of public institutions. *This fact brief responds to conversations such as* [*this one.*](https://www.reddit.com/r/geography/comments/1prx1vh/would%5Fit%5Fhave%5Fmade%5Fmore%5Fsense%5Fto%5Fsplit%5Fthe/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) ## Sources State of South Dakota, [125th anniversary story](https://news.sd.gov/news?id=news%5Fkb%5Farticle%5Fview&sys%5Fid=b6c7150c1bd869506e4aa97ae54bcb8f&ref=sdnewswatch.org#:~:text=But%2C%20as%20late%20as%201886,division%20being%20the%20Missouri%20River.) BigThink.com, [East and West Dakota? Here’s What Those States Would Look Like](https://bigthink.com/strange-maps/609-had-the-cookie-crumbled-differently-east-and-west-dakota/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Medium, [A Tale of Two States](https://bengrapevine.medium.com/a-tale-of-two-states-630ba37bfe67?ref=sdnewswatch.org) --- [South Dakota News Watch](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/) partners with [Gigafact](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) to publish fact briefs that refute or confirm a claim with supporting information and additional evidence and context. Send questions or feedback to [news@sdnewswatch.org](mailto:news@sdnewswatch.org). Submit a question for us to answer [on the tipline](https://gigafact.org/tipline/south-dakota-news-watch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact freelance reporter Michael Klinski:* michael.klinski@sdnewswatch.org.* ### Indian rodeo: Documenting 1 of South Dakota's oldest traditions URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/indian-rodeo-south-dakota-tradition-jeremiah-murphy-photos/ Last updated: 2026-05-13T11:22:58.000Z RAPID CITY, S.D. – The massive hand-painted sign, hung on a fence at a bull riding event in Kyle, certainly illustrates the rough-and-tumble nature of South Dakota's official state sport: “Not responsible for accidents or thefts.” Even more so when you consider the fact that this sign is smack-dab in the middle of one of the most remote regions of the state – no hospitals for about 50 miles. And when you see a young man with one hand flung in the air next to it, holding on for dear life, you've got yourself a true Wild West rodeo. So, of course, Jeremiah Murphy had to take a photo of it. Murphy, a lobbyist by trade, began photographing the Indian rodeo circuit in South Dakota and surrounding states about 15 years ago. He describes stumbling into it after a lifetime of dabbling in photography. It was the Crazy Horse rodeo in 2011 that really drew him in, and it was full-steam ahead from there, he told News Watch. ![A rider on the back of a bull at the Three Mile Creek Easter Egg Hunt and Bull Riding event in Kyle, S.D.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/05/murph1.jpg) A rider on the back of a bull at the Three Mile Creek Easter Egg Hunt and Bull Riding event in Kyle, S.D., on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation on Apr. 11, 2026\. (Photo: Jeremiah Murphy) "I just sort of shot rodeos one day at a time, and then one day I looked up and said, 'You shoot a lot of rodeos,'" Murphy said of a conversation he had with himself a few years into his hobby. ## Grew up in Sioux Falls, attended OG “Indian rodeo” refers to the events that take place across the country on tribal lands and in Native communities. Some are massive and draw in crowds by the thousands, like the annual Crow Fair in Montana or the Rosebud Wacipi, Rodeo and Fair. Some, like the event in Kyle and dozens of others throughout the year, are a bit rougher around the edges, which is just how Murphy likes it. He gets to know the people on the circuit, even if he doesn't get many chances to chat. He describes himself as "bad company at rodeos" because he's always behind the camera, and building trust with them is a critical part of his job. Many times, he's capturing people in either life-or-death moments or the best moments of their lives. Sometimes, it's both. ![Jeremiah Murphy, who has been photographing the Indian rodeo circuit for over a decade](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/05/jeremiah-profile-1-1.jpg) Jeremiah Murphy, who has been photographing the Indian rodeo circuit for over a decade, in Rapid City, S.D., on Apr. 30, 2026\. (Photo: Molly Wetsch/South Dakota News Watch) Murphy’s not a country boy himself and doesn't even look the part, really. He was born and raised in Sioux Falls, attended the private O'Gorman High School and frequented the Minnehaha Country Club. One of his oft-told stories is about getting kicked out of a Deadwood rodeo for not having a cowboy hat on. Murphy said that a conversation with a bull rider at a rough stock show in Kadoka helped him understand why these communities let him into their spaces. "I said, 'People really treat me well here.' And then he smiled bigger and he said, 'Cowboys like to have their pictures took,'" Murphy said. ## Telling the story of those not in the spotlight Murphy can read these people as well as any born-and-raised rodeo lover, though, and doesn't treat them with the delicate eye of an outsider. His photos illustrate the haphazard nature of rodeo’s most perilous events. But they also have another crucial element – the residents of South Dakota, ones who don’t live in major cities or along the I-90 corridor. [A guide to South Dakota’s 9 Native American tribesThe governance, geography, people and economy of South Dakota’s nine Native American reservations and tribes.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-463.jpg)South Dakota News WatchMolly Wetsch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/sdtribes-map-1-2.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/nine-south-dakota-native-american-tribes-reservations-guide/) "It was embarrassing that there's this whole side of South Dakota that, as a Sioux Falls and Rapid City resident, I was really ignorant of. These rodeos will take you to places in Kyle or Red Scaffold, and it's great. There's great stuff out there," Murphy said. > "I'm still trying to look at myself as a photographer. You know, really, I know I'm a lobbyist. I did it for so long, but I'm still working on becoming a photographer." – Jeremiah Murphy His photos certainly do not shy away from the difficult parts. Not every rider is wearing a brand-new Stetson hat and a pearl-button shirt. Some are sun-weathered, some are sweating, some are in pain. That's what makes Murphy's photos what they are. "There are a lot of rough ranch kids. There's plenty of rough city kids, too. But that toughness is really, really revered in the real ranching world," Murphy said. "It's hard work. Rodeos are hard. Ranching is hard. I mean, there's a number of people at rodeos in wheelchairs, or missing limbs or missing fingers." ![Two women wrangle a horse at a rodeo in Eagle Butte, S.D.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-06-at-2.47.18---PM.png) Two women wrangle a horse at a rodeo in Eagle Butte, S.D., on the Cheyenne River Indian Reservation. (Photo: Jeremiah Murphy) These people, some of whom live in the most difficult economic conditions in the country, are genuine celebrities in Murphy's images. They are not treated as something to pity – because they aren't. He describes one woman in a photo of his (above): mouth full of chew, close-cropped hair and large sunglasses perched on her head as she wrangles a horse. She is, to Murphy, "Audrey Hepburn in South Dakota." ## Featured in national magazine Last year, Murphy's photographs were featured in *The New Yorker* magazine*,* along with a full profile of his life and work, showcasing his photos to a global audience for the first time. Murphy said that not much has changed in his life since the story published – he still lives in Rapid City and makes it out to every rodeo he can. But he has certainly seen more of a general interest and appreciation for art that captures the modern American West. A print of one of his photos is now hanging in the office of an architecture firm in New York City's Flatiron Building. [The Guts and Glory of “Indian Rodeo”For more than a decade, Jeremiah Murphy has been trying to capture the beauty of a deeply American sport.![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)The New YorkerCasey Cep![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/Cep-Jeremiah-Murphy-06.jpg)](https://www.newyorker.com/culture/photo-booth/the-guts-and-glory-of-indian-rodeo?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Because of the ongoing success of his photos, Murphy said he's begun looking into exhibitions and has also started selling [prints of his popular work](https://www.murphypictures.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). He has quite a bit to go through – he's been to more than 100 rodeos since he began documenting them. "I'm still trying to look at myself as a photographer. You know, really, I know I'm a lobbyist. I did it for so long, but I'm still working on becoming a photographer," Murphy said. Murphy's photos are, of course, modern in nature. Some elements, like vests decorated with sayings like "STRAIGHT OUTTA RIDGE" (a reference to rap group NWA), help viewers understand that these photos are not historic – they illustrate a very-much alive tradition in South Dakota. ![C.J. Jewett on the back of a bucking bronc at the Owl Bonnet Rough Stock Rodeo in St. Francis, S.D.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/05/CJ-Jewett--2023-Owl-Bonnet-Rough-Stock-Shoothout--St.-Francis--SD.jpg) C.J. Jewett on the back of a bucking bronc at the Owl Bonnet Rough Stock Rodeo in St. Francis, S.D., on the Rosebud Indian Reservation in 2023\. (Photo: Jeremiah Murphy) His strict use of black-and-white, though, can't help but call back to days long gone. After all, horses and bulls have bucked people off of them in the same way for hundreds of years. He said that, in his photos, he is primarily drawn to elements that connect viewers to the past and demonstrate the long-standing traditions that make up rodeo. He sees Indian rodeo as the best place to do that, where everything is a bit more off the beaten path. “I've actually lived long enough that I've seen big structural changes in ways that I don't think we're going back," Murphy said. "But boy, this history, it's so intertwined. I thought, this is as close to what happened 100 years ago as you can get, which was, 'Let's all just meet at Joe's pasture Saturday afternoon and see who's got what.'" ## Rodeo community's future uncertain Also present in his photos is the sense of community that one feels at a rodeo. While a rider gets on the bull or bronc alone, there's almost always people in the background cheering them on. Most of the time, it's their competitors, which Murphy said is part of what makes Indian rodeo special. "It's sort of amazing. You know, you've got six or eight guys going for the same pot (of prize money), and they'll be yelling for every single guy. Never mind the fact that if his ride keeps going that well, he's going to knock your 78 off, and you're going to move to second," Murphy said, referring to rodeo scoring systems for bull and bronc riding. "There's a camaraderie, I think, for doing it. I think being willing to do that work sort of overcomes a lot of other stuff." ****Get South Dakota news and information** in a free email on weekdays. Cancel any time. [Subscribe ](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/#/portal) Murphy does worry, though, about the future of this rugged rodeo circuit. It doesn’t have the same commercial value as the Professional Bull Riders tours that fill arenas in Sioux Falls and Rapid City. By his own observation, there are fewer and fewer people in the grandstands every summer – mostly girlfriends, parents, siblings and friends of the riders. “I fear I'm documenting the end of something,” Murphy said. He said that it can be difficult to get people who aren't from the area to find interest in the sport. Though his photos are popular, and he encourages people to come to rodeos themselves, some of the events are struggling to sell tickets and generate enough revenue to keep running year-after-year. "To this date, I've never run into anybody at a rodeo from Rapid (City) who said, 'Murph! ... You were right, this is great. I came to the rodeo. I'm so glad.' That has not happened once," Murphy said. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-07-at-1.37.24---PM.png) Porshia Zimiga, who starred in 2025 film "East of Wall," barrel racing at the Hunter Memorial Rodeo in Kyle, S.D., on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. (Photo: Jeremiah Murphy) The sheer magnitude of young people involved, though, would give anyone hope for a bright future in the sport. Bull riders are young by nature, and plenty of ranch kids are deeply involved in rodeo. "East of Wall," a 2025 film that highlighted a ranching family in South Dakota, featured at least half a dozen teens that found themselves drawn to the discipline and hard work of rodeo. [![CTA Image](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/04/SDNW-Logo-Vertical.jpg)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) ****Partner with South Dakota News Watch** and support fact-based news and information. [Donate ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Murphy sees that just about every rodeo, too. He describes younger children who watch their older siblings competing with a sort of awe. One has to assume that they will also be up on that horse someday. One set of Murphy's photos illustrates just how much the reckless bravery of youth is on display at these events. In the first, a young boy, just 14 is in a pair of shorts, looking like he just might be crushed by a thousand-pound bull. The next, he's up, helmet off and ready to shake the hand of a wrangler. "A lot of people like the second picture more than the first. I thought that was interesting and sort of spoke well of people," Murphy said. "You get a little bit of relief from seeing that. Watching it through my camera, it just about turned my stomach." ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-06-at-11.18.23---AM.png) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-06-at-11.18.32---AM.png) A young rider lays on the ground beneath a bull after being bucked off (left) and heads for the fence after getting back up (right) in Kyle, S.D. (Photo: Jeremiah Murphy) Murphy has read and witnessed lots of discussions about the death of the West. Some of those conversations are rooted in reality – just look to his own observations of declining attendance and low ticket sales. His photos, though, are a certain reminder that at least for those who know South Dakota and what this sport means, cowboys will never truly die. "There's a lot about the declining cowboy culture, which is true, but boy it clings, you know. It clings," Murphy said. [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact reporter/**[***Report for America***](https://www.reportforamerica.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) **corps member Molly Wetsch:* 605-531-7382/*[*molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Fact brief: Does SD have any laws about Automatic License Plate Readers? URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/fact-brief-south-dakota-aldr-license-plate-reader-camera-laws/ Last updated: 2026-05-14T22:29:33.000Z ## No. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/WhiteFACT-BRIEF--500-x-200-px--2-1-1.png) Flock Safety’s Automatic License Plate Readers (ALPR) are operational in 49 states, including South Dakota, but the Mount Rushmore State has no laws on the books about surveillance cameras and privacy. Several states do, however. Maine law restricts police use of traffic surveillance cameras for enforcement purposes and places strict limits on government use of facial recognition technology. According to CNET, Florida and New Hampshire have laws limiting the ability of ALPR systems to record or share certain personal information Flock cameras capture images that law enforcement uses to compare plate numbers against plates of stolen cars or cars driven by people with charges. The Sioux Falls Police Department and the Minnehaha County Sheriff’s Office both use Flock cameras, and so does Madison. According to the Sioux Falls PD Flock Transparency Portal, license plates and vehicles are detected, but there is no facial recognition or identification of people, gender or race. *This fact brief responds to a reader question.* ## Sources Portland (Maine) Press Herald, [South Portland is considering adding another Flock camera. What are these?](https://www.pressherald.com/2026/05/11/south-portland-is-considering-adding-another-flock-camera-what-are-these/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) CNET, [AI Is Watching Your Every Move on the Road. These State Laws Are Pushing Back](https://www.cnet.com/home/security/ai-is-watching-your-every-move-on-the-road-these-state-laws-are-pushing-back/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Dakota News Now, [Minnehaha County to add new cameras to catch stolen vehicles](https://www.dakotanewsnow.com/2025/07/10/minnehaha-county-add-new-cameras-catch-stolen-vehicles/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Flock, [Sioux Falls Transparency Portal](https://transparency.flocksafety.com/sioux-falls-sd-pd?ref=sdnewswatch.org) National Conference of State Legislatures, [Automatic License Plate Readers](https://www.ncsl.org/technology-and-communication/automated-license-plate-readers-state-statutes?ref=sdnewswatch.org) --- [South Dakota News Watch](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/) partners with [Gigafact](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) to publish fact briefs that refute or confirm a claim with supporting information and additional evidence and context. Send questions or feedback to [news@sdnewswatch.org](mailto:news@sdnewswatch.org). Submit a question for us to answer [on the tipline](https://gigafact.org/tipline/south-dakota-news-watch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). [![CTA Image](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/04/SDNW-Logo-Vertical.jpg)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) This newsletter and all our stories are free because we believe that ****essential, fact-based information should be available to everyone**, not just those who can pay for it. If you can afford it, ****please consider joining others and becoming a supporter**. Thank you. [Donate ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact freelance reporter Michael Klinski:* michael.klinski@sdnewswatch.org.* ### SD tourism leader: High gas prices could hold 'silver lining' URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/gas-prices-south-dakota-tourism-outlook-mount-rushmore-black-hills/ Last updated: 2026-05-11T10:44:58.000Z KEYSTONE, S.D. – Members of the Foley family of Green Bay, Wisconsin, are the quintessential visitors that tourism officials and operators hope will push South Dakota to a successful 2026 tourism season. The family of four drove 12 hours from home for a weeklong tour of the Black Hills of South Dakota in late April and refused to let high gas prices, inflation or a soft national economy delay or postpone their visit. The Foleys usually fly to a beach destination each spring but chose to drive somewhere this year, mostly because their 15-year-old dog named Doc Holliday couldn't be left at a kennel. They settled on the Black Hills because it is a drivable destination with a wide range of sights and experiences. "It's our family trip, so if we needed to pay a little more for gas, it's no big deal," said Ryan Foley, who had just finished a scenic helicopter flight in Keystone with wife Alexis and daughters Amelia and Mabel. ![Wisconsin tourists Ryan and Alexis Foley and their daughters, Amelia and Mabel, pose for a photo after taking a scenic helicopter ride](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/05/2026-4-30-Tourist-faily-helicopter-1.jpeg) Wisconsin tourists Ryan and Alexis Foley and their daughters, Amelia and Mabel, pose for a photo after taking a scenic helicopter ride with Black Hills Helicopters in Keystone, S.D., on April 30, 2026\. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) While it may seem counterintuitive, South Dakota tourism secretary Jim Hagen said the Rushmore State's extensive travel industry could actually benefit from higher gas prices. In an interview with News Watch, Hagen said South Dakota has outperformed other states in prior years when gas prices were high or rising. Furthermore, recent national surveys show that 90% of Americans said they will travel this summer despite higher costs, and that many are considering driving to a destination rather than flying, Hagen said. "They want to travel regionally, and they're opting for that over more expensive, long-haul air travel trips or more expensive, longer road trips," he said. "They're going to travel to destinations that are closer to home. And the silver lining is that South Dakota is seen as a regional-drive market and because we really are the ultimate road trip destination." ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/05/2026-5-4-Hagen-at-Rushmore-1.jpeg) South Dakota tourism secretary Jim Hagen, shown at Mount Rushmore National Memorial on May 4, 2026\. Hagen and Gov. Larry Rhoden were at the memorial to announce distribution of $200,000 from the Tourism Advertising Promotion program that provided grants from $1,000 to $10,000 to 40 entities that operate festivals and other tourism events across South Dakota. (Photo: Courtesy Visit South Dakota) After their trip to the state, the Foleys appear to agree. Ryan Foley owns a real estate firm and Alexis is a school counselor, so the Foleys had a solid but not extravagant spending budget. In the Black Hills, they were able to pack a ton of experiences into their visit, including stops at Wind Cave National Park and Mount Rushmore National Memorial, and scenic drives on the Needles Highway and through Custer State Park. ****Get South Dakota news and information** in a free email on weekdays. Cancel any time. [Subscribe ](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/#/portal) They stayed in an Airbnb rental, ate at local restaurants and "received good value for our dollar," Ryan Foley said. "It's been affordable, but the most important thing was being together with the family, and seeing all this," he said. "These are memories we're going to have forever." ## Nation's birthday a potential tourism driver The 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, also known as the country's semiquincentennial, will be celebrated across the state this summer. As a result, Hagen sees strong tourism potential for South Dakota, both by residents and visitors. Surveys show a majority of potential travelers are interested in American history, and that visitation to national parks is up 18% so far this year, which bodes well for a state with a patriotic vibe and several parks and monuments. Rapid City, which promotes itself as the City of Presidents, will capitalize on the country's 250th anniversary with the [Real America Birthday Bash](https://www.visitrapidcity.com/real-america-birthday-bash/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) planned for downtown on July 1-4\. The U.S. Air Force Academy band will play on July 1, drone shows are slated for July 2-3, and a parade and fireworks show are on the calendar. The festivities will include vendors, food trucks, a beer garden and live music shows. The Black Hills region as a whole hopes to benefit from the nation's big birthday, including the fireworks show planned for Mount Rushmore on July 3\. Gov. Larry Rhoden has invited President Trump, but no official announcement has been made. ![Bria Dillavou, owner of Mackabee Boutique in Keystone, S.D., was preparing shirts for display during the upcoming tourism season ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/05/2026-4-30-Keystone-retailer-Dillabourjpeg-1.jpeg) Bria Dillavou, owner of Mackabee Boutique in Keystone, S.D., was preparing shirts for display during the upcoming tourism season on April 30, 2026\. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) "With the 250th and the fireworks, we're hoping for a good season," said Keystone clothing store owner Bria Dillavou. With some uncertainty looming for summer 2026, Dillavou ordered the typical number of products for the two stores she owns with husband Corey – Mackabee Boutique and Mount Rushmore T-shirts – in the Keystone Mall just down the hill from Mount Rushmore. "In general, vendors nationwide have been offering a lot more patriotic gear and souvenirs this year," she said as she unpacked shirts in her store. Dillavou said she hears from a lot of tourists from the East who stop in Sioux Falls and the Black Hills on their way to points west, including Yellowstone National Park. "Our experience has been that people are still taking family trips, especially if they can drive to their destination," she said. ## Major events across the state in 2026 While the Black Hills may benefit from the 250th and, as usual, from the 86th Sturgis Motorcycle Rally on Aug. 7-16, tourism operators elsewhere across the state are optimistic for a strong year. Sioux Falls is increasingly seen as a strong regional tourism market for shoppers and “foodies” who enjoy varied cuisines, said Teri Schmidt, CEO of Experience Sioux Falls. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/04/2025-9-23-Dignity-statue-2-1.jpeg) A woman walks in September 2025 near the Dignity statute, a cultural tourist attraction located at the Interstate 90 welcome center near Chamberlain, S.D. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) The city and the rest of eastern South Dakota are attractive for visitors who want a family-friendly place to attend a wide range of annual events, including the Rock the Country Music Festival in late June, and the Sioux Falls Airshow and Hot Summer Nites car show in July. Hunting, fishing, camping and other outdoor activities remain major draws for other East River locales, including the Glacial Lakes area in the northeast and the Missouri River in the central and southeast parts of the state. Travel South Dakota, the tourism agency led by Hagen, spent most of its roughly $13 million advertising budget on neighboring states or markets that have shown success in the past, such as Chicago. Visits by Canadians remain down for the second year amid an ongoing trade war and vows by President Donald Trump about annexing the nation's northern neighbor. South Dakota what would be considered a so-so year for tourism in 2025, with 15 million visitors spending an estimated $5.2 billion, a 1.1% increase in revenues over 2024. Other than the COVID-19 slowdown in 2020, when the state saw 12.6 million visitors spend $3.4 billion, South Dakota has seen a slow but steady rise in both categories over the past decade. [![CTA Image](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/04/SDNW-Logo-Vertical.jpg)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) ****Partner with South Dakota News Watch** and support fact-based news and information. [Donate ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Visit South Dakota touts the fiscal power of the state tourism industry with a list of data points on its website. The agency said tourism generated 4.7% of the state's overall economy and 16.5% of all state sales tax collections last year, a total of $406 million. The agency said that tourism supports more than 59,000 jobs and that without tourism, each South Dakota household would have paid $1,121 more in taxes in 2025. Hagen said that last year, economic concerns caused trepidation among tourists, a sentiment not shown in traveler surveys this year. "This year, I think people are like, 'We've had it. Let's get out, let's go have fun, let's travel, even if they'll be looking for good value along the way," he said. ## And yet, some concern over gas prices Schmidt said she and other tourism officials are keeping a wary eye on the national economy, which has been soft. “The things that worry us are gas prices, airline prices and the overall economic condition of the country,” Schmidt said. “If gas goes to 5 bucks a gallon, we don’t know how people are going to respond and we could be looking at a much different situation.” [Gaming grants: Millions for Deadwood, thousands for rest of SDWhile the Black Hills town has received $237 million for historic preservation, the rest of the state has received $3 million.![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)South Dakota News WatchBart Pfankuch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/size/w1200/2026/03/2024-9-9-Hot-Springs-info-center-1.JPG)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/deadwood-sd-gaming-grants-historic-preservation/) Schmidt said tightening consumer budgets could prompt some visitors to shorten planned visits or cull back typical spending levels. The early months of 2026 have been flat or only slightly up for visits and tourism spending, which will put more pressure on tourism businesses to have a strong summer to raise revenues into the black, she said. Experience Sioux Falls has broadened its marketing efforts beyond the typical five-state neighboring region and more into the national market to potentially attract new tourists in addition to those who have visited in the past. Sioux Falls and South Dakota overall provide very good value for the tourism dollar, which will help during a challenging economy, she said. “Our marketing has been strong, if not stronger than ever, but the competition for the tourism dollar also remains strong,” Schmidt said. To date, visits to the Experience Sioux Falls website have been up, providing Schmidt and others with some hope. “Are we concerned? Of course we are. But we’re also very optimistic,” she said. ## A boost in the spring and fall? Michelle Thomson, CEO of the Black Hills & Badlands Tourism Association, said the high cost of living and rising fuel prices could drive more tourists to travel in the spring and fall shoulder seasons, when they anticipate lower prices. Travelers are also more indecisive and are waiting longer to make reservations, which can add stress to tourism operators who like to see things booked out well in advance. ![This May 6, 2026 photo of the iconic Wall Drug in Wall, S.D., shows cars from Iowa, New Hampshire, Colorado and South Dakota all parked out front. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/05/2026-5-6-Wall-tourist-cars-1.jpeg) This May 6, 2026 photo of the iconic Wall Drug in Wall, S.D., shows cars from Iowa, New Hampshire, Colorado and South Dakota all parked out front. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) Rapid City and the Black Hills should see a strong year for revenue, with the Sturgis rally and the nation's 250th birthday leading the way, Thomson said. "With the 250th, we have the potential to bring in people from across the country because we have such a patriotic experience here, and that's not just the fireworks," she said. Thomson said national research shows that potential visitors are aware that the price of a vacation is rising but also that they aren't overly concerned. "People are anticipating spending more, but they want to have those experiences and are willing to pay a little bit more for it," Thomson said. [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact* *content director Bart Pfankuch:** 605-937-9398*/*[*bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org). ### Fact brief: Has SD always used lethal injection for executions? URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/fact-brief-sd-always-lethal-injection-executions/ Last updated: 2026-05-07T10:00:10.000Z ## No. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/WhiteFACT-BRIEF--500-x-200-px--2-1-1.png) South Dakota executed prisoners via hanging and the electric chair until the state carried out its first lethal injection execution in 2007. Five people have been executed via lethal injection since 2007, when Elijah Page was the first execution in almost 60 years. Page was convicted of the torture and murder of Chester Allan Poage in 2000\. Briley Piper remains the only person on death row. He was also involved in the killing of Poage and could face execution later this year. Jack McCall was the state's first execution by hanging in 1877\. He was convicted of killing Wild Bill Hickok in Deadwood. Including McCall, 14 people were executed by hanging until 1915, when the state banned the death penalty. It was reinstated, and George Sitts was executed by electrocution in 1947\. The state changed the method of execution to lethal injection in 1984, though it would take more than 30 years for the first one. *This fact brief responds to conversations such as*[](https://www.reddit.com/r/nationalparks/comments/1rss8e2/be%5Fprepared%5Ffor%5Ffire%5Fif%5Fyou%5Fvisit%5Fmt%5Frushmore/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)[*this one.*](https://www.reddit.com/r/TrueCrimeDiscussion/comments/1o7fkfd/the%5Fmurder%5Fof%5Fchester%5Fpoage/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) ## Sources KELO-TV, [Jackley: Piper execution likely in late 2026](https://www.keloland.com/news/local-news/jackley-piper-execution-likely-in-late-2026/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Sioux Falls Argus Leader, [List: Charles Rhines will be South Dakota's 20th execution since 1877](https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/crime/2018/10/26/rodney-berget-south-dakota-executions-ronald-johnson-sioux-falls/1766178002/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Death Penalty Information Center, [Death Penalty by State](https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/state-and-federal-info/state-by-state?ref=sdnewswatch.org) --- [South Dakota News Watch](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/) partners with [Gigafact](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) to publish fact briefs that refute or confirm a claim with supporting information and additional evidence and context. Send questions or feedback to [news@sdnewswatch.org](mailto:news@sdnewswatch.org). Submit a question for us to answer [on the tipline](https://gigafact.org/tipline/south-dakota-news-watch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact freelance reporter Michael Klinski:* michael.klinski@sdnewswatch.org.* ### News Watch CEO elected to lead SD NewsMedia Association URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/news-watch-ceo-sd-newsmedia-association-president/ Last updated: 2026-05-06T18:28:25.000Z Carson Walker, chief executive officer of South Dakota News Watch, was elected the 140th president of the South Dakota NewsMedia Association during the organization’s annual meeting on May 1 in Deadwood. As News Watch CEO, Walker oversees news programming, fundraising and operations for the independent, nonprofit organization that provides free, fact-based news and information to its own audiences and those of 100 media partners across the state. Also elected to the 2026-27 SDNA Board of Directors were: first vice president Luke Hagen, editor of the Mitchell Republic; second vice president Mike Brownlee, editor of the Rapid City Journal; third vice president Amanda Dulitz, publisher of the Reporter and Farmer at Webster; director LeeAnne Dufek, publisher of Hamlin County Publishing at Castlewood; director Jill Meier, publisher of the Brandon Valley Journal; and immediate past president Jason Ferguson, general manager and editor of Southern Hills Publishing in Custer and Hill City. ## First non-newspaper president for SDNA Walker is SDNA’s first president who does not work for a newspaper, the result of a change in bylaws that allows membership from the state’s digital news outlets. “I’m very honored to help lead an organization like SDNA that has had such an influence on South Dakota since before statehood. Credit goes to SDNA’s staff and board leadership for recognizing that changes in media created an opportunity to expand its membership to include outlets like News Watch that abide by traditional journalism principles and serve the same readers,” he said. Walker’s first job was delivering newspapers for the Des Moines Register in his home state of Iowa. He was a radio announcer and reporter while studying journalism and political science at Colorado State University, where he wrote for The Rocky Mountain Collegian student newspaper and also developed an interest in video storytelling. Walker, who lives in Rapid City, began his career as a reporter, photojournalist, producer and anchor at KDLT-TV (NBC) in Sioux Falls, where he also served as news director after six years as a reporter at the Argus Leader newspaper. His experience includes 17 years at The Associated Press as a writer, broadcast editor and news editor in South Dakota as well as an editor and supervisor on the national filing desk in Phoenix. He also held communications and video positions at the University of South Dakota in Vermillion and Sanford Health in Sioux Falls, where he launched and managed a crowdsourcing platform for the innovations team. News Watch hired him in 2023 as its first CEO. “Though the news media industry is undergoing significant changes, what has not changed is that most people still want to be informed. Newspapers have always connected communities, and South Dakota is blessed to still have some of the highest rates of readership in the country. I hope my background in traditional and new media and now fundraising helps more SDNA members either start or deepen their digital presence and increase revenue outside of the traditional print editions, whose costs continue to climb,” Walker said. “It’s vital for those of us in the industry to adapt, but we also need South Dakotans to support local and statewide news.” **Correction on May 6, 2026:* Amanda Dulitz is publisher of the Reporter and Farmer at Webster. An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated her hometown.* *Dave Bordewyk is executive director of the South Dakota NewsMedia Association.* ### Emily's Hope substance use curriculum coming to South Dakota schools URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/emilys-hope-substance-curriculum-south-dakota-schools/ Last updated: 2026-05-07T13:10:27.000Z Next school year, about 141,000 students in South Dakota public schools may begin to see more conversations about substance use disorder – and how to prevent it – being had in their classrooms. Emily’s Hope, a South Dakota-based nonprofit focused on substance abuse prevention, was recently awarded over half a million dollars from the state’s opioid settlement fund to distribute its multi-grade substance abuse prevention curriculum to public schools in South Dakota. > “I think that we have to have prevention, and all the studies show that you have to start at a very young age with these conversations. ... Prevention is where we save lives, and I think it’s often overlooked.” – Emily’s Hope founder Angela Kennecke Emily’s Hope founder Angela Kennecke told News Watch that the organization’s education program has been in the works for years, beginning with pilot programs implemented in schools across the region. The curriculum now reaches 30,000 students in six states with programs from kindergarten through high school. South Dakota will be the first to see statewide implementation thanks to the $518,000 award from the Department of Social Services, which controls the state’s $99 million opioid settlement fund. The organization also received $100,000 from the South Dakota Community Foundation's [Beyond Idea Grant](https://www.sdcommunityfoundation.org/grants/beyond-idea-grants?ref=sdnewswatch.org) toward its education efforts for a public awareness program called Facing Fentanyl, which will teach about the dangers of fentanyl and reach about 50,000 students, parents and educators. ## Program designed to follow students through schooling The program is not the same as the once-a-year Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) assemblies of days past – though Kennecke said those still have their place, and she often goes to speak at school assemblies. Lessons take place throughout the school year, increasing in frequency as students get older. Because the curriculum follows students through their school journey, concepts can build off of each other as they get more complex. In early years, students learn about their body, emotions and who “trusted adults” are. They read books written by Kennecke and illustrated by her daughter Abby Groth, where students are introduced to characters who will follow them throughout their education. Topics get more specific in nature as students age –first grade sees titles like "Your Super Powers!" In fifth grade, students will graduate to "Brain Busters: Cracking the Code on Substance Use." ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/05/Grade1-BookCover.jpg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/05/Grade3-BookCover-1.jpg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/05/Grade5-Book-Cover.png) Covers for first, third and fifth grade books in the Emily's Hope curriculum program. (Photos: Emily's Hope) In high school, conversations get much more practical. Those students are even more at risk for drug use and exposure to substance abuse, and Kennecke said it was important to create a curriculum that was able to reach students where they are. “High school is a different animal, and we really worked with a lot of folks who work in high schools (to create the curriculum). So it's more project based, it's more student-led,” Kennecke said. ****Get South Dakota news and information** in a free email on weekdays. Cancel any time. [Subscribe ](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/#/portal) Importantly, students will be hearing about these issues from an adult that they know and trust. The curriculum is designed for teachers to easily implement into daily classroom activities, without much need for ongoing support from Emily’s Hope. Kennecke has said that while most pilot programs see teachers running the program, she’s also heard that school nurses and guidance counselors have also taken up the task. “If you look at the studies on DARE, you'll see that it didn't do what was intended, and I think part of that was somebody coming in from the outside to teach it. It wasn't long enough, it wasn't comprehensive enough, it didn't go over enough years. And so I thought, 'Oh, my gosh, I want to start talking to kids at a younger age,'” Kennecke said. That ongoing relationship means that teachers, counselors and nurses also receive education from Emily’s Hope on how best to handle difficult conversations, she said. For example, if a student reaches out with concerns for a family member or friend who may be using. ## Pilot program sparks difficult conversations in some communities Kennecke told News Watch that students sometimes recognize signs of substance abuse around them when being exposed to the concepts through Emily’s Hope’s curriculum. In the northeast South Dakota town of Wilmot, population 381, the community suffered two overdose deaths in a single year, Kennecke said. That sparked Wilmot Public School counselor Tracy Ronke’s outreach to Kennecke to become a pilot school. “I wanted to educate our kids on something that will help them lifelong, not something just for today,” Ronke said in a video for Emily’s Hope. “The drug addiction in our community is not going to go away.” ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-04-at-9.00.46---AM-1.png) A worksheet from the Emily's Hope curriculum filled out by a student in Luverne, Minn. (Photo: Emily's Hope) The Wilmot pilot program began with third and fourth graders. In those classrooms, Ronke said, it became clear that while some concepts from the curriculum – like how the endocrine system works – were new to students, others were all too familiar. “What we learned along the way doing the curriculum is (the students) knew about the drugs. They knew about how drugs were being used. They knew that they saw them in their home, they knew that they had peers that were using them,” Ronke said. “What really started talking to me during this process wasn’t what the curriculum was teaching, it was what my kids already knew.” ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/05/Screenshot-2026-05-04-at-9.26.27---AM.png) Tracy Ronke, a counselor in Wilmot, S.D., teaches a classroom curriculum from Emily's Hope. (Photo: Emily's Hope) Part of the pilot program’s goals have been to re-contextualize the conversations about substance abuse that students may be exposed to. That especially applies to higher-risk communities, where having a family member or friend with substance use disorder is common, Kennecke said. On the Rosebud Indian Reservation, for example, the ongoing pilot program at Rosebud Elementary School reaches students who live in a high-poverty county with high rates of substance use. “What I have found when I talk to those students is that most of them have someone in their family or know someone suffering from substance use disorder, but they have no context for what's happening to that person. All they hear is the talk of adults. And a lot of times that can be stigmatizing language,” Kennecke said. ## Prevention key part of ongoing opioid strategy Though much of the state’s opioid settlement fund spending has gone to treatment and recovery initiatives, the funding for Emily’s Hope represents a broader need for ongoing prevention measures to stop addiction before it begins, Kennecke said. On April 2, Gov. Larry Rhoden and Department of Social Services Secretary Matt Althoff announced $7.82 million in grants for various organizations across the state. In that disbursement, $1 million was allocated to the Sioux Falls School District to provide prevention education, community engagement and intervention protocols for students using substances across grade levels. Programs that target young people often see big returns, Althoff said. "There's always a predisposition to youth," he said during the press conference. "We'll always prioritize our youth in South Dakota. I think in many cases, if there's low-hanging fruit, it's from the youth, as far as investment and risk and reward." [![CTA Image](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/04/SDNW-Logo-Vertical.jpg)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) ****Partner with South Dakota News Watch** and support fact-based news and information. [Donate ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Part of that funding will go to implementation of the Emily’s Hope curriculum in the district, which currently serves about 25,000 students. Kennecke said that the curriculum going into schools in South Dakota’s largest city has been a goal of Emily’s Hope for years. “Everybody who helped formulate the elementary school curriculum, everybody who helped formulate the middle and high school curriculum, a lot of them are Sioux Falls educators or counselors. And so we were anxious to get our curriculum into the Sioux Falls School District,” Kennecke said. Kennecke said that while some students may already have experience with substance use in their families, relationships or communities, a primary goal of the curriculum is to create awareness and prevention strategies for all students – regardless of whether they have been previously exposed. “I believe in prevention. I think that we have to have prevention, and all the studies show that you have to start at a very young age with these conversations,” Kennecke said. “Prevention is where we save lives, and I think it’s often overlooked.” **Correction on May 7, 2026:* Emily's Hope's $100,000 grant from the South Dakota Community Foundation will go towards an education program called Facing Fentanyl, which is separate from the Emily's Hope Curriculum. An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated that the grant would be going towards curriculum efforts.* --- ### Read the previous stories in this series [Some local governments wait to use $9.6M in opioid fundsWhy South Dakota counties and cities haven’t used their share of opioid settlement fund money. “You don’t want to be the guy who spends it all on something and then it’s like, ‘No, that was wrong.’”![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)South Dakota News WatchMolly Wetsch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/size/w1200/2026/04/Naloxone-box.JPG)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/opioid-settlement-south-dakota-local-governments/) [Watertown resource network leads to opioid recoveryHow one woman’s story illustrates the importance of support systems in the state’s opioid crisis: “It’s like the little breath that you get in all of the chaos.”![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)South Dakota News WatchMolly Wetsch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/size/w1200/2026/04/DSC_0804.JPG)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/watertown-opioid-resource-network-recovery/) [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact reporter/**[***Report for America***](https://www.reportforamerica.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) **corps member Molly Wetsch:* 605-531-7382/*[*molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Hearing held in Mitchell baseball defamation lawsuit URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/mitchell-baseball-defamation-lawsuit-motions-hearing/ Last updated: 2026-05-05T22:18:36.000Z MITCHELL, S.D. – A judge heard arguments Tuesday for three motions in the civil lawsuit filed by a former Mitchell baseball player against two local news organizations and the American Legion Baseball league. Circuit Judge David Knoff said he will rule later on the motions, one of which could put an end to the case or send it to trial. The case revolves around a sentence in a letter by a representative from the American Legion sent to members of the Mitchell Baseball Association. Peyton Mandel, who is now 20, was a player for the Mitchell baseball team and one of six [involved in a hazing incident](https://www.dakotanewsnow.com/2024/09/12/six-mitchell-baseball-players-sentenced-rape-investigation/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) that took place in 2023 at a Rapid City hotel room. The event, in which another player said the boys held him down and performed forcible digital anal penetration on him, was later characterized as a rape case. [He pleaded guilty in 2024 to one count of accessory to a felony](https://www.sdpb.org/crime-courts/2024-06-18/two-more-defendants-take-plea-deal-in-mitchell-baseball-team-case?ref=sdnewswatch.org) as part of a plea deal. In November 2024, American Legion adjutant C.P. Van Delist sent a letter to members of the Mitchell Baseball Association saying that the organization had decided that Mitchell Baseball would be immediately barred from participating in the American Legion and provided a set of conditions that must be met in order for the association to be reestablished in the future. In the letter, after naming the six former players involved in the case, Van Delist said, "All of these individuals are guilty of accessory to a felony, acknowledging by affirmation of their guilty pleas, that the felonies they were charged with, rape and aiding and abetting, did take place." In July of last year, Mandel filed a civil lawsuit saying that Van Delist made "false, malicious, and defamatory" statements about him. Nexstar Media Group, the owner of KELO-TV, and Forum Communications, owner of the Mitchell Republic, were also named in the lawsuit. Both organizations published stories containing Van Delist's letter. ## Case sees multiple First Amendment considerations The lawsuit states that Van Delist's statements and the subsequent news articles "falsely (represented) and (characterized) Plaintiff as an admitted rapist." The lawsuit also says that Mandel was "denied reapplication for an employment or experiential opportunity in the medical field" as a result of news articles published by KELO and the Mitchell Republic. Mandel's lawyer, Tucker Volesky, said during the hearing that the contested sentence in the letter indicated Mandel was a rapist when that was not the charge that Mandel pled guilty to. Volesky said that because Mandel pleaded guilty to accessory to a felony, it was wrong to name him in the letter next to the statement of rape taking place. ****Get South Dakota news and information** in a free email on weekdays. Cancel any time. [Subscribe ](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/#/portal) The hearing spanned several First Amendment complexities, including what qualifies as "privileged" communication, whether Mandel can be considered a limited public figure in relation to the case and consideration about what constitutes the "truth" of the case. Attorneys for the defendants said that even if Mandel's record does not indicate rape, a rape still took place. One sentiment was that because Mandel pleaded guilty to accessory to a felony, he therefore acknowledged that the rape happened. Volesky said that Mandel should not be associated with rape and said that the intention of the lawsuit was to say that a rape did not happen. ## Hearing ends without decisions All three motions considered Tuesday afternoon were taken under advisement by Knoff. One was a motion for a judgment on pleadings filed by Volesky, which asked the judge to solely consider what Mandel affirmed by pleading guilty. Volesky also asked Knoff to consider the "narrow falsity issue" provided by the lawsuit and said that prior context was not relevant to the issue of whether Van Delist's letter falsely accused Mandel of rape. A motion to quash a subpoena was presented by Jessica LaMie, a South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation deputy attorney. That was in response to attorney Pete Heidepriem, on behalf of Nexstar, submitting a subpoena to the DCI requesting documents in the criminal investigation of the 2023 hazing case. The final motion considered was a motion for summary judgment – which would have required the judge to rule on the case immediately without sending it to trial. Attorney Sarah Collins, who represents Forum Communications and Mitchell Republic editor Luke Hagen, brought forward the motion. She said that there was no factual basis for the continuation of the case and that the plaintiff was "trying to prove malice when malice is not there." [![CTA Image](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/04/SDNW-Logo-Vertical.jpg)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) ****Partner with South Dakota News Watch** and support fact-based news and information. [Donate ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Volesky said in response that the articles written were single-sourced and failed to verify the facts in the court record, violating traditional journalistic ethics standards. Knoff said during discussion of that third motion that he felt he was "being asked to close (his) eyes on the act that took place" by Volesky and was struggling to find a factual basis for the decision to consider the letter in a vacuum. Knoff did not indicate when he would rule on the motions but said it would be as soon as he could. There is no specific limitation on how soon a judge must rule after taking a case under advisement, and it can range anywhere from a few days after a hearing to several months. [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact reporter/**[***Report for America***](https://www.reportforamerica.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) **corps member Molly Wetsch:* 605-531-7382/*[*molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Fact brief: Have there been regular examples of voter fraud in SD elections? URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/fact-brief-have-there-been-regular-examples-of-voter-fraud-in-sout-elections/ Last updated: 2026-05-05T09:00:41.000Z ## No. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/WhiteFACT-BRIEF--500-x-200-px--2-1-1.png) Three people have been convicted of voter fraud in South Dakota elections since 2004, according to the Heritage Foundation, which has pushed stricter voting laws across the country to prevent fraud. The convictions include a man who pleaded guilty to voting more than once in 2004, a Mitchell man who voted twice during a school board election and a Brookings County man who was charged after authorities said he attempted to vote twice in 2022\. Two received a suspended sentence and one time served. Several other convictions listed by the Heritage Foundation involve gathering signatures. South Dakota lawmakers approved a bill this legislative session that will allow individuals and election officials to challenge voters' citizenship. In 2024, state officials announced 273 non-citizens had been inadvertently added to voter rolls because of human error. One of those 273 people cast a ballot during the 2016 election, the Secretary of State's Office said. *This fact brief responds to conversations such as*[](https://www.reddit.com/r/nationalparks/comments/1rss8e2/be%5Fprepared%5Ffor%5Ffire%5Fif%5Fyou%5Fvisit%5Fmt%5Frushmore/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)[*this one.*](https://www.reddit.com/r/SouthDakota/comments/1s62wg6/sd%5Fsave%5Fact%5Fis%5Fthere%5Fsomething%5Fim%5Fmissing/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) ## Sources The Heritage Foundation, [South Dakota election fraud](https://electionfraud.heritage.org/search?state=sd&ref=sdnewswatch.org) Rapid City Journal, [Man who voted twice sentenced to time served (March 6, 2006 article)](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1OaPUKnqNjM3qg7ktG7ulCuDa-JqQX-sx/view?usp=sharing&ref=sdnewswatch.org) South Dakota Searchlight, [New South Dakota law allows voters to challenge other voters’ citizenship](https://southdakotasearchlight.com/2026/03/08/new-south-dakota-law-allows-voters-to-challenge-other-voters-citizenship/?utm%5Fsource=chatgpt.com) --- [South Dakota News Watch](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/) partners with [Gigafact](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) to publish fact briefs that refute or confirm a claim with supporting information and additional evidence and context. Send questions or feedback to [news@sdnewswatch.org](mailto:news@sdnewswatch.org). Submit a question for us to answer [on the tipline](https://gigafact.org/tipline/south-dakota-news-watch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). [![CTA Image](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/04/SDNW-Logo-Vertical.jpg)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) This newsletter and all our stories are free because we believe that ****essential, fact-based information should be available to everyone**, not just those who can pay for it. If you can afford it, ****please consider joining others and becoming a supporter**. Thank you. [Donate ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact freelance reporter Michael Klinski:* michael.klinski@sdnewswatch.org.* ### News Watch honored at SD NewsMedia convention URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/news-watch-sd-newsmedia-association-awards-2026/ Last updated: 2026-05-05T00:35:38.000Z DEADWOOD, S.D. – South Dakota News Watch's journalists won several awards over the weekend at the annual South Dakota NewsMedia Association convention in Deadwood, including the coveted public service award and the top prize in a new specialized contest for coverage of nonprofits. News Watch CEO Carson Walker also took over as president of SDNA for the next year, succeeding Jason Ferguson, editor of the Custer County Chronicle in Custer, who will remain on the board for one year. In the all divisions competition, Bart Pfankuch won first place for best freedom of information request for coverage in a series on [police videos being off limits](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/police-videos-in-sd-public-pays-costs-but-cannot-see-footage/) to the public and the press in South Dakota. Also in all divisions, Pfankuch and Walker won first place in the public service contest for News Watch's [Engage South Dakota housing solutions series](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/engage-south-dakota-housing-rent-own-solutions-journalism/). That series also earned Pfankuch and Walker first place and $500 each in the inaugural "Strengthening Civil Society" competition for outstanding journalism covering philanthropy and the nonprofit sector. The prize was made possible by an endowment gift from the John T. Vucurevich Foundation to the Black Hills Area Community Foundation. The award was established in 2025 by Eric Abrahamson and Lois Facer in recognition of Abrahamson’s service to the Vucurevich Foundation board of directors. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/05/2026-05-01-Strengthening-Civicl-Society-award.jpeg) Winners of the inaugural Strengthening Civil Society prizes for outstanding journalism covering philanthropy and the nonprofit sector: Honorable mention, Wendy Pitlick, Black Hills Pioneer, and first place, Bart Pfankuch and Carson Walker, South Dakota News Watch. Also pictured: Eric Abrahamson, whose endowment through the John T. Vucurevich Foundation to the Black Hills Area Community Foundation funded the prizes, and JTVF's Lee Strubinger. (Photo: Lois Facer, Vantage Point) Here are the News Watch awards from the SDNA editorial division 3 contest, which includes news organizations from the largest population areas: - Pfankuch, first place in best news series for a story on the [local impacts of federal budget cuts](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-medicaid-cuts-trump-big-beautiful-bill/) - Pfankuch, first place in best photo series for a story on the [need for energy workers](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/renewable-energy-wind-power-electricity-south-dakota/) - Molly Wetsch, third place in best features series for an article on [the South Dakota film industry](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-film-industry-incentives-movies-americana/) - Megan Luther, second place for best feature story-non-profile for [calving goes high tech](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/high-tech-calving-cameras-south-dakota-agriculture/) ## Other winners SDNA named Morgan Matzen, a reporter for the Sioux Falls Argus Leader who covers education issues in South Dakota, Outstanding Young Journalist for 2025\. SDNA also presented awards in various categories for the best journalism and best advertising. General excellence awards were presented to the best overall news media outlets. Sweepstakes awards went to news organizations winning the most awards in their respective divisions. The SDNA General Excellence winners for 2025: - Division 1 (cities under 3,000): Hamlin County Republican, Castlewood - Division 2 (cities 3,000 to 15,000): Madison Daily Leader - Division 3 (cities over 15,000): Aberdeen Insider The SDNA Sweepstakes winners for 2025: - Division 1 (cities under 3,000): Hamlin County Republican, Castlewood - Division 2 (cities 3,000 to 15,000): Madison Daily Leader - Division 3 (cities over 15,000): Black Hills Pioneer, Spearfish The association also presented awards to winners in two specialized contests. In the Strengthening Civil Society contest, honorable mention awards and cash prizes were presented to Wendy Pitlick ($250) of the Black Hills Pioneer at Spearfish and Randy Dockendorf ($125) and Cora Van Olson ($125) of the Yankton Daily Press & Dakotan. Pitlick reported on the finances of a nonprofit organization providing recreational services for the city of Lead. Dockendorf and Olson reported on the financial struggles and challenges for various non-profit organizations in the Yankton community. The A-Mark Prize for Investigative Journalism, sponsored by the A-Mark Foundation, was awarded to four journalists and the news organizations for which they work. Joshua Haiar of South Dakota Searchlight won first place in the A-Mark contest for his investigative reporting about an extraordinary set of connections between the state of South Dakota and a company receiving a large amount of government financial assistance. The A-Mark Foundation awarded $5,000 to Haiar and $2,500 to South Dakota Searchlight. Matzen won second place for her reporting about private funds and taxpayer money used by universities and associated foundations to purchase property in and outside of South Dakota. The A-Mark Foundation awarded $3,000 to Matzen and $1,500 to the Argus Leader. Luke Hagen of the Mitchell Republic and Patrick Lalley of Sioux Falls Live won third place in the A-Mark competition for their ongoing reporting about criminal charges and other issues related to Legion baseball in Mitchell. The A-Mark Foundation awarded $1,000 each to Hagen and Lalley and $1,000 to the Mitchell Republic and Sioux Falls Live. A complete list of contest results can be found at [www.sdna.com](https://xr998scab.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001DdyH72YoM3oJzCzProM77rPcH0IpoCzXMDkP1ojrf0Ofa7T0MWhUHU3OdO-zlJqaueZG9si-RW-tLaxIGKUR%5FPv%5FPVvEQ7E1MlyZIdgSZ3Bq9RlLtjnz%5FxokpHjji43G2kGqaOFwC1eQNqEAMfBCOg==&c=FyixAuzDoWQUyzZrPHciRt-nMmQHdYPIqQyL88SP3HvN9HyiR4Gdcw==&ch=Q6lKRED4veDdDw1fdVq7QS64l8ft3uNaAdx2N7cI28r58dSasgpqyA==&ref=sdnewswatch.org). South Dakota NewsMedia Association, based in Brookings, represents more than 100 newspapers and digital news outlets in South Dakota. [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact:** [*info@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:info@sdnewswatch.org). ### Water worries: Billions needed to keep South Dakota taps flowing URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-missouri-river-water-pipelines/ Last updated: 2026-05-04T14:20:35.000Z Compared to several states to the west, South Dakota is not even in the conversation of places in danger of experiencing a water crisis. Arizona, New Mexico, California and Colorado are increasingly in panic mode trying to find reliable sources of drinking water to quench the thirst of growing populations and future generations. Over its 137 years of statehood, South Dakota has relied on rivers and reservoirs but mostly on underground aquifers to provide high-quality fresh water in quantities sufficient to accommodate slow but steady population, agricultural and industrial growth. > "We have one of the greatest water resources in the world, the Missouri River, running right through our state. And if we don’t think of ways to utilize it properly, the concern is that other states will figure out a way." – Shane Phillips, executive director of WEB Water But that comfort level is quickly evaporating, and signs of ongoing or potential water shortages are popping up in all corners of the state. Among them: - The WEB Water system in Aberdeen has declared several portions of its service area as "moratoriums" in which no further water taps can be added until system capacity increases. - The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers recently announced that ongoing drought has lowered Missouri River water levels, potentially affecting barge traffic, hydro-electric generation and recreational activities. - Facing declining water levels in the Big Sioux Aquifer, the Minnehaha County Water Corp. in Dell Rapids has turned away potential high water use industrial employers to maintain service to existing residential and municipal customers. - A 2025 federal geological survey showed that some of the "sub-aquifers" that provide fresh water to northern Black Hills communities [are not recharging as fast as they are being depleted](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/black-hills-water-study-missouri-river-pipeline/). - Due to low water levels in Pactola Reservoir and a forecast of continued drought, Rapid City officials in April enacted summer water use restrictions two months earlier than usual. ## Looking 40 years into the future While those impacts are not seen as harbingers of an immediate or near-term crisis in the state, they are generating concern over what could happen if South Dakota waits too long to begin finding future reliable sources of water. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/04/2026-4-10-Big-Bend-Dam-1.jpeg) The Missouri River is shown at the Big Bend Dam near Fort Thompson, S.D., on April 10, 2026\. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) "Statewide, water managers are seeing this and realizing we need to start making plans now for 40 or 50 years into the future," said Shane Phillips, executive director of the WEB system that provides 6 million gallons of water a day to nearly 40,000 people and hundreds of farms and businesses in north-central South Dakota. "If you wait until the need is there, you're already way behind." In response, local, regional and state [water officials are pushing forward with water projects ](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/major-south-dakota-water-projects-lewis-clark/)that will surely cost billions of dollars and increasingly tap into one of the world's greatest sources of fresh water and the longest river in the U.S. – the mighty Missouri River. "There's a tsunami of water projects underway or under discussion in South Dakota right now," said Troy Larson, executive director of the Lewis & Clark Regional Water System, a massive South Dakota-based provider of water to much of the state's southeastern quadrant and parts of Iowa and Minnesota. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/04/2026-3-17-Troy-Larson-with-photo-1.jpeg) Troy Larson, executive director of the Lewis & Clark Regional Water System, points to a photo in the system's headquarters in Tea, S.D., on March 17, 2026\. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) To grasp the scope of the proposals, News Watch reviewed documents and conducted interviews to gain an understanding of ongoing or planned major water projects in the state. The four largest: - Lewis & Clark is near completion of its $711 million "base system" that serves 20 communities, including Sioux Falls, with 44 millions of gallons per day (MGD). An expansion to 60 MGD is underway, with a second expansion to 155 MGD planned after that, all with a price tag of unknown billions of dollars. - WEB water and its new WINS cooperative serving Aberdeen and communities to the east has made $20 million in improvements since 2016\. The system is spending $82 million to expand its treatment plant and add a new 50-inch pipeline upgrade. - Western Dakota Regional Water System representatives recently testified before Congress to seek approval of a feasibility study for a 165-mile, 71-inch pipeline from the Missouri River to Rapid City and more than 50 communities and systems in the Black Hills region. If approved, the project is estimated to cost at least $3 billion and take decades to construct. - The Dakota Mainstem Regional Water System Inc. is also seeking congressional approval of a feasibility study on an ambitious project to pump Missouri River water to almost the entirety of East River South Dakota and parts of Minnesota and Iowa. The project could include a 96-inch main pipeline and a price tag of up to $10 billion. "Experts have shown us that we’re straining our aquifers in South Dakota, and we need to act now so our future generations don't have to react," said Kristen Conzet, director of the Western Dakota system. "The cheapest time to do any of this is now if not yesterday." ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/04/2025-4-21-Pactola-shoreline-low-1.jpg) Water levels in Pactola Reservoir in the Black Hills of South Dakota -- a main source of drinking water for Rapid City -- were far lower than normal on April 21, 2025\. (Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) Larson said the need for water is being driven mainly by population growth and a long-range drought in many areas of the state. Other water managers said the state needs to be prepared to sustain existing industries such as agriculture production and ethanol and be ready to accommodate new businesses including data centers or other employers that may locate in South Dakota in the future. Major water projects are paid for through a variety of sources. In a typical example, the $711 million Lewis & Clark base system was funded at 80% from the federal government, 10% from the three states serviced and 10% from customers, Larson said. ## A shift to regional systems and the Mighty Mo For generations, and currently in many regions, South Dakota homes, farms and municipalities mostly tapped into underground aquifers with individual wells to obtain fresh water. But as the state has grown, and water pipeline and treatment technologies have evolved, the state has moved to a model known as "regional water systems" in which a main provider of water taps a river or reservoir and installs underground pipes for distribution. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/04/2026-3-20-Clay-water-system-2-1.jpeg) Rural South Dakota relies heavily on small water systems, but plans are underway to expand capacity through a handful of major water providers. The Clay Rural Water System, shown on March 20, 2026, operates near Wakonda, S.D. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) The origin of the model dates back about 50 years to a heated battle that took place over how to obtain water from the Missouri River in the north-central part of the state and what to use it for. The [proposed Oahe Irrigation Project](https://www.amazon.com/Uphill-against-Water-Dakota-Sustainable/dp/080326397X?ref=sdnewswatch.org) was a federal government effort to build a series of canals to provide Missouri River water to agricultural producers in a 190,000-acre area in Brown and Spink counties. But it faced opposition – largely from landowners who opposed the forced taking of their land – and caused heated division among residents, farmers, and local, state and federal officials. ****Get South Dakota news and information** in a free email on weekdays. Cancel any time. [Subscribe ](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/#/portal) After extensive lobbying of federal officials, and gaining control over a regional water board, opponents halted the project and its federal funding in 1978. Roger Schuller, a third-generation farmer from Claremont, was a vocal opponent of the irrigation canals and has since become a historian of South Dakota water projects. “We were trading a billion-dollar project for a lot less expensive project that would service thousands of people instead of a smaller amount of recipients who farmed,” Schuller, 82, told News Watch. “It changed the direction of water development in South Dakota.” As the irrigation effort was unraveling, the WEB rural water system was taking shape as its replacement. The pipeline system, which carries fresh water to a wide swath of northeastern South Dakota, remains in operation and is now undergoing a large expansion. “The WEB project, to my mind, was the start of the rural water revolution as we see it now in this state,” said Schuller, adding that the project fueled both population growth and the development of the ethanol industry in the region. “Water is the key for human consumption and for any industry you want. But you can expect controversy to arise around almost any water project.” ## Internal, external race for water system capacity From a broad perspective, South Dakota is in a race to obtain more Missouri River water on two separate fronts. First off, the state needs to make investments now and begin building pipeline infrastructure because major systems can take 30 to 50 years to complete, said Kurt Pfeifle, executive director of the Dakota Mainstem project. "I probably won’t be around when this project gets built," said Pfeifle, 66, who formerly was head of South Dakota Association of Rural Water Systems. "If you’re going to do these big things, you need to start now because it’s not going to get done quickly or be any cheaper than it is now." ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/04/2026-3-19-Missouri-River-near-Vermillion-1.jpeg) Due to a lingering drought, the Missouri River was running low on March 19, 2026, at this major bend south of Vermillion, S.D. This image was taken from the Mulberry Bend Overlook in northern Nebraska. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) But the state is also eager to build new water systems in order to get ahead of other states that could potentially try to tap into the Missouri River as a source for desperately needed water. The threat of Colorado or New Mexico possibly building a pipeline to the Missouri is a topic that South Dakota water managers approach with caution because they don't want to legitimize a concept with a low likelihood of becoming reality. But at the same time, it's one they must confront. ****Support stories about rural South Dakota with a tax-deductible donation.** [Donate ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/reportforamerica/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) While no firm proposals are being considered, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation did [consider a proposal ](https://www.denverpost.com/2012/12/10/correction-missouri-river-pipeline-story/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)in 2012 backed by several Western states to tap the Missouri River. The idea never took hold, but it called for an $11 billion, 670-mile pipeline to provide water to 1.2 million customers in seven arid states that rely on the faltering Colorado River for water. Phillips, director of WEB Water, said he has heard estimates that if the city of Denver implemented an additional 1% sales tax, the city could quickly afford to build a pipeline to the Missouri River. If other states tap the Missouri, it could reduce water availability for states that already rely on the river, including South Dakota. "We have one of the greatest water resources in the world, the Missouri River, running right through our state. And if we don’t think of ways to utilize it properly, the concern is that other states will figure out a way," Phillips said. "It’s a cautionary tale and a reminder that we need to plan for the future now." [4 big water projects underway in South DakotaBillions of dollars of construction plans are in the works to provide water to serve South Dakota for generations to come.![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)South Dakota News WatchBart Pfankuch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/Lewis---Clark-construction-overhead.JPG)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/major-south-dakota-water-projects-lewis-clark/) [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact* *content director Bart Pfankuch:** 605-937-9398*/*[*bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org). ### 4 big water projects underway in South Dakota URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/major-south-dakota-water-projects-lewis-clark/ Last updated: 2026-05-04T14:21:09.000Z VERMILLION, S.D. – In a wooded site along the west shore of the Missouri River, an engineering marvel was taking shape one afternoon in March that will eventually help provide fresh water to hundreds of thousands of people. Contractors hired by the Lewis & Clark Regional Water System had positioned 16-foot concrete rings above a structure known as a Ranney well that will draw water from an aquifer 140 feet below the surface. To form the sides of the giant well, workers jam several of the sleeves into the caisson structure that collects water through a series of pipes that extend outward at the bottom. The new well is part of a $150 million expansion of the Lewis & Clark system that provides 44 million gallons of treated Missouri River water each day to 350,000 people in 20 communities in eastern South Dakota and parts of Iowa and Minnesota. ![The WEB Water system is installing a new pipeline to expand capacity, including in this section along U.S. highway 12 south of Selby](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/04/2025-4-26-WEB-water-pipeline-project-2-1.jpeg) The WEB Water system is installing a new pipeline to expand capacity, including in this section along U.S. highway 12 south of Selby, S.D., shown in April 2025\. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) The construction is part of a wide-scale increase in water service capacity now underway in South Dakota, where water managers of several systems are implementing plans to serve the state for the next 40 to 50 years. To ensure that steady supply of high-quality drinking water, four major projects are in progress to take more water from the Missouri River. ****Get South Dakota news and information** in a free email on weekdays. Cancel any time. [Subscribe ](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/#/portal) Two projects will expand existing systems, and two new systems are also in the very early stages of planning. In total, the projects could cost tens of billions of dollars and ultimately serve more than 750,000 people in South Dakota and two neighboring states. Here is a snapshot look at the four water systems that hope to keep water flowing for the next generations of South Dakota residents. ## Lewis & Clark Regional Water System Headquartered in Tea, this system was authorized by Congress in 2000 and began delivering water in 2012\. ![Jim Auen, operations manager for the Lewis & Clark Regional Water System, stood on March 20, 2026, on the roof of the water treatment plant that is under expansion](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/04/2026-3-18-L-C-operator-Jim-Auen-1.jpeg) Jim Auen, operations manager for the Lewis & Clark Regional Water System, stood on March 20, 2026, on the roof of the water treatment plant that is under expansion just north of Vermillion, S.D. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) The so-called base system is nearly completed at a cost of $711 million to provide 44 million gallons of treated Missouri River water per day to 20 communities in southeastern South Dakota, including Sioux Falls, and in Iowa and Minnesota. The system uses wells positioned on the banks of the Missouri River to capture aquifer water that is treated and then shipped through a 54-inch main underground pipeline that diverts into smaller lines serving individual communities. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/05/LewisClark-1.png) Lewis and Clark Regional Water System. Two more expansions of the system are planned, with the first one now underway. The first expansion began in 2022 and will cost an estimated $150 million to increase the water flow to 60 million gallons per day (GPD) by 2030\. The project includes an expansion of the water treatment plant, addition of a new storage facility and construction of a new water collection well along the Missouri River near Vermillion. ![A concrete sleeve was ready on March 20, 2026, to be pushed down into a new Lewis & Clark collector well on the banks of the Missouri River near Vermillion](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/04/2026-3-20-Vermillion-caisson-1.jpeg) A concrete sleeve was ready on March 20, 2026, to be pushed down into a new Lewis & Clark collector well on the banks of the Missouri River near Vermillion, S.D. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) The second expansion, now in the feasibility study stage, could increase water flow to 165 million GPD to accommodate population and industrial growth in southeastern South Dakota, eastern Minnesota and northwestern Iowa. ## WEB Water system The Water Investment in Northern South Dakota (WINS) project is a regional collaborative that includes the WEB Water system, the BDM Rural Water System and the city of Aberdeen. WEB, the main portion of the project, was launched in 1975 to tap the Missouri River to initially serve the counties of Walworth, Edmunds and Brown in north-central South Dakota. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/05/WEB-Water.png) The WEB Water System in northern South Dakota. Since 1986, the system has taken Missouri River surface water at a point on Lake Oahe south of Mobridge, treated it to drinkable status and then shipped it through 688 miles of underground pipe heading east and north. The system now provides up to 11 millions of gallons of water per day to 18 counties, 15 of them in South Dakota and three in North Dakota. WEB has spent $20 million on improvements since 2016 to strengthen delivery systems, even though those projects have not expanded capacity to allow for more users. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/04/2025-4-25-WEB-water-construction-1.jpeg) To expand water capacity, WEB Water has added a new 50-inch pipeline from the Missouri River to this location at the intersection of U.S. 12 and state Highway 83 south of Selby, S.D., shown in April 2025\. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) To accommodate expected growth and increase area water needs, WEB is in the midst of an $82 million upgrade that will include 14 miles of 49.5-inch parallel pipeline and an expansion of its treatment plant from a capacity of 11 million GPD to 17 million GPD. ## Western Dakota Regional Water System This system was formed in September 2021 largely to pursue the data, political support and funding to build a 72-inch pipeline about 161 miles from the Missouri River to the Black Hills region. The system is steadily gaining support from the state and federal governments, and is pursuing a $13 million feasibility study that is a requirement of a large project under the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/05/Western-Dakota-Regional.png) This map shows the existing water systems in the Western Dakota Regional Water System footprint. So far, 56 municipalities or water systems from Winner to Fort Pierre to Rapid City have signed on as partners in the project and could receive water from the project once operational, said Kristen Conzet, executive director of the system. The pipeline would supplement the many existing West River water systems that draw from aquifers, which are slowly depleting, Conzet said. "It's needed for economic development, for agriculture, for tourism, for tribal nations and for national security resiliency," Conzet told News Watch. ![Sand bars not normally seen on Pactola Reservoir, S.D., in the Black Hills of South Dakota were visible in April 2025 due to unusually low water levels.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/04/2025-4-21-Pactola-sign-goose-low-1.jpg) Sand bars not normally seen on Pactola Reservoir, S.D., in the Black Hills of South Dakota were visible in April 2025 due to unusually low water levels. The reservoir is a water source for the Rapid City region. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) She testified before Congress on April 16 in support of a bill to authorize a formal feasibility study, noting that current water systems are not capable of providing the water needed to sustain growth in the region. Both Conzet and U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson of South Dakota told House members that water system expansion is needed to support regional growth, including at Ellsworth Air Force Base in Box Elder, which will soon be home to the new B-21 bomber program. "Western South Dakota faces a clear and growing water challenge," Johnson said. “This is not just a local priority; it’s a national security imperative.” ## Dakota Mainstem Regional Water System This massive proposed system is also in the planning stages and would provide water to a huge swath of eastern South Dakota and parts of Minnesota and Iowa. The impetus for the system came when water managers examined the current and future needs for water in South Dakota and neighboring states and balanced that against the current and estimated future capacity of existing systems, said Kurt Pfiefle, director of the system that launched in 2023. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/05/DakotaMain.jpg) The proposed Dakota Mainstem Regional Water System. "We looked at what we have and said, 'That’s all great, but are we done?'" he said. "Looking at the data, it became evident to us pretty quickly that we’re not done." So far, 57 potential members have signed on to the plan to build a pipeline up to 96 inches in diameter to carry treated water taken from Missouri River aquifers near Yankton. The project could take more than 20 years to build and cost as much as $10 billion, Pfeifle said. Dakota Mainstem officials will attend their own feasibility authorization hearing before Congress on April 29, he said. "It's a massive footprint that we're looking at," Pfeifle said. "If South Dakota is going to continue to grow and we’re going to see more economic development opportunities, we need to have more water." [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact* *content director Bart Pfankuch:** 605-937-9398*/*[*bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org). ### Rhoden: Johnson tried to keep me from entering governor's race URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/republican-governor-race-rhoden-johnson-threat/ Last updated: 2026-05-03T10:59:07.000Z DEADWOOD, S.D. – South Dakota Gov. Larry Rhoden told a gathering of journalists Friday that one of his challengers, U.S. House Rep. Dusty Johnson, attempted to blackmail him into not entering the gubernatorial race. Rhoden spoke at the South Dakota NewsMedia Association conference in Deadwood. He didn't name Johnson directly during his comments but later confirmed to News Watch that's who he was talking about. When responding to a question regarding concerns over a lack of civility in the race, Rhoden said that Johnson, through a mutual friend, tried to dissuade him from running by insinuating he would direct a large portion of his campaign war chest, including funds from super political action committees associated with him, against Rhoden if he ran. "They let me know he had more than just the $6 (million) or $7 million in his personal fund. That he also had these dark money super PACs that he could maintain cover on. In fact, that's exactly what he did when he released the ads," Rhoden said. "In the interviews he did, he said 'No, that wasn't me, that was them.' Well, why did you tell me about it? That blows my mind." ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/05/2026-04-13-Dusty-Johnson-and-Larry-Rhoden-at-SDPB-debate.jpeg) South Dakota Republican candidates for governor U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson (left) and Gov. Larry Rhoden participate in a debate at SDPB studios on April 13, 2026, in Sioux Falls, S.D. (Photo: Jon Beringer/South Dakota News Watch) In recent weeks, Johnson's supporters have launched an ad campaign accusing Rhoden of enacting the largest sales tax increase in state history. Rhoden enacted two major bills from the 2026 [legislative session](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-legislature-budget-property-taxes/) that, in some fashion, decrease property taxes in exchange for increasing sales taxes. Johnson has also hit out at a third bill that Rhoden signed that will allow municipalities to raise sales taxes to fund capital projects. Johnson dismissed Rhoden’s remarks. “I did not approve the ad, but it’s clear this PAC supports me and opposes the Governor’s three sales tax increases. Every other candidate has a PAC supporting them and this is no different,” Johnson said in an email to News Watch. “But let’s be clear—I don’t disagree with any of the facts in this ad.” Rhoden said some of Johnson's statements are outright lies. [South Dakota Election Voter GuideEverything South Dakota voters need to know about statewide contests in the primary and general elections.![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)South Dakota News WatchAlexander Rifaat![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/size/w1200/2025/11/2024-6-4-Election-signs-1.JPG)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-voter-guide-primary-general-election/) Rhoden provided more details of the exchange to News Watch, explaining that a mutual friend of his and Johnson's called him shortly after last year's legislative session when he was debating whether to enter the race. "He called one of them up and he said, 'Tell Larry, if he gets in the race, I will drop a million bucks on his head, drive his numbers down into the single digits, and I just don't want to have to do that,'" Rhoden told News Watch. "He (Johnson) was presenting it like he was doing me a favor," Rhoden said. "It's blackmail, basically." ****Get South Dakota news and information** in a free email on weekdays. Cancel any time. [Subscribe ](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/#/portal) A scientific survey of 500 registered Republicans, conducted April 7-11 by Mason-Dixon Polling and Strategy, found Johnson leading the four-way contest for governor with 34% of likely GOP primary voters supporting his candidacy. The other three candidates were effectively tied for second due to the margin of error being plus-or-minus 4.5%. State House Speaker Jon Hansen, of Dell Rapids, had 18% support from GOP voters, and Aberdeen businessman Toby Doeden and Rhoden both had 17%. Roughly 14% of those surveyed were undecided, according to the [poll sponsored by South Dakota News Watch and Chiesman Center for Democracy](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-republican-gop-primary-governor-gubernatorial/). The revelations come as the GOP gubernatorial race enters the final stretch, with a month left until the June 2 primary*.* If no candidate receives at least 35% of the vote, a runoff will be scheduled for July 28\. *Update: This story was updated May 1, 2026 to add a response from Johnson to Rhoden’s claims.* *Correction on May 1, 2026: A PAC, not Johnson, has launched an ad campaign accusing Rhoden of enacting the largest sales tax increase in state history.* [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact politics and statehouse reporter Alexander Rifaat:* 605-736-4396/*[*alexander.rifaat@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:alexander.rifaat@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Watertown resource network leads to opioid recovery URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/watertown-opioid-resource-network-recovery/ Last updated: 2026-05-01T11:49:18.000Z *Editor's note: South Dakota News Watch is not using the source's last name to protect her identity but has independently verified her story.* WATERTOWN, S.D. – A South Dakota city of about 25,000 people may not necessarily be the heart of the nation’s decades-long opioid crisis – but it certainly is a reminder of how far the epidemic has spread. And in Watertown, a vast community support network surrounding substance abuse has shown serious momentum and is proving its worth through real-life recovery. One member of that network is [Brothers and Sisters Behind Bars](https://www.bsbbwatertown.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org), a nonprofit that focuses on providing basic needs and addiction recovery support for those leaving the criminal justice system in Watertown. [Some local governments wait to use $9.6M in opioid fundsWhy South Dakota counties and cities haven’t used their share of opioid settlement fund money. “You don’t want to be the guy who spends it all on something and then it’s like, ‘No, that was wrong.’”![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)South Dakota News WatchMolly Wetsch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/Naloxone-box.JPG)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/opioid-settlement-south-dakota-local-governments/) The organization's headquarters sits on a main street in the core of downtown, right next to coffee shops, boutiques and restaurants. Next door are the offices of [Codington Connects](https://codingtonconnects.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org), a community services organizations serving Codington County. Cali, an office assistant and peer support specialist at Brothers and Sisters Behind Bars, is 26 years old. She was born in California but grew up in Sisseton, about 60 miles north of Watertown, on the Lake Traverse Indian Reservation. She’s a mother of three, a licensed community health worker and has lived in Watertown for about five years. She jokes about her choosing her children’s next hairstyles and is soft-spoken but sincere. She knows just about everybody who enters the office by name. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/04/DSC_0794-1.JPG) Cali, 26, at the Brothers and Sisters Behind Bars office in Watertown, S.D., on April 9, 2026\. (Photo: Molly Wetsch/South Dakota News Watch) She’s also in recovery from addiction. Her drug of choice? Heroin, which played a significant role in the nation’s opioid epidemic. Cali is not the typical demographic of those struggling with opioid addiction. Nationwide, males consistently see more addiction than females, and [in South Dakota, most unintentional drug overdoses occurred in people between the ages of 35-44](https://doh.sd.gov/media/zj2ojicg/state-unintentional-drug-overdose-reporting-system-sudors-report-2024.pdf?ref=sdnewswatch.org). But the opioid crisis has grown to reach every single corner of the country, including her. Cali is clear that the drug does not discriminate. Though she grew up in a difficult environment after losing her parents at a young age, surrounded by people with addiction – a situation that increases the risk of addiction in young people – she said she knows others in her situation who came from very different homes. Because of opioids' wide reach, from prescription medications to fentanyl to heroin, there are many ways for individuals to get addicted. While the state’s drug problem has manifested mostly in the form of methamphetamine for years, opioids have slowly but surely made their way into communities across the state. Nearly half of the state saw more opioid overdoses than meth overdoses from 2020-2024, according to the South Dakota Department of Health. ## Brothers and Sisters program worked when others didn't Cali's road to recovery has been long, like many others. In and out of jail, she went through Codington County’s drug treatment court program, spending years meeting with court services officers, and doing near-daily check in calls. When she stumbled, she was recommended Brothers and Sisters Behind Bars’ sober living house. "When I first started coming here, I had just relapsed in drug court and my probation officer basically forced me to come here. She's like, 'You need to go here for a little bit and just check it out. If you like it, now you have somewhere to go. If you don't, then, whatever, at least you tried.' And I instantly fell in love," Cali said. ****Get South Dakota news and information** in a free email on weekdays. Cancel any time. [Subscribe ](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/#/portal) She said that having Brothers and Sisters Behind Bars as a second resource available saved her life and got her to where she is now: She graduated from drug court in June, celebrating more than 600 days sober. It illustrates how having multiple "safety net" options, spanning far and wide across a community, can make all the difference. "It was huge to have something. Because, for one, going through drug court is scary, you know? It's a lot of change in such a short amount of time that you really don't know what to do, you don't know where to start and when," Cali said. "When there are people like that, that know of resources and options and other things to do, it makes it so much more helpful, really. It's like the little breath that you get in all of the chaos." It's clear from looking around the office that Cali is beloved here. A photo of her receiving her community health certification hangs with pride in a frame next to artwork made by community members. She can point out exactly who painted what, which events were their favorites and even which community members were secretly pro artists – because she was there for it all. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/04/DSC_0800.JPG) Cali, 26, featured on the walls of Brothers and Sisters Behind Bars in Watertown, S.D. (Photo: Molly Wetsch/South Dakota News Watch) Cali said that Brothers and Sisters Behind Bars may not be able to fix everyone's addiction problems but that sometimes, just knowing you're not alone is enough. The isolation of leaving the criminal justice system – where jobs, places to stay and friends can already be hard to find – combined with small-town South Dakota can be overwhelming, she said. “You go from being high and drunk all the time and feeling like you have all the friends in the world that you need. But once you’re sober, they’re gone because they were only there for that one thing,” Cali said. “Like, you do feel alone, and you have no one to help you with anything.” ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/04/DSC_0798.JPG) Dozens of art pieces hang on the walls of Brothers and Sisters Behind Bars in Watertown, S.D., on April 9, 2026\. (Photo: Molly Wetsch/South Dakota News Watch) While she's candid about her own recovery journey, Cali brings the focus back to others in nearly every sentence. It’s clear just how much she cares – not just about her own family, recovery or community but about everyone, everywhere. In her words, all she wants to do is help people. “I wish I could just have this really huge building for people to stay if they need to, and feed them three meals a day and all the things, but I can’t right now. I have to remind myself of that all the time because I can’t do everything for everybody,” Cali said. ## Solution: Law enforcement gets involved with community support Data from the [Department of Corrections' 2025 statistical report](https://www.doc.sd.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/1820/639015727545730000?ref=sdnewswatch.org) indicates that over 28% of those incarcerated in South Dakota were in for a drug-related offense. In women alone, that number skyrockets to 51%. The inherent connection between addiction and the corrections system is part of why Watertown's law enforcement arm has made a concerted effort to be part of the resource network built by nonprofits. [![CTA Image](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/04/SDNW-Logo-Vertical.jpg)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) ****Partner with South Dakota News Watch** and support fact-based news and information. [Donate ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Watertown Chief of Police Tim Toomey told News Watch that his department recognized it had a problem with connecting people to resources and needed to find a solution. "The police department was responding to the same people over and over again. Police are only equipped to do so much, and and there was no follow-through," Toomey said. "It's important to us to keep people in our community. The worst thing for a police department is not to do anything to address the issue, and then they're just a revolving door." The solution came from the Watertown Police Department's hiring of a part-time social worker with its portion of opioid settlement fund dollars awarded by the city. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/04/IMG_0262_2-1.jpg) Assistant Chief of Police Ryan Remmers, investigations and administrative Capt. Steve Rehorst, Chief of Police Tim Toomey, social worker Elly Anderson and mental health officer Alexis Buysse of the Watertown Police Department on March 23, 2026\. (Photo: Molly Wetsch/South Dakota News Watch) Alexis Buysse, the police department's mental health officer, and Elly Anderson, the social worker, now respond to drug and mental-health related calls as a duo. They can now connect people to resources like Codington Connects and Brothers and Sisters Behind Bars when they need it. ## Prevention key to curbing addiction in communities Toomey said that it is important that the community understand that drug use and struggles with addiction are not limited to the state's metro areas of Sioux Falls and Rapid City. He said that while they have issues in Watertown, the programs are also about making sure community support exists before people start to need it. "We have overdoses all the time. We've actually been working with Emily's Hope and some other places to get Narcan boxes in the hospital and at the public library. I myself, even as chief, responded to an overdose and (gave someone Narcan). So it's not isolated in the big cities," Toomey said. "But part of the problem is prevention, right? We don't want it to come here. It's kind of like putting out a fire before it turns into an inferno." [South Dakotans’ biggest needs, according to 211 callsCalls to 211 in 2025 indicate that many South Dakotans are concerned about access to housing, food and utilities.![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)South Dakota News WatchMolly Wetsch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/size/w1200/2026/02/IMG_0223-1.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-211-helpline-center-housing-food-utilities/) Cali said she hopes people understand how debilitating opioid addiction can be, and how it doesn't go away for good when you get sober – which is why she hopes prevention and resource efforts like Brothers and Sisters Behind Bars continue even if there isn't always a visible issue with addiction in the community. “I want to change people’s way of thinking and stigmatizing because it’s not fair,” Cali said. “I am grateful for (heroin) being so hard to find around here because, honestly, I don’t know if I would be strong enough – even with all these years of sobriety – to sit right in front of it and get up and walk away. That’s how much of a hold it had on me.” Though she said there will likely always be a part of her that struggles, she wants to live the rest of her life helping people, in any way she can. Even though her journey with addiction may be what got her to where she is now, it is clear that her giving nature is something she was born with – not something shaped by adversity. "I want to help. Even if helping people looks like just talking to them through wanting to relapse or talking to them after they relapsed and they're feeling like crap. There's all kinds of different kinds of ways to help people," Cali said. [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact reporter/**[***Report for America***](https://www.reportforamerica.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) **corps member Molly Wetsch:* 605-531-7382/*[*molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Confusion emerges over new SD voter ID requirements URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-election-voter-id-requirement-confusion/ Last updated: 2026-04-30T11:46:39.000Z PIERRE, S.D. – County auditors in South Dakota are, in certain cases, deciding how to implement new voter ID rules on their own due to uncertainty over guidelines issued by the state's secretary of state, as early and absentee voting for the primary election is well underway. Senate Bill 175, passed in the 2026 legislative session, requires new voters to provide proof of citizenship as part of the registration process. The bill was enacted with an emergency clause, which allows the regulations to take effect for the upcoming primary ballot on June 2\. [South Dakota Election Voter GuideEverything South Dakota voters need to know about statewide contests in the primary and general elections.![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)South Dakota News WatchAlexander Rifaat![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/size/w1200/2025/11/2024-6-4-Election-signs-1.JPG)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-voter-guide-primary-general-election/) The secretary of state's [website](https://sdsos.gov/elections-voting/voting/register-to-vote/default.aspx?ref=sdnewswatch.org) outlines various documents first-time registrants can provide as a photocopy to show proof of citizenship, such as a passport or birth certificate. But confusion has emerged as to whether eligible South Dakota driver's licenses, which identify a person's citizenship status, can also be provided as a photocopy or have to be shown in person. Since July of last year, as a result of Senate Bill 75 from the 2025 legislative session, driver's licenses in South Dakota are now issued with an indication of a person's U.S. citizenship status. The secretary of state's website lists driver's licenses as an acceptable form of proof but does not explicitly state whether they need to be physically shown at an auditor's office or if a photocopy is sufficient. ****Get South Dakota news and information** in a free email on weekdays. Cancel any time. [Subscribe ](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/#/portal) Amy Scott-Stoltz, president of the League of Women Voters of South Dakota, a nonpartisan advocacy group, said that county auditors in charge of voter registration are having difficulty ensuring a uniform system across the state. "They're trying to follow the secretary of state's guidelines, but the vagueness has led to certain issues," Scott-Stoltz told News Watch. "Do they need to present this stuff in person? Can they accept it by mail? Different auditors interpret that differently." Hughes County Finance Officer Thomas Oliva, who acts as that county's auditor, said his office is requiring new voters to show the physical driver's license. "The main reasoning behind that is because it's the back of the license. There's no other identifying information on the back we can tie back to that person, so we felt it's in the best interest to see the physical card," Oliva told News Watch. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/04/IMG_0137.jpeg) A copy of a valid South Dakota driver's license indicating citizenship status (Photo: Alexander Rifaat/South Dakota News Watch) Haakon County Auditor Stacy Pinney said she has not run into any issues yet with voter registration but also will require new applicants to physically show the driver's license. "I'm going to make it a policy in my office that I want to see the actual card. If I have to verify it, I want to see the real deal," Pinney told News Watch. Meanwhile, Harding County Auditor Kathy Glines said her office will accept a photocopy of the driver's license. "They would have to send a front and back," Glines told News Watch. "I hope they would call before sending it by mail," she added, referring to the limited hours the office is open. ## Need for clarity In addition to questions over how to process new voter applications using driver's licenses, Oliva said the secretary of state's office has also created confusion in its communication with prospective voters who are missing the required citizenship documentation. Oliva said voters who are deemed not to have provided proof of citizenship are sent a letter that indicates they are a "Federal Only" voter, which means, since the new voting law applies to South Dakota elections, they can only vote in statewide federal elections for U.S. president, U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives races. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/04/doc01872020260427131436.jpg) A copy of voter registration system-generated letter to federal only voter (Photo: Hughes County Finance Office) "I do not necessarily agree with this approach and believe the individual should instead be notified and marked as incomplete or invalid until the required documentation is received," Oliva said. "While the letter does inform the voter of their status, it does not provide a clear explanation as to why they were designated as such." Oliva highlighted the letter generated by the voter registration system only indicates a person is ineligible due to situations such as the use of a commercial mail receiving agency, mail forwarding service or post office box without sufficient residential description. "While that explanation is accurate in those scenarios, it does not address the separate issue of missing citizenship documentation, which can also result in Federal Only status. This omission may lead to confusion for voters," Oliva said. In order to provide more clarity, Oliva created a letter addressed for those deemed to be a Federal Only voter based on a lack of proof of citizenship outlining their options. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/04/doc01872020260427131435.jpg) A copy of Federal Only voter registration letter (Photo: Hughes County Finance Office) In a copy of the letter provided to News Watch, Oliva's office specifies the new voter was classified as Federal Only due to the lack of citizenship documentation and provides examples of eligible forms of documents they can submit to change their status. As early and absentee voting for the primary election gets underway, Scott-Stoltz hopes officials in Pierre can provide more certainty on the registration process for new voters. "We’re hoping for more clarification from the secretary's office before the primary and are looking forward to working with the election board," she said. The secretary of state's office didn't respond to a request for comment by News Watch. ## Ballots delivered; no extra documentation needed to vote After early and absentee balloting in some counties were delayed in part due to the short time frame the secretary of state's office had in validating eligible candidates, primary voting does appear to be back on track across the state. News Watch reached out to all 66 county auditors, with 30 so far confirming they have received their absentee primary ballots. Oliva said the challenges so far have been manageable and that a key focus for his team will be to also emphasize to voters who are already registered that they do not need to present new documents. ****What questions do you have about the June 2 primary election?** Whether it's about how to register and vote or interpret the results, we're here to help you understand the 2026 primary election on June 2\. Email me at [alexander.rifaat@sdnewswatch.org](mailto:alexander.rifaat@sdnewswatch.org) or call/text 605-736-4396 "We have received questions and concerns from individuals who believe they must bring additional documentation to the polls in order to vote. This is not the case, and it is important to correct these misconceptions and provide clear, factual information," Oliva said. Oliva said it's unfortunate not every county is executing the new voting requirements the same but concedes "it's entirely up to that auditor's office." As for Glines, she said her county is doing the best it can to abide by the secretary of state's guidelines. "We are all feeling our way through it," Glines said. ## Jackley releases explanation on Amendment J Concerns over the new registration rules come as state Attorney General Marty Jackley [issued](https://atg.sd.gov/OurOffice/Media/pressreleasesdetail.aspx?id=3061&ref=sdnewswatch.org#gsc.tab=0) a draft explanation on an upcoming ballot measure tied to the U.S. citizenship requirement for voting in elections. Amendment J, which will be on the ballot this November, would amend the South Dakota Constitution to add people who are not U.S. citizens to the list of individuals disqualified from voting. Proponents of the measure argue it will provide greater clarity as to who can vote since, while non-U.S. citizens are already barred from voting in federal elections and registering to vote in South Dakota, there is no language in the state constitution that explicitly prohibits them from voting in state or local races. [Bengs makes general election ballotIndependent from Hot Springs will meet Democratic nominee Jean Beaudoin and either incumbent U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds or his GOP primary challenger, Justin McNeal.![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)South Dakota News WatchAlexander Rifaat![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/Brian_Bengs.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/bengs-independent-general-election-ballot-senate/) Under state law, the attorney general is required to issue a draft explanation of the measure, which essentially acts as a preview of how the question will appear on the ballot. The public has until end of day on May 8 to submit written comment on the attorney general's explanation. A final draft is due to the secretary of state's office on May 19 for approval. The finalized explanation will then accompany the ballot question in the fall. [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact politics and statehouse reporter Alexander Rifaat:* 605-736-4396/*[*alexander.rifaat@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:alexander.rifaat@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Fact brief: Did Babe Ruth play a game in South Dakota? URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/fact-brief-babe-ruth-south-dakota-barnstorming-tour-1922/ Last updated: 2026-04-30T13:00:00.000Z ## Yes. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/WhiteFACT-BRIEF--500-x-200-px--2-1-1.png) South Dakota baseball fans got a firsthand look at Babe Ruth during his 1922 barnstorming tour of the Midwest. And fans in Sioux Falls had arguably the best show of all on Oct. 17, 1922\. In a seven-paragraph story, the Argus Leader reported Ruth hit for the cycle (single, double, triple, home run), including a grand slam. About 1,500 fans attended the game and rosters were filled by local players. The Sioux Falls mayor declared a holiday and asked businesses to close early. On Oct. 19, the tour visited Deadwood, where fans spent about $1.10 per ticket ($21 today) to see the New York Yankee pitch and go 2-for-4\. The Rapid City Journal made note of a Deadwood pitcher who struck him out. Ruth returned to South Dakota in 1948, flying out of Sioux Falls after stops in Iowa to promote youth baseball, two months before his death. *This fact brief responds to conversations such as*[](https://www.reddit.com/r/nationalparks/comments/1rss8e2/be%5Fprepared%5Ffor%5Ffire%5Fif%5Fyou%5Fvisit%5Fmt%5Frushmore/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)[*this one.*](https://www.reddit.com/r/baseball/comments/1m0h620/fun%5Ffact%5Fwhat%5Fwas%5Fbarnstorming%5Fin%5Fbaseball%5Fit%5Fwas/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) ## Sources 605Sports.com, [Oct. 19, 1922 - The day Babe Ruth played in Deadwood, South Dakota](https://605sports.com/Oct-19-1922---The-day-Babe-Ruth-played-in-Deadwood-South-Dakota-?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Rapid City Journal, [Deadwood's pitcher strikes out Ruth in exhibition game (1922 article)](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1oTQjpPNo3fpcXfhs0Tbf6UX3qPgQ9zaq/view?usp=sharing&ref=sdnewswatch.org) The Daily Argus Leader, [Babe Ruth pounds out homer with bases choked in exhibition](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1V2p-LjyJRsx8PrpL%5FBVG6VWyuANVZbHP/view?usp=drive%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) (1922 article) The Daily Argus Leader, [Mayor declares Ruth holiday (1922 article)](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1A61wJN%5FFTirDaoRYC9mhrW8pjwsI9jnw/view?usp=drive%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) Sioux Falls Argus Leader, [The Canaries' oldest living player met Babe Ruth and got a hit off Don Larsen](https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/minor-league/canaries/2022/05/21/sioux-falls-canaries-honor-don-toft-teams-oldest-living-player-age-95/9834739002/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Sioux Falls Argus Leader, [photo of Babe Ruth at airport (1948 newspaper)](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1tTLzsCT-SC7G8cwScmmEZw9ZMJDCgIfb/view?usp=sharing&ref=sdnewswatch.org) History.com, [Babe Ruth dies](https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/august-16/babe-ruth-dies?ref=sdnewswatch.org) --- [South Dakota News Watch](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/) partners with [Gigafact](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) to publish fact briefs that refute or confirm a claim with supporting information and additional evidence and context. Send questions or feedback to [news@sdnewswatch.org](mailto:news@sdnewswatch.org). Submit a question for us to answer [on the tipline](https://gigafact.org/tipline/south-dakota-news-watch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact freelance reporter Michael Klinski:* michael.klinski@sdnewswatch.org.* ### Bengs makes general election ballot URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/bengs-independent-general-election-ballot-senate/ Last updated: 2026-04-29T21:06:26.000Z PIERRE, S.D. – Independent U.S. Senate candidate Brian Bengs has secured enough signatures to appear on the general election ballot in November, the South Dakota [Secretary of State's office has confirmed](https://sdsos.gov/about-the-office/assets/Press%20Releases/BengsValidationPressRelease.pdf?ref=sdnewswatch.org). Bengs, a U.S. Navy and U.S. Air Force veteran based in Hot Springs, was the Democratic nominee for senator in the 2022 election cycle, where he lost to incumbent U.S. Sen. John Thune by a nearly 45-point margin. He will meet Democratic nominee Julian Beaudoin and either incumbent U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds or his GOP primary challenger, Justin McNeal. Rounds had a 66% to 18% lead over McNeal in the [latest poll by South Dakota News Watch](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-republican-gop-primary-governor-gubernatorial/) and the Chiesman Center of Democracy at the University of South Dakota. ## ****Get South Dakota news** Subscribe for a free newsletter on weekdays. Cancel any time. We won't share your address. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. Bengs, who is originally from Iowa, moved to Aberdeen in 2016 to teach at Northern State University before moving to West River to become a park ranger in the Black Hills. On his campaign website, Bengs said he was motivated to run for Senate again after what he called the Trump administration's "purge" of the National Park Service via the newly formed Department of Government Efficiency, commonly known as DOGE. "I’m officially on the ballot, and this campaign is full steam ahead. South Dakota, you’ll be seeing some exciting news from us very soon," [Bengs said on his Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/BBengs1970/). In a press release, campaign spokesperson Clara Bronikowski said the more than 4,500 signatures submitted and high validation rate of 94% meant Bengs should be taken as a serious candidate heading into the fall. "This achievement is a testament to the strength of this movement,” Bronikowski said. “People across South Dakota are stepping up to demand accountability, transparency, and leadership that puts them first." [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact politics and statehouse reporter Alexander Rifaat:* 605-736-4396/*[*alexander.rifaat@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:alexander.rifaat@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Affordable housing investments opening new doors in Rapid City URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/solutions-affordable-housing-investments-rapid-city/ Last updated: 2026-04-29T11:26:18.000Z RAPID CITY, S.D. – Brianna Brave Heart sat on a curb outside the Sagebrush Flats apartment complex on a recent afternoon in April, waiting for her 8-year-old son to get home from school. As she sat amid rays of warm sunshine, Brave Heart reflected on how her life – and her potential future – feels a little brighter since she and her son moved into a new two-bedroom apartment in the complex that opened in 2025 along Omaha Street on Rapid City's east side. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/05/Engage-SD-small-logo-1-1-1.png) Engage South Dakota identifies and shares solutions to the state's biggest challenges. The 179-unit complex was built in part with funding from the Strategic Housing Initiative, a partnership of philanthropic groups that has shown great success in expanding access to affordable housing for low-income individuals and families in the Black Hills region. The initiative that began roughly a decade ago has resulted in development or retention of 645 apartments totaling more that 1,230 bedrooms for people who have difficulty obtaining quality housing in Rapid City, where there is a dire shortage of affordable housing and average rental rates are the highest in the state. [Engage South Dakota: Housing solutionsA list of entities and programs that can assist in developing or obtaining housing as well as links to News Watch reporting on housing solutions.![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)South Dakota News WatchBart Pfankuch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/size/w1200/2025/07/IMG_2326.jpeg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/engage-south-dakota-housing-rent-own-solutions-journalism/) Brave Heart, 42, is a single mother and Army veteran who worked as an X-ray technician prior to suffering disabling injuries in a car accident a few years ago. She was among the first residents to move into Sagebrush Flats in April 2025, and while weekend nights can sometimes be noisy at the two-building complex, she is overall pleased with the affordable rent and the high quality of living space. “This place is way better than where I lived before, and the management is a lot nicer and more caring,” Brave Heart told News Watch. ****ABOUT ENGAGE SOUTH DAKOTA** This story is part of an ongoing South Dakota News Watch series called Engage South Dakota using storytelling, crowdsourcing and community engagement to identify and share potentially replicable housing solutions. Each story includes the community's ****response**, ****evidence** of whether the ideas are effective, ****insights** to be learned and ****limitations** on the efforts. ****Key takeaway for this story:** Multiple entities can pool money to create a revolving loan fund that helps private developers lower the cost of construction of multi-family housing, which lowers rents upon completion. [****Read about other South Dakota housing solutions**](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/engage-south-dakota-housing-rent-own-solutions-journalism). Brave Heart said the rent for a two-bedroom Sagebrush apartment would be $1,263 a month. But she pays only $763 due to support from the Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing program run by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Other tenants who qualify for subsidized rents pay on a sliding scale based on their incomes, pushing Sagebrush rents below market rate and to an affordable level for a clientele with a wide range of incomes. ![Brianna Brave Heart sits outside the Sagebrush Flats apartment complex in Rapid City on April 15, 2026. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/04/2026-4-15-Brianna-Brave-Heart-RC-tenant-1.jpeg) Brianna Brave Heart sits outside the Sagebrush Flats apartment complex in Rapid City on April 15, 2026\. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) Brave Heart said she appreciates the opportunity to live in a new building and have a sense of stability as she looks for work while raising her son. “The rents are good, but if I didn’t have the (VASH) program to help me, I wouldn’t be able to live here,” she said. “You have to have two people working in the household to afford rent in Rapid City.” ## Response: A program built on partnerships The Strategic Housing Initiative is a program managed by the Black Hills Area Community Foundation and fueled by the Strategic Housing Trust Fund. The fund launched in 2020 as a revolving loan fund to provide financial assistance to developers to encourage them to build multi-family housing that can be offered at affordable rental rates. The fund so far has brought in about $15 million in investments, including $5 million from the John T. Vucurevich Foundation, $3 million from the Bush Foundation, $5 million from the sales tax-driven Vision Funds within Rapid City government and private donations. ## ****Get South Dakota news** Subscribe for a free email newsletter on weekdays. Cancel any time. We won't share your address. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. The fund finances up to 10% of the cost of a housing project and along with federal affordable housing tax credits, enables developers to build projects cheaper and therefore require lower rents from tenants to still turn a profit. "Developers are not going to build projects if they can't make money, so we come in at a happy medium and give them cheap financing on a small portion of their project if they agree to stay affordable for up to 30 years," said Chris Huber, CEO of the Black Hills Area Community Foundation. "We win as a community by getting those units online, residents can rent a place that is affordable within their incomes, and developers win because they get a project completed." ![The Sagebrush Flats apartments in Rapid City, S.D., shown on April 15, 2026, is an affordable rental complex developed under the Strategic Housing Initiative.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/04/2026-4-15-Sagebrush-flats-leasing-sign-2.jpeg) The Sagebrush Flats apartments in Rapid City, S.D., shown on April 15, 2026, are an affordable rental complex developed under the Strategic Housing Initiative. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) The goal is to provide quality housing for people who make 60% or less of the area median income, which in the Black Hills includes individuals and families that make roughly from $20,000 to $55,000 a year, Huber said. With average market rate rents for a one-bedroom apartment in Rapid City as high as $1,250, a family would need to bring in about $62,000 a year in order to avoid being considered "rent burdened," Huber said. Enabling families to afford rent in a stable housing environment is a primary building block to self-sufficiency and a brighter future, he said. "When they have an affordable unit, they are able to pay their medical bills, they're able to put food on the table, they're able to think about what the next phase of their life could be," he said. ## Evidence: Family takes a step up in housing Chris Meadows, 40, found out about The Radiant affordable housing apartments developed through the housing initiative after making a DoorDash delivery to the complex. After discussions with the property manager, she and her two teen boys moved there in December. Meadows, who is a disabled single mom, pays about $1,150 per month for a two-bedroom apartment that she said is newer, nicer and much larger than the more expensive apartment she used to rent. “It’s amazing because the space is massive,” she said during an interview in the complex parking lot. “Every room is larger than the place I had before.” ![The Radiant apartment building in Rapid City, S.D., shown on April 15, 2026, is an affordable rental complex developed under the Strategic Housing Initiative.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/04/2026-4-15-Radiant-apartments-RC-1.jpeg) The Radiant apartment building in Rapid City, S.D., shown on April 15, 2026, is an affordable rental complex developed under the Strategic Housing Initiative. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) One drawback is that the Radiant has shared laundry facilities, though Meadows said that minor inconvenience is overshadowed by the complex elevator, which she needs due to chronic pain in both knees. “It’s so helpful for people who are disabled and have a hard time finding housing on the ground floor,” she said. She said the facility also offers useful information for residents on how to navigate finances, employment opportunities and relationships. "We've had some tough times, so this feels like a new start for us," she said. ## Insights: Housing part of a holistic approach The Vucurevich Foundation was an early entrant into the efforts to generate more affordable housing options in the Black Hills. In addition to sharing funds with other philanthropic groups, the foundation found a great partner in CommonBond Communities, a Minnesota nonprofit that has developed low-cost housing for more than 50 years. It built and owns The Radiant complex and recently purchased the Maplewood apartments in Rapid City. The sharing of knowledge, resources and money is a critical component of the housing program in the Black Hills or any other community that wants to expand access to affordable housing, said Jacqui Dietrich, CEO of The Vucurevich Foundation. “The model of collective funding, and how you bring multiple players together is absolutely necessary if you want affordable housing,” she said. ****Support solutions-focused storytelling.** Help South Dakota News Watch tell stories that identify and share solutions to the state's biggest challenges. [Donate ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Now and in the future, Vucurevich is focused on generating affordable housing as a foundation of a larger, more holistic approach to helping people rise out of poverty and thrive in their communities. The foundation continues to look for ways to help people obtain transportation, education and job skills, access to medical care and other basic needs that can lead to a more prosperous life, she said. “It's all about how we provide that upward mobility through the interconnectivity of all the systems that are helping to provide people with stability,” Dietrich said. “And that really starts with affordable housing.” ## Limitations: High costs create challenges Obtaining funding to help make apartment developments affordable is a challenge in many communities. The financial challenges are heightened by the rapidly rising cost of inputs needed to make a project viable, including costs for land, materials and labor, Huber said. For many South Dakotans, it is becoming increasingly difficult to make enough money to pay for rent, even in an affordable housing complex, because wage increases have not kept up with the rising cost of living, he said. But interest in the cooperative funding model that has driven the success of the Strategic Housing Initiative remains high, including among officials of Abilene, Texas, who visited with Huber in mid-April to learn more about the program. The foundation also received a $30 million appropriation from Congress in 2024 to expand the affordable housing initiative into other cities in the Black Hills, starting with a project proposed for Spearfish, Huber said. [Housing jumpstarts revitalization of Herreid, population 400A South Dakota town’s housing revival has relied on $2.2 million in grants — plus more in tax dollars and donations — to get new homes built.![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)South Dakota News WatchBart Pfankuch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/2026-2-3-Herreid-welcome-sign-1.jpeg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/housing-solutions-revitalization-herreid/) During a recent conversation with the property manager at The Radiant, the housing initiative property in Rapid City that includes 30 affordable rental units, the manager told Huber that five tenants had moved out and bought their own homes. "It's easy to zoom out and say, 'Wow, this is such a huge problem,' and maybe get bogged down in the weeds," Huber said. "But when you zoom in and think about those individual families, it's worth the effort to continue trying to change their lives." [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact* *content director Bart Pfankuch:** 605-937-9398*/*[*bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org). ### Fact brief: Have any football players from SD been top 10 NFL Draft picks? URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/fact-brief-nfl-south-dakota-draft-picks-john-dutton/ Last updated: 2026-04-28T09:00:58.000Z ## Yes. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/WhiteFACT-BRIEF--500-x-200-px--2-1-1.png) Two people who were born in South Dakota have been drafted in the top 10 of the NFL Draft in the league’s history. John Dutton (not the “Yellowstone” ranch owner) was selected fifth overall by the then-Baltimore Colts in the 1974 draft. Dutton, a defensive lineman, was born in Rapid City and graduated from Rapid City Central in 1969\. He went on to play 185 games in the NFL with the Colts and Dallas. Before him, tackle Urban Odson of Clark was picked 9th overall by Green Bay in the 1942 draft. He played for the Packers for four seasons. Offensive lineman Grey Zabel from Pierre was the last South Dakota native selected in the first round – 18th overall by Seattle in 2025. The 2026 NFL Draft was the first since 2016 that featured no players from South Dakota or a South Dakota college selected. *This fact brief responds to conversations such as*[](https://www.reddit.com/r/nationalparks/comments/1rss8e2/be%5Fprepared%5Ffor%5Ffire%5Fif%5Fyou%5Fvisit%5Fmt%5Frushmore/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)[*this one.*](https://www.reddit.com/r/Pac12/comments/1su42a8/sdsus%5Fchris%5Fjohnson%5Fgoes%5F27th%5Foverall%5Fto%5Fthe/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) ## Sources State of South Dakota Office of the Governor, [John Dutton Day proclamation](https://sdsos.gov/general-information/assets/gubernatorial-proclamations/01122012%5FJohn%20Dutton%20Day.pdf?ref=sdnewswatch.org) KELO-TV, [List: South Dakotans picked in the NFL Draft (published 2023)](https://www.keloland.com/keloland-com-original/list-south-dakotans-picked-in-the-nfl-draft/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) SiouxFallsLive.com, [Several South Dakotans earn opportunities on Day 3 of NFL Draft](https://www.siouxfallslive.com/sports/college/several-south-dakotans-earn-opportunities-on-day-3-of-nfl-draft?ref=sdnewswatch.org) SiouxFallsLive.com, [Zimmer: A look at South Dakota's long history in the NFL Draft](https://web.archive.org/web/20250424035508/https://www.siouxfallslive.com/sports/college/zimmer-a-look-at-south-dakotas-long-history-in-the-nfl-draft) Pro Football Reference, [Urban Odson](https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/O/OdsoUr20.htm?ref=sdnewswatch.org) --- [South Dakota News Watch](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/) partners with [Gigafact](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) to publish fact briefs that refute or confirm a claim with supporting information and additional evidence and context. Send questions or feedback to [news@sdnewswatch.org](mailto:news@sdnewswatch.org). Submit a question for us to answer [on the tipline](https://gigafact.org/tipline/south-dakota-news-watch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact freelance reporter Michael Klinski:* michael.klinski@sdnewswatch.org.* ### Some local governments waiting to spend $9.6M in opioid dollars URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/opioid-settlement-south-dakota-local-governments/ Last updated: 2026-04-28T02:59:28.000Z WATERTOWN, S.D. – South Dakota counties and cities that received the first $9.6 million of national opioid settlement money have spent less than half of it, according to Department of Social Services spending reports through the end of 2025\. While [41 South Dakotans died from opioid overdoses last year](https://southdakotasearchlight.com/2026/03/26/overdose-deaths-decline-in-south-dakota/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) – up from 39 in 2024 – some officials from those 53 counties and 13 cities said they haven't yet made plans on how to use the distributions, which began in late 2022\. In 2021, [a combined nearly $50 billion in settlements](https://nashp.org/understanding-opioid-settlement-spending-plans-across-states-key-components-and-approaches/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) from opioid manufacturers, distributors and pharmaceutical companies began distributing funds to all 50 states, as part of the national settlement agreement. > “You don’t want to be the guy who spends it all on something and then it’s like, ‘No, that was wrong.’” – Tye Vander Vorst, Potter County auditor South Dakota was allocated just under $99 million to be distributed through 2038\. Funding to each state was determined based on a formula including the number of overdose deaths, number of opioids shipped to the state and number of people with opioid use disorder in the state. The [vast majority of South Dakota's settlement funds](https://app.powerbi.com/view?r=eyJrIjoiNmIzNWU5NGItNjMwZi00NDM1LWFiY2QtMDkwMTZlYTMzYjMxIiwidCI6IjA3ODdiYzE4LTVjYTgtNGEzZS1hOTZlLTVjZWY2ZWExZTA4OSIsImMiOjN9&ref=sdnewswatch.org) will come from the distributor settlement, which includes major drug distributors McKesson, Cardinal Health and Amerisource Bergen. Of South Dakota's funding, 70% is directed to the state through the Department of Social Services. The other 30%, or around $29 million, will be divided among local governments in the state: the 53 counties and 13 towns and cities that signed a memorandum of agreement to spend those dollars on specific approved uses. That relatively slow spending at the local level contrasts sharply with the state. In December, [some lawmakers expressed concerns ](https://www.sdpb.org/politics/2025-10-31/opioid-settlement-funds-come-into-focus-amid-prison-rehabilitation-talks?ref=sdnewswatch.org)that the state was not spending its funding quickly enough. In April, DSS secretary Matt Althoff and Gov. Larry Rhoden announced $7.82 million in grants, leaving the statewide share of unspent disbursements at $2.9 million of its total $23 million. [State spending has been varied](https://app.powerbi.com/view?r=eyJrIjoiNmIzNWU5NGItNjMwZi00NDM1LWFiY2QtMDkwMTZlYTMzYjMxIiwidCI6IjA3ODdiYzE4LTVjYTgtNGEzZS1hOTZlLTVjZWY2ZWExZTA4OSIsImMiOjN9&ref=sdnewswatch.org), with nearly $500,000 spent for naloxone access statewide, $797,000 for a prescription drug monitoring program and the $7.82 million slate of grants provided to organizations across the state, among others. The national settlement agreement dictates that at least 70% of spending must be directed toward opioid remediation efforts. [$7.8M from opioid settlement granted to organizationsTen projects across the state will use funding to address substance use disorder through prevention, treatment and education services.![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)South Dakota News WatchMolly Wetsch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/DSC_0781-2.JPG)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-opioid-settlement-rhoden-jackley/) DSS told News Watch that the department does not dictate how or when local governments choose to spend dollars. “The Department of Social Services (DSS) does not have oversight or regulatory authority over how local governments spend their share of the funds. Use of the local share is governed by the South Dakota Opioid Settlement Memorandum of Agreement (MOA), which all participating local governments joined in 2022,” Althoff said in a statement. “South Dakota adopted the national settlement’s default model-generated percentage shares for local subdivisions as outlined in the MOA. The MOA specifies that recipients must annually report utilization of funds received to DSS.” ## Smaller settlement amounts While some local governments have spent large portions of, or nearly all of their shares, the general trend is still of slow, metered spending. Eleven counties had not yet reported any spending to DSS by the end of 2025, and several others had spent just fractions of their settlements. Potter County auditor Tye Vander Vorst told News Watch that the county hasn’t begun allocating dollars because it is not yet clear how much the county will receive in a given year and where the best place to spend the money is. The north-central county, which has a population of 2,400, has received nearly $18,000 since 2022\. Vander Vorst said that the sporadic nature of settlement funds, often coming unpredictably with low dollar amounts, makes implementing ongoing programming difficult. The county hopes to make more concrete plans when more funding comes in and opens up spending possibilities, he said. “What do you do? Do you wait and sit on what you can accumulate or do you try to spend $200 here, $200 there on stuff?” Vander Vorst said. “You don’t want to be the guy who spends it all on something and then it’s like, ‘No, that was wrong.’” ## Resource gaps are challenges for rural governments Face It Together, a nonprofit organization that provides addiction recovery services, was one of 10 recipients of the $7.82 million in statewide opioid settlement fund grants earlier this month. The organization will use $750,000 over the next three years to administer individual peer-to-peer addiction programming at the state penitentiary in Sioux Falls. ****Join other South Dakotans and support statewide, fact-based news and information.** [Donate ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Peer-to-peer programming connects those struggling with addiction with coaches who have been through similar experiences, allowing for deeper relationships and problem-solving. CEO Megan Colwell said that while Face It Together has primarily focused on alcohol abuse rehabilitation, the organization is now seeing a nearly equal number of alcohol addiction and opioid addiction cases. It is based in Sioux Falls but does work across the state and out of a satellite office in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The need for help is great in rural areas as well as in the state's two urban centers of Rapid City and Sioux Falls, Colwell said. Face It Together currently provides peer-to-peer coaching in rural prisons in Pierre, Springfield and Yankton and also provides some remote peer-to-peer coaching sessions with people outside of the Sioux Falls metro area. Colwell cited remote coaching as a potential solution for counties that want to connect residents in need with support. In low-population and large geographical area counties, there can often be a lack of understanding about where addiction resources are needed, and the visibility of programs that do exist can be low, Colwell said. That's why it's critical that counties are intentional with their spending programs and choose to put dollars in the right places, she said. "Some of these counties don't have resources, even with the localized funding," Colwell said. "You want it to make a difference. This is the one time we have funding that is specifically for this issue." ## Some counties, towns differ in spending strategy Even for local governments in the same geographic areas with many of the same leaders, residents and affected communities, differences in spending attitudes are great. Codington County in eastern South Dakota has so far received $87,329 and is projected to receive a total of $255,816\. The county has not yet reported any spending of that money to the Department of Social Services. Representatives from the county told News Watch that grants related to recidivism, as well as a recent [$50,000 grant from the statewide fund for an opioid awareness campaign](https://www.mykxlg.com/news/local/codington-county-commissioners-vote-to-accept-50-000-grant-for-opioid-community-awareness-campaign/article%5Fd16e9fd6-556b-40ae-8643-dd1a946b84a4.html?ref=sdnewswatch.org), mean that the county will be conserving its own share for a while to determine the best strategy for spending. While a committee has been established to discuss potential funding opportunities, no specific decisions about where those dollars will go have been made. Codington County's biggest city, though, has taken a very different approach: Watertown has spent the entirety of its $161,544 share on the Watertown Police Department. With those dollars, the department hired a part-time social worker who assists the department’s full-time mental health officer on mental health, overdose and other drug-related calls. Some funding has also gone toward education and boxes where people can safely dispose of drugs. ![Resources like lockboxes for medication and safe drug disposal kits](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/04/recoverykits.jpg) Resources like lockboxes for medication and safe drug disposal kits, provided by the Watertown Police Department to members of the community who request them. (Photo: Molly Wetsch/South Dakota News Watch) Tim Toomey, Watertown chief of police, told News Watch that the city mostly focused on taking care of its own needs regarding addiction services, with the hope that having a large set of resources in Watertown would benefit the entire population of Codington County. “We work really closely with the sheriff's office, but with something like this, we really never met with each other," Toomey said. "We probably could have pooled our funds, but we had some needs at the time." Because of an already-robust resource network in Codington County that includes programs like Codington Connects and Brothers and Sisters Behind Bars, the city was able to be more ambitious with its funding, Toomey said. "With these extra dollars, we thought, 'How can we attack this crisis as well as enhance our own community engagement activities so that we can continue the reduction of overdoses and how we're responding to them?,'" Toomey said. ## Nationwide, slow spending is the trend Karen Scott and Ken Shatzkes, president and program director of the national Foundation for Opioid Response Efforts (FORE), told News Watch that the low spending trend in local governments is not unique. Scott told News Watch that the organization has seen local governments nationwide have issues with effective spending programs – especially when the funding amounts are low and issues with substance abuse might not be as prevalent. Prioritizing spending even when issues are not visible can help prevent future problems in a community, she said. "There's always work that can be done on the upstream, really prevention-oriented in terms of creating stronger and more resilient environments for kids, for families and the community," Scott said. "That's one area that people can think about, even if they don't have a large number of overdoses and a direct overdose response." States have taken vastly different approaches to localized share amounts. In Louisiana, 80% of the state’s [projected $600 million settlement](https://www.billtrack50.com/billdetail/1995095?ref=sdnewswatch.org#:~:text=AI%20Summary,needs%2C%20staffing%2C%20and%20expertise.) will go directly to local governments and the other 20% to county sheriff’s departments, leaving the dollars entirely out of state hands. In Montana, counties and cities will see [15% of a projected $75 million](https://montanaopioid.org/about/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). Shatzkes said South Dakota's approach is relatively similar to many state's distribution models, which see allocations anywhere from 15-50% of funds for local government based on the state's individualized experience with the opioid crisis. "We know that it's a crisis now, but the crisis may look different 10 years from now. The crisis looks different in different areas across the country," Shatzkes said. ## Local agencies focus on law enforcement, corrections and emergency services Much of South Dakota's local government spending has been directed to law enforcement, correctional and emergency services provided by the counties themselves. The Ziebach County auditor’s office told News Watch that all of its opioid settlement fund money was going to the sheriff’s office for drug tests and other prevention initiatives. The Sanborn County auditor’s office, which has spent nearly all of its current $13,000 allocation, said the dollars have funded existing programs like law enforcement and first responder drug training to free up space in the general fund. ![text](https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1665152444666-84ffbef250f8?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDJ8fE5hbG94b25lfGVufDB8fHx8MTc3NzI0NTE0Mnww&ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=80&w=2000) Photo by [Pharmacy Images](https://unsplash.com/@pharmapix?ref=sdnewswatch.org) / [Unsplash](https://unsplash.com/?utm%5Fsource=ghost&utm%5Fmedium=referral&utm%5Fcampaign=api-credit) That type of spending is a natural pathway for counties that may not already have existing resource networks. And it provides a logical outlet for the dollars, which have specific spending guidelines set by the state's memorandum of agreement. Shatzkes said that while the spending can be an effective place for dollars to go, he also recommends that local government officials employ those with knowledge about substance abuse in the area. He cited a county in North Carolina that hired its local emergency medical services (EMS) responder as the county's opioid settlement coordinator as a successful example of harnessing local expertise. ## ****Get South Dakota stories** An email summary on most weekdays that links to the full version. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. "For the most part, in most places, states aren't trying to dictate how counties are spending the money," Shatzkes said. "They're only putting out a report on recommendations or just giving the thumbs up on whether (the program) fits. I think having outside expertise, away from government, to help make these decisions is probably the right way to go about it." Scott said that especially in rural areas, collaborating with neighboring counties or municipalities could help solve many concerns about effective spending. "Maybe there isn't an organization or expert in their county or their jurisdiction. But maybe there is one in the next county over or the next county over," Scott said. For smaller counties receiving lower settlement amounts, drawing knowledge and resources from statewide networks like Face It Together and the charity Emily's Hope, which provides naloxone boxes and substance abuse support across the state, could make all the difference, Colwell said. “What’s out there? What can be brought in? What’s an easy lift? What’s low hanging fruit?” she asked. “Just understanding the addiction programs that are out there. We’re getting better at being less siloed in South Dakota, but the silos are still there.” [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact reporter/**[***Report for America***](https://www.reportforamerica.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) **corps member Molly Wetsch:* 605-531-7382/*[*molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Showing our math: The numbers behind the latest poll URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/spring-2026-poll-recap-sd-house-congress-governor/ Last updated: 2026-04-24T11:18:25.000Z *Editor's note: If you cite the results of this poll, credit South Dakota News Watch and the Chiesman Center for Democracy, per* [*copyright law*](https://www.copyright.gov/title17/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and our* [*republishing policy*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/republishing-policy/)*.* PIERRE, S.D. – In the final installment of this week's series examining the results of the latest poll sponsored by South Dakota News Watch and the Chiesman Center for Democracy at the University of South Dakota, we look back at the main takeaways and provide an explanation on the methodology. [South Dakota Election Voter GuideEverything South Dakota voters need to know about statewide contests in the primary and general elections.![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)South Dakota News WatchAlexander Rifaat![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/size/w1200/2025/11/2024-6-4-Election-signs-1.JPG)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-voter-guide-primary-general-election/) Also below are links to those stories and a summary of each as well as the raw numbers gleaned from the poll that offer a glimpse into geographic and demographic differences. ## Key findings, links to each story Here is a recap on the latest poll results: - U.S. House Rep. Dusty Johnson has pulled ahead in the race to secure the GOP nomination for governor, while the three other candidates – Gov. Larry Rhoden, state House Speaker Jon Hansen and Aberdeen businessman Toby Doeden – are in a statistical dead heat for second place. Meanwhile, state Attorney General Marty Jackley and U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds are on course to win their contests for the GOP nominations for U.S. House and U.S. Senate, respectively. [Read the full story](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-republican-gop-primary-governor-gubernatorial/). - A majority of South Dakotans approve of President Donald Trump's decision to fire former Gov. Kristi Noem from her role as secretary for the Department of Homeland Security. While most South Dakotans approve of the job performance of Rhoden and Rounds, U.S. Senate Majority Leader John Thune saw his approval rating drop. [Read the full story](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-poll-trump-noem-rounds-thune-rhoden/). - Almost half of respondents disapproved of new tax legislation that will allow counties the option to implement a slight increase in sales taxes in exchange for the lowering of property taxes. A majority of respondents supported local law enforcement cooperation with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, new state voter ID laws, the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to strike down Trump's tariff policy and for limits to be placed on data centers. [Read the full story](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-poll-property-taxes-data-centers-tariffs-voting/). - Most South Dakotans are to some degree unsatisfied with the current state of democracy in the United States. However, a majority believe state public officials are being held accountable at some level and about half of respondents said lawmakers spend either enough time or a great deal of time working on the most pressing issues for the state. [Read the full story](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-poll-democracy-legislature-election-2026/). ## Methodology The polling, conducted by Mason-Dixon Polling and Strategy, [ranked as one of the least-biased and most-factual pollsters](https://mediabiasfactcheck.com/mason-dixon-polling-bias-and-credibility/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) by Media Bias/Fact Check, was split into two separate scientific surveys. For the poll on the GOP gubernatorial, U.S. House and U.S. Senate nomination races, Mason-Dixon surveyed 500 registered Republicans between April 7-11\. For the polling on job performance, voter sentiment on a number of issues, and thoughts on democracy and accountability, Mason-Dixon surveyed 500 South Dakotans across party affiliation between April 7-9\. > "South Dakota voters are poll friendly." — Brad Coker, founder of Mason-Dixon Polling and Strategy The interviews were selected at random from a South Dakota voter registration list that included both land line and cellphone numbers. Quotas were assigned to reflect voter registration by county. For the poll on the GOP races, all respondents indicated they were likely to vote in the upcoming June 2 primary. "It went smoothly and efficiently, which allowed for it to be completed within an optimum window," Brad Coker, founder of Mason-Dixon, told News Watch. "South Dakota voters are poll friendly." The process for deciding the topics and drafting the survey questions was a collaborative effort among South Dakota News Watch, the Chiesman Center and Mason-Dixon. ## ****Get South Dakota news** Subscribe for a free newsletter on weekdays. Cancel any time. We won't share your address. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. We attempted to cover as many topics as possible without overwhelming respondents and ourselves. Inevitably, there were some poll questions readers might have wanted that we were unable to get to, such as the job performance of Johnson as congressman or voter sentiment toward the current military conflict with Iran. We hope you have found the poll results insightful and stay tuned for our next voter survey this fall. ## The raw numbers Here are documents with details of the poll results, which can be downloaded by clicking the arrow: [2026-04 GOP voter tabsResults of the Republican-only questions.2026-04 GOP voter tabs.pdf171 KBdownload-circle](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/content/files/2026/04/2026-04-GOP-voter-tabs.pdf "Download") [ 2026-04 All party tabsResults of questions asked to registered voters of all political parties. 2026-04 All party tabs.pdf129 KBdownload-circle](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/content/files/2026/04/-2026-04-All-party-tabs.pdf "Download") [2026-04 GOP primary voter demographicsDemographics of registered Republican voters. 2026-04 GOP primary voter demographics.pdf117 KBdownload-circle](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/content/files/2026/04/2026-04-GOP-primary-voter-demographics.pdf "Download") [2026-04 All party demographicsDemographics of registered voters from all political parties. 2026-04 All party demographics.pdf117 KBdownload-circle](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/content/files/2026/04/2026-04-All-party-demographics.pdf "Download") [ 2026-04 GOP voter methodologyMethodology of questions asked of Republican-only voters. 2026-04 GOP voter methodology.pdf170 KBdownload-circle](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/content/files/2026/04/-2026-04-GOP-voter-methodology.pdf "Download") [2026-04 All party methodologyMethodology of questions asked of registered voters from all parties.2026-04 All party methodology.pdf169 KBdownload-circle](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/content/files/2026/04/2026-04-All-party-methodology.pdf "Download") South Dakota News Watch invests in scientific polls to let elected leaders know how constituents think they're doing and also survey people's opinions on important issues. But a good poll isn't cheap, so if you value these stories, please consider helping cover the cost. Thank you! [Donate and make these polls possible ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?%5Fgl=1%2Ab9m3w3%2A%5Fga%2AMTEzMjQ0NDQ5NC4xNzQxNjg3OTU5%2A%5Fga%5FH98KVPR32J%2AMTc0NjIxNzgwNy43MC4xLjE3NDYyMTc4MDcuMC4wLjA.&ref=sdnewswatch.org) [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact politics and statehouse reporter Alexander Rifaat:* 605-736-4396/*[*alexander.rifaat@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:alexander.rifaat@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Supreme Court rules officer names can be kept secret URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/supreme-court-marsys-law-officer-names-augustana/ Last updated: 2026-04-24T11:48:25.000Z Two police officers involved in a shootout with a suspect in 2024 can have their names protected from public view to prevent someone from potentially locating or harassing the officer or their families, according to a ruling Thursday by the South Dakota Supreme Court that reversed a lower court's decision. [Justices ruled](https://ujs.sd.gov/media/azkfig1f/31131.pdf?ref=sdnewswatch.org) that Marsy’s Law, a state constitutional amendment approved by South Dakota voters to protect victims of crimes, applies to police officers. "Whether a victim’s name, initials or other information should be redacted will depend on the unique circumstances of each case and the asserted interests that should be balanced by the court," the ruling states. The justices heard oral arguments in the case during a traveling court session held in March at the Hamre Recital Hall on the campus of Augustana University in Sioux Falls. The case "State versus Albaidhani" centers around an April 3, 2024, incident in which two Sioux Falls officers stopped a vehicle and then exchanged gunfire with Samir Albaidhani. One officer and Albaidhani were shot but survived. ****Your donation supports trusted, balanced storytelling that's delivered for free to all South Dakotans.** [Donate ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) As the criminal case progressed, the two officers' names were published in court documents, but they later asked a court to redact their names from future documents related to the case. [Marsy's Law](https://sd.marsyslaw.us/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) is a constitutional amendment passed by South Dakota voters in 2016 that provides crime victims with a variety of rights, including being treated with fairness and respect and to be free from intimidation or harassment. The law includes, "The right, upon request, to prevent the disclosure to the public, or the defendant or anyone acting on behalf of the defendant in the criminal case, of information or records that could be used to locate or harass the victim or the victim's family." ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/03/2026-3-18-full-supreme-court-roster-1.jpeg) Supreme Court justices who heard cases in Sioux Falls, S.D., on March 18, 2026, included (left to right) Scott P. Myren, Mark E. Salter, Chief Justice Steven R. Jensen, Patricia J. Devaney and Robert Gusinsky. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) A circuit judge ruled that the two officer names or other identifying information could not be redacted from documents. The court noted that "a name alone does not provide location details about the individual. Nothing in the plain language of Marsy's Law prevents the disclosure of a victim's name." That ruling prompted the appeal. The officers were represented by Jeffrey R. Beck, an attorney representing the Fraternal Order of Police. ## ****Get South Dakota stories** An email summary on most weekdays that links to the full version. Cancel anytime. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. Beck told the court that releasing names of victims, including police officers, makes it easy for someone to find out where they live. Beck said he searched his own name online and found extensive information about himself, including everywhere he had lived back to his childhood. Attorneys for Albaidhani included Kylie Beck and Emily Herbert of the Minnehaha County Public Defender's Office. Kylie Beck argued that keeping people's names out of public records could make it difficult for lawyers to contact them or subpoena them for interviews. She also said redacting names could interfere with a defendant's right to due process. The case will now go back to circuit court "for further proceedings consistent with this opinion," the Supreme Court ruling states. [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact* *content director Bart Pfankuch:** 605-937-9398*/*[*bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org). ### South Dakota crime reporting guide URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-crime-reporting-guide/ Last updated: 2026-06-12T15:22:52.000Z The first edition of this guide was produced in 2001 as part of an effort to educate South Dakota journalists on the ins and outs of covering crime in the state. It was updated in 2023 when training sessions resumed and will continue to iterate and be available at this link at no cost. It is designed to be a resource for journalists as well as journalism, political science, government and law students and members of the public with an interest in the justice system. Each section can also be collapsed or expanded by clicking on the section or down arrow. [Civics Uncovered: South Dakota CourtsPodcast Episode · Dakota Dialogues · May 7 · 25m![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/favicon-180-f0e04491-1ccf-47e6-abe9-6b46c2fb716c.png)Apple Podcasts![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/1200x1200ECA.PESS01-60-7c2fb860-2e4b-4bb2-9e6e-db3483c66f88.jpg)](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/civics-uncovered-south-dakota-courts/id1776918012?i=1000766659785&ref=sdnewswatch.org) Send corrections, updates, additions and other suggestions to [carson.walker@](mailto:carson.walker@sdnewswatch.org)[sdnewswatch.org](mailto:carson.walker@sdnewswatch.org). --- ## South Dakota Unified Judicial System #### Initial appearance Following an arrest, the arrested person must be taken before the nearest available magistrate without unnecessary delay for his initial court appearance. He or she must be informed of the following: 1. The right to retain counsel. 2. The right to request assignment of counsel if he is unable to obtain a lawyer. 3. The general circumstances under which the defendant may gain pretrial release. 4. That the defendant is not required to make a statement and that anything he says may be used against him. 5. The right to a preliminary hearing, if one is required. Bail is set during the initial appearance. A time is set for the preliminary hearing. In the event there is an indictment by a grand jury, no preliminary hearing is required and the matter is transferred to circuit court for arraignment. All persons are entitled to be released on bail, except in death penalty cases. A defendant must be released pending trial on his personal recognizance (his promise to appear) unless one of the following conditions exists: 1. The defendant is currently free on a personal recognizance bond. 2. If the magistrate or judge determines that release will not reasonably assure the defendant’s appearance in court or if the defendant poses a threat to any other person or to the community. #### Preliminary hearing or grand jury In South Dakota, felony cases proceed to circuit court through either a preliminary hearing or grand jury. A preliminary hearing is open to the public (and journalists), while a grand jury is not. At a preliminary hearing, the prosecutor will call witnesses to the stand in an attempt to show the judge there is enough evidence to take the case to trial. The accused person’s defense attorney can cross-examine witnesses. If the judge determines the case can proceed, an information will be filed that outlines the charges against the defendant. Alternatively, a grand jury meets in private. It has the power to and duty to inquire into all public offenses committed in the county and to present them to the circuit court by indictment. A special grand jury may be impaneled to investigate only one case or particular type of activity. A general grand jury has the power to investigate all offenses committed in the county. Generally, a grand jury is requested by the prosecutor or state’s attorney. A circuit judge must be satisfied that a grand jury is necessary or desirable. Only a circuit judge may order a grand jury summoned. Jurors are chosen from the master jury list of registered voters and licensed South Dakota drivers who are at least 18 years old. The first eight names randomly drawn will constitute the grand jury, unless any of those drawn are excused from serving. The grand jury will consist of not less than six nor more than 10 citizens. Grand jurors may be challenged by the state’s attorney for not being properly selected, drawn or summoned. The state’s attorney also may challenge a particular grand juror for failure to meet certain legal criteria. If a defendant has been charged by complaint and is awaiting a preliminary hearing, and a grand jury is specially called for his case, he too may challenge the jury panel or individual jurors. The circuit judge then appoints a foreman and deputy foreman. After being sworn the grand jurors select a member to be the grand jury clerk to take minutes and preserve any evidence received. The grand jury meets at a time and place convenient for the grand jury members. At least six must be present. All testimony before the grand jury must be recorded, and the clerk must take minutes. The foreman administers the oath to witnesses. The rules of evidence apply to any evidence received. Grand jurors are not bound to hear the defendant’s evidence, but they may order such evidence to be produced with the consent of the prosecutor. Grand juries may issue subpoenas for witnesses and for documents. A grand jury witness may be represented by counsel, but the attorney may only advise the witness. The attorney may not ask questions and may not make statements. Witnesses may be held in contempt for refusing to testify. The subject (the potential defendant) may be given an opportunity to testify providing 1) he must be given adequate and reasonable notice of his legal rights; 2) he must waive immunity either in writing or orally on the record. Grand jury proceedings are secret. Every grand jury member must keep secret what another grand juror said or how he or she voted. Matters occurring before the grand jury must not be disclosed unless permitted by the circuit judge. The prosecuting attorney may disclose evidence received in the performance of his official duties. During the taking of evidence only grand jurors, prosecutors, interpreters, court reporters, witnesses and their attorneys may be present. The court may direct that a grand jury indictment be kept in secret until the defendant or defendants are in custody. The grand jury may issue an indictment if six members of the grand jury agree. It must be signed by the foreman or deputy foreman. Or the grand jury may vote a “no bill,” which means no formal action will be taken. With the prosecutor’s permission the grand jury may issue a report on the case. A grand jury may not serve more than 18 months. A circuit judge can dismiss the grand jury sooner. #### Arraignment Arraignment is the procedure by which the defendant is brought before the court to enter a plea to the criminal charges. The indictment is read or the substance of the charge is stated. The defendant is informed of the elements of the alleged offense, the maximum possible punishment, his or her constitutional and statutory rights, and the various pleas that are permitted. The court calls upon the defendant to enter a plea. Pleas permitted include not guilty, not guilty and not guilty by reason of insanity, guilty, nolo contendere (no contest), or guilty but mentally ill. A factual basis for the plea of guilty is required before the court can accept it. The court must inquire and determine whether the plea is voluntary, and knowingly and intelligently made. Disclosure of a plea bargain, if any, is required. #### Pre-trial motions At the arraignment, or as soon thereafter as possible, the court may set a time for making pre-trial motions. The motions may be oral or in writing. Some motions are required before trial. - Defenses or objections based upon defects in instituting the prosecution. - Defenses and objections based on prior conviction or acquittal of the charges, such as double jeopardy. - Defenses and objections based on defects in the indictment or information. - Motions to suppress evidence. - Requests for discovery. - Requests for severance of the charges or for severance of the trials of several defendants. Other motions may include a request for a change of venue, which means moving the trial to another location. This motion usually is based upon prejudice against a defendant because of pre-trial publicity. News stories, taped broadcasts or film footage may be subpoenaed to demonstrate the type of publicity. Defense lawyers may make motions in limine to limit the use of certain specified evidence at trial. #### Trial The right to a jury is established in the United States Constitution and in the South Dakota Constitution. When the possible punishment upon a finding of guilty is 30 days or less, and the court informs the defendant at arraignment that no jail time will be imposed upon a finding of guilty, there is no right to a jury trial. The matter is tried to the court. With the approval of the court and the consent of the prosecutor, a defendant may waive his right to a jury trial. All citizens of the state, registered to vote, of sound mind, able to read, write and understand English, are competent to sit as jurors. Supreme Court justices, judges and convicted felons are not allowed to serve as jurors. Jurors are drawn randomly from a master jury list compiled from the precinct voter registration lists. The selection process can be subject to challenge because of irregularities in the selection process, because of racial or gender discrimination in the process or other challenges brought by the prosecution or defense attorney. Separate ballots containing the names of each person summoned to be a juror are placed in a container. The clerk draws out of the container a suitable number of ballots to form the jury. The random selection of names may also be performed electronically. Two different approaches can be used to pick a jury. In the first, 12 jurors are seated and questioned by the attorneys. Each juror challenged is then replaced and the new juror is questioned. The process continues until 12 jurors are selected. In the second method a number of jurors, including a number equal to the number of peremptory challenges, are drawn. Each juror challenged is then replaced and a new juror is called. Each lawyer then strikes a specified number of jurors until 12 are seated. Challenges for cause are allowed if the juror is not qualified to serve because he is a judge or for some other legal reason. Or a juror may be challenged if he or she shows actual or implied bias, if he or she has made a decision on the innocence or guilt of the defendant, or if the juror is related to a party in the lawsuit. Peremptory challenges are the removal of a juror for no reason at all. If the defendant faces a sentence of life in prison or the death penalty, each side has 20 peremptory challenges. In all other felony cases, there are 10 peremptory challenges for each side. In misdemeanor cases each side gets three peremptory challenges. Upon a showing of good cause the court can increase the number of peremptory challenges. Once the jury is seated the trial moves on to the reading of the indictment or information and the statement of the plea by the defendant. Then the lawyers make their opening statements. The prosecutor is required to make an opening statement. The defense attorney may then make his opening statement or reserve it until after the state has presented its case. The defense need not make an opening statement at all. No argument is allowed in opening statements. It is a summary of what the party believes the evidence will show. The prosecution presents its case first, followed by the defendant’s evidence. Rebuttal evidence is then allowed. After all the evidence has been presented the lawyers and the judge will settle on instructions to the jury. Attorneys and the judge meet to discuss the law of the case, review the judge’s drafted instructions, make corrections and objections to them and then decide which are the final instructions. Instructions are read to the jury, followed by final arguments by the lawyers. The prosecution is allowed to go first, and then the defense. The prosecution is allowed rebuttal, because it has the burden of proof. The jury retires to deliberate. When the verdict is received the parties are called back into the courtroom and the verdict is read in open court. #### Post-sentencing In South Dakota, occasionally the sentence given someone convicted of a crime is not the sentence he or she will serve. The law includes a section called “relief from judgment,” which allows a judge to change a sentence for up to two years after final judgment. Under some circumstances, he or she may also wipe out the judgment, order a new trial or take additional testimony and enter a new judgment. A judge can change the sentence without a request from either side, but the victim needs to be notified if the defendant’s sentence is going to be reduced. #### Gag orders The court has statutory authority to suppress certain information during the prosecution of criminal cases. Such suppression is known as a gag order. Here are the South Dakota laws that apply: 23A-6-22\. Suppression of names and details in rape, incest, or sexual contact prosecution. Upon the request of the victim or the accused in a prosecution for rape, incest, or sexual contact, the court shall order that the names of the victim and the accused and details of the alleged offense be suppressed until the accused is arraigned, the charge is dismissed or the case is otherwise concluded, whichever occurs first. 23A-24-6\. Minor’s testimony as to sexual offense involving child / open only to certain persons / exception for grand jury proceedings. Any portion of criminal proceedings, with the exception of grand jury proceedings, at which a minor is required to testify concerning rape of a child, sexual contact with a child, child abuse involving sexual abuse or any other sexual offense involving a child may be closed to all persons except the parties’ attorneys, the victim or witness assistant, the victim’s parents or guardian and officers of the court and authorized representatives of the news media, unless the court, after proper hearing, determines that the minor’s testimony should be closed to the news media or the victim’s parents or guardian in the best interest of the minor. 26-7A-36\. Juvenile hearings closed unless court compelled otherwise. All hearings in actions under this chapter and chapters 26-8A, 26-8B and 26-8C are closed unless the court finds compelling reasons to require otherwise. However, all pleadings and hearings shall be open and a matter of public record if a juvenile is summoned into court for an offense which if committed by an adult would constitute a crime of violence as defined in 22-1-2(9) or a crime involving a drug offense in violation of 22-42-1 or 22-42-3, and at the time of the offense the juvenile was sixteen years of age or older. 26-7A-38\. Protection of identity of witnesses / violation creates cause of action for civil damages / contempt. The name, picture, place of residence, or identity of any child, parent, guardian, custodian or any person appearing as a witness in proceedings under this chapter or chapter 26-8A, 26-8B and 26-8C may not be published or broadcast in any news media, nor given any other publicity, unless for good cause it is specifically permitted by order of the court. Violation of this section creates a cause of action for civil damages on behalf of the child and is subject to the same punishment as contempt of court. #### State court structure South Dakota’s courts are organized under the Unified Judicial System. The top state court is the Supreme Court, made up of five justices appointed by the governor for eight-year terms.After his or her first three years on the court, a justice is put on the statewide ballot so voters can decide whether he or she should be retained. The retention elections come every eight years after that. If the justice loses the retention election, the governor would appoint a new justice.Although voters statewide can cast ballots in a retention election, each justice is still appointed to represent one of five Supreme Court districts in the state. This ensures a statewide geographic distribution of justices on the court.Below the Supreme Court are the seven circuit courts in South Dakota. Each circuit has a presiding judge. The central office for the Unified Judicial System is at the Capitol Building in Pierre, where a staff headed by the state court administrator handles the court system budget, personnel, record-keeping and other functions.South Dakota has no intermediate appeals court. All cases appealed from circuit court end up in the state Supreme Court for consideration.Here are the counties in each circuit: 1. Aurora, Bon Homme, Brule, Buffalo, Charles Mix, Clay, Davison, Douglas, Hanson, Hutchinson, McCook, Turner, Union, Yankton 2. Lincoln, Minnehaha 3. Beadle, Brookings, Clark, Codington, Deuel, Grant, Hamlin, Hand, Jerauld, Kingsbury, Lake, Miner, Moody, Sanborn 4. Butte, Corson, Dewey, Harding, Lawrence, Meade, Perkins, Ziebach 5. Brown, Campbell, Day, Edmunds, Faulk, Marshall, McPherson, Roberts, Spink, Walworth 6. Bennett, Gregory, Haakon, Hughes, Hyde, Jackson, Jones, Lyman, Mellette, Potter, Stanley, Sully, Todd, Tripp 7. Custer, Fall River, Oglala Lakota, Pennington #### Criminal penalties ****Felonies:** The following South Dakota statutes list the maximum penalties for various classes of crimes: 22-6-1\. Except as otherwise provided by law, felonies are divided into the following nine classes which are distinguished from each other by the following maximum penalties which are authorized upon conviction: (1) Class A felony: death or life imprisonment in a state correctional facility. A lesser sentence than death or life imprisonment may not be given for a Class A felony. In addition, a fine of fifty thousand dollars may be imposed; (2) Class B felony: life imprisonment in a state correctional facility. A lesser sentence may not be given for a Class B felony. In addition, a fine of fifty thousand dollars may be imposed; (3) Class C felony: life imprisonment in a state correctional facility. In addition, a fine of fifty thousand dollars may be imposed; (4) Class 1 felony: fifty years imprisonment in a state correctional facility. In addition, a fine of fifty thousand dollars may be imposed; (5) Class 2 felony: twenty-five years imprisonment in a state correctional facility. In addition, a fine of fifty thousand dollars may be imposed; (6) Class 3 felony: fifteen years imprisonment in a state correctional facility. In addition, a fine of thirty thousand dollars may be imposed; (7) Class 4 felony: ten years imprisonment in a state correctional facility. In addition, a fine of twenty thousand dollars may be imposed; (8) Class 5 felony: five years imprisonment in a state correctional facility. In addition, a fine of ten thousand dollars may be imposed; and (9) Class 6 felony: two years imprisonment in a state correctional facility or a fine of four thousand dollars, or both. If the defendant is under the age of eighteen years at the time of the offense and found guilty of a Class A, B, or C felony, the maximum sentence may be a term of years in a state correctional facility, and a fine of fifty thousand dollars may be imposed. The court, in imposing sentence on a defendant who has been found guilty of a felony, shall order in addition to the sentence that is imposed pursuant to the provisions of this section, that the defendant make restitution to any victim in accordance with the provisions of chapter 23A-28. Nothing in this section limits increased sentences for habitual criminals under 22-7-7, 22-7-8, and 22-7-8.1. 22-6-1.1\. If a person is convicted of a Class 5 or Class 6 felony, the court may sentence the person so convicted to imprisonment in the county jail of the county where such person was convicted, for a term of not more than one year. 22-6-1.2\. If an adult has a previous conviction for a felony sex crime as defined by 22-24B-1, any subsequent felony conviction for a sex crime as defined by subdivisions 22-24B-1(1) to (15), inclusive, and (19) shall result in a minimum sentence of imprisonment equal to the maximum term allowable under 22-6-1, up to twenty-five years. The court may suspend a portion of the prison sentence required under this section. 22-1-1.3\. The penalty of life imprisonment may not be imposed upon any defendant for any offense committed when the defendant was less than eighteen years of age. ****Habitual offenders:** 22-7-7\. One or two prior felony convictions--Sentence increased--Limitation--Felony determination. If a defendant has been convicted of one or two prior felonies under the laws of this state or any other state or the United States, in addition to the principal felony, the sentence for the principal felony shall be enhanced by changing the class of the principal felony to the next class which is more severe, but in no circumstance may the enhancement exceed the sentence for a Class C felony. The determination of whether a prior offense is a felony for purposes of this chapter shall be determined by whether the prior offense was a felony under the laws of this state or under the laws of the United States at the time of conviction of such prior offense. For the purpose of this section, if the principal felony is not classified it shall be enhanced to the class which has an equal maximum imprisonment. For the purposes of this section, if the maximum imprisonment for the principal felony falls between two classifications, the principal felony shall be enhanced to the class which has the less severe maximum authorized imprisonment. 22-7-8\. Three or more additional felony convictions including one or more crimes of violence--Enhancement of sentence. If a defendant has been convicted of three or more felonies in addition to the principal felony and one or more of the prior felony convictions was for a crime of violence as defined in subdivision 22-1-2(9), the sentence for the principal felony shall be enhanced to the sentence for a Class C felony. 22-7-8.1\. Three or more additional felony convictions not including a crime of violence--Enhancement of sentence--Limitation--Parole. If a defendant has been convicted of three or more felonies in addition to the principal felony and none of the prior felony convictions was for a crime of violence as defined in subdivision § 22-1-2(9), the sentence for the principal felony shall be enhanced by two levels but in no circumstance may the enhancement exceed the sentence for a Class C felony. A defendant sentenced pursuant to this section is eligible for consideration for parole pursuant to § 24-15A-32 if the defendant receives a sentence of less than life in prison. 22-7-9\. Criteria for consideration of prior convictions. No prior conviction may be considered under either § 22-7-7 or 22-7-8 unless the defendant was, on such prior conviction, discharged from prison, jail, probation, or parole within fifteen years of the date of the commission of the principal offense. Moreover, only one prior conviction arising from the same transaction may be considered. 22-7-11\. Habitual criminal information--Filing--Contents--Proof. Any allegation that a defendant is an habitual criminal shall be filed as a separate information at the time of, or before, arraignment. However, the court may, upon motion, permit the separate information to be filed after the arraignment, but no less than thirty days before the commencement of trial or entry of a plea of guilty or nolo contendre. The information shall state the times, places, and specific crimes alleged to be prior convictions and shall be signed by the prosecutor. An official court record under seal or a criminal history together with fingerprints certified by the public official having custody thereof is sufficient to be admitted in evidence, without further foundation, to prove the allegation that the defendant is an habitual criminal. ****Misdemeanors:** 22-6-2\. Misdemeanors are divided into two classes which are distinguished from each other by the following maximum penalties which are authorized upon conviction: (1) Class 1 misdemeanor: one year imprisonment in a county jail or two thousand dollars fine, or both; (2) Class 2 misdemeanor: thirty days imprisonment in a county jail or five hundred dollars fine, or both. The court, in imposing sentence on a defendant who has been found guilty of a misdemeanor, shall order, in addition to the sentence that is imposed pursuant to the provisions of this section, that the defendant make restitution to any victim in accordance with the provisions of chapter 23A-28. Except in Titles 1 to 20, inclusive, 22, 25 to 28, inclusive, 32 to 36, inclusive, 40 to 42, inclusive, 47 to 54, inclusive, and 58 to 62, inclusive, if the performance of an act is prohibited by a statute, and no penalty for the violation of such statute is imposed by a statute, the doing of such act is a Class 2 misdemeanor. #### Death penalty law South Dakota law provides for execution by lethal injection in first-degree murder cases if at least one aggravating circumstance is found to exist beyond a reasonable doubt. If the jury in a capital case recommends the death penalty, the judge is required by law to impose it. Death penalty cases are automatically reviewed by the South Dakota Supreme Court, which can affirm the sentence or require the trial judge to impose a new sentence. Once the death penalty is settled, the judge must choose the week in which the sentence will be carried out and inform the penitentiary warden. The sentenced person must be held in solitary confinement in the penitentiary while awaiting the execution. No person may have access to the condemned person without an order of the court, except for his lawyer, doctor, clergy and members of his family. Notice of the death penalty also must be given to the governor, who can take up to 90 days to investigate the situation. If the defendant appears to be mentally ill, the governor must order a commission of doctors to examine him or her. If the defendant is found to be mentally incompetent, he or she will be confined in the state human services center and the case reviewed every six months until he or she is no longer incompetent. At that time the execution can proceed. If a female defendant is pregnant the execution will be held up until the defendant is no longer pregnant. The death penalty may not be imposed upon a person who was mentally disabled at the time the crime was committed. Once the way is cleared for the execution to take place, the governor or the court will again set the week for the execution. The time of the execution within such week is left to the discretion of the warden. No less than 48 hours before the appointed time the warden must make a public announcement of the day and hour set for the execution. The lethal injection must be given at some location within the grounds of the state penitentiary. The law prescribes an ultrashort-acting barbiturate in combination with a chemical paralytic agent administered intravenously. The person giving the IV must be trained but need not be a doctor or nurse, and the law says no prescription is required to obtain the drugs from a pharmacy. The warden will give at least two days’ notice to the following people, asking them to appear at the execution: the attorney general, the trial judge who handed down the sentence, the state’s attorney and sheriff of the county where the crime was committed and not more than 10 citizens, including at least one member of the news media. The warden also will call for the attendance of three doctors and any guards or peace officers he deems proper. The defendant may request the presence of no more than two members of the clergy and not more than five relatives or friends. No one else can attend. No one under age 18 shall be permitted, unless a relative, and no relatives of tender years shall be admitted. The time set by the warden for the execution must be kept secret. The warden can tell the persons he has invited, but they must keep the time secret from others under penalty of a Class 2 misdemeanor. Immediately after the execution the doctors present must conduct a post-mortem examination of the body and issue a report in writing. The body will be buried in a local cemetery unless it is claimed by relatives. #### Obtaining court documents Not all documents in court files are available to the public; some have limited access according to South Dakota law. Check with the[ clerk of court office](https://ujs.sd.gov/Circuit%5FCourt/Default.aspx?ref=sdnewswatch.org) in the county where the case is pending to find out if what you want is open for copying. There may be a fee for copies, which depends on whether you want a regular copy, a certified or authenticated copy, and how many pages there are in the document you are requesting. Generally, all requests for copying and/or searches of records must be accompanied by payment. ****eCourts** [eCourts](https://ecourts.sd.gov/Default.aspx?ref=sdnewswatch.org) ([https://eCourts.sd.gov](https://ecourts.sd.gov/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)) provides summary information about cases. This includes information such as names of parties, attorneys of record, documents filed, hearings held, judgments entered, and the outcome of completed cases. The information viewed through eCourts reflects the docket entries for court records open to the public. Certain records may not be available in accordance with federal and state statutes and the rules governing the Unified Judicial System or by court order. When searching for information using eCourts, you must set up a username and password and enter the necessary name and case number search criteria. The eCourts public access solution does not include the ability to view or purchase documents. The possible presence of personally identifiable information and lack of a redaction solution prevents including this accessibility. To access documents, the public can currently utilize the public access workstations located in all courthouses. ****Court dates** Go to [https://ujsfindcourtdate.sd.gov](https://ujsfindcourtdate.sd.gov/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) to find someone’s court date in criminal or civil court. ****Public Access Record Search** The[ Public Access Record System](https://ujspars.sd.gov/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) (PARS) reflects the docket entries in criminal, domestic protection orders, stalking protection orders and foreign protection orders. When searching for information on PARS, please enter a person’s name AND date of birth. There will be a $20 fee for any search submitted. The fee is charged when the search is submitted and applies regardless of whether the search returns any records found for the requested search. There are two payment options: 1. Pay as you go for each search with a credit card using the “Search as Guest” option. 2. For large volume or multiple name record searches, you can use a drawdown account. To set up a draw down account or request access to an existing drawdown account, send an email to [UJSPARSsupport@ujs.state.sd.us](mailto:UJSPARSsupport@ujs.state.sd.us). If you believe you have found inaccurate information, or if you believe some information that should be included in the docket is missing, contact the appropriate clerk of court office to request a change or addition. Dockets are continuously updated during normal business hours but cannot make assurances that the latest information on orders or filings available at the clerk’s office have been recorded on the dockets. ****Courthouses** If you can go to the courthouse physically, you can view the majority of documents and cases from public kiosk terminals at each courthouse and print at 20 cents a page. If you are searching for an older file that may not be scanned into the system, you would need to contact that county’s clerk of court office and request copies to see if they could scan in the file for you to view. To contact a clerk of courts office in a particular county, visit [https://ujs.sd.gov/court-finder/](https://ujs.sd.gov/court-finder/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). #### State court camera rules The South Dakota Supreme Court adopted a rule that allows print and broadcast media to cover all public sessions of the state Supreme Court with video cameras, still cameras, audio equipment and electronic recording devices. Coverage is limited to two video camera operators and two still photographers in the courtroom. If additional media outlets want coverage, reporters will be expected to form a pool and share the pictures and video. Anyone wishing to cover a Supreme Court session must notify the media coordinator, who is appointed by the high court. Notice must come 48 hours before the proceeding is set to begin, although the court could wave the 48-hour requirement for good cause. The name of the media coordinator will be on file with the clerk of the Supreme Court. The schedule for upcoming Supreme Court hearings may be obtained from the clerk, or from the Unified Judicial System website: [https://ujs.sd.gov/for-the-media/](https://ujs.sd.gov/for-the-media/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). If more than two still and two video cameras are planning to cover a court session, the media coordinator will be responsible for pooling arrangements so the photos, video and audio can be shared. Disputes will be settled by the media coordinator, and the justices will not be called upon to resolve such issues. Media employees covering the high court are expected to dress neatly and inform themselves of all the rules for conduct in the courtroom. No clothing or equipment may display insignia of the media organizations. Media personnel must be inside the courtroom, with all equipment set up, 15 minutes before the court sessions begins. They cannot move from their assigned positions during the hearing. They are not allowed to change lenses or tape, make repairs, or do anything that would disrupt the proceedings. The high court requires that electronic equipment to be used in the courtroom be as quiet and unobtrusive as possible, without extra lights or flash. Reporters may use hand-held tape recorders for note-taking as long as they are no more sensitive than the human ear. There can be no recording of in-chambers conferences, discussions between lawyers and their clients or lawyers and judges and no photographing of materials on the tables or on the bench. No interviews may be conducted inside the courtroom before, during or after the proceedings. Any media personnel violating the court’s rules will be removed and denied further coverage privileges at the discretion of the court. The justices retain the right to deny electronic coverage of a session in the interest of justice. Anyone may object to electronic coverage at least 10 days before the proceeding, but coverage will not be limited without showing good cause. If electronic coverage is denied, the media coordinator will notify the media. The court reserves the right to obtain copies of any photos, film, or tape taken by the media. Such duplicate materials will be provided by the media free of charge. ## ****Get South Dakota news** Subscribe for a free newsletter on weekdays. Cancel any time. We won't share your address. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. --- ## U.S. District Court #### Criminal and civil courts Federal courts are organized into districts across the country. All of South Dakota is in the same district for both district court and bankruptcy court. The district is divided into four divisions based on county: ****Northern division (Aberdeen):** Brown, Campbell, Clark, Codington, Corson, Day, Deuel, Edmunds, Grant, Hamlin, McPherson, Marshall, Roberts, Spink, Walworth. ****Central division (Pierre):** Buffalo, Faulk, Hand, Hughes, Hyde, Gregory, Jerauld, Potter, Sully, Dewey, Haakon, Jackson, Jones, Lyman, Mellette, Stanley, Tripp, Todd, Ziebach. ****Southern division (Sioux Falls):** Aurora, Beadle, Bon Homme, Brookings, Brule, Charles Mix, Clay, Davison, Douglas, Hanson, Hutchinson, Kingsbury, Lake, Lincoln, McCook, Miner, Minnehaha, Moody, Sanborn, Turner, Union, Yankton. ****Western division (Rapid City):** Bennett, Butte, Custer, Fall River, Harding, Lawrence, Meade, Pennington, Perkins, Oglala Lakota. The chief district judge currently is Judge Roberto Lange. He is joined by Judge Eric Schulte and Judge Camela Theeler as active district judges. A federal judge is a judge for life. After reaching the rule of 80 (age plus years of service), judges can take senior status and a reduced workload. Judges on senior status are Judge Charles B. Kornmann, Judge Lawerece L. Piersol and Judge Karen Schreier. Judge Piersol will become an inactive senior judge in August 2025\. The PACER Case Locator (PCL) is a national index for district, bankruptcy and appellate courts. The PCL serves as a search tool for PACER. You may conduct nationwide searches to determine whether a party is involved in federal litigation. Each night, subsets of data are collected from the courts and transferred to the PCL. A link to PACER can be found at the district court’s website [https://www.sdd.uscourts.gov/](https://www.sdd.uscourts.gov/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). It is free to access the site, but you need to sign up for an account to view court files, which cost 10 cents per page. The U.S. District Court, District of South Dakota offers CM/ECF Media Accounts so that account holders may designate specific cases for which to receive email notices of case activity. The steps for obtaining and using a CM/ECF Media Account and other media information can be found at [Media Information | District of South Dakota | United States District Court](https://www.sdd.uscourts.gov/media?ref=sdnewswatch.org) . The district court’s local rules and standing orders can be found at [https://www.sdd.uscourts.gov/court-info/local-rules-and-orders](https://www.sdd.uscourts.gov/court-info/local-rules-and-orders?ref=sdnewswatch.org). The district court clerk is Matt Thelen, 605-330-6614 / [matt\_thelen@sdd.uscourts.gov](mailto:matt%5Fthelen@sdd.uscourts.gov). The clerk maintains offices in Pierre, Sioux Falls and Rapid City. #### Appeals courts Appeals from the U.S. District Courts in South Dakota go to the Saint Louis-based 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals and eventually to the top court in the land, the U.S. Supreme Court, which decides which cases it will hear and passes on the others. #### U.S. Bankruptcy Court The chief bankruptcy judge is Laura Kulm Ask. The judge can hear cases in four locations: Pierre, Sioux Falls, Aberdeen or Rapid City. The PACER Case Locator (PCL) is a national index for district, bankruptcy and appellate courts. The PCL serves as a search tool for PACER. You may conduct nationwide searches to determine whether a party is involved in federal litigation. Each night, subsets of data are collected from the courts and transferred to the PCL. A link to PACER can be found at the district court’s website [https://www.sdd.uscourts.gov/](https://www.sdd.uscourts.gov/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). It is free to access the site, but you need to sign up for an account to view court files, which cost 10 cents per page. The bankruptcy court clerk is Rick Entwistle, [rick\_entwistle@sdb.uscourts.gov](mailto:rick%5Fentwistle@sdb.uscourts.gov). The clerk maintains offices in Pierre and Sioux Falls. #### Guide to federal courts The Administrative Office of the United States Courts maintains [**A Journalist’s Guide to the Federal Courts*](https://www.uscourts.gov/data-news/reports/handbooks-manuals/a-journalists-guide-federal-courts?ref=sdnewswatch.org)**,* which is a great resource. Here are some sections specific to South Dakota: Page 5, Electrictronic devices – Cellphones, laptops and tablets are not allowed in federal courts in South Dakota. Page 7, Clerk of court’s office – South Dakota’s clerk of court is Matt Thelen. He and his staff can answer most reporter questions. His contact information: office, 605-330-6614; cellphone, 605-553-6185; email, [matt\_thelen@sdd.uscourts.gov](mailto:matt%5Fthelen@sdd.uscourts.gov). Page 9, Jurors – The court does not make juror names available. Page 22, Courtroom audio – If a proceeding has been recorded electronically and the recording constitutes the official record, the clerk of court will arrange, upon request, to have a transcript prepared. The requesting party will be responsible for any costs and the recordings themselves will not be released. Page 28, Civil cases – Sometimes cases involving a crime, such as a death penalty habeas corpus appeal, are handled in federal civil court and not criminal court, so reporters covering the case will want to follow it there. One current example is Briley Piper’s case (20-5074). --- ## Tribal courts #### Overview American Indian tribes in the United States have their own tribal court systems, more than 250 of them nationwide. Tribal laws set the standards in tribal court, occasionally supplemented by state and federal case law. Most tribal courts provide for an appeals process. The selection of judges varies among tribes but generally consists of a chief judge and as many associate or trial judges as necessary. The nine Sioux tribes in South Dakota all have tribal courts: Cheyenne River Sioux Tribal Court in Eagle Butte; Crow Creek Tribal Court in Fort Thompson; Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribal Court in Flandreau; Lower Brule Sioux Tribal Court in Lower Brute; Oglala Sioux Tribal Court in Pine Ridge and Kyle; Rosebud Sioux Tribal Court in Rosebud; Standing Rock Sioux Tribal Court in Fort Yates, North Dakota; Sisseton-Wahpeton Sioux Tribal Court in Sisseton; and the Yankton Sioux Tribal Court in Marty. Federal law defines both the geographic area covered by tribal courts and who is subject to tribal court jurisdiction. Tribal courts have jurisdiction in "Indian Country," which is legally defined as all land within the reservations, all dependent Indian communities and all Indian allotments. In some cases that means the tribes have jurisdiction on land lying outside the boundaries of today's reservations. Which crimes will be prosecuted in tribal courts has been a developing area of law since the 1800s, and it is not unusual to find cases where jurisdiction is still being debated today. In general, tribal courts do not have criminal jurisdiction to prosecute non-Indians, even if the crime happens in Indian Country. (Traffic offenses appear to be an exception.) The General Crimes Act says federal, not state, courts will prosecute non-Indians who commit crimes against Indians in Indian country. If there is no appropriate federal law to cover the crime then state law will be applied, but the case still goes before a federal judge. The state has jurisdiction when a non-Indian commits a crime against another non-Indian on the reservation. The state also has jurisdiction over Indians and others who commit crimes outside of Indian country. In addition, Congress has listed some major crimes that are handled in federal rather than tribal courts, even when the perpetrator is Indian and the crime happens in Indian Country. Seven major crimes were listed in the 1885 law, but it has been amended over the years to include many more crimes today. Among them: murder, manslaughter, kidnapping, maiming, incest, assault with intent to commit murder, assault with a dangerous weapon, assault resulting in serious bodily injury, arson, burglary, robbery and other felonies. This leaves tribal courts to prosecute Indian offenders for non-major crimes that happen in Indian Country. Tribal courts must protect the same civil rights as those guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution, including the right to a speedy trial, a trial by jury, protection against unreasonable search and seizure, and the right of a defendant to refuse to testify against himself. One major difference is that tribal courts are not required to pay for a lawyer when the defendant can't afford to hire his own attorney. Most tribal courts allow individuals without legal training to act as tribal advocates, providing they meet certain requirements of age and character. The maximum criminal sanction that can be imposed by a tribal court is one year in jail and a $5,000 fine. All tribal courts in South Dakota have juvenile or children's courts to deal with miners. Jurisdiction in the area of civil lawsuits is less clear. Federal law does not spell out civil jurisdiction the way it does for criminal cases. However, the U.S. Supreme Court has said that tribal authority over civil matters involving non-Indians on reservations is considered an important part of tribal sovereignty. Questions remain about when the tribes themselves can be sued. In many cases the dispute over tribal jurisdiction in a civil matter can create as much argument as the original lawsuit. All tribal courts in South Dakota offer an appeals process, whether it is through the local tribal court system or through the Northern Plains Intertribal Court of Appeals in Aberdeen. Tribal court decisions may be found in a publication called the Indian Law Reporter, which is produced by the American Indian Lawyer Training Program in Oakland, California. South Dakota tribal courts are described in more detail in the South Dakota Tribal Court Handbook by Frank Pommersheim, a professor at the University of South Dakota Law School. The handbook is on file in the USD Law Library and copies may be obtained for a fee by calling 605-677-5363. #### Tribal court contacts Rosebud Sioux Tribal Court and Court of Appeals, Rosebud, 605-747-2278 or 605-747-2279 Oglala Sioux Tribal Court, Pine Ridge, 605-867-5151 and Kyle, 605-455-2316 Oglala Sioux Nation Supreme Court, Pine Ridge, 605-867-5266 Crow Creek Sioux Tribal Court, Fort Thompson, 605-245-2325 or 605-245-2326 Cheyenne River Sioux Tribal Court and Court of Appeals, Eagle Butte, 605-964-6602 Standing Rock Sioux Tribal Court and Court of Appeals, Fort Yates, North Dakota, 701-854-7244 Lower Brule Sioux Tribal Court, Lower Brule, 605-473-5528 Yankton Sioux Tribe, Court of Indian Offenses, Wagner, 605-384-5578 Sisseton-Wahpeton Sioux Tribe, Court of Indian Offenses, Agency Village, 605-698-7629 or 605-698-7641 Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribal Court, Flandreau, 605-997-3593 Northern Plains Intertribal Court of Appeals, Aberdeen, 605-226-3165 (Appeals court for Crow Creek Tribe, Three Affiliated Tribes and the Omaha Tribe) --- ## Legal glossary #### A ****abet** \_ To incite, sanction or help. ****accomplice \_** A person who knowingly and voluntarily unites with the principal offender in a criminal act through aiding, abetting, advising or encouraging the offender. Mere presence, acquiescence or silence, in the absence of a duty to act, does not make a person an accomplice. ****acknowledgment** \_ A formal declaration before an authorized official, by a person who has executed (signed) an instrument (document), that the execution of the instrument was his own voluntary act. ****acquittal** \_ The legal certification of the innocence of a person who has been charged with a crime, setting the person free by a finding of not guilty. ****administrator** \_ An individual appointed by the court to manage the estate (property) of a person who died without leaving a valid will. An administrator d.b.n. (**de bonis non*) is a person appointed to complete the administration of an estate if the original administrator did not finish it. If the deceased left a will but no executor qualified to administer the estate, an administrator c.t.a. (**cum testamento annexo*) is appointed. ****adversary system** \_ A judicial system involving opposing parties, each having the right to be represented by qualified counsel, in which the party prosecuting or seeking relief has the burden of establishing his case and giving legal warning to his adversary, who is afforded an opportunity to contest the case presented. ****affiant** \_ A person who makes and signs an affidavit. ****affidavit** \_ A written declaration or statement of facts made voluntarily under oath, acknowledged and signed before an official with authority to administer oaths. ****affirmative defense** \_ A defense that does not necessarily refute an allegation but offers new information that may defeat the right to recovery as a matter of law; an attack on the legal right of the plaintiff to bring the action as distinguished from an attack on the truth of the facts alleged. ****allegation** \_ The statement of what is expected to be proved. ****amicus curiae** (uh-MIH-kus KYOO’-ree-ay) \_ Means “a friend of the court.” A lawyer, other person or organization who is not a party to the action, but who, with the court’s permission, volunteers information and opinion upon some matter of law. Amicus curiae briefs are often filed in appellate cases. ****answer** \_ The pleading in a civil suit by which the defendant admits, denies or otherwise responds to the allegations of facts set forth in the plaintiff’s complaint. It also contains defenses the defendant may have to the plaintiff's allegations. ****appeal** \_ A procedure by which a party seeks a high court review of the action taken by a lower court. ****appearance** \_ The formal act by which a defendant submits to the jurisdiction of the court. It may be in person, by an attorney, by pleadings or a combination of these. ****appellant** \_ The party appealing to the higher court. Often, but not always, the losing party in the lower court. ****appellate court** \_ A court having jurisdiction to review the action taken by the lower court. ****appellee** \_ The party against whom an appeal is taken. Often, but not always, the winning party in the lower court. ****arbitration** \_ The referral of a dispute to an impartial third person or panel. In some instances the parties agree in advance to abide by the arbitrator’s decision following a hearing at which both sides have the opportunity to be heard. ****arraignment** \_ A proceeding in which a defendant is brought before the court to answer to a criminal charge. The charge is read to the defendant who is asked how he or she pleads. ****arrest** \_ To deprive a person of his liberty by legal authority. An officer must indicate his intention to take the person under actual control. No formal declaration of arrest is required. ****arrest of judgment** \_ The act of staying (delaying) the effect of a judgment that has already been entered. ****arson** \_ The burning of the property of another or the malicious burning of one’s own property with the intent to defraud. ****Article I courts \_** Courts created by Congress under Article I of the Constitution. The jurisdiction can be limited and the judges do not have lifetime appointments. ****Article III courts** \_ Courts created by Congress under Article III of the Constitution. The judges have lifetime appointments. ****assault** \_ A willful attack or threat to inflict injury upon another person with an apparent present ability to do so. Also any intentional display of force that would give the victim reason to fear or expect immediate bodily harm. ****attachment** \_ An ancillary or auxiliary remedy by which the plaintiff acquires a lien upon property of the defendant to ensure the payment of a civil judgment that he expects to obtain against the defendant in the future. #### B ****bail** \_ The release of an arrested or imprisoned person when security (cash or property) is given or pledged to ensure his appearance at a specified date and place. In South Dakota all persons except those charged with a capital crime have a right to be released before trial on bail. The amount of bail must be reasonable and appropriate to the particular case. ****bail bond** \_ The obligation signed by the accused or his sureties to secure his presence at trial. The bond is subject to forfeiture if the accused does not properly appear for trial. ****bailiff** \_ Court employee whose duty is to keep order in the courtroom. Also the person(s) in charge of the jury. ****bench warrant** \_ Order issued by a judge for the arrest of a person. ****beyond a reasonable doubt** \_ The state must prove a criminal defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. This means that the court or the jury must be fully satisfied, or satisfied to a moral certainty, that the defendant committed the acts alleged. ****bind over** \_ To hold a person for trial on bond (bail) or in jail. If the judicial official conducting a preliminary hearing finds probable cause to believe the accused committed a crime he will “bind over” the accused, normally by setting bail for his appearance at trial. ****brief** \_ A written document prepared by counsel as the basis for argument in a case before a court. It contains a summary of the facts of the case, the pertinent laws and an argument of how the law applies to the facts supporting the attorney’s position. ****burden of proof** \_ The duty to prove a fact in dispute. It is normally said that one of the parties has the burden of proof in establishing a particular fact. This means it is the duty of that party to introduce evidence to establish the disputed fact. ****burglary** \_ Entering another’s house or other building with the intent to commit a crime. #### C ****capital crime** \_ A crime punishable by death. South Dakota law allows the death penalty for first-degree murder if a jury finds certain aggravating circumstances exist. ****caveat** \_ Objection to the probate of a will. The challenging party is contending that the instrument in question is not the true will. It may be filed within three years after a will is offered for probate and is tried as a civil issue of fact. ****certiorari** (**SER’-shee-eh-REHR-ee) \_* A legal order by which a higher court commands a lower court to certify or to send up a record of a trial or other proceedings in the lower court for the purpose of judicial review. The reviewing court has the discretion to issue or deny a petition for a writ of certiorari. But in South Dakota, the state Supreme Court reviews all cases appealed from the circuit court. ****challenge for cause** \_ An objection to a prospective juror based on bias or prejudice that may prevent him from being fair and impartial in a particular case. If the judge agrees that there is reason to believe that the person will not be a satisfactory juror, he will remove that person from consideration. Each side has an unlimited number of challenges for cause. ****challenge to the array** \_ Questioning the qualifications of an entire jury panel, usually on the grounds of some legal fault in the composition of the panel, for instance racial discrimination. ****chambers \_** Any place where a judge hears motions, signs papers or conducts other business pertaining to his office when he is not presiding over a session of court. This is usually a private room or office of the judge in the courthouse. ****change of venue \_** Change in the location of a trial, granted by the court, usually to ensure a fair trial. It is generally requested and granted where there is some indication that the parties in a case cannot receive a fair trial in the county of origin. For example, if a certain case has gotten a lot of media coverage, the parties involved may want a change of venue. ****character evidence** \_ Testimony of witnesses who know the general character and reputation of a person in the community in which he lives. It may be considered by the jury: 1) as substantive evidence upon the theory that a person of good character and reputation is less likely to commit a crime, and 2) as corroborative evidence in support of a witness’s testimony as bearing upon his credibility. ****circumstantial evidence** \_ All evidence of an indirect nature. A court or jury may from circumstances (known or proved) infer a principal fact. **See direct evidence.* ****citation** \_ An order to appear in court at a certain time and place. A citation is not a warrant, and failure to comply with it is not a crime. Citations are issued for most minor traffic offenses. They become warrants after a magistrate takes the law enforcement officer’s oath to the offense listed in the citation. **See warrant.* ****civil action \_** An action between two or more private parties. ****class action** \_ An action where a large group of persons is interested in a matter. One or more may sue or be sued as representatives of the class without the need to join every member of the group. ****clerk of court** \_ An officer of a court who supervises the court’s clerical functions, keeps records, issues processes and enters judgments and orders. ****codicil** \_ A supplement, addition or postscript to a will. ****common law** \_ The body of legal principles that derives its authority from usages and customs of ancient times or from the judgments and decrees of courts recognizing, affirming and enforcing such usages and customs. It is to be distinguished from statutory law, which is enacted by a legislative body. ****commutation** \_ The change of a sentence from a greater to a lesser one, as from death to life in prison. In South Dakota, only the governor has the power to commute a sentence. ****competency** \_ Legal capacity to testify in court. **See incompetent.* ****complaint** \_ The pleading that when filed commences the litigation in a civil case. It contains the allegations and request for relief and/or recovery of money by the plaintiff. ****complainant** \_ Synonymous with “plaintiff.” The party bringing the action. It applies to civil actions only, although in criminal actions the chief prosecuting witness may sometimes be referred to loosely as the complainant. ****concurrent jurisdiction** \_ The power of more than one court to exercise jurisdiction over the same subject matter. The first court that takes the case obtains jurisdiction to the exclusion of the other courts. ****concurrent sentences** \_ Sentences for two or more crimes ordered by the judge to be served at the same time rather than one after the other. ****condemnation** \_ The legal process by which private property is taken for public use without the owner’s consent upon payment of just compensation. ****consecutive sentences** \_ Successive sentences imposed against a person convicted of two or more crimes. One sentence begins at the end of another. ****contempt of court** \_ Any act calculated to embarrass, hinder or obstruct a court in the administration of justice or calculated to lessen its authority or dignity. Contempts are of two kinds: direct and indirect. Direct contempts are committed in the immediate presence of the court and may be punished summarily by the court without a jury trial. Indirect contempt usually embraces a failure or refusal to obey lawful order of the court. ****continuance** \_ Postponing a pending court action to a later time. ****contract** \_ A legally binding agreement between two or more parties. A contract may be written or spoken. ****contributory negligence** \_ Negligence on the part of the plaintiff who is seeking to recover for injuries sustained as a result of the defendant’s negligence. If alleged and proved by the defendant, contributory negligence bars recovery by the plaintiff. This type of negligence is in contrast to comparative negligence, wherein the negligence of the parties is compared and recovery permitted when the negligence of the plaintiff is slight and the negligence of the defendant is gross. ****corpus delicti** (**KOR-pus deh-LIK-ti) \_* The body (material substance) upon which a crime has been committed, such as the corpse of a murdered man or the charred remains of a house burned by an arsonist. ****corroborating evidence** \_ Evidence supplementary to that already given and tending to strengthen or confirm it. ****costs** \_ Charges required by law to be paid to the court for the expenses of the litigation. Costs in a criminal case do not constitute part of the sentence or punishment but are in addition to it. ****court of record** \_ A court in which the proceedings are recorded and maintained as permanent records. Such records are absolute proof of what occurred in that court. In South Dakota every court is a court of record, except those with a magistrate presiding who is not law-trained. ****crime** \_ An act that a legislative body declares contrary to law. Usually a punishment is provided, upon conviction. **See felony and misdemeanor.* ****criminal action** \_ An action taken by the government against a private party, usually because a law has been violated. ****criminal insanity** \_ The mental condition that makes a person not legally responsible for his acts. In South Dakota the test used to determine criminal insanity is whether the person can distinguish right from wrong. ****criminal summons** \_ An order commanding an accused to appear in court. It may be issued in lieu of an arrest warrant for misdemeanors when the issuing official believes the accused will appear in court without being placed under arrest. ****cross-examination** \_ The questioning of a witness in a trial or other adversary proceeding by the party opposing the one who first called the witness. #### D ****damages** \_ Money that may be recovered by the plaintiff for injury to his person or loss or damage to his property or rights as a result of the unlawful act or negligence of the defendant. ****de novo** \_ Anew, afresh. A “trial de novo” is the retrial of a case, usually as the result of an appeal. The result of the first trial is immaterial. ****declaratory judgment** \_ A judicial decision that declares the rights of the parties. Such judgments have the force and effect of a final judgment or decree. It is distinguished from the usual form of judgment in that it does not seek execution or performance from anyone. ****decree** \_ A decision or order of the court. A final decree fully and finally disposes of the litigation, subject only to appeal to an appellate court. An interlocutory decree is provisional or temporary. ****default** \_ A default occurs when a party fails to plead or to take other required steps within the time allowed or fails to appear at the trial. ****defendant** \_ The party who is sued or charged. ****deposition** \_ The recorded testimony of a person taken under oath before trial for the purpose of discovering facts and information to be used at trial to impeach the testimony of a witness or to be introduced in lieu of a witness’s testimony if such witness is absent for an acceptable reason. ****direct evidence** \_ Evidence that tends directly to prove or disprove a disputed fact, as distinguished from circumstantial evidence from which an inference can be drawn. An example of direct evidence is eye-witness testimony. ****direct examination** \_ The interrogation of a witness by the party who called him to testify. ****directed verdict** \_ Result decided by the judge when he or she withdraws disputed issues from the jury’s consideration. Judgment is entered for the prevailing party. ****discovery** \_ A process in which a party will be informed of any facts known by the other parties or witnesses. ****dismissal** \_ An action that disposes of a case without a trial taking place. ****dismissal with leave** \_ Dismissal of a criminal action by prosecutor for failure of defendant to appear. The case may be reopened at any time. ****dismissal without prejudice** \_ A dismissal of a case that permits the complainant to sue again on the same cause of action within a year. ****dissent** \_ Disagreement by one or more judges of an appellate court with the decision of the majority of the court. Dissenting judges often file dissenting opinions in which they explain why they disagree with the majority. ****docket** \_ A book containing entries of all the important acts done in court in the conduct of each case from its inception to its conclusion. The term “docket” or “trial docket” also refers to the list or calendar of cases to be tried at a specified term. The docket is prepared by the court clerks for use by judges and attorneys. ****double jeopardy** \_ The rule stating that a party cannot be prosecuted for the same crime twice. ****due process** \_ The guarantee that each person has the benefit of a fair trial. #### E ****embezzlement** \_ The fraudulent taking by a person for personal use or benefit the property or money entrusted by another. ****eminent domain** \_ Power of the government to take private property for public use upon payment of just compensation. **See condemnation.* ****enjoin** \_ To order a person to perform or to abstain and desist from performing a specified act or course of conduct. **See injunction.* ****entrapment** \_ The act of government officers or agents inducing a person to commit a crime with the intent of charging that person with the crime. ****evidence** \_ Testimony, writings, material objects, or other things presented to the senses that are offered to prove the existence or nonexistence of a fact. ****escheat** (ehs-CHEET) \_ In American law, the right of the state to an estate to which no one is able to make a valid claim. ****estoppel** \_ A person’s own act or acceptance of facts that precludes his later asserting a contrary circumstance that would be detrimental to another party who relied on the act of acceptance. ****ex contractu** \_ Arising from a contract. ****ex delicto** (ex deh-LIK-toh) \_ Arising from a wrong. ****ex parte** (ex PAR-tay) \_ By or for a single party; done for, on behalf of or on the application of one party only, as distinguished from an adversary (contested) proceeding. An ex parte order is an order that is issued without notice to an adversary. ****ex post facto** \_ After the fact; an act or fact occurring after some previous act or fact and relating to it.The Constitution prohibits the enactment of ex post facto laws, that is laws that permit conviction and punishment for an act performed before the law was passed. ****execute** (a judgment or decree) \_ To put the final judgment of the court into effect. ****executor** (executrix, female) \_ A person named in a will to administer the estate of the deceased person. ****exhibit** \_ A paper or document or other physical object introduced into evidence during a trial or hearing. ****expert witness** \_ Testimony given by somebody who is not personally involved with the trial, but is qualified to speak about scientific, technical or professional information. ****extradition** \_ Surrender by one state of an individual accused or convicted of an offense to another (the receiving) state. When a defendant charged with a felony flees to another state, the prosecuting attorney may apply to the governor to “requisition” the accused from the foreign jurisdiction so he may be tried in South Dakota. #### F ****felony** \_ A more serious crime than a misdemeanor, generally punishable by death or imprisonment. ****fiduciary** \_ A person having a legal relationship of trust and confidence to another and having a duty to act primarily for the other’s benefit, such as a guardian, trustee or executor. ****fine** \_ A monetary penalty imposed in a criminal or civil action. ****forgery** \_ The false making or material altering, with intent to defraud, of any writing which, if genuine, might be the foundation of a legal liability. #### G ****gag order \_** South Dakota law gives judges the power to suppress certain information in cases involving sex crimes or juveniles. Judges also have discretionary power to command attorneys and others involved in a court case not to give interviews or discuss the case publicly. ****garnishment** \_ The taking of wages or property by the courts to pay a person’s debtors. ****grand jury** \_ The group of people who hears evidence and decides whether there is enough evidence to try an accused for a serious crime. This process, called “indictment” is a prerequisite to trial in circuit court unless waived. All federal grand juries and some special state grand juries also have investigative powers. ****guardian ad litem** (ad LY-tehm) \_ A court-appointed fiduciary charged with representing the interests of a child or incompetent person in a court proceeding. The guardian relationship terminates when the litigation is finally resolved. ****guilty but mentally ill** \_ A plea allowed under South Dakota law in which the defendant admits the crime but seeks special treatment because he claims he was mentally ill when the crime was committed. NOT the same as innocent by reason of insanity. In order for a jury to find a person guilty but mentally ill they must find: A, That the defendant was guilty of the crime; B, That the defense failed to prove the defendant was insane at the time of the crime; and C, That beyond a reasonable doubt the defendant was mentally ill at the time. #### H ****habeas corpus** (HAY-bee-uhs KOR-puhs) \_ A writ (order) to bring a person before the court. In most common usage, the writ is directed to a warden or jailer commanding him to produce a prisoner or person detained so that the court may determine whether such person is lawfully confined. ****harmless error** \_ An error committed by a lower court but determined by an appellate court not to be prejudicial to the rights of the party affected and therefore furnishing no basis for reversal of the lower court’s judgment. ****hearsay** \_ Evidence that is not within the personal knowledge of the witness but was related to the witness by a third party. ****holographic will** \_ A will written in a person’s own handwriting. Valid in South Dakota if the document and the signature are in the person’s handwriting. It does not have to be signed by witnesses. ****homicide** \_ A legal term for a killing or slaying. Not a criminal charge. ****hostile witness** \_ A witness who manifests hostility or prejudice against the party who called him. On direct examination the calling party may be permitted to question such a witness as if he had been called by the opposing party. ****hung jury** \_ A divided jury that cannot agree upon any verdict. #### I ****immunity** \_ A grant by the court against prosecution in return for providing criminal evidence against another. ****impeach** \_ To attack the credibility of a witness by the testimony of other witnesses or by other evidence. ****implied contract** \_ A contract in which the agreement is understood without being spelled out. i****n camera** \_ The judge examines evidence in his or her chambers to determine its admissibility in the trial. ****inadmissible** \_ Evidence that cannot be brought into court because it would violate established rules. ****incompetent evidence** \_ Evidence that is not admissible under the rules of evidence. ****incompetent** \_ A person lacking the capacity, legal qualification, or fitness to manage his own affairs or to discharge a required duty. A guardian may be appointed to conduct the affairs or protect the interests of an incompetent. ****indemnify** \_ To make good or compensate or reimburse one for a loss already incurred by him or her. ****indeterminate sentence** \_ A sentence of imprisonment to a specified minimum and maximum period of time. The commissioner of correction may discharge the prisoner after he has served the minimum term. ****indictment** \_ A written accusation made by the grand jury charging that a person named therein has committed a crime. ****indigent** \_ A person who is without funds or ability to hire a lawyer to defend himself. ****information** \_ An accusation of a criminal offense filed after a preliminary hearing and similar to an indictment except that it is not presented to the grand jury. It may not be used in a capital case. In a non-capital felony case, when indictment is waived, trial is based on an information. ****infraction** \_ A noncriminal violation of law not punishable by imprisonment and carrying a penalty of not more than $100\. Minor traffic offenses are generally considered infractions. ****injunction** \_ A court order directing a person to refrain from doing some act or (occasionally) affirmatively to do an act. **See enjoin.* ****instruction** \_ A direction given by the judge to the jury concerning the law of the case that the jury is hearing. Also designated a “charge.” ****intent, criminal** \_ Intent in law is the exercise of intelligent will in which the mind is fully aware of the nature and consequences of the act that is about to be done and, with such knowledge and with full liberty of action, the person willingly elects to do the act. A criminal intent must be accompanied by an overt act or an intentional attempt to constitute a crime. ****interlocutory** (in-ter-LAHK-yoo-tory) \_ Provisional; temporary. Often used in reference to a court order that is not final. Something dealing with a point or matter during the course of an action, but which does not make a final determination of the whole controversy. ****intermediate** \_ Imposed during the progress of a suit or action, between the beginning and end. Intermediate orders of the circuit court may be appealed to the State Supreme Court. ****interrogatories** \_ Written questions prepared by one party and served on an adversary who must provide written answers under oath. ****intervention** \_ Procedure in a suit or action by which the court permits a third person to intervene and become a party. ****intestate** (in-TES-tate) \_ Person who dies without leaving a will. ****irrelevant** \_ Evidence that does not pertain to the case. #### J ****jeopardy** \_ The peril in which an accused is placed when he is properly charged with a crime before a court. Jeopardy normally attaches when the petit jury is impaneled. After such time the accused may not ordinarily be released and tried at a later date for the same offense. **See double jeopardy.* ****judge’s charge** \_ Summary of the evidence and explanation of the applicable law given by the judge to the jury after the evidence is concluded and the lawyers have finished their arguments. The judge also explains the permissible verdicts that the jury may return. **See instruction.* ****judgment** \_ In a civil case, the official decision of a court determining the rights of the parties involved. In a criminal case it includes the pronouncement of guilt and unless the defendant has been acquitted, the sentence. ****judgment nisi** \_ A temporary judgment. Unless the defendant appears within a designated period and shows why the judgment should not be made permanent, the judgment will be made absolute. ****judgment suspended** \_ The judge does not enter a sentence and the defendant may go on his way. During the period of the suspension the judge may terminate the suspension for a violation of a condition attached to the defendant’s release and enter a sentence. This is distinguished from a “suspended sentence” in which a sentence is entered but its execution is suspended for a period upon payment of a fine or upon the good behavior of the defendant or both. ****jurisdiction** \_ The authority or power of a court to affect the legal interests of persons or things. Jurisdiction over the person involves the geographical relationship of the court to the person and requires proper notice and appearance of the person before the court. Jurisdiction over the subject matter relates to the authority of the court, as derived from the Constitution and laws, to determine the type of offense being tried or civil matter being litigated and to determine guilt, innocence or other rights of the parties involved. ****jury** \_ Group of people selected to declare truth of evidence. **See grand jury and petit jury.* ****jury instructions** \_ After evidence is concluded and before lawyers give closing arguments in a trial, the judge explains the laws that apply to the case. The judge also explains the permissible verdicts that the jury may return. **See judge’s charge.* ****jury nullification** \_ A decision by a jury that is contrary to the outcome provided by law. Usually a jury’s acquittal of a person despite substantial evidence to prove the charge against him, based on the jury’s disagreement with the law. #### L ****leading question** \_ A question so worded that the desired answer is suggested to the witness, particularly when it may be answered by “yes” or “no.” Leading questions are proper on cross-examination but normally are prohibited on direct examination unless the witness is hostile. ****lesser included offense** \_ An offense composed of some, but not all, of the elements of the greater crime, and which does not have any element not included in the greater offense. ****levy** \_ A seizure; the act of appropriating certain property of the debtor for the satisfaction of a judgment for the payment of money. ****libel** \_ Any material that damages the reputation of a person. ****lien** \_ A claim that a person has upon the property of another as security for a debt owed to the lienholder. ****limitation, statute of** \_ A certain time allowed by statute after an act giving rise to liability in which litigation or prosecution must be started. In civil cases, the allowable period varies, depending on the action or subject involved. In misdemeanor cases the limit is two years. In felony cases there is no time limit. ****lis pendens** (lis PEN-denz) \_ A pending suit. A legal notice to all the world that a dispute exists that may affect the title to a certain tract of land. ****locus delicti** (LOH-kuhs deh-LIK-ti) \_ The place of the offense. #### M ****magistrate** \_ An officer of the circuit court. Magistrates have power to try certain small-claim actions and are authorized to accept guilty pleas to certain minor traffic and other criminal offenses. Magistrates also issue warrants, set initial bonds and order initial commitments to jail. Magistrates’ powers also include various civil functions, such as marriage ceremonies. ****malfeasance** \_ Evil doing. Ill conduct. The commission of some act which is positively prohibited by law. ****malicious prosecution** \_ An action instituted with intention of injuring the defendant and without probable cause and which terminates in favor of the person prosecuted. ****mandamus** \_ A writ issued by the court that commands a public or quasi-public official to perform an act or enforce legal rights that the law imposes on the official. Mandamus is generally not available to compel the performance of discretionary acts as distinguished from ministerial acts. ****mandate** \_ An official command to enforce a judgment. ****manslaughter** \_ The unlawful killing of another without malice; may be either voluntary, upon a sudden impulse, or involuntary in the commission of some unlawful act. ****material evidence** \_ Evidence that is relevant and pertains to the issues in dispute. ****mens rea** \_ Literally “guilty mind.” The criminal intent to commit an act that is morally wrong, such as murder or larceny. It is a prerequisite to conviction for a crime involving a moral wrong, but it is not a prerequisite to conviction for an act that is a crime only because a statute designates it to be a crime, such as overtime parking. ****Miranda Rule** \_ Prior to any questioning initiated by law enforcement officers after a person is taken into custody or otherwise deprived of his freedom, the person must be warned: 1) that he has a right to remain silent; 2) that any statement he does make may be used as evidence against him; 3) that he has a right to the presence of an attorney; 4) that if he cannot afford an attorney, one will be appointed for him prior to any questioning. ****misdemeanor** \_ Any crime less serious than a felony. It is punishable by not more than one year in jail. ****mistrial** \_ An invalid trial, so declared by the trial judge when the trial cannot stand due to an incurable error or omission of some fundamental aspect of due process. Examples are an improperly influenced jury, incapacity of the judge or misconduct by the parties or counsel. A mistrial is followed by a completely new trial. ****mitigating circumstance** \_ One that does not constitute a justification or excuse of an offense but that may be considered as reducing the degree of moral culpability. ****moot** \_ Undecided. An issue that no longer has significance. ****motion in limine** \_ A written motion that is usually made before or after the beginning of a jury trial for a protective order against unduly prejudicial evidence. ****motion to dismiss** \_ A motion by the defendant that the court dismiss the plaintiff’s lawsuit for failure of the complaint to state a claim upon which relief can be granted. The motion is used in other contexts of litigation as well; for example, for failure of the plaintiff to comply with rules of pleading required by statute or orders of court, a defendant may move for dismissal of an action or claim against him. ****motion to quash** \_ A motion by the defendant who contends that a warrant or indictment must be dismissed for a fatal defect, such as failing to charge a crime or naming the wrong person. If the motion is allowed, the indictment is “quashed” or voided. The accused may be required to post bond for a later session of court when a new grand jury can correct the defect in the first paper or when a new bill of indictment may be submitted to the grand jury. ****multiplicity of actions** \_ Two or more separate (and unnecessary) attempts to litigate the same cause of action. ****murder** \_ The malicious and intentional killing of another person. **See homicide.* #### N ****negligence** \_ Failure to do something that would ordinarily be done, or the doing of something that is not ordinarily done. To be actionable such omission or commission must result in harm to another. ****nolle prosequi** (NOH-lay PROH-say-kee) \_ When the prosecutor decides to go no further with prosecution of a particular defendant, he announces a nolle prosequi. A “nol. pros.” is sometimes taken “with leave” so that the prosecutor may reopen the case against the defendant at a later date. This device may not be used to deny the defendant’s constitutional right to a speedy trial. A simple nol. pros. without leave usually means the end of the matter because the case cannot be reopened without the judge’s permission. ****nolo contendre** (NOH-loh kuhn-TEN-deh-ray) \_ A plea of “I will not contest.” It is comparable to a plea of guilty in authorizing the court to punish the defendant, but it does not establish guilt for any other purpose. In a civil case, the plea of nolo contendere to an earlier criminal action based on the same facts cannot be admitted in evidence to prove that the defendant committed the act alleged in the warrant or indictment. ****non obstante veredicto** (nahn uhb-STAN-tay ver-uh-DIK-toh) (notwithstanding the verdict) \_ A judgment entered by the judge contrary to a jury’s verdict. The judge considers that the pleadings and evidence indicate that a party was entitled to have his motion for a directed verdict granted. The issue should have never been submitted to the jury. The judge therefore enters a judgment that is required as a matter of law, even though contrary to the jury’s verdict. ****not a true bill** \_ A finding by a grand jury on an indictment that, in the jury’s opinion, the evidence is insufficient to justify trying the defendant for the crime set out in the indictment. ****nuncupative will** \_ A will made by a person who is in his last sickness or in imminent peril of death and does not survive such sickness or peril; and declared to be his will before two competent witnesses simultaneously present and requested by him to bear witness. #### O ****objection** \_ A formal disapproval or exception to some statement or procedure during the trial. An attorney objects to call the court’s attention to what he believes is improper evidence or procedure. ****opinion evidence** \_ What the witness thinks, believes or infers with respect to certain facts, as distinguished from his personal knowledge of the facts. ****overt act** \_ An act essential to establishing an intent to commit a crime and done to carry out or in furtherance of the intention. It must be an act that would naturally result in the commission of the crime unless prevented by some extraneous circumstances. #### P ****panel \_** A list of potential jurors. ****parole** \_ The conditional release from prison of a convict before the expiration of his sentence. If he observes the stipulated conditions the parolee (the released person) need not serve the remainder of his sentence. The parolee is under the supervision of a state parole officer during the period of parole. ****parties** \_ People actively involved in a legal proceeding. ****peremptory challenge** \_ A party is privileged to reject a prospective juror without assigning any cause for the rejection. The number of peremptory challenges is fixed by law according to the nature of the case. ****perjury** \_ The criminal offense of making a false statement under oath. ****personal recognizance** \_ A type of bail consisting of a written promise to appear in court when required. A bond secured only by the personal obligation of the person giving the bond. ****petit jury** \_ A jury of 12 persons for the trial of a civil or criminal case. **See grand jury.* ****plaintiff** \_ The party bringing action or suing. ****plea** \_ Pleas possible in criminal cases 1) not guilty; 2) not guilty by reason of insanity; 3) no contest; 4) guilty; 5) guilty but mentally ill. ****pleadings** \_ Formal written allegations by the parties containing their respective claims and defenses. ****polling the jury** \_ The procedure of asking the jurors individually whether they concur in the verdict announced by the foreman. ****power of attorney** \_ An instrument authorizing another to act as one’s agent or attorney. ****preliminary hearing** \_ The hearing available to a person charged with a crime to determine whether there is enough evidence (probable cause) to hold him for trial. ****presentment** \_ A written statement from the grand jury to the court based on its own investigation that an offense has been committed. It amounts to an instruction to the prosecutor to draw a bill of indictment for presentment to the grand jury. ****presumption of innocence** \_ Every criminal defendant enters trial presumed in fact to be innocent. This presumption remains with him until the state overcomes the presumption by competent and sufficient evidence of guilt. ****prima facie case** (PRY-muh FAY-sheh) \_ The amount of evidence in a civil case sufficient to avoid dismissal of the plaintiff’s suit. A prima facie case will support a jury decision for the plaintiff but does not compel it because credibility of the witnesses is a matter for the jury’s determination. ****probable cause** \_ The existence of circumstances and facts sufficiently strong to excite a reasonable belief that the person charged with a crime is guilty. Probable cause does not indicate proof of guilt beyond a reasonable doubt but only that sufficient grounds exist to compel the accused to stand trial. If the grand jury or preliminary hearing official does not find probable cause, the accused must be released immediately. ****probate** \_ The act or process of proving the validity of a will and the judicial supervision of administration pursuant to the will. **See caveat.* ****probation** \_ A method of suspending a sentence. Rather than imposing an active sentence the court may hold the sentence in abeyance subject to the good conduct of the defendant. A person on probation is either supervised by a state probation officer or is unsupervised as the judgment may specify. ****prosecutor** \_ A trial lawyer representing the state in a criminal case. In South Dakota the local prosecutors are elected in each county every four years and are called state’s attorneys. ****public defender** \_ A trial lawyer employed by the county to represent indigent defendants in criminal cases. ****punitive damages** \_ Damages awarded to the plaintiff over and above what will compensate him for ordinary loss in an effort to punish the defendant or set an example for wrongdoers. #### Q ****quid pro quo** \_ “What for what” — a fair trade or return. #### R ****reasonable doubt** **\_ See beyond a reasonable doubt.* ****retainer** \_ The initial fee paid to an attorney for services. ****rebuttal** \_ The introduction of evidence that may show statements of witnesses are not true. ****recognizance** \_ The practice that enables an accused awaiting trial to be released without posting any security other than his promise to appear before the court at a proper time. Failure to appear in court at the proper time is a misdemeanor. ****redirect examination** \_ Re-examination of a witness by the calling party after cross-examination by the opposing party. ****remand** \_ The procedure by which a case on appeal is, on decision of the appellate court, sent back to the trial court with instructions as to the proper disposition that the trial court should make. ****remittitur** \_ Procedure by which money damages awarded by a judge are diminished. ****removal** \_ Transfer of a case to another court. **See change of venue.* ****reply** \_ A written pleading containing the plaintiff’s allegations in response to a new matter alleged in the defendant’s answer. ****respondeat superior** \_ “Let the master answer.” An employer may be liable for the wrongful acts of his employee provided the employer owes a duty of care and the failure of the employee to use such care occurred in the course of his employment. ****rest** \_ A party “rests” or “rests his case” when he indicates that he has produced all the evidence he intends to offer at that stage of the trial, subject to the right to offer rebuttal evidence later. ****reverse** \_ An appellate court’s revoking of a decision made in a lower court. ****robbery** \_ Felonious taking of another’s property from his person or immediate presence and against his will by means of force or fear. ****rule nisi,** or rule to show cause \_ A court order commanding a party to show cause why he should not be compelled to do the act required or why the object of the order should not be enforced. #### S ****search and seizure** \_ The searching of a property in hopes of finding evidence of guilt. ****search warrant** \_ A document from a judge ordering the search of a property for evidence. ****self defense** \_ Protection of yourself or your property against the act of another person. ****separation (sequestration) of witnesses** \_ A discretionary action by the court excluding future witnesses from the courtroom while earlier witnesses are testifying. This prevents a witness from being influenced by testimony of a prior witness. ****sequestration of a jury** \_ Members of the jury are kept separate from their families and the public during a trial. The court provides room and board and transports jury members to and from the courtroom for trial sessions. ****show cause** \_ This is a notice to show why a certain action should not be taken on an existing record or judgment. If a defendant released on bail fails to appear in court at the proper time, a judgment **nisi* is rendered provisionally forfeiting the bond, and a show cause order is issued to the defendant and his sureties to show cause why the judgment should not be made final. ****slander** \_ Spoken words that damage the reputation of another person. ****special venire** (veh-NY-reh) \_ A panel of prospective jurors who are summoned when the lawyers in a case cannot agree on 12 jurors from the regular panel or when the regular panel is insufficient for the court’s business. The judge fixes the number of jurors to be summoned for a special venire. ****specific performance** \_ Court-compelled performance of a contract according to the precise terms agreed upon. Specific performance is usually granted only when damages would be an inadequate remedy. ****statute** \_ A law enacted by the legislative branch of government as distinguished from case law made by the courts. ****stay** \_ An individual order stopping or arresting a judicial proceeding or execution of a judgment. **See arrest of judgment.* ****stipulation** \_ An agreement by opposing attorneys on any matter pertaining to the proceedings or trial. It is not binding unless assented to by the parties. Most stipulations must be in writing. ****strict liability** \_ A concept applied by courts in product liability cases in which a seller is liable for any and all defective or hazardous products that unduly threaten a consumer’s personal safety. ****subpoena** (suh-PEE-nuh) \_ An order to a witness to appear and testify at a specified time and place. ****subpoena duces tecum** (DOO-kehs TAY-kuhm) \_ A court order commanding a witness to bring certain documents or records to court. ****substantive law** \_ Law that creates, defines and regulates rights as opposed to “procedural” law that prescribes the method of enforcing the rights or of obtaining redress for their invasion. ****summary judgment** \_ Final decision or judgment by the court prior to the trial of a civil case. This occurs when the judge determines that the prevailing party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law either on the pleadings alone or after reviewing the pleadings and other evidence. Summary judgment is proper only if the court determines that there is no dispute to the material facts of the case. ****summons** \_ An order signed by the clerk of court in the name of the state informing a person named as a defendant in a civil action that such an action has been commenced in a specified court in a specified county against him and directing the defendant to answer the complaint within 30 days. ****supersedeas** (soo-per-SEE-dee-uhs) \_ An order issued by an appellate court to preserve the status quo pending review of a judgment or pending other exercise of its jurisdiction. #### T ****temporary restraining order** \_ An emergency remedy of brief duration that may be issued by the court only in exceptional circumstances and only until the trial court can hear arguments or evidence and determine what relief is appropriate. ****testator** \_ One who disposes of his property by will. A person who dies without leaving a will is said to die intestate. ****testimony** \_ Evidence given by a witness under oath. ****third-party plaintiff** \_ A defendant who causes a summons and complaint to be served upon a person not a party to the action who is, or may be, liable for all or part of the original plaintiff’s claim against him. Also when a counterclaim is asserted against the plaintiff by the defendant, the plaintiff may likewise cause a third party to be brought into the action. ****tort** \_ A private wrong. An infringement of the rights of an individual not founded on a contract. The most common tort action is a suit for damages sustained in an automobile accident. ****transcript** \_ The official verbatim record of the testimony in a trial or hearing. ****trial de novo** \_ A new trial. A retrial in a higher court rather than review of a lower court action on appeal. ****true bill** \_ The endorsement made by a grand jury on a bill of indictment when it finds sufficient evidence for trial on the charge alleged in the indictment. #### U ****U.C.C.** \_ Uniform Commercial Code. A set of statutes that regulates sales and other commercial transactions. ****U.J.S.** \_ Unified Judicial System. South Dakota’s state court system: Supreme Court, Circuit Court, Magistrate Court. ****undue influence** \_ Whatever destroys free will and causes a person to do an act he would not do if left to himself. It is most frequently alleged in will contests. ****unjust enrichment** \_ The principle that one person should not be permitted to enrich himself unjustly at the expense of another but should be required to make restitution for the property or benefit received. #### V ****venire** (veh-NY-reh) \_ Technically an order summoning prospective jurors; popularly used to designate the panel of persons so summoned. ****venue** (ven-YOO) \_ The proper geographical area — county, city or district — in which a court with jurisdiction over the subject may hear a case. ****verdict** \_ The official decision of a petit (12-person) jury as reported to and accepted by the court. In South Dakota all criminal verdicts must be unanimous. However in civil cases the parties may agree to a jury of fewer than 12 members and also to a verdict stated by the majority of the jurors. If the parties in a civil case do not make such an agreement a unanimous verdict is required. ****voir dire** (vwor deer) \_ To speak the truth. Examination of prospective jurors to determine whether they are qualified to sit on the jury in the case being tried. It is also used when the judge excuses the jury and examines a witness outside the jury’s hearing. Such an examination is frequently undertaken to determine whether a confession made by a defendant was voluntary. #### W ****waiver** \_ The intentional and voluntary relinquishment of a legal right. ****wanton** \_ An act is wanton when it is without any adequate legal provocation and manifests a reckless indifference to the rights and interests of others. ****warrant of arrest** \_ An order issued by a judicial official requiring a sheriff or other officer to arrest a person named in the warrant and to bring that person before the court to answer a specific charge set out in the warrant. Warrants should be issued only upon showing the existence of probable cause. **See probable cause.* ****willfully** \_ Intentionally, as opposed to accidentally, carelessly or inadvertently. ****witness \_** A person who testifies about what he or she has observed. ****work-release** \_ A sentence under which a defendant is imprisoned but is released during the day to work at a job approved by the Department of Corrections. ****writ** \_ A court order requiring the performance of a specified act or giving authority to have the act done. [![CTA Image](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/04/SDNW-Logo-Vertical.jpg)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) ****Partner with South Dakota News Watch** and support fact-based news and information. [Donate ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact CEO Carson Walker:* 605-610-9366/*[*carson.walker@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:carson.walker@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Lawyer: Igloo lease dispute not over despite Supreme Court ruling URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/igloo-lease-dispute-supreme-court-ruling/ Last updated: 2026-04-23T21:10:02.000Z Legal challenges to the lease used by the owner of a survivalist complex south of Edgemont will continue despite a ruling by the South Dakota Supreme Court on Thursday that favored the ownership group of Vivos xPoint, a lawyer for the plaintiff said. The high court ruled Thursday that the lease is not "illusory," or illegal simply because it was changed after it was signed by a tenant who was evicted from the complex in 2023. The court ruled in favor of Vivos xPoint Investment Group, which owns the complex of hundreds of former Army munitions bunkers that have been converted to residences for so-called preppers who intend to survive a global catastrophe. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/04/2026-3-18-SD-Supreme-Court-justices-1.jpg) Supreme Court justices who heard cases in Sioux Falls, S.D., on March 18, 2026, included (left to right) Scott P. Myren, Mark E. Salter, Chief Justice Steven R. Jensen, Patricia J. Devaney and circuit court Judge Anne Hoffman, who sat in for Justice Robert Gusinsky, who recused himself from the case of Vivos xPoint versus Sindorf. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) The high court ruling released on Thursday overturned a 2025 circuit court judge's opinion that the lease used by Vivos was illegal and that the subsequent eviction was also therefore improper. The court remanded the case back to circuit court "for further proceedings consistent with this opinion." As such, the battle to have the lease declared illegal will continue, though with different arguments than the one considered by the Supreme Court, said Matthew Hays McCoy, a Custer attorney who represents the plaintiff in the eviction and who argued on his behalf before the justices. "Now that this has been kicked back, we cannot use the illusory argument to say the lease is illegal, but we can use other arguments to overturn the eviction," McCoy told News Watch. "In some ways it is kind of irrelevant to the larger issues." ## ****Get South Dakota news** Subscribe for a free newsletter on weekdays. Cancel any time. We won't share your address. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. McCoy said Vivos would now have to proceed with a formal eviction process in order to formally kick his client out of the Vivos complex. He said his client has strong arguments that he did not violate terms of the lease as it was amended by Vivos. McCoy also said he expects that a $17 million [class action lawsuit](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/igloo-bunker-community-class-action-lawsuit-vivos-sd/) filed in 2025 by several Vivos tenants arguing that the lease is invalid can still move forward. Eric Schlimgen of Spearfish, attorney for Vivos, was traveling and unavailable for comment on Thursday, according to his office. ## Numerous tenant complaints and lawsuits The current legal entanglement is part of a highly litigious atmosphere surrounding the Vivos xPoint bunker complex, which has been the source of numerous tenant complaints to the state Attorney General's Office, lawsuits on both sides and a near-fatal shooting in 2024, as [previously reported](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/igloo-south-dakota-prepper-bunker-vivos-xpoint/) by News Watch. The sprawling Vivos site includes 575 above-ground, earth-covered concrete bunkers that were used by the U.S. military from 1942 to 1967 to store conventional and chemical munitions at the Black Hills Ordinance Depot in a town once known as Igloo. [![CTA Image](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/04/SDNW-Logo-Vertical.jpg)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) ****Partner with South Dakota News Watch** and support fact-based news and information. [Donate ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) The bunkers were purchased by California businessman Robert Vicino in 2016 and have since been rented to survivalists who sign a 99-year lease to live in bunkers they do not own. The lease governs their residency and includes a list of rules on behavior within the complex. The legal question centered on whether the lease and rules list were legal because Vivos changed the language after the lease was signed. The 14-page lease and an extensive list of rules and regulations have become the subject of a handful of lawsuits after they were used as the basis to evict several bunker residents. Evicted tenants then lose the right to occupy the bunkers despite paying up to $55,000 in upfront fees, a monthly service charge and for improvements to make the bunkers more livable. ## Eviction came after gun incident The high court case centered around the eviction of Daniel Sindorf, a former Vivos resident who signed a lease and paid $35,000 up front in 2020\. The eviction came after a July 2023 incident in which Sindorf pulled out a gun after he said he felt threatened by a Vivos employee’s dogs. Vivos states that several months prior to the confrontation, the company added an addendum to the rules included within the lease that made it a violation to “brandish” a weapon outside of designated shooting areas within the complex. Sindorf’s attorneys argued that the lease and, therefore, the eviction were both illegal because it is not lawful to make changes to a signed lease without consent of both parties or without recourse by the tenant. In a three-page ruling in April 2025, Circuit Judge Scott A. Roetzel noted that “the 99-year lease is an illusory contract that plaintiff (Vivos) can unilaterally modify the terms of at any time with no resource for defendant (Sindorf)." But in its ruling Thursday, the high court said that "Vivos' discretion was not unqualified or absolute, as Sindorf contends," and that Vivos' modification of the lease was "reasonable, made in good faith, equally enforced and not adopted for the purpose of evading the loser's obligations." The court said that the lease and eviction, therefore, were both legal and can be further litigated in circuit court if the plaintiff so chooses. McCoy said he believes his client and members of the class action lawsuit still have strong cases to get out of their leases and leave the complex without major financial losses if they choose to do so. [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact* *content director Bart Pfankuch:** 605-937-9398*/*[*bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org). ### Poll: Majority of South Dakotans unsatisfied with current state of democracy URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-poll-democracy-legislature-election-2026/ Last updated: 2026-04-23T11:06:42.000Z *Editor's note: If you cite the results of this poll, credit South Dakota News Watch and the Chiesman Center for Democracy, per* [*copyright law*](https://www.copyright.gov/title17/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and our* [*republishing policy*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/republishing-policy/)*.* PIERRE, S.D. – A majority of South Dakotans are unhappy with democracy in America but believe state lawmakers are largely being held accountable, according to a new poll sponsored by South Dakota News Watch and the Chiesman Center for Democracy at the University of South Dakota. The survey of 500 registered voters across party affiliation conducted April 7-9 by Mason-Dixon Polling and Strategy, [ranked as one of the least-biased and most-factual pollsters](https://mediabiasfactcheck.com/mason-dixon-polling-bias-and-credibility/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) by Media Bias/Fact Check, found 32% of respondents were very unsatisfied with the current state of democracy and 22% saying they were somewhat unsatisfied. Meanwhile, 30% of those polled said they were somewhat satisfied and 14% said they were very satisfied. Roughly 3% of respondents were unsure. The margin of error is plus-or-minus 4.5%. "Seeing a majority of South Dakotans be 'unsatisfied,' and the plurality being 'very unsatisfied' with how democracy is working in the United States is highly concerning and indicates a serious issue in our country right now," Julia Hellwege, director of the [Chiesman Center](https://www.usd.edu/Academics/Colleges-and-Schools/college-of-arts-sciences/Chiesman-Center-for-Democracy?ref=sdnewswatch.org) and USD associate professor in political science, told News Watch. The discontent with democracy was largely fueled by Democrats and Independents. Three in 4 Democrats polled said they were either very or somewhat unsatisfied with the state of democracy, while 70% of Independents said they were either very or somewhat unsatisfied. On the flip side, 62% of Republicans said they were either very or somewhat satisfied. ## ****Get South Dakota news** Subscribe for a free newsletter on weekdays. Cancel any time. We won't share your address. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. Over the past decade, South Dakota has emerged as a reliably red state, with the late U.S. Sen. Tim Johnson being the last Democrat to hold a statewide elected office. Although South Dakota hasn't voted for a Democrat for president since Lyndon Johnson in 1964 and hasn't elected a Democrat for governor since 1974, the state had elected several Democrats for Senate and the at-large U.S. House seat. Women were also more likely than men to be unsatisfied with democracy in America. ![white concrete dome museum](https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1520525003249-2b9cdda513bc?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDJ8fENhcGl0b2x8ZW58MHx8fHwxNzc2OTA5NjI3fDA&ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=80&w=2000) Photo by [Louis Velazquez](https://unsplash.com/@angelvela?ref=sdnewswatch.org) / [Unsplash](https://unsplash.com/?utm%5Fsource=ghost&utm%5Fmedium=referral&utm%5Fcampaign=api-credit) While 57% of women said they were either very or somewhat unsatisfied, men were roughly evenly split at 49% between those that were either very or somewhat satisfied and those who were either very or somewhat unsatisfied. The discrepancy in gender tracks similar results on the poll questions regarding voter sentiment on the job performance of statewide elected officials. ## SD public officials are being held accountable, voters said Despite their skepticism over national politics, the respondents largely believe South Dakota public officials are being held accountable to residents. According to the poll, 45% of voters believe South Dakota public officials are somewhat accountable, with 12% saying they are very accountable. However, as with the question on the current state of democracy, Democrats and Republicans have vastly different views on the issue. [![CTA Image](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/04/SDNW-Logo-Vertical.jpg)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) ****Partner with South Dakota News Watch** and support fact-based news and information. [Donate ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) While 64% of Democrats believe public officials in South Dakota are either somewhat unaccountable or not accountable, 74% of Republicans believe the officials are either somewhat accountable or very accountable. Meanwhile, 31% of Independents believe officials are not being held accountable and 19% said they were somewhat unaccountable. Hellwege said the seemingly contradictory sentiments of feeling unsatisfied with democracy but also believing they are holding officials accountable could be down to the so-called Fenno's Paradox in which voters may have a low opinion of a legislative body but continually re-elect their representative out of a belief in their own ability to hold their elected official in check. "In some ways, this question is more about the voters than the officials themselves. And if voters believe they are able to hold public officials at least somewhat accountable, that’s a positive for electoral democracy," Hellwege said. ## Do lawmakers spend enough time on issues that matter? Nearly half of respondents believe lawmakers either spent enough time or a great deal of time on what they thought were the most pressing issues during the legislative session that ended last month. In total, 41% of those polled thought the South Dakota Legislature dedicated a fair amount of time to pertinent issues and 7% said a great deal of time was spent. Conversely, 25% said not much time was spent on pertinent issues and 13% said almost no time. Approximately 14% of respondents were not sure. As with the other two survey questions, the responses varied along party lines, with a majority of Democrats and Independents believing lawmakers either spent not much time or almost no time on what they deemed to be the most important issues and a majority of Republicans believing the opposite. Hellwege highlighted that as most Republicans continue to have a rosy picture of the current political environment, Independents are increasingly diverging from the GOP on issues and, in many cases, aligning with Democrats, which wasn't the case two years ago. "This is interesting both because it is a divergence from the 2024 election where Independents held similar candidate and issue preferences from Republicans but also because they are in this current poll holding a clear moderate pattern that is distinguishable from both parties on certain issues," Hellwege said. --- ### Coming Friday Friday's story will provide a general overview of our poll results along with an explanation on the methodology. [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact politics and statehouse reporter Alexander Rifaat:* 605-736-4396/*[*alexander.rifaat@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:alexander.rifaat@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Fact brief: Has South Dakota always had 1 U.S. House seat? URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/fact-brief-sd-us-house-seats-census-2026-election/ Last updated: 2026-04-23T11:14:00.000Z ## No. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/WhiteFACT-BRIEF--500-x-200-px--2-1-1.png) South Dakota won’t be redrawing congressional boundaries anytime soon, since the state already has the minimum of one seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, but that wasn’t always the case. It started with two seats at statehood in 1889\. That increased to three seats in 1912: the First District included Sioux Falls and Yankton; the second, Aberdeen, Brookings and Huron; and the Third District was west of the Missouri River. Three districts became two in 1932 (West River and East River) and then one at-large congressional district in 1982\. House seats are determined by a state’s population. Every 10 years after the U.S. Census is conducted, seats are reapportioned. All 50 states receive at least one, and the remaining 385 (435 total) are divided based on population distribution. South Dakota will have a new U.S. House member in 2027, as incumbent Dusty Johnson is running for governor. *This fact brief responds to conversations such as*[](https://www.reddit.com/r/nationalparks/comments/1rss8e2/be%5Fprepared%5Ffor%5Ffire%5Fif%5Fyou%5Fvisit%5Fmt%5Frushmore/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)[*this one.*](https://www.reddit.com/r/YAPms/comments/1lmwmlp/rep%5Fdusty%5Fjohnson%5Fto%5Frun%5Ffor%5Fgovernor%5Fof%5Fsouth/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) ## Sources Aberdeen American News, [A quick story about the U.S. House seats](https://www.aberdeennews.com/story/news/politics/2017/11/17/capitol-notebook-a-quick-story-from-history-about-the-us-house-seats/44757323/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Ballotpedia, [Dusty Johnson](https://ballotpedia.org/Dusty%5FJohnson%5F%28South%5FDakota%29?ref=sdnewswatch.org) U.S. Census Bureau, [About Congressional Apportionment](https://www.census.gov/topics/public-sector/congressional-apportionment/about.html?ref=sdnewswatch.org) --- [South Dakota News Watch](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/) partners with [Gigafact](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) to publish fact briefs that refute or confirm a claim with supporting information and additional evidence and context. Send questions or feedback to [news@sdnewswatch.org](mailto:news@sdnewswatch.org). Submit a question for us to answer [on the tipline](https://gigafact.org/tipline/south-dakota-news-watch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). [![CTA Image](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/04/SDNW-Logo-Vertical.jpg)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) This newsletter and all our stories are free because we believe that ****essential, fact-based information should be available to everyone**, not just those who can pay for it. If you can afford it, ****please consider joining others and becoming a supporter**. Thank you. [Donate ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact freelance reporter Michael Klinski:* michael.klinski@sdnewswatch.org.* ### Poll: Nearly half of South Dakotans disapprove of property tax plan URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-poll-property-taxes-data-centers-tariffs-voting/ Last updated: 2026-04-22T12:07:54.000Z *Editor's note: If you cite the results of this poll, credit South Dakota News Watch and the Chiesman Center for Democracy, per* [*copyright law*](https://www.copyright.gov/title17/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and our* [*republishing policy*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/republishing-policy/)*.* PIERRE, S.D. – More South Dakotans disapprove than approve of recently passed legislation that gives counties the option to raise sales taxes in exchange for lowering property taxes, according to a new poll sponsored by South Dakota News Watch and the Chiesman Center for Democracy at the University of South Dakota. The survey of 500 registered voters across party affiliation conducted April 7-9 by Mason-Dixon Polling and Strategy, found 49% of respondents opposed the swapping of lower property taxes in exchange for higher sales taxes, while 33% approved and 17% were undecided. The margin of error is plus-or-minus 4.5%. In response to concerns over rising property taxes, Gov. Larry Rhoden and the South Dakota Legislature [enacted](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-legislature-budget-property-taxes/) a series of bills this past legislative session, including Senate Bill 96, which gives counties the option to implement a half-cent sales tax increase in exchange for lowering property taxes. The new law received the highest level of support in the Sioux Falls metro area, with 40% approving, while East River North, at 26%, saw the lowest level of approval. Julia Hellwege, director of the [Chiesman Center](https://www.usd.edu/Academics/Colleges-and-Schools/college-of-arts-sciences/Chiesman-Center-for-Democracy?ref=sdnewswatch.org) and USD associate professor in political science, said the regional variation in support could be down to the structure of the legislation. "This is not surprising as the proposal is likely to mainly benefit the metro areas. The governor’s proposal allows counties to make this property to sales tax swap, arguing this shifts the tax burden from the property owners to outsiders," Hellwege told News Watch. "However, as noted by some legislators during the session, the governor’s suggestion that these would be 'tourists' is less likely than these being rural residents who travel to the metro areas for shopping." ## ****Get South Dakota news** Subscribe for a free newsletter on weekdays. Cancel any time. We won't share your address. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. Republicans were close to evenly split, with 45% opposing the new legislation, 42% supporting the measure and 13% undecided. A majority of Democrats and Independents disapproved of the new laws, at 56% and 51%, respectively. [South Dakota Election Voter GuideEverything South Dakota voters need to know about statewide contests in the primary and general elections.![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)South Dakota News WatchAlexander Rifaat![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/size/w1200/2025/11/2024-6-4-Election-signs-1.JPG)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-voter-guide-primary-general-election/) Brad Coker, founder of Mason-Dixon Polling and Strategy, [ranked as one of the least-biased and most-factual pollsters](https://mediabiasfactcheck.com/mason-dixon-polling-bias-and-credibility/?ref=sdnewswatch.org), believes voter aversion toward the recent tax changes might be down to a preference for the status quo amid the risk of fixing one tax issue by creating another. "You're not quite sure what can of worms you're opening when you start doing things like that," Coker told News Watch. ## ICE, 'SAVE Act' and tariffs Despite the various protests that broke out across the country earlier this year, a majority – 56% – of South Dakotans polled support local law enforcement cooperating with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials. A total of 38% of respondents disapproved and 6% were undecided. Hellwege believes the low number of undecided responses underscores how important a topic ICE has become for voters. "The ICE cooperation seems to be a salient issue for many, with fewer than 10% who are undecided, while most approve of the cooperation. It’s clearly not an overwhelming majority," Hellwege said. South Dakota News Watch invests in scientific polls to let elected leaders know how constituents think they're doing and also survey people's opinions on important issues. But a good poll isn't cheap, so if you value these stories, please consider helping cover the cost. Thank you! [Donate and make these polls possible ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?%5Fgl=1%2Ab9m3w3%2A%5Fga%2AMTEzMjQ0NDQ5NC4xNzQxNjg3OTU5%2A%5Fga%5FH98KVPR32J%2AMTc0NjIxNzgwNy43MC4xLjE3NDYyMTc4MDcuMC4wLjA.&ref=sdnewswatch.org) Disparities in support mostly fell along gender and party lines, with 65% of men supporting cooperation compared to 47% of women, and 76% of Republicans approving compared to 26% of Democrats. Meanwhile, 50% of Independents disapproved, 43% approved and 7% were undecided. A vast majority of South Dakotans also approve of a new voter identification law. Senate Bill 175, modeled after the "SAVE (Safeguard American Voter Eligibility) Act" pending in Congress, requires individuals to provide proof of citizenship when registering to vote. In total, 63% of those polled approve of the new measure, with 34% disapproving and 2% unsure. As with the question over ICE cooperation, the largest disparities were seen among gender and party affiliation. Independents were close to evenly split, with 50% approving of the new measures, 49% disapproving and 1% unsure. A slight majority of voters agreed with a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision that struck down tariffs imposed by Trump. In February, the Court ruled the Trump administration could not unilaterally impose tariffs using the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). According to the poll, 52% of South Dakotans approved of the ruling, 38% disapprove of the decision, and 10% were unsure. The level of support varied by region, with 61% of residents of East River South supporting the Supreme Court's decision, while 56% of East River North approved; 49% of those residing in the Sioux Falls metro area supported the ruling and 48% of West River residents backed the court's decision. While South Dakota has overwhelmingly voted for Trump in each of the past three presidential elections, there were concerns his tariff policy was negatively impacting the state's agriculture industry. ## Support for data centers scarce The poll also indicated that South Dakotans remain wary of data centers, with 57% of respondents approving of measures that limit and regulate the construction of the buildings. Approximately 20% of respondents disapproved and 23% were not sure. The issue of data centers was a [hotly debated](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-senate-data-center-vote/) topic in the 2026 South Dakota legislative session, with lawmakers falling either into a pro- or anti-data center camp. Ultimately, Senate Bill 135, also known as the "Data Center Bill of Rights," was passed and signed into law by Rhoden. Championed by state House Speaker Jon Hansen and Senate President Pro Tempore Chris Karr, a Sioux Falls Republican, the law provides guardrails against data center electricity and water usage. Support for limiting data centers was relatively similar across gender, party affiliation and age. By region, residents of the West River showed the greatest level of support for limiting data centers at 61%. ![brown wooden hallway with gray metal doors](https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1584169417032-d34e8d805e8b?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDJ8fGRhdGElMjBjZW50ZXJzfGVufDB8fHx8MTc3NjgyNTMyMXww&ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=80&w=2000) Photo by [İsmail Enes Ayhan](https://unsplash.com/@ismailenesayhan?ref=sdnewswatch.org) / [Unsplash](https://unsplash.com/?utm%5Fsource=ghost&utm%5Fmedium=referral&utm%5Fcampaign=api-credit) Coker was not surprised by the opposition to data centers in South Dakota. "People don't like data centers. I've been polling this all over the country," Coker said. "I've seen these numbers before." Hellwege said the relatively high percentage of undecideds indicates many South Dakotans have not made up their minds on whether to support data centers. "Unlike ICE cooperation, this is clearly not a crystallized issue area for most people yet," she said. --- ### Coming Thursday Thursday's story will focus on South Dakota News Watch/Chiesman Center for Democracy poll results on voter sentiment regarding the state of democracy in America, whether legislators are addressing the state's most pressing issues and if lawmakers are being held accountable for their actions. ### Previous poll stories [Poll: Johnson, Jackley and Rounds lead in SD GOP primaryState House Speaker Jon Hansen, Aberdeen businessman Toby Doeden and Gov. Larry Rhoden are effectively tied for second in gubernatorial race.![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)South Dakota News WatchAlexander Rifaat![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/04/SDPolls.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-republican-gop-primary-governor-gubernatorial/) [Poll: Most South Dakotans approve of Trump’s firing of NoemRhoden and Rounds maintain job performance level, but Thune’s numbers dip because of majority leader role.![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)South Dakota News WatchAlexander Rifaat![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/SD-Officials-Collage.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-poll-trump-noem-rounds-thune-rhoden/) [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact politics and statehouse reporter Alexander Rifaat:* 605-736-4396/*[*alexander.rifaat@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:alexander.rifaat@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### A guide to South Dakota's 9 Native tribes URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/nine-south-dakota-native-american-tribes-reservations-guide/ Last updated: 2026-06-12T15:24:08.000Z South Dakota's land has been home to Indigenous people for hundreds of years. Around 8.5% of the state's population identifies as Native American, and the nine reservations make up 12% of all land in the state – the fourth-largest percentage in the country. This guide lays out the facts to know about the nine Native nations that call South Dakota home. #### Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe ****Governance** The Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe is [governed by](https://www.cheyenneriversioux.com/executives-council?ref=sdnewswatch.org) a chairman and a tribal council. The current chairman is Ryman LeBeau, who has served in the role since December 2022\. ****Geography** The Cheyenne River Indian Reservation is located in northwestern South Dakota, just west of the Missouri River and just south of the Standing Rock Indian Reservation. The trusted land base comprises 1.4 million acres. ****People** Tribal enrollment in the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe currently sits at [an estimated 15,993 members](https://sdtribalrelations.sd.gov/tribes/interactive-map.aspx?ref=sdnewswatch.org); 8,594 people currently reside on the reservation – around 1,000 of which live in Eagle Butte, which houses the tribe’s headquarters. Four bands make up the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe: the Mnicoujou, Siha Sapa, Itazipco and Oohenumpa. ****Economy** The tribe is among the most prominent employers on the Cheyenne River reservation. Other businessses include The Cheyenne River Buffalo Co., which has one of the largest tribally owned buffalo herds in the country, and Missouri Breaks Industries, a health research organization. #### Crow Creek Sioux Tribe ****Governance** The Crow Creek Sioux tribe is governed by a chairman and a tribal council. The current chairman is Peter Lengkeek, who has held the position since 2020\. ****Geography** The Crow Creek Indian Reservation is located in central South Dakota, north of Chamberlain, on the eastern banks of the Missouri River and neighboring the Lower Brule Indian Reservation. The Crow Creek reservation comprises 125,000 acres. ****People** Tribal enrollment in the Crow Creek Sioux Tribe currently is [an estimated 4,600 members](https://sdtribalrelations.sd.gov/tribes/interactive-map.aspx?ref=sdnewswatch.org). Around 2,000 people currently reside on the reservation, with around 1,000 of them in Ft. Thompson, the tribal headquarters. The tribe's two bands are the Mdewakanton and the Ihanktonwan. ****Economy** Prominent employers on the Crow Creek reservation include the Crow Creek Tribal School in Stephan and various agricultural enterprises. #### Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe ****Governance** The Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe is [governed by a president](https://fsst-nsn.gov/?ref=sdnewswatch.org), an executive council and a group of trustees. The current president is Anthony Reider, who has held the position since 2010. ****Geography** The Flandreau Indian Reservation is located in eastern South Dakota and is the closest reservation to Sioux Falls. It's also the smallest in the state, at 3.68 square miles. ****People** The Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe has an estimated tribal enrollment of approximately 750, with around 450 living on the reservation. The tribe primarily contains [descendants of the Mdewakantonwan](https://fsst-nsn.gov/culture/about-us?ref=sdnewswatch.org), and its tribal headquarters is located in Flandreau. ****Economy** Major employers on the reservation are the Royal River Casino and Flandreau Indian School. One of the tribe's most prominent businesses is Native Nations Cannabis, which was the first dispensary in the state. #### Lower Brule Sioux Tribe ****Governance** The Lower Brule Sioux Tribe is [governed by a chairman](https://www.lowerbrulesiouxtribe.com/copy-of-archived-tribal-councils?ref=sdnewswatch.org) and a tribal council. The current chairman is Boyd Gorneau, who was chairman from 2016-2020 and re-elected in 2024\. ****Geography** The Lower Brule Reservation is the western neighbor to the Crow Creek reservation, located on the western banks of the Missouri River. The trusted land base of the tribe is around 150,000 acres. ****People** About 1,700 people live on the reservation, and there are around 3,400 enrolled members of the tribe. The Lower Brule Sioux Tribe, or Kul Wicasa Oyate, is part of the Sicangu band of the Lakota. ****Economy** Major employers on the reservation include the Indian Health Service and Bureau of Indian Affairs as well as the tribe itself. Other businesses are the Golden Buffalo Casino and Lakota Foods, which produces popcorn. [Civics Uncovered: Tribal GovernancePodcast Episode · Dakota Dialogues · May 7 · 37m![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/favicon-180-e606254e-bf43-4020-bd5b-7638e09be0c7.png)Apple Podcasts![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/1200x1200ECA.PESS01-60-e950f76c-d8f2-4775-b890-5520454f8af5.jpg)](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/civics-uncovered-tribal-governance/id1776918012?i=1000766657179&ref=sdnewswatch.org) #### Oglala Sioux Tribe ****Governance** The Oglala Sioux, or Oglala Lakota, Tribe [is governed by a president](https://www.oglala.gov/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) and a tribal council. The current president is Frank Star Comes Out, who has served in the role since 2022. ****Geography** The Oglala Lakota Tribe is located on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in southwestern South Dakota and a small part of northwestern Nebraska. It neighbors the Rosebud Indian Reservation and is one of the largest reservations in the country, with 1.7 million acres of trusted land. ****People** With around 52,000 enrolled members and nearly 20,000 living on the reservation, the Oglala Lakota Tribe is the largest in the state. Around 3,000 people live in the town of Pine Ridge, which is the tribe's headquarters. ****Economy** Major employers are the tribe itself as well as Bureau of Indian Affairs and Indian Health Service. Others include educational institutions, like Oglala Lakota College and Red Cloud (Maȟpíya Lúta) Indian School. #### Rosebud Sioux Tribe ****Governance** The Rosebud Sioux Tribe is [governed by a president](https://www.rosebudsiouxtribe-nsn.gov/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) and a tribal council. The current president is Kathleen Wooden Knife, who has served in the role since 2024\. She is the tribe's first female president. ****Geography** The Rosebud Indian Reservation is located in south-central South Dakota, neighboring the Pine Ridge reservation. The trusted land base, which includes off-reservation trust land, is around 890,000 acres. ****People** Around 11,000 people live on the Rosebud reservation, with around 33,000 enrolled tribal members. The Rosebud Sioux Tribe members are from the Sicangu band of Lakota people and also go by the name Sicangu Lakota Oyate. ****Economy** Major employers on the reservation include the Todd County School District and the Bureau of Indian Affairs. [Other businesses include ](https://www.sicangu.co/?ref=sdnewswatch.org#block-yui%5F3%5F17%5F2%5F1%5F1653340973204%5F26379)Siċaŋġu Propane and the Rosebud Farm Co. #### Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate ****Governance** The Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate tribe is governed by a chairman and a tribal council. The [current chairman](https://swo-nsn.gov/government/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) is J. Garret Renville, who's been in the role since 2023. ****Geography** The Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate are located on the Lake Traverse Indian Reservation in northeastern South Dakota. The trusted land base comprises around 100,000 acres. ****People** There are around 12,000 enrolled members in the Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate, and around 11,000 people live on the Lake Traverse reservation. The tribal headquarters is located in Agency Village, a few miles south of the reservation's largest town, Sisseton. The two Dakota bands that make up the tribe are the Sisseton and the Wahpeton. ****Economy** Major employers on the Lake Traverse reservation are the Dakota Sioux Casino and the Bureau of Indian Affairs. The AYA Corp. is an economic development corporation owned by the tribe. #### Standing Rock Sioux Tribe ****Governance** The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe is governed by a chairman and a tribal council. The current chairman is Steve Sitting Bear, who was sworn into office in October 2025, replacing Janet Alkire, who was elected in 2021. ****Geography** The Standing Rock Reservation is located in both North and South Dakota, in the respective southwestern and northwestern corners of the states. The trusted land base comprises around 840,000 acres, and the tribal headquarters is located in Ft. Yates, North Dakota. ****People** The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe has an estimated tribal enrollment of around 16,000 people with around 8,500 people living on the reservation. [Its bands are the](https://www.standingrock.org/about/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Hunkpapa and Siha Sapa Lakota and the Ihanktonwan Dakota. ****Economy** The largest employers on the reservation are Sitting Bull College, Prairie Knights Casino and Grand River Casino. Others include the tribe itself and the multiple schools. #### Yankton Sioux Tribe ****Governance** The Yankton Sioux Tribe is [governed by a chairperson](https://www.yanktonsiouxtribe.net/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) and tribal council. The current chairwoman is Chelaine Knudsen, who was elected in Oct. 2025. ****Geography** The Yankton Indian Reservation is located in southeastern South Dakota, on the eastern bank of the Missouri River. The trusted land base of the reservation is around 37,000 acres. ****People** There are 12,000 estimated enrolled members of the Yankton Sioux Tribe, and about 7,000 people live on the reservation. Yankton Sioux tribal members are from the Ihanktonwan band of the Dakota and Nakota people. ****Economy** Major employers on the Yankton reservation include the Ft. Randall Casino and Marty Indian School as well as the Yankton Sioux Housing Authority and Ihanktonwan Community College. *Sources include each tribe's website and the South Dakota Department of Tribal Relations* ## ****Get South Dakota stories** An email summary on most weekdays that links to the full version. Cancel anytime. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email) *for statewide stories. Investigative reporter *Molly Wetsch* is a* [*Report for America*](https://www.reportforamerica.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *corps member covering rural and Indigenous issues. Contact her at* [*molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Poll: Most South Dakotans approve of Trump's firing of Noem URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-poll-trump-noem-rounds-thune-rhoden/ Last updated: 2026-04-21T09:48:26.000Z *Editor's note: If you cite the results of this poll, credit South Dakota News Watch and the Chiesman Center for Democracy, per* [*copyright law*](https://www.copyright.gov/title17/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and our* [*republishing policy*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/republishing-policy/)*.* PIERRE, S.D. – Roughly 3 in 4 South Dakotans approve of President Donald Trump's decision to sack former Gov. Kristi Noem from her role as secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, according to a new poll sponsored by South Dakota News Watch and the Chiesman Center for Democracy at the University of South Dakota. The survey of 500 registered voters across party affiliation conducted April 7-9 by Mason-Dixon Polling and Strategy, found 76% of respondents agreed with Trump's move, while 59% of South Dakotans disapproved of her performance as head of the DHS. The margin of error is plus-or-minus 4.5%. Noem, who is from the Castlewood/Watertown area, received criticism earlier this year for her handling of protests that broke out against the operations of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) during which two Minnesotans were killed. Questions were also raised over DHS contracts that were awarded to individuals connected to her and senior aide Corey Lewandowski. Brad Coker, founder of Mason-Dixon Polling and Strategy, [ranked as one of the least-biased and most-factual pollsters](https://mediabiasfactcheck.com/mason-dixon-polling-bias-and-credibility/?ref=sdnewswatch.org), also pointed out that support for Noem was dropping prior to her role at DHS, citing revelations in her 2024 memoir that she shot and killed her dog because, as she put it, it was "untrainable." "I think she was already starting to slip. Trump gave her a lifeline, and she wasn't able to hold on to the lifeline," Coker said. "Republicans have dogs too. It wasn't something that just offended the left." Julia Hellwege, director of the [Chiesman Center](https://www.usd.edu/Academics/Colleges-and-Schools/college-of-arts-sciences/Chiesman-Center-for-Democracy?ref=sdnewswatch.org) and USD associate professor in political science, was not surprised by Noem's approval numbers given, in addition to her being heavily disliked by Democrats, Republicans tend to validate decisions made by President Trump. "This is somewhat expected in the aftermath of her termination, which was praised by both liberal opponents and then of course Trump supporters who would support his decision," Hellwege told News Watch. ## Majority approve of Rhoden, Rounds job performance Republican Gov. Larry Rhoden, who succeeded Noem last year when she took the DHS post, received a 53% job approval rating in the poll, with 29% disapproving and 18% of respondents being unsure. Rhoden, who is from Union Center and is [running](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-republican-gop-primary-governor-gubernatorial/) to win his job outright, has [touted](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-legislature-budget-property-taxes/) a successful legislative session that saw many of his proposals pass the South Dakota Legislature. "Rhoden's job approval rating is still pretty good for a guy who more or less inherited the job," Coker told News Watch. Meanwhile, U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds of Pierre, who is also in a race to maintain his seat, received a 55% job approval rating in the poll, with 34% of respondents disapproving and 11% being unsure. Rounds, who served as South Dakota governor from 2003-2011, holds a commanding lead over his GOP primary challenger, Justin McNeal of Rapid City. ## Thune numbers drop Slightly less than half of respondents approved of U.S. Senate Majority Leader John Thune's job performance. Thune, who grew up in Murdo and resides in Sioux Falls, received a 49% approval rating, while 39% disapproved and 12% were unsure. When asked whether Thune, who has served as senator since 2005 and majority leader since last year, is committed to South Dakota, 48% of respondents said yes, while 42% said no and 9% were undecided. Both figures are down from the last South Dakota News Watch poll in November last year that found 54% of respondents approving Thune's job performance and commitment to South Dakota. As Thune grows in national prominence due to his status as majority leader, questions have been raised whether he would suffer a similar fate as the man he originally ousted: Democrat Tom Daschle. Daschle, from Aberdeen, rose to become Senate majority leader but along the way was also seen as putting national party politics over the interests of South Dakota. Thune ended up recording a close victory over Daschle in the 2004 U.S. Senate race. A plurality of respondents disapproved of Thune's performance as the Republican's leader in the Senate, with 47% disapproving, 38% approving and 15% not sure, the poll found. ## ****Get South Dakota news** Subscribe for a free newsletter on weekdays. Cancel any time. We won't share your address. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. Coker said Thune's lower job approval numbers could be tied to the "Daschle effect" and said that while he doesn't see the Senate majority leader having difficulty in a general election, he might have to worry about someone from within the South Dakota GOP. "He's been sucked into that Washington vortex and paying a price," Coker said. "I don't see him as someone who could be challenged in the general election, but it would be interesting to see if he gets a challenger in the primary." Thune is up for reelection in 2028\. ## Overall trends Hellwege pointed out that while the job approval ratings for Rhoden, Rounds and Thune do not vary greatly by region, there is a clear divide among young and old. While 65% of respondents aged 65 and older approve of Rhoden's performance, only 35% of those aged 18-34 approved. [Poll: Johnson, Jackley and Rounds lead in SD GOP primaryState House Speaker Jon Hansen, Aberdeen businessman Toby Doeden and Gov. Larry Rhoden are effectively tied for second in gubernatorial race.![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)South Dakota News WatchAlexander Rifaat![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/04/SDPolls.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-republican-gop-primary-governor-gubernatorial/) Similarly for Thune, 55% of those surveyed aged 65 or older approved of his performance, but only 38% of those aged 18-34 felt the same way. For Rounds, 67% of those aged 65 and older approve of his performance, while 45% of those aged 18-34 approved. In addition to age, Hellwege also highlighted that women tended to less approve of the elected officials compared to men. ****Play a bigger role in our storytelling.** Join us as a partner in telling stories that are important to all South Dakotans with a tax-deductible donation. [Donate ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/reportforamerica/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Rhoden's job approval rating was 43% among women and 65% among men. Thune's job approval rating was 58% among men and 42% among women. Rounds received approval from 61% of men and 50% of women. "This seems to signal something more about those gender and age differences in expectations and approval of elected officials overall rather than specific assessment of the individual officeholders, particularly given that the gender differences hold even for Noem," Hellwege said, pointing out that, for the former governor, her disapproval numbers were high across age and gender categories. --- ### Coming Wednesday Wednesday's story will delve into the South Dakota News Watch/Chiesman Center for Democracy poll results on voter sentiment toward a number of topical issues, including recent tax legislation, local law enforcement cooperation with ICE, data centers and the implementation of new voter ID laws. [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact politics and statehouse reporter Alexander Rifaat:* 605-736-4396/*[*alexander.rifaat@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:alexander.rifaat@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Poll: Johnson widens lead in SD GOP governor race URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-republican-gop-primary-governor-gubernatorial/ Last updated: 2026-04-22T11:14:32.000Z *Editor's note: If you cite the results of this poll, credit South Dakota News Watch and the Chiesman Center for Democracy, per* [*copyright law*](https://www.copyright.gov/title17/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and our* [*republishing policy*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/republishing-policy/)*.* PIERRE, S.D. – With seven weeks until the June 2 primary, U.S. House Rep. Dusty Johnson is close to avoiding a runoff in the race to secure the GOP nomination for governor, according to a new poll sponsored by South Dakota News Watch and the Chiesman Center for Democracy at the University of South Dakota. In the contests for U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate, state Attorney General Marty Jackley and U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds have solid leads over their challengers. The scientific survey of 500 registered Republicans, conducted April 7-11 by Mason-Dixon Polling and Strategy, found Johnson leading the four-way contest for governor with 34% of likely GOP primary voters supporting his candidacy. The other three candidates are effectively tied for second due to the margin of error being plus-or-minus 4.5%. State House Speaker Jon Hansen, of Dell Rapids, has 18% support from GOP voters, and Aberdeen businessman Toby Doeden and Gov. Larry Rhoden both have 17%. Roughly 14% of those surveyed were undecided. [South Dakota Election Voter GuideEverything South Dakota voters need to know about statewide contests in the primary and general elections.![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)South Dakota News WatchAlexander Rifaat![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/size/w1200/2025/11/2024-6-4-Election-signs-1.JPG)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-voter-guide-primary-general-election/) If no candidate receives at least 35% of the vote on the June 2 ballot, a runoff between the top two finishers will take place July 28\. The winner of the contest will meet Democrat Dan Ahlers in the Nov. 3 general election. ## Rhoden's support drops; Hansen surges While Johnson, who grew up in Pierre and lives in Mitchell, saw a 6-point increase from the [News Watch/Chiesman poll conducted last October](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/sd-poll-gop-gubernatorial-governor-rhoden-johnson-doeden-hanson/), Rhoden's support fell 10 points. Julia Hellwege, director of the [Chiesman Center](https://www.usd.edu/Academics/Colleges-and-Schools/college-of-arts-sciences/Chiesman-Center-for-Democracy?ref=sdnewswatch.org) and USD associate professor in political science, said Rhoden's association with his predecessor, former Gov. Kristi Noem, could be behind the drop in poll numbers. "He has aligned himself closely with Noem. They worked closely together, and he continues to champion her and stand by her," she said. "There's a potential that has been a side effect." Rhoden served as lieutenant governor under Noem and became governor in January 2025 when President Donald Trump made her secretary of the Department of Homeland Security. He fired her last month after severe criticism. Hellwege pointed out the poll found that Johnson even leads in West River, a stronghold for Rhoden, who is from Union Center east of Sturgis. ## ****Get South Dakota news** Subscribe for a free email newsletter on weekdays. Cancel any time. We won't share it. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. She said one candidate more than any other has been the main beneficiary of the declining support for the sitting governor. "Anyone shifting from Rhoden is more likely to shift towards Hansen," Hellwege said, noting that Hansen is a state lawmaker, like Rhoden was, who plays up his conservative Christian credentials. Hellwege said in comparing the new poll results with those from last year, a certain pattern can be seen. That includes the surge in support for Hansen and Johnson, a decline in support for Rhoden, a stable level of support for Doeden and a lower number of undecided voters. "My interpretation is many Rhoden voters in the last poll shifted to Hansen voters and the undecideds went to Johnson," Hellwege said. ## SD governor: Johnson in driver's seat Hellwege highlighted the extent to which the math favors Johnson. "Even if all the undecided voters go to one of those second-place candidates, plus if you factor in the margin of error, they still would barely reach where Johnson is sitting right now," Hellwege said. Brad Coker, founder of Mason-Dixon Polling and Strategy, [ranked as one of the least-biased and most-factual pollsters](https://mediabiasfactcheck.com/mason-dixon-polling-bias-and-credibility/?ref=sdnewswatch.org), also believes Johnson is in a comfortable position. "Johnson is moving into the clear front-runner status," he said. "People know him. People like him, and that's probably why he's ahead right now. Whether he can hold on to that will depend on what the other campaigns – particularly Hansen's – are able to do in the coming weeks," Coker told News Watch, pointing to the poll results that found Johnson has a 47% favorability rating, the highest of any of the candidates. South Dakota News Watch invests in scientific polls to let elected leaders know how constituents think they're doing and also survey people's opinions on important issues. But a good poll isn't cheap, so if you value these stories, please consider helping cover the cost. Thank you! [Donate and make these polls possible ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?%5Fgl=1%2Ab9m3w3%2A%5Fga%2AMTEzMjQ0NDQ5NC4xNzQxNjg3OTU5%2A%5Fga%5FH98KVPR32J%2AMTc0NjIxNzgwNy43MC4xLjE3NDYyMTc4MDcuMC4wLjA.&ref=sdnewswatch.org) Coker said Hansen has the best chance to challenge Johnson not only because his candidacy has seen the biggest increase in support but also due to not many people knowing him – yet. "Hansen's name recognition is only 73%. He's still got 27% of the voters who don't know who he is, which I think gives him a much higher ceiling than Doeden and Rhoden," Coker said. "That tells me Hansen is getting some traction." On the flip side, Doeden's 35% unfavorable rating and high name recognition indicate his support has mostly peaked, Coker said. "He has a higher negative rating than positive rating, which tells me he's got a core group behind him, but his growth potential is far more limited, especially since he has 89% name recognition," Coker said. The poll was conducted after the four candidates met in the [March 31 KELO-TV debate](https://www.keloland.com/video/keloland-news-republican-gubernatorial-debate/11658448/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) but before the [April 13 SDPB and South Dakota News Watch forum](https://www.sdpb.org/politics/2026-04-13/2026-republican-gubernatorial-candidate-debate?ref=sdnewswatch.org). ## US House: Jackley has comfortable lead Since Johnson ran for governor, that opened up South Dakota's only seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. In that contest, Jackley – who is from Sturgis and previously served as U.S. attorney for the District of South Dakota – has a comfortable lead toward securing the GOP nomination. According to the poll, he has 68% support from South Dakota Republican voters surveyed, well ahead of challenger James Bialota Jr., who has 12%, with 20% of respondents undecided. "This primary is definitely in Jackley's favor, even if all the undecideds move to Bialota," Hellwege said. The winner will face Democrat Nicole "Nikki" Gronli in the November general election. ## US Senate: Incumbent Rounds ahead by large margin Rounds – who's from Pierre and was South Dakota's governor from 2003 to 2011 – also enjoys a sizable lead over his challenger. He received 66% support from GOP voters surveyed, compared to 18% for challenger Justin McNeal, with 16% of respondents undecided. "The fact that McNeal, who is vastly outspent by Rounds, is able to get up to 18% is commendable. But at the same time, I don't think there's any expectation that Rounds will not be able to hold on to that seat," Hellwege said. The winner will take on Democrat Julian Beaudion in November. Brian Bengs is also running for Senate as an Independent. ## Favorability poll results for all governor, House and Senate candidates The News Watch/Chiesman poll also asked Republicans their opinions of the candidates. To see results for each person, click the arrow below and the tab for each section: overall, by gender, age and region where they're from. --- ### Coming Tuesday Tuesday's story will focus on South Dakota News Watch/Chiesman Center for Democracy poll results on the job performance rating South Dakotans give Gov. Larry Rhoden, Sen. John Thune and other elected officials. The story also includes voter thoughts on Noem's time as DHS secretary and President Trump's decision to fire her. [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact politics and statehouse reporter Alexander Rifaat:* 605-736-4396/*[*alexander.rifaat@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:alexander.rifaat@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### National and state election law experts to lead free training URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/national-south-dakota-election-training-david-becker/ Last updated: 2026-04-17T11:16:52.000Z National and South Dakota election law experts will lead a free, virtual training session on May 8 for journalists, students and state residents interested in or concerned about election integrity as well as newsgathering at polls. The session is sponsored by SDPB, South Dakota News Watch and the South Dakota Bar Foundation. It will be held at noon-1 p.m. CT Friday, May 8, [on Zoom](https://state-sd.zoom.us/j/96726099277?pwd=ku5w5VZ7ITHPjD5Co67YJKkj14y0Bq.1&ref=sdnewswatch.org) and then archived on [SDPB's YouTube channel](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCvVBOK6lIHubLbsZhA1hxhPHxrefBuGF&ref=sdnewswatch.org). ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/04/David-Becker-CEIR-headshot-1-1-1.JPG) David Becker [David Becker](https://electioninnovation.org/team/david-becker/?ref=sdnewswatch.org), founder and executive director of the nonpartisan nonprofit Center for Election Innovation and Research, will discuss South Dakota election laws and the many safeguards ensuring the state's election security. He will be joined by David Bordewyk, executive director of the [South Dakota NewsMedia Association](https://www.sdna.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org), and [Justin G. Smith](https://www.woodsfuller.com/attorneys/justin-smith?ref=sdnewswatch.org), a Sioux Falls lawyer and legislative lobbyist. They will specifically address a new law, signed by South Dakota Gov. Larry Rhoden last month, requiring state residents to provide documentary proof of citizenship when registering to vote. The bill appears modeled after the SAVE Act, a sweeping elections bill championed by President Trump that has stalled in the Senate. [South Dakota Election Voter GuideEverything South Dakota voters need to know about statewide contests in the primary and general elections.![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)South Dakota News WatchAlexander Rifaat![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/size/w1200/2025/11/2024-6-4-Election-signs-1.JPG)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-voter-guide-primary-general-election/) Becker will detail election officials' extensive efforts to prevent election fraud, which remains extremely rare. A [recent CEIR report](https://electioninnovation.org/research/noncitizen-analysis-update/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) found that noncitizen registration and voting do not pose a significant threat to U.S. election systems. "We have a very good sense of the depth of the problem here. It is extremely rare that noncitizens get registered, and it is infinitesimally rare that they vote," Becker said. "Our country's elections are as secure, reliable and verifiable as they have ever been in American history, and much of that is thanks to the dedicated and hardworking officials who oversee our elections in the face of intense scrutiny." [![CTA Image](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/04/SDNW-Logo-Vertical.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) ****Sign up for our free, daily newsletter**, delivered to your inbox. [Subscribe ](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) Becker and Major Garrett, a CBS News correspondent who previously covered the White House for Fox News, co-authored a book about the 2020 election titled “The Big Truth.” The hourlong session will also cover the South Dakota law that gives journalists guidance on where they can legally shoot photos and videos at polling places. Bordewyk said being informed about election integrity and the laws that guide elections is important. "No. 1, elections are essential to democracy. Journalists are there on the front lines to cover democracy in action – elections. And understanding the laws around elections and how they're conducted is essential for a journalist doing their job correctly," he said. [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact:** [*info@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:info@sdnewswatch.org). ### Fact brief: Is Mount Rushmore National Memorial currently in extreme drought? URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/fact-brief-mount-rushmore-black-hills-fireworks-drought/ Last updated: 2026-04-19T01:04:46.000Z ## Yes. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/WhiteFACT-BRIEF--500-x-200-px--2-1-1.png) Three months before a planned fireworks celebration commemorating the nation’s 250th anniversary, Mount Rushmore is under an extreme drought designation. The national memorial is at a level 5 of 6 tiers ranging from a drought condition of “normal” to “exceptional,” as of an April 7 report. The Black Hills region has already had severe fires and is currently in a "high" fire danger risk (4 out of 6). [South Dakota News Watch Quiz - Gigafact![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/cropped-favicon-270x270-1.png)Gigafact![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/quiz-og-image-1.png)](https://gigafact.org/quiz/south-dakota-news-watch/fact-brief-quiz-8765/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) The state of South Dakota says 102,991 tickets were requested for the celebration on July 3\. About 4,800 will be able to attend, and applicants were notified April 14 if they were successful. After the event was discontinued during President Obama’s administration in 2009 because of wildfire and other enviornmental concerns, President Trump’s first administration brought it back in 2020\. The celebration will feature "lighting elements" if "environmental conditions require an alternative to fireworks," according to Travel South Dakota. *This fact brief responds to conversations such as*[](https://www.reddit.com/r/nationalparks/comments/1rss8e2/be%5Fprepared%5Ffor%5Ffire%5Fif%5Fyou%5Fvisit%5Fmt%5Frushmore/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)[*this one.*](https://www.reddit.com/r/SouthDakota/comments/1slmjur/mount%5Frushmore%5Ffireworks%5Ftickets/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) ## Sources U.S. Drought Monitor, [Pennington County (April 7, 2026)](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1FgpoQ9zs8qg-NySXdqhXWtLf91O%5FNlHz/view?usp=drive%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) State of South Dakota News, [Mount Rushmore fireworks celebration draws strong public interest for America's 250th](https://www.travelsouthdakota.com/trip-ideas/black-elk-peak?ref=sdnewswatch.org) NPR, [President Trump Brings Big Fireworks Displays Back To Mount Rushmore](https://www.npr.org/2020/07/03/887128841/president-trump-brings-big-fireworks-displays-back-to-mt-rushmore?ref=sdnewswatch.org#:~:text=Yes%2C%20fireworks%20were%20banned%20from%20Mount%20Rushmore,called%20perchlorate%20found%20in%20drinking%20water%20wells%2A%2A) KOTA-TV, [Pennington County launches wildfire preparedness campaign after recent Black Hills fires](https://www.kotatv.com/2026/03/27/pennington-county-launches-wildfire-preparedness-campaign-after-recent-black-hills-fires/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) --- [South Dakota News Watch](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/) partners with [Gigafact](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) to publish fact briefs that refute or confirm a claim with supporting information and additional evidence and context. Send questions or feedback to [news@sdnewswatch.org](mailto:news@sdnewswatch.org). Submit a question for us to answer [on the tipline](https://gigafact.org/tipline/south-dakota-news-watch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). [![CTA Image](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/04/SDNW-Logo-Vertical.jpg)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) This newsletter and all our stories are free because we believe that ****essential, fact-based information should be available to everyone**, not just those who can pay for it. If you can afford it, ****please consider joining others and becoming a supporter**. Thank you. [Donate ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact freelance reporter Michael Klinski:* michael.klinski@sdnewswatch.org.* ### GOP governor debate: Key takeaways and voter reaction URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/sd-gop-sdpb-news-watch-governor-debate-primary-election/ Last updated: 2026-04-15T14:19:25.000Z SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – The four candidates vying for the Republican nomination for South Dakota governor met for a second time Monday in a relatively well-tempered debate in Sioux Falls. The debate, co-moderated by South Dakota Public Broadcasting and South Dakota News Watch, saw little in terms of major clashes, with the candidates instead mostly focusing on staking out their policy positions and seeking to differentiate themselves in a crowded field. [Key moments from the first GOP gubernatorial debateNews Watch takes a look at the top takeaways from the first GOP gubernatorial debate.![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)South Dakota News WatchAlexander Rifaat![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/2026-3-31-KELO-governor-debate.png)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/kelo-gop-governor-primary-election-debate/) Gov. Larry Rhoden, who replaced former Gov. Kristi Noem in January 2025 after her appointment as secretary for Homeland Security, argued recent [legislative accomplishments](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-legislature-budget-property-taxes/) showed he should be given his own mandate to keep his job while U.S. House Rep. Dusty Johnson, state House Speaker Jon Hansen and Aberdeen businessman Toby Doeden offered their own visions for running the Mount Rushmore state. If no candidate receives at least 35% of the vote on the June 2 ballot, a runoff between the top two finishers will take place July 28\. The winner of the contest will meet Democrat Dan Ahlers in the Nov. 3 general election. ## Key takeaways Here are some key takeaways from the debate: - Johnson announced a plan to appoint a state surgeon general that would, among other things, assist in the managing of the state's **Medicaid** program in an effort to combat rising maternal and infant mortality rates. "We don't do a very good job of managing the Medicaid program today," he said. "We're going to get our arms around this." - Hansen pledged to break up the South Dakota **Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources**. "I believe the South Dakota Department of Agriculture deserves its own department away from the people in the Department of Natural Resources," Hansen said. The two departments merged as a result of an executive order Noem issued in 2021\. - Doeden reiterated his plan to phase out **property taxes** completely, saying he will fill the budget hole by implementing policies that boost economic development, bringing in "external revenue sources" and cutting discretionary spending. He didn't specify the sources of revenue. "We don't need new taxes, we don't need higher taxes, we need more tax revenue," Doeden said. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/04/236A2621.JPG) South Dakota Gov. Larry Rhoden and First Lady Sandy Rhoden speak with attendees ahead of GOP gubernatorial debate on Monday, April 13, 2026, at the SDPB studios in Sioux Falls, S.D. (Photo: Jon Beringer / for South Dakota News Watch) - Similar to the [first debate](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/kelo-gop-governor-primary-election-debate/), Johnson and Rhoden clashed over the recently enacted **property tax bills**, which Johnson said has led to the largest sales tax increase in state history. Rhoden pointed out that one of the bills, which takes the planned 0.3% increase in the state sales tax next year to create a property tax relief fund for homeowners, was similar to Johnson's own proposal. "This rhetoric about sales tax. That's baloney," Rhoden said. "Congressman Johnson was going to use the exact same dollars for his property tax plan." - On education, Hansen reiterated his support for creating publicly funded **education grants** for students regardless if they go to public school, private school or are home schooled. "I want to put parents in the driver's seat. I think parents know best," Hansen said. - Each candidate sought to solidify their **anti-abortion** credentials when asked about their thoughts on whether the pro-life movement had achieved its objectives in South Dakota. Hansen cited his efforts in defeating Amendment G, a 2024 proposal to establish the right to an abortion in South Dakota. Rhoden touted recent legislation that makes it a felony to advertise, distribute or sell abortion pills. Doeden said raising living standards would help deter abortions, while Johnson said greater investments in K-12 education would also be a deterrent. ## Hansen beats expectations Two political observers who talked to News Watch said that while the candidates appeared to only have minor policy differences, one candidate did outperform the rest on the night. "In terms of a winner, in a political debate it is usually the candidate that exceeds expectations," said Emily Wanless of Augustana University in Sioux Falls. "Rep. Jon Hansen met and exceeded my expectations." ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/04/236A2680.JPG) South Dakota House Speaker Jon Hansen prepares for a debate on Monday, April 13, 2026, at the SDPB studios in downtown Sioux Falls, S.D. (Photo: Photo: Jon Beringer / for South Dakota News Watch) Hansen exuded a stronger leadership presence, while Rhoden appeared the weakest of the candidates on the debate stage, said Wanless, an associate professor of government and international affairs. "A lot of his answers lacked specific substance," Wanless said of Rhoden. "As someone trying to distinguish themselves as an incumbent governor, Rhoden is really struggling to separate himself from former Gov. Noem." [![CTA Image](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/04/SDNW-Logo-Vertical.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) ****Sign up for our free, daily newsletter**, delivered to your inbox. [Subscribe ](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) Robert Burns of South Dakota State University echoed Wanless' sentiments that Hansen came out the biggest beneficiary of the debate while Rhoden struggled. "If you just paid attention to the optics of the debate, I really think Jon Hansen stood out," Burns said. "On the other end, I think Gov. Rhoden stumbled more." The debate made it clear which wing of the Republican party each candidate represents, with Rhoden leaning on his role as the incumbent, Doeden cementing his status as the outsider, Hansen leading the Christian conservative faction and Johnson solidifying his position as the moderate voice, said Burns, distinguished professor emeritus of political science. ## Impact of 'insider vs. outsider' dynamic Wanless said Johnson might need to tread carefully as he takes positions that appeal to a large swathe of the electorate but might not be to the core of GOP voters he needs to make it past the primary. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/04/236A2664-1.JPG) South Dakota U.S. House Rep. Dusty Johnson prepares for the GOP gubernatorial debate on April 13, 2026, at the SDPB studious in Sioux Falls, S.D. (Photo: Photo: Jon Beringer / for South Dakota News Watch) "We have to remember who the target audience is for this debate: the Republican primary voter," she said. "It will be interesting to see how the property tax discussion goes because I think for Rep. Johnson to claim this affects more South Dakotans when you raise the sales tax, you're speaking to a demographic of voters that aren't going to be able to participate in the Republican primary." South Dakota's Republican Party operates a closed primary system, meaning only registered party members can vote in the June 2 primary. [![CTA Image](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/04/SDNW-Logo-Vertical.jpg)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) ****Partner with South Dakota News Watch** and support fact-based news and information. [Donate ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) While she believes Hansen stood out in the debate, Wanless noted the emerging "insider vs. outsider" dynamic taking place in the gubernatorial race could potentially favor Johnson and Rhoden. "I think Doeden is a true outsider. He doesn't have that political experience to date, but Rep. Johnson is also an outsider because he's outside of state politics so he gets to play the outsider card but still have that name recognition," Wanless said. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/04/236A2739-1.JPG) Businessman Toby Doeden prepares for the South Dakota GOP gubernatorial debate on Monday, April 13, 2026, at the SDPB studious in Sioux Falls, S.D. (Photo: Photo: Jon Beringer / South Dakota News Watch) "On the insider front, I think Hansen is ultimately going to struggle because both he and Rhoden are seen as the insider candidates and the status quo in South Dakota politics, but Rhoden has the name recognition that Hansen does not." ## Voter voices South Dakota News Watch also spoke to a couple of Republicans to get their thoughts on the debate. ### DeVries: Pro-life stances encouraging, with more work to be done Heather DeVries is 42 years old, from Madison and describes herself as "active in both local and state politics." She said that she was encouraged, and in some cases, pleasantly surprised by candidates' responses to whether continuing pro-life legislation would be a priority. DeVries said she hopes that the candidates can commit to specific plans that the entire party can agree on, without "infighting." ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/04/IMG_5535-2-1-1-1.JPG) Heather DeVries, a Republican voter from Madison, S.D. (Photo: Heather DeVries) DeVries also said she hopes that the candidates consider working with non-governmental entities to support programming for maternal and infant health across the state. She called the debate "heated yet informative" and said that "while many claim to be pro-life on abortion, significant work still remains." "It takes a village to heal society, and that healing cannot begin until every life is cherished and protected under the law," DeVries said. "I hope the future governor will take all of that into consideration." ### Schomp: Some voters feel 'left behind' by candidates Judd Schomp is a 49-year-old rancher from Martin. He is the chair of the Bennett County GOP and has served on the Bennett County Commission. Schomp told News Watch that he is concerned about whether the candidates are truly listening to voters’ concerns about divides within the party, which are worse than ever. In rural Bennett County and other areas across the state, some of the values they hold are starkly different to those of the candidates, and that they often feel “left behind” by the Republican Party, he said. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/04/juddschomp.jpg) Judd Schomp, chair of the Bennett County GOP. (Photo: Judd Schomp) Schomp said that he was not satisfied with any of the candidates’ responses to a question about how they will unify the Republican Party. He said he had issues with the candidates’ focus on attempting to create unity in the state Legislature and federal government rather than with South Dakotan voters. “Us voters remain small, divided and unheard,” Schomp said. “What I did not hear (during the debate) was, ‘South Dakota is the greatest state in the nation, and we’ve achieved that status because of the people here in South Dakota.’” [2026 Republican Gubernatorial Candidate DebateSDPB News presents the 2026 South Dakota Republican Gubernatorial Candidate Debate.![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)SDPB South Dakota Public BroadcastingSDPB Staff and SDPB News Staff![](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/01bcf49/2147483647/strip/true/crop/480x252+0+54/resize/1200x630!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2FhVCnumpnfj8%2Fhqdefault.jpg)](https://www.sdpb.org/politics/2026-04-13/2026-republican-gubernatorial-candidate-debate?ref=sdnewswatch.org) [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact politics and statehouse reporter Alexander Rifaat:* 605-736-4396/*[*alexander.rifaat@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:alexander.rifaat@sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact reporter/**[***Report for America***](https://www.reportforamerica.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) **corps member Molly Wetsch:* 605-531-7382/*[*molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Fact brief: Is Black Elk Peak the highest point between the Rockies and the Alps? URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/fact-brief-black-elk-peak-rocky-mountains-alps/ Last updated: 2026-04-14T10:05:18.000Z ## No. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/WhiteFACT-BRIEF--500-x-200-px--2-1-1.png) Black Elk Peak in the Black Hills is not the highest point between the Rocky Mountains and the Alps in Europe. Black Elk Peak, which was officially named Harney Peak until 2016, is 7,231 feet above sea level. It is the highest point east of the Rockies in the United States. [South Dakota News Watch Quiz - Gigafact![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/cropped-favicon-270x270-1.png)Gigafact![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/quiz-og-image-1.png)](https://gigafact.org/quiz/south-dakota-news-watch/fact-brief-quiz-8765/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) But several mountains taller than Black Elk Peak lie between North America and Europe in the Northern Hemisphere. Greenland has multiple peaks higher than Black Elk Peak, including Gunnbjørn Fjeld at 12,119 feet. Mount Teide in Spain’s Canary Islands rises to 12,198 feet. Versions of the claim appear in various descriptions of the summit. U.S. Forest Service materials describing the historic fire lookout once referred to the peak as the highest point between the Rocky Mountains and the Pyrenees, and some travel guides have repeated similar wording using the Alps. *This fact brief responds to conversations such as*[](https://www.reddit.com/r/nationalparks/comments/1rss8e2/be%5Fprepared%5Ffor%5Ffire%5Fif%5Fyou%5Fvisit%5Fmt%5Frushmore/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)[*this one.*](https://www.reddit.com/r/hiking/comments/13kd021/black%5Felk%5Fpeak%5Fblack%5Fhills%5Fusa%5Fhighest%5Fpoint%5Feast/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) ## Sources SDPB, [New Survey, New Elevation for Black Elk Peak](https://www.sdpb.org/rural-life-and-history/new-survey-new-elevation-for-black-elk-peak?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Black Hills Visitor, [From Harney to Black Elk Peak: Evolution of a Name](https://blackhillsvisitor.com/see-and-do/attractions/from-harney-to-black-elk-peak-evolution-of-a-name/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) ThoughCo, [History and geography of Greenland](https://www.thoughtco.com/geography-of-greenland-1434964?ref=sdnewswatch.org) UNESCO, [Teide National Park](https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1258/?ref=sdnewswatch.org#:~:text=Situated%20on%20the%20island%20of,the%20evolution%20of%20oceanic%20islands.) Travel South Dakota, [Black Elk Peak](https://www.travelsouthdakota.com/trip-ideas/black-elk-peak?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Forest Service, [Harney (Black Elk Peak) fire lookout](https://www.fs.usda.gov/r02/blackhills/recreation/harney-fire-lookout?ref=sdnewswatch.org) The Adventure Collective, [Summiting Black Elk Peak: Conquer the Highest Point Between the Rockies and the Alps](https://app.advcollective.com/travel-guides/Custer/summiting-black-elk-peak-highest-point-between-rockies-and-alps?ref=sdnewswatch.org) --- [South Dakota News Watch](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/) partners with [Gigafact](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) to publish fact briefs that refute or confirm a claim with supporting information and additional evidence and context. Send questions or feedback to [news@sdnewswatch.org](mailto:news@sdnewswatch.org). Submit a question for us to answer [on the tipline](https://gigafact.org/tipline/south-dakota-news-watch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). [![CTA Image](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/04/SDNW-Logo-Vertical.jpg)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) This newsletter and all our stories are free because we believe that ****essential, fact-based information should be available to everyone**, not just those who can pay for it. If you can afford it, ****please consider joining others and becoming a supporter**. Thank you. [Donate ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact freelance reporter Michael Klinski:* michael.klinski@sdnewswatch.org.* ### USDA cuts programs to aid new and Native American farmers URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/usda-federal-cuts-sd-native-american-farmers/ Last updated: 2026-04-13T09:50:16.000Z LOWER BRULE, S.D. – In his dual roles as a cattle rancher and chairman of the Lower Brule Sioux Tribe, Boyd Gourneau was hopeful that a new federal program would help fulfill the dreams of tribal members who wanted to gain the knowledge and land needed to start farming. A secondary goal for Gourneau was that the roughly $2 million available under the U.S. Department of Agriculture initiative would enable new producers to generate enough vegetables or meat to make a living and provide locally grown foods for the school system on the Lower Brule Indian Reservation, an enclave of 1,700 Native Americans located on the west bank of the Missouri River in central South Dakota. “We were pursuing this to handle it tribally and create a revolving fund to aid in land purchases,” Gourneau said. “I don’t think new farmers here can make it on their own unless they hit the lottery or something.” ![Lower Brule Sioux Tribe chairman Boyd Gourneau](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/04/2026-4-10-Lower-Brule-chairman-portrait-1.jpeg) Lower Brule Sioux Tribe chairman Boyd Gourneau, shown on his ranch in Lower Brule, S.D., on April 10, 2026, was hoping a USDA grant program would spur more farming and ranching opportunities for tribal members. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) But Gourneau’s vision — and the hopes of many other prospective farmers — were dashed in late March when the USDA announced it was terminating the Increasing Land, Capital and Market Access program that would have provided $300 million to 49 local nonprofits and agricultural groups across the country to help new and minority farmers break into the field. The program was launched by the Biden administration in 2022 as part of the Inflation Reduction Act and aimed to provide funding, technical assistance and market knowledge to new farmers, including those who have historically faced barriers to lending and land, namely Black farmers in the South and Indigenous farmers in the North and West. In federal documents and in an email to News Watch, USDA officials said the program was rife with misspending, had not achieved its goals and did not fit into the Trump administration’s efforts to eliminate programs developed around diversity, equity and inclusion. [![CTA Image](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/04/SDNW-Logo-Vertical.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) ****Sign up for our free, daily newsletter**, delivered to your inbox. [Subscribe ](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) Regardless of the reasons, Gourneau said cutting the land access program will set back the efforts of Native farmers and ranchers to overcome barriers to becoming productive and self-sufficient. “It’s tough enough for the folks off the reservation to get into the business right now, and it’s much harder for tribal members,” said Gourneau, who runs a 200-head cow-calf operation in partnership with his brother. “They’ve got so many roadblocks in front of them, and now they’re losing their chance at the livelihood they were pursuing.” ## Program offered help to young farmers Gourneau said prospective new farmers – Natives and non-Natives – are finding it difficult to get capital to buy or rent land, an expense that has risen dramatically in recent years in South Dakota and across the country. Other than those from multi-generational farm families with established equity and land, it is hard for anyone to enter the agricultural field at this time, he said. Learning the ropes of profitable farming amid an increasingly complex lending and market system is also a challenge, Gourneau said. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/04/Screenshot-2026-04-12-at-10.10.19---PM.png) In addition to the Lower Brule program, two other cancelled programs affected South Dakotans, including through the Four Bands Community Fund in Eagle Butte and the Piikanii Lodge Health Institute in Browning, Montana. The program was the only federal effort aimed specifically at providing financial and technical assistance to young and minority farmers in America, said Amanda Koehler, who runs the Land, Capital and Market Access Network, an independent group created to help farmers get access to federal funding. “It was designed to address the compounding barriers that young and other first-generation producers face,” Koehler told News Watch in an interview. “It’s the only program that has been designed that way and has been the most meaningful and effective program at addressing those barriers.” ![Two horses frolicked in a field on a ranch on the Lower Brule Indian Reservation](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/04/2026-4-10-Horses-on-Lower-Brule-1.jpeg) Two horses frolicked in a field on a ranch on the Lower Brule Indian Reservation in Lower Brule, S.D., on April 10, 2026\. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) With its focus largely on existing community-level programs that support market entry among young Black and Native American farmers, the program furthered efforts by the federal government to reduce financial barriers and long-standing discrimination against minority farmers in America, Koehler said. The USDA settled the case Pigford v. Glickman in 1999 with a $2 billion payment to Black and other minority farmers who had been discriminated against in federal loan programs for decades. The settlement was increased by $1.25 billion in 2010 and Congress approved $2 billion in further settlement funding in 2023. Prior to elimination, the Trump administration took steps to make it increasingly difficult for the land access program to be effective, Koehler said. The USDA froze funding in 2025 and provided no guidance to local Farm Service Agency officials on how to advise or assist recipients. [Farm revenues fall as Iran war and market concerns riseFinancial stress builds for corn and soybean farmers, including for one East River grower who almost lost $10,000 on a sale after a big price drop prompted by a presidential post.![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)South Dakota News WatchBart Pfankuch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/2026-3-20-Corn-bin-view-inside-1-1.jpeg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/sd-farm-revenues-iran-war-markets-tariffs-agriculture/) “It’s frustrating that they actively blocked awardees from obtaining grants and then cited the absence of grant awards as a reason for terminating the program,” she said. Cutting the program could have long-range negative impacts on the ability of farmers to enter the field to replace the large number of producers who will retire or die in the coming years, she said. “The barriers are so high that many people are begging to farm, but they don’t have the capital to purchase land, the credit to obtain land or the assets to leverage land lending,” Koehler said. “Terminating it right now, with expensive inputs for farming, a gutted USDA workforce and a fragile farm economy without a single alternative plan in place is a big mistake.” ## USDA: Program was wasteful and discriminatory In an email to News Watch, a USDA spokesperson called the program an "egregious misuse of taxpayer dollars" and pointed out expenditures the agency said were unrelated to increasing access to farmland. The email noted that line-item expenditures submitted under the program included $20,000 for a barbecue smoker, $20,000 for massages for farmers, $27,000 for drones, $112,000 for refreshments and $130,000 for office supplies, including $20,000 for pens. > “The barriers are so high that many people are begging to farm, but they don’t have the capital to purchase land, the credit to obtain land or the assets to leverage land lending." – Amanda Koehler, who runs the Land, Capital and Market Access Network USDA did not respond to a follow-up email from News Watch seeking formal documentation of those expenditures. The other reason for cancelling the program was that it "involved discriminatory preferences based on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion," according to a grant termination letter obtained by News Watch. Through its Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and other review mechanisms, the Trump administration has sought to eliminate funding for grants, higher education and other programs that give preferences based on recipient race, gender, sexual preference or ethnicity. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/04/2026-4-10-Lower-Brule-chairman-ranch-skull-1.jpeg) This display of artifacts, shown on April 10, 2026, greets visitors to the ranch of Lower Brule Sioux Tribe chairman Boyd Gourneau in Lower Brule, S.D. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) The USDA is reviewing existing grants "to ensure they reflect the Department's priorities of unity, equality, meritocracy, and color-blindness," the termination letter stated. The letter went on to note that most of the grant awards "did little to improve land access ... with high overhead cost and excessive spending on outreach and technical assistance." ## Great need for young farmers in South Dakota Anything that helps or encourages new or young farmers to enter the agriculture industry is a good thing for South Dakota, said Heather Gessner, a field specialist with the South Dakota State University Extension Ness School of Management and Economics in Brookings. “In the big picture, we’ve got to get the next generation of individuals on farms to maintain schools and churches and small town Main Streets that make rural communities work in South Dakota,” Gessner said. “We try to look at what tools we can provide to help them.” Gessner studies farm economics and provides estate planning for farm families in order to keep generational farms thriving. She also provides technical guidance for farmers or potential farmers to navigate the complicated world of modern agriculture. [What Smithfield’s move could mean for environment, economySmithfield Foods’s move raises questions for both Sioux Falls and South Dakota residents, especially for those familiar with the company’s long history and deep impact in the area.![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)South Dakota News WatchMolly Wetsch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/size/w1200/2026/02/IMG_5560.jpeg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/smithfield-foods-relocation-impacts-environment-economy-sioux-falls/) Prospective farmers face a major learning curve to be successful, requiring skills to obtain and manage capital, get access to land and grow crops or properly care for livestock, Gessner said. “The education and information sharing is a worthwhile step for those who don’t have a history in farming,” she said. ## Dems in Congress urge program reinstatement On April 2, 18 Democratic members of Congress sent a letter opposing the program cut to USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins. The representatives argued that canceling the program was illegal because it was mandated as part of the Inflation Reduction Act passed by Congress and signed into law by former President Joe Biden in 2022. "It reverses urgently needed progress toward addressing long-standing barriers that prevent farmers – especially beginning and underserved producers – from accessing and retaining farmland," wrote the Congress members, who urged the secretary to reinstate the program funding. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/04/2026-4-10-Lower-Brule-chairman-gesturing-1.jpeg) Lower Brule Sioux Tribe chairman Boyd Gourneau, shown on his ranch in Lower Brule, S.D., on April 10, 2026, recently met with representatives of U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds of South Dakota and asked them to push for reinstatement of the USDA land access program. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) The letter states that USDA data shows that agricultural land cost an average of $4,350 an acre in 2025, 1 in 3 American farmers are at or over retirement age and that only 8% are under the age of 35. The letter notes that significant time, energy and cost have already been expended to get grants and other support into the hands of farmers and potential farmers who need it. "The abrupt cancellation of these funds wastes time and resources, undermines trust in (the) USDA grant making processes and ultimately leaves American farmers without the support they urgently need," the letter states. "It also sends a deeply damaging message to farmers, nonprofits and community partners that USDA cannot be relied upon to honor its commitments." [![CTA Image](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/04/SDNW-Logo-Vertical.jpg)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) ****Partner with South Dakota News Watch** and support fact-based news and information. [Donate ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact* *content director Bart Pfankuch:** 605-937-9398*/*[*bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org). ### Primary season enters next phase in South Dakota URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/2026-south-dakota-primary-rhoden-johnson-doeden-hansen-election/ Last updated: 2026-04-10T15:03:04.000Z PIERRE, S.D. – The field is set for the 2026 South Dakota Primary Election on June 2 for state legislative races as well as governor, U.S. House and U.S. Senate. Since Democrats had only one nominee qualify for each of the three statewide primary contests, those candidates are automatically that party's nominee for the Nov. 3 general election and will not appear on the June ballot. ****What questions do you have for the GOP governor candidates?** The next Republican governor's debate is Monday, April 13\. It will be streamed and air live on SDPB at 8 p.m. CT and will be co-moderated by South Dakota News Watch. Send questions you have for the candidates to [alexander.rifaat@sdnewswatch.org](mailto:alexander.rifaat@sdnewswatch.org) or text 605-736-4396\. While the deadline for candidates to submit the required signatures was March 31, it typically takes state election workers several days to verify their veracity. Challenges to a candidate's signatures must be filed by 5 p.m. today, Friday, April 10\. Here is a rundown of the June 2 primary election races. ### Statewide, legislative, local offices **Governor:** Aberdeen businessman Toby Doeden, state House Speaker Jon Hansen, U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson and Gov. Larry Rhoden all qualified for the GOP primary contest after collecting the required 2,171 signatures. Now each candidate will hope they get 35% of the vote and avoid a runoff election eight weeks later. The winner of the contest will meet Democrat Dan Ahlers in the general election. **U.S. House of Representatives:** Since Johnson has declined to seek reelection for Congress to run for governor, the state's only congressional seat is open. Attorney General Marty Jackley is being challenged by James Bialota Jr. for the GOP nomination and the chance to face off against Democrat Nicole "Nikki" Gronli in November. **U.S. Senate:** Incumbent Republican U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds is being challenged by Justin McNeal on the GOP primary ballot. The winner of that contest will take on Democrat Julian Beaudion in the general election. [South Dakota Election Voter GuideEverything South Dakota voters need to know about statewide contests in the primary and general elections.![](https://static.ghost.org/v5.0.0/images/link-icon.svg)South Dakota News WatchAlexander Rifaat![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/size/w1200/2025/11/2024-6-4-Election-signs-1.JPG)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-voter-guide-primary-general-election/) **Legislature, county and local races:** In addition to statewide offices, hundreds of other candidates qualified for legislative and county and local races, including county treasurer, auditor, finance officer, sheriff, register of deeds, coroner and county commissioner as well as school board, mayor, city council and others. That full list is available on the [Secretary of State's website](https://vip.sdsos.gov/candidatelist.aspx?eid=773&ref=sdnewswatch.org). **Voter portal:** Find out if you're registered to vote and which legislative district you live in through the [Voter Information Portal](https://vip.sdsos.gov/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). ### Constitutional and statutory offices While voters elect candidates for governor in the primary election, political parties choose other state executive candidates at conventions. Here are the constitutional and statutory offices that have elections in 2026: lieutenant governor, attorney general, auditor, secretary of state, treasurer, commissioner of School and Public Lands and Public Utilities Commission. The South Dakota Democratic Party holds its convention June 6 in Sioux Falls. The Republican party's convention is June 25-27 in Rapid City. ## Temperature check: Republican Republican Sen. Jim Mehlhaff of Pierre, majority leader of the state Senate, expects comfortable wins for Jackley and Rounds in their respective primary races. He thinks the gubernatorial contest could come down to either Johnson or Rhoden, pouring skepticism [on a poll released last month](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/larry-rhoden-dusty-johnsons-2-person-race/) that showed Doeden ahead of the current governor. "I don't think it will hold water in the long term," Mehlhaff told News Watch. "It doesn't mean Toby Doeden isn't running a hard race, I just don't think he's there yet." [![CTA Image](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/04/SDNW-Logo-Vertical.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) ****Sign up for our free, daily newsletter**, delivered to your inbox. [Subscribe ](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) In terms of the state legislative races, Mehlhaff, who faces two primary challengers for his seat in District 24, said a theme he has noticed this election cycle is several incumbent state senators who lost their seat in 2024 are attempting to make a comeback. That includes former Sen. Jean Hunhoff of Yankton challenging current Sen. Lauren Nelson for the GOP nomination in District 18\. Hunhoff lost to Nelson by fewer than 100 votes in the 2024 Republican primary. Other examples Mehlhaff cited include former Sen. Erin Tobin, who is looking to take back District 21 from Sen. Mykala Voita, and District 3, where there will be a rematch between Katherine "Katie" Washnok and Sen. Carl Perry. Melhalff said the 2024 primary results could have been impacted by the lack of competitive statewide races, something that isn't the case this year with the high-profile contests, including statewide races for governor, U.S. House and U.S. Senate. "There was no big draw to drive turnout, and this time obviously there is, so I think we are going to see a much bigger turnout," Melhaff said. "It will be interesting to see how that affects all those rematches." ## Temperature check: Democrat On the Democratic side, Rep. Erik Muckey of Sioux Falls praised his party's nominees for statewide office and believes, with Republicans set to be engaged in a number of vicious primary battles, his party could give the GOP a run for its money in the general election. "Above all, they each possess something South Dakotans value: ability to cast a vision for the future and focus on the state above partisanship. That's something we sorely lack right now as a state," Muckey told News Watch in a text message. [![CTA Image](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/04/SDNW-Logo-Vertical.jpg)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) This newsletter and all our stories are free because we believe that ****essential, fact-based information should be available to everyone**, not just those who can pay for it. If you can afford it, ****please consider joining others and becoming a supporter**. Thank you. [Donate ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) In addition to laying out their plan to address issues pertinent to South Dakota, Muckey said Democrats across the state will highlight growing public disapproval of President Donald Trump's performance, including his handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files, cuts to Medicare and Medicaid and the war against Iran. "Republican leadership locally and nationally consistently places party above state and country. It's time for South Dakotans to be prioritized over politics, and our candidates will bring the message and the actions to back it up," he said. **Correction*: this story was updated April 10, 2026 to correct the party affiliation of former Sen. Erin Tobin and the description of Katherine "Katie" Washnok.* [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact politics and statehouse reporter Alexander Rifaat:* 605-736-4396/*[*alexander.rifaat@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:alexander.rifaat@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Start local: Why Local News Day matters URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/start-local-why-local-news-day-matters/ Last updated: 2026-04-09T10:31:42.000Z *A column by Kristi Hine, South Dakota News Watch board chair and editor and publisher of the True Dakotan newspaper in Wessington Springs* Today, April 9, newsrooms and communities across the country will mark [Local News Day](https://localnewsday.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org), a national day of action celebrating the trusted local news and information that helps communities stay informed and connected. Local News Day is built around a simple idea: Start local. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/03/LocalNewsDay_Logo_Primary_Color.png) At a time when national headlines dominate our feeds, it’s easy to overlook the news taking place outside our front door. But the most important news is close to home: the decisions affecting local schools, the businesses on Main Street, the community events bringing neighbors together, and the policies shaping our towns and cities. That’s the news the True Dakotan covers every week. Local news sources like mine operate with small staffs and tight budgets while navigating rising costs. Even with deep commitment to local coverage, it is increasingly difficult for local news media to also provide the statewide reporting our readers need and deserve. That is where South Dakota News Watch makes an extraordinary difference. As an independent, nonprofit organization, News Watch fills a critical gap through investigative and public service journalism that many small newsrooms simply cannot produce on their own. Their seasoned reporters uncover untold stories and shed light on issues that impact the welfare of all South Dakotans. News Watch provides reporting that strengthens civic understanding and keeps citizens informed and engaged. [![CTA Image](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/04/SDNW-Logo-Vertical.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) ****Sign up for our free, daily newsletter**, delivered to your inbox. [Subscribe ](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) Through partnerships with more than 100 media outlets across 300 communities, News Watch freely shares high-quality stories that complement our local reporting. In many rural communities like mine, this content is more than a resource, it is a vital tool in helping prevent news deserts and ensuring residents continue to have access to trustworthy information. Local news is common ground. It’s the rare place where the story isn’t red vs. blue, it’s what’s happening right here and what it means for your family. When we share facts about our community and state, it’s easier to disagree without disconnecting. ****Proclamation signing today:** Megan Raposa of [Sioux Falls Simplified](https://www.sfsimplified.com/author/meganraposa/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) worked with Mayor Paul TenHaken's office to organize a proclamation officially declaring "Local News Day" in Sioux Falls. It will be held today at 11:30 a.m. CT at City Hall. And local news is more than headlines. It’s the information people rely on to understand their community and state and participate in civic life. It helps us stay connected and celebrate the stories that make our home unique. That’s why South Dakota News Watch is proud to participate in Local News Day. You can too. Read a local or statewide story. Share it with a neighbor. Support the newsrooms working to keep your community informed. Because in the end, the stories that shape our daily lives start right here. ## Critical time for local news Per capita, South Dakota has one of the highest concentrations of local newspapers in the country. And from Rapid City and Sioux Falls on either end of the state to cities in between, it is also served by dozens of radio and television stations and new media sites that have launched in the past decade. But the industry is at a crossroads because many of those news outlets are struggling financially through no fault of their own. In response to increased costs, Jill Meier, publisher of the Brandon Valley Journal, [recently ran a GoFundMe campaign](https://www.keloland.com/news/local-news/brandon-valley-journal-publisher-fights-for-survival/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) for some short-term help. Her effort inspired Paul Kosel, publisher of the Groton Daily Independent in northeast South Dakota, to [run a GoFundMe campaign ](https://www.sdpb.org/business-economics/2026-03-30/local-newspaper-asking-if-annual-fundraising-drives-could-be-industrys-future?ref=sdnewswatch.org)as well and also contemplate whether an annual fundraiser should be part of his revenue stream. Readers responded. Local News Day is an opportunity for you to join them. ## How to find local news sources Because of all the changes in the industry over the past few decades, finding news sources can be a bit more difficult than last century when choices were more limited. To help its readers, South Dakota News Watch [posted an interactive map on its website](https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/edit?mid=1h8evc3LPAi1fhapscfX%5F9-lC%5FVfUo3A&usp=sharing&ref=sdnewswatch.org) that shows all local and statewide news organizations, blogs and other sites that provide relevant information. As we mark this inaugural Local News Day, please check it out and consider supporting those outlets that serve your part of the state to ensure they have the resources needed to provide you and your family with trusted news and information. [![CTA Image](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/04/SDNW-Logo-Vertical.jpg)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) This newsletter and all our stories are free because we believe that ****essential, fact-based information should be available to everyone**, not just those who can pay for it. If you can afford it, ****please consider joining others and becoming a supporter**. Thank you. [Donate ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact board chair Kristi Hine:** [*kristi.hine@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:kristi.hine@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Fact brief: Does SD have one of the lowest tax rates in the country? URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/fact-brief-south-dakota-federal-tax-rates-ranking/ Last updated: 2026-04-09T09:23:36.000Z ## Yes. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/WhiteFACT-BRIEF--500-x-200-px--2-1-1.png) South Dakota has one of the lowest overall state tax burdens in the country, largely because it does not tax individual income and lacks several major statewide taxes. The Tax Foundation ranks South Dakota No. 2 in the State Tax Competitiveness Index when factoring in corporate, individual, sales, property and unemployment insurance taxes. Wyoming is No. 1 overall. South Dakota is ranked No. 1 in corporate taxes and No. 1 in individual taxes. The state’s lack of an income tax helps keep overall state and local tax burdens among the lowest in the nation. [South Dakota News Watch Quiz - Gigafact![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/cropped-favicon-270x270-1.png)Gigafact![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/quiz-og-image-1.png)](https://gigafact.org/quiz/south-dakota-news-watch/fact-brief-quiz-8765/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) However, the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy regularly ranks South Dakota among the states with the most regressive tax systems, meaning lower-income households pay a larger share of their income in state and local taxes than higher-income households. South Dakota does not have an estate tax, inheritance tax or corporate income tax. *This fact brief responds to conversations such as*[](https://www.reddit.com/r/nationalparks/comments/1rss8e2/be%5Fprepared%5Ffor%5Ffire%5Fif%5Fyou%5Fvisit%5Fmt%5Frushmore/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)[*this one.*](https://www.reddit.com/r/SouthDakota/comments/1f05e98/south%5Fdakota%5Fand%5Fminnesota%5Ftaxes%5Fon%5F90%5Fof/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) ## Sources The Tax Foundation, [State Tax Competitive Index](https://taxfoundation.org/statetaxindex/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Fidelity, [The best state for taxes](https://www.fidelity.com/learning-center/personal-finance/best-states-for-taxes?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Institute of Taxation and Economic Policy, [ITEP Tax Inequality Index](https://itep.org/whopays-map-7th-edition/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) The Tax Foundation, [Taxes in South Dakota](https://taxfoundation.org/location/south-dakota/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) --- [South Dakota News Watch](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/) partners with [Gigafact](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) to publish fact briefs that refute or confirm a claim with supporting information and additional evidence and context. Send questions or feedback to [news@sdnewswatch.org](mailto:news@sdnewswatch.org). Submit a question for us to answer [on the tipline](https://gigafact.org/tipline/south-dakota-news-watch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). [![CTA Image](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/04/SDNW-Logo-Vertical.jpg)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) This newsletter and all our stories are free because we believe that ****essential, fact-based information should be available to everyone**, not just those who can pay for it. If you can afford it, ****please consider joining others and becoming a supporter**. Thank you. [Donate ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact freelance reporter Michael Klinski:* michael.klinski@sdnewswatch.org.* ### Ahead of hometown rodeo, SDSU team seeks new heights URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/sd-state-jackrabbits-rodeo-horses-education-brookings-community/ Last updated: 2026-04-08T16:05:38.000Z It's a sentiment that's been iterated frequently at donor events, practices and conversations among riders and coaching staff: "Why shouldn't we have the best rodeo program in the United States?" South Dakota State University is starting to take it seriously. After all, rodeo is South Dakota's official sport, and the state [has committed millions](https://southdakotasearchlight.com/2023/12/28/governors-cup-rodeo-among-recipients-of-millions-from-public-fund-controlled-by-noem/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) to making it a staple attraction for visitors and residents. This season, SDSU Rodeo is kicking itself into high gear. The team is in the midst of its spring season and preparing for its hometown rodeo in Brookings. Some team members also have their eye on an even bigger prize: the College National Finals Rodeo in June, called the "Super Bowl" of college rodeo. Behind the scenes, the coaching staff hopes to soon undertake a major indoor practice arena project. ## Team reaches unique sect of student body Coach Ron Skovly has been with the team since 2009 and competed for SDSU himself, qualifying for the College National Finals Rodeo in calf and team roping. He told News Watch that riders on the rodeo team look quite a bit different than the typical student-athlete. The early mornings, late nights and travel days are familiar to other athletes. Skovly said when players qualify for the College National Finals Rodeo, they can see 12- to 14-hour-long days in the midst of preparation. Not every student-athlete, though, has a thousand-pound teammate they care for, practice and share responsibility with. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/04/Madison-Rotenberger-on-Smooches-Barrel-Racing-2024-1.JPG) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/04/Ellie-Piper-Ms.-Jackrabbit-Stampede-Ambassador-2023-.jpg) Madison Rotenberger and her horse, Smooches, participating in the barrel racing event (left) at the Jackrabbit Stampede in Brookings, S.D. on Apr. 13, 2024, and Ellie Piper, Ms. Jackrabbit Stampede ambassador at the Jackrabbit Stampede in Brookings, S.D. on Apr. 1, 2023\. (Photo: Branded Sorrel Photography) Those unique circumstances and responsibilities, as well as a grueling schedule of both fall and spring seasons, create a bond between riders that means they have serious discipline and hold each other accountable, Skovly said. "The kids have to do chores morning and night. They practice in the afternoons. Time management's got to be huge for them," Skovly said. "There's no other coach on campus that can travel 5,000 miles with their team of 50 and have no problems. They help each other out, between studying together, hauling together, practicing together." While all of these students share a common dedication to the sport, their interests in the classroom are as varied as any other group on campus, Skovly said. "We've got them in engineering, nursing and ag of course, but there's no one college on campus that (would say), 'Here's your funding for the rodeo team' because we're supporting everything," Skovly said. [![CTA Image](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/04/SDNW-Logo-Vertical.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) Sign up for our free, daily newsletter, delivered to your inbox. [Subscribe ](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) The nature of sport in general, too, means that you will occasionally see players who care more about it than anything else in their lives – including their college education, to a point. There are certainly a few of those in rodeo, as well, but Skovly said that means SDSU has the chance to connect with them early on and make them part of the university's fabric. "I would say a few of these team members ... yeah, they came here to get an education, but if there wasn't a rodeo team, they'd find another four-year college to go to," Skovly said. "Once in a while, we have somebody say if it wasn't for us they wouldn't even go to college. But looking back when they get done, they're like, 'Man, I'm glad I did that. I got a degree now.' And rodeo kind of helped them make their decision to come to college." Many of the team's riders are from South Dakota and surrounding states, as is expected from a region with such a long history of the sport. Some, though, have come from much farther destinations to participate in SDSU rodeo. This year, the team has players from as far as Michigan and Alberta, Canada, and the team's recently seen riders from California and Florida. That former student from Florida recently moved back to South Dakota full-time, Skovly said, because of her experience at SDSU. "They just love Brookings and everything it offers," Skovly said. ## Boosters key to continued success Skovly's salary is paid for by SDSU's Department of Animal Sciences, and the team gets some funding from the student association. But the vast majority of the rodeo team's extensive travel, lodging, facility and other expenses are covered by the team's booster club. Dana Dykhouse, CEO of First PREMIER Bank and longtime Jackrabbit supporter, is a major booster of the team. He told News Watch that his financial support of the program reflects a desire to elevate the team and harness statewide support. "South Dakota, for years, has produced great rodeo athletes, and it just makes sense that we should have (a championship rodeo program)," Dykhouse said. "The thing that was holding this back was simply resources." As resources increase, the talent is also beginning to show even further. The team has already made its way into the national conversation: Last year, the team sent six riders to the College National Finals Rodeo in Casper, Wyoming – the "Super Bowl" of college rodeo. This academic year, freshman Laney Hofer ended the fall 2025 season as the No. 1 breakaway roper in the Great Plains region. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/04/20240412_JackrabbitStampede-1142.jpg) A rider ropes a calf at the Jackrabbit Stampede in Brookings, S.D. on Apr 12, 2024\. (Photo: South Dakota State University) Dykhouse said that seeing students succeed can bring an even larger base of interested donors to the sport, and to the university at large. "The rodeo club is one of the largest, if not the largest, donor bases to One Day for State. It just shows the interest is out there," Dykhouse said. There are more than 1,200 alumni of SDSU's rodeo team today. Dykhouse said that network is critical to ensuring long-term success of the program, and that inclusivity should remain central. Students with an interest in rodeo but who do not compete can join the SDSU rodeo club, a sect of the team that assists with rodeo stock chores, the annual Jackrabbit Stampede and other day-to-day tasks. "That's what I buy into, is the approach of let's allow a lot of people to be involved. Let's be very inclusive in what we do, and have a large rodeo team and students that work behind the scenes," Dykhouse said. "A lot of people very active in SDSU Rodeo never compete in the arena. That to me is what really sets us apart and makes it a good program." [Historic restoration project shines light on Canton churchHow one rural congregation is tapping its community -- as well as state and national funding -- to preserve a critical part of its history.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-462.jpg)South Dakota News WatchMolly Wetsch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/2026-03-31-Large-window-1.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/historic-restoration-canton-lutheran-church-easter/) One of the team's biggest goals for the next several years is to begin constructing a dedicated indoor practice facility. Both Skovly and Dykhouse said that would be transformational, since the team sometimes struggles with practice due to weather conditions. But they acknowledge that it will take time. Dykhouse cited his involvement in other facility constructions on SDSU's campus, including the $32 million Sanford-Jackrabbit Athletic Complex, as examples of the dedication required to get the job done. "I have to plead for patience with people because it takes a long time," Dykhouse said. "We have to build the indoor practice facility first because you have to raise 100% of the money for that." ## Hometown rodeo highlights community dedication The Jackrabbit Stampede, which will take place on April 11 this year, is the team's only chance during the season to ride in front of a hometown crowd. On Saturday, the Dacotah Bank Center will be transformed for the 70th iteration of the event. Bull riding, saddle bronc, barrel racing and more can be expected from the team. It is no small feat, either, considering the Professional Bull Riders tour is coming to Sioux Falls the very same day. Just 45 minutes south of Brookings, some of the best riders in the country will host a rodeo and see a crowd of around 10,000 people. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/04/20240412_JackrabbitStampede-1007.jpg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/04/20240412_JackrabbitStampede-1072.jpg) Riders at the South Dakota State University Jackrabbit Stampede in Brookings, S.D. on Apr. 12, 2024\. (Photo: South Dakota State University) The SDSU team probably doesn't need to worry about the competition, though: Last year, the event sold over 3,000 tickets, and the Brookings community has rallied around the riders for nearly as long as the club has existed, Skovly said. Some of that comes from direct financial support, but some of it is less immediately visible. [![CTA Image](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/04/SDNW-Logo-Vertical.jpg)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) ****Partner with South Dakota News Watch** and support fact-based news and information. [Donate ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) All of the hay the team uses for its horses during the year is donated by local farmers. That can range anywhere from 40 to 50 large round bales for the fall and spring seasons, Skovly said, and saves the team thousands of dollars every year. The team has found places to practice, gather and board both on campus and in spaces in the wider Brookings community. That's significant, considering the team is more than 40 strong – nearly double that, if you include the horses. Skovly said the generosity was almost unexpected, at first, and sometimes still is. "The first year (I started asking for support), I asked two or three farmers if they could give us 10 bales here or 10 bales there," Skovly said. "We gathered up 48 round bales of hay. Between that, and the sponsors ... if they don't get called for the rodeo, they call us. They say, 'I haven't heard from anybody yet. We want to sponsor the rodeo.'" [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **Molly Wetsch* is a* [*Report for America*](https://www.reportforamerica.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *corps member who writes about rural and Native American issues for South Dakota News Watch.*[*Your donation to match our RFA grant*](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *helps keep her writing stories like this. Contact Molly: 605-531-7382/*[*molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Fact brief: Have any South Dakota natives been into space? URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/fact-brief-have-any-south-dakota-natives-been-into-space/ Last updated: 2026-04-07T09:50:21.000Z ## Yes. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/WhiteFACT-BRIEF--500-x-200-px--2-1-1.png) Two people who were born in South Dakota have spent some time in space and are among 800 astronauts. Charles “Sam” Gemar was the first person from the state to see space. Gemar was born in Yankton and grew up in Scotland, becoming an astronaut in 1986\. He has spent 580 hours in space across three missions from 1990-94. [South Dakota News Watch Quiz - Gigafact![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/cropped-favicon-270x270-1.png)Gigafact![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/quiz-og-image-1.png)](https://gigafact.org/quiz/south-dakota-news-watch/fact-brief-quiz-8765/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) “I always knew what I wanted to do,” Gemar said during a visit to Dakota State University in Madison in February. “I wanted to be an astronaut. I just never shared that because who’s going to believe that? You’re from South Dakota.” Michael Fossum was born in Sioux Falls and grew up in McAllen, Texas. He was selected as an astronaut in 1998 and was on three space flights from 2006-2011, spending more than 194 days in space with seven spacewalks. *This fact brief responds to conversations such as*[](https://www.reddit.com/r/nationalparks/comments/1rss8e2/be%5Fprepared%5Ffor%5Ffire%5Fif%5Fyou%5Fvisit%5Fmt%5Frushmore/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)[*this one.*](https://www.reddit.com/r/space/comments/5ly7gj/why%5Fare%5Fso%5Fmany%5Fastronauts%5Ffrom%5Fohio/?ref=sdnewswatch.org#:~:text=TIL%20that%20despite%20having%20only,259) ## Sources WhoIsInSpace.com, [Home page](https://whoisinspace.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) NASA, [Michael E. Fossum](https://www.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/fossum.pdf?ref=sdnewswatch.org) NASA, [Charles D. Gemar](https://www.kennedyspacecenter.com/person/charles-sam-d-gemar/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) SiouxFallsLive.com, [South Dakota's first astronaut makes pit stop in Madison](https://web.archive.org/web/20260308144640/https://www.siouxfallslive.com/news/south-dakota/south-dakotas-first-astronaut-makes-pit-stop-in-madison) --- [South Dakota News Watch](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/) partners with [Gigafact](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) to publish fact briefs that refute or confirm a claim with supporting information and additional evidence and context. Send questions or feedback to [news@sdnewswatch.org](mailto:news@sdnewswatch.org). Submit a question for us to answer [on the tipline](https://gigafact.org/tipline/south-dakota-news-watch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). [![CTA Image](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/04/SDNW-Logo-Vertical.jpg)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) This newsletter and all our stories are free because we believe that essential, fact-based information should be available to everyone, not just those who can pay for it. If you can afford to become a supporter, please do. We appreciate you. [Donate ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact freelance reporter Michael Klinski:* michael.klinski@sdnewswatch.org.* ### Reversing downtown decline in Centerville URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/housing-solution-centerville-downtown-redevelopment-sd/ Last updated: 2026-04-06T21:08:30.000Z CENTERVILLE, S.D. – This small eastern South Dakota town is well known for its deep agricultural roots, its popular Fourth of July celebration and its regionally famous bakery specializing in bi-colored "zebra donuts." But now, Centerville has a new claim to fame: The town of about 900 people located 40 miles southwest of Sioux Falls has become known as a statewide leader in downtown redevelopment. > “This isn’t going to take us back to the 1950s when everybody came to town on Wednesday and Saturdays to sell their eggs and their cream. ... But the very purpose of maintaining Main Streets is getting business owners into those buildings to rejuvenate downtowns and make them lively places again.” – Paula Jensen, Dakota Resources The successful effort to buck the trend of declining Main Street districts in small South Dakota towns has been fueled in part by a progressive approach to development by local leaders and a sense of entrepreneurship by local business owners. But the redevelopment of Centerville has largely been driven by implementation of a strong vacant building ordinance that has become a model for other municipalities across the state. "Vacancies in the central business district are a detriment to your city," said Jared Hybertson, economic development coordinator in Centerville. "I hear from a lot of other communities looking for guidance because this is a prevalent problem across the state." ## Not a good look for downtowns A decade ago, Centerville had 14 vacant storefronts in a downtown that encompasses only a few square blocks. Some properties were occasionally used as rentals, a few served as storage for junk or remnants of former business and others were simply withering toward condemnation. The look was one of decline that was not enticing to potential new visitors, residents or business owners. ![Economic development coordinator Jared Hybertson of Centerville, S.D., on March 19, 2026, in a formerly vacant building that is now a museum](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/03/2026-3-19-Centerville-EDC-director-1.jpeg) Economic development coordinator Jared Hybertson of Centerville, S.D., on March 19, 2026, in a formerly vacant building that is now a museum, art gallery and community center. (photo: Bart Pfankuch/South Dakota News Watch) "I was frustrated at the number of vacant buildings we had," Hybertson told News Watch. "Perception-wise, as a small town, you're either growing or you're dying, and there isn't much in between." In 2017, the Centerville City Council passed the vacant buildings ordinance that uses a registration system, building inspections, warning letters, threats of fines and eventual fines to prompt property owners to shape up or sell their buildings to make way for new opportunities. [Property code enforcement a sore spot in some SD townsMore communities are hiring outside enforcers, which draws some ire. “I would rather arrest a 300-pound fighting drunk than tell a 90-year-old lady she had to mow her lawn.”![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-458.jpg)South Dakota News WatchBart Pfankuch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/Faith-Dan-Nolan-yard-1-1.jpeg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/faith-south-dakota-property-code-enforcement-rural-housing/) With the power of the ordinance in hand, Hybertson and a team of committed local officials and business people have ushered a major turnaround in the downtown. Over roughly the past decade, the Centerville Development Corporation has undertaken efforts to either buy and rehabilitate or buy and tear down nearly a dozen dilapidated or deserted buildings, many of which are now occupied by new businesses. Centerville has new additions downtown that include a women's clothing boutique, a salon, a tattoo parlor, a discount retail store, two restaurant locations and a historic building converted into a combination museum/art gallery/visitors center. Plans are in place for further redevelopment projects that include loft housing and an event center. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/04/Centerville-vacant-buildings.png) ****BEFORE:** These two unused buildings located on Main Street in Centerville, S.D., in 2017 were subject to the city's vacant buildings ordinance, which created an opportunity for redevelopment. (Photo: Courtesy city of Centerville) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/04/Centerville-new-buildings.png) ****AFTER:** A local developer bought the two vacant buildings, then renovated one and built a new one next door to create spaces now occupied by a consumer goods store on the left and a tattoo parlor on the right. (Photo Courtesy city of Centerville) The new businesses have made Centerville more of a destination for visitors, strengthened the overall economy and led to increases in sales tax revenues. "It's really been a joint citywide effort," Hybertson said. "The ordinance definitely allows us to give property owners a little push to get something done with those properties." ## Building a model for downtown rebirth Many rural communities in South Dakota have suffered population and economic downturns over the past few decades. Cities with numerous vacant downtown buildings can suffer from a sense of general decline that can turn away visitors, new residents and potential businesses, said Paula Jensen, a vice president of the community development group Dakota Resources. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/04/Centerville-locator.png) “We see what the end game is if we don’t pay attention to this,” she said. Jensen said it is unlikely that downtown districts in small towns will return to the days decades ago when people gathered frequently to sell agricultural goods, buy all the things they need and make personal connections. But attracting new commercial, retail and service businesses to a downtown can spur overall community growth, Jensen said. “This isn’t going to take us back to the 1950s when everybody came to town on Wednesday and Saturdays to sell their eggs and their cream,” she said. “But the very purpose of maintaining Main Streets is getting business owners into those buildings to rejuvenate downtowns and make them lively places again.” > "It creates a good vibe because a vibrant downtown makes everyone feel better about their community." – Jared Hybertson, economic development director in Centerville Jensen said downtown revitalization is a long-range project that requires a big and constant commitment and that replacing vacant storefronts with new businesses is just one part of the effort. “This isn’t just putting flowers on Main Street to beautify it,” she said. “It’s making a decision to incrementally improve their Main Street and show that they’re in it for the long haul, so people will want to establish a business there.” Jensen said Dakota Resources works to share and promote successful ideas that are replicable in other communities across the state. To that end, the Dakota Resources welcomed Hybertson to a community meeting it hosted in Murdo last fall where he gave a slide presentation on the vacant building ordinance to community leaders from around the state. ## Building relationships to revive buildings While the ordinance gives Centerville a mechanism to address vacancies, it still takes a great deal of patience and negotiation to get properties sold or redeveloped. Hybertson said. He and city officials use the ordinance as a cudgel tempered by genuine kindness and a willingness to communicate with and compromise with owners of vacant properties. The approach is somewhat of an iron fist in a velvet glove. "It's really about fostering a relationship and building trust because a lot of times these owners just don't know what to do with their buildings," Hybertson said. [![CTA Image](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/04/SDNW-Logo-Vertical.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) Sign up for our free, daily newsletter, delivered to your inbox. [Subscribe ](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) The effort to convert an aging historic building into the museum/community center provides a good example. The Sioux Falls owner of the building had tried but failed to start businesses there and was hesitant to give up the property. After numerous discussions with Hybertson, she agreed to sell for $6,000\. With about $100,000 in grants and another $100,000 from the development corporation, the renovated building that is now a central gathering place and tourist destination. "It creates a good vibe because a vibrant downtown makes everyone feel better about their community," Hybertson said. ## A good idea, but tough to implement Other towns are following Centerville's lead, but implementing policies that impose on private property owners can be a tough go in South Dakota. "It can get tricky and controversial when it comes to property rights," Hybertson said. ![Economic development coordinator Jared Hybertson of Centerville, S.D.,](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/04/2026-3-19-Centerville-EDC-walking-downtown.jpeg) Economic development coordinator Jared Hybertson of Centerville, S.D., strolled through a revitalized block in the city's downtown on March 19, 2026\. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch/South Dakota News Watch) He acknowledged that it takes patience, resilience and sometimes a bit of luck and good timing to make the ordinance effective. Even after improvements are made, maintaining a profitable business is a challenge in small towns, as evidenced by the recent closure of a Mexican restaurant and a coffee shop in Centerville. "Sometimes it feels like one step forward and two steps back," he said. Officials from the city of Hurley contacted Hybertson and ultimately enacted a vacant building ordinance in October 2024, but the policy has not been implemented yet, said city finance officer Marcy Hillman. Hurley is a town of 385 people located 30 miles southeast of Sioux Falls, and it has struggled to maintain a vibrant downtown, Hillman said. The city has no grocery store and lost a salon that operated downtown but celebrated the recent reopening of the Hurley Bar & Grill, she said. [![CTA Image](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/04/SDNW-Logo-Vertical.jpg)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) This newsletter and all our stories are free because we believe that essential, fact-based information should be available to everyone, not just those who can pay for it. If you can afford to become a supporter, please do. We appreciate you. [Donate ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) The town has a handful of vacant buildings downtown, but it has been difficult to enforce its ordinance because Hurley has only four city employees and relies solely on Hillman to perform many of the municipal tasks. “There’s a lot of towns in South Dakota in the same position as us,” Hillman said. “Our council wants to get something going downtown, but it’s challenging when you don’t have someone who can focus just on that.” ## A passion for clothes and community Christen Cunningham is a benefactor of the effort to find the best use of existing buildings in downtown Centerville. A few years ago, Cunningham and her husband left Colorado to move back to the town where her parents and grandparents lived, and she bought a building she has converted into a thriving women's clothing store. Christen & Company boutique is located in a building formerly used by the late beloved town historian Sherree Dee Schmiedt to store artifacts and collectibles from Centerville's history. Many of those remnants of local history were moved into the museum/community center a few doors down the block after the renovation was complete. ![Christen Cunningham, shown on March 19, 2026, is the owner of Christen & Company clothing store](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/03/2026-3-19-Centerville-Christen-outside-clothing-store-1.jpeg) Christen Cunningham, shown on March 19, 2026, is the owner of Christen & Company clothing store, a boutique located in downtown Centerville, S.D. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch/South Dakota News Watch) While the boutique is not operating in a storefront directly influenced by the city's vacant building policy, Cunningham said her business is an example of the benefits of a community-wide effort to inject energy into its downtown. "It's creating room for opportunity," she said. "To this day, people tell me they can't believe this boutique is operating in Centerville." [SD shop owner jailed over nuisance property rulingThe case demonstrates the clash of personal rights with the need to protect the entire community and keep small towns from dying.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-459.jpg)South Dakota News WatchBart Pfankuch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/Dudley-outside-shop-front-lean.JPG)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/armour-south-dakota-property-nuisance-ruling/) The spirit of re-use may continue, as Cunningham has plans to renovate the second floor of the clothing store into short-term rental units, and she has purchased the former bowling alley next door and hopes to convert it into additional space for the boutique or possibly an event hall. Meanwhile, her daughter has moved to Centerville and is operating a beauty salon down the block. "I like that you can actually talk to people here and realize how connected you are to one another," she said. By focusing on downtown redevelopment, and finding new uses for existing structures, Centerville has become a place that is embracing its roots and celebrating its past while also fostering a bright future, Cunningham said. "The biggest blessing is the relationships we're making here, because we're not just selling clothes," she said. "My mission is to make women feel important and valued and that they're seen so they feel better when they leave than they did when they came in." [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact* *content director Bart Pfankuch:** 605-937-9398*/*[*bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org). ### Historic restoration project shines light on Canton Lutheran Church URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/historic-restoration-canton-lutheran-church-easter/ Last updated: 2026-04-04T22:23:32.000Z CANTON, S.D. – When the light hits right on a sunny morning, Canton Lutheran Church glows. Circles of multicolored light dance across rich wooden pews, and one can't help but appreciate the beauty of a place that fully embodies the history of the community it occupies. That's because of the dozens of intricate, vibrant stained glass windows that decorate its century-old sanctuary. And just before one of its holiest days of the year – Easter Sunday – the rural church got some very good news about those pieces of art. The South Dakota State Historical Society and city of Deadwood are granting the Canton Lutheran Church a total of $22,500 from gaming proceeds for the church’s Restoring Radiance project, which aims to completely restore the windows. That funding will wrap up the church's campaign for the project, which had a target of more than $500,000. > "God calls us to be a part of beauty and to create beauty with God. And that is these stained glass windows. These are the images of the story of Jesus, and that's what people are coming to churches to hear and see." – Jon Splichal-Larson, pastor of Canton Lutheran Church Canton Lutheran also recently received a grant from the National Trust for Sacred Places, which is a collaborative program between the National Trust for Historic Preservation and Partners for Sacred Places. More than $185,000 was awarded to the church’s project, which requires a dollar-for-dollar match from other community fundraising. It’s the first South Dakotan organization to ever receive an award from the program. ## Landmark building in Canton The church, which was established in 1868 and built its current space in 1908, is a fixture of the 3,000-person town's historic core. The Gothic Revival building, constructed mostly with the area's signature pinkish Sioux Quartzite rock, stands tall among other landmarks like the Lincoln County Courthouse and Kennedy Mansion, built in 1889, and 1917, respectively. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/04/2026-03-31-CLC-full-exterior-1.jpg) The exterior of Canton Lutheran Church in Canton, S.D., which was constructed in 1908 from Sioux Quartzite rock, on Mar. 31, 2026\. (Photo: Molly Wetsch) Melinda Larson is a congregation member who has been working on the project since conversations about restoration began years ago. The church started collecting donations in earnest about a year and a half ago, she told News Watch. Since then, the massive south-facing window has been removed and transferred to Winona, Minnesota, where it is being restored by Willet Stained Glass Studios. The congregation hopes the project will be finished in its entirety by the summer of 2027. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/03/2026-03-31-Stained-glass-dark.jpg) Three stained glass window in Canton Lutheran Church's sanctuary on Mar. 31, 2026, in Canton, S.D. The center window reads "The greatest of these is Charity," a passage from 1 Corinthians 13:13\. (Photo: Molly Wetsch/South Dakota News Watch) Larson, who was involved in multiple grant applications, said that some of the church's success in accessing that grant funding comes from how engaged the community has been in the project. "(The National Trust for Sacred Places) application focused a lot on community involvement and community service, and Canton Lutheran is very community involved," Larson said. "But also, the community of Canton is a collaborative community in terms of working together to meet community needs. The churches work together." ## Historical value of churches comes to forefront The church’s recent award from the SDSHS was one of three given to rural churches in this grant cycle. Immanuel Lutheran Church in Perkins County received $5,000 for steeple repair and Saint Wenceslaus Church in Tabor received $10,000 for porch repair. All three churches are over a century old. Garry Guan, South Dakota's historic preservation officer, said that historic churches are a key part of South Dakota's cultural fabric, especially in rural areas. “Historic churches are evaluated using the same criteria as other buildings, such as age, architectural integrity and historical associations. But they often carry additional layers of meaning. In many rural communities, churches historically served multiple roles," he told News Watch in a statement. "They were not only places of worship but also spaces for schools, meetings and social gatherings. In some cases, they were among the first or most enduring buildings in a town. Because of their central role, churches are often among the most intact historic structures we encounter.” ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/03/2026-03-31-pews.jpg) Wooden pews and stained glass windows in the sanctuary of Canton Lutheran Church in Canton, S.D., on Mar. 31, 2026\. (Photo: Molly Wetsch/South Dakota News Watch) Jon Splichal-Larson, pastor of Canton Lutheran, said the community in Canton has embraced the church's history – even those outside of the congregation – and that the decision to pursue the project came from encouragement that the community would step up. “As people of faith, you simply take the next faithful step. And I've really clung to that in the midst of all of these things. And you're trying to take faithful steps that honor the heritage and the people that have come before us,” Splichal-Larson said. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/04/2026-03-31-Entrance-to-sanctuary.jpg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/04/2026-03-31-Pew-vertical.jpg) A wooden holy water font at an entrance to Canton Lutheran Church's sanctuary (left) and carved wooden pews inside the sanctuary (right) on Mar. 31, 2026, in Canton, S.D. (Photos: Molly Wetsch/South Dakota News Watch) And the people that came before them were rugged builders of their own. Most of the woodwork seen in the sanctuary was done by members of the congregation in the beginning of the 20th century. “It was the pioneers, Norwegian pioneers, that established this church,” Splichal-Larson said. “We're not all Norwegians anymore, and we don't emphasize that heavily, but I think it ties right into that. It's this resiliency of ‘You just do it.’” ## How rural churches can avoid decline in religious affiliation When Canton Lutheran’s current building was constructed in 1908 after the town’s two Norwegian congregations blended, it was done without building a center aisle through the sanctuary. That was intentional, to illustrate how the two communities would come together as one in the space. The church takes the same approach to unity today: Every Wednesday, congregation members gather together for a meal before splitting into groups for age-related programming. The meal, which allows congregation members to gather outside of services, also reflects Canton Lutheran's hope to meet community members where they're at, Splichal-Larson said. “Our world is a busy world. Sometimes people think cities are busier than rural places, and that's not always the case," he said. "In Canton, you have a number of people who work in Sioux Falls. That adds another layer of being busy. And this church has a really wide variety of professions in it, and some of those are very time-consuming. And so you have a family, whether it's one or two parents, to feed them on a Wednesday night makes a huge difference." ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/04/2026-03-31-Vertical-sanctuary---pews-1.jpg) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/04/2026-03-31-Pastor-Jon-Spichal-Larson.jpg) The Canton Lutheran Church sanctuary (left), which notably does not feature a center aisle, and Pastor Jon Splichal-Larson (right) on Mar. 31, 2026, in Canton, S.D. (Photo: Molly Wetsch/South Dakota News Watch) Part of meeting the community where it's at is about accepting changing faith behaviors. A recent Gallup poll found that [fewer than half of American adults ](https://news.gallup.com/poll/702572/americans-religious-engagement-holds-lower-levels.aspx?ref=sdnewswatch.org)said religion is “very important” in their lives, which is down from 58% in 2012 and, in the past, has been as high as 75%. Splichal-Larson said that he now considers "regular" attendance to be bimonthly, rather than weekly. Julie Verley, a past president of the congregation, told News Watch that Splichal-Larson’s approach to youth ministry has not only increased engagement among that demographic but given the older members of the congregation hope for the future of the church. “What I have appreciated is what (Splichal-Larson) does to engage young people. He really has them be part of the worship service itself,” Verley said. “That's so important for them, but it's also important for us as adults that we see young people in those roles.” ## ****Get South Dakota stories** An email summary on most weekdays that links to the full version. Cancel anytime. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. It is especially important as, nationally, fewer and fewer younger people identify with religion. In that same Gallup poll, just 33% of Americans ages 18-29 said religion is very important in their life, compared to 47% in 2005\. Numerous churches have closed in the past few years, as the COVID-19 pandemic decimated congregations and more and more people move away from religion. Lifeway Research, an evangelical research firm that advises churches, [found that Protestant church closures eclipsed openings in 2024](https://news.lifeway.com/2026/01/13/lifeway-research-finds-church-closures-eclipse-openings-in-the-u-s/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). ## Canton congregation still thriving But, at least in this sanctuary, those issues are not yet fully manifesting. Canton Lutheran claimed a total of 886 baptized members in its 2025 annual report. Some of those people come from areas outside of Canton – including Sioux Falls, where there [are at least 21 Lutheran churches](https://www.elca.org/directory/congregations-results?filters=%7B%22LOCATIONNAME%22%3A%22%22%2C%22LOCATIONSTATE%22%3A%22South%20Dakota%22%2C%22LOCATIONCITY%22%3A%22%22%2C%22SYNODNAME%22%3A%22%22%2C%22ZIPCODE%22%3A%22%22%2C%22RADIUS%22%3A%2225%22%7D&ref=sdnewswatch.org), according to the South Dakota Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. The church runs summer Bible camps, middle and high school weekly programming and sees quite a few young families, according to Verley. So why are they choosing Canton Lutheran, and what is the key to the church's continued success? There may not be one answer that solves problems churches may be facing, Splichal-Larson said. But the stained glass project has been a reminder of what still works. "God calls us to be a part of beauty and to create beauty with God. And that is these stained glass windows. These are the images of the story of Jesus, and that's what people are coming to churches to hear and see," Splichal-Larson said. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/04/2026-03-31-Large-window.jpg) One of Canton Lutheran Church's largest stained glass windows on Mar. 31, 2026, which the Canton, S.D., church hopes will be completely restored by 2027\. (Photo: Molly Wetsch/South Dakota News Watch) Splichal-Larson also said that thinking of younger demographics as a monolith or a problem to be solved can often take away from what is the most successful method to bringing people to church – connection. “When you’re talking about young adults, it’s not, like, a code to crack. It's just personal,” Splichal-Larson said. The rural and historic nature of the church means that some families – like Verley's – have been attending for as many as four generations. That means something to the community, Larson said, especially when they have the opportunity to give back to what has become their gathering place and foundation. "One of the advantages of a small congregation is that you have the opportunity to be seen," Larson said. "The other thing I think most people want is they want to be needed and to think that there's a place for them to serve. And, frankly, in a small church, we can't keep going unless people are serving." And while the church's historic nature will always be a crucial part of how its congregation worships, they have been working to blend in modern elements as well. Splichal-Larson occasionally brings up an acoustic guitar to the chancel, and a full drum kit sits to the left side of the sanctuary, next to hundred-year-old pews. That contrast is maybe one of the most prescient examples of how the face of faith is changing, even as historic preservation efforts continue. "You realize all that these people left for us, and we're stewards of that. It's that beauty, and it's what was left before us, and we're called to retain that. These folks have been here for generations," Larson said. [![CTA Image](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/04/SDNW-Logo-Vertical.jpg)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Molly Wetsch is a Report for America corps member who writes about rural and Native American issues for South Dakota News Watch. ****Your donation to match our RFA grant** helps keep Molly writing stories like this one. Please consider making a tax-deductible gift of any amount today. Thank you! [Donate ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) **Correction on April 4, 2026:* Willet Stained Glass Studios is located in Winona, Minnesota. An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated its location.* **Correction on April 4, 2026:* Data on church closures from Lifeway Research was found through data collected from Protestant denominations. An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated the data was found through analysis of the U.S. Census on Religion.* --- **Read previous SDNW coverage of changes in church demographics across the state at the links below:** [How some South Dakota churches are adapting to attendance declinesFalling attendance and membership at many South Dakota churches has prompted them to look for creative ways to keep people engaged.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-457.jpg)South Dakota News WatchBart Pfankuch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/pastor-with-children-scaled.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-church-adopting-attendance-decline/) [Easter Sunday offers break in church attendance declineMirroring a national trend, churches across South Dakota are experiencing consistent declines in church attendance.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-456.jpg)South Dakota News WatchBart Pfankuch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/shutterstock_421039270-scaled.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-church-suffering-decline-in-affiliation-attendance/) [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact reporter/**[***Report for America***](https://www.reportforamerica.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) **corps member Molly Wetsch:* 605-531-7382/*[*molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### $7.8M from opioid settlement granted to organizations URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-opioid-settlement-rhoden-jackley/ Last updated: 2026-04-03T02:03:16.000Z SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – Gov. Larry Rhoden and Department of Social Services Secretary Matt Althoff announced Thursday that $7.8 million in opioid settlement funding would be distributed to 10 organizations across the state for projects targeting substance abuse. "In total, these 10 awards hold great promise of filling gaps that (DSS) and the opioid advisory committee have confirmed exists today," Althoff said at a press conference. ## ****Get South Dakota stories** An email summary on most weekdays that links to the full version. Cancel anytime. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. Since disbursement began in December 2022, the state has received more than $32 million in opioid settlement fund dollars and is projected to receive just under $99 million by 2038\. Of those already-received dollars, $9.6 million has been allocated directly to cities and counties through the localized share, which makes up 30% of the fund. The state has now spent or allocated about $20 million of the $23 million statewide share it has received since disbursement began. That comes after [some legislators criticized DSS](https://www.sdpb.org/politics/2025-10-31/opioid-settlement-funds-come-into-focus-amid-prison-rehabilitation-talks?ref=sdnewswatch.org) late last year for not spending the money quickly enough. The state began accepting grant applications for individual projects and programs in October. Rhoden said that more than $10 million has been allocated to individual grantees in 2026\. ## Grantees focus on youth, vulnerable populations Many of the awarded programs seek to focus on support for youth, pregnant women and mothers and individuals involved in the justice system. The grants vary in scope, from $3 million for adolescent addiction services to more than $700,000 in planning dollars for the state's major cities' addiction treatment centers: - **Avera Behavioral Health**: $3 million for the expansion of adolescent addiction and behavioral health care to fill the gap of a recent closure of a juvenile residential program. - **Center for Family Medicine**: $750,000 for clinical training programs dedicated to addiction medicine for primary care settings. - **Cheyenne River Long-Term Recovery Group**: $250,000 for mobile crisis response and cultural healing programs in northwest South Dakota. - **Face It Together**: $920,700 for a comprehensive re-entry program for individuals discharged from carceral settings. - **Lewis & Clark Behavioral Health Services (Yankton)**: $254,000 for infrastructure supporting pregnant and postpartum mothers with substance use disorder. - **Midwest Street Medicine (Sioux Falls)**: $750,000 for expansions to detox, counseling and treatment programs for high-risk individuals transitioning from incarceration. - **Pennington County Sheriff's Office Care Campus (Rapid City)**: $615,000 to establish a strategy and sustainability plan to increase engagement with treatment and recovery support. - **Sioux Falls School District**: $1 million to provide prevention education, community engagement and intervention protocols for students using substances across grade levels. - **The Link (Sioux Falls)**: $100,000 to coordinate care and establish a strategy and sustainability plan for existing treatment providers and recovery support systems. - **West River Mental Health**: $186,000 to create a recovery health care assistant position to coordinate care for pregnant and postpartum women with substance use disorders. ## Dispute between DSS and city leaders In August, [Attorney General Marty Jackley](https://southdakotasearchlight.com/2025/08/22/attorney-general-department-of-social-services-at-odds-over-opioid-settlement-money/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) clashed with DSS and Althoff about whether more opioid settlement dollars should be allocated to Sioux Falls and Rapid City. Jackley, joined by Sioux Falls and Rapid City mayors Paul TenHaken and Jason Salamun, [said during a press conference](https://southdakotasearchlight.com/2025/08/22/attorney-general-department-of-social-services-at-odds-over-opioid-settlement-money/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) that most of the state's opioid dollars should be allocated to the two cities via block grants. He said if DSS disagreed, he would request that the state Legislature disband the opioid advisory committee. Althoff later said in a statement that Jackley's interpretation of the funding was inaccurate, and that Sioux Falls and Rapid City had not requested any additional funding from DSS. [Half of South Dakotans now live in 2 metro areasSioux Falls and Rapid City areas are now home to 465,000 people and growing, and it’s not just the availability of jobs that’s attracting them.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-460.jpg)South Dakota News WatchMelissa Avelino![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/IMG_7519-1-1-1-3.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/metro-census-population-sioux-falls-rapid-city/) Jackley told News Watch days before Thursday's press conference that Sioux Falls and Rapid City should receive a significant amount of funding from the statewide share because they have treatment programs already in place. "They are doing the state a favor by having the programs and skin in the game that we could use these dollars to enhance," Jackley said. "In working with them, they have what I feel are the right proposals to strengthen those existing programs and help them serve so many others that have addiction challenges." Minnehaha County and Sioux Falls have received nearly $3.4 million to date and reported $1.4 million in spending from the localized share of the opioid settlement fund. Rapid City and Pennington County have received $1.5 million and reported about $300,000 in spending, [according to DSS's opioid settlement fund dashboard](https://app.powerbi.com/view?r=eyJrIjoiNmIzNWU5NGItNjMwZi00NDM1LWFiY2QtMDkwMTZlYTMzYjMxIiwidCI6IjA3ODdiYzE4LTVjYTgtNGEzZS1hOTZlLTVjZWY2ZWExZTA4OSIsImMiOjN9&ref=sdnewswatch.org). The dollars the four government bodies have received so far make up 56% of the total localized share, which currently sits at a total of $9.6 million, and distributes funding based on population. Last year, the populations of Sioux Falls and Rapid City officially made up half of the state's total population. During Thursday's press conference, Althoff said that he suspected that because of the "disproportionate" number of providers in Sioux Falls and Rapid City, those regions would likely see funding in an amount close to Jackley's request through individual project grants, even if block grants never materialize. "Our largest cities are often where individuals turn when they need support. Both the Rapid City and Sioux Falls communities have erected and successfully maintained a common entry portal, a place to go when an individual has no other social supports to lean on," Althoff said. The Link addiction triage center and the Pennington County Care Campus, which is operated by the Pennington County Sheriff's Department, are the cities' programs providing services for adults with substance use disorder. Both organizations were awarded grants for planning programs Thursday. The Link has been the recipient of most of Sioux Falls and Minnehaha County's opioid spending, according to DSS and the Department of Health's Let's Be Clear annual report. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/04/DSC_0784.JPG) The Link addiction triage center in Sioux Falls, S.D., on April 2, 2026, which received a $100,000 grant for planning efforts from the statewide opioid settlement. (Photo: Molly Wetsch/South Dakota News Watch) Pennington County Sheriff Brian Mueller told News Watch that the $615,000 grant would allow the Care Campus to catch up on the backlog of drug and alcohol assessments at the county jail and assess the needs of the community in hopes that more funding in the form of block grants would be released down the line. "Part of this planning is in anticipation for getting a larger pot of that money. We want to be prepared, if we're going to be able to free that money up, to come out here and to do something truly transformative instead of piecemealing things together and giving out the smaller parts," Mueller said. "We're very appreciative that we're able to fund a lot of things today that I do think will make a difference for people across the state." ****Play a bigger role in our storytelling.** Join us as a partner in telling stories that are important to all South Dakotans with a tax-deductible donation. [Donate ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/reportforamerica/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) He said that more dollars allocated to the state's two metro areas would allow projects to proceed that may not be possible through smaller grant programs. "When you look at the amount of money that South Dakota is expecting to receive over the next several years, I think we have to be able to think big. What can we do to have the most impact right now and moving into the future on those affected by substance abuse? The cost of just continuing to do things the same, I don't know that we can build enough jail beds. I don't know that we can build enough prison beds," Mueller said. "The criminal justice system is not the primary way to handle substance abuse. So we need to get outside the box." Althoff said that the department would continue to evaluate its strategic plan going forward and whether the spending remains effective. "We want the data to inform, 'Where is the greatest threat to the spectrum of resources that South Dakotans are toiling every single day to make sure are in place?,'" Althoff said. [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact reporter/**[***Report for America***](https://www.reportforamerica.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) **corps member Molly Wetsch:* 605-531-7382/*[*molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### 2 new directors join SDNW board URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/sdnw-board-of-directors-rita-edwards-mark-millage/ Last updated: 2026-04-02T11:39:56.000Z South Dakota News Watch has added two new members to its board of directors. Rita Edwards, of Madison, and Mark Millage, of Sioux Falls, fill seats left vacant when Christine Hamilton and Jon Hunter termed out of their positions last year. Many thanks to both of them for their years of service, which included Hunter serving as secretary. Edwards is a retired lawyer whose most recent experience was in general and bank and financial institution practice at Davenport Evans Lawyers in Sioux Falls. She also serves on the South Dakota State University Alumni and Foundation Board of Trustees, the Prairie Repertory Theatre Board of Directors and on the board for Habitat for Humanity in Madison as well as on board and chair positions in the organization at the state and international levels. Millage started as an intern at KELO-TV in 1983 and was promoted to news director in 1989, a position he held until 2008\. Millage is currently director of community relations for Furniture Mart USA. He is also a community volunteer serving on several other boards, including Sioux Empire United Way, South Dakota Gaming Commission and co-chair of the St. Francis House community appeals campaign. ## Other board members Here are the [full bios of Edwards, Millage and the other directors and officers](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/board/) of South Dakota News Watch: - Kristi Hine, chair, of Wessington Springs, is editor and publisher of the True Dakotan weekly newspaper after a career in marketing and public relations. - Travis Rhoades, treasurer, of Sioux Falls, and his wife, Kristen, operate multiple Scooter’s Coffee franchises in and around the Sioux Falls area. - Janelle Toman, secretary, of Pierre, worked as a journalist and then for 20 years with the media, state policymakers and the public to provide information about South Dakota’s system of public higher education as director of communications for the Board of Regents. - Marci Burdick, of Rapid City, who served as SDNW chair in 2023-2024, retired in 2018 after a 48-year career in broadcasting. In 2025, she received the Chuck Sherman Television Leadership Award from the National Association of Broadcasters. - Nancy Turbak Berry, of Watertown, is an attorney, former South Dakota state legislator (2007-2010) and longtime advocate of open government. - Tim Waltner, of Freeman, was publisher of the Freeman Courier before passing that title to his son, Jeremy, in 2016, although he remained active as a writer, editor and photographer before retiring in 2020\. - Stephany (Beshara) Chalberg, of Rapid City, worked in local newspaper and television in South Dakota and Utah and now manages public relations for Monument Health in Rapid City. - Debra Jensen, of Black Hawk, is a fourth-generation South Dakotan. She worked in local television in South Dakota and Montana before operating Black Hills Bagels in Rapid City with her husband until 2024\. ****Play a bigger role in our storytelling.** Join us as a partner in telling stories that are important to all South Dakotans with a tax-deductible donation. [Donate ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/reportforamerica/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact CEO Carson Walker:* 605-610-9366/*[*carson.walker@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:carson.walker@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Fact brief: Does SD have some of the highest recidivism rates? URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/fact-brief-south-dakota-rate-recidivism-inmates/ Last updated: 2026-04-02T10:00:29.000Z ## Yes. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/WhiteFACT-BRIEF--500-x-200-px--2-1-1.png) South Dakota’s rate of recidivism – the percentage of convicted criminals who reoffend after already receiving punishment – is among the highest in the United States. According to the Justice Center, South Dakota was one of 14 states where recidivism increased between 2011 and 2021 when the state went from 42% to 50%. The Justice Center estimates that the state's recidivism costs $44 per person – the ninth highest rate in the country. [South Dakota News Watch Quiz - Gigafact![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/cropped-favicon-270x270-1.png)Gigafact![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/quiz-og-image-1.png)](https://gigafact.org/quiz/south-dakota-news-watch/fact-brief-quiz-8765/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) That puts South Dakota in the top 10 compared to other states, though differing definitions of recidivism make direct comparisons difficult. The SD Department of Corrections started a program in 2024 called SAFER SD to ease the transition from prison to community with the goal of decreasing recidivism. Sioux Falls Police Chief Jon Thum called the state's rate of recidivism "incredibly frustrating" during a news conference after an officer-involved shooting, saying officers "seemingly arrest the same people." *This fact brief responds to conversations such as*[](https://www.reddit.com/r/nationalparks/comments/1rss8e2/be%5Fprepared%5Ffor%5Ffire%5Fif%5Fyou%5Fvisit%5Fmt%5Frushmore/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)[*this one.*](https://www.reddit.com/r/SiouxFalls/comments/1ixjyt5/legislature%5Fdumps%5Fnew%5Fprison%5Ffunding/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) ## Sources The Justice Center, [50 States, 1 Goal: Recidivism Rate Trends Over the Past Decade](https://csgjusticecenter.org/publications/state-recidivism-rates-2006-2022/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) South Dakota Department of Corrections, [2025 statistical report](https://www.doc.sd.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/1820?ref=sdnewswatch.org) KELO-TV, [Thum on repeat offenders: ‘Incredibly frustrating’](https://www.keloland.com/news/local-news/thum-on-repeat-offenders-incredibly-frustrating/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) --- [South Dakota News Watch](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/) partners with [Gigafact](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) to publish fact briefs that refute or confirm a claim with supporting information and additional evidence and context. Send questions or feedback to [news@sdnewswatch.org](mailto:news@sdnewswatch.org). Submit a question for us to answer [on the tipline](https://gigafact.org/tipline/south-dakota-news-watch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). ****Support fact briefs.** Help us fight misinformation by supporting fact briefs that refute or confirm a claim with supporting information and additional evidence and context. [Donate ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact freelance reporter Michael Klinski:* michael.klinski@sdnewswatch.org.* ### Farm revenues fall as war and market concerns rise URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/sd-farm-revenues-iran-war-markets-tariffs-agriculture/ Last updated: 2026-04-01T11:05:35.000Z LYONS, S.D. – Farmer Jeff Thompson had waited months for soybean prices to rebound, and he was getting a little antsy. Like many of the roughly 18,000 other crop farmers in South Dakota, Thompson is storing corn and soybeans in giant grain bins on his farm because he can't sell at a profitable price due to a variety of unfavorable market conditions. > "The market right now is at a loss position and we’re about to plant the most expensive crop in history." – Scott VanderWal, president of the South Dakota Farm Bureau Federation and vice president of the American Farm Bureau Federation After several months of waiting – and suddenly seeking an infusion of cash – Thompson made the decision in mid-March to sell off about 15,000 bushels of beans he had been storing since the fall 2025 harvest. But the day he hoped to sell, a single social media post by President Donald Trump caused the soybean price to fall by 70 cents a bushel, a decline that would have caused Thompson to lose more than $10,000 on the sale. ![Grain farmer Jeff Thompson on March 20, 2026, on the farm he and his wife run near Lyons](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/03/2026-3-20-Farmer-Thompson-portrait-with-tractor-1.jpeg) Grain farmer Jeff Thompson on March 20, 2026, on the farm he and his wife run near Lyons, S.D. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch/South Dakota News Watch) Trump's post indicated he would delay scheduled trade talks with President Xi Jinping of China, the world's largest importer of soybeans and a country in which the U.S. is embroiled in a trade standoff that has hurt American soybean producers. Thompson held onto his soybeans, and the wait for better prices began anew. "The whole geopolitical thing keeps you awake at night and you don’t know what’s going to happen next," Thompson, 64, said on a recent day at his farm in Lyons, an unincorporated hamlet located about 25 miles northwest of Sioux Falls. "Farming is risky enough on its own, fighting Mother Nature and all that, so I’m hoping things will settle down." ## A trifecta of terrible economic headwinds The Trump tariffs and resulting trade wars that have devastated foreign export markets over the past year are not the only unsettling reality for South Dakota grain producers, who grew 1.1 billion bushels of corn and 238 million bushels of soybeans with a combined value of $6.4 billion in 2025, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The new U.S. war with Iran has led to the closure of a key global shipping route through the Strait of Hormuz, dramatically driving up prices for fuel and fertilizers. Farmers were already reeling from ongoing inflation that has raised prices for "inputs" required to grow crops, including seeds, water and electricity, rent or loan payments for land, and machinery and parts. ![Grain bins were full of soybeans on March 20, 2026](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/03/2026-3-20-Soybean-bins-on-Lyons-farm-2-1.jpeg) Grain bins were full of soybeans on March 20, 2026, on the farm of Jeff Thompson of Lyons, S.D. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch/South Dakota News Watch) The trade war with China has led the Asian nation to forgo most orders for American soybeans and turn instead to South American producers. Prior to the trade war, about 30% of the soybeans grown annually in South Dakota were exported to China. All that financial pain has been piled on top of stagnant low prices that have hurt revenues even as South Dakota grain farmers have produced record crops of corn and soybeans over the past couple years. "The most difficult thing of all is that we’ve had three to four years of depressed prices," Thompson said. "You can handle one low price year decently. But when they begin to piggy back on each other, it gets tough." ## Seeking new markets and uses Since Trump took office and imposed tariffs on goods from other countries, cattle ranchers and other livestock producers have benefited from high sale prices and strong markets for their goods, as [previously reported by News Watch](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/tariffs-trade-south-dakota-agriculture/). [Small local farms growing stronger roots in South DakotaConsumer demand for organic and locally grown foods continues to rise, but running a small farm isn’t always an easy task for producers.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-452.jpg)South Dakota News WatchBart Pfankuch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/2025-9-18-Bear-Butte-Gardens-produce-1-2.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-local-organic-farms-agriculture-sturgis-sd/) But almost all other farmers in South Dakota and across the country are feeling the financial pain and emotional stress of an unfavorable global market for agricultural goods, said Scott VanderWal, president of the South Dakota Farm Bureau Federation who also serves as vice president of the American Farm Bureau Federation. "By nature, farmers are pretty optimistic, but economically it's pretty tough right now," said VanderWal, a grain farmer from Volga. "The market right now is at a loss position and we’re about to plant the most expensive crop in history." ## ****Get South Dakota stories** An email summary on most weekdays that links to the full version. Cancel anytime. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. National agricultural leaders are urging President Trump to find new international and domestic markets for agricultural products, VanderWal said. An ongoing hope is that Congress will approve national year-round use of E-15, the gasoline that contains more ethanol and could boost corn prices and markets. Jerry Schmitz, executive director of the South Dakota Soybean Association, was one of a dozen South Dakota officials and agricultural leaders who spent eight days in March on a trade mission to expand export opportunities in Japan and South Korea. Schmitz said those two Asian countries — relatively small buyers of South Dakota corn and soybeans compared to China — were welcoming and eager to maintain or expand imports of American grains and goods. The majority of South Dakota grains sold as exports are used as hog and poultry feed while a smaller percentage is used for human consumption, he said. ![This Central Farmer's Co-op grain elevator near Colton, S.D.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/03/2026-3-20-Colton-grain-rail-head-1.jpeg) This Central Farmer's Co-op grain elevator near Colton, S.D., is shown on March 20, 2026, with a large pile of corn that awaits possible shipment for export. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch/South Dakota News Watch) But even the most optimistic agricultural experts and producers are concerned the worst is not over yet for American farmers, Schmitz said. "Things have been difficult, and possibly this could continue for another year or two," he said. "Farmers are pretty flexible, but when bad news happens three to five years in a row, and with all the things happening in the world, it gets concerning." ## Fewer profitable farms possible this year While it may be hard for South Dakota farmers to believe, the Rushmore State has fared better than most of the nation during the recent agricultural economic downturn, said Nate Franzen, president of agricultural lending at First Dakota National Bank in Yankton. In 2025, the state had only one farm bankruptcy that Franzen was aware of, and about 80% of grain producers made a profit, a higher rate of performance than the 65% he predicted. > "There’s a lot of younger guys who love to farm, but it just doesn’t pay." – farmer Jeff Thompson Franzen, who has worked in farm lending for three decades, said the best year for farm profitability in South Dakota over the past 20 years was in 2011, when the ethanol market was raging and about 93% of state farmers made money. In 2025, record yields by producers and a high level of diversification on individual farms put South Dakota in a good position. But 2026 may be more challenging, he said. “Looking forward, it is troubling,” Franzen said. “We’ve been experiencing inflation on the expense side for the last few years. And this Iran war is not helping because fertilizer is spiking and fuel is spiking.” ## Financial and emotional stress the norm Meanwhile, many farm families are enduring stressful kitchen-table meetings about money and the future of their operations, VanderWal said. The challenging economic conditions are hardest on young farmers without strong equity or savings, those who recently took over from retiring parents or those who are heavily leveraged with loans for land or equipment. ![Lyons, S.D., grain farmer Jeff Thompson](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/03/2026-3-20-Farmer-opens-corn-bin-window-1.jpeg) Lyons, S.D., grain farmer Jeff Thompson checks on corn he is storing in bins while awaiting higher sale prices for the commodity on March 20, 2026\. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch/South Dakota News Watch) "We are hearing more stories of bankruptcies increasing, and we’re hearing more incidents of farmer suicides again," he said. "Farmers and ranchers are very proud people and it's hard for them to ask for help, so we're encouraging people to pay attention to family members and neighbors and get help for them if they need it." Schmitz said most South Dakota grain farmers are sticking to their planting plans for 2026 even amid great market uncertainty. He said some farmers may plant more cover crops instead of corn and soybeans to build soil health, and a few may diversify their operations with cattle, hogs or poultry to create new revenue streams and generate manure as a source of low-cost fertilizer. Others may take on new jobs off the farm or expand the hours they spend working outside of agriculture. ## Impacts felt beyond South Dakota farms From a broader perspective, the weakening farm economy is hurting not only farmers but also the communities where they live, VanderWal said. "Agriculture is what drives the economy of this state and very much so in the small communities," he said. "These issues could really come home to bite the small communities of South Dakota." Ultimately, continued income challenges for American producers could lead to farm consolidation and greater corporate ownership, which could threaten not only American family farms but also the nation's ability to feed itself, VanderWal said. "Food security is national security, and if we have to rely on other countries for our food supply, that’s a real problem," he said. ![Third generation grain farmer Jeff Thompson](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/03/2026-3-20-Farmer-Thompson-on-road-1.jpeg) Third generation grain farmer Jeff Thompson, shown on March 20, 2026, is well positioned financially on his farm near Lyons, S.D., because he owns most of the land he works and only has one outstanding loan. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch/South Dakota News Watch) Thompson, the Minnehaha County grain farmer, said he is hopeful that new trade deals brokered by President Trump will hold up and remain favorable over the long term. He has applied for some of a recent $12 billion farm bailout approved by the president, though he considers that stop-gap program only a "small Band-Aid." Thompson hopes that when he retires in a few years, the agricultural economy will be strong enough for someone local to buy his roughly 800 acres and continue to use it for farming. But he's no longer sure that will happen. "We love what we do and look forward to passing things down that we’ve built up over the years," he said. "There’s a lot of younger guys who love to farm, but it just doesn’t pay." ****Support stories about rural South Dakota with a tax-deductible donation.** [Donate ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/reportforamerica/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact* *content director Bart Pfankuch:** 605-937-9398*/*[*bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org). ### Key moments from the first GOP gubernatorial debate URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/kelo-gop-governor-primary-election-debate/ Last updated: 2026-04-01T02:37:19.000Z The four candidates vying for the Republican nomination for South Dakota governor met Tuesday in Sioux Falls in the first of three debates scheduled before the June primary election. It was televised live from KELO-TV's studios, with news anchors Dan Santella and Lauren Soulek moderating. Here are the top takeaways: ## Trump and civil discourse Gov. Larry Rhoden, House Speaker Jon Hansen and U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson appeared to sidestep a question on how they can reconcile their support for President Donald Trump with his impact on political discourse in the country. "I learned how to manage personalities. ... I've developed relationships to work with the whole spectrum of people," Rhoden said, citing his years of experience working in the Legislature and as governor. Hansen also brought up his time in the South Dakota Legislature without directly addressing Trump. "As Speaker of the House, I've led on a number of initiatives to advance the conservative agenda for South Dakotans. And to do that in the legislative branch, you have to work with people who don't always agree with you on everything," Hansen said. ## ****Get South Dakota stories** An email summary on most weekdays that links to the full version. Cancel anytime. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. Johnson voiced his support for Trump but added "that being said, it doesn't mean I agree with him on everything. It does mean I'll work with anybody to do good." Meanwhile, Aberdeen businessman Toby Doeden doubled down on his support for Trump and dismissed criticism of his rhetoric. "Donald Trump has brought back a culture of winning for the Republican Party. You don't have to agree with everything he says, you don't have to agree with every policy initiative, but, as a Republican, you have to respect what President Trump has done," Doeden said. Trump has yet to endorse a candidate in the race. ## Candidates clash over taxes Perhaps the most contentious exchange of the night occurred when Johnson hit Rhoden and Hansen for legislation that recently passed the state Legislature aimed at property tax relief, accusing them of instituting the largest tax increase in the state's history. "Jon and Larry have told you that they lowered your taxes, that's not true. ... They increased your taxes," Johnson said. [In an effort to address rising property taxes](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-legislature-budget-property-taxes/), the Legislature passed Senate Bill 96, which gives counties the option to implement a half-cent sales tax increase in exchange for lowering property taxes, and Senate Bill 245, which creates an owner-occupied property tax relief fund using revenue generated from the scheduled 0.3% increase in the statewide sales tax due to come into effect July 1\. The passage of both bills came after negotiations between Rhoden and Hansen. "When families like mine find out what was done, they are going to be furious," Johnson said. Hansen hit back, accusing Johnson of being misleading in his characterization of Senate Bill 245. "What Dusty just said is totally false," Hansen said. "We were trying to keep the tax down to 4.2%. When you couldn't get the tax down to 4.2% and it's going up to 4.5%, I led doing the next best thing, which is taking all of that revenue and putting it back into the people's pockets for property tax relief." [USD democracy conference: Communication is keyFree April 9 gathering will include public speaking training Steve Jarding gives to Harvard students and “presidents and prime ministers.”![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-454.jpg)South Dakota News WatchCarson Walker![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/2024-Chiesman-conference-2.jpeg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/usd-chiesman-conference-civics-democracy-2026/) Rhoden labeled Johnson's comments "D.C.B.S." and highlighted that Johnson had come out with a nearly identical proposal. "Representative Johnson, just a few weeks before we had laid out our proposal ... he laid out a proposal that used the exact same sales dollars for his property tax plan," Rhoden said. Doeden also criticized the property tax proposals and reiterated his plan to eliminate property taxes altogether, in addition to scrapping sales taxes on groceries. ## Education in South Dakota When asked about the state of eduction in the Mount Rushmore state, Rhoden conceded South Dakota has been struggling when it comes to test scores but said adjustments to the curriculum could yield better results. "We have moved to the science of reading and put phonics back in the classroom and we have gotten rid of common core and written new math standards, " Rhoden said. "One thing we won't do is what other states have done, as far as lowering the bar when their test scores haven't been what they should be." Johnson said his initiative, Strong Schools, will look at the examples of other states that have seen substantial improvements in their test scores, such as Mississippi and Alabama, and apply those to South Dakota. ****Trusted, independent sources of information are needed more than ever. Partner with us to produce fact-based news.** [Donate ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Doeden said he was in favor of spending "a lot of money educating our youth" but argued not enough was going to teachers. "Our teachers have been underpaid and disrespected for decades," Doeden said, citing the [low ranking the state has in teacher pay](https://www.argusleader.com/story/news/education/2025/05/02/south-dakota-teacher-pay-reaches-highest-ever-ranking-46th/83386937007/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). Doeden added that in addition to raising teacher salaries, more money should be allocated to improving rural school districts. Hansen voiced his support for further investments in public education but said he felt superintendents should be held accountable for underperforming schools and that more resources could be allocated for those seeking non-public or home school options. "Families ought to be in the driver's seat," Hansen said. ## Data centers On the issue of data centers, candidates varied between those optimistic of their economic benefits and those wary of the potential disruption to South Dakota's character. When asked whether further incentives should be given to encourage data centers, Rhoden said he was "comfortable with the laws we have on the books right now" and dismissed concerns surrounding water and electricity usage. "They are a valuable asset as far as economic development," Rhoden said. "We've struck a balance." Hansen rejected giving any additional incentives to data centers and highlighted [legislation he sponsored](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-senate-data-center-vote/) in the Legislature that enacted guardrails against potential utility and land changes as a result of such companies. "I put my money where my mouth is this last session in Pierre," Hansen said. "When there were bills that were coming forward that wanted to give big tech companies massive tax breaks I fought those bills and I killed those bills." While the Legislature passed Hansen's so-called Data Center Bill of Rights, the Legislature rejected several bills aimed at providing tax incentives to data centers. [SD Legislature sustains governor’s 2 vetoesLawmakers failed to override vetoes on a ban of lab-grown meat and state licensing requirements for non-medical home care agencies.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-453.jpg)South Dakota News WatchAlexander Rifaat![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/Veto-Day-Session-1.jpeg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-legislature-veto-day-gov-larry-rhoden-bills/) Hansen also suggested some of the data center-focused bills he helped to defeat in the Legislature would have benefited allies of Doeden. Doeden dismissed Hansen's comments but did appear to agree that no additional subsidies should be given to large tech companies that are seeking to operate in the state. "I will look at every, single economic opportunity that's available to the state, but there are a 100 ways to stimulate this economy. We don't have to build data centers to do it, "Doeden said. "I will never use a nickel (of) taxpayer money to subsidize Mark Zuckerberg, Google or any other out-of-state, billion-dollar company." Johnson said that while he doesn't believe data center projects should be subsidized, South Dakota does need to foster a more competitive tax regime, given other states have been it more economically advantageous to operate elsewhere. "This is the question: Where do you hit the Goldilocks spot," Johnson said, using North Dakota as an example of a state that has had, in his eyes, a positive experience with data centers. Johnson also argued data centers could bring in additional tax revenue to the state. ## Grading Noem The final question of the night pertained to former Gov. Kristi Noem, who has received significant state and national attention in recent weeks given her ouster as secretary of the Department of Homeland Security and allegations surfacing around her personal life. Each candidate was asked to give her a letter grade for her time as governor. [South Dakota Election Voter GuideEverything South Dakota voters need to know about statewide contests in the primary and general elections.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-455.jpg)South Dakota News WatchAlexander Rifaat![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/2024-6-4-Election-signs-1-7.JPG)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-voter-guide-primary-general-election/) Hansen gave Noem a "C," arguing it was only the Legislature that prevented her from enforcing stricter restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic. Doeden rebuffed Hansen, giving Noem "B" in part because her policies during COVID provided "hope" to the rest of the country. Johnson declined to give her a grade but said Noem "has made some different decisions that I would have made. She's not perfect and Lord knows I'm not either." Rhoden, who served as lieutenant governor under Noem, gave her an "A" and rejected Hansen's comments, saying he had a "front row seat" to her leadership during COVID. "She's got a spine of steel," Rhoden said. --- ### Replay, next debates [Here's how to watch a replay](https://www.keloland.com/keloland-com-original/how-to-watch-the-keloland-gop-gubernatorial-debate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) of Tuesday's KELO-TV debate. The [next televised debate with the candidates](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-governor-debates-2026-primary/) is Monday, April 13, in a forum moderated by South Dakota Public Broadcasting and South Dakota News Watch, which will be broadcast live on SDPB. A third debate hosted by The Dakota Scout and Forum Communications is scheduled for Monday, April 27\. The GOP gubernatorial primary takes place Tuesday, June 2\. If no candidate wins 35% of the vote, the top two finishers advance to a runoff election scheduled for Tuesday, July 28\. [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact politics and statehouse reporter Alexander Rifaat:* 605-736-4396/*[*alexander.rifaat@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:alexander.rifaat@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Fact brief: Does SD have the longest stretch of Republican governors? URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/fact-brief-south-dakota-republican-governor/ Last updated: 2026-03-31T10:00:11.000Z ## Yes. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/WhiteFACT-BRIEF--500-x-200-px--2-1-1.png) South Dakota has the longest uninterrupted Republican hold on a governor’s office of any state in the country. A Democratic governor has not held office in South Dakota in more than 47 years, when Harvey Wollman was the 26th governor of the state after replacing Richard Kneip, who resigned. He was replaced by Republican Bill Janklow in his first eight-year term on Jan. 1, 1979. [South Dakota News Watch Quiz - Gigafact![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/cropped-favicon-270x270-1.png)Gigafact![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/quiz-og-image-1.png)](https://gigafact.org/quiz/south-dakota-news-watch/fact-brief-quiz-8765/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Utah has the second-longest run of Republican governors – a Democrat last served in 1985. South Dakota has had three Democratic governors since the 1950s (five overall): Ralph Herseth (1959-1961), Kneip (1971-78) and Wollman (1978-79). Only two Democrats have earned more than 45% of the vote since the party last held the state’s highest office. Billy Sutton received 47.6% of the vote against Republican Kristi Noem (51%), and Lars Herseth got 48.2% of the vote against George S. Mickelson (51.8%) for the first of his two terms. *This fact brief responds to conversations such as*[](https://www.reddit.com/r/nationalparks/comments/1rss8e2/be%5Fprepared%5Ffor%5Ffire%5Fif%5Fyou%5Fvisit%5Fmt%5Frushmore/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)[*this one.*](https://www.reddit.com/r/PoliticalDiscussion/comments/1g69phb/which%5Fof%5Fthe%5F9%5Flongest%5Fred%5Fstreaking%5Fstates%5Fdo/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) ## Sources Ballotpedia, [Gubernatorial winning streaks](https://ballotpedia.org/Gubernatorial%5Fwinning%5Fstreaks?ref=sdnewswatch.org#:~:text=HIGHLIGHTS,the%20history%20of%20both%20states) National Governor’s Association, [Utah](https://www.nga.org/former-governors/utah/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) National Governor’s Association, [South Dakota](https://www.nga.org/former-governors/south-dakota/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Ballotpedia, [South Dakota 2018 election](https://ballotpedia.org/South%5FDakota%5Fgubernatorial%5Fand%5Flieutenant%5Fgubernatorial%5Felection,%5F2018?ref=sdnewswatch.org) KELO-TV, [A look back at 40 years of South Dakota governor elections](https://www.keloland.com/news/capitol-news-bureau/a-look-back-at-40-years-of-south-dakota-governor-elections/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) --- [South Dakota News Watch](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/) partners with [Gigafact](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) to publish fact briefs that refute or confirm a claim with supporting information and additional evidence and context. Send questions or feedback to [news@sdnewswatch.org](mailto:news@sdnewswatch.org). Submit a question for us to answer [on the tipline](https://gigafact.org/tipline/south-dakota-news-watch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact freelance reporter Michael Klinski:* michael.klinski@sdnewswatch.org.* ### Legislature sustains governor’s 2 vetoes URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-legislature-veto-day-gov-larry-rhoden-bills/ Last updated: 2026-04-03T21:00:30.000Z PIERRE, S.D. – South Dakota lawmakers in Pierre voted Monday to uphold the vetoes issued by Gov. Larry Rhoden on two bills. The Legislature was not expected to overturn either measure on "veto day," providing a relatively quiet end to the 2026 legislative session. ## Lab-grown meat ban Rhoden's first veto, House Bill 1077, which would have placed an indefinite ban on lab-grown meat production in South Dakota, resulted in a compromise with lawmakers, Senate Bill 124\. It instead imposes a five-year moratorium on production. While Rhoden acknowledged his disapproval of lab-grown products, he explained in his veto that he thought it wasn't the state's place to obstruct consumer preferences. [3 South Dakota governor debates scheduledKELO-TV, SDPB and South Dakota News Watch, and The Dakota Scout and Forum Communications will question the candidates.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-451.jpg)South Dakota News WatchCarson Walker![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/Screenshot-2026-03-26-at-4.55.01---PM.png)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-governor-debates-2026-primary/) The House voted 32-32 with six excused, far from the two-thirds majority needed to override a veto. Proponents of House Bill 1077 argued lab-grown meat not only constituted a health safety concern but also posed an existential threat to South Dakota. “Real meat is not just a part of the economy, it is our economy. It is our identity. It is our way of life. … Cell-cultivated protein is not agriculture,” said Republican Rep. Julie Auch of Yankton, who sponsored the bill. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/03/Auch-Photo-1-1.jpeg) Republican Rep. Julie Auch of Yankton, addresses the South Dakota House of Representatives on veto day, March 30, 2026, in Pierre, S.D. Meanwhile, those who backed the governor's veto echoed his sentiments on allowing market choice if lab-grown meat products can be deemed by the state to be safe to consume. “I don’t want to take commerce and crush it. I would rather make it safe, if they can make it safe. If they can’t, they won’t be able to sell it,” said Republican Rep. William Shorma of Dakota Dunes. ## Licensing requirements for non-medical home care The second vetoed bill up for consideration, House Bill 1138, would have created state licensing requirements for non-medical home care agencies. However, given the bill passed the House 41-25 and the Senate 20-14, it was doubtful the legislation would muster enough votes to override the veto. Similar to the rationale behind his veto on House Bill 1077, Rhoden argued the licensing requirements amount to an excess in government regulation. “The easiest way to protect our vulnerable South Dakotans in their home is to not hand bad actors the key to their front door,” said the bill’s sponsor, Rep. Mellissa Heermann, a Republican from Brookings. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/03/2026-3-30-Veto-day-Mellissa-Heermann-1.jpeg) Republican Rep. Mellissa Heermann addresses the South Dakota House of Representatives on veto day, March 30, 2026, in Pierre, S.D. (Photo: Alexander Rifaat/South Dakota News Watch) In addition to obtaining licensure, the law would have mandated that such home care agencies obtain liability insurance and conduct background checks. Supporters of Rhoden’s veto argued the bill’s emphasis on non-medical services could lead to a broad interpretation that would lead to maids and cooks being subject to the new regulations. However, Democratic Rep. Erik Muckey of Sioux Falls tried to clarify that the term in the context of the bill was intended to encompass all the services regular long-term facilities provide outside of nursing and the treatment of wounds. “The word ‘non-medical’ in this case … is a bit of a misnomer because a lot of the non-medical home care you’re looking at in this case is care you’re going to see in a long-term care facility,” he said. ****Play a bigger role in our storytelling.** Join us as a partner in telling stories that are important to all South Dakotans with a tax-deductible donation. [Donate ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/reportforamerica/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) The final House vote of 36-27, with seven excused, was not enough to override the veto. ## More than 200 bills signed into law In total, Rhoden signed 240 bills from the 2026 legislative session. Notable legislation, which takes effect July 1 unless it passed with an emergency clause, includes: - [House Bill 1326](https://sdlegislature.gov/Session/Bill/27361/306741?ref=sdnewswatch.org): The general appropriations bill for fiscal year 2027, which runs July 1 through June 30, 2027\. Lawmakers agreed to a $7.5 billion budget for the upcoming year, which included a 1.4% increase in funding for the so-called big three: state employees salaries, pre-K through 12th grade education and Medicaid health care providers. - [Senate Bill 175](https://sdlegislature.gov/Session/Bill/27075/303627?ref=sdnewswatch.org): Requires South Dakotans to provide proof of citizenship when registering to vote in state and local elections. The provision, which unlike most bills came with an emergency clause allowing it to take immediate effect, only applies to new registrants. Acceptable forms of identification include a valid driver's license, passport, tribal identification card or birth certificate. - [Senate Bill 96](https://sdlegislature.gov/Session/Bill/26772/295010?ref=sdnewswatch.org): Rhoden's signature property tax proposal gives counties the option to implement a half-cent sales tax increase in exchange for lowering property taxes. - [Senate Bill 245](https://sdlegislature.gov/Session/Bill/27158?ref=sdnewswatch.org): Signed into law as part of the property tax agreement between Rhoden and House Speaker Jon Hansen, Senate Bill 245 creates a homeowner property tax relief fund using revenue generated from the 0.3% sales tax increase scheduled for next year. - [Senate Bill 135](https://sdlegislature.gov/Session/Bill/27028?ref=sdnewswatch.org): This measure, dubbed the "Data Center Bill of Rights for Citizens," championed by Hansen and Senate President Pro Tempore Chris Karr of Sioux Falls, provides guardrails against data center electricity and water usage. - [Senate Bill 2](https://sdlegislature.gov/Session/Bill/26339?ref=sdnewswatch.org): Makes South Dakota the first state in the nation to declassify gun silencers as a controlled weapon. Residents will no longer be required to register their purchases of suppressors. - [House Bill 1274](https://sdlegislature.gov/Session/Bill/26881/300950?ref=sdnewswatch.org): Targets the distribution, sale and advertising of abortion materials and gives South Dakota's attorney general greater prosecution authority to pursue criminal and civil penalties. - [Senate Bill 113](https://sdlegislature.gov/Session/Bill/27079?ref=sdnewswatch.org): Introduced after an anti-ICE protest that occurred in a Minneapolis church in January, Senate Bill 113 increases the penalty for preventing practice of religion from a misdemeanor to a Class 6 felony. Under South Dakota law, if a governor does not sign or veto a bill presented to them within five days during the legislative session, it automatically becomes law. If the Legislature has adjourned, the governor has 40 days. In addition to considering the two vetoes, the Legislature on Monday passed Senate Bill 121, which provides emergency funding of roughly $8 million for the replacement of the Richmond Lake Dam near Aberdeen, which is considered a “high-hazard” structure. Gov. Rhoden signed the bill later that day. *This story was updated to reflect the outcomes of veto day.* **Correction*: This story was updated April 3, 2026 to correct the description of Senate Bill 245\.* ## ****Get South Dakota stories** An email summary on most weekdays that links to the full version. Cancel anytime. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact politics and statehouse reporter Alexander Rifaat:* 605-736-4396/*[*alexander.rifaat@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:alexander.rifaat@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### 3 South Dakota governor debates scheduled URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-governor-debates-2026-primary/ Last updated: 2026-03-27T12:25:19.000Z South Dakotans will have three chances in the next month to watch the four Republican candidates for governor take part in debates that will be televised statewide. Aberdeen businessman Toby Doeden, state House Speaker Jon Hansen, U.S. Rep Dusty Johnson and Gov. Larry Rhoden are vying for the GOP nomination in the June 2 primary. [USD democracy conference: Communication is keyFree April 9 gathering will include public speaking training Steve Jarding gives to Harvard students and “presidents and prime ministers.”![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-450.jpg)South Dakota News WatchCarson Walker![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/2024-Chiesman-conference-1.jpeg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/usd-chiesman-conference-civics-democracy-2026/) "Voters need to make an educated decision when they go to the ballot box, and the best way to do that is to question our candidates and have them respond," said Cara Hetland, director of journalism content at SDPB, which has produced televised forums since the 1970s. "You can't get that just from someone's social media feed. And they need to be held accountable for their record." ## Times, locations and moderators Here are details of each event: - **4 p.m. CT Tuesday, March 31:** KELO-TV will air its debate live from its Sioux Falls studios, with anchors Dan Santella and Lauren Soulek moderating. It will also be re-aired and available on demand on the station's broadcast and streaming platforms. - **8 p.m. CT Monday, April 13:** South Dakota Public Broadcasting's forum from its Sioux Falls studios will be moderated by SDPB's Jackie Hendry and South Dakota News Watch's Alexander Rifaat. A limited number of tickets will be available for an in-person audience. SDPB will archive the forum on its YouTube channel immediately afterward. - **7:30 p.m. CT Monday, April 27:** The Dakota Scout and Forum Communications will host the final debate in front of an audience of subscribers at the Belbas Theater in the Washington Pavilion in Sioux Falls. It will be moderated by Dakota Scout co-founder Jonathan Ellis and Patrick Lalley, editor of Sioux Falls Live, and broadcast on Forum's TV stations, KSFL-TV in Sioux Falls and KNBN-TV in Rapid City. Forum also owns the Mitchell Republic, Pierre Capital Journal and Madison Daily Leader newspapers. The debate will be available online afterward. SDPB will also air forums for other primary contests if more than one candidate qualifies for the ballot. ## Veteran and new media players Anna Peters, Keloland Media Group's director of news and multimedia content, said the station received a flood of viewer questions that will be asked of the candidates. "It's one of the most important things we can do as a TV station, a news station. This gives the voters a chance to see the candidates, hear what they have to say and see how they interact because, honestly, sometimes that interaction during a debate can help decide a race," she said. Peters said she looks forward to seeing how many people tune in live on their smartphones because that audience is growing. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/03/IMG_2337-1.jpg) KELO-TV's studio set for its March 31 gubernatorial debate. (Photo: KELO-TV) While KELO-TV and SDPB have televised candidate debates for decades, this is a first for The Dakota Scout and Forum Communications in South Dakota. Lalley and Ellis worked together at the Argus Leader newspaper in Sioux Falls with Joe Sneve, the Scout's other co-founder, who organized the event. The idea came from his time as a city beat reporter at the Argus when he live-streamed city council forums. He wanted to bring that format to the Scout, which launched in 2022\. "The fact we got all four candidates to a debate shows how the Scout has grown in its influence," Sneve said. "I think it demonstrates the credibility of the players here," Lalley added. "Our reputations were built in the mainstream media at the Argus Leader. And one of the reasons we've been able to do what we do is because of that reputation." Sneve said the debate builds on the Scout and Forum's working relationship. "I don't know that we would have gotten the invitations to do something like this if we weren't also offering a broadcast arm, which is where Forum and Sioux Falls Live come in," he said. "They print our paper. We run their sports content in our printed product. They're building out a broadcast division in South Dakota, so it felt like a perfect fit." ## ****Get South Dakota stories** An email summary on most weekdays that links to the full version. Cancel anytime. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact CEO Carson Walker:* 605-610-9366/*[*carson.walker@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:carson.walker@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ## [](https://monaeforsouthdakota.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) ### Fact brief: Is security at the Sioux Falls airport being paid during partial shutdown? URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/fact-brief-security-tsa-sioux-falls-airport-shutdown/ Last updated: 2026-04-05T01:09:38.000Z ## Yes. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/WhiteFACT-BRIEF--500-x-200-px--2-1-1.png) Security agents at the Sioux Falls Regional Airport are being paid during the partial government shutdown that is affecting the Department of Homeland Security. The Sioux Falls airport is one of 20 across the United States that uses a private company for security screenings and not Transportation Security Administration agents. Instead, the airport participates in the Screening Partnership Program. [South Dakota News Watch Quiz - Gigafact![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/cropped-favicon-270x270-1.png)Gigafact![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/quiz-og-image-1.png)](https://gigafact.org/quiz/south-dakota-news-watch/fact-brief-quiz-8765/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) “This program is funded for the year, so our screeners continue to receive pay,” airport executive director Dan Letellier told SiouxFalls.Business, adding that security agents in Sioux Falls receive the same TSA training. Major airports that privatize security include San Francisco International Airport and Kansas City International Airport in Missouri. TSA agents have not been paid since the partial shutdown started on Feb. 14, leading to more than 450 agents quitting and others being absent. On Sunday, almost 12% of workers TSA agents didn’t show up to work. *This fact brief responds to conversations such as*[](https://www.reddit.com/r/nationalparks/comments/1rss8e2/be%5Fprepared%5Ffor%5Ffire%5Fif%5Fyou%5Fvisit%5Fmt%5Frushmore/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)[*this one*](https://www.reddit.com/r/delta/comments/1rxk0i4/good%5Fto%5Fknow%5Fwhere%5Ftsa%5Fis%5Foperating%5Fnormally%5Fdue/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)[*.*](https://www.reddit.com/r/interestingasfuck/comments/1rjiyfy/tumbleweeds%5Farent%5Fnative%5Fto%5Fthe%5Funited%5Fstates/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) ## Sources Newsweek, [Full list of US airports with no TSA — and no long lines](https://www.newsweek.com/full-list-airports-tsa-screening-lines-11717216?ref=sdnewswatch.org) SiouxFalls.Business, [Sioux Falls Regional Airport should escape TSA delays](https://siouxfalls.business/sioux-falls-regional-airport-should-escape-tsa-delays/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Axios, [TSA staffing crisis escalates as agents quit, stay home](https://www.axios.com/2026/03/25/tsa-airport-security-quit-shutdown?ref=sdnewswatch.org) --- [South Dakota News Watch](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/) partners with [Gigafact](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) to publish fact briefs that refute or confirm a claim with supporting information and additional evidence and context. Send questions or feedback to [news@sdnewswatch.org](mailto:news@sdnewswatch.org). Submit a question for us to answer [on the tipline](https://gigafact.org/tipline/south-dakota-news-watch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). ****Support fact briefs.** Help us fight misinformation by supporting fact briefs that refute or confirm a claim with supporting information and additional evidence and context. [Donate ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact freelance reporter Michael Klinski:* michael.klinski@sdnewswatch.org.* ### More than a game: Why basketball runs deep in South Dakota’s Native communities URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/native-hoops-basketball-sports-sd-reservations-rez-ball/ Last updated: 2026-03-25T11:17:44.000Z "Tȟabškátapi kiɳ wičhóni." That means “ball is life” in Lakota, and for many people across South Dakota, that saying rings true now more than ever. Basketball has been the only thing on many students’ minds for the past few months – as the season concluded, the Summit League tournament came to Sioux Falls at the beginning of the month and high school state tournaments were spread out across the state. For some, though, the sport is more than just a winter pastime – it's their whole lives. Hence the saying. ## Native players, coaches dominate In Native communities across the state, basketball is the most well-loved sport by a country mile. Fans and families travel hours to watch their favorite high school teams compete. Those teams are often dominant, with high-scoring players and near-undefeated seasons a not-uncommon occurrence. > "I love giving (younger kids) a person who they can look up to as a basketball player.” – Marvin Richard III A wealth of talented players have come out of rural and reservation areas, and this season is no exception. ### Marvin Richard III Marvin Richard III, a senior at Pine Ridge School, has emerged as one of the most dominant players in state history. Richard, who plays at a towering 6-foot-3-inches for the Thorpes, recently had a record-breaking run at a game against Lakota Tech, where he scored 73 points. That, ironically, broke the 73-year-old record for most points in a single game in the state. ![Senior guard Marvin Richard III looks for a pass for Pine Ridge boys basketball against Cheyenne-Eagle Butte](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/03/Pine-Ridge--1-II.JPG) Senior guard Marvin Richard III looks for a pass for Pine Ridge boys basketball against Cheyenne-Eagle Butte at the Lakota Nation Invitational at The Monument Summit Arena in Rapid City, S.D., on Dec. 19, 2025\. (Photo: Matthew Neus/Rapid City Journal) He was named the [best player in the state by MaxPreps](https://www.maxpreps.com/m/news/1QN5U5jTTUycmgbRcjh0qg/high-school-basketball-best-player-in-all-50-states-entering-the-2025-26-season.htm?ref=sdnewswatch.org) and has garnered himself a fanbase of young, ambitious players across the state and at Pine Ridge who hope to see and learn from the best. "I love giving (younger kids) a person who they can look up to as a basketball player,” Richard [told the Rapid City Journal in 2025](https://rapidcityjournal.com/sports/high-school/basketball/boys/article%5F33723a0c-8818-41a1-9cf7-ec6709e2ae5e.html?ref=sdnewswatch.org). “I think a lot of people knew I was going to be something great. It was just a good feeling.” ### Ashlan Carlow-Blount Ashlan Carlow-Blount, from Maȟpíya Lúta (Red Cloud School) on Pine Ridge, was awarded the Spirit of Su at the girls' state championship this year. That award honors Su Anne Big Crow, an Oglala Lakota player who led the Pine Ridge High School basketball team to a championship in 1989\. It recognizes a player with outstanding character, leadership, athletic ability and grade point average. In January, Carlow-Blount passed the 1,500-point threshold in her career and in December led her team to its fifth championship win at the Lakota Nation Invitational in Rapid City. ![Mahpíya Lúta girls basketball's Ashlan Carlow-Blount tears up during the Class A title during pre-game ceremonies](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/03/Mahpiya-Luta-2-.jpg) Mahpíya Lúta girls basketball's Ashlan Carlow-Blount, right, tears up during the Class A title during pre-game ceremonies on Saturday, March 14, 2026, in Watertown, S.D. (Photo: Matt Weiner/Rapid City Journal) Both Carlow-Blount and Richard III have committed to the University of South Dakota in Vermillion. ### Eldon Marshall Just a bit farther east from Maȟpíya Lúta and Pine Ridge is White River. The town sits on off-reservation trust land for the Rosebud Sioux Tribe and has a population of just over 500\. There, Eldon Marshall has been coaching the White River boys’ basketball team since 2003\. He has led the team to qualification for the state tournament 20 years in a row, and two years ago was awarded the Larry Luitjens Coach of Influence Award. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/03/Screenshot-2026-03-24-at-8.30.17---PM-1.png) Marshall told News Watch that his own experience with the sport growing up and the mentors he gained along the way are crucial to his coaching success. He credits his own high school basketball coach, Bud Keller, to getting him thinking about his future. “He was someone that, you know, kind of had an impact on me,” Marshall said. “He was like one of the first people that asked, ‘What are you going to do after high school?’” > “... (Native basketball players) could be victorious at a time when society didn't allow you many opportunities to be the victor." – Wade Davies, author of "Native Hoops" Marshall was raised on the Rosebud Indian Reservation and played basketball his entire life – from elementary school to college, where he played at Black Hills State University in Spearfish. He told News Watch that in small communities like White River, people get to know what success feels like and are motivated to keep chasing it. "I feel like in a smaller community you just have this bond, you know? We started something, we had a lot of success early going on, and ever since, you just want to keep it going," Marshall said. "It's not the same-same, but it's the same families. The same people that were here 20 years ago that you worked with are somewhat the same people that you are working with now." ## Difficult origins lead to new way to play the game Wade Davies is the author of "Native Hoops," a book that spans 75 years of history of the sport on reservations. Davies, a professor of history at the University of Montana, told News Watch that the origins of basketball in Native communities aren’t necessarily happy ones, though it now sees fans packing stands. Students at Native boarding schools across the country were introduced to basketball during the sport’s inception and rise to popularity in the 1890s. It was an easy sport to play in close quarters – with no extraneous equipment or wide-open space required. ## ****Get South Dakota stories** An email summary on most weekdays that links to the full version. Cancel anytime. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. For many students, Davies said, basketball was an escape from the grim conditions of boarding schools. “At a time when you could get very little positive recognition as a Native person, in South Dakota or in Arizona or wherever you are, they could be successful. And they could be victorious at a time when society didn't allow you many opportunities to be the victor," Davies said. Native players developed their own style of play informed by endurance, speed and "non-stop" play, Davies said. This would define the sport on reservations in the 20th century, when boarding school students came home with a basketball in hand. "Relative to non-Native athletes, they were noted in the press for being more up-tempo," Davies said. "In the schools, they developed this style that initially in the press was just called Indian basketball. But later on, people started to know it as Rez ball." ## All-Native tournaments prove crucial training ground While the state tournament is the culmination of the basketball season for South Dakota high school players, there are a few other critical tests throughout the season that also serve as major community events. The Lakota Nation Invitational (LNI) and the Dakota Oyate Challenge (DOC) take place in Rapid City and Mitchell, respectively, inviting Native teams from Class A and Class B schools in South Dakota and Nebraska to compete. While these tournaments are born from basketball – and the fans' desire to watch – new traditions come from the gatherings, DOC founder Silas Blaine told News Watch. Since LNI's inception in 1976, it has expanded to a major annual community gathering at The Monument arena in Rapid City. In addition to sitting in the often-packed stands of basketball games, spectators can also watch traditional hand games, the Lakota language bowl and more than a dozen other activities. "Basketball's so popular, but then through these events, the coordinators want to start having their own events," Blaine said. "There's so much going on, all from basketball." ![Maȟpíya Lúta celebrates its record fifth straight Lakota Nation Invitational title on Saturday](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/03/Mahpiya-luta-6.jpg) Maȟpíya Lúta celebrates its record fifth straight Lakota Nation Invitational title on Saturday, Dec. 20, 2026, in Rapid City, S.D. (Photo: Matt Weiner/Rapid City Journal) Blaine is still the director of DOC and serves on the board of LNI. He told News Watch that bringing together smaller schools at DOC – like Wakpala School on the Standing Rock Indian Reservation, where he is the superintendent and boys' basketball coach – allows for a different style of community gathering than the massive, thousands-strong LNI. "The kids, you know, they get to know each other throughout the tournament," Blaine said. "I see, in a small school environment, kids get to know each other and then when they know who they are, they compete and have fun. It's a pleasant atmosphere." ## Community and coaching There is perhaps no better way to demonstrate what this sport means than to look at the players. They get involved in the community – one Maȟpíya Lúta player, Cody Two Bulls, [recently received a National Citizens Honor Award](https://mahpiyaluta.org/about-us/news-releases/cody-two-bulls-earns-national-citizen-honors-award/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) for his charity work on the Pine Ridge Reservation. They stop to take photos with younger kids who look up to them, especially all-time players like Richard. ****Support Native American storytelling.** Help South Dakota News Watch tell stories from Indian Country that don't just focus on the problems but on the solutions and rich Indigenous culture. [Donate ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) And sometimes, they become coaches themselves, passing on skills to the next generation – like Marshall and Blaine. Stretched across the back of every Maȟpíya Lúta basketball player, where one would usually see a last name on a professional jersey, is one word: Thiwáhe. It means family in Lakota, and represents the way this game has stretched across generations, from hardwood gym floors to outdoor pavements, and built communities in some of the state's most remote areas. "It's not just about basketball. It's about life, and that's the most meaningful thing to me," Marshall said. [A guide to South Dakota’s 9 Native American tribesThe governance, geography, people and economy of South Dakota’s nine Native American reservations and tribes.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-447.jpg)South Dakota News WatchMolly Wetsch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/sdtribes-map-1-1.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/nine-south-dakota-native-american-tribes-reservations-guide/) [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact reporter/**[***Report for America***](https://www.reportforamerica.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) **corps member Molly Wetsch:* 605-531-7382/*[*molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Fact brief: Did tumbleweeds first appear in the US in South Dakota? URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/fact-brief-tumbleweeds-first-appear-united-states-sd/ Last updated: 2026-03-24T17:48:39.000Z ## Yes. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/WhiteFACT-BRIEF--500-x-200-px--2-1-1.png) The common tumbleweed, a frequent symbol of the Old West in Hollywood movies and a bane of farmers and ranchers’ existence, was first discovered in South Dakota in 1873 but originates in Europe and central Asia. Tumbleweeds, or Russian thistle, first appeared in North America in Bon Homme County, after its seeds were mixed in with flaxseed and inadvertently planted. Tumbleweed thrives in loose soil that has been plowed for other crops, and as farmers in the late 1880s cleared land, the thistle bloomed. [South Dakota News Watch Quiz - Gigafact![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/cropped-favicon-270x270-1.png)Gigafact![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/quiz-og-image-1.png)](https://gigafact.org/quiz/south-dakota-news-watch/fact-brief-quiz-8765/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Once the plant matures and becomes stiff, it can cause wounds to farmers and animals and lead to extensive crop losses. Its growth can also be attributed to the fact that it was difficult to distinguish the thistle seeds from other grains, leading to further dispersal. Control methods are being tested, but the variety of species makes targeting difficult. *This fact brief responds to conversations such as*[](https://www.reddit.com/r/nationalparks/comments/1rss8e2/be%5Fprepared%5Ffor%5Ffire%5Fif%5Fyou%5Fvisit%5Fmt%5Frushmore/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)[*this one.*](https://www.reddit.com/r/interestingasfuck/comments/1rjiyfy/tumbleweeds%5Farent%5Fnative%5Fto%5Fthe%5Funited%5Fstates/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) ## Sources Natural History Museum, Tumbleweeds: [The fastest plant invasion in the USA’s history](https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/tumbleweeds-fastest-plant-invasion-in-usa-history.html?ref=sdnewswatch.org) University of Colorado, [Tumbleweeds, despised icons of the West](https://www.colorado.edu/asmagazine/2018/02/09/tumbleweeds-despised-icons-west?ref=sdnewswatch.org) --- [South Dakota News Watch](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/) partners with [Gigafact](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) to publish fact briefs that refute or confirm a claim with supporting information and additional evidence and context. Send questions or feedback to [news@sdnewswatch.org](mailto:news@sdnewswatch.org). Submit a question for us to answer [on the tipline](https://gigafact.org/tipline/south-dakota-news-watch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact freelance reporter Michael Klinski:* michael.klinski@sdnewswatch.org.* ### Weekly newspaper publisher named News Watch board chair URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-news-watch-board-kotzea-hine/ Last updated: 2026-05-13T21:48:46.000Z Kristi Hine, who has served as vice chair of the South Dakota News Watch board of directors since January 2025, formally took over as chair on Monday upon the resignation of Nick Kotzea, who has filed as a candidate for the Legislature. Kotzea, chief operating officer and general counsel for the University of South Dakota Foundation, had to step down to avoid a conflict of interest. He had just started serving his third, three-year term and was in his second year as chair. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/03/Kotzea--Nick.jpg) Nick Kotzea Kotzea is running as a Republican from District 13 for the state House of Representatives. He previously served as Sanford Health’s director of legislative affairs and as legal counsel to the South Dakota Department of Revenue. Hine, editor and publisher of the True Dakotan weekly newspaper in Wessington Springs, joined the South Dakota News Watch board in 2024\. She previously worked 15 years in marketing and public relations in San Diego, Las Vegas and her hometown of Phoenix. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/03/Hine--Kristi-1-1.jpg) Kristi Hine “I’m honored to step into the role of chair and help lead an organization that plays such an important role in keeping South Dakotans informed and engaged. I want to thank Nick Kotzea for his outstanding leadership and service. He has helped guide News Watch with integrity and vision. I look forward to building on that strong foundation as we continue delivering independent, nonprofit journalism that shines a light on the issues that matter most to our state,” she said. Since purchasing the [True Dakotan](https://www.truedakotan.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)in 2015*,* Hine has updated and modernized the look and design of the publication while broadening its digital product offerings. The True Dakotan expanded its coverage last fall and now is the official paper of record for Jerauld County, the Wessington Springs School District, the Wolsey-Wessington School District and the cities of Alpena, Lane, Wessington Springs and Wolsey. Hine was the 137th president of the [South Dakota NewsMedia Association](https://www.sdna.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) in 2023-2024 and remained on that board until 2025. South Dakota News Watch was founded 10 years ago this year after retired newspaper executives Jack Marsh and Randell Beck recognized that fewer newsroom resources made it harder to produce statewide coverage of important issues. After more than two years of research and fundraising, they launched and it began publishing in 2018\. [See who else serves on the board of directors](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/board/). Besides providing statewide news and information to its own audience, it shares its stories with more than 100 partner newspapers, broadcasters and online sites, including the True Dakotan. ****News Watch's mission includes shedding light on the issues, concerns and welfare of South Dakotans. Please consider partnering with us to do that by donating.** [Donate ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact CEO Carson Walker:* 605-610-9366/*[*carson.walker@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:carson.walker@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Housing jumpstarts revitalization of Herreid, population 400 URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/housing-solutions-revitalization-herreid/ Last updated: 2026-07-14T15:02:23.000Z HERREID, S.D. – Dick Werner drives his pickup through the streets of this northern South Dakota town and can hardly go a block before stopping to point out new houses or apartments that have popped up in the past few years. To be sure, the journey doesn't last long because the agricultural outpost of Herreid – located 7 miles south of the North Dakota border – only has about 400 residents and just a few streets that splinter off U.S. Highway 83, the main drag through town. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/05/Engage-SD-small-logo-1-1-1.png) Engage South Dakota identifies and shares solutions to the state's biggest challenges. And yet, Werner's excitement is palpable as he shares the stories of how he and other local leaders have spurred a rebirth of the ranching and outdoor recreation town's population and economy by adding new housing, new municipal amenities and new businesses. Werner, 68, is a retired banking executive who served in the state Legislature and on the Beadle County Commission before taking on a volunteer role as president of Herreid Area Housing Development (HAHD.) [Grassroots effort in Redfield turning old bank into day careHow the South Dakota city of 2,200 used a Ford Mustang raffle and a “grocery grab” fundraiser to solve a major problem.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-438.jpg)South Dakota News WatchBart Pfankuch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/2026-2-3-Redfield-bank-with-Gianna-1-1.jpeg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/redfield-day-care-solutions-engage-south-dakota/) He grew up in Herried but spent adulthood elsewhere, returning to his hometown in 2016 to find the local grocery store shuttered and the school population at 109, just above the threshold where state law requires dissolution of the school and assimilation into a larger nearby district. "If you lose your school and your grocery store, your town is in trouble," Werner said. Herreid's population peaked in 1960 at 767 people and has been on the decline since, falling to 416 in 2020, according to the U.S. Census. School enrollment followed suit as the population grew older and fewer families with children made Herreid their home. ****ABOUT ENGAGE SOUTH DAKOTA** This story is part of an ongoing South Dakota News Watch series called Engage South Dakota using storytelling, crowdsourcing and community engagement to identify and share potentially replicable housing solutions. Each story includes the community's ****response**, ****evidence** of whether the ideas are effective, ****insights** to be learned and ****limitations** on the efforts. ****Key takeaway for this story:** It takes commitment and innovation to find the money and local support needed to pay for housing development and rehabilitation in small, remote communities in rural South Dakota, but those efforts can create big dividends. [****Read about other South Dakota housing solutions**](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/engage-south-dakota-housing-rent-own-solutions-journalism). Since returning, Werner has played a key role in finding the money and providing the expertise to begin rebuilding the housing stock in Herreid, a critical first step in attracting families and workers who form the backbone of the future for any small town in South Dakota. "We were really hurting for homes because without places to live, there's no way people can move here to work or raise a family," he said. ## Response: Grants and local donors drive growth As with many small, remote South Dakota communities, Herreid is not a target for privately funded housing projects, largely because profit margins for developers are too narrow and it is difficult for them to get materials and skilled workers. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/03/HerreidLocator.png) Instead, Herreid has turned to a unique funding model to find money for new homes and apartments. Over the past decade, Werner has obtained $2.2 million in grants to help pay for land, materials and construction for development of new housing, for rehabilitation of existing homes and businesses, and for municipal projects including a pool, playground and sports complex. In July 2026, HAHD was provided a $100,000 grant by the South Dakota Community Foundation to help build a new triplex apartment. Construction is set to begin in 2026\. The grant was awarded through the foundation's new Housing Initiative, which supports affordable housing projects across the state. "This complex will open more affordable housing units to the address the community's rental shortage," the foundation said in a July 14 news release. ![Dick Werner of Herreid, S.D., shown on Feb. 3, 2026, looks at a plat map while driving around the town.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/03/2026-2-3-Herreid-Werner-in-car-pointing.jpeg) Dick Werner of Herreid, S.D., shown on Feb. 3, 2026, looks at a plat map while driving around the town. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) The list of funders is varied and includes among others the South Dakota Housing Authority, U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development, the Land, Water and Conservation Fund, Grow South Dakota, the South Dakota Community Foundation, Wellmark Foundation, WEB Water, CoBank, MDU Resources, Campbell County Bank, Federal Home Loan Banks, and Homes Are Possible Inc. in Aberdeen. > "We want to get people into homes, to own them and have pride of ownership." – Dick Werner, president of Herreid Area Housing Development Meanwhile, the HAHD created another pool of about $180,000 in available funds by soliciting loans from 30 local residents who were committed to supporting future growth. The group also raised more than $250,000 from fundraising events, including $200,000 from a Queen of Diamonds raffle program held in a local tavern. "You just have to know where to get the money," Werner said. "You've got to have connections and partnerships, but it's important to know that there are resources across the state to help your community." ## Evidence: New homes, apartments in Herreid Successful projects have followed the funding. HAHD has developed five speculative homes that were sold before completion and brought 25 new residents to town. It has helped new residents pay for single-family and twin homes through the state Governor's House program, in which houses are built by prison inmates. ![This "Dakotaplex" twin home, shown Feb. 3, 2026, is one of the homes from the state Governor's House Program that have helped lure new families to Herreid, S.D.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/03/2026-2-3-Herreid-gov-twin-homes-1.jpeg) This "Dakotaplex" twin home, shown Feb. 3, 2026, is one of the homes from the state Governor's House Program that have helped lure new families to Herreid, S.D. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) HAHD has acquired 16 apartment units that are fully occupied. Its next proposed project is construction of a new three-unit apartment building for which Werner just landed $700,000 in grants. The organization has also helped pay for improvements to 18 existing homes. The HAHD is now trying to sell and support development of single-family homes on eight lots just north of downtown that are already served by sewer and water lines. The group is selling the full-size lots for only $7,000 and can provide assistance to buyers to keep their construction and mortgage costs low, Werner said. "We want to get people into homes, to own them and have pride of ownership," Werner said. ## Insights: Economic growth follows housing If housing is the platform that enables growth in a community, economic development is the resulting engine that can propel forward prosperity for individuals and families. Through a team effort among town leaders, engaged local residents, the HAHD and the Herreid Economic Development Corp., the town has seen positive growth on several fronts in recent years. ## ****Get South Dakota stories** An email summary on most weekdays that links to the full version. Cancel anytime. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. Melinda Neeley, president of the development corporation, said expansion of housing in Herreid has set the stage for arrival of new businesses and residents that have stabilized the local economy. Even with only 400 people, Herreid now boasts a thriving grocery store, medical clinic, pharmacy, bank, day care, livestock yard, diesel repair shop, and hardware and feed store. Tax money, grants and local donations were used to help pay for a $200,000 sports complex, a $145,000 upgrade of a downtown playground, and a $1.1 million municipal pool upgrade as well a $20,000 addition of local pickleball courts. The local K-12 public school just completed a $4 million addition and renovation project. ![Downtown Herreid, S.D, shown on Feb. 3, 2026, has become a thriving business district in recent years.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/03/2026-2-3-Herreid-downtown-post-office-1.jpeg) Downtown Herreid, S.D, shown on Feb. 3, 2026, has become a thriving business district in recent years. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) “I feel like we’re on an upward trajectory,” Neeley told News Watch. “It takes the help of people from all of these different groups to not just maintain what we have but to grow the services we have here.” Moreover, the slow but steady rebuilding of the local economy has attracted or strengthened employers that are providing good jobs — including the Pig Improvement Co., Agtegra Cooperative, and a host of area ranchers and farmers as well as agricultural supply and trucking companies, Neeley said. The volunteer economic development group owns several land lots in town that it has made available for development at low cost, Neeley said. The group also owns a few buildings downtown that it is able to rent at reasonable rates, lowering the entry and ongoing costs of businesses that want to make a go of it. Additionally, the group has taken steps to create succession plans for business owners who plan to retire or leave town, Neeley said. The organization tries to provide affordable rent and other assistance to increase viability of new businesses or for businesses with new ownership. “If they had to purchase the building, the cost would be much greater,” she said. “The loss of a single business could make a huge impact on our sales tax collection and the housing progress we’ve made.” ## Limitations: Positive signs but work to do Kayla and Preston Huber moved to Herreid seven years ago, and even though Kayla is a nurse, she jumped headlong into entrepreneurship by opening a grocery store called Fresh Start Market. When she arrived, Herreid did not have a grocery store, and food options were limited within a drivable distance. She and her husband downsized into a double-wide trailer house that they renovated because housing options were almost non-existent when they arrived. "We got lucky when we moved back because there weren't many options (for housing)," she said. > "If you're in small, rural communities in South Dakota, and you're not willing to accept diversity, you're not going to grow because the Norwegians, Swedes, Germans and Polish are done coming here." > – Dick Werner, president of Herreid Area Housing Development Huber said she has had great success and attributes some of that to efforts to generate new housing in town. "As a business owner, it's definitely great to see," she said. And yet, she sees more opportunity for community growth if more housing can be developed. "More people want to get out of cities and big-city life, and this is a great place to raise a family," she said. "We’ve had some younger couples move back, and I know a few more that would move back if there were more places to live." ****Support solutions-focused storytelling.** Help South Dakota News Watch tell stories that identify and share solutions to the state's biggest challenges. [Donate ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Werner predicts that Herreid's population will show a jump in the 2030 census, which would be the first increase in 70 years. Werner has also done calculations that he said show enrollment in the Herreid school will rise to about 150 in the next four years. Some of the population growth has come from about 40 Hispanic residents who are in South Dakota on three-year federal work visas, some of whom have purchased homes in Herreid. The town has also attracted several Hutterite families who have moved to town in recent years, Werner said. ![Dick Werner of the Herreid, S.D., housing development group, stood on Feb. 3, 2026, in front of an early "spec" home ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/03/2026-2-3-Herreid-Werner-outside-home-1.jpeg) Dick Werner of the Herreid, S.D., housing development group, stood on Feb. 3, 2026, in front of an early "spec" home developed by the organization. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) "If you're in small, rural communities in South Dakota, and you're not willing to accept diversity, you're not going to grow because the Norwegians, Swedes, Germans and Polish are done coming here," he said. Werner said there's no "special sauce" to generating growth in rural areas but that it does require an individual or a group to step up and get things started. But he cautions that it takes perseverance to keep the momentum and an ability to ignore the doubters. [Engage South Dakota: Housing solutionsA list of entities and programs that can assist in developing or obtaining housing as well as links to News Watch reporting on housing solutions.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-437.jpg)South Dakota News WatchBart Pfankuch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/IMG_2326-15.jpeg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/engage-south-dakota-housing-rent-own-solutions-journalism/) "Housing development is a marathon, not a sprint, and you've got to have people who are committed," he said. "There's been all these naysayers out there on all these projects, but once they see the results, the naysayers all go away." During the drive around Herreid in February, Werner said that all the time and effort he has put into promoting housing and economic growth in his hometown have been well worth it. "Probably the toughest thing you can do is to develop a property," he said. "I've run banks, groups of banks and managed dozens of employees, and this is the toughest thing I've ever done. But it's also the most rewarding." [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact* *content director Bart Pfankuch:** 605-937-9398*/*[*bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org). ### USD democracy conference: Communication is key URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/usd-chiesman-conference-civics-democracy-2026/ Last updated: 2026-03-20T10:56:07.000Z Mitchell native Steve Jarding, who has extensive experience in state and national politics as well as teaching at Harvard and other universities, said the failure or success of some political institutions largely comes down to basic communication skills. "If we want a better democracy, we have to train people not to fear public speaking," which causes more anxiety than death for most, he said. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/03/2025-Steve-Jarding-cropped-1.jpeg) Steve Jarding, who will give the keynote April 9 at the Chiesman Center for Democracy Conference at the University of South Dakota. (Photo: Courtesy Steve Jarding) Jarding will share the training he has given to "presidents and prime ministers" as the keynote speaker April 9 at the [2026 Chiesman Center for Democracy Conference](https://sites.google.com/usd.edu/chiesman/democracy-conference?ref=sdnewswatch.org) in Vermillion. The free daylong conference and lunch is sponsored by [the Chiesman Center for Democracy](https://usd.edu/Chiesman?ref=sdnewswatch.org) at the University of South Dakota, where Jarding earned his undergraduate degree. [He still does campaign management and consulting](https://iop.harvard.edu/fellows/steve-jarding?ref=sdnewswatch.org) but primarily leads workshops and university classes on the power of human communication. > "The problem isn't the (political) institutions, but it's the people in them because good people don't want to do it." – Steve Jarding "What I'll be talking about is training I do all over the world. Over the last 20-plus years at Harvard I developed a new paradigm of communication," he said. "Most people when they communicate about politics, it's about intellectualism – that if I know the issues and am smart and understand policy, they will be attracted to me." He questioned that. "I know political people who didn't know policy well and weren't the smartest person, but people loved them. By contrast, I knew people who knew policy, but people weren't attracted to them. The intellectual argument was flawed," Jarding said. ## ****Get South Dakota stories** An email summary on most weekdays that links to the full version. Cancel anytime. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. The paradigm he developed stems from the idea that if you train and empower people to overcome the fear of public speaking, more of them will be apt to run for public office. "The problem isn't the (political) institutions, but it's the people in them because good people don't want to do it," Jarding said. "I have people leave the stage crying and after the training they're powerful speakers." ## 250th, protests, new civics class Besides communication, the conference will also focus on the nation's 250th anniversary, said Julia Hellwege, director of the Chiesman Center and associate USD political science professor. "The goal is to understand how we can communicate better with one another and take collective action, and when that collective action serves democracy and when it can be challenging in a democracy," she said. "About protests, historically and comparatively, why did it work for America and where else has it worked and when might it not work." ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/03/2024-Julia-Hellwege--right--1.jpeg) Julia Hellwege (right), director of the Chiesman Center for Democracy at the University of South Dakota. (Photo: Courtesy Jon Beringer) That discussion will happen during an America 250 panel that will examine the significance of the nation's anniversary and the role of protest in American democracy. The day will also include state legislators sharing their perspectives on the 2026 legislative session and several researchers presenting their latest findings. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/03/Color-Version-Logo---Chiesman-Democracy-Conference-1.png) This is the first school year with a South Dakota Board of Regents [requirement that students be proficient in civics](https://sdbor.edu/news/new-civic-graduation-requirement-12-12-24/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) before graduation. To complement those required classes, the Chiesman center sponsored the [Higher Education Civic Engagement Award](https://sites.google.com/usd.edu/chiesman/civics-award?ref=sdnewswatch.org) whose winners will be announced at the conference. It involves teams of two to five students from the [six public universities](https://sdbor.edu/our-schools/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) doing civic engagement projects, with a top prize of $500 per student. Other Chiesman efforts include the student-led [Dakota Dialogues podcast](https://sites.google.com/usd.edu/chiesman/dakota-dialogues?ref=sdnewswatch.org) focusing on civic education and its [statewide nonpartisan polling](https://sites.google.com/usd.edu/chiesman/polling?ref=sdnewswatch.org) with South Dakota News Watch. [Read the full schedule and register](https://sites.google.com/usd.edu/chiesman/democracy-conference?ref=sdnewswatch.org) for all or part of the free conference and lunch. [250+ years of American civics and newsSeries of community gatherings and other events across South Dakota seeks to increase engagement and help voters find fact-based information ahead of elections.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-445.jpg)South Dakota News WatchSD News Watch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/image000004--1--1-7.jpeg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-civics-media-politics-voting-series/) Jarding said events like the Chiesman conference are vital. "I don't think you can do enough of these, especially at a time when we're not teaching civics in our schools like we used to," he said. "Anything that can raise the flag for democracy and stimulate ideas and awareness around the importance of democratic societies is critical." ****Trusted, independent sources of information are needed more than ever. Partner with us to produce fact-based news.** [Donate ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact CEO Carson Walker:* 605-610-9366/*[*carson.walker@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:carson.walker@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Fact brief: Are mountain lion attacks on humans common? URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/fact-brief-mountain-lion-attacks-humans-south-dakota/ Last updated: 2026-03-19T10:33:05.000Z ## No. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/WhiteFACT-BRIEF--500-x-200-px--2-1-1.png) Mountain lion attacks on humans are extremely rare. The Mountain Lion Foundation (MLF) reports people are much more likely to be killed by a pet dog or struck by lightning. Though mountain lions in South Dakota mostly live in the western part of the state and the Black Hills, one was spotted March 18 in downtown Sioux Falls. City officials have reported mountain lions have increasingly been spotted in residential areas, including in Spearfish near two schools. [South Dakota News Watch Quiz - Gigafact![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/cropped-favicon-270x270-1.png)Gigafact![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/quiz-og-image-1.png)](https://gigafact.org/quiz/south-dakota-news-watch/fact-brief-quiz-8765/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) There have been about 30 fatal mountain lion attacks in North America since 1868, while five people die on average per year of snake bites. If mountain lions do attack humans, it's likely to be done during the day, in the summer and fall, and in wildlife areas where humans have ventured. If you see a mountain lion, stay calm, do not approach, do not run and do not crouch or bend over. Back away slowly. *This fact brief responds to conversations such as*[](https://www.reddit.com/r/nationalparks/comments/1rss8e2/be%5Fprepared%5Ffor%5Ffire%5Fif%5Fyou%5Fvisit%5Fmt%5Frushmore/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)[*this one.*](https://www.reddit.com/r/conservation/comments/1fsxh1b/the%5Fblack%5Fhills%5Fare%5Fthick%5Fwith%5Flions%5Fbut%5Fthose/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) ### Sources The Mountain Lion Foundation, [Frequently Asked Questions](https://mountainlion.org/about-mountain-lions/frequently-asked-questions/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) The Mountain Lion Foundation, [What we know about mountain lion attacks in North America](https://mountainlion.org/2024/04/06/risk-and-recreation/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) SDPB, [Officials confirm mountain lion sighting in downtown Sioux Falls](https://www.sdpb.org/2026-03-18/officials-confirm-mountain-lion-spotting-in-downtown-sioux-falls?ref=sdnewswatch.org) South Dakota News Watch, [Dangerous wild animals encroaching on South Dakota neighborhoods](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/animal-sightings-south-dakota-bears-mountain-lions-deer/) CDC, [Venomous snakes](https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/outdoor-workers/about/venomous-snakes.html?ref=sdnewswatch.org) National Park Service, [Your safety in mountain lion habitat](https://www.nps.gov/pore/planyourvisit/yoursafety%5Fmountainlions.htm?ref=sdnewswatch.org) --- [South Dakota News Watch](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/) partners with [Gigafact](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) to publish fact briefs that refute or confirm a claim with supporting information and additional evidence and context. Send questions or feedback to [news@sdnewswatch.org](mailto:news@sdnewswatch.org). Submit a question for us to answer [on the tipline](https://gigafact.org/tipline/south-dakota-news-watch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). ****Support fact briefs.** Help us fight misinformation by supporting fact briefs that refute or confirm a claim with supporting information and additional evidence and context. [Donate ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact freelance reporter Michael Klinski:* michael.klinski@sdnewswatch.org.* ### Supreme Court takes up contested Igloo bunker leases URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/supreme-court-igloo-depot-bunker-leases/ Last updated: 2026-03-19T11:43:28.000Z SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – The South Dakota Supreme Court heard arguments Wednesday over the contested eviction of a resident of the survivalist bunker community near Edgemont in a case that could have widespread implications on contract and lease laws in South Dakota. The five justices heard testimony on the case "Vivos xPoint versus Sindorf" during a traveling court session held in the Hamre Recital Hall on the campus of Augustana University in Sioux Falls. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/03/2026-3-18-SD-Supreme-Court-justices-1.jpeg) Supreme Court justices who heard cases in Sioux Falls, S.D., on March 18, 2026, included (left to right) Scott P. Myren, Mark E. Salter, Chief Justice Steven R. Jensen, Patricia J. Devaney and circuit court Judge Anne Hoffman, who sat in for Justice Robert Gusinsky, who recused himself from the case of Vivos xPoint versus Sindorf. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) The high court is being asked to decide the legality of the 99-year lease signed by dozens of residents of the Vivos xPoint residential complex located 8 miles south of Edgemont, in far southwest South Dakota. The court is considering an appeal made by Vivos of a 2025 circuit judge's ruling that declared the lease "illusory," or essentially illegal. The justices heard legal arguments from both sides of the case and asked numerous questions of the lawyers involved – Spearfish attorney Eric Schlimgen representing Vivos and Custer attorneys Matthew Hays McCoy and J. Scott James representing Daniel Sindorf. After the 50-minute hearing, the three lawyers representing the two sides stood in the hallway of the recital hall and each expressed some confusion about the inquiries raised by the justices, trying to determine which legal principles interested the court the most or which way they were leaning in regard to a ruling. The court will now review the arguments and prior court filings before making a ruling, which could take several months. ## Vivos lease a source of legal uncertainty The 14-page lease and an extensive list of rules and regulations have become the subject of a handful of lawsuits after they were used as the basis to evict several bunker residents. Evicted tenants then lose the right to occupy the bunkers despite paying up to $55,000 in upfront fees, a monthly service charge and for improvements to make the bunkers more livable. The case in question centers around the eviction of Sindorf, a former Vivos resident who signed a lease in 2020\. The eviction came after a July 2023 incident in which Sindorf pulled out a gun after he said he felt threatened by a Vivos employee’s dogs. ## ****Get South Dakota stories** An email summary on most weekdays that links to the full version. Cancel anytime. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. Sindorf said he and his wife had felt threatened by the loose dogs on several occasions and pointed the gun at the ground in the area where the dogs were present. Vivos argues in court documents that Sindorf had pointed the gun directly at the girlfriend of a Vivos employee and was therefore in violation of the lease and subject to eviction. The legal case hinges on language within the lease, including changes made after Sindorf signed it. > "This could affect contracts of all kinds, whether you’re talking about a contract for employment or to buy a car or to rent a property." > \-- Custer attorney J. Scott James Vivos states that several months prior to the July 2023 confrontation, the company added an addendum to the rules included within the lease that make it a violation to “brandish” a weapon outside of designated shooting areas within the complex. James, one of Sindorf’s attorneys, argued in the lawsuit that the lease and therefore the eviction were both illegal because it is not lawful to make changes to a signed lease without consent of both parties or without recourse by the tenant. In a three-page ruling in April 2025, Circuit Judge Scott A. Roetzel noted that “the 99-year lease is an illusory contract that plaintiff (Vivos) can unilaterally modify the terms of at any time with no resource for defendant (Sindorf)." ## Attorneys make their cases Schlimgen argued that the circuit court did not have proper jurisdiction and also erred in its ruling. He said Vivos properly notified all tenants, including Sindorf, that it was making a change to the rules regarding firearm use in the complex. McCoy told the court that the Vivos lease gives the landlord "unfettered" ability to change the lease at any time. He also said that the rules and regulations Vivos imposes on tenants are part of and not separate from the lease agreement. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/03/2026-3-18-Supreme-Court-Vivos-attorneys-1.jpeg) The three attorneys who argued the Supreme Court case Vivos xPoint versus Sindorf in Sioux Falls, S.D., on March 18, 2026, included (left to right) J. Scott James, Matthew Hays McCoy and Eric Schlimgen. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) Prior to the hearing, James told News Watch that if the high court rules in Sindorf's favor it would empower Vivos residents to seek a new, legal lease arrangement. He also said the ruling could strengthen lease and contract laws in the state by preventing changes to legal agreements without consent of both parties. ****Your donation supports trusted, balanced storytelling that's delivered for free to all South Dakotans.** [Donate ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) "This could affect contracts of all kinds, whether you’re talking about a contract for employment or to buy a car or to rent a property," James said. "If you want to change lease terms, you do it at renewal, and you don't do it in the middle of a rental period." But in its filing to the high court, Vivos argued that allowing the lease to be declared illegal would have virtually the opposite effect and could weaken the legal status of leases and contracts in South Dakota. "The public policy implications of the circuit court's decision that the lease is illusory open a Pandora's box on all leases and restrictive covenants that have 'community guideline' addendums and controverts the implied duty of good faith and fair dealing," the Vivos filing states. ## Bunker complex source of many legal issues The sprawling Vivos site includes 575 above-ground, earth-covered concrete bunkers that were used by the U.S. military from 1942 to 1967 to store conventional and chemical munitions at the Black Hills Ordinance Depot in a town once known as Igloo. The bunkers were purchased by California businessman Robert Vicino in 2016 and have since been rented to survivalists or "preppers" who sign a 99-year lease to live in bunkers they do not own. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/03/2024-10-4-Bunker-solar-wide-shot-1.JPG) Hundreds of former munitions bunkers, some occupied by renters, make up the Vivos xPoint survivalist complex south of Edgemont, S.D., shown in 2024\. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) The legality of the lease is only one issue that has plagued the Vivos complex since its inception. According to [prior reporting by News Watch](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/igloo-south-dakota-prepper-bunker-vivos-xpoint/), the residential community has been beset by conflicts between residents and employees, numerous lawsuits, several complaints to the state attorney general’s office and a near-fatal shooting of a complex employee in 2024. News Watch showed that Vivos has failed to follow through on promises to outfit the community with numerous amenities and employs at least one onsite worker with a violent criminal record. In a prior interview, Vicino said those who complain are “bad apples” and that most Vivos tenants are happy with their treatment. ## 2024 Vivos shooting ruled justified In a separate Supreme Court ruling on March 11, the high court ruled in favor of former Vivos resident David Streeter in the August 2024 shooting of a Vivos contractor during a dispute. Streeter was at his rented bunker when he was confronted by Vivos contractor Kelly Anderson, who had threatened Streeter in prior text messages. After Anderson arrived at Streeter's bunker, he again threatened Streeter and rushed toward him. Streeter shot Anderson in the chest and took life-saving measures to save him. Anderson sued Streeter and the case moved to the high court after a lower court ruled in Streeter's favor. But the Supreme Court affirmed the lower court ruling, arguing that Streeter was justified in the shooting under the state's stand-your-ground law that allows the use of deadly force to defend oneself. The high court also ruled that Streeter was not liable for damages related to the shooting. --- ### Read other stories about the Igloo complex: [SD bunker residents raise financial, safety concernsA former military munitions site with concrete bunkers now used as residences has become the source of numerous lawsuits.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-441.jpg)South Dakota News WatchBart Pfankuch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/2024-10-14-Bunker-wide-shot-with-road-1-7.JPG)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/igloo-south-dakota-prepper-bunker-vivos-xpoint/) [Move into SD bunker backfires on family seeking new lifeThe problems at the residential bunker complex south of Edgemont, uncovered in a recent News Watch investigation, have landed particularly hard on one family.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-442.jpg)South Dakota News WatchBart Pfankuch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/2024-12-7-Chris-Yellow-Thunder_David-Street-outside-home-2.JPG)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/bunker-community-igloo-south-dakota-vivos/) [Igloo bunker residents file class-action lawsuit against ownerMore than 150 plaintiffs could be part of $17 million legal action at the “prepper” complex in southwest South Dakota.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-440.jpg)South Dakota News WatchBart Pfankuch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/2024-10-14-Bunker-wide-shot-with-road-1-6.JPG)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/igloo-bunker-community-class-action-lawsuit-vivos-sd/) [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact* *content director Bart Pfankuch:** 605-937-9398*/*[*bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org). ### Rhoden hits back at Johnson's '2-person race' gibe URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/larry-rhoden-dusty-johnsons-2-person-race/ Last updated: 2026-03-17T13:48:15.000Z Gov. Larry Rhoden pushed back Monday against comments made by gubernatorial rival U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson. In an [interview last week ](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/dusty-johnson-entrepreneurship-future-fund-sd/)with News Watch, Johnson argued a recent poll had demonstrated Aberdeen businessman Toby Doeden, and not the current sitting governor, was his closest challenger for the Republican nomination for governor. The [Emerson College poll commissioned by KELO-TV](https://emersoncollegepolling.com/south-dakota-2026-poll-dusty-johnson-leads-incumbent-larry-rhoden-in-governor-election/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) showed Johnson on top with support from 28% of respondents, while Doeden received 18%, Rhoden got 17% and House Speaker Jon Hansen received 14%. Almost a quarter of respondents, 23%, were undecided. "When you see Doeden polling at second place, and having far more resources than Rhoden, I increasingly get the sense this is a two-person race," Johnson said. ## ****Get South Dakota stories** An email summary on most weekdays that links to the full version. Cancel anytime. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. Rhoden's team hit back, arguing the governor's ability to get several key pieces of legislation over the line in [this year's session](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-legislature-budget-property-taxes/) meant Johnson's comments come from a place of concern rather than dismissiveness. "Governor Rhoden isn’t focused on who he’s running against, but on what he’s running for. His achievements, including the biggest property tax cut in state history, prove he’s the right man for the job. Other candidates are dismissing him because they recognize that reality," Ian Fury, Rhoden's campaign manager, told News Watch March 16 in a statement. Campaign finance disclosure forms filed at the end of January showed Johnson and Doeden raising roughly [$1.6 million](https://sdcfr.sdsos.gov/Document.aspx?DocumentID=100502&type=doc&ref=sdnewswatch.org) and [$2.1 million](https://sdcfr.sdsos.gov/Document.aspx?DocumentID=6450&type=img&ref=sdnewswatch.org) respectively in 2025, with the latter having the majority his campaign funds come from his own personal fortune. Johnson also [received](https://sdcfr.sdsos.gov/Document.aspx?DocumentID=99558&type=doc&ref=sdnewswatch.org) an additional $900,000 in funds from an affiliated political action committee. ****Your donation supports trusted, balanced storytelling that's delivered for free to all South Dakotans.** [Donate ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Rhoden [raised](https://sdcfr.sdsos.gov/Document.aspx?DocumentID=6449&type=img&ref=sdnewswatch.org) approximately $500,000 despite declaring to run in November, compared to Johnson announcing in June and Doeden in April. Rhoden's pushback against Johnson came the same day he announced the appointment of two key roles on his campaign team. In addition to confirming Fury as his campaign manager, Rhoden named Lexie Warejcka as finance director. “Ian and Lexie are both incredibly competent, and I look forward to having them work with me on this campaign to help us keep South Dakota strong, safe, and free," Rhoden said in an email sent by his campaign. [Takeaways from the 2026 South Dakota legislative sessionLawmakers leave Pierre after passing a $7.5B budget that included a modest pay bump for state employees, teachers and Medicaid providers.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-436.jpg)South Dakota News WatchAlexander Rifaat![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/SouthDakotaCapitol.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-legislature-budget-property-taxes/) [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact politics and statehouse reporter Alexander Rifaat:* 605-736-4396/*[*alexander.rifaat@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:alexander.rifaat@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Fact brief: Has the rate of forest fires in the SD Black Hills increased? URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/fact-brief-sd-forest-fires-black-hills-south-dakota/ Last updated: 2026-03-18T23:29:39.000Z ## Yes. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/WhiteFACT-BRIEF--500-x-200-px--2-1-1.png) The Black Hills in South Dakota have had more significant forest fires since 2000 than the previous 90 years combined. According to the National Forest Service, there have been almost 60 fires of more than 100 acres from 2000-2024 in the South Dakota portion of the Black Hills, including the largest in recorded history. Meanwhile, there were 50 between 1910 and 2000. [South Dakota News Watch Quiz - Gigafact![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/cropped-favicon-270x270-1.png)Gigafact![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/quiz-og-image-1.png)](https://gigafact.org/quiz/south-dakota-news-watch/fact-brief-quiz-8765/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) The two largest fires since 1910 have both been in the past 25 years. The Jasper Fire, which burned 90% of the Jewel Cave National Monument, ignited 83,508 acres in 2000 at a peak pace of seven football fields per minute. The Legion Lake fire, which started in Custer State Park, burned 53,895 acres in 2017. The largest fire in South Dakota history wasn't in the Black Hills. In 1947, a fire that started with a discarded cigarette burned 250,000 acres in Hand, Hughes, Hyde and Potter counties in central South Dakota. *This fact brief responds to conversations such as* [*this one.*](https://www.reddit.com/r/nationalparks/comments/1rss8e2/be%5Fprepared%5Ffor%5Ffire%5Fif%5Fyou%5Fvisit%5Fmt%5Frushmore/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) ### Sources Black Hills National Forest, [Fire history map (1910-2024)](https://www.fs.usda.gov/sites/nfs/files/r02/blackhills/publication/BKF%5FFireHistoryMap%5F1910%5F2024.pdf?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Black Hills National Forest, [Jasper Fire](https://www.nps.gov/jeca/learn/nature/jasperfire.htm?ref=sdnewswatch.org) KELO-TV, [Legion Lake Fire 100% contained](https://www.keloland.com/news/legion-lake-fire-100-percent-contained/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Hot 104.7, [The biggest wildfires in South Dakota history](https://hot1047.com/south-dakota-biggest-wildfires/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) --- [**South Dakota News Watch**](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/) partners with [**Gigafact**](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) to publish fact briefs that refute or confirm a claim with supporting information and additional evidence and context. Send questions or feedback to [**news@sdnewswatch.org**](mailto:news@sdnewswatch.org). Submit a question for us to answer on the [**South Dakota News Watch Tipline**](https://gigafact.org/tipline/south-dakota-news-watch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). ****Support fact briefs.** Help us fight misinformation by supporting fact briefs that refute or confirm a claim with supporting information and additional evidence and context. [Donate ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact freelance reporter Michael Klinski:** [*michael.klinski@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto: Michael.Klinski@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Tilsen charges dropped after mistrial URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/nick-tilsen-assault-charges-dropped/ Last updated: 2026-03-16T23:41:52.000Z NDN Collective founder and CEO Nick Tilsen's felony charges have been formally dropped about six weeks after his trial ended in a hung jury, according to court documents filed Monday. Tilsen was indicted on charges he assaulted a Rapid City police officer in 2022\. The case spanned several years and went to trial more than three years after the June 2022 incident. After Tilsen's case ended in a mistrial in January due to the hung jury, prosecutors had 45 days to re-try Tilsen's charges – until Mar. 15 Because they did not do so, Tilsen has been officially cleared of the aggravated assault, simple assault and obstruction of a law enforcement officer charges. > "In this case, the facts were the facts, and they were all on video. This was not an aggravated assault from the beginning." – John Murphy, Nick Tilsen's lawyer NDN Collective called the charges politically motivated and launched a petition demanding the release of Tilsen that received more than 22,000 signatures. "I thank my elders, my people, my family, the ancestors, my attorneys and my team at NDN Collective for standing with me. These efforts have not slowed us down. We are stronger than ever, more strategic and re-energized for the path ahead. We will continue to exercise Indigenous self-determination and build collective power for all people and Mother Earth," Tilsen said Monday in a statement. On Mar. 6, prosecutors filed a motion to prohibit public access to information in the court record, which would have sealed exhibits including body and dash cam footage from Tilsen's case to the public. Olivia Siglin, Pennington County deputy state's attorney, cited significant media attention and "inflammatory and incorrect" claims from NDN Collective that might sway potential jurors. That motion was not ruled on by a judge before the Mar. 15 deadline. ## ****Get South Dakota stories** An email summary on most weekdays that links to the full version. Cancel anytime. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. "This case received significant public attention, but our decisions are not driven by public pressure or commentary," Lara Roetzel, Pennington County state's attorney, said in a statement. "They are grounded in the evidence, the law, and our obligation to exercise sound judgment on behalf of this community." John Murphy of Rapid City, Tilsen's lawyer, told News Watch that he thinks the dropped charges indicate that prosecutors did not have the case to convict Tilsen. The jury was hung on a 10-2 in favor of acquitting him, Murphy said. He said the case should not have been tried to begin with, echoing NDN Collective's statements that the charges were politically motivated. "In this case, the facts were the facts, and they were all on video. This was not an aggravated assault from the beginning. So the fact that they didn't retry it, I applaud them because it would have just been more of a monumental waste of taxpayer dollars. However, the fact of the matter is this case should never have been prosecuted," Murphy said. ## What is NDN Collective? The Rapid City-based NDN Collective is a Native rights organization that focuses on campaigns and financial assistance programs related to Native American issues nationwide. NDN Collective filed a federal civil rights class-action lawsuit accusing racism against the Grand Gateway Hotel in Rapid City in March 2022 after Connie Uhre, an owner of the hotel, [threatened to ban all Native Americans from the hotel](https://rapidcityjournal.com/news/local/hotel-threatens-to-ban-native-americans-following-shooting/article%5Fd3282ee4-95fb-5873-a02a-2d0aff9c0975.html?ref=sdnewswatch.org). ****Play a bigger role in our storytelling.** Join us as a partner in telling stories that are important to all South Dakotans with a tax-deductible donation. [Donate ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/reportforamerica/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) In December, a jury ruled the hotel's owners had been discriminatory and ordered them to pay $1 in damages, which NDN Collective had requested. The organization is also known for its several funding and resource assistance programs, like its Community Self Determination grant and the NDN Fund, a loan program providing funding to various sectors of Native communities like renewable energy and housing. ## Case timeline Here is a timeline of the court case: - **June 11, 2022**: Tilsen observes a police interaction with a homeless person. Rapid City police officer Nicholas Glass accused Tilsen of accelerating his vehicle toward him. - **June 30, 2023**: A complaint and warrant of arrest for Tilsen is filed, alleging aggravated assault and obstruction of a law enforcement officer, according to court filings. The same day, before the warrant was filed, NDN Collective publishes a press release announcing it will host a March Towards Justice on July 4 after announcing it on social media 10 days prior. - **August 2025**: Officer Glass and Tilsen testify at an evidentiary hearing. - **August 2025**: The judge takes case under advisement. - **Dec. 15, 2025**: The judge denies Tilsen's motion to dismiss the case and announces the case will go to trial in January. - **Jan. 7, 2026**: Pennington County brings forward a new charge against Tilsen, simple assault of a law enforcement officer. NDN Collective said the charge is politically motivated. - **Jan. 26, 2026**: Trial begins. - **Jan. 28, 2026:** Judge declares a mistrial after a hung jury. - **Mar. 6, 2026:** Siglin, the deputy state's attorney, files a motion to prohibit public access to information in the court record, citing increased media attention on Tilsen and the case. - **Mar. 15, 2026:** Deadline to retry Tilsen's case passes. - **Mar. 16, 2026:** Prosecutor files a motion to dismiss Tilsen's charges. [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact reporter/**[***Report for America***](https://www.reportforamerica.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) **corps member Molly Wetsch:* 605-531-7382/*[*molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### 5 things to know about open government URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/open-government-sunshine-week-2026/ Last updated: 2026-03-16T16:49:20.000Z This week is [Sunshine Week](https://sunshineweek.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) – a national observance highlighting the importance of openness and transparency in government at all levels. [South Dakota NewsMedia Association](https://www.sdna.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) and our partner members – the newspapers and digital news outlets across the state – have long been supporters of Sunshine Week. This week represents a nationwide nonpartisan collaboration among groups in journalism, civic, education, government and private sectors. In South Dakota, here are five things to know about open government and freedom of information laws. ## 1: Open meetings brochure The South Dakota open meetings laws brochure is an excellent guide to understanding the laws that direct government boards and commissions on how to conduct their official meetings in public, when they can meet privately in executive session and how the public may participate in a public meeting. You can find a copy of the brochure on the [South Dakota attorney general’s website](https://atg.sd.gov/Legal/OpenGovernment/default.aspx?ref=sdnewswatch.org#gsc.tab=0). ## 2: Open Meetings Commission The Open Meetings Commission was created in 2004 to provide a way for citizens’ complaints about alleged violations of the open meetings laws to be heard. Over the years, the commission has reviewed dozens of cases and has rendered decisions that have helped provide a better understanding of the open meetings laws as well as guidance for improving the laws legislatively. Learn more about the commission on the [open government page of the attorney general’s website](https://atg.sd.gov/legal/opengovernment/MeetingCommission.aspx?ref=sdnewswatch.org#gsc.tab=0). ## 3: Open records laws [Open records laws](https://atg.sd.gov/legal/opengovernment/publicrecords.aspx?ref=sdnewswatch.org#gsc.tab=0) help define what is publicly accessible and what is not when it comes to records, documents and files kept by government. Given the vast amount and types of information that the government has, as you can imagine, these laws are numerous and complex. Many of them can be found in one chapter of the state’s code of laws – Chapter 1-27\. It’s important to know that the fundamental presumption is that all government information is open and accessible to everyone, unless otherwise expressly prohibited in statute (see SDCL 1-27-1.1). [250+ years of American civics and newsSeries of community gatherings and other events across South Dakota seeks to increase engagement and help voters find fact-based information ahead of elections.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-435.jpg)South Dakota News WatchSD News Watch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/image000004--1--1-5.jpeg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-civics-media-politics-voting-series/) ## 4: Appeal of denial for government information Like the Open Meetings Commission, which hears complaints about open meetings laws, there is also a process for the public to appeal if their request for government information has been denied. You don't need to hire an attorney to use the process, and from time to time it has led to records denials being overturned. To learn more about how you can make an open records appeal, click on the “public records” link found on the open government page of the attorney general’s website. ## 5: South Dakota lags in open meetings and records laws Finally, know this: South Dakota has a long way to go when it comes to robust and meaningful open government. Our open meetings and open records laws are weaker than those of other states. Beyond the laws themselves, there has long been a mindset in government in South Dakota to say no first when someone asks for government records, to go behind closed doors when discussing official business during official public meetings and to otherwise pay lip service to these laws because the penalties provided are nothing more than a slap on the wrist. I say this as someone who has worked over the years with many elected officials and others to improve our open government laws and have always appreciated their willingness to do so. We've made progress, but there is much more that needs to be done. ## Summary This election year is a good time to let candidates for public office know you want better, stronger open government laws in our state and that you want them to approach their duties, if elected, with a mindset that the public's right to know comes first. That would be a win for more sunshine in South Dakota. ****News Watch's mission includes shedding light on the issues, concerns and welfare of South Dakotans. Please consider partnering with us to do that by donating during Sunshine Week.** [Donate ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *David Bordewyk is executive director at South Dakota NewsMedia Association, which represents the state's newspapers and digital news outlets.* ### Takeaways from the 2026 South Dakota legislative session URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-legislature-budget-property-taxes/ Last updated: 2026-03-16T10:00:32.000Z PIERRE, S.D. – The main run of the South Dakota Legislature came to a close last week with lawmakers passing a state budget for the upcoming fiscal year that starts July 1\. Here are key storylines to come out of the 2026 session. ## Revenue increase allows modest pay bump for 'big 3' After negotiations helped by a rosier prediction on revenues, lawmakers were able to agree on a $7.5 billion budget for fiscal year 2027, which includes a 1.4% increase in resources for the "big three:" state employees, pre-K through 12th grade education and Medicaid health care providers. Overall, the budget is a 2.4% increase from last year. ## Gov. Rhoden gets property tax bills over the line Amid the plethora of different proposals put forth this session by different lawmakers to tackle the issue of rising property taxes in some parts of the state, Gov. Larry Rhoden was able to claim victory with the passage of two key proposals he championed. Senate Bill 96 gives counties the option to implement a half-cent sales tax increase in exchange for lowering property taxes. Senate Bill 245 will create an owner-occupied property tax relief fund using revenue generated from the scheduled 0.3% increase in the statewide sales tax due to come into effect July 1\. The passage of both bills came after Rhoden negotiated with House Speaker (and fellow gubernatorial challenger) Jon Hansen. [South Dakota Election Voter GuideEverything South Dakota voters need to know about statewide contests in the primary and general elections.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-434.jpg)South Dakota News WatchAlexander Rifaat![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/2024-6-4-Election-signs-1-6.JPG)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-voter-guide-primary-general-election/) ## Data center skeptics win out (for now) The battle brewing in South Dakota between attracting economic development opportunities and protecting the rural character of the state played out in the Legislature over the issue of data centers. While proponents in favor of data centers touted the potential economic benefits, several bills introduced by lawmakers aimed at providing favorable tax incentives to that industry failed to make it to the governor's desk. Those skeptical of data centers had several proposals fail to make it pass the finish line, but they were successful in the passage of Senate Bill 135\. The bill, dubbed the "Data Center Bill of Rights," was championed by Hansen and Senate President Pro Tempore Chris Karr, a Sioux Falls Republican, which provides guardrails against data center electricity and water usage. ## Voter identification and immigration The Legislature enacted tougher voter identification requirements but declined to force businesses to implement stricter immigration verification measures. Lawmakers amended Senate Bill 30 to allow citizens to challenge the eligibility of a voter based on whether they are a U.S. national. South Dakota already provides the ability to challenge someone's voter eligibility based on questions over whether a person holds South Dakota state residency or is registered to vote in another state. Meanwhile, the Senate nixed House Bill 1209, which would have required firms with 25 or more employees to use the government [E-Verify website](https://www.e-verify.gov/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) to confirm a new employee's work authorization status. ## ****Get South Dakota stories** An email summary on most weekdays that links to the full version. Cancel anytime. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. ## Lab-grown meat ban South Dakota is now the eighth state to hit pause on lab-grown meat. After Rhoden vetoed a bill that would, in effect, ban artificially grown meat, the Legislature reached a compromise with Senate Bill 124, imposing a five-year moratorium on the sale, manufacturing and distribution of such products. While Rhoden said he personally was not a fan of lab-grown meat, he thought an outright ban was a step too far and believed the new law will allow for more studies and testing to be done. South Dakota joins Alabama, Florida, Indiana, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, and Texas as states that have introduced some form of restriction or ban on the product thus far. ## Medical marijuana oversight committee lives on The legislative committee in charge of overseeing South Dakota's medical marijuana industry survived an attempt by Republican Rep. Tim Goodwin of Rapid City to move the entity under the jurisdiction of the state Department of Health. The medical marijuana oversight committee currently consists of two senators, two representatives and seven members from different backgrounds in contact with the industry. However, people in the state's medical marijuana industry have clashed with the committee over what they believe is the its bias against the program, which has culminated in a series of tighter restrictions. House Bill 1160 failed in the Senate. [250+ years of American civics and newsSeries of community gatherings and other events across South Dakota seeks to increase engagement and help voters find fact-based information ahead of elections.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-433.jpg)South Dakota News WatchSD News Watch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/image000004--1--1-4.jpeg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-civics-media-politics-voting-series/) ## Proponents of eminent domain reform come up short South Dakotans will not be asked whether to cement further restrictions in the state constitution on eminent domain, which allows governments to seize private land for public use and compensate the owner. House Joint Resolution Bill 5001 would have put forth a ballot measure asking voters if the use of eminent domain should not include as justification an increase in tax base, tax revenue, employment or general economic health. However, that bill failed in the Senate 14-19\. ## South Dakota leans into 'most 2nd Amendment-friendly state' claim South Dakota became the first state to declassify gun silencers as a controlled weapon. The Legislature passed Senate Bill 2, which was sponsored by Republican Sen. Casey Crabtree of Madison. With the bill's passage, South Dakotans will no longer be required to register their purchase of gun suppressors. “South Dakota is the most Second Amendment-friendly state in America, and this is yet another opportunity for us to pave the way and set an example for the rest of the nation,” Rhoden said in a statement when he signed the bill last month. Crabtree and other supporters of the bill argued gun suppressors were for hearing protection and not weapons. ## Campaign postering begins While the dust settles in Pierre, the political ramifications for the bills that did (and didn't) make it past the finish line are beginning to emerge as we enter a contentious Republican primary season. In addition to the passage of his property tax proposal, Rhoden also signed Senate Bill 113, which imposes stricter penalties on those threatening to disrupt religious services. Rhoden had pushed for the legislation in response to an anti-ICE protest that occurred in a church in Minneapolis in January. Meanwhile, his GOP challenger Hansen, who could also claim a win on addressing property taxes, had his bill on gender definitions make it through the Legislature. However, Hansen's gender terminology bill and the data center bill he worked on with Karr still require Rhoden's signature. While Crabtree was able to garner support for his gun silencer bill, he saw several of his other proposals aimed at economic development and tax reform fail to materialize. He also dropped his bid for the GOP nomination for South Dakota's lone U.S. congressional seat. Crabtree cited his desire to focus on fixing the "dysfunction" in the state Senate as one of the reasons for leaving the race. ## Veto day While the main run of the legislative session is over, lawmakers are scheduled to return to Pierre on March 30 for veto day when they take up any bills vetoed by Gov. Rhoden. ****Trusted, independent sources of information are needed more than ever. Partner with us to produce fact-based news.** [Donate ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact politics and statehouse reporter Alexander Rifaat:* 605-736-4396/*[*alexander.rifaat@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:alexander.rifaat@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Johnson unveils plan to boost entrepreneurship in South Dakota URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/dusty-johnson-entrepreneurship-future-fund-sd/ Last updated: 2026-03-13T15:00:53.000Z PIERRE, S.D. – Gubernatorial candidate U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson wants to use resources from a key economic development fund to launch a new initiative aimed at providing more incentives for South Dakota entrepreneurs. In a plan unveiled March 13, the Republican said if elected he will invest $2 million from the Future Fund to create "Launch South Dakota," a program that will expand the number and size of entrepreneurship-related grants. “Chasing huge companies like TikTok grabs headlines, but building South Dakota means investing in South Dakotans,” Johnson said in a statement. “We’re going to back the people who already call this place home, folks who know their industries inside and out and are ready to build businesses right here where they live.” The [Future Fund](https://sdgoed.com/about-sdgoed/public-records/future-fund/?ref=sdnewswatch.org), administered by the Governor's Office of Economic Development, was created in the 1980s to grow the economy. [South Dakota Election Voter GuideEverything South Dakota voters need to know about statewide contests in the primary and general elections.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-429.jpg)South Dakota News WatchAlexander Rifaat![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/2024-6-4-Election-signs-1-5.JPG)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-voter-guide-primary-general-election/) Johnson appeared to be making a reference to Gov. Larry Rhoden's support of an attempt by Wyoming-based businessman Reid Rasner last year to purchase TikTok and move its headquarters to South Dakota. Rasner later "paused" that bid. And both [his stated personal fortune and political acumen](https://southdakotasearchlight.com/2025/06/17/man-who-says-he-can-move-tiktok-to-south-dakota-is-a-bust-in-wyoming-politics/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) have since been called into question. According to Johnson's plan, "Launch South Dakota" would double the amount awarded to entrepreneurs for "proof of concept" plans from the current $25,000 and expand the number of eligible sectors to include industries such as software development and artificial intelligence. The program would also double the $20,000 amount given to the winners of the [Governor's Giant Vision competition](https://southdakotagiantvision.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) to $40,000\. In addition, his plan calls for an expansion of startup coaching and allocating more funds from the federal State Small Business Credit Initiative toward venture activities. ## ****Get South Dakota stories** An email summary on most weekdays that links to the full version. Cancel anytime. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. In a phone interview with News Watch, Johnson said his proposal is part of a larger plan to create a more locally driven South Dakota economy. "I think our state has been too focused on chasing decisions that are made in corporate boardrooms in New York. 'Launch South Dakota' is a shift towards doing a better job investing in South Dakota founders who are launching and growing South Dakota businesses," Johnson said. Johnson also argued South Dakota needed to increase its level of investment in entrepreneurship programs if it didn't want to fall behind other states. His proposal highlights that South Dakota allocated all of the $60 million in federal State Small Business Credit Initiative money provided by the 2021 American Rescue Plan toward loans while Wyoming put its entire $58 million allocation towards venture activities. "We have an opportunity here to step up our game. ... Other states have led the way and shown how important it is to grow your own," he said. ## Poll results bolster Johnson Johnson also expressed confidence in the race after a [new poll](https://emersoncollegepolling.com/south-dakota-2026-poll-dusty-johnson-leads-incumbent-larry-rhoden-in-governor-election/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) by Emerson College commissioned by KELO-TV showed him with a 10-point lead in the four-person contest to secure the GOP nomination. Johnson received support from 28% of respondents, while Aberdeen businessman Toby Doeden had 18%, Rhoden got 17% and House Speaker Jon Hansen received 14%. Almost a fourth of respondents, 23%, were undecided. [250+ years of American civics and newsSeries of community gatherings and other events across South Dakota seeks to increase engagement and help voters find fact-based information ahead of elections.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-428.jpg)South Dakota News WatchSD News Watch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/image000004--1--1-2.jpeg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-civics-media-politics-voting-series/) In a dig at Rhoden, Johnson said Doeden is his closest competitor for the nomination. "When you see Doeden polling at second place, and having far more resources than Rhoden, I increasingly get the sense this is a two-person race," he said. Rhoden and his allies have dismissed the poll, saying the numbers don't align with their own internal polling, and that support for the governor will increase now that he will be able to tout several legislative accomplishments on the campaign trail. Speaking to reporters at a press conference March 12, Lt. Gov. Tony Venhuizen, Rhoden's running mate, said an internal poll conduced for the campaign by Public Opinion Strategies found 73% of primary voters "approve the job Rhoden is doing as governor" and that in the four-person race, there is only a 5-point gap between the governor and Johnson, with no candidate receiving the 35% needed to avoid a runoff. ****Trusted, independent sources of information are needed more than ever. Partner with us to produce fact-based news.** [Donate ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) "What this tells me is that this is a very competitive primary that we will be going into," Venhuizen said. "Our focus has been on getting results and getting through the legislative session and the voters will see that." When asked whether he was looking forward to challenging his opponents on the debate stage, Rhoden said that, while he didn't "relish" partaking in debates, he is prepared for the battle ahead. "Bring it on. We're going to have a great discussion," he said. News Watch and South Dakota Public Broadcasting will host a [televised Republican gubernatorial forum](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-civics-media-politics-voting-series/) in Sioux Falls on April 13. [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact politics and statehouse reporter Alexander Rifaat:* 605-736-4396 or* [*alexander.rifaat@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:alexander.rifaat@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Fact brief: Does SD have some of the highest motorcycle ownership rates? URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/fact-brief-sd-motorcycle-ownership-rates/ Last updated: 2026-03-12T10:00:17.000Z ## Yes. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/WhiteFACT-BRIEF--500-x-200-px--2-1-1.png) South Dakota residents have some of the highest motorcycle ownership rates in the country, according to multiple years of data. The Motley Fool ranked South Dakota No. 1 using 2012 data (one motorcycle owner per 12 residents), with New Hampshire second. At the time, the state’s share of motorcycle ownership in the country was 0.82%. [South Dakota News Watch Quiz - Gigafact![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/cropped-favicon-270x270-1.png)Gigafact![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/quiz-og-image-1.png)](https://gigafact.org/quiz/south-dakota-news-watch/fact-brief-quiz-8765/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Another analysis using 2021 data put South Dakota at third behind Montana and New Hampshire -- with the Rushmore State reporting 5,754 motorcycle owners per 100,000 people. Despite a shorter riding season than states in the southern part of the country, South Dakota’s motorcycle ownership is boosted by hosting the largest motorcycle rally in the world every year. In 2025, 537,459 vehicles attended the 86th Sturgis Motorcycle Rally – up 14% from 2024. *This fact brief responds to conversations such as* [*this one.*](https://www.reddit.com/r/MapPorn/comments/1o39ce4/motorcycle%5Fownership%5Fby%5Fus%5Fstate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) ### **Sources** The Motley Fool, [50 states ranked for motorcycle ownership](https://www.fool.com/investing/general/2014/02/16/50-states-ranked-for-highest-motorcycle-ownership.aspx?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Sturgis.com, [How many people attended the 85th 2025 Sturgis Rally?](https://sturgis.com/blogs/how-many-people-attended-the-85th-2025-sturgis-rally/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) TitleMax.com, [U.S. States with the most motorcycle ownership](https://www.titlemax.com/discovery-center/u-s-states-with-the-most-motorcycles/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) --- [**South Dakota News Watch**](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/) partners with [**Gigafact**](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) to publish fact briefs that refute or confirm a claim with supporting information and additional evidence and context. Send questions or feedback to [**factbrief@sdnewswatch.org**](mailto:factbrief@sdnewswatch.org). Submit a question for us to answer on the [**South Dakota News Watch Tipline**](https://gigafact.org/tipline/south-dakota-news-watch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). partners with [Gigafact](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) to publish fact briefs that refute or confirm a claim with supporting information and additional evidence and context. ****Support fact briefs.** Help us fight misinformation by supporting fact briefs that refute or confirm a claim with supporting information and additional evidence and context. [Donate ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact Michael Klinski* at michael.klinski@sdnewswatch.org.* ### Gaming grants: Millions for Deadwood, thousands for rest of state URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/deadwood-sd-gaming-grants-historic-preservation/ Last updated: 2026-03-11T11:51:36.000Z *Part 2 of a 2-part series.* [*Read part 1*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/deadwood-sd-gaming-money-state-legislature/)*.* DEADWOOD, S.D. – While the city of Deadwood gets about $7 million a year in gaming taxes for historic preservation, the entire rest of the state gets just $200,000 annually. Two separate $100,000 grant programs are funded through Deadwood gaming tax revenues to help pay for historic preservation projects outside the city of Deadwood. One program caps grant amounts at $25,000 per project and the other maxes out at $10,000 per project. > "You can't even replace a single window on a historic building for $10,000." > – Carl Hall, president of the Hot Springs Historic Preservation Commission in the southern Black Hills That level of per-project funding and the small overall pool of available funds are "laughable" when considering the cost of historic preservation and the great need for preservation in communities across the state, said Carl Hall, president of the Hot Springs Historic Preservation Commission in the southern Black Hills. "You can't even replace a single window on a historic building for $10,000," Hall told News Watch. "It's just not a tenable financial situation." ![The city of Hot Springs, S.D., hopes to find funding to preserve its historic sandstone buildings, including these along North River Street, shown in September 2024.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/03/2024-9-9-Hot-Springs-standstones-1.JPG) The city of Hot Springs, S.D., hopes to find funding to preserve its historic sandstone buildings, including these along North River Street, shown in September 2024\. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) Since legalized gambling began in 1989, Deadwood has received more than $237 million for local historic preservation projects. During that time, only about $8 million in gaming revenues have been provided for preservation projects outside the city. Hall said that South Dakota communities, Deadwood included, should have seen more historic preservation money from gambling but aren't because the state takes so much gaming tax revenues for tourism promotion and its general fund operations each year. In 2024, tax revenues from Deadwood gambling totaled $19.3 million, according to state data. The city of Deadwood received about $7 million for historic preservation, about $4.5 million went to the state tourism fund and the state general fund received about $3.5 million. Distribution of funds is dictated by state statute. The constitutional amendment passed by voters in 1988 to legalize gambling stated that "the entire net municipal proceeds (of Deadwood gambling) shall be devoted to the historic restoration and preservation of Deadwood." "We as a state got hoodwinked because all that revenue that went to the state general fund should have been for historical preservation," Hall said. "We need a bigger piece of the pie for the rest of the state." ## 2 programs, both capped at $100K The two programs that offer funding for historic preservation beyond the borders of Deadwood largely operate in the same ways. In both, recipients must be able to match the grant amount. Both programs review applicants and give grants twice a year through a competitive process. Neither program is set to receive an increase in funding as part of Senate Bill 102, a bill passed by the 2026 Legislature that would tweak the existing gaming tax allocation formula to provide more money for historic preservation in Deadwood. ## ****Get South Dakota stories** An email summary on most weekdays that links to the full version. Cancel anytime. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. The Outside of Deadwood Grant Program is funded with Deadwood gaming money and administered by the Deadwood Historic Preservation Commission. Grants generally max out at $10,000 per application and recipients must match the grant amounts, said Kevin Kuchenbecker, historic preservation officer for the city of Deadwood. Voluntarily launched by the city in 2001, the Outside of Deadwood grant pool was initially $250,000 a year. But after costs of historic preservation in Deadwood began to rise, the city cut the grant pool to $150,000 in 2018 and then to $100,000 a year in 2019, Kuchenbecker said. The program has provided $4.4 million in grants since inception. Last year, the program made 14 grants totaling $93,500. ![Deadwood, S.D., historic preservation officer Kevin Kuchenbecker](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/03/2026-3-3-Deadwood-Kuchen-at-Mt-Moriah-1.jpeg) Deadwood, S.D., historic preservation officer Kevin Kuchenbecker, shown on March 3, 2026, stands in the Mount Moriah Cemetery that overlooks the city and which was renovated with gaming tax revenues. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) Grants of $10,000 were awarded in 2025 to Vale High School for painting, to the Plankinton Preservation Society for painting of the Sweep Hotel, to the St. Francis Mission near Rosebud for grave markers and to St. Luke's Episcopal Church in Hot Springs for stained glass restoration. Kuchenbecker told News Watch that he hopes the annual allocation to the Outside of Deadwood grant program will increase in the future as gaming tax revenues rise. The state Deadwood Fund grant program is allocated $100,000 a year in gaming tax revenues for historic preservation projects outside the Black Hills town. Grants are administered by the South Dakota State Historic Preservation Office and top out at $25,000 per application. In the state-run grant program, which launched in 1995, owners or administrators of historic properties across the state can apply for up to $25,000 for preservation or restoration projects, said Garry Guan, state historic preservation officer within the South Dakota State Historical Society. > "Without adjustment, the current structure unintentionally concentrates preservation success in arguably the wealthiest second-class municipality, while historic assets elsewhere continue to disappear." > – Letter to South Dakota lawmakers from Hot Springs leaders A competitive grant review process is conducted twice a year by the historical society, said Guan, who was appointed to his position in December 2024 by former Gov. Kristi Noem. “Any property owner who owns historic properties, especially those on the national register or state register of historic places, when they need some upkeep work they can present their project and then we review those,” said Guan. Some annual distributions rise above the $100,000 level if there are unused funds and projects are deemed worthy. In all, 76 communities have benefited from $3.6 million in grants for 253 projects, state records show. In 2023, the state program distributed $124,000 in grants for eight projects. The two highest grants of $20,000 were awarded for the repainting and window repair on the Vale School in Butte County and window restoration at the Volin School in Yankton County. Other grants included $16,000 for window replacement at Fort Sisseton in Marshall County and $10,000 for masonry repairs at the St. Augustine Church in Gregory County. ## Big need for funding in Hot Springs In February 2025, Hall and Hot Springs City Council member Debra Johnston traveled to Deadwood to attend a meeting of the Deadwood Historic Preservation Commission. The pair expressed both a desire to learn more about how to obtain funding and community support for historic preservation projects but also to air frustrations at the low funding levels provided to communities under the gaming grant programs. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/03/2025-2-26-Deadwood-preservating-mtg-1.jpg) Hot Springs preservation officer Carl Hall and Hot Springs City Council member Debra Johnson attended a historic preservation meeting in Deadwood, S.D., in February 2025\. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) Hall wondered aloud how a city like Hot Springs, which needs expensive rehabilitation of historic sandstone structures and vertical walkways, could even begin to afford to fix up its downtown. "We need to be able to focus on community-wide projects," Hall said. "With projects like that, you're talking six figures just to get a plan." Johnston presented the commission with photos of historic buildings in Hot Springs that are in need of repair, including some damaged by a fire in 2023. "The grants aren't enough to help us out," Johnston said. "We're just as important as Deadwood because we're the southern bookend to the Black Hills." At the meeting, Kuchenbecker said he sympathized with the Hot Springs officials and acknowledged that obtaining funding is the greatest barrier to community-wide historic preservation and restoration. "I can tell you that without the gaming revenue, we'd be looking like you are," he said then. "It can feel like a losing battle because there's only a few tools out there." ****Your donation supports trusted, balanced storytelling that's delivered for free to all South Dakotans.** [Donate ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) In an interview on March 4, Hall told News Watch he has seen other cities across the state struggle to maintain historic structures. "I want to put it in plain words: If you don't do something, you're not going to have downtowns left in South Dakota," he said. "We need some big projects done to save these buildings because Mother Nature will win out in the end." Hall said the private investment helping Deadwood preservation efforts is unlikely in Hot Springs . "We don't have any corporations coming into Hot Springs to save us," he said. "It's just not going to happen." ## Letter to lawmakers outlines goals The Hot Springs preservation group and other local officials sent a letter to all legislators prior to the session urging them to allocate more gaming revenue to communities outside Deadwood. "As the Legislature considers requests to expand Deadwood’s historic preservation allocation beyond its long-standing level, we respectfully urge that this moment also be used to evaluate preservation needs statewide," the letter said. In particular, the letter requested that lawmakers increase the annual allocation to the state grant program and reduce the requirement that grants be matched at 100% by recipients. "Hot Springs is not seeking a handout, but a partnership, financially and administratively, to preserve the shared history of South Dakota’s communities," the letter said. ## ****Get South Dakota stories** An email summary on most weekdays that links to the full version. Cancel anytime. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. The Hot Springs officials said they did not want to slow or diminish the importance of historic preservation in Deadwood. "(But) without adjustment, the current structure unintentionally concentrates preservation success in arguably the wealthiest second-class municipality, while historic assets elsewhere continue to disappear," the letter said. ## Small grants provide big help at historic mission Two state grants from Deadwood gaming funds and one from Outside of Deadwood have been awarded to the historic St. Francis Mission on the Rosebud Indian Reservation in Todd County. According to state records, the mission received $18,000 in 2023 to help pay for renovation of the steeple at the St. Charles Borromeo Church, which had fallen into disrepair. The wooden louvers in the century old steeple had become rotted and needed to be replaced. In 2025, the mission received a $10,000 Deadwood Fund payment and another $10,000 from Outside of Deadwood for restoration of St. Charles Cemetery. The oldest graves in the cemetery has wooden markers and worn crosses that are being replaced by metal markers with names, said Rodney Bordeaux, director of the mission. "We have to take care of the church and the ancestors that are buried up there and the Jesuits buried up there because that’s all a part of our history," he said. The grants have been a big help in maintaining the quality of the historic resources at the mission, said Bordeaux, a former chairman of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe. "They’re helping us out, so we're grateful for the grants," Bordeaux said. *Read part 1:* [Deadwood seeks more gaming proceeds after $237M spent“We’re a small town but we have big-city expenses because of the visitation.” Analysis shows that $33 billion has been wagered.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-426.jpg)South Dakota News WatchBart Pfankuch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/2026-3-3-Deadwood-Main-Street-signage-1-1.jpeg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/deadwood-sd-gaming-money-state-legislature/) [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact* *content director Bart Pfankuch:** 605-937-9398*/*[*bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org). ### Fact brief: Are any nuclear missiles stored in South Dakota? URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/fact-brief-sd-nuclear-missile-locations-united-states/ Last updated: 2026-03-10T10:00:07.000Z ## No. The United States has thousands of nuclear missiles spread out across the country, but there haven’t been any in South Dakota since the early 1990s. There were 15 launch control facilities for 150 Minuteman missile silos in western South Dakota in the region of Ellsworth Air Force Base starting in 1963. [South Dakota News Watch Quiz - Gigafact![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/cropped-favicon-270x270-1.png)Gigafact![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/quiz-og-image-1.png)](https://gigafact.org/quiz/south-dakota-news-watch/fact-brief-quiz-8765/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Amid Cold War arms-reduction efforts and the START I treaty with Russia, the United States had those nuclear weapons removed and the launch control facilities destroyed rather than upgrade the Minuteman missiles. A launch control center and a silo remain at the Minuteman Missile National Historic Site near Phillip. The United States reported its nuclear stockpile was at 3,748 warheads as of September 2023. Today, 400 Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missiles remain deployed near air bases in North Dakota, Wyoming and Montana, with missile fields extending into parts of Colorado and Nebraska. *This fact brief responds to conversations such as* [*this one.*](https://www.facebook.com/reel/1587604879154808) ### **Sources** National Park Service, [Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty of 1991](https://www.nps.gov/articles/start-treaty-1991.htm?ref=sdnewswatch.org#:~:text=The%20treaty%20directly%20led%20to:%20%2A%20The,of%20along%20with%20other%20high%2Dlevel%20radioactive%20waste.) National Park Service, [Minuteman Missile](https://www.nps.gov/mimi/what-is-so-special-about-this-place.htm?ref=sdnewswatch.org) National Nuclear Security Administration, [Transparency in the U.S. Nuclear Weapons Stockpile](https://www.energy.gov/sites/default/files/2024-08/U.S.%20Nuclear%20Weapons%20Stockpile%20Transparency%207%5F22%5F24.pdf?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, [United States nuclear weapons, 2021](https://thebulletin.org/premium/2021-01/nuclear-notebook-united-states-nuclear-weapons-2021/?ref=sdnewswatch.org#:~:text=The%20nuclear%20weapons%20are%20thought,south%20of%20Albuquerque%2C%20New%20Mexico.) --- [**South Dakota News Watch**](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/) partners with [**Gigafact**](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) to publish fact briefs that refute or confirm a claim with supporting information and additional evidence and context. Send questions or feedback to [**factbrief@sdnewswatch.org**](mailto:factbrief@sdnewswatch.org). Submit a question for us to answer on the [**South Dakota News Watch Tipline**](https://gigafact.org/tipline/south-dakota-news-watch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). partners with [Gigafact](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) to publish fact briefs that refute or confirm a claim with supporting information and additional evidence and context. ****Support fact briefs.** Help us fight misinformation by supporting fact briefs that refute or confirm a claim with supporting information and additional evidence and context. [Donate ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact Michael Klinski* at michael.klinski@sdnewswatch.org.* ### After $237 million spent, Deadwood seeks more gaming proceeds URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/deadwood-sd-gaming-money-state-legislature/ Last updated: 2026-03-11T11:33:16.000Z *Part 1 of a 2-part series.* DEADWOOD, S.D. – After receiving more than $237 million for historic preservation over the past 35 years, this Black Hills city of 1,300 people wants a bigger share of annual tax revenues from legalized gambling. Senate Bill 102, which appears headed for passage in the 2026 legislative session, would shift more gaming tax money to the city of Deadwood while reducing the amount received by the state general fund. On the most basic level, Deadwood officials and other supporters of the change to the tax allocation formula said that even as gambling opportunities and tax revenues have risen steadily in recent years, the city's allocation for historic preservation has not kept up. For example, even though overall gaming taxes rose from $14.7 million in 2014 to $18.9 million in 2024, a 17% increase, Deadwood's overall allocation remained steady at roughly $7.1 million. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/03/2026-3-3-Deadwood-Kuchenbacker-by-creek-1.jpeg) Deadwood, S.D., historic preservation officer Kevin Kuchenbecker stands along Whitewood Creek on March 3, 2026\. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) At a hearing on [SB 102](https://sdlegislature.gov/Session/Bill/26841?ref=sdnewswatch.org) before the Senate Appropriations Committee on Feb. 17, Kevin Kuchenbecker, Deadwood's historic preservation officer, said the city needs a larger share of gaming revenues to upgrade infrastructure and to maintain the city's cultural heritage, which is the main tourism driver for the city. "Restoring Deadwood doesn't happen overnight and there's no end to it," he said. As the debate over the funding formula progresses, one other historic Black Hills community is asking lawmakers to consider preservation needs in areas outside of Deadwood. ## ****Get South Dakota stories** An email summary on most weekdays that links to the full version. Cancel anytime. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. In a letter sent to all legislators, Hot Springs town leaders said they support preservation in Deadwood but believe that one city should not receive such a disproportionate share of money generated by gaming taxes. "We respectfully urge that this moment also be used to evaluate preservation needs statewide," the letter said. "The original legislative objective, saving Deadwood’s historic core, has largely been achieved, and that South Dakota now faces a broader preservation challenge. Without adjustment, the current structure unintentionally concentrates preservation success in arguably the wealthiest second-class municipality, while historic assets elsewhere continue to disappear." ## $33 billion wagered since 1989 Since gaming began in Deadwood in November 1989, billions in revenue and hundreds of millions in taxes have been generated, according to a News Watch analysis of state Department of Revenue data. As of June 2025, bettors had wagered a combined $32.6 billion and won $29.5 billion. That leaves gross revenues of about $3 billion, of which gaming operators take a large cut. Meanwhile, gaming has generated roughly $457.4 million in tax revenues, which was disbursed in the following ways (total may not add up due to rounding): - City of Deadwood: $237.4 million for historic preservation and numerous other civic, infrastructural and commercial projects supporting tourism - South Dakota tourism: $87.8 million for statewide promotion of visitation - State general fund: $67.2 million, fueling a variety of state expenses - State Gaming Commission: $27.3 million, operations and staffing costs - Lawrence County: $23.2 million, support for county government - Cities/schools in Lawrence County: $12.8 million, support for operations - Statewide history grants: $3.1 million for preservation outside Deadwood - Gambling helpline: $457,000 for statewide addiction prevention ## A complicated formula Distribution of tax revenues from Deadwood gaming follows a complicated formula last tweaked in 1995 in which 16 entities receive some of the money. In fiscal year 2024, total gaming tax and fee revenues were about $19.3 million. ![The historic Adams House Museum in Deadwood, S.D.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/03/2026-3-3-Deadwood-Adams-House-museum-1.jpeg) The historic Adams House Museum in Deadwood, S.D., shown on March 3, 2026, was one of numerous properties restored using gaming tax revenues. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) The overall allocation comes in two steps. First, about $16.3 million was allocated in the following ways: to the city of Deadwood historic preservation fund ($6.8 million), the state tourism fund ($4.5 million), state Gaming Commission ($2.2 million), the state general fund ($1.4 million), Lawrence County ($1.1 million), the statewide historical grant fund ($100,000) and for the state gaming addiction program ($30,000). The remaining balance of roughly $3 million was then divided up with 70% headed to the state general fund ($2.1 million) and 10% each to Deadwood for historic preservation, to four municipalities in Lawrence County and three area school districts. > "In the long term, Deadwood revenues grow at the expense of the state general fund's revenues." – Derek Johnson, state economist within the Bureau of Finance and Management Senate Bill 102, as amended and passed by both legislative chambers, would change the percentage breakdown of the $3 million to give 71% to the city of Deadwood, 25% to the state general fund and 3.3% to Lawrence County cities and .7% to the Lead-Deadwood School District. On March 9, the bill was passed was passed by the House of Representatives and was moved to Gov. Larry Rhoden for his possible signature into law. Derek Johnson, state economist within the Bureau of Finance and Management, said the amended version of SB 102 holds revenues for Deadwood steady for the next two years but would lead to increased income for the city afterward. The BFM supports the new proposed funding formula in SB 102. ![Several grants from gaming revenues have been used to help renovate historic homes and retaining walls](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/03/2026-3-3-Deadwood-restored-retaining-wall-1.jpeg) Several grants from gaming revenues have been used to help renovate historic homes and retaining walls that support hillside housing in Deadwood, S.D., including this project shown on March 3, 2026\. (Photo: South Dakota News Watch) Sen. Taffy Howard, a Rapid City Republican who self-identifies as a fiscal conservative, asked which entity now funded with gaming revenues would get less in the future as the formula generates more money for Deadwood. "Who is the loser in this?" Howard asked. "If somebody is getting a higher percentage, somebody is getting a lower percentage." Johnson replied that under the new proposed formula, the state general fund would receive a lower percentage of gaming money than it gets now. "In the long term, Deadwood revenues grow at the expense of the state general fund's revenues," Johnson said. ## All boats rise with more betting However, if gaming revenues continue to climb, all recipients still within the formula will eventually see more money, Kuchenbecker said. "We need to feed the goose that lays the golden egg," he said, repeating a long-held Deadwood mantra. "(SB 102) sets forth that we grow together rather than ... Deadwood falling behind with deferred maintenance and infrastructure needs that we need to continue to upgrade the community," Kuchenbecker said. ![Deadwood, S.D., historic preservation officer Kevin Kuchenbecker looks at historic objects](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/03/2026-3-3-Deadwood-Kuchekbacher-in-museum.jpeg) Deadwood, S.D., historic preservation officer Kevin Kuchenbecker on March 3, 2026, examines historic objects kept in the basement of city hall, which also includes a research and artifact preservation program funded by gaming revenues. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) Kuchenbecker told News Watch that as the bill is written, no increase would be made to the statewide history grant program, which would remain capped at $100,000 a year. ## History, not gambling, the draw to Deadwood? Throughout the debate over SB 102, Kuchenbecker and other proponents of the measure have made the argument that Deadwood's main draw as a tourism destination is historic relevance and not gaming. Without a consistent – and increased – level of financial support for historic preservation, Deadwood could lose its luster as a tourism destination, they argued. Justin Smith, a lobbyist for the Tourism Coalition of South Dakota, also spoke in favor of the bill. "In Deadwood, historic preservation is not an enhancement, it is the product," he said. "The buildings, streetscape and authenticity are what draws visitors from around the country and from around the world." ![Minneapolis tourists Desiree Weigel and David Holmberg in Deadwood](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/03/2026-3-3-Deadwood-visitors-in-Mt-Moriah-1.jpeg) Minneapolis tourists Desiree Weigel and David Holmberg, shown at Mount Moriah Cemetery on March 3, 2026, came to Deadwood, S.D., to discover history and not to gamble. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) On a recent sunny afternoon, two of those visitors included Minneapolis tourists Desiree Weigel and David Holmberg. They had come to South Dakota to see Badlands National Park and added a last-minute visit to Deadwood to learn about the town's history. "Neither of us are gamblers," Weigell said as they walked their boxer through the historic Mount Moriah Cemetery in the hills above Deadwood. Homberg, whose hobby is collecting historic firearms, said the couple was aware of Deadwood as a gambling destination, though not for them. "I'm an Old West buff, so I really wanted to see where Wild Bill Hickok was buried," he said. [Sports betting delivers a new jackpot for Deadwood casinosAccording to the South Dakota Department of Revenue, sports bettors in Deadwood are increasing their wagers at a steady pace.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-424.jpg)South Dakota News WatchBart Pfankuch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/Sports-betting-ticket.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/sports-betting-deadwood-south-dakota-gambling/) Kuchenbecker said that when the city hired a firm several years ago to help sharpen the branding efforts for Deadwood, the consultant was surprised to discover the importance of historical tourism. The study led to new Deadwood logos and marketing materials that focused on the Wild West far more than one-armed bandits. ## Wide array of spending in Deadwood The ways that Deadwood has spent its gaming revenue span a wide array of local projects. State statutes provide the city with great latitude in how gaming money should be spent. According to statute 42.7B-05, "the term, historic restoration and preservation, shall be interpreted liberally in scope and effect." Over the years, Deadwood has funded obvious historic projects such as restoring the Adams House Museum, the Mount Moriah cemetery and the Days of '76 rodeo grounds and museum. But Kuchenbecker said other projects provide indirect support to the historic preservation mission. For instance, a water line that provides service to historic properties could be repaired using gaming tax revenues, he said. ![The city of Deadwood, S.D, has provided funding from gaming revenues to help restore this 1880s-era home](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/03/2026-3-3-Deadwood-home-restoration-siding-1.jpeg) The city of Deadwood, S.D, has provided funding from gaming revenues to help restore this 1880s-era home, shown on March 3, 2026\. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) The city has also paid for or helped fund improvements to U.S. Highway 85, the restoration of the Deadwood Mountain Grand and tourism projects including the local trolley and recently completed Outlaw Square public performance space, according to [previous reporting](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/in-30-years-gaming-has-revitalized-and-challenged-deadwood/) by News Watch. Gaming funds have also helped bury power lines and add period lighting, improve a city recreation center and uncover thousands of artifacts from an archeological investigation into historic Chinatown. Ongoing efforts are being made to provide grants to homeowners to renovate homes built in the 1880s and to repair retaining walls that support houses built within the hills of Deadwood. Kuchenbecker added that private funding has also helped expand historic preservation in Deadwood, including $7 million in private money spent recently to restore the Landmark Casino that opened in 2024. ****Will you support South Dakota News Watch?** SDNW is an independent, 501(c)(3) nonprofit that tells investigative stories, verifies claims and engages with communities to identify solutions. With your gift, we can do even more important stories like this one. [Donate ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) The more than 3.5 million tourists who visit Deadwood annually take a toll on the city's ability to maintain infrastructure, staffing and its historical focus, Kuchenbecker said. The city is limited by zoning and geography from attracting new residential or commercial development that could increase its tax base, he said. The visitation generates increased costs for the city, he said, noting that the police department has a staff of 17, far greater than a typical South Dakota city of 1,300 people. "We're a small town but we have big-city expenses because of the visitation," he said. [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact* *content director Bart Pfankuch:** 605-937-9398*/*[*bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org). ### Top 5 legislative developments URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-legislature-developments-march-6/ Last updated: 2026-03-09T21:33:53.000Z PIERRE, S.D. – As South Dakota lawmakers enter the home stretch of this year's session, here's a summary of the top five developments heading into the final week. ## Property taxes After Gov. Larry Rhoden claimed victory with the passage of Senate Bill 96, which encompasses his proposal to allow counties the option to adopt an additional sales tax as a way to lower property taxes, his office will be keeping a close eye on Senate Bill 245 which is up for consideration in the House. The bill, endorsed by the governor, would create a homeowner property tax relief fund for homeowners using the funds generated by the planned 0.3% sales tax increase next year. While he was initially skeptical of such a plan, the governor has now backed the move after negotiations with legislative leadership, in particular fellow Republican House Speaker Jon Hansen. A related bill, championed by Republican House Majority Leader Scott Odenbach of Spearfish, is also set to be considered on Monday. House Bill 1253 would cap annual property assessment growth at 5% over a five-year period. ## ****Get South Dakota stories** An email summary on most weekdays that links to the full version. Cancel anytime. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. ## Referendum deadline Another potentially impactful bill still pending, which the House will consider next week, is House Bill 1323\. It would increase the number of days residents have to obtain signatures for a referendum to 30 days from the current 20 days. The bill is primarily viewed as a vehicle to allow residents to petition their individual counties to implement Rhoden's property tax plan. ## Budget ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/03/IMG_0039-1.jpeg) A Joint Committee of Appropriations meeting Feb. 10, 2026, in Pierre, S.D. (Photo: Alexander Rifaat/South Dakota News Watch) Above all other pieces of pending legislation, setting the budget for the upcoming fiscal year that starts July 1 will be top of the agenda next week. After taking a relatively streamlined process in determining revenue estimates, the Joint Appropriations Committee will meet to finalize budgetary discretions for the various state agencies and additional funds for school districts. The committee expects a roughly $30 million increase in revenue projected for the fiscal year by Rhoden's office. Rhoden has called for the extra funds to go toward a 1% increase in teacher salaries. ## Summer studies Legislators will also have an opportunity next week to discuss what issues they think were not addressed in this year's session and could be studied by the Legislative Research Council during the summer. Republican Sen. Sue Peterson of Sioux Falls has called for a Senate Taxation Committee meeting on Monday to explore tax legislation. It comes after several bills aimed at providing tax incentives for data centers failed during the 2026 legislative session. ## Kristi Noem ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/03/AP26064806795270.jpg) Kristi Noem, center, with her husband, Bryon Noem, right, seated behind her, appears for an oversight hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee, at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, March 3, 2026\. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) Despite the consequential legislation still pending, the top South Dakota political story from this week didn't happen in Pierre but in Washington, with the firing of former Gov. Kristi Noem as secretary of Homeland Security. President Donald Trump appointed Noem to the newly-created – and yet to be defined – role of United States Special Envoy for the Shield of the Americas. There was previous speculation Noem, who is the first Cabinet secretary in Trump's second term to be dismissed, would potentially launch a late challenge against fellow Republican and former South Dakota governor U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds. Noem will leave the DHS on March 31. **Correction:* This story was updated March 9, 2026, to correct the last name of state Sen. Sue Peterson.* ****Trusted, independent sources of information are needed more than ever. Help us continue delivering timely, fact-based storytelling today.** [Donate ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact politics and statehouse reporter Alexander Rifaat:* 605-736-4396/*[*alexander.rifaat@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:alexander.rifaat@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Fact brief: Were aircraft from Ellsworth involved with attacks on Iran? URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/fact-brief-were-aircraft-from-ellsworth-involved-with-attacks-on-iran/ Last updated: 2026-03-05T11:00:20.000Z ## Yes. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/WhiteFACT-BRIEF--500-x-200-px--2-1-1.png) B-1B Lancers from Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota were used in the attacks on Iran on March 1 and 2. Gov. Larry Rhoden shared a report on X from The Aviationist that the strategic bombers flew from South Dakota to Iran supported by aerial refueling. The mission reportedly took 34 hours, and the Lancers targeted ballistic missile facilities and other command infrastructure. [South Dakota News Watch Quiz - Gigafact![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/cropped-favicon-270x270-1.png)Gigafact![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/quiz-og-image-1.png)](https://gigafact.org/quiz/south-dakota-news-watch/fact-brief-quiz-8765/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Ellsworth was also part of a mission in Iran in 2025\. The 89th Attack Squadron carried out 175 hours of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance as part of Operation Midnight Hammer in June. Rhoden honored them at a ceremony in October. The B1-B Lancer can travel faster than the speed of sound and has the capability of carrying the largest payload of any aircraft inventory, and its blended wings and body allows for long-range flights. It made its combat debut in 1998. *This fact brief responds to conversations such as* [*this one.*](https://www.reddit.com/r/FighterJets/comments/1rh19vr/usaisraeliran%5Fclashes%5Ffebruarymarch%5F2026/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) ### **Sources** X.com, [Gov. Larry Rhoden post on Ellsworth bombers](https://x.com/GovLarryRhoden?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Military Times, [B-1B Lancers conduct deep strikes in Iran as part of Operation Epic Fury](https://www.militarytimes.com/news/your-military/2026/03/03/b-1b-lancers-conduct-deep-strikes-in-iran-as-part-of-operation-epic-fury/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) KOTA-TV, [Gov. Rhoden Honors Ellsworth-Based 89th Attack Squadron for Role in Operation Midnight Hammer](https://www.kotatv.com/2025/10/17/gov-rhoden-honors-ellsworth-based-89th-attack-squadron-role-operation-midnight-hammer/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Air & Space Forces Magazine, [B1-B Lancer](https://www.airandspaceforces.com/weapons-platforms/b-1/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) --- [**South Dakota News Watch**](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/) partners with [**Gigafact**](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) to publish fact briefs that refute or confirm a claim with supporting information and additional evidence and context. Send questions or feedback to [**factbrief@sdnewswatch.org**](mailto:factbrief@sdnewswatch.org). Submit a question for us to answer on the [**South Dakota News Watch Tipline**](https://gigafact.org/tipline/south-dakota-news-watch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). partners with [Gigafact](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) to publish fact briefs that refute or confirm a claim with supporting information and additional evidence and context. ****Support fact briefs.** Help us fight misinformation by supporting fact briefs that refute or confirm a claim with supporting information and additional evidence and context. [Donate ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact Michael Klinski* at michael.klinski@sdnewswatch.org.* ### Native-led health research company bridges medical gaps in tribal communities URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/native-led-health-research-company-medical-gaps-tribal-communities/ Last updated: 2026-03-04T12:50:58.000Z On reservations in South Dakota and North Dakota, medical research led by tribal members is leading the way in filling health care gaps among some of the country's most vulnerable populations. Missouri Breaks Industries Research manages medical research projects, hosts public health education and supplies critical medical equipment to Native populations. The company was founded in Eagle Butte on the Cheyenne River Indian Reservation about 30 years ago. It now serves four tribes: the Oglala Lakota, Cheyenne River Sioux, Standing Rock Sioux and Spirit Lake Nation. It also has satellite research offices in Rapid City as well as Pine Ridge and Kyle on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. ## ****Get South Dakota stories** An email summary on most weekdays that links to the full version. Cancel anytime. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. In South Dakota, counties on reservations – like Oglala Lakota County on the Pine Ridge reservation – have some of the lowest life expectancies in the country, partially due to major gaps in health care and public health education access. Marcia O'Leary, who is a registered nurse and founder of Missouri Breaks, told News Watch that Native-owned and operated research is a step in the right direction for tribal sovereignty and continued development. [South Dakotans’ biggest needs, according to 211 callsCalls to 211 in 2025 indicate that many South Dakotans are concerned about access to housing, food and utilities.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-420.jpg)South Dakota News WatchMolly Wetsch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/IMG_0223-1-1.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-211-helpline-center-housing-food-utilities/) "For things to change, people have to have knowledge, and they have to own their data in order to really have autonomy over it," O'Leary said. "Because it's all well and fine for me to say 'exercise and eat right.' But what does that even mean? You have to have real-life examples, and it needs to be appropriate to your community in order for it to resonate." ## Building trust, local knowledge a priority The company consists of about 45 staffers, more than 80% of whom are tribal members, O'Leary said. That number is critical to building trust among tribal communities – especially when it comes to health research, data collection and analysis, which often requires the disclosure of sensitive personal information and health conditions. It's common for researchers to come from out-of-state or off-reservation to collect data on health disparities or conditions in tribal communities, O'Leary said. > "It's all well and fine for me to say 'exercise and eat right.' But what does that even mean? You have to have real-life examples." > \-- Marcia O'Leary, a registered nurse and founder of Missouri Breaks Many of the company's studies involve work with scientists from large, out-of-state universities who have vast research capabilities and resources. O'Leary said that having Missouri Breaks staff available to act as experts on the local community can help mitigate potential misunderstandings and miscommunications during research. "It's not because of some evil intent or anything like that. It's just because people don't know the right questions to ask. And so it's really important there's research done that is interpreted locally," O'Leary said. ![A man practices CPR as part of a Missouri Breaks-led demonstration. (Photo: Missouri Breaks Industries Research)](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/03/IMG_4104-3-1-1.jpg) A man practices CPR as part of a Missouri Breaks-led demonstration. (Photo: Missouri Breaks Industries Research) Researchers from out of state help gather critical data that can benefit communities, she said. But when professionals only come for short periods of time, the community does not see the same economic benefits as when they move to town and settle full-time. Missouri Breaks hopes, through its continuous work in tribal communities, to create more opportunities for working professionals to stay on the reservation. "They can't invest in our banks. They can't sit on the school board. They don't hire the next door neighbor's kid to mow their lawn," O'Leary said. "So consequently, that opportunity for exchange – cultural, economic, all of those things that change environments and communities – doesn't take place. Our hope is, is that if we can grow capacity, if we can grow the professionals here, that they will come and they will stay and that there will be opportunities for them to be here. That they will come to love this community as much as we all do." The team prioritizes research participants' comfort and informed consent, O'Leary said, and focuses on research that will have a tangible impact on the communities they work in. ## Work focuses on issues affecting Native communities The company has, over its decades in operation, conducted studies on all matter of health issues affecting Native people, including diabetes, pre-eclampsia, and alcohol and tobacco use. Missouri Breaks has been a partner of the Strong Heart Study, which is the largest and longest cardiovascular study of Native populations in the country, since its inception. O'Leary, who was a nurse in the early phases of the study in the 1990s, established Missouri Breaks as the overseer of the Dakota center for the study in 1995. ****Trusted, independent sources of information are needed more than ever. Help us continue delivering timely, fact-based storytelling today.** [Donate ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Data from that study led to the creation of a [risk calculator](https://strongheart2.ouhsc.edu/CHDcalculator/calculator.html?ref=sdnewswatch.org) for coronary heart disease in Native populations. It found that in Native people, those with diabetes were 3 times more likely to suffer a cardiovascular event like heart attack or stroke. It also linked diabetes and depression, noting that higher HGbA1c levels increased depression risk in Native people. O'Leary said that the tight-knit communities and commitment to Lakota values of family and heritage mean that the Dakota study has one of the highest retention rates in the country. "We've retained up to 90% of our people in this study because they've just had a real commitment. I think there's a couple of reasons for that. But probably the most important thing is that people come into the study knowing that this isn't about themselves. This is about their children, their grandchildren, their Tiospaye (extended family and community), the future." ![Marcia O'Leary (left) and Karen Little Wounded (center), founder and researcher at Missouri Breaks Industries Research.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/03/IMG_4109-3-1-1.jpg) Karen Little Wounded, a researcher with Missouri Breaks, said that doing health research work on the reservations has unique benefits. "We really work closely with our people. And it's just not the clinical research study that you know – it's more relaxed, patient informed. Missouri Breaks is well known here, and it's in a positive way," Little Wounded said. "I call them our regulars. They come back to Missouri Breaks or we get a lot of phone calls: 'Are there any new studies?' There's never a lack of participation." Little Wounded is currently working on a sleep apnea study that she hopes will have up to 350 participants from the Cheyenne River Sioux and Oglala Lakota tribes. Native Americans generally have higher rates of obstructive sleep apnea, which is associated with other serious conditions like heart disease. "We use motivational interviewing to help the participants with their PAP (positive airway pressure) devices, just trying to make them comfortable, trying to get them used to it. And so they become regular users," Little Wounded said. "The pre-observations were that over 50% of our people have sleep health issues. There's various reasons why we don't sleep." ## Research works in conjunction with Lakota principles The company has made a commitment to ethical research in tribal communities, which manifests in methods that honor traditional values. A handout provided by the company to potential candidates discusses Lakota considerations to health research, like the seven generations principle and the people's connection to Unci Maka (Grandmother Earth). The company will offer Lakota interpreters to any participant who requests one, which helps to keep the traditional language alive in multi-generational households, O'Leary said. ****Support Native American storytelling.** Help South Dakota News Watch tell stories from Indian Country that don't just focus on the problems but on the solutions and rich Indigenous culture. [Donate ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) The team is also working on a bilingualism study that studies bilingual households and the cognitive advantage that speaking Lakota at home can provide. "It's been so fun and fascinating talking to people who have grown up in bilingual Lakota households," O'Leary said. "It gives us an opportunity to validate why it's so important for multiple languages to be not only spoken but to be accepted and to be enjoyed and relished." Before the sleep apnea study, Little Wounded worked on Native CHOICES, a study that focused on alcohol-exposed pregnancy and risk in Native women. Little Wounded said during that study she saw big differences working with Native populations who had regular access to and contact with cultural values and traditions, especially when working with urban populations. "A lot of the participants didn't have the cultural advantage or the spirituality. That's what they were lacking, and that's what they were wanting and needing, but they didn't have the human resources," Little Wounded said. "They didn't know who to go to, to reach out to – where here on the rez, it's a practice. And we have our human resources here. So that was a big difference for us." [Biotech defined: Economic impact, SD companies and moreIndustry leaders in state trying to make South Dakota part of a $3.2 trillion industry.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-419.jpg)South Dakota News WatchMolly Wetsch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/usdrp-2025-market-study-building-1-progress-on-prairie-1-1.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/biotech-economic-impact-sd-companies/) O'Leary said she hopes that the ongoing work that Missouri Breaks does in cultural, health and education spaces will help both reservation residents and outsiders recognize how special the community is. "This is a really amazing community and people are just really gracious and lovely here," O'Leary said. "There's a lot of really good things here and a lot of good people. We just really need to have folks to understand that and to engage in it." [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact reporter/**[***Report for America***](https://www.reportforamerica.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) **corps member Molly Wetsch:* 605-531-7382/*[*molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Biotech defined: Economic impact, SD companies and more URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/biotech-economic-impact-sd-companies/ Last updated: 2026-03-04T13:22:03.000Z Biotechnology – and its potential space in South Dakota's economy – has been slowly developing nationwide for decades. With recent advancements in the state like the University of South Dakota Discovery District and research efforts by major health care providers Sanford Health and Avera Health, the biotech industry has emerged as a point of interest in many South Dakotans' lives. Here's an **explanation of biotech**, how has it made a home in South Dakota and some of the top biotech companies across the state. #### What is biotech? Biotech is, simply, technology that harnesses biological components. The industry is also referred to as bioscience or life sciences, though that typically refers to the research or study of biology – which comes before technology development. Most biotech development comes out of rigorous research programs, which are often based in universities. ****Tung Nguyen**, who develops market studies of the biotech industry out of the University of South Dakota Discovery District in Sioux Falls, said "bioscience is the high, overarching category where it's the exploration of science and how that considers environment, health, etc. Biotech is the application of that science." Some common examples of biotechnology are medical treatments like vaccines, gene technology, crop plant production and DNA testing services. Medical research, including that done at major statewide health care providers Sanford Health and Avera Health, are also considered biotech initiatives. #### How do you start a biotech company? The entrepreneurial process is different for biotech companies: Years of research must be completed before a product or service can be safely distributed to the public. "Life sciences is different. And, yes, it's even more different in our state, but even (in) other states, it's hard. It's a tough industry, so we want to be able to be there, have them be successful. And honestly, some of them won't make it," ****Joni Ekstrum**, executive director of the South Dakota Biotech Association, told News Watch. Many of the challenges relating to biotech development, particularly in states with smaller population, relate to funding. "These are high-risk technologies. And they generally come from the universities. Universities will help with filing provisional patents, they have the equipment, they have the resources within the university to prototype. But it's the funding piece of it," Ekstrum said. "You have to have a lot of money. Many of these technologies to go through experiments. It takes expensive equipment, it takes a lot of time, and a lot of trial and error before you can even determine if this technology that might seem interesting as it's being developed will even work. And so it's a pretty long runway for investors." #### How does the biotech industry impact the economy? The 2025 BIO Best Practices Report said that the bioscience industry employed 2.3 million Americans in 2023-24\. Overall, the industry's total ****economic impact** as measured by overall output in the U.S. was ****estimated at $3.2 trillion in 2023**, according to the report. Employment increased by 15% since 2019. Federally, several grant programs are available to support biotech companies, including funding from the National Institute of Health (NIH). South Dakota received $56 million in 2024\. Much of that funding went to university research programs or biotech companies like OmegaQuant. Other programs include Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR), which provides seed funding to startups to stimulate technological innovation. . Several states offer tax credits or other incentives to support bioscience development, such as research and development tax credits or SBIR matching grants. South Dakota is one of two states without any incentive programs for the biotech industry. [Biotech: SD revs up for the future in a young, growing industryState is 1 of 2 without an incentive program to create jobs in pharmaceuticals, agriculture, the military and other industries.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-422.jpg)South Dakota News WatchMolly Wetsch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/usdrp-2025-market-study-building-1-exterior-1.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/usd-discovery-district-biotech-industry-south-dakota/) ### South Dakota biotech companies A non-comprehensive list of some major players in the biotech and life sciences industries in the state and where they're located: **Brookings:** - [Dakota BioWorx](https://www.dakotabioworx.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) - [Houdek](https://www.houdeknature.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) - [Medgene Labs](https://medgenelabs.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) - [MedQ Systems](https://medqsystems.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) - [RTI, LLC](https://4rtilab.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) **Canton:** - [Ovis Sheep](https://www.ovissheep.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) **Eagle Butte (Cheyenne River Indian Reservation):** - [Missouri Breaks Industries Research](https://www.missouri-breaks.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org): Read how [this Native-led research company bridges medical gaps in tribal communities](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/native-led-health-research-company-medical-gaps-tribal-communities/). **Lead:** - [Sanford Underground Research Facility](https://sanfordlab.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) **Rapid City:** - [B9Creations](https://www.b9c.com/?srsltid=AfmBOopgA0fFDcsRiC6rw63mk7PsC0vcXSu4bkHMnOCnQEY4wsQK7s6U&ref=sdnewswatch.org) - [Phylloceuticals](https://www.phylloceuticals.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) - [PlantCatalyst](https://plantcatalyst.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) **Sioux Falls:** - [Avera Health](https://www.avera.org/research-and-clinical-trials/genetics/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) - [Axion (Bion)](https://www.sciencemadebrilliant.com/about?ref=sdnewswatch.org) - [CEGA Innovations](https://www.cegaco.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) - [Cytion](https://www.cytion.com/us?ref=sdnewswatch.org) - [Epolleo](https://epolleo.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) - [Inanovate](https://inanovate.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) - [OmegaQuant, LLC](https://omegaquant.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) - [POET](https://poet.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) - [SAB Biotherapeutics](https://www.sab.bio/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) - [Sanford Health](https://research.sanfordhealth.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) - [South Dakota Soybean Checkoff](https://www.sdsoybean.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) **Volga:** - [Houdek](https://www.houdeknature.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) ## ****Get South Dakota stories** An email summary on most weekdays that links to the full version. Cancel anytime. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. [What's working in your community? Share your comments and ideas.](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdSEE1F4irRiyi9MOOwQszosDlmSghlnIKbEHxeCJEjDKZRVw/viewform?usp=sharing&ouid=100426322203936282954&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact reporter/**[***Report for America***](https://www.reportforamerica.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) **corps member Molly Wetsch:* 605-531-7382/*[*molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Fact brief: Do the SDSU men have the most Summit League basketball titles? URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/fact-brief-south-dakota-state-sdsu-jackrabbits-summit-league/ Last updated: 2026-03-03T11:00:59.000Z ## No. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/WhiteFACT-BRIEF--500-x-200-px--2-1-1.png) The South Dakota State University men’s basketball team ranks second in conference tournament championships, behind former Summit League member Valparaiso. Valparaiso, which joined the Horizon League in 2007 after leaving the Summit League (then called the Midcontinent Conference), won eight tournament titles, while South Dakota State has won seven entering the 2026 event. Valparaiso’s best showing at the NCAA Tournament was in 1998, when the No. 13 seed made it to the Sweet 16. [South Dakota News Watch Quiz - Gigafact![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/cropped-favicon-270x270-1.png)Gigafact![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/quiz-og-image-1.png)](https://gigafact.org/quiz/south-dakota-news-watch/fact-brief-quiz-8765/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) SDSU has yet to advance past the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The Jackrabbits won the conference title five times from 2012-2018, and in 2022 and 2024\. After Valparaiso and SDSU, Oral Roberts and North Dakota State both have five conference titles. The 2026 Summit League Tournament takes place March 4-8 in Sioux Falls. NDSU is seeded No. 1, University of South Dakota fourth and SDSU seventh. *This fact brief responds to conversations such as* [*this one.*](https://www.reddit.com/r/CollegeBasketball/comments/1j66vnb/the%5Fsummit%5Fleague%5Ftournament%5Fhas%5Fhad%5Fjust%5Ffour/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) ### **Sources** The New York Times, [Valparaiso to Leave Mid-Continent for Horizon](https://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/18/sports/ncaabasketball/18sportsbriefs2.ready.html?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Summit League, [Men’s basketball history](https://thesummitleague.org/documents/2025/9/19//2024%5F25%5FMBB%5FRecord%5FBook.pdf?ref=sdnewswatch.org) KELO-TV, [Summit League men’s bracket unveiled](https://www.keloland.com/sports/summit-league-mens-bracket-unveiled/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) --- [**South Dakota News Watch**](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/) partners with [**Gigafact**](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) to publish fact briefs that refute or confirm a claim with supporting information and additional evidence and context. Send questions or feedback to [**factbrief@sdnewswatch.org**](mailto:factbrief@sdnewswatch.org). Submit a question for us to answer on the [**South Dakota News Watch Tipline**](https://gigafact.org/tipline/south-dakota-news-watch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). ****Support fact briefs.** Help us fight misinformation by supporting fact briefs that refute or confirm a claim with supporting information and additional evidence and context. [Donate ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact Michael Klinski* at michael.klinski@sdnewswatch.org.* ### Flood of bureaucracy leaves prime home lots vacant in Fort Pierre URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/fort-pierre-sd-flooding-corps-of-engineers-housing/ Last updated: 2026-03-02T13:22:40.000Z FORT PIERRE, S.D. – With the picturesque Missouri River flowing only a block behind him, Dave Bonde stood in a vacant lot in a residential neighborhood in Fort Pierre and shook his head in exasperation. As the executive director of the Fort Pierre Development Corp., Bonde is tasked with encouraging new housing and business projects to generate population and economic growth in this city of about 2,500 people. For Bonde and other local officials, it is troubling that 42 lots – including some with riverfront access and views – are prevented by the federal government from being used as homesites. ![Dave Bonde stands on a lot owned by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Fort Pierre, S.D., ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/02/2026-2-7-Bonde-at-Army-Corps-lot-1.jpeg) Dave Bonde, executive director of the Fort Pierre Development Corp., stands on a lot owned by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Fort Pierre, S.D., on Feb. 5, 2026\. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) "We can't build on them, so no one can live there and they're not generating any taxes back to the city," Bonde said. "It's going to take an act of Congress, literally, to get this changed." ## Federal ownership and federal red tape The vacant lots are owned by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, a powerful federal agency that builds and manages infrastructure across the country, including on and along waterways. Fort Pierre's downtown and main residential district are located to the north of the confluence of the Missouri and Bad rivers, which makes the city prone to significant flooding every few years. After the two rivers swelled in the late 1990s, washing out residential neighborhoods and damaging homes on the city's northeast side, the Corps bought 44 lots as part of a long-range flood control project. ![This map of part of Fort Pierre, S.D., shows the location of the lots (shown in red) owned by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/02/Fort-Pierre-Ary-Corps-lots.jpg) This map of part of Fort Pierre, S.D., shows the location of the lots (shown in red) owned by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers that are vacant and not available for development by the city or private interests. (Image: Courtesy city of Fort Pierre) After the purchases, residents relocated and homes were moved or torn down, and the federal government has since blocked any future housing development that would be prone to flooding. Specifically, homes cannot be built on the lots unless the livable areas are at least 1 foot above the historic flood plain level. Meanwhile, the Corps has retained ownership of the properties and has refused efforts by the city to buy the lots and find ways to elevate the foundations or to build homes on stilts. Fort Pierre Mayor Gloria Hanson, now in her sixth two-year term in office, has been working for years to get the Corps to relinquish ownership of the vacant lots to the city or to simply get clearance to allow residential development. ![Fort Pierre, S.D., Mayor Gloria Hanson in her office on Feb. 5, 2026. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/02/2026-2-5-Fort-Pierre-Mayor-Gloria-Hanson-1.jpeg) Fort Pierre, S.D., Mayor Gloria Hanson in her office on Feb. 5, 2026\. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) Despite attempts to work through Corps red tape or get help from members of the South Dakota congressional delegation, Hanson said the issue is at a stalemate. Fort Pierre is eager to encourage new housing to increase its population and tax base. The city also wants to capitalize on growth opportunities as a bedroom community to the much larger city of Pierre, the state's capital city located on the opposite shore of the Missouri River. ## ****Get South Dakota stories** An email summary on most weekdays that links to the full version. Cancel anytime. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. Hanson said the flood prevention program has created a "checkerboard" of open lots in an area that is prime real estate for residential development. "It kind of spoils the neighborhood to have these properties sit empty," Hanson told News Watch in an interview. "We would love to put those neighborhoods back together, and it would also be nice to have the properties back on the tax rolls." Hanson said the federal government has paid for mowing and weed control on the lots for more than 20 years. The Corps has shown some flexibility in allowing the city to find allowable uses for the lots that do not include housing. ![The city of Fort Pierre, S.D., was able to get permission from the federal government to build this fish-cleaning house](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/02/2026-2-8-Ft-Pierre-fish-house-1.jpeg) The city of Fort Pierre, S.D., was able to get permission from the federal government to build this fish-cleaning house and an adjacent boat ramp along the Missouri River, shown on Feb. 6, 2026\. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) The city signed long-term leases with the federal government to turn one lot into a community garden, and another was developed into a year-round fish cleaning building next to a boat launch on the Missouri River. Plans to use three lots for boat trailer parking have not materialized, Hanson said. ## Corps says law must be followed News Watch sent a list of questions to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers regional office in Omaha, Nebraska, and received a written statement in response. A Corps spokesman said the agency could not provide any further details at this time. "The Omaha District is aware of the questions regarding federally owned properties in Fort Pierre. These lands were acquired in support of an authorized flood risk management project in Pierre and Fort Pierre," the spokesman wrote. "Any potential change in ownership or development would require compliance with federal law and a determination that the property is no longer needed for project purposes. We continue to partner with Fort Pierre through our technical assistance programs to evaluate the ongoing flood risk to the community including these vacant parcels." ![These vacant lots in Fort Pierre, S.D., shown on Feb. 6, 2026, are within view of the Missouri River but cannot be developed](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/02/2026-2-8-Ft-Pierre-Army-Corps-lots-road-sign.jpeg) These vacant lots in Fort Pierre, S.D., shown on Feb. 6, 2026, are within view of the Missouri River but cannot be developed because they are within the flood plain and owned by the federal government. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) The Corps also owns 61 properties that it purchased in 2006 in the city limits of Pierre, mostly in a flood-prone area of the city's south side near the Izaak Walton League building along the banks of the Missouri River. Pierre city administrator Kristi Honeywell told News Watch in an email that there are no current plans to build on those vacant sites, either by the Corps or the city, but that future development is possible. [Engage South Dakota: Housing solutionsA list of entities and programs that can assist in developing or obtaining housing as well as links to News Watch reporting on housing solutions.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-417.jpg)South Dakota News WatchBart Pfankuch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/IMG_2326-14.jpeg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/engage-south-dakota-housing-rent-own-solutions-journalism/) "If the Corps were to pursue redevelopment or sale of the properties, the city of Pierre would facilitate a conversation between the Corps and any interested developer or party," Honeywell wrote. Similar to the situation in Fort Pierre, Honeywell said the vacant properties owned by the Corps in Pierre are spread among other lots that contain homes or structures, which could complicate redevelopment efforts. "The area includes irregular, 'checkerboard' ownership patterns within the mapped floodplain, which creates additional complexity for redevelopment," she wrote. "Any future development would need to address floodplain regulations, infrastructure requirements, and long-term maintenance considerations." ## Not giving up in Fort Pierre Mayor Hanson said she continues to seek ways to make better use of the vacant lots owned by the federal government in Fort Pierre. "There are ways you can build on that kind of property," she said. In Texas, for example, homes in flood plains have been built on stilts to avoid future flooding, Hanson said. The Corps lots can also be used as parkland or even office buildings that are not inhabited overnight, she said. ****Support solutions-focused storytelling.** Help South Dakota News Watch tell stories that identify and share solutions to the state's biggest challenges. [Donate ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) In the meantime, Hanson will try to persuade the federal government that the city is ready to get housing built on the open lots. "We were hoping they would consider letting us build up the lots, to bring them above the flood plain and open them up for housing again," she said. "It won’t be easy, but we’ve not given up." [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact* *content director Bart Pfankuch:** 605-937-9398*/*[*bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org). ### Horses that heal: Equine therapy rising in popularity URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/horses-equine-therapy-counseling-therapy/ Last updated: 2026-02-27T16:12:55.000Z RAPID VALLEY, S.D. – Bridget Williams gathered a group of children together in her barn to show them how to safely give a horse a treat. Williams told them not to hold the treat near the horse's mouth because it can't see the snack and could mistakenly bite a finger. Instead, she said, show the horse the treat and then lower it for gentle chomping by the appreciative animal. The brief lesson was intended to build trust between the humans and the horses that were gathered on a recent Saturday morning in the barn at Red Horse Healing, the equine therapy practice run by Williams on a rural site in Rapid Valley, a neighborhood on the east side of Rapid City. ## ****Get South Dakota stories** An email summary on most weekdays that links to the full version. Cancel anytime. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. Animal-assisted psychotherapy is a form of mental and behavioral health treatment that uses horses and other animals to help adults, children and families to heal from trauma, to manage autism or to overcome anxiety, depression, grief or other emotional problems. The therapy can help anyone but has been particularly effective in aiding Native Americans, who have a deep historical connection to horses as both working animals and companions. ![Bridget Williams introduces a child to a horse at Red Horse Healing in Rapid Valley, S.D., on Feb. 21, 2026.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/02/2026-2-21-Equine-therapist-with-child-2.jpeg) Bridget Williams introduces a child to a horse at Red Horse Healing in Rapid Valley, S.D., on Feb. 21, 2026\. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) Williams, a licensed professional counselor, has employed horses in her practice for 15 years, the past 10 at [Red Horse Healing](https://www.facebook.com/bridgetredhorsehealing). She said the treatment works because horses – despite their imposing height and weight over 1,000 pounds – are gentle, intuitive creatures that create a sense of calm comfort and mutual understanding for people suffering from emotional or physical ailments. "Horses hear what is not spoken," she said. "They help create and maintain non-judgmental relationships." ## Rising acceptance as therapy option In recent years, equine-assisted therapy has become increasingly established as a bonafide therapeutic modality, with certification offered by several U.S. therapy organizations, including the Equine Assisted Growth and Learning Association. The modality is supported by the National Association of Social Workers, and some U.S. colleges offer training in the practice, including through a graduate certificate offered at Colorado State University. In a 2024 article republished by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), an agency within the federal government, it was noted that "animal therapy incorporates animals into the therapeutic process, leveraging their presence to improve communication, reduce anxiety, and foster a supportive environment." ![Mother-daughter mini donkeys are ready to work with clients at Red Horse Healing in Rapid Valley, S.D. on Feb. 21, 2026.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/02/2026-2-21-Equine-mini-horses-1.jpeg) Mother-daughter mini donkeys are ready to work with clients at Red Horse Healing in Rapid Valley, S.D. on Feb. 21, 2026\. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) Equine-assisted programming is offered at numerous facilities across the state. Several sites are located in Rapid City and across the Black Hills. The therapy is also offered at several East River locations, including at Gentle Spirit sanctuary in Scotland, Helping with Horsepower in Mitchell, HorsePower in Baltic and at McCrossan Boys Ranch in Sioux Falls. Williams, who currently has about 45 individual clients and also holds group or family therapy sessions with up to eight people several times a week, is expanding her practice with a new facility in Piedmont, just west of Rapid City. Williams said equine therapy is covered by most health insurers and by Medicaid, the federal insurance program for low-income adults and children, senior citizens, pregnant women and people with disabilities. ## Experiencing the 'charisma of the horses' by riding, petting, playing The use of full-sized or miniature horses in behavioral therapy at Red Horse Healing can include a number of techniques, Williams said. The horses can simply be present to create a calm, safe space for deep issues to be explored. Clients can pet or ride the horses in the barn as part of connection building. Horses can also be part of activities that build trust and the ability to form relationships. At the recent group session in February, Williams led a dozen or so children through a four-hour journey of education and exploration with the horses. ![A horse stands by as children gather during a group therapy session at Red Horse Healing in Rapid Valley, S.D., on Feb. 21, 2026.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/02/2026-2-21-Equine-group-therapy-1.jpeg) A horse stands by as children gather during a group therapy session at Red Horse Healing in Rapid Valley, S.D., on Feb. 21, 2026\. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) During the event sponsored by the Great Plains Tribal Chairmen's Association, the children met one another and the half-dozen horses present. They used yoga balls, pool noodles and other toys to create rhythm and movement opportunities to help regulate emotions and better engage with the horses. They developed a bond with the horses that enabled them to share how they felt or express what was bothering them and to then discuss possible solutions or calming techniques. Michel Melvin of Wounded Knee brought three of her grandchildren to the session to bond with horses and find strength through interaction with Williams and her staff. Melvin, 69, has been around horses all her life, and her family has raced horses in South Dakota in the past. "Sometimes kids need more than just one-on-one with a counselor," she said. "They get experience with the power and charisma of the horses." ## Not being 'glued onto electronic devices' Melvin said Williams has a unique skill set that provides a safe setting for adults but especially for children to break through trauma they may be suffering. ![Michel Melvin of Wounded Knee, S.D., is shown in the office at Red Horse Healing in Rapid Valley, S.D., on Feb. 21, 2026. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/02/2026-2-21-Equine-therapy-grandmother-1.jpeg) Michel Melvin of Wounded Knee, S.D., is shown in the office at Red Horse Healing in Rapid Valley, S.D., on Feb. 21, 2026\. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) "I share a lot of love with my grandchildren, but I think there's a lot of children out there who don't get the love they need," she said. "It's an opportunity for these children to see something more than they usually see in the home setting where they are glued onto electronic devices." Williams often incorporates elements of Lakota culture into her sessions. She provides placards with Lakota words and their meaning to create connections between clients and their culture. Clients sometimes use non-toxic paints to illustrate the horses, just as Native Americans used to do. Some therapy horses at Red Horse Healing come from traumatic situations of their own and have been rescued by Williams. ![Bridget Williams works with children during a group therapy session at Red Horse Healing in Rapid Valley, S.D., on Feb. 21, 2026. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/02/2026-2-21-Equine-therapist-with-chidren-1.jpeg) Bridget Williams works with children during a group therapy session at Red Horse Healing in Rapid Valley, S.D., on Feb. 21, 2026\. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) Clients give the horses special names, and the animals are never forced to do anything, such as being haltered or ridden without their full consent. Treating the horses with respect and individuality enables clients to create a bond all their own with a horse, Williams said. Clients can then tap into the wisdom and intuitive nature of the horses and use them to project their own hidden feelings and problems, which can then be explored with the counselor. "It's a lot safer for them to say, 'My horse is feeling this way,'" she said. "It allows them to discuss their own feelings more easily." ## Bringing horses into the community Williams has frequently brought her therapy horses to community events and gatherings to help people find solace. Her horses have been part of Native American cultural events, such as neighborhood gatherings and day camps at the Lakota Homes and Knollwood neighborhoods in north Rapid City. At times, Williams has brought horses to events sponsored by the Rapid City Police Department, including at the Star Village community that struggles with poverty and crime. ****Trusted, independent sources of information are needed more than ever. Help us continue delivering timely, fact-based storytelling today.** [Donate ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Tyler Read has seen positive outcomes created by Williams and her therapy horses at some of those events. Read serves as the community engagement specialist for the Rapid City police and has worked with Williams to help rebuild community pride at neighborhood events. "They prayed together, they ate together and they got to ride horses together," Read said. "For some, it was an emotional release, and a way to express themselves and let go of some of their hurt." ![Signs on the wall provide additional training for clients at Red Horse Healing in Rapid Valley, S.D., on Feb. 21, 2026.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/02/2026-2-21-Equine-wall-board-1.jpeg) Signs on the wall provide additional training for clients at Red Horse Healing in Rapid Valley, S.D., on Feb. 21, 2026\. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) The equine therapy Williams provided made a noticeable impact on some of the children who attended the day camps and neighborhood outings, Read said. Several children who had impulse control, hyperactivity or anger issues changed their behaviors after riding or painting the horses. "There’s a humbling effect and a reverence you have with the horse," he said. "To be able to ride on something so large, it kind of puts things in perspective and makes you more accountable for your behaviors." [Award-winning ‘East of Wall’ illustrates rural life in ‘docu-fiction’“There’s this amazing resurgence of cowboy and Western films, right? But have you seen any of them that are told through the voices of women?”![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-416.jpg)South Dakota News WatchMolly Wetsch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/2-2.png)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/east-of-wall-south-dakota-film-tabatha-zimiga/) Read said that as a father, he took his daughters to therapy at Red Horse Healing when they were being bullied. Read said he was pleased to see how his children reacted to the horses and the therapy offered by Williams. "There’s a level of honesty you want to keep with a horse and being in awe of nature," he said. "They’re very large creatures, and they've got those huge eyes and they’re very quiet and it’s kind of like they can look into a person's soul." Read said Williams is providing an important service to individuals and the community at large that cannot be replicated through traditional counseling alone. "When you see the impact it creates, it's special," he said. "It truly is a beautiful thing." [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact* *content director Bart Pfankuch:** 605-937-9398*/*[*bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org). ### News about News Watch: February 2026 URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/news-about-news-watch-february-2026/ Last updated: 2026-02-26T16:00:30.000Z *The latest news about South Dakota News Watch for our community of subscribers, donors and media partners* --- ## Molly Wetsch earns investigative reporting fellowship ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/02/Wetsch--Molly-1-1.jpg) Molly Wetsch **Molly Wetsch**, who reports rural and Native American issues for South Dakota News Watch as a [Report for America](https://www.reportforamerica.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) corps member, has been awarded the Jennifer Leonard Fellowship to attend the [2026 NICAR Conference](https://www.ire.org/training/conferences/nicar-2026/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) March 5-8 in Indianapolis. NICAR is the Investigative Editors and Reporters' annual conference that focuses on all aspects of data journalism. The fellowship provides paid registration to the conference, a one-year IRE membership renewal, lodging and a travel stipend. --- ## Sioux Falls 5th grader wins state bee ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/02/IMG_0172.jpeg) The 24 participants in the South Dakota State Spelling Bee, Feb. 7, 2026, in Mitchell. Twenty-four elementary and middle school students competed Feb. 7 in the state spelling bee that was won by 11-year-old Oscar Quezada, a 5th grade student from Challenge Center Elementary School in Sioux Falls. It was the second year **South Dakota News Watch** and **Dakota Wesleyan University** sponsored the competition, which was held at DWU in Mitchell. Financial support for Black Hills area students also came from the **Independent Insurance Agents of Rapid City**. Oscar claimed the state championship in the 19th round after correctly spelling "arrearage." He'll move on to the 2026 Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington in May. **If you or your organization are interested in co-sponsoring next year's event, please reach out or** [**make a one-time or recurring donation**](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). Thank you to those of you who already have! --- ## Voter guide and civics and media series South Dakota News Watch and the Chiesman Center for Democracy at the University of South Dakota will again sponsor scientific polls ahead of the primary and general elections. It's part of our coverage that will include candidate and ballot measure profiles as well as other stories about voting and the election. We're also working with several other nonprofits to produce a series of events around the role of civics and media. Read the latest on that effort at the link below as well as our voter guide that will be updated as the election matures. [South Dakota Election Voter GuideEverything South Dakota voters need to know about statewide contests in the primary and general elections.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-414.jpg)South Dakota News WatchAlexander Rifaat![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/2024-6-4-Election-signs-1-4.JPG)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-voter-guide-primary-general-election/) [Civics and media seriesThe town halls, discussions and community gatherings are intended to increase civic engagement and help people be informed.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-413.jpg)South Dakota News WatchCarson Walker![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/image000004--1--1-1.jpeg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-civics-media-politics-voting-series/) --- ## $100,000 for housing solutions stories ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/02/SDCF-check-2026-1-23.jpg) Pictured with SDCF's Jeff Veltkamp (far left) and Ginger Niemann (second from right) are South Dakota News Watch co-founder Jack Marsh, CEO Carson Walker and board chair Nick Kotzea. South Dakota News Watch was honored Jan. 23 to formally receive a **$100,000 grant from the South Dakota Community Foundation** for its ongoing series of solutions-focused stories on the state's housing crunch. It was part of the SDCF's 2025 [Big Idea Grants awards for community-based problem-solving](https://www.sdcommunityfoundation.org/grants/beyond-idea-grants?ref=sdnewswatch.org). SDNW was one of just eight newsrooms nationally to be accepted into the first cohort of the [Solutions Journalism Revenue Accelerator](https://www.solutionsjournalism.org/program/solutions-journalism-revenue-accelerators?ref=sdnewswatch.org) program that provided training and guidance on the storytelling approach. --- ## Most popular stories last month Here are the most-read stories from the past month with links to each: 1. [Fact brief: Have ICE agents detained Native Americans?](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/fact-brief-ice-native-americans-detained-minneapolis/) 2. [Fact brief: Can trees 'explode' during extremely cold weather?](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/fact-brief-can-trees-explode-max-velocity-weather/) 3. [Prominent Native American activist's trial ends with a hung jury](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/native-american-activist-nick-tilsen-ndn-collective-trial/) 4. [A guide to South Dakota's 9 Native tribes](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/nine-south-dakota-native-american-tribes-reservations-guide/) 5. [Fact brief: Can people hunt on South Dakota's tribal lands?](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/fact-brief-south-dakota-tribal-lands-reservation-hunting/) --- ****Ways to support South Dakota News Watch:** 1\. ****Subscribe** for [weekday emails with story summaries](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/). 2\. ****Share** that email with friends and family and encourage them to sign up. 3\. ****Support** us with a [one-time or recurring donation](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) and become a partner in reporting important stories. Thank you for trusting us as a source for stories of statewide interest, your partnerships and financial support! Please reach out any time with feedback, questions or ideas. **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact CEO Carson Walker:* 605-610-9366/*[*carson.walker@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:carson.walker@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Fact brief: Has South Dakota ever voted for a Democrat for president? URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/fact-brief-south-dakota-presidential-election-electoral-votes/ Last updated: 2026-02-26T11:05:23.000Z ## Yes. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/WhiteFACT-BRIEF--500-x-200-px--2-1-1.png) South Dakota’s electoral votes have gone to a non-Republican candidate for president five times, but the last time was more than 60 years ago. Lyndon Johnson was the last Democratic candidate to win the state’s electoral votes, winning 55.6% of the vote against Republican Barry Goldwater in 1964. Before that, the state's electoral votes went to Democrat Franklin D. Roosevelt for his first and second terms in 1932 and 1936\. In 1912, the state was one of six that voted for Theodore Roosevelt, who ran in the Progressive Party. Woodrow Wilson, a Democrat, won the election that year. In 1896, the state went for William Jennings Bryan, a Democrat. Republican William McKinley won the presidency. South Dakota has had one U.S. House representative since 1983\. At its peak, there were three from 1913-1933\. Electoral votes are a combination of senators and representatives in Congress. *This fact brief responds to conversations such as* [*this one.*](https://www.reddit.com/r/SouthDakota/comments/18gj7a9/blue%5Fsd/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) ### **Sources** The American Presidency Project, [1964](https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/statistics/elections/1964?ref=sdnewswatch.org), [1936](https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/statistics/elections/1936?ref=sdnewswatch.org), [1932](https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/statistics/elections/1932?ref=sdnewswatch.org), [1912](https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/statistics/elections/1912?ref=sdnewswatch.org), [1896](https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/statistics/elections/1896?ref=sdnewswatch.org) 270towin.com, [South Dakota](https://www.270towin.com/states/south-dakota?ref=sdnewswatch.org) National Archives, [Distribution of electoral votes](https://www.archives.gov/electoral-college/allocation?ref=sdnewswatch.org#:~:text=Electoral%20votes%20are%20allocated%20among,number%20of%20its%20Congressional%20districts.) --- [South Dakota News Watch](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/) partners with [Gigafact](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) to publish fact briefs that refute or confirm a claim with supporting information and additional evidence and context. - [Read previous fact briefs](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/tag/fact-brief/). - Read our verification standards and other [best practices policies](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/best-practices/). - Submit a question for us to answer on the [South Dakota News Watch Tipline](https://gigafact.org/tipline/south-dakota-news-watch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). - Send questions or feedback to [factbrief@sdnewswatch.org](mailto:factbrief@sdnewswatch.org). [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact Michael Klinski* at michael.klinski@sdnewswatch.org.* ### What Smithfield's move could mean for environment, economy URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/smithfield-foods-relocation-impacts-environment-economy-sioux-falls/ Last updated: 2026-02-25T12:22:47.000Z SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – Besides 120 acres of prime downtown real estate, Sioux Falls city leaders got something that has sometimes been elusive over the history of the Smithfield pork plant: an assurance that it's not leaving. That's also good news for hundreds of farmers in three states that supply the 20,000 hogs slaughtered each day at what is one of the oldest and largest meatpacking plants in the country. On Feb. 16, South Dakota Gov. Larry Rhoden, Sioux Falls Mayor Paul TenHaken and Smithfield Foods CEO Shane Smith announced that Smithfield's pork processing facility would move out of its century-old campus just north of Falls Park to a new location in an industrial park in northwestern Sioux Falls. ## ****Get South Dakota stories** An email summary on most weekdays that links to the full version. Cancel anytime. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. The downtown Sioux Falls site opened as John Morrell & Co. in 1909 and was purchased by Smithfield Foods in 1995\. The plant employs about 3,200 people, which puts it third in the top Sioux Falls employers not accounting for public institutions. It’s Smithfield’s second-largest processing facility and the largest producer of packaged meats in the country. The new facility will be even larger, with an estimated $1.3 billion price tag on 200 acres. The move, which will be possible in part thanks to a $50 million gift from billionaire Denny Sanford, raises questions for both Sioux Falls and South Dakota residents, especially for those familiar with the company's long history and deep impact in the area. ## What is Smithfield's environmental impact? Not surprisingly, any operation that slaughters thousands of head of livestock every day has an impact on the environment, and the plant has had issues with air and water pollution. Residents of the area are familiar with Smithfield's signature smell, which often wafts across downtown when the wind blows the wrong way. The new plant will be markedly less smelly, Smithfield representatives said to city council, thanks to air-scrubbing technology that can be housed in a newly constructed facility. The current site sits directly on the Big Sioux River, the state's most populated river basin. More than 40% of South Dakota's population lives in the river's watershed, which stretches across an area the size of New Jersey. The new location will place it about 3 miles away from that waterway and a mile from the nearest tributary, which is Willow Creek. Smithfield uses an estimated 3 million gallons of water a day, according to Friends of the Big Sioux River. Under the Clean Water Act and Clean Air Act, the company must acquire permits for its wastewater discharges and emissions from the South Dakota Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources. Smithfield has run into compliance issues for those permits in the past. In 2018, DANR fined Smithfield $55,382 for violations of its discharge permit stemming from a wastewater treatment failure. In 2011, the company was fined $44,000 for numerous permit violations, including for ammonia release violations. At one point in time, it ranked first in the nation for total releases in the food industry. But the company has reported vast improvements in its adherence to environmental guidelines. [Can Smithfield and Big Sioux River co-exist?The pork slaughterhouse has a new treatment plant to reduce the amount of toxic waste it dumps in the river. Developers and environmentalists want more progress.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-407.jpg)South Dakota News WatchStu Whitney![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/smithfield.1-1.JPG)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/sioux-falls-smithfield-foods-owner-pollution-big-sioux-river/) The city of Sioux Falls [plans a $90 million tax increment financing (TIF)](https://www.keloland.com/news/local-news/90m-tif-plan-for-smithfield/?ipid=promo-link-block1&ref=sdnewswatch.org) district for the new campus, which Smithfield said would go toward funding a new wastewater treatment facility. The company previously spent $45 million on the construction of a wastewater treatment facility at the current site just three years ago. Ray Atkinson, senior director of external communications for Smithfield, told News Watch in 2024 that the new facility had resulted in a 47% decrease in nitrate discharge to the Big Sioux River. "The $45 million investment we have made in Sioux Falls is one of the largest infrastructure projects to have a direct impact on water quality in the Big Sioux River and has significantly reduced nutrient discharges and improved water quality in the Big Sioux River basin," Atkinson said at the time. Sioux Falls city councilors were briefed on the TIF district proposal by the Planning and Development Department on Feb. 17\. ****Choose how to give.** Click the Donate button to see the different ways you can give and help make stories like this one possible. And tell us why you support our work. [Donate ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) City staff will formally bring the proposal to the city planning commission on March 4\. If it passes there, it will see hearings in front of city council later in the month. On Tuesday, Minnehaha County commissioners said that the TIF was "absolutely necessary." DANR did not respond to multiple requests for comment over the past week by the time of the story's publication. Travis Entenman, executive director of Friends of the Big Sioux River, told News Watch that while the plant has historically been associated with river quality due to its high levels of wastewater discharge, the facility's move will not likely have a major impact on the river's quality. That's because of agricultural runoff at farms farther upstream, which contribute to the majority of harmful elements, Entenman said. ![Smithfield Foods' pork processing facility in downtown Sioux Falls, S.D., which backs up to the Big Sioux River.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/02/IMG_5565.jpeg) Smithfield Foods' pork processing facility in downtown Sioux Falls, S.D., which backs up to the Big Sioux River. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch/South Dakota News Watch) "This won't solve all of our river issues in terms of quality. I always hammer on that there's upstream and downstream things we need to be doing to really have a large scale impact," he said. "It's just a small drop in the bucket compared to everything that's going into it." That doesn't mean that the move is unwelcome, though, Entenman said, if unexpected. When speaking to News Watch in 2024, he said that he did not think it was likely that Smithfield would move out of its downtown location. "It's something I don't think I was expecting anytime soon. The idea that now they are going to go to a completely new facility, it's just a wonderful surprise," Entenman said. Now, the dreaming can start for increased access to the river for pedestrian and recreation activities, Entenman said. Those access improvements will take time. The site will first need to be demolished and its environmental conditions assessed. Mayor TenHaken said the development process would take "several decades." ## What is Smithfield's statewide impact? Though Smithfield's operations in the state have shifted vastly – ranging from cattle, pork and sheep processing at its inception to its current output of more than 20,000 hogs a day – it has remained a key figure in the state's agriculture industry. The plant works with more than 500 independent farmers in the region. Emma Davis, a representative for Smithfield Foods, told News Watch in a statement that most of the livestock comes from local farmers. "The vast majority of hogs we process in Sioux Falls are from independent hog producers in South Dakota, Minnesota and Iowa," Davis said. There are also eight contract farms in the state, which are those that have exclusive agreements to provide hogs to Smithfield. Nationwide, the company has 250 contract farms. ![A truck used for transporting hogs is seen at Smithfield's pork processing plant in Sioux Falls, S.D. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/02/IMG_5555.jpeg) A truck used for transporting hogs is seen at Smithfield's pork processing plant in Sioux Falls, S.D. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch/South Dakota News Watch) Pork is far from the biggest moneymaker in the state's large agricultural industry, which [makes up nearly 14% of the state's GDP](https://economic-impact-of-ag.uada.edu/south-dakota/?ref=sdnewswatch.org#:~:text=South%20Dakota%20Economic%20Contribution%20and,indirect%2C%20and%20induced%20economic%20effects.). That title belongs to cattle, corn and soybeans. But Davis said that the local farming and agriculture economy gets a net benefit from the facility operating in the state. "The proposed combined fresh pork and packaged meats facility will be the most modern of its kind in the United States and will support independent hog farmers, corn and soybean producers (that provide the grain we use to feed our animals) and other agricultural sectors that fuel the pork supply chain in South Dakota and the surrounding region," Davis said. The new campus' impact will largely be felt in Sioux Falls, as the 120-acre site vacates and begins the slow redevelopment process in the next few years. The downtown land will be purchased by the Sioux Falls Development Foundation using Sanford's donation and will essentially double the current downtown area, TenHaken said. Other, smaller communities might also see changes, though. The neighboring town of Crooks, which sits about 12 miles outside of Sioux Falls with a population of 1,679, will soon be next-door neighbors with Smithfield. The town's city limits sit just at the edge of the new plant, and the Crooks City Council is hosting a public meeting March 9 to discuss the move, according to the meeting agenda. ## What is Smithfield's economic impact? The plant has long been an economic heavy-hitter: Smithfield said the Sioux Falls facility generated $4.4 million in taxes in 2024 and pays about $200 million in wages yearly. Smithfield was notably purchased by China-based WH Group for $4.72 billion in 2014\. Smithfield retains its headquarters in Virginia, and its website states that "Smithfield has not, does not, and will not import any products from China to the United States. No Smithfield products come from animals raised, processed or packaged in China.” In 2020, the facility closed for about three weeks after COVID-19 broke out among employees. During that time, the company said that the plant processed 4-5% of the country's pork. It employs more than 3,200 people in Sioux Falls, making it [one of the area's largest employers](https://siouxfallsdevelopment.com/talent-workforce/major-employers/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) – just behind health care giants Sanford Health and Avera Health and the Sioux Falls School District. [Food solutions in rural areas focus on community buildingIn South Dakota’s hinterland, federal grants, farm-to-school programs and community volunteers are crucial to feeding communities who need it the most.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-408.jpg)South Dakota News WatchMolly Wetsch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/Screenshot-2026-02-13-at-2.11.09---PM-1-1-1.png)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/rural-reservation-food-solutions-community-sd/) Smithfield plans to spend $1.3 billion to construct its new facility. The new plant will sit in Foundation Park, an industrial park that houses an Amazon distribution warehouse, FedEx and the future site of CJ Schwan Foods' production facility. TenHaken said in his speech Feb. 16 that had the company chosen to move out-of-state rather than stay in Sioux Falls, the state would likely have seen a multi-billion dollar economic loss. He cited the closure of a similarly-sized Tyson beef processing plant in Nebraska, which the University of Nebraska said cost the state $3.3 billion. "I don't want to just take for granted that it was assumed that Smithfield would stay here, because it wasn't," TenHaken said. [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact reporter and** [***Report for America***](https://www.reportforamerica.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) **corps member Molly Wetsch:* 605-531-7382/*[*molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Tense Senate vote exposes fault lines surrounding data centers URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-senate-data-center-vote/ Last updated: 2026-02-25T00:08:39.000Z PIERRE, S.D. – The fate of a bill tied to one of the most contentious subjects in the South Dakota Legislature this year – data centers – ended up in the hands of a senator that couldn't be located. Senate Bill 239 would have provided relief for companies such as those operating data centers by allowing them to write off a certain percentage of the cost of purchasing large equipment. It failed its vote to be reconsidered 16-17 a day after it lost its first vote by the same margin. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/02/IMG_0094.jpeg) The South Dakota Senate votes whether to reconsider Senate Bill 239 on Feb. 24, 2026, in Pierre, S.D. (Photo: Alexander Rifaat/South Dakota News Watch) The Feb. 24 vote was held up for nearly 40 minutes after the Senate voted to wait until they could find Republican Sen. John Carley of Piedmont, who could have potentially given the tying vote and leave Lt. Gov. Tony Venhuizen with the task of casting a tiebreaker. "Several senators have tried to call him and he is not answering the phone. The governor tried to call him and he did not answer the phone," Venhuizen said, reading out the report from the sergeant in arms. Carley drew derision from his Senate colleagues. "This is just proof that we should be in our seats and represent our districts and not disappear," Republican Sen. Randy Deibert of Spearfish said. The bill, spearheaded by Republican Sen. Casey Crabtree of Madison, underscores the division within the chamber between those who favor giving data center companies additional economic incentives to move to the Mount Rushmore state and those who believe more guardrails should be put in place and greater fiscal restraint exercised. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/02/IMG_0092-2.jpeg) Sen. Casey Crabtree defends Senate Bill 239 during discussion on Senate floor Feb. 23, 2026, in Pierre, S.D. (Photo: Alexander Rifaat/South Dakota News Watch) As the bill was presented to the Senate floor Feb. 23, Crabtree and other supporters argued the measures were a necessary step to bring South Dakota in line with other states. Detractors, headed by Republicans Senate Pro Tempore Chris Karr of Sioux Falls and Sen. Taffy Howard of Rapid City, said it would create government overreach and allow Pierre to essentially pick winners and losers. Ryan Budmayr, CEO and president of the South Dakota Chamber of Commerce and Industry, believes the concerns over the bill are misguided, pointing out South Dakota is one of eight states that tax manufacturing equipment and that each project would still face scrutiny from the South Dakota Governor's Office of Economic Development (GOED). "What the bill would basically allow is for GOED to look at each one of these projects on a case-by-case basis and grant a rebate of zero to 100% on the purchases of equipment up to 30 years," Budmayr told News Watch. "The truth is these projects, one of the largest areas of investment we've ever seen across the country, are popping up everywhere but ... they will not come to South Dakota unless we are competitive." ## ****Get South Dakota stories** An email summary on most weekdays that links to the full version. Cancel anytime. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. Budmayr, along with other proponents of data centers, have made the case that, when it comes to data centers, South Dakota is missing out on a large source of tax revenue, just as complaints on [property taxes](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-republican-governor-property-taxes/) in the state have risen in recent years. "We're just not going to get any of the tax revenue from it. ... (We've) got to be smart and strategic to make sure we have the proper safeguards in place. But $500 billion of investment went into these projects last year alone, and South Dakota didn't see a dime of it," Budmayr said. ## $800,000 in bitcoin revenue to schools As an example of the potential benefit, he pointed to a bitcoin mining operation north of Pierre, which [provided](https://southdakotasearchlight.com/2026/01/30/sully-county-home-to-sds-largest-data-center-would-welcome-more-with-open-arms-official-says/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) more than $800,000 of tax revenue to the local school district last year. However, for Liz Tiger of Dakota Rural Action, a conservation group, the promise of data center riches comes with significant drawbacks, even for those communities that may be inclined to welcome data centers with open arms. "We have seen some other large scale projects go in that had promises of economic development ... and then that didn't seem to materialize," Tiger told News Watch, citing the surge of wind energy development that has brought in significant revenue in areas where turbines operate but has been offset by a decline in the state funding due to its allocation formula. "Big projects come in and they promise all these gains through additional revenue without disclosing, 'Well, you know, you might not feel that benefit because you're going to get less state funds because we're going to bring this money in,'" Tiger said. "South Dakota is always going to be looking for economic development. ... I think what you're hearing from communities is we want to see thoughtful economic development," Tiger said. "You want to bring revenue into the state, but you want to balance it with community needs." ## Local control vs. state regulation The events in the Legislature the past few days reflect a larger battle going on over what action, if any, lawmakers should take in regulating and incentivizing an industry that could prove to be financially beneficial for the state. In addition to questions over what sort of economic and tax benefits South Dakota should offer large data center companies, residents have raised concerns over potential air and noise pollution, increases in utility bills and the erosion of property rights. Several bills introduced last week by Sen. Howard sought to address some of those misgivings but were rejected by the Senate State Affairs Committee, with many of those opposing her bills saying the matter of regulating data centers should be driven by local municipalities and not the state. "The question you have to ask is, 'Do the people come first in this state or does money come first?' Is that always going to be our top priority or are we going to think about the quality of life and health of our citizens?" Howard said. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/02/image-1.png) Sen. Taffy Howard speaking at a Senate State Affairs Committee meeting Feb. 18, 2026, in Pierre, S.D. (Photo: Alexander Rifaat/South Dakota News Watch) Tiger argues it is precisely the lack of trust and accountability at the local level that is spurring residents to seek out state intervention. "Generally the folks I talk to are very much for smaller government and very much for local government, but you're seeing this level of distrust because other projects ... have been misrepresented," she said. "When you don't have trust in your local government, you start looking elsewhere, and I think that's what we're seeing this year. People are starting to look towards state legislation because they don't have a lot of confidence in their city and county government," Tiger said, referring to the large turnout for a Jan. 6 [Sioux Falls City Council meeting](https://www.keloland.com/news/local-news/city-council-approves-rezoning-for-data-center/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) that led to a rezoning of an area to make way for a data center. "They voted one way on part of this measure with the rezoning, then after folks left, they brought it back and took another vote. That didn't help instill any type of confidence in local government for the people that live in Sioux Falls," Tiger said. ## As you were? At the moment, it appears neither supporters nor skeptics of data centers have gotten what they wanted, with the vast majority of the proposals put forth in this year's legislative session being defeated. Only two bills – one related to assessing the cost of data centers and another aimed at protecting residents from an increase in utility prices – have made it out of either chamber thus far. Budmayr understands the apprehension toward data centers but believes that rather than being a threat to South Dakota's traditional economic structure, the new facilities would be complementary. ****Play a bigger role in our storytelling.** Join us as a partner in telling stories that are important to all South Dakotans with a tax-deductible donation. [Donate ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/reportforamerica/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) "There's a bit of a sentiment in the Legislature that wants to preserve the South Dakota way of life, and I completely respect that. But I think the way we can do that is to continue to allow communities and our state to grow. ... That doesn't mean we're going to get thousands of new people to move to South Dakota. It means we're going to be able to provide for the communities that we have," he said. "I'm not saying we should put all our eggs in the data center bucket. But we should let the counties and communities decide if one is right for them." Meanwhile, Tiger argued, given the lessons learned from recent experiences, it is important for state government to ensure it has sufficient support from South Dakota residents by addressing any lingering concerns before projects are given the green light. "More public education and understanding on how these types of buildings work would be beneficial to the people of South Dakota. We're talking economic development with a group of people that have felt taken advantage of before. Now is probably the time to have a better conversation," she said. --- ### Proposed legislation Here is an overview of proposals pertaining to data centers introduced in this year's Legislature, what they would do and their status: - **House Bill 1005 –** Provide a sales and use tax exemption for goods and services related to data center operations: failed (deferred)\* - **House Bill 1038 –** Allow the Public Utilities Commission to assess actual costs to data centers: passed House; sent to Senate Commerce and Energy committee for consideration - **House Bill 1246 –** Prohibit nondisclosure of certain agreements related to data centers: failed - **House Bill 1301 –** Limit costs and risks associated with electricity use by data centers and impose a moratorium: failed (deferred) - **Senate Bill 127 –** Limit nuisances caused by data centers: failed (deferred) - **Senate Bill 135 –** Protect residents from increased utility costs and utility shortages caused by data centers and clarify authority to regulate data centers: passed Senate; sent to House State Affairs Committee for consideration - **Senate Bill 232 –** Impose a one-year moratorium on the construction or expansion of hyper-scale data centers: failed (tabled) - **Senate Bill 234 –** Modify provisions pertaining to the purchasing of goods and services related to data center operations: failed (deferred) - **Senate Bill 235 –** Protect residents from increased utility costs and utility shortages caused by data centers, to clarify authority to regulate data centers, and to modify provisions pertaining to the purchasing of goods and services by a data center: failed (deferred) - **Senate Bill 239 –** Modify provisions relating to the reinvestment payment program, and relating to the purchasing of goods and services used by projects approved for the reinvestment payment program: passed Senate State Affairs committee; failed in Senate \*Note: in addition to failing to pass in an outright vote, a bill can also be defeated, in effect, when it is deferred to the 41st day of the legislative session or "tabled," meaning it is removed from the agenda. Find the full text for each bill [here](https://sdlegislature.gov/Session/Bills/71?ref=sdnewswatch.org). [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact politics and statehouse reporter Alexander Rifaat:* 605-736-4396/*[*alexander.rifaat@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:alexander.rifaat@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Fact brief: Can some minors legally marry in South Dakota? URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/fact-brief-south-dakota-united-states-child-marriage-legislature/ Last updated: 2026-02-24T18:44:43.000Z ## Yes. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/WhiteFACT-BRIEF--500-x-200-px--2-1-1.png) South Dakota is one of 34 states that allow some children under the age of 18 to marry. Teens aged 16 and 17 can get married in the state if they have permission from a parent or legal guardian, which has been the law since 1993, though several previous attempts to change the law have been rejected. A bill introduced in the 2026 legislative session would raise the age to 18 but allows teens 16 and 17 with an age gap of no more than four years to marry if granted from a court hearing or with parental permission. [South Dakota News Watch Quiz - Gigafact![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/cropped-favicon-270x270-1.png)Gigafact![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/quiz-og-image-1.png)](https://gigafact.org/quiz/south-dakota-news-watch/fact-brief-quiz-8765/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) According to the website Unchained At Last, 881 children (under the age of 18) were married in South Dakota from 2000-23. Child marriage was legal in all 50 states until 2018, when Delaware and New Jersey banned it. Since then, 14 more states and Washington, D.C., have joined them. *This fact brief responds to conversations such as* [*this one.*](https://www.reddit.com/r/SouthDakota/comments/1rarwa8/south%5Fdakota%5Fchild%5Fmarriage%5Fbill%5Fmoves%5Fon%5Fwith/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) ### Sources Sioux Falls Argus Leader, [South Dakota lawmakers kill bill that would change minimum age of marriage from 16 to 18](https://www.argusleader.com/story/news/politics/2024/01/29/child-marriage-remains-legal-in-south-dakota-at-age-16-legislature-kills-hb-1154-age-of-consent/72397690007/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) KELO-TV, [Child marriage bill moves on with amendment](https://www.keloland.com/keloland-com-original/child-marriage-bill-moves-on-with-amendment/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) UnchainedAtLast.com, [Child marriage in South Dakota](https://www.unchainedatlast.org/child-marriage-in-south-dakota/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) 19thNews.org, [Child marriage is still legal in two-thirds of U.S. states. Here's why.](https://19thnews.org/2023/07/explaining-child-marriage-laws-united-states/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) --- [**South Dakota News Watch**](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/) partners with [**Gigafact**](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) to publish fact briefs that refute or confirm a claim with supporting information and additional evidence and context. Send questions or feedback to [**factbrief@sdnewswatch.org**](mailto:factbrief@sdnewswatch.org). Submit a question for us to answer on the [**South Dakota News Watch Tipline**](https://gigafact.org/tipline/south-dakota-news-watch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). ****Support fact briefs.** Help us fight misinformation by supporting fact briefs that refute or confirm a claim with supporting information and additional evidence and context. [Donate ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact freelance reporter Michael Klinski:** [*michael.klinski@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto: Michael.Klinski@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### SD near the bottom in rate of kids prepared for kindergarten URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-children-prepared-for-kindergarten-nchs-data/ Last updated: 2026-02-20T13:19:39.000Z Nearly half of South Dakota children under the age of 5 are not on the right track to start school and find early success in the classroom, a rate that puts the state near the bottom in school readiness across the country. Data from the most recent National Children's Health Survey, administered by the U.S. Census Bureau, shows that only 58.4% of South Dakota parents report that their children ages 3-5 are prepared to start school. South Dakota's rate was the fourth-lowest in the nation and the lowest among all Great Plains states, according to data from 2023 and 2024, the latest years the survey was conducted. Arkansas had the lowest school readiness rate at 53% and Washington, D.C., had the highest at 78%. ## ****Get South Dakota stories** An email summary on most weekdays that links to the full version. Cancel anytime. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. Darbi Hunt, deputy director of the Community & Family Services division of the Black Hills Special Services Cooperative, said the first five years of child development are critical to later success. “The more research we get around this subject, the more we know that so much of what happens in those first five years is a strong indicator of how they’re going to do in terms of school success but also in terms of life success,” Hunt said. The special services cooperative seeks to connect parents, schools and other community groups to strengthen families and improve educational outcomes, mostly in western South Dakota but also statewide. ## Specific challenges in South Dakota Hunt said she isn’t surprised by the state’s low school readiness ranking because South Dakota families face several challenges in preparing children for school. “In talking to families, teachers and child care providers, we still hear the same feedback that children are entering schools without the experience and exposures they need to be ready to learn,” Hunt told News Watch. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/02/SchoolReadinessStates.png) South Dakota does not provide state-funded preschool programming, and pre-K resources can be limited in some areas, she said. Additionally, the state has a high percentage of families with both parents working outside the home, Hunt said. That can limit the time and energy parents have to support their children’s early development. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/02/2025-4-8-Mitchell-library-kids-books-1.jpg) Providing reading materials to children, such as these books at the Mitchell Public Library shown in 2025, is an important early step in their educational success. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) While children need to be physically and emotionally ready for school, the early ability to read and comprehend is a critical component of educational success that is missing for some children, Hunt said. “You learn to read until second or third grade and after that you’re reading to learn,” she said. “If you’re not at grade-level reading skills, you fall behind not only in literacy but in all the subject areas.” ## Poverty plays a role in lack of readiness Disparities exist in whether parents across the country report their child as ready for kindergarten, new data from the National Survey for Children’s Health shows. Administered by the U.S. Census Bureau, the federal survey offers a glimpse into school readiness by collecting responses annually from thousands of parents and guardians on their children’s early learning, social-emotional development, self-regulation, motor development and health. The latest results were released in December. Nationally, nearly two-thirds of children were reported in the survey as on track for kindergarten, regardless of their families’ income. However, the gap in kindergarten readiness is substantial when comparing reports from the poorest families and the wealthiest — approximately a 20% difference. State data shows that South Dakota has about 6,000 children enrolled in Head Start or other federally funded early learning programs for low-income families but does not have state-funded pre-K education options for working parents who don't qualify for assistance. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/02/SchoolReadinessAP.png) According to the census, the overall poverty rate in South Dakota has fallen in recent years, from 11.8% in 2023 to 10.4% in 2024, now nearly matching the U.S. average of 10.6%. And yet, some individual counties – many in reservation areas – have far more extreme levels of people living below the official poverty line, including Oglala Lakota County (52.8%), Todd County (49%) and Mellette County (46.2%). [Parents’ impressions of school readiness | Created with DatawrapperShare of parents participating in the 2023-24 NSCH surveys whose responses indicate that their 3- to 5-year-old is on track for kindergarten.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/faviconV2-1)Create charts and maps with Datawrapper![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/plain-s-1.png)](https://www.datawrapper.de/%5F/rrTWp/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Click the box above to access an interactive graphic from The Associated Press showing state-by-state school readiness rates. The state's two most populous counties had lower poverty rates, with Minnehaha at 8.8% and Pennington County at 12%. Stanley County, where Fort Pierre is the county seat, had the state's lowest poverty rate of 2.1% in 2023, according to the census. Low-income children often have less access to experiences that boost school readiness, such as engagement with parents and other children and through high-quality early learning opportunities. ## Helping parents and children on Pine Ridge As the director of Head Start programming on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, Lislie Mesteth is responsible for helping more than 300 preschoolers get ready for kindergarten. The federally funded program provides child care, education and meals to students from birth to age 5 at centers in 10 communities with the goal of providing children a path to educational success once they enter the K-12 system. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/02/89550584_3101848489825187_631935713834696704_n.jpg) Children participate in a learning activity through the early Head Start program on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in 2022\. (Photo: Courtesy Oglala Lakota College Head Start) Mesteth said she sees many children on the reservation who are not prepared to start school, and she partly blames preschool child care programs that do not contain a sufficient educational component. “A lot of preschools nowadays are just babysitting and they’re not teaching,” she said. Mesteth also points to poor parenting for a lack of school readiness among children, even among parents who are unemployed and have the ability to spend quality time with their children. “These kids don’t want to stay home and be bored, but for some parents, it’s not a big priority for them,” she said. “Some kids don’t have a firm schedule, so they come to school tired and disheveled. They need to get their kids ready for school, to spend time with them and make them look presentable.” ****Support solutions-focused storytelling.** Help South Dakota News Watch tell stories that identify and share solutions to the state's biggest challenges. [Donate ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Mesteth, who runs Head Start from offices at Oglala Lakota College in Kyle, said she has taken steps to strengthen the program since becoming director two years ago. For both the zero to 3 age group and those ages 4-5, Mesteth implemented new curriculums and provided more training for teachers. She also purchased new computer software called ReadyRosie, an educational program that parents can administer to children on their own at their homes. “We want to help the parents get involved with the child’s learning, and this provides the parents an opportunity to get engaged,” she said. ![Children celebrate Halloween while attending the Oglala Lakota College Head Start program in 2019.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/02/75354879_2808927992450573_7098286269641261056_n-1.jpg) Children celebrate Halloween while attending the Oglala Lakota College Head Start program in 2019\. (Photo: Courtesy Oglala Lakota College Head Start) Mesteth said she and her team of educators are starting to see positive results from the improvements they have made. More children are learning to read and more are better prepared to start kindergarten, she said. “If you put in the time and effort in, you’re going to see better outcomes," she said. "You can see it pay off, and it’s amazing to see the progress that kids are making.” ## Improved readiness an obtainable goal There isn’t a universal definition of kindergarten readiness, but many experts emphasize a child’s health and motor skills, social-emotional development, cognition, language development and general attitude toward learning. Despite the challenges in South Dakota, Hunt said it is possible to improve student readiness and achieve better outcomes for children of all ages and family income levels. Parents can take simple steps like providing their children with a structured routine that includes quality time spent together reading or even just talking. Parents can create a calm, stable environment and help children learn to process emotions to better prepare them for a busy classroom setting. [Student interest in SD energy programs on the riseThree students in Lake Area Technical College’s energy programs speak to News Watch about why they chose to join the rapidly growing sector.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-405.jpg)South Dakota News WatchMolly Wetsch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/Screenshot-2025-12-29-at-12.20.38---PM-1.png)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-student-interest-energy-lake-area-tech/) If parents need help, those whose income qualifies can enroll children in Head Start, or tap into community programs that help pay for child care, such as the [Starting Strong](https://www.earlychildhoodconnections.com/program-information?ref=sdnewswatch.org) program or the [Tri-share program](https://jtvf.org/rctrishare?ref=sdnewswatch.org) that provides assistance through the John T. Vucurevich Foundation in Rapid City. Some South Dakota school districts, including the [Harrisburg schools](https://www.harrisburgdistrict41-2.org/documents/families-resources/kindergarten-readiness/16299849?ref=sdnewswatch.org), offer pre-K screening programs to improve student readiness. A list of preschool resources for South Dakota parents can be found on the [Starting Strong website](https://www.earlylearnersd.org/resources?ref=sdnewswatch.org). “There’s a lot of things we can replicate from other states and there are things going on in South Dakota that are going really well for us,” Hunt said. “The question is, how do we make more people aware of those programs and how do we expand those ef?” [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **The Associated Press* contributed to this report. *South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact* *content director Bart Pfankuch:** 605-937-9398*/*[*bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org). ### Fact brief: Does South Dakota have the smallest state capital city? URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-pierre-smallest-capital-city-united-states/ Last updated: 2026-02-23T20:36:49.000Z ## No. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/WhiteFACT-BRIEF--500-x-200-px--2-1-1.png) The state capital of South Dakota – Pierre – has the second-smallest population of any capital in the United States. The smallest capital in the country is Montpelier, Vermont, with a population of about 8,000\. Pierre’s population is about 14,000, a few thousand people fewer than Augusta, Maine, at about 19,000. Of all the state capitals, Juneau, Alaska, is the most remote. There are no roads connecting the city to the rest of the state, so visitors must travel by boat or plane. Juneau is also 560 miles away from the state’s largest city, Anchorage. The South Dakota Capitol in Pierre was completed in 1910 after the city won three elections to be the temporary and later permanent capital. Yankton was Dakota Territory’s first capital in 1862\. After statehood, several cities including Huron, Sioux Falls, Watertown and Mitchell vied for capital status, but Pierre eventually won out. *This fact brief responds to conversations such as* [*this one.*](https://www.reddit.com/r/geography/comments/1nfzfw4/most%5Finsignificant%5Fus%5Fstate%5Fcapital%5Fcity%5Fand%5Fwhy/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *The story was corrected on Feb. 19, 2026, to clarify the perspective to Augusta, Maine.* ### Sources World Atlas, [The 10 smallest state capitols in the United States](https://www.worldatlas.com/cities/the-10-smallest-state-capitals-in-the-united-states.html?ref=sdnewswatch.org) [Distance.to](http://distance.to/?ref=sdnewswatch.org), [Anchorage to Juneau](https://www.distance.to/Anchorage,AK,USA-%28Municipality-of-Anchorage%29/Juneau,AK,USA-%28City-and-Borough-of-Juneau%29?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Southeast Alaska Conservation Council, [No Road to Road](https://seacc.org/road-to-no-road/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) [HistoricPierreFortPierre.com](http://historicpierrefortpierre.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org), [South Dakota State Capitol](https://historicpierrefortpierre.com/south-dakota-state-capitol/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) History.sd.gov, [A Capital Fight](https://history.sd.gov/museum/docs/TE%5FCapitalFight.pdf?ref=sdnewswatch.org) [South Dakota News Watch Quiz - Gigafact![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/cropped-favicon-270x270-1.png)Gigafact![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/quiz-og-image-1.png)](https://gigafact.org/quiz/south-dakota-news-watch/fact-brief-quiz-8765/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) --- [South Dakota News Watch](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/) partners with [Gigafact](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) to publish fact briefs that refute or confirm a claim with supporting information and additional evidence and context. - [Read previous fact briefs](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/tag/fact-brief/). - Read our verification standards and other [best practices policies](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/best-practices/). - Submit a question for us to answer on the [South Dakota News Watch Tipline](https://gigafact.org/tipline/south-dakota-news-watch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). - Send questions or feedback to [factbrief@sdnewswatch.org](mailto:factbrief@sdnewswatch.org). [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact Michael Klinski* at michael.klinski@sdnewswatch.org.* ### Food solutions in rural areas focus on community building URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/rural-reservation-food-solutions-community-sd/ Last updated: 2026-02-18T13:45:54.000Z In rural and reservation areas across the state, communities are coming together to combat food insecurity in areas where food support can be few and far between. According to a 2023 study from Feeding America, over half of food insecure people in South Dakota are above the income threshold to receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) or Women, Infants and Children (WIC) benefits. Some of the largest proportions of food insecure people live in the state's most rural areas, including in the nine reservations in the state. Todd County, Oglala Lakota County and Corson counties have the highest percentages of people who don't regularly get enough to eat, with an estimated more than 20% of the population experiencing food insecurity as of 2023\. ## Response: Community engagement leads the way for progress Across the state, successes in food insecurity intervention often come when those who live in the community take stake to ensure that all of the area's residents can put food on the table. Those smaller, often volunteer-led operations frequently take initiative to make sure people in the most remote corners of the state can feed their family. The Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Buffalo Authority Corp. received a U.S. Department of Agriculture Local Food Purchase Assistant (LFPA) grant last fall to distribute food items across the Cheyenne River Indian Reservation. The organization has the largest tribally owned buffalo herd in the country and regularly distributes bison meat across the reservation. The grant program also allows the group to purchase and distribute other food items, like fresh produce. [Get South Dakota stories](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) Irona Howe, who runs the organization's Farm to School program, said that food programs are for everyone, regardless of income status – an important marker, she said, especially considering that many who may need food in the short-term don't necessarily qualify for federal government benefits. "There's no questions asked. We haven't turned anybody away for food," Howe said. "It doesn't matter what color you are, everybody is welcome. You're welcome to come to every distribution if you want to. People say, 'I don't qualify for that.' But it's really cool to say, 'Yeah, you do. Come, this food is for you.'" ## Evidence: Community members see benefit in real time At a recent distribution in Eagle Butte, where the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe's headquarters are located, the organization distributed more than 9,000 pounds of ground beef as well as local honey and other fresh produce. It was one of several food distributions the organization has been conducting across the reservation this winter. ![The Cheyenne River Buffalo Authority distributes food in Eagle Butte to community members on Feb. 10, 2026. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/02/crst-food-distribution-1-1.jpg) The Cheyenne River Buffalo Authority distributes food in Eagle Butte to community members on Feb. 10, 2026\. (Photo: Cheyenne River Buffalo Authority) Food distribution can also be an exercise in community building, especially when those communities are smaller, with limited resources. Howe said that distribution days, which take place in towns across the nearly 1.6 million-acre reservation, are crucial to ongoing connection. "I ordered a flatbed full of watermelon, and I was able to go to each and every single individual community and knock on their doors and give out watermelon," Howe said. Across the state, in Centerville, where the population is 958, residents often go above and beyond to give to the food pantry, according to volunteer Jackie Hofer. ![Volunteer Jackie Hofer displays food pantry donations in Centerville, S.D. on Feb. 11, 2026](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/02/IMG_0242-1.jpg) Volunteer Jackie Hofer displays food pantry donations in Centerville, S.D. on Feb. 11, 2026\. (Photo: Molly Wetsch/South Dakota News Watch) The town's Rotary Club runs the pantry, which gets distributions from Feeding South Dakota and the local grocery store. The pantry runs for an hour on Wednesday nights and usually sees about 40 visitors a month, Hofer said. Most members of the Rotary Club make efforts to volunteer. "Even individuals (give to the pantry)," Hofer said. "We had one individual who, at one time, was giving $100 a week to the pantry because he said at one point he was down on his luck and he found a way to give back." That level of involvement is not uncommon at small, rural food pantries, Hofer said. Local businesses regularly give to the pantry and coordinate drives to ensure it can remain up and running. On most Wednesday nights, the pantry is fully stocked with extras in the back. "You can't do it by yourself," Hofer said. "That's kind of the big thing." ## Future: Organizations look forward to youth involvement, future funding On Cheyenne River, gathering people is an essential part of the food distribution process, and for Howe, children are the most important part. Through the farm-to-school program, the organization has been able to subsidize the cost of bison meat for schools across the state and as far away as Oregon. That engagement with the organization during the school day allows students to be more aware of the other programs it works on, Howe said. "During this food distribution the kids always jump in and help out too. Every distribution they get a little bit better because our youth need guidance. They're hungry for that knowledge and they and I see them. They want to put action to things," Howe said. ****Play a bigger role in our storytelling.** Join us as a partner in telling stories that are important to all South Dakotans with a tax-deductible donation. [Donate ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/reportforamerica/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) When SNAP benefits were temporarily paused last fall during a government shutdown, the Cheyenne River Buffalo Authority Corp. distributed over $40,000 worth of food and 20,000 pounds of buffalo meat to community members across the reservation. While lines were long, Howe said the community recognized the importance of the work and were understanding. "Our people are patient. It's kind of wild to me how you can get over 900 people in a line and serve that many people," Howe said. As people in the community get more familiar with food distributions, Howe said they come up with their own ways to give back and engage in solutions. Though the USDA LFPA funding will come to an end in April, Howe said that the organization hopes to keep distributing food in other ways. Some legislative initiatives have also pushed forward to ensure greater access to food. HB 1147, which Sioux Falls Democratic Rep. Erik Muckey introduced on Jan. 27, would appropriate $5 million from the state's general fund toward a South Dakota-based nonprofit that distributes food across all 66 counties in the state. Of that funding, the entity would be required to use $1.5 million of it to purchase food from South Dakotan producers. [What to know about food resources in SDWhich organizations, nonprofits and community initiatives are working to address food insecurity in South Dakota?![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-403.jpg)South Dakota News WatchMolly Wetsch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/Screenshot-2026-02-13-at-2.12.12---PM.png)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-food-resources-solutions/) "When people are at food distributions, and say, 'Oh, I don't wanna take too much,' I always encourage them that this food is for you. Take as much as you can and pick it up for other people if they can't make it here," Howe said. "It really empowers people because they'll come back and they'll say, 'Man, you know, that really felt good.' And I know it makes people feel good to be able to give in that manner." [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact reporter and** [***Report for America***](https://www.reportforamerica.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) **corps member Molly Wetsch:* 605-531-7382/*[*molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### What to know about food resources in SD URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-food-resources-solutions/ Last updated: 2026-02-18T13:44:14.000Z There are an estimated 113,000 food insecure people in South Dakota, meaning they sometimes don't get enough to eat, according to 2023 Feeding America data. Statewide, food resources coalesce to create both short- and long-term solutions for access to food, from the large cities of Sioux Falls and Rapid City to the state's most rural areas. This story includes an initial list of some of those solutions. Email other solutions to [info@sdnewswatch.org](mailto:info@sdnewswatch.org) for consideration in inclusion. #### Statewide resources - [Feeding South Dakota ](https://www.feedingsouthdakota.org/about/what-is-a-food-bank?ref=sdnewswatch.org)is the state's largest food relief network, and operates out of three distribution centers in Rapid City, Pierre and Sioux Falls. Through its programs and partnerships, it distributes food to pantries in all 66 counties, Feeding South Dakota representative Stacey Andernacht told News Watch in 2025. - [Meals on Wheels](https://www.mealsprogram.com/?gad%5Fsource=1&gad%5Fcampaignid=11346915816&gbraid=0AAAAADlWRIsFQOco8Jpulsxkn7u2S%5Fq-w&gclid=CjwKCAiAncvMBhBEEiwA9GU%5Ffl-95OtnZqAsVAbcjUO4AjUaK8wF4D2Z0Ldih81FGXlvI5toaGuzlxoCrpIQAvD%5FBwE&ref=sdnewswatch.org) delivers homemade meals to seniors in communities across the state. #### Sioux Falls programs - [Bread Break](https://www.breadbreak.org/about?ref=sdnewswatch.org) is a Sioux Falls-based nonprofit that collects unused food and ingredients from more than 30 businesses in the area. After the food is collected, Bread Break distributes it to their various partner food agencies. [Sioux Falls Hunger](https://www.siouxfallshunger.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) is an effort to coordinate programs and communicate when food is available. Here are its members: - [Bishop Dudley Hospitality House](https://www.bdhh.org/services/day-overnight-programs?ref=sdnewswatch.org), a homeless shelter that provides showers, laundry services and serves lunch - [Faith Temple Food Giveaway](https://www.faithtemplefood.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) is the largest one-day food giveaway in the state, according to lead pastor Jeff Hayes. Volunteers gather food into boxes and put them in people's cars every Friday, serving more than 4,000 every week. - [Feeding South Dakota](https://www.feedingsouthdakota.org/mobile?ref=sdnewswatch.org) - [Food to you](https://www.siouxfallshunger.com/food-to-you?ref=sdnewswatch.org) is a mobile food pantry that runs on the first four Thursdays of the month. - [Messiah New Hope](https://www.siouxfallshunger.com/messiah-new-hope?ref=sdnewswatch.org) is a food pantry that runs from 3-5 p.m. on Thursdays. - [Nightwatch](https://www.siouxfallshunger.com/nightwatch?ref=sdnewswatch.org) serves meals on Sundays, Mondays and Tuesdays. - [Red Door Church](https://www.siouxfallshunger.com/red-door-church?ref=sdnewswatch.org) serves breakfast on Sundays. - [The Banquet](https://thebanquetsf.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) serves breakfast and dinner Monday-Friday and lunch Saturday. - [The Salvation Army](https://centralusa.salvationarmy.org/siouxfalls/cure-hunger/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) - [Union Gospel Mission](https://ugmsiouxfalls.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) is a homeless shelter that offers three meals a day seven days per week. #### School programs Farm to school programs have grown in popularity across the state, especially in rural areas where farms are nearby. Farmers partner with schools to provide fresh produce, meat and dairy at lower costs; [the Department of Education](https://doe.sd.gov/farmtoschool/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) has a list of all farm to school programs in the state. Many colleges and universities also run food pantries for student use. [Charlie's Cupboard](https://www.usd.edu/About/Departments-Offices-and-Resources/Charlies-Cupboard?ref=sdnewswatch.org) at the University of South Dakota in Vermillion is a student-run pantry that also offers food services at the college's Sioux Falls location. [Jack's Cupboard](https://www.sdstate.edu/student-life/division-student-affairs-enrollment-management/jacks-cupboard?ref=sdnewswatch.org) at South Dakota State University in Brookings provides food to students. SDSU also utilizes the Food Recovery Network, which offers meals, and Swipe Out Hunger, which allows students to donate meal swipes to others. #### Other food solutions There are several food security programs across the state that do not operate as food pantries, banks or distribution programs but instead offer other solutions to food insecurity and nutritional health issues. Here is a non-comprehensive list of those organizations: - Food prescription (PRx) programs have grown in popularity nationwide, and have begun slowly rolling out throughout the state, usually in pilot phases. In 2024, SDSU Extension piloted Dakota Food Rx, a program that allowed patients to receive 'prescriptions' from their primary care provider that could then be redeemed for fresh, local produce. The [Avera Food as Medicine](https://www.avera.org/research-and-clinical-trials/research-institute/food-as-medicine/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) program, which was funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, provided low-income people in the Sioux Falls area with $25 weekly – and $50 for families – to purchase fresh produce and nutritious goods. - The Cheyenne River Buffalo Authority Corp. regularly distributes fresh produce and bison meat across the Cheyenne River Indian Reservation. The organization also operates a farm-to-school program that offers subsidized bison meat to schools across the reservation. - [Siċaŋġu Co.](https://www.sicangu.co/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) is based on the Rosebud Indian Reservation and is a community development organization that runs several food sovereignty and agriculture programs, including the Siċaŋġu Harvest Market and the Wolak̇ota Buffalo Range. - [SDSU Extension](https://extension.sdstate.edu/food?ref=sdnewswatch.org) operates a number of initiatives to enhance food access across the state, including research in nutrition, preservation and food safety. ## ****Get South Dakota stories** An email summary on most weekdays that links to the full version. Cancel anytime. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact reporter and** [***Report for America***](https://www.reportforamerica.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) **corps member Molly Wetsch:* 605-531-7382/*[*molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Fact brief: Is Smithfield Foods one of the largest meat processing plants? URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/fact-brief-smithfield-foods-meatpacking-plant-sioux-falls/ Last updated: 2026-02-17T11:00:05.000Z ## Yes. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/WhiteFACT-BRIEF--500-x-200-px--2-1-1.png) The Smithfield Foods meat packing plant near downtown Sioux Falls is among the highest-capacity pork producing facilities in the country. The plant employs about 3,200 people, which puts it third in the top Sioux Falls employers not accounting for public institutions. It’s Smithfield’s second-largest processing facility and the largest producer of packaged meats in the country, processing about 20,000 hogs each day. South Dakota Gov. Larry Rhoden, Sioux Falls Mayor Paul TenHaken and Smithfield officials announced Feb. 16 that a new plant would be built in northwestern Sioux Falls, freeing up about 120 acres of prime real estate near Falls Park where the current plant sits. The new facility will be even larger, with an estimated $1.3 billion price tag on 200 acres. Denny Sanford is donating $50 million to transition the existing land downtown to community ownership. The plant, which was built in 1909, is also one of the oldest in the country. *This fact brief responds to conversations such as*[ *this one.*](https://www.reddit.com/r/SiouxFalls/comments/1r6djkh/smithfield%5Fto%5Fmove%5Ffrom%5Fdowntown%5Fsioux%5Ffalls/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) ### **Source** The Dakota Scout, [Smithfield, T. Denny Sanford team up on new Sioux Falls processing plant](https://www.thedakotascout.com/p/smithfield-t-denny-sanford-team-up?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Smithfield Foods, [Smithfield Foods to build $1B+ plant as century-old site will redevelop](https://siouxfalls.business/smithfield-foods-to-build-plant-as-century-old-site-will-redevelop/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Sioux Falls Development Foundation, [Top employers](https://siouxfallsdevelopment.com/talent-workforce/major-employers/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) --- [South Dakota News Watch](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/) partners with [Gigafact](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) to publish fact briefs that refute or confirm a claim with supporting information and additional evidence and context. - [Read previous fact briefs](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/tag/fact-brief/). - Read our verification standards and other [best practices policies](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/best-practices/). - Submit a question for us to answer on the [South Dakota News Watch Tipline](https://gigafact.org/tipline/south-dakota-news-watch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). - Send questions or feedback to [factbrief@sdnewswatch.org](mailto:factbrief@sdnewswatch.org). [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact Michael Klinski* at michael.klinski@sdnewswatch.org.* ### Grassroots effort in Redfield turning old bank into day care URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/redfield-day-care-solutions-engage-south-dakota/ Last updated: 2026-02-13T13:20:29.000Z REDFIELD, S.D. – Gianna Schieffer doesn't need data or stories from other parents to prove the point that this central South Dakota city has a worrisome shortage of day care options. Schieffer, executive director of the Redfield Area Development Corp., has for the past couple years led an effort to obtain grants and loans, solicit donations and host fundraising events to get the money to convert a former bank building into a large child care center in downtown Redfield. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/02/Engage-SD-small-logo-1-1-1.png) As a working mother of two, including an energetic toddler, Schieffer can point to her own situation as evidence of the shortage and the stress it can cause. On a recent day in February, the in-home child care provider Schieffer relies on came down with the flu, leaving her and several other parents with nowhere to drop off their children. Schieffer's husband runs a ranch supply store located well out of town. But fortunately, Schieffer works alone in a downtown office and was able to bring 2-year-old Maya with her to work. "This is exactly the kind of situation we're hoping to avoid with the new day care, where we could offer a drop-in service for parents on a daily or emergency basis," Schieffer said. "If you want to work as a parent, you have to take your kids somewhere." ****ABOUT ENGAGE SOUTH DAKOTA** This story is part of an ongoing South Dakota News Watch series called Engage South Dakota using storytelling, crowdsourcing and community engagement to identify and share potentially replicable housing solutions. Each story includes the community's ****response**, ****evidence** of whether the ideas are effective, ****insights** to be learned and ****limitations** on the efforts. ****Key takeaway for this story:** Through strong local leadership and civic engagement, South Dakota communities struggling to provide day care for working parents can find the funding to develop child care centers without waiting for private industry or government to solve the problem. ## Response: Finding funding from many sources The lack of child care is a common problem in cities both large and small across South Dakota and creates ripple effects beyond the immediate uncertainty for working parents. Combined with a shortage of affordable housing, the dearth of day care is stunting potential economic and population growth as schools, government agencies and businesses are in some cases unable to hire employees because workers cannot find care for their children. The problem is worse in dozens of small, rural communities that are often isolated from large population centers with more options. ![Redfield Area Development Corp. director Gianna Schieffer brought daughter Maya to work in Redfield, S.D., on Feb. 3, 2026,](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/02/2026-2-3-Redfield-EDC-with-child-1.jpeg) Redfield Area Development Corp. director Gianna Schieffer brought daughter Maya to work in Redfield, S.D., on Feb. 3, 2026, because her day care provider was ill and could not take in children. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch/South Dakota News Watch) The child care shortage in particular restricts the ability of employers to hire young adults with children who are often seen as critical to the future of the state's small communities, many of which are losing population and experiencing declining public school enrollment. Just as they have on development of new housing, leaders in city government, nonprofits and the business community in Redfield have not waited for private industry or the state or federal government to solve its child care problem. [Get South Dakota stories](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) Instead, the community has embarked on a three-year campaign to raise the roughly $1 million needed to buy a former Wells Fargo bank building in town and convert it to large child care able to hold 51 children upon launch and eventually more than 90 children. Schieffer has tried to put some "fun" into the fundraising campaign. Donation levels are categorized by types of diapers, and the fundraising goals are measured on a large vertical baby bottle drawn on poster board in her office. So far, the community has responded well to an unusual lineup of fundraisers. The raffle of a Ford Mustang raised $60,000 for the project, a dueling pianos event brought in $16,000 and a "grocery grab" lottery and hunting blind raffle took in about $10,000 combined. ![The Redfield Area Development Corp. is using a baby bottle drawing to indicate the level of donations received so far](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/02/2026-2-3-Redfield-daycare-fund-indicator-1.jpeg) The Redfield Area Development Corp. is using a baby bottle drawing, shown on Feb. 3, 2026, to indicate the level of donations received so far in the effort to build a community day care in a former bank. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch/South Dakota News Watch) Schieffer has applied for and received about $300,000 in state grants, and community members and businesses have chipped in about $120,000. As the project has evolved, the initial estimate has fallen to about $750,000, bringing the organizers within $100,000 of their goal of opening the day care center before school starts in the fall. ## Insights: A wide-ranging, statewide problem South Dakota has about 6,000 children enrolled in Head Start or other federally funded early learning programs for low-income families but does not have state-funded pre-K education options for working parents who don't qualify for assistance. According to the First Five Years Fund, a national nonprofit promoting child welfare, the average annual cost of child care in South Dakota is about $8,600 for center-based care and about $6,800 for at-home care. The group estimates the inability of parents to obtain child care and therefore become unable to work full time costs the state at least $750 million in lost productivity each year. South Dakota communities like Redfield, population 2,200, are typically not targets for development by private day care operators who can build large centers that create opportunities for profits based on economies of scale. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/02/2026-2-3-Redfield-bank-exterior-1.jpeg) This former Wells Fargo bank building in Redfield, S.D., shown on Feb. 3, 2026, is being converted into a day care with money from local fundraising activities, grants and donations. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch/South Dakota News Watch) Redfield does not have a center-based day care operation and has seen the number of small, at-home providers fall from 10 in 2023 to seven in 2026\. Some of those remaining providers are nearing retirement age and are likely to stop providing the service in the coming years, Schieffer said. A 2023 child care survey conducted by the countywide development group Grow Spink showed there were more than 550 children under age 9 in potential need of child care within a 20-mile radius of Redfield, the county seat. The study also found that half of all South Dakota residents – including those in Spink County – live within "child care deserts" where there are three or more children in need of day care for every available spot. The nearest large city, Aberdeen, is about 45 miles north of Redfield. ## Evidence: Targeting child care to spur growth Jake Dawson is a father to two pre-school age children and feels lucky that he and his wife are able to drop their children off at an in-home day care in Redfield while he works the farm and his wife works in town. Dawson used to run a John Deere dealership in Redfield and said he often heard from employees or prospective employees that obtaining child care was a challenge. Dawson said he knew of at least two parents who had to drive 50 miles each way either to Miller or Aberdeen in order to drop off their children during the workday. ![Demolition was underway on Feb. 3, 2026, inside a former bank building being converted into a day care](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/02/2026-2-3-Redfield-bank-interior-1.jpeg) Demolition was underway on Feb. 3, 2026, inside a former bank building being converted into a day care in Redfield, S.D. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch/South Dakota News Watch) Dawson, who serves on the board of the Redfield development group, said it is clear that a dwindling number of child care openings is holding the city back. “From an economic development standpoint, having day care available is a huge asset,” he said. “In today’s world, I think young families are looking for smaller towns to start a family. And having day care allows a community to grow by attracting talented young people to town.” ## Limitations: Some pieces need to fall together Schieffer said Redfield was fortunate to have a suitable building available at a reasonable price that unexpectedly came available after Wells Fargo began shuttering more than 2,000 U.S. locations over the past decade. It sold for $240,000 at auction. The building is downtown and only a couple blocks from the city's school, library and municipal pool. ****Support solutions-focused storytelling.** Help South Dakota News Watch tell stories that identify and share solutions to the state's biggest challenges. [Donate ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Pulling off such a large community funded project also takes leadership and vision that may not be present in every community. Even in Redfield, where support for housing and child care projects has been strong, economic development efforts can be at risk of funding cuts. Grow Spink, for example, recently shuttered after losing funding, leaving the Redfield Area Development Corp. as the region's only agency focused on economic growth. Schieffer said there is also probably a limit on how often a community can turn to its residents and businesses to make donations, even through unique fundraising efforts. State and federal funding are also harder to come by in the post-COVID era and as competition for grants increases. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/02/2026-2-3-Redfield-daycare-schematic-1.jpeg) This drawing shows the plans to convert a former bank building in Redfield, S.D., into a day care facility. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch/South Dakota News Watch) Dawson said he has been impressed with how the city has pulled together to raise the money to support development of the community child care center. He said that once the first-floor day care is established, the second floor of the bank building could be turned into a community center or some other hub of activity for local children. “I’m really happy that the city’s stepped up and made this a priority,” he said. “I’m hoping the community continues to rally behind this project to expand this into something more for kids of all ages.” [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact* *content director Bart Pfankuch:** 605-937-9398*/*[*bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org). ### Fact brief: Is a former South Dakotan leading the Nancy Guthrie investigation? URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/fact-brief-heath-janke-fbi-nancy-guthrie-disappearance/ Last updated: 2026-02-23T20:41:06.000Z ## Yes. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/WhiteFACT-BRIEF--500-x-200-px--2-1-1.png) A Madison High School graduate and former Sioux Falls attorney is leading the investigation into the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie. Heith Janke started his second stint with the FBI in 2020\. He is currently serving as the FBI special agent in charge of Guthrie’s disappearance from her Arizona home. Janke worked as an attorney at the Boyce Law Firm in Sioux Falls from 2002-04\. He joined the FBI as a special agent from 2004-2017 and left to become the West Fargo, North Dakota, police chief. Janke graduated from Madison High in 1994 and was a two-time champion in cross country and a five-time champion in track and field (3,200 and 1,600 meter runs). The FBI is offering a $50,000 award for information that leads to the whereabouts of Guthrie, who has been missing since Feb. 1\. She is the mother of NBC “Today” show host Savannah Guthrie. *This fact brief responds to conversations such as* [*this one*](https://www.facebook.com/KJAMRadio/posts/pfbid097KUrkbxKYueoEt9yY2M155qdkyv2KtaMNGyxrY7kpkdH33WPw8HBJHxC9XGAGnSl)*.* ### **Sources** Valley News Live, [NDSU grad, former WFPD Chief leading Guthrie Investigation](https://www.valleynewslive.com/2026/02/05/ndsu-grad-former-wfpd-chief-leading-guthrie-investigation/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) KJAM, [Madison native is FBI Special Agent in Charge of the Nancy Guthrie case](https://www.amazingmadison.com/local-news/madison-native-is-fbi-special-agent-in-charge-of-the-nancy-guthrie-case/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) LinkedIN, [Heith Janke](https://www.linkedin.com/in/heith-janke-337137162/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) NDSU, [Bison Athletic Hall of Fame](https://gobison.com/honors/bison-athletic-hall-of-fame/heith-janke/268?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Dakota News Now, [FBI offering $50,000 reward for information in Nancy Guthrie case](https://www.dakotanewsnow.com/2026/02/05/fbi-offering-50000-reward-information-nancy-guthrie-case/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) [Send ideas to the Fact Brief Tipline](https://gigafact.org/tipline/south-dakota-news-watch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) --- [South Dakota News Watch](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/) partners with [Gigafact](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) to publish fact briefs that refute or confirm a claim with supporting information and additional evidence and context. - [Read previous fact briefs](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/tag/fact-brief/). - Read our verification standards and other [best practices policies](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/best-practices/). - Submit a question for us to answer on the [South Dakota News Watch Tipline](https://gigafact.org/tipline/south-dakota-news-watch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). - Send questions or feedback to [factbrief@sdnewswatch.org](mailto:factbrief@sdnewswatch.org). [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact Michael Klinski* at michael.klinski@sdnewswatch.org.* ### Family of man killed in raid sues US Marshals for $150 million URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/zander-zephier-family-us-marshals-lawsuit-sd-shooting/ Last updated: 2026-02-11T13:18:20.000Z The family of a man shot and killed during a 2024 raid in his family's house has filed a federal lawsuit against the U.S. Marshals Service seeking $150 million. Zander Zephier, 23, died Nov. 27, 2024, just north of Wagner, about 40 minutes after deputy marshals arrived to arrest him on an outstanding warrant. The civil lawsuit, which alleges a violation of Zephier's constitutional rights, comes after the Department of Justice rejected the federal torts claim the family filed in May, which would have settled the case without a lawsuit. ## ****Get South Dakota stories** An email summary on most weekdays that links to the full version. Cancel anytime. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. The lawsuit states that marshals “failed to coordinate with the Yankton Sioux Tribal Police, Tribal Criminal Investigators, or other tribal authorities prior to executing the warrant, in violation of DOJ directives governing operations in Indian Country," used excessive force when attempting to arrest Zephier and "severely traumatized" his great-grandmother, Conceta Zephier, who is wheelchair-bound and remained in the home while the raid was being conducted. The government has 60 days to respond to the summons from Zephier’s family, which was filed on Feb. 4\. The Marshals Service and the Zephier family's attorney, Nicole Griese, did not respond to requests for comment. ## Background on the case On Nov. 27 2024, deputy marshals arrived to Zephier's family home north of Wagner at 8:37 a.m. About 30 minutes later, they began throwing gas grenades into the home. At 9:46 a.m., Zephier was pronounced dead at Wagner Community Memorial Hospital. His death certificate said he died primarily of a gunshot wound to the head and also had gunshot wounds in his back, chest and arm. The deputy marshals were serving a warrant for Zephier's arrest. He was considered an escaped inmate from Charles Mix County Jail after leaving with permission for a family funeral in July and not returning. ![A United States deputy marshal emerges from the house after Zander Zephier was shot and killed Nov. 27, 2024, near Wagner, S.D., and talks with his fellow officers. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/02/2024-12-11-Marshals-outside.jpg) A United States deputy marshal emerges from the house after Zander Zephier was shot and killed Nov. 27, 2024, near Wagner, S.D., and talks with his fellow officers. “Are you all good?” he is asked. “Yeah, I’m good,” he replies. (Photo: Screenshot from Zephier home security footage) Zephier's family did not dispute his criminal record, which included a federal conviction for abusive sexual contact with a minor but told News Watch in 2024 that his death should warrant an independent investigation. "Why shoot him?" Zephier's grandmother, Jennifer, said at the time. "Why can't you tase him, you know, or find some other way of getting him to where you can handcuff him and take him to jail?" ## Case claims delay of medical aid, 'visible suffering' At the time of Zephier’s death, then-chairman of the Yankton Sioux Tribe Robert Flying Hawk sent a letter to the family that said the tribe would be seeking answers for the “terrible injustice.” The current chairwoman of the tribe, Charlene Knudsen, did not immediately respond to a request for a comment. ![Robin Bair (left) of the Yankton Sioux Tribe sings a calling song at a candlelight vigil held Dec. 11, 2024, for Zander Zephier in the tribal community just north of Wagner, S.D.Robin Bair (left) of the Yankton Sioux Tribe sings a calling song at a candlelight vigil held Dec. 11, 2024,](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/02/2024-12-11-Calling-song-1.jpeg) Robin Bair (left) of the Yankton Sioux Tribe sings a calling song at a candlelight vigil held Dec. 11, 2024, for Zander Zephier in the tribal community just north of Wagner, S.D. (Photo: Stu Whitney / South Dakota News Watch) The lawsuit states that the deputy marshals – who are still unnamed – spent 40 minutes from their arrival at the Zephier residence to Zephier's death. It says that the timeline is "sharply contrasting with other USMS operations involving barricaded subjects, which often last hours, involve negotiation, contacting back-up intra-agency law enforcement, and methods of de-escalation to prevent death." The lawsuit also says that marshals delayed medical aid to Zephier while laughing and taking photos in the front yard of the residence where Zephier was shot, after shooting Zephier "despite visible suffering and non-threatening behavior." "He deserved better than what happened to him here,” Zephier's brother, Zane, said during a vigil for Zander in late 2024\. “Our people deserve better, and I want you all to know I'm not leaving any stone unturned. We're going to find the truth, and we're looking at every option until we find it. They will come to know that we as a people stand up for our families. And they will know that we will fight against injustice when it shows itself in our home." ## Other lawsuits against US Marshals Service Several lawsuits have arisen in the aftermath of officer shootings on tribal land nationwide – including [one filed in North Dakota on Feb. 5](https://www.valleynewslive.com/2026/02/05/new-lawsuit-filed-fatal-officer-involved-shooting-turtle-mountain-reservation/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) after a man was killed by a Bureau of Indian Affairs officer on the Turtle Mountain Indian Reservation. ****Play a bigger role in our storytelling.** Join us as a partner in telling stories that are important to all South Dakotans with a tax-deductible donation. [Donate ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/reportforamerica/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Lawsuits against the Marshals Service are far less common, though. An investigation by[ the Marshall Project in 2021](https://www.themarshallproject.org/2021/02/11/u-s-marshals-act-like-local-police-with-more-violence-and-less-accountability?utm%5Fsource=chatgpt.com) found that while fatal shootings are more common among U.S. Marshals than other law enforcement agencies, lawsuits against the agency and its officers are comparatively far less frequent. The Marshals Service, as an agency of the federal government, has sovereign immunity, which means the agency must consent to being sued. However, that immunity does not apply under the Federal Tort Claims Act, which allows individuals to sue federal employees for actions within their role, as long as negligence is a factor. [Questions still unanswered after man killed during raidInternal investigation still ongoing almost a year after a man was shot and killed by U.S. Marshals Service officers in Yankton Reservation.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-397.jpg)South Dakota News WatchMolly Wetsch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/2024-12-11-Marshals-outside-1.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/officer-involved-shootings-reservation-south-dakota/) Other lawsuits against the Marshals Service have faced long lead times and little legal resolution. The family of Brandon Webber, [who was killed by U.S. Marshals in Memphis, Tennessee, ](https://www.commercialappeal.com/story/money/business/development/2020/06/11/year-after-brandon-webbers-death-information-still-scarce/5284051002/?gnt-cfr=1&gca-cat=p&gca-uir=true&gca-epti=z114033v114033d--44--b--44--&gca-ft=243&gca-ds=sophi&ref=sdnewswatch.org)in 2019, filed a lawsuit seeking $25 million in 2020\. That case was dismissed in 2022, though it is possible that a settlement was reached outside of court. [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact reporter and** [***Report for America***](https://www.reportforamerica.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) **corps member Molly Wetsch:* 605-531-7382/*[*molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Fact brief: Is Adam Vinatieri the only SD-born player in the Pro Football Hall of Fame? URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/fact-brief-nfl-hall-fame-adam-vinatieri-south-dakota/ Last updated: 2026-02-10T11:00:55.000Z ## No. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/WhiteFACT-BRIEF--500-x-200-px--2-1-1.png) Kicker Adam Vinatieri became the second South Dakota-born player to be enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame when his induction was announced Feb. 6\. Norm Van Brocklin, who was born in 1926 in Dewey County, was the first. He moved to California with his family when he was 5\. Van Brocklin went on to play nine seasons for the Los Angeles Rams and three for the Philadelphia Eagles, where he won an NFL championship in 1960\. Van Brocklin led the league in passing yards three times. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1966 (University of Oregon) and the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1971. Vinatieri, who was born in Yankton and attended Rapid City Central and South Dakota State, is the NFL’s leader in points scored. He kicked the game-winning field goals in Super Bowl XXXVI and XXXVIII and won four titles in his 24-year career. *This fact brief responds to conversations such as*[ *this one*](https://www.reddit.com/r/Patriots/comments/1qx6m72/congrats%5Fto%5Fadam%5Fvinatieri%5Ffor%5Fmaking%5Fthe%5Fpro/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)[*.*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/fact-brief-does-sd-ambulance-deserts/) ### **Source** Colts.com, [Adam Vinatieri named to Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2026](https://www.colts.com/news/adam-vinatieri-named-to-pro-football-hall-of-fame-class-of-2026?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Pro Football Hall of Fame, [Adam Vinatieri](https://www.profootballhof.com/players/adam-vinatieri/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Pro Football Hall of Fame, [Norm Van Brocklin](https://www.profootballhof.com/players/norm-van-brocklin/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) South Dakota Hall of Fame, [Norm Van Brocklin](https://sdexcellence.org/Norman%5FVan%5FBrocklin%5F1991?ref=sdnewswatch.org) South Dakota State University, [Vinatieri receives Hall of Fame call from Canton](https://gojacks.com/news/2026/2/5/football-vinatieri-receives-hall-of-fame-call-from-canton?ref=sdnewswatch.org) --- [South Dakota News Watch](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/) partners with [Gigafact](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) to publish fact briefs that refute or confirm a claim with supporting information and additional evidence and context. - [Read previous fact briefs](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/tag/fact-brief/). - Read our verification standards and other [best practices policies](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/best-practices/). - Submit a question for us to answer on the [South Dakota News Watch Tipline](https://gigafact.org/tipline/south-dakota-news-watch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). - Send questions or feedback to [factbrief@sdnewswatch.org](mailto:factbrief@sdnewswatch.org). [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact Michael Klinski* at michael.klinski@sdnewswatch.org.* ### Assessing SD gubernatorial candidates' property tax proposals URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-republican-governor-property-taxes/ Last updated: 2026-02-09T20:43:21.000Z PIERRE, S.D. – Sen. Sue Peterson, chair of the Senate Taxation Committee, summed up what others on the panel seemed to think in rejecting a proposed state sales tax increase in exchange for a reduction in local property taxes. "I do have concerns that we're trying to do too much all at once," said the Sioux Falls Republican. The failed proposal, Senate Bill 99, tabled by Senate Majority Leader Jim Mehlhaff, would have increased the sales tax to 6.2% and use the receipts to create a local replacement fund to lower property taxes. ## ****Get South Dakota stories** An email summary on most weekdays that links to the full version. Cancel anytime. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. In order to combat the "regressive nature" of the measure, as the Pierre Republican himself put it, groceries would be exempted from the sales tax. The idea was one of more than two dozen floated as a potential solution to skyrocketing property taxes that has been driven in large part by a [26% increase in the median home price](https://www.zillow.com/home-values/52/sd/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) in the state over the past five years. And while lawmakers seem to agree something needs to be done, there is little agreement on a solution. ## Gubernatorial candidates weigh in amid legislative impasse Sen. Casey Crabtree, who is running for South Dakota's at-large seat in Congress, joined other Senate colleagues in commending Mehlhaff for "coming up with a bold plan" to address the property tax issue. But he cautioned against repeating the gung-ho nature of another property tax bill passed in last year's legislative session, referring to Senate Bill 216, which capped local municipalities' ability to use property tax revenues at 3%. That measure has since been blamed for severely limiting the ability of growing cities to pay for essential infrastructure improvements and local services. "We got plenty of eyes on it (Senate Bill 216), plenty of proponents, and we're back here in nine months making the adjustment because the legislative body missed something on that and ended up having an unintended consequence," Crabtree said. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/02/image0-1-1.jpeg) Sen. Casey Crabtree speaking at Senate Taxation Committee meeting Jan. 28, 2026, in Pierre, S.D. In the same Senate Taxation Committee hearing as Mehlhaff's proposal, Sen. Randy Deibert, a Spearfish Republican, introduced Senate Bill 97, which increases that cap to 5%. It passed 6-1\. Looming over the property tax reform debate is the hotly contested race to secure the Republican nomination for governor. With each candidate coming out with their own property tax proposal in an effort to claim the mantle, what lawmakers ultimately decide in the halls of the state Capitol will reverberate across South Dakota as a pivotal primary awaits in June. News Watch broke down the various proposals and spoke with tax policy watchers to get a sense of the challenges and opportunities of the ideas being floated. ## Rhoden: Let counties decide Gov. Larry Rhoden, the incumbent, has proposed allowing individual counties the option to decide to replace property taxes with a half-cent sales tax increase. A county could vote to adopt the measure or hold a referendum. The Union Center rancher has argued his plan is more equitable as it would allow counties that generate more foot traffic, and therefore typically hold higher property values, the opportunity to see a decrease in their property tax bill. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/02/IMG_0028-1-2-1.jpg) Gov. Larry Rhoden speaking at press conference Feb. 5, 2026, in Pierre, S.D. (Photo: Alexander Rifaat / South Dakota News Watch) On a philosophical level, Rhoden has sought to portray the proposal, which is set to be introduced in the Legislature, as the one closest to classical Republican small government ideals compared to his GOP challengers. "It's government at its best, government close to its people. It's up to those individual counties and the people in those counties to decide, and we left as much flexibility of that as we could," Rhoden said at a press conference laying out his legislative agenda last month. ## Johnson: Relief for homeowners U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson, South Dakota's lone representative in Congress, announced a plan that would allow first time homebuyers to be exempt from paying property taxes for two years and provide a $400 property tax credit to owner-occupied properties using funds from a planned increase in the statewide sales tax, which is set to rise from 4.2% to 4.5% next year. Johnson argues Rhoden's plan, rather than being equitable, increases inequalities by favoring more prosperous counties instead of providing a uniform statewide solution. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/02/2025-10-2-Dusty-at-Rushmore-1.jpeg) South Dakota Rep. Dusty Johnson speaks during a naturalization ceremony at Mount Rushmore National Memorial in South Dakota, Oct. 2, 2025\. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) “The governor’s proposal is just a huge transfer of wealth from rural South Dakota into our biggest cities. That is not what South Dakota needs right now. My plan helps everyone, brings the American dream closer to reach for new homeowners, and is fully paid for – without any gimmicks," Johnson said in a statement to News Watch. ## Doeden: Eliminate all property taxes Toby Doeden, an Aberdeen businessman, has a more direct plan: eliminate all property taxes in South Dakota. Doeden has suggested a consumption tax targeting "luxury items" could be used to replace property taxes, although it is unclear if the revenue from such a tax would fill the estimated $1.8 billion budget hole that would be created if such a move were to materialize. Similar to the proposal put forth by Mehlhaff, he also said that any consumption tax would exclude grocery items to help relieve lower-income households. “Larry Rhoden and Dusty Johnson are career politicians in favor of raising sales tax across the board. This only further harms South Dakota families who are already struggling the most," Doeden said. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/02/Doeden-1.jpg) Toby Doeden He also said he'd like to make the 4.2% sales tax, which was originally enacted under former governor and current Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, permanent. "My plan codifies the Noem tax cuts, eliminates taxes on groceries and baby items, reduces wasteful spending, and most importantly, eliminates property taxes for South Dakota residents,” Doeden said. Noticeable in Doeden's comment was his lack of acknowledgement of the fourth Republican in the gubernatorial race, South Dakota House Speaker Jon Hansen. Hansen has yet to come out with a formal plan but has accused Johnson of co-opting a proposal on property taxes he put out last year as part of a legislative task force. ## Sales taxes more volatile than property Tax policy observers on both sides of the political aisle cautioned about the history of substituting property taxes for more sales taxes on grounds it would add fiscal uncertainty for municipalities and greater economic inequality statewide. "The challenge with using a sales tax to replace property taxes is that sales taxes are much more volatile sources of revenue," Rita Jefferson of the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, a left-leaning think tank, told News Watch. "Sales taxes go up and down with the economy. If there's a recession, sales tax receipts will decline." ****Your donation supports trusted, balanced storytelling that's delivered for free to all South Dakotans.** [Donate ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) She said Gov. Rhoden's proposal was "less worrisome" since it would give counties the authority to decide whether to replace property taxes but added any initial revenue estimates should be taken with a pinch of salt. "Even if they could predict how much a half-cent sales tax could bring in, I don't think it would actually cut down the entire cost of running the county," she said. Rhoden is bullish on the potential revenue generation of his plan. According to data obtained by News Watch, the governor's office estimates his proposal would eliminate, on a statewide average, 90% of the county share of property tax revenue in order to lower owner occupied taxes. ## Comparison to California's Prop 13 Jefferson cited the property tax debate in California in the 1970s as an example of the pitfalls of trading lower property taxes for a more robust sales tax regime. In 1978, amid a backlash toward surging property taxes brought on by inflation, Californians passed Proposition 13, which capped property taxes at 1% of assessed value and limited annual assessment increases to 2%. The measure also stipulated that a reassessment of the tax for a certain property can only be made if there is a change in ownership or if new construction occurred. While ostensibly meant to relieve homeowners, the law has been cited as a major factor behind California's housing crisis as it disincentives home ownership mobility and encourages maintenance delays on infrastructure projects, given a reduction in local funds. All the while, California today has the highest state sales tax rate in the country, at 7.25%. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/02/Prop13.jpg) Howard Jarvis (at lectern), chief author of California's Prop 13, celebrates with supporters in 1978\. (Photo: Los Angeles Times via Wikimedia Commons) Ironically, given Rep. Johnson's claim that Rhoden's plan would unevenly redistribute wealth to richer counties, Jefferson is also skeptical of the congressman's plan, since the beneficiaries of any property tax exemptions and credits would likely be concentrated in areas already experiencing rapid development. "The places that are going to see this benefit are going to be places that will have faster property growth, higher value homes, higher value commercial properties, and not in places where people are struggling," Jefferson said. ## Reduced government accountability with sales taxes Abir Mandal of the Tax Foundation, a right-leaning research outfit, agrees with Jefferson that sales taxes are less predictable and more unevenly distributed than property taxes, while adding it could leave the door open to a decline in government accountability. "Replacing property taxes with consumption taxes will hide the true cost of local government from taxpayers because they will no longer be getting the very transparent property tax bill that is sent out each year detailing all levies and the services that they go towards," Mandal told News Watch. "This may actually increase local costs instead of decreasing them." He pointed out that South Dakota counties are already bound by certain levy restrictions on property taxes and that a possible way to reduce the burden for homeowners could be expanding those restrictions to include school districts, which are currently exempt. As the legislative session continues and the opportunity to pass reform dissipates, lawmakers will need to conduct a delicate balancing act to ensure they do not solve one conundrum by creating a potentially bigger one. *Correction: this story was updated Feb. 9, 2026 to correct the last name of a source.* [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact politics and statehouse reporter Alexander Rifaat:* 605-736-4396/* [*alexander.rifaat@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:alexander.rifaat@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Sioux Falls 5th grader wins South Dakota State Spelling Bee URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-state-spelling-bee-results-2026/ Last updated: 2026-02-08T20:28:14.000Z MITCHELL, S.D. – A 5th grade student from Challenge Center Elementary School in Sioux Falls won the 2026 South Dakota State Spelling Bee Saturday in the 19th round. Oscar Quezada, 11, claimed the state championship and will move on to the 2026 Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington in May after correctly spelling "arrearage." ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/02/2026-2-7-spelling-bee-participants-wide-shot.jpeg) The 24 participants in the South Dakota State Spelling Bee, Feb. 7, 2026, in Mitchell, S.D. (Photo: Carson Walker/South Dakota News Watch) For the second year, South Dakota News Watch and Dakota Wesleyan University sponsored the competition, which was held at DWU. Financial support for Black Hills area students also came from the Independent Insurance Agents of Rapid City. Oscar was eliminated in the first round at last year's state bee when a baby cried and he lost his concentration. ## ****Get South Dakota stories** An email summary on most weekdays that links to the full version. Cancel anytime. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. "Instead of spelling 'flipperling,' I spelled 'flippering,'" he recalled Saturday. "I was like, I'm probably going to come back next year because I've gotten first place in my school bee twice in a row, last year and this year." His advice to other spellers: "Basically, just practice. If somebody's in the spelling bee, just practice as hard as possible. It'll, it'll definitely pay off." ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/02/2026-2-7-top-3-spelling-bee-winners.jpeg) The top three finishers in the South Dakota State Spelling Bee, held Feb. 7, 2026, in Mitchell, S.D.: Pleroma Otang (2nd place), Oscar Quezada (1st place) and Ashika Gupta (3rd place). (Photo: Carson Walker/South Dakota News Watch) Pleroma Otang, 11, a 6th grader from Brandon Valley Intermedia School, took second place and Ashika Gupta, 13, an 8th grader from Dakota Valley Upper Elementary Middle School took 3rd place. Schools that qualified students to compete at the state bee: - Brandon: Brandon Valley Intermediate School; Robert Bennis Elementary School - Brookings: George S. Mickelson Middle School - Clear Lake: Deuel School - Estelline: Estelline Junior High; Sharon F. Delzer Elementary School - Florence Middle School - Garretson School - Madison Elementary School - Milbank Middle School - Mitchell: Gertie Belle Rogers Elementary School - North Sioux City: Dakota Valley Upper Elementary Middle School - Parkston Elementary School - Piedmont Valley Elementary School - Platte-Geddes Elementary School - Rapid City: Saint Elizabeth Seton Central School; Saint Thomas More Middle School - Scotland Middle Senior High School - Sioux Falls: Challenge Center Elementary School; Cornerstone School; Good Shepherd Lutheran School - Spearfish: Black Hills Christian Academy - Sturgis Elementary School - Vermillion Middle School; Vermillion Elementary School - Waverly South Shore School - Yankton: Sacred Heart Middle School ****Do you value education?** Please consider partnering with us by helping to cover the sponsorship costs at the link below to ensure the state competition continues. [Yes, I will support the bee ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact CEO Carson Walker:* 605-610-9366/*[*carson.walker@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:carson.walker@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Update: SD media landscape shifts as newspapers sold, 2 launch URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-newspaper-changes-media-journalism/ Last updated: 2026-02-07T13:37:39.000Z The ever-changing landscape of South Dakota's traditional and new media industry evolved further in the past few months, with newspapers starting, changing hands and cutting back. Here are some of the latest developments: ## Forum buys Pierre and Madison newspapers The Capital Journal in Pierre and Madison Daily Leader were part of Wick Communications' sale of its six Midwest newspapers to Forum Communications Co. Forum, headquartered in Fargo, North Dakota, is a fifth-generation, family-owned media company with more than 30 newspapers, television stations and digital platforms across the region. ## ****Get South Dakota stories** An email summary on most weekdays that links to the full version. Cancel anytime. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. It also operates the Mitchell Republic newspaper and a printing plant in Sioux Falls as well as Sioux Falls Live, an online news and sports site. And last year it bought what is now Midwest Sports+, which provides shows and live-streamed play-by-play of high school and college games, including University of Sioux Falls football and basketball. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/02/ForumCommunications.jpg) Forum Communications markets. (Photo: ForumComm.com) Forum's South Dakota broadcast properties include KNBN-TV, the NBC affiliate in Rapid City, and two Sioux Falls stations, KWSD-TV (now KSFL-TV) and KCWS-TV. “With the acquisition of these six news titles, Forum Communications will secure its place as the largest news-gathering organization in the Upper Midwest,” Bill Marcil Jr., president and CEO of Forum Communications, said in a news release announcing the purchase. ## Brookings adds 2nd newspaper Months after fears that Brookings was going to lose its only newspaper, the city that's home to South Dakota State University is now a two-paper town. Josh Linehan, the former editor of The Brookings Register, and his wife, Nichole, have started publishing the Brookings Beacon, which is printed at the Forum plant in Sioux Falls. The Beacon offers digital and weekly print subscriptions. [Donate](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) “The community response has been genuinely overwhelming,” Josh Linehan said. “Brookings keeps growing and there’s a real hunger for both strong, local journalism and quality advertising space.” The Register was one of four newspapers abruptly shuttered but quickly reopened last year after being purchased by Champion Media, a family-owned community newspaper company based in North Carolina. It also acquired the Huron Plainsman, Redfield Press and Moody County Enterprise at Flandreau. ## Rapid City Post starts weekly print edition The Rapid City Post, which started posting a digital version online in March, has begun publishing a weekly printed newspaper that's distributed at no cost around the region and by mail for a subscription. The Post is owned and operated by The HomeSlice Media Group, which runs six Black Hills radio stations and the state’s largest podcast network. "We're taking a lot of our audio content and turning it into print," said Chris Hornick, managing editor. "We've been generating content for decades. We're just new at print." ## Lakota Times ceases print publication Meanwhile, a newspaper that has served South Dakota's Pine Ridge Indian Reservation for more than 20 years ended its print publication but plans to continue creating content for its website, Facebook page and app. The Lakota Times posted on Jan. 14 that it was going to cease publication entirely. But on Feb. 6, owner and publisher Connie Louise Smith said she has decided to try to keep operating by publishing on the paper's digital platforms. An annual subscription for all access is $65\. "People were calling. It made me feel good," she said. "We're taking a cut in pay until I can find out what type of revenue can come from online." [The state of South Dakota media: Cuts, closures and new voicesLatest newspaper, radio and TV developments demonstrate the fast-pace of change in how people are informed.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-393.jpg)South Dakota News WatchCarson Walker![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/2025-8-21-SDPB-Julie-Overgaard-1-1-1.jpeg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-media-sdpb-newspapers-television-radio/) The Times is the official/legal newspaper of the Oglala and Rosebud Sioux tribes, Oglala Lakota County Schools, Oglala Lakota County, Bennett County and the Lakota Nation Invitational. *Update: This story was updated Feb. 6, 2026, after the owner of the Lakota Times decided to continue posting content on its website, Facebook page and app.* ****How to partner with us to produce fact-based statewide news:** 1\. ****Subscribe** for [weekday emails with story summaries](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) and links to the full version. 2\. ****Share** that email with friends and family and encourage them to sign up or click the gold Share button in the bottom left of this page and send it via text or social media. 3\. ****Support** us with a [one-time or recurring donation ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)and become a partner in reporting important stories. [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact CEO Carson Walker:* 605-610-9366/*[*carson.walker@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:carson.walker@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Fact brief: Does SD have some of the most ‘ambulance deserts?’ URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/fact-brief-does-sd-ambulance-deserts/ Last updated: 2026-02-05T11:05:34.000Z ## Yes. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/WhiteFACT-BRIEF--500-x-200-px--2-1-1.png) South Dakota is fourth in the nation with the percent of people who live in an ambulance desert, according to a 2023 study. The state has 15.2% of its county populations in areas underserved by ambulances – behind Montana (27.8%), New Mexico (19.6%) and Utah (19.1%). The study, completed in May 2023 by the Maine Rural Health Research Center and the Rural Health Research and Policy Centers, defines an ambulance desert as places and people that are more than 25 minutes from an ambulance service. South Dakota is among eight states that have fewer than three ambulances per 1,000 square miles. While the state is toward the top with ambulance stations per 100,000 people, its geographic size and small population puts it toward the top for rural areas facing a lack of services. The state Legislature is considering a bill that would create a task force to study classifying emergency medical services as "essential.” As it stands the state is not required to provide or fund EMS. *This fact brief responds to conversations such as* [*this one*](https://www.reddit.com/r/SouthDakota/comments/1qut268/south%5Fdakota%5Flawmakers%5Fnot%5Fready%5Fto%5Fcall/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### **Source** KELO-TV, [South Dakota Senate advances EMS funding study bill](https://www.keloland.com/keloland-com-original/south-dakota-senate-advances-ems-funding-study-bill/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Maine Rural Health Research Center and Rural Health Research and Policy Centers, [Ambulance Deserts study (2023)](https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/berkshireeagle.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/d/a6/da6ea058-eeec-11ef-9b58-670395dc4727/67b61efc51c3b.pdf.pdf?ref=sdnewswatch.org) --- [South Dakota News Watch](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/) partners with [Gigafact](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) to publish fact briefs that refute or confirm a claim with supporting information and additional evidence and context. - [Read previous fact briefs](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/tag/fact-brief/). - Read our verification standards and other [best practices policies](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/best-practices/). - Submit a question for us to answer on the [South Dakota News Watch Tipline](https://gigafact.org/tipline/south-dakota-news-watch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). - Send questions or feedback to [factbrief@sdnewswatch.org](mailto:factbrief@sdnewswatch.org). [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact Michael Klinski* at michael.klinski@sdnewswatch.org.* ### South Dakotans' biggest needs, according to 211 calls URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-211-helpline-center-housing-food-utilities/ Last updated: 2026-02-06T17:30:19.000Z SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – Some of South Dakotans' greatest needs for resources in 2025 surrounded housing, food and utilities, according to the Helpline Center's 211 data from around the state. The 211 line connects callers with community services statewide. While it's separate from 988, the state's mental health crisis hotline, the two lines both operate under the umbrella of the nonprofit, which is funded primarily by the state of South Dakota through the Department of Social Services, and also by the United Way and other private and public donations. Janet Kittams, CEO of the Helpline Center, told News Watch that the lines benefit from working in tandem – especially as needs for mental health services and other community resources often overlap. "The two teams really do work in partnership with each other because if 211 does get a call that is crisis-related or mental health-related, they can easily transfer that to the 988 team. I think what will happen with our data is we'll continue to see mental health on the 211 continue to go down as far as one of our needs," Kittams said. ## ****Get South Dakota stories** An email summary on most weekdays that links to the full version. Cancel anytime. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. The center compiles resources from local organizations that residents can access, such as financial assistance programs and food pantries, both online and when they call, text or email 211\. In more rural areas, it can be a challenge to connect callers with those resources, if they exist at all, said development director Lisa Ottmar. She said 211 will still make efforts to connect with callers even if it cannot offer specific local resource information. "We can't control what resources are in the communities, but we still want people to reach out. Sometimes it's finding that balance of letting them know that we exist and how we can help. Problem solving, even if there isn't a resource, and just letting them know that there's a connection, a person that they can connect with," Ottmar said. ## Data illustrates unique county-by-county needs The Helpline Center began making its data on caller needs and geographies available to the public [on its data dashboard](https://www.helplinecenter.org/2-1-1/data/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) three years ago, after the line became available to all South Dakotans six years ago. ****To see the top needs in each county, including 211 call numbers, visit** [****the Helpline Center's 211 data dashboard**](https://www.helplinecenter.org/2-1-1/data/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Kittams said that data and the resource database being publicly available means that local leaders are able to determine what their community needs the most. And while statewide data indicates that housing is the most pressing concern for most South Dakotans, some counties have vastly different needs. For example, in Perkins County, where the population density is roughly one person per square mile, health care was the most commonly indicated need. In Douglas County, access to information services was the most pressing. “I think oftentimes those individual counties are surprised by the needs in their county that maybe are different than what we see overall in the state,” Kittams said. ## Need 1: Housing ****Key takeaway:** Housing is the most pressing need in the vast majority of South Dakota's counties, both rural and urban. Nearly 27% of callers to 211 in 2025 mentioned housing as a need they wanted resources for. More than half of those callers needed assistance with rent payments. “Rent assistance is one of our most common calls. Some of it is immediate like, ‘My rent is due and I'm going to get kicked out. Can I get assistance right away?’ Some of it is a little bit more in advance like, 'I just got laid off. I'm struggling financially. I know this is gonna come due. Is there a program to help me?’” Kittams said. Other housing-related needs included assistance in finding shelters, with rent deposits and help with tenants' rights. [Engage South Dakota: Housing solutionsA list of entities and programs that can assist in developing or obtaining housing as well as links to News Watch reporting on housing solutions.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-392.jpg)South Dakota News WatchBart Pfankuch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/IMG_2326-13.jpeg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/engage-south-dakota-housing-rent-own-solutions-journalism/) ## Need 2: Food ****Key takeaway:** Immediate access to food, via pantries and other community-access initiatives, is among the largest concerns for South Dakotans. The Helpline Center's chief operating officer, Amy Carter, said that temporary cuts to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits during last year's government shutdown meant that 211 saw an increase in calls concerning food access. Shifts in the resource environment also meant that some callers need assistance in finding new resources – especially related to immediate food access like food pantries, which was the most common food need referenced by callers. “There's been some changes in the food resources as well, so that, for example, in Sioux Falls, we used to have resources that would do food delivery. That went away a few months ago. So that's changed the types of calls we get in that area a little bit," Carter said. ## Need 3: Utility assistance ****Key takeaway:** State resources are especially useful for common utility-related needs. Many callers who need utility assistance will likely be connected to statewide programs, like the Public Utilities Commission’s Lifeline program, which discounts phone prices for those in need. “That resource database – we have everything you can possibly think of," Ottmar said. "Trying to keep that information up to date is our job because people can go online and do random searches, but is it current? Is it valid? Is it actually legit? You'd never know." "We have a specific database team, and that's what they do is make sure those resources are current. They're always trying to find the little nuggets that are out there that we don't hear about.” ## Personal connection key to 211 success While the line's primary purpose is to connect callers with resources both statewide and in their communities, Kittams said that having voice-to-voice conversations is often the intervention that makes the difference for those in need. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/02/IMG_0222.jpg) 211 director Jamie Cody and 211 staffers at the Helpline Center in Sioux Falls, S.D. L-R Jenny Beauchan, Kylee Wilmarth, Jamie Cody, Jessica and Hannah West on Jan. 30, 2026\. (Photo: Molly Wetsch/South Dakota News Watch) "Sometimes they just need that emotional support, so sometimes our staff at 211 will take some time and just talk with them. And then if they do need referrals to mental health resources, absolutely, our staff would provide that," Kittams said. 211 Day, the national celebration of 211 and its resources, is on Feb. 11\. This year, the Helpline Center will be celebrating more than 50 years of 211 after its establishment in the state in 1974. "I think that is the difference with 211 – that we have that real live person who's talking to them. Our staff do a great job of showing that they care and they're compassionate," Kittams said. "They can say, 'I'm here to help you, I'm here to listen. And I really do want to help you.'" *Correction: This story was updated on Feb. 6, 2026, to clarify the nature of the Helpline Center's funding structure.* ****Join other South Dakotans and support statewide storytelling.** [Donate ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact reporter and** [***Report for America***](https://www.reportforamerica.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) **corps member Molly Wetsch:* 605-531-7382/*[*molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Fact brief: Has SD shared voter rolls with the DOJ? URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/fact-brief-south-dakota-trump-department-justice-voter-rolls/ Last updated: 2026-02-03T11:00:02.000Z ## Yes. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/WhiteFACT-BRIEF--500-x-200-px--2-1-1.png) South Dakota Secretary of State’s Office has [shared the state’s voter rolls](https://www.kotatv.com/2026/01/22/exclusive-south-dakota-secretary-state-responds-dnc-concerns-over-sharing-voter-information-with-doj/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) with the U.S. Department of Justice. President Trump ordered the DOJ to collect voter rolls from all 50 states, saying the move is aimed at preventing illegal voting. More than 10 states have complied, while other states are being sued. South Dakota’s voter rolls are public, but they also contain non-public information. The state agreed to send names, dates of births and “government-issued enumerating numbers,” [The Dakota Scout reported](https://www.thedakotascout.com/p/trump-administration-to-inspect-south?ref=sdnewswatch.org). South Dakota [Secretary of State Monae Johnson said](https://www.kotatv.com/2026/01/22/exclusive-south-dakota-secretary-state-responds-dnc-concerns-over-sharing-voter-information-with-doj/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) she doesn’t anticipate the state having to remove any names from the list once the DOJ goes through it “because no one has been put on our voter rolls that should not be there.” The Democratic National Committee sent a letter to the SOS’s office, concerned that some may be erroneously removed before they have a chance to correct potential errors. *This fact brief responds to conversations such as* [*this one.*](https://www.reddit.com/r/PoliticalDiscussion/comments/1qqslmi/why%5Fhas%5Fthe%5Ftrump%5Fadministration%5Fbeen%5Fseeking/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) ### **Source** KOTA-TV, [South Dakota Secretary of State responds to DNC concerns over sharing of voter information with DOJ](https://www.kotatv.com/2026/01/22/exclusive-south-dakota-secretary-state-responds-dnc-concerns-over-sharing-voter-information-with-doj/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) The Dakota Scout, [Trump administration to inspect South Dakota voter registration records](https://www.thedakotascout.com/p/trump-administration-to-inspect-south?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Newsweek, [Map shows states that have handed over voter information to Trump admin](https://www.newsweek.com/map-states-handed-over-voter-information-trump-admin-11341530?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Brennan Center for Justice, [Trump administration has sued more than 20 states for refusing to turn over voter files](https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/analysis-opinion/trump-administration-has-sued-more-20-states-refusing-turn-over-voter?ref=sdnewswatch.org) --- [South Dakota News Watch](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/) partners with [Gigafact](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) to publish fact briefs that refute or confirm a claim with supporting information and additional evidence and context. - [Read previous fact briefs](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/tag/fact-brief/). - Read our verification standards and other [best practices policies](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/best-practices/). - Submit a question for us to answer on the [South Dakota News Watch Tipline](https://gigafact.org/tipline/south-dakota-news-watch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). - Send questions or feedback to [factbrief@sdnewswatch.org](mailto:factbrief@sdnewswatch.org). [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact Michael Klinski* at michael.klinski@sdnewswatch.org.* ### Habitat for Humanity leads nation in subdivision efforts URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-housing-habitat-for-humanity-subdivision-engage-sd/ Last updated: 2026-02-02T13:07:35.000Z RAPID CITY, S.D. – After decades of building one home at a time for families in need of affordable housing, South Dakota's two largest Habitat for Humanity affiliates have embarked on efforts to develop multiple houses in a single project. In a project nearing full completion, Habitat for Humanity of Greater Sioux Falls constructed 13 side-by-side twin homes that will serve 26 families on a cul-de-sac in northeast part of the city. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/01/Engage-SD-small-logo-1-1-1.png) On the other side of the state, the Black Hills Area Habitat for Humanity has purchased land and is starting development of 40 housing units in southeastern Rapid City that will be the largest housing project ever undertaken by a Habitat affiliate in South Dakota. The efforts are more expensive and far more complicated than the typical home built by the nonprofit founded in 1976 to provide homeownership opportunities to families who help build and finance the homes they live in. Habitat now has a presence in 50 countries worldwide, including nine affiliates in South Dakota. [Subscribe for free](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) The move to take bigger swings at subdivision and multi-family housing developments is being driven by a challenging housing market in South Dakota, where affordable housing is hard to find. Rapidly rising construction costs and home prices have prevented many working-class families from achieving the dream of home ownership. “We all know that the demand for starter homes is tremendous but also that those affordable homes are no longer available,” said Mike Keegan, resources development manager for Habitat of the Black Hills. “For recent graduates and young people branching out on their own, there’s nothing to be found at a price point that is reasonable.” ****ABOUT ENGAGE SOUTH DAKOTA** This story is part of an ongoing South Dakota News Watch series called Engage South Dakota using storytelling, crowdsourcing and community engagement to identify and share potentially replicable housing solutions. Each story includes the community's ****response**, ****evidence** of whether the ideas are effective, ****insights** to be learned and ****limitations** on the efforts. ****Key takeaway for this story:** By using creative funding packages, South Dakota Habitat for Humanity affiliates have become national leaders in developing multiple affordable housing units faster than anytime in the organization's 50-year history. [****Read about other South Dakota housing solutions**](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/engage-south-dakota-housing-rent-own-solutions-journalism). ## Response: 'Starter homes' for under $300,000 Habitat has operated in the Black Hills since 1990, built 140 news homes and helped dozens more homeowners fix up and maintain their homes during that 35-year history, Keegan said. The East Creek project will be the first time the organization has entered the realm of buying land, installing infrastructure and constructing dozens of homes at once, he said. "We’re dipping our toes into the theater of becoming developers," Keegan said. ![Mike Keegan, resource development manager for Black Hills Area Habitat for Humanity, on Jan. 28, 2026, at the site in southeastern Rapid City, S.D., where the nonprofit plans to build its largest-ever housing project.Mike Keegan, resource development manager for Black Hills Area Habitat for Humanity, on Jan. 28, 2026, at the site in southeastern Rapid City, S.D., where the nonprofit plans to build its largest-ever housing project.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/01/2026-1-128-Habitat-official-at-site-1-1.jpeg) Mike Keegan, resource development manager for Black Hills Area Habitat for Humanity, on Jan. 28, 2026, at the site in southeastern Rapid City, S.D., where the nonprofit plans to build its largest-ever housing project. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch/ South Dakota News Watch) The East Creek Village property will include multi-family townhouses on 4.25 acres on the southwest corner of East Saint Charles Street and Creek Drive in southeastern Rapid City. The majority will be for sale to income-qualifying people who participate in the Habitat program. That program requires them to undergo financial literacy and property management classes and to provide at least 200 hours of “sweat equity” by helping get the houses built, Keegan said. [SD cohousing development finds its place in VermillionOne group in a South Dakota college town hopes to redefine housing through community-focused development.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-390.jpg)South Dakota News WatchMolly Wetsch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/DPC-Equity-Group-1-1.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/housing-solutions-vermillion-cohousing-development/) By obtaining grants and donations, Habitat is able to keep the homes at a price considered “affordable,” which in the current South Dakota real estate market is roughly $350,000 or less for a three-bedroom, two-bath home. Habitat hopes to get the price per unit in East Creek Village down to $300,000 or even $250,000 per unit if possible, Keegan said. The organization also uses the outside funding to reduce the down payment and monthly mortgage costs required of future owners. Buyers must obtain private financing to buy the homes, but Habitat can also offer a zero-interest second mortgage to keep monthly payments below 30% of their overall monthly income, Keegan said. "This way, we can provide affordable homes for ownership at a faster pace and a price lower than current market value,” Keegan said. ## Evidence: Multiple funders supporting project Habitat is using a hodgepodge of funding sources to pay for the $12.5 million project, including $3 million in a federal Congressional Direct Spending grant secured by U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds, a $730,000 grant from the state and donations, Keegan said. The group is also asking local community funding agencies for grants to help. The South Dakota Housing Authority provided Black Hills Habitat with the $730,000 Housing Infrastructure Financing Grant in December to help pay for land development on the East Creek Village project. ****Support solutions-focused storytelling.** Help South Dakota News Watch tell stories that identify and share solutions to the state's biggest challenges. [Donate ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) The grant was among the final payments made from a $100 million housing grant fund approved by the Legislature in 2022, using a mix of state money and federal funds from the COVID-19 era. Much of a similar $100 million loan fund remains unused, according to Chas Olson, executive director of the nonprofit authority, known also as South Dakota Housing. Taken together, those two programs have aided in the development of more than 13,000 housing units built through 85 projects completed in 40 South Dakota communities, Olson said. ![This vacant lot in southeast Rapid City, S.D., on Jan. 28, 2026, will be the site of a 40-unit subdivision, the largest single housing project ever developed by a Habitat for Humanity affiliate in South Dakota.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/01/2026-1-28-Habitat-housing-site-1.jpeg) This vacant lot in southeast Rapid City, S.D., on Jan. 28, 2026, will be the site of a 40-unit subdivision, the largest single housing project ever developed by a Habitat for Humanity affiliate in South Dakota. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch/ South Dakota News Watch) Olson said the authority’s board supported the East Creek Village development in Rapid City because the state money would help Habitat develop more homes quickly and keep the prices down. “What stood out to me and what is unique and special about the project is that it is a departure from what the typical Habitat affiliate is doing,” Olson said. “Usually, it’s one or two homes at a time and not to the scale they have with this project. And they’re really trying to keep the price point down to an affordable level.” ## Insights: A project model for other communities The development efforts in Sioux Falls and Rapid City are being seen as a model for how Habitat affiliates across the country can find the land, funding and local support to create more affordable housing faster and in greater density than ever before, Keegan said. The project and its unique funding mechanism have caught the attention of the national chapters of Habitat for Humanity, Keegan said. Representatives from the Black Hills presented on the project at a national conference last year and will do so again in February and October of this year. “Especially in terms of the rural or small market affiliates across the country, there’s great interest in what we’re trying to do here,” he said. ![Habitat for Humanity volunteers helped build homes in the Millard Acres subdivision in Sioux Falls, S.D., on April 25, 2025.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/01/Sioux-Falls-Habitat-workers.jpeg) Habitat for Humanity volunteers helped build homes in the Millard Acres subdivision in Sioux Falls, S.D., on April 25, 2025\. (Photo: Courtesy Habitat for Humanity of Greater Sioux Falls) Partnerships were critical to completing Millard Acres, the Habitat of Sioux Falls project with 13 twin homes built on North Americus Circle, a cul-de-sac off East 34th Street West, a few blocks east of Cliff Avenue, said Rocky Welker, executive director of Sioux Falls Habitat. Habitat received funding from South Dakota Housing and obtained a zero-interest loan for the land from the city of Sioux Falls, Welker said. Many of the homes are already occupied by families, he said. ## Limitations: Land and funding at a premium Habitat affiliates and other nonprofit groups face major hurdles to continuing efforts to build affordable housing, Welker said. In many areas of South Dakota, land is so expensive and construction costs have risen so much that new homes must be sold at prices far beyond the affordable level in order for developers to make a profit. In Sioux Falls, meanwhile, most new subdivisions contain restrictive covenants that require homes to be of a certain size and with required amenities that push Habitat out of the market to build homes that working families can afford, he said. "Everything on the open market is at a price point that by the time you pay for the land and infrastructure, you need to see higher-priced homes to make it pencil out," he said. [Engage South Dakota: Housing solutionsA list of entities and programs that can assist in developing or obtaining housing as well as links to News Watch reporting on housing solutions.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-387.jpg)South Dakota News WatchBart Pfankuch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/IMG_2326-11.jpeg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/engage-south-dakota-housing-rent-own-solutions-journalism/) Bringing a single home project to completion, let alone a project with multiple housing units, will require more time and creativity to find available, affordable land and the increased funding to get a project off the ground, Welker said. "That’s why you see a lot of nonprofits try to find alternative ways to build and provide affordable housing opportunities for people," he said. "We didn't do a project with 13 twin homes because we wanted to go and invest a lot more money and take on a bigger project with more responsibility. We did it because if we didn't, we wouldn't have had land to build on." Despite the challenges, Keegan hopes the success of the larger Habitat projects will spur development activities in other South Dakota cities with Habitat affiliates, including Aberdeen, Brookings, Fort Thompson, Huron, Mitchell, Yankton and Watertown. "This is a project that we believe is scalable to any community size, including for the other affiliates in smaller cities across South Dakota," he said. [What's working in your community? Share your comments and ideas.](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdSEE1F4irRiyi9MOOwQszosDlmSghlnIKbEHxeCJEjDKZRVw/viewform?usp=sharing&ouid=100426322203936282954&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories, donate and subscribe to stories at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact* *content director Bart Pfankuch* at* [*bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### South Dakotan in the Super Bowl URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/super-bowl-60-seattle-seahawks-grey-zabel-pierre/ Last updated: 2026-02-01T14:38:45.000Z *Not for media partner use because of licensing limitations through a partnership with The Associated Press.* SANTA CLARA, Calif. – South Dakota will have a native son on the field Sunday when the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks meet in Super Bowl 60\. Seahawks guard Grey Zabel grew up in Pierre, South Dakota, and played at North Dakota State. Seattle took him with the 18th overall pick in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/01/AP26021783843427.jpg) Seattle Seahawks guard and South Dakota native Grey Zabel walks onto the field during practice at the team's facilities ahead of the NFL football NFC Championship game, Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2026, in Renton, Wash. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson) According to [Zabel's NDSU roster profile](https://gobison.com/sports/football/roster/grey-zabel/19580?ref=sdnewswatch.org), Zabel: - Was a two-time NCAA Division I FCS national champion with title wins over Montana State in 2021 and 2024 in those Missouri Valley Football Conference championships. - Started the final 36 consecutive games of his career with the Bison and totaled 41 starts over his five seasons, including games at left tackle, right tackle, left guard and right guard. - Was a first team FCS All-American at left tackle as a senior in 2024. - Graduated from T.F. Riggs High School in 2020, playing on the offensive and defensive lines under coach Steve Steele and serving as team captain his senior year. - Graduated from NDSU in May 2024 with a major in agribusiness and minors in economics and precision agriculture. Zabel's father, Mark Zabel, played football at Northern State University in Aberdeen, where his mother, Tanna Zabel, was on the track and basketball teams. He has two brothers, Peyton and Jett. Jett Zabel joined the NDSU football team as a tight end in 2024. ## Super Bowl rematch Sunday's game is a rematch from 11 years ago. The Patriots are seeking their NFL-record seventh Super Bowl victory and first since quarterback Tom Brady and coach Bill Belichick won their sixth ring together seven years ago. This year’s New England team is led by young quarterback Drake Maye, coach Mike Vrabel and a stifling defense. The Seahawks have veteran Sam Darnold as quarberback, coach Mike Macdonald on the sideline and also boast one of the league’s best defenses. The previous Patriots-Seahawks meeting on Feb. 1, 2015, produced one of the wildest finishes in the big game’s history. New England’s Malcolm Butler intercepted a Russell Wilson pass from the 1-yard line in the final minute to secure a 28-24 victory. Seattle fans still lament why Marshawn Lynch didn’t get the ball on a handoff at the 1. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/01/AP26018069393313-1.jpg) Seattle Seahawks guard and South Dakota native Grey Zabel yells during introductions before an NFL football divisional playoff game against the San Francisco 49ers, Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson) [Subscribe now](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) **The Associated Press* contributed to this story produced by *South Dakota News Watch,* an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories, subscribe and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. *Contact:** [*info@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:info@sdnewswatch.org). ### 1st-of-its-kind SD cohousing development finds its place in Vermillion URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/housing-solutions-vermillion-cohousing-development/ Last updated: 2026-01-30T13:19:10.000Z VERMILLION, S.D. – In this college town of 11,000, a handful of long-time residents are building the state's first-ever cohousing development, which they hope provides a new way of living for them and frees up traditional homes for others. "Cohousing doesn't just create houses. It creates a community. And it does that very intentionally," said Betty Smith, a founding member of the group. Cohousing is a method of living that prioritizes community connection and growth. Residents live in small houses with a large common house as the centerpiece where community events and regular shared meals are a cornerstone of the living style. Common houses usually contain large kitchens, dining and living rooms and are central gathering places for the residents. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/05/Engage-SD-small-logo-1-1-1.png) Engage South Dakota identifies and shares solutions to the state's biggest challenges. At the Vermillion development, called Dakota Prairie Commons, there will also be an emphasis on walkability, with footpaths connecting houses. The campus itself will be vehicle-free. Parking and garages will sit at the periphery of the development, Smith said. And while residents will have their own homes, they will be encouraged to rely on others for many day-to-day activities. "One of my favorite stories is going to Iowa City's cohousing and walking in, and I compliment this woman's dog. I said, 'Oh, what a wonderful dog.' And she says, 'Oh, that's not my dog. That's my neighbor's dog. I'm taking care of it this week.' And then somebody else says, 'Oh, and I have the dog next week. I'm so excited.' It's that easy. But it's also significant things. Like if somebody breaks an arm, you know, you've got close-by neighbors," Smith said. The concept also helps to combat isolation and loneliness as residents get to know their neighbors and begin to feel like part of the community, Smith said. "Isolation and depression is a national thing right now. It's a huge health issue," Smith said. "And this really responds to those needs. Everybody knows everyone else and is willing to be part of the community and support one another. That's huge." ****ABOUT ENGAGE SOUTH DAKOTA** This story is part of an ongoing South Dakota News Watch series called Engage South Dakota using storytelling, crowdsourcing and community engagement to identify and share potentially replicable housing solutions. Each story includes the community's ****response**, ****evidence** of whether the ideas are effective, ****insights** to be learned and ****limitations** on the efforts. ****Key takeaway for this story:** Community-driven housing using experimental methods can be particularly motivating for small, tight-knit communities that are looking to free up housing stock while maintaining long-term connections. [****Read about other South Dakota housing solutions**](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/engage-south-dakota-housing-rent-own-solutions-journalism). ## Response: Years of planning equals placemaking Smith, a former professor at the University of South Dakota, taught classes on city planning and zoning, which is how she came across the concept of cohousing. It has been more than a decade since she first started to consider the idea as a viable living solution in Vermillion. Now, after years of planning, the group has officially found both its land and a developer to work on it. The site is comprised of 5 acres of a total 15-acre plot purchased by AMS Building Systems just east of downtown Vermillion. It will eventually feature 28 homes, which will open in stages over the next few years, Smith said. ![The site of the future Dakota Prairie Commons Development, located between Main Street and Crawford Road on Jan. 27, 2026, in Vermillion, S.D. (Photo: Molly Wetsch/South Dakota News Watch)](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/01/IMG_0208-1.jpg) The site of the future Dakota Prairie Commons Development, located between Main Street and Crawford Road on Jan. 27, 2026, in Vermillion, S.D. (Photo: Molly Wetsch/South Dakota News Watch) Ten equity members have already put up a financial stake and are confirmed to move into the development when it opens. Other members, which the group calls "explorers," have made small financial commitments to have access to planning and other community information as they decide whether cohousing is right for them. Besides providing a new type of living for its residents, Dakota Prairie Commons will help ease Vermillion's housing crunch by adding freed-up homes to the market. [Subscribe for free](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) One real estate broker has already offered discounts on brokerage fees to those moving into cohousing and looking to sell their house in the Vermillion area, Smith said. "One of the advantages of building something like this in a town like Vermillion is there's a real housing shortage here. A 2022 housing study showed that we are missing housing for people who work here, for faculty (at USD), for senior citizens. There are a lot of gaps in housing and it's really hard to attract developers who will develop out this way," Smith said. "New faculty members come and often wait two years before a house comes on the market for them. Well, we're all going to be selling our houses." ## Evidence: Interest in Vermillion and from elsewhere While many of the future residents are older, the community is decidedly not a senior citizens complex – a discussion that was brought on when a younger professor at USD said they were interested in moving in, Smith said. [Tribal nations in SD are betting on tourism on reservationsThe South Dakota Native Tourism Alliance hopes to bring visitors to tribal lands to build sovereignty, despite ongoing challenges: “How do we make sure that we build demand and supply at the same time?”![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-383.jpg)South Dakota News WatchMolly Wetsch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/DIGNITY--1-1.JPG)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/tribal-nations-south-dakota-native-indigenous-tourism/) The project is also drawing outside interest. Someone who currently lives in North Carolina plans to move to Vermillion when the development is completed, she said. "One of the things I didn't realize when (Smith) first started talking to me about this is we would not need to find 28 households of people from Vermillion," Becky Rider, another equity member, told News Watch. "People will move from other parts of the country to where there's cohousing because the community to them is more important than exactly where it's located." ****Support solutions-focused storytelling.** Help South Dakota News Watch tell stories that identify and share solutions to the state's biggest challenges. [Donate ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) The Vermillion community as a whole has also embraced the concept, Smith said. The group recently hosted an open house event where city residents had the chance to ask questions about cohousing and the development itself, which Smith said was well-attended. Ph.D. students studying sustainability at USD have also offered to do research on the site, assisting with native grass design, composting and recycling systems, Smith said. "It's cool that nobody's done this yet in the area. They're still trying to wrap their head around what cohousing really is, but they have a much better idea after listening to all of us going through the process," she said. ## Insights: Ongoing conversations create collaborative environment Members of the cohousing group met recently to discuss what features were most important to them via small-circle conversations and brainstorming sessions. That collaboration is one of the key features of cohousing that makes it different from traditional development, Smith said. During those discussions, there were themes that emerged that were very different from the traditional cohousing path – especially considering that many existing cohousing communities are located in much more temperate coastal towns, far from South Dakota's sub-zero winters. "We like to say we're doing it the Vermillion way," Smith said. "We're not following a strictly cohousing path as many of the long-time communities on the coasts have. We're branching out and doing it our way." Priorities of future residents were varied but had specific focus on elements that involved people coming together: fire pits, community gardens, outdoor classrooms. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/01/IMG_0211.jpg) Posters on which future Dakota Prairie Commons residents brainstormed community priorities, as seen on Jan. 27, 2026, in Vermillion, S.D. (Photo: Molly Wetsch/South Dakota News Watch) Diane Leja, an equity member of Dakota Prairie Commons, said she envisions a space in the common house where residents can share items that are useful but only needed occasionally, so members rely on each other more and consider themselves part of the community. The concept of shared goods is especially important when considering that Dakota Prairie Commons hopes to focus on sustainability, said Susanne Skyrm, another equity member. [Hispanic population thrives in one small SD townRural towns like Plankinton, population 768, are growing their community services to fill needs.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-384.jpg)South Dakota News WatchMolly Wetsch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/IMG_6307-2.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/hispanic-thrives-plankinton-south-dakota-iglesia-renuevo/) "It's so much more sustainable than everybody having a great big house and a great big yard. Building these days is not always done with efficiency in mind. That's definitely one of our prerogatives is building it so it is sustainable," Skyrm said. "Everybody doesn't need their own turkey roaster. You can have one in the common house and everybody else can use it. You're sharing things and not having everybody buying something they only use once a year." ## Limitations: Some higher costs require a reminder of rewards The housing model allows for greater community building, better connections with neighbors and extra support when it's needed. So why has it not caught on more across the country? "Well, it's a lot of work," Rider said. "And we are the ones that have been doing the work over the years. I mean, this is years in the making already. It's much different than just building a regular neighborhood." And in some cases, residents may have to make some financial trade-offs to join cohousing communities, especially in the early stages. "By the time you pay for land and a portion of the common house and your own house, it's not inexpensive. We live in a house that would be a good starter house for somebody when we move out, but it's going to very likely cost us more to move into the cohousing," Rider said. "So while we're trying to keep it affordable, we're not thinking of subsidizing our building costs or anything. It's affordable with a small 'a' right now." [Engage South Dakota: Housing solutionsA list of entities and programs that can assist in developing or obtaining housing as well as links to News Watch reporting on housing solutions.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-381.jpg)South Dakota News WatchBart Pfankuch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/IMG_2326-10.jpeg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/engage-south-dakota-housing-rent-own-solutions-journalism/) But the payoff, especially for these longtime Vermillion residents, some of whom have been in the community for decades, will be worth it, Leja said. "I think in some ways we're going back to older models. It's a throwback in a lot of ways. Your neighbors, you used to do things together. I mean, we grew up having block parties and barbecues with our neighbors on our street. And that doesn't happen very much anymore," Leja said. [What's working in your community? Share your comments and ideas.](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdSEE1F4irRiyi9MOOwQszosDlmSghlnIKbEHxeCJEjDKZRVw/viewform?usp=sharing&ouid=100426322203936282954&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more statewide stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email)*. Reporter *Molly Wetsch* is a* [*Report for America*](https://www.reportforamerica.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *corps member covering rural and Indigenous issues. Contact her at* [*molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Prominent Native activist's trial ends with a hung jury URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/native-american-activist-nick-tilsen-ndn-collective-trial/ Last updated: 2026-01-29T16:03:51.000Z The case against Nick Tilsen, a well-known organizer in Native communities nationwide, has resulted in a mistrial, as the jury could not come to a decision. Tilsen was indicted on charges he assaulted a Rapid City police officer in 2022\. Tilsen's trial began on Jan. 26 and lasted three days. He remains under indictment, and if the state wants to retry the charges it has 45 days to inform the judge. The prosecution has not yet indicated whether it will retry the charges. NDN Collective, the Native rights organization Tilsen founded, said the charges are politically motivated. Here's what to know about Tilsen, NDN Collective and the case. ## Who is Nick Tilsen? Tilsen, founder and CEO of NDN Collective, is an Oglala Lakota community organizer known for his involvement in Native American activism. Tilsen was a 2018 Bush Fellow and co-founded the Thunder Valley Community Development Corp., an organization that focuses on growth and development on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. His father, Mark Tilsen, is also involved in Native issues and co-founder of Native American Natural Foods, a company that creates buffalo-based food products. Mark Tilsen's [parents cofounded](https://www.lakotatimes.com/articles/kenneth-earl-tilsen/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) the Wounded Knee Legal Defense/Offense Committee, which provided legal representation for American Indian Movement members arrested during Wounded Knee protests in 1973\. ## ****Get South Dakota stories** An email summary on most weekdays that links to the full version. Cancel anytime. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. Nick Tilsen founded NDN Collective in 2018 after telling the Bush Foundation he hoped to "launch a national collective of Native leaders who can advise tribes, funders and organizations on the most successful approaches for Native people across the country." In 2020, he was involved in a July 4 protest that blockaded Mount Rushmore National Memorial, attempting to prevent President Donald Trump from entering the monument. Tilsen was the only individual involved in the protest to be charged with a felony, though 21 were arrested. The charge was later dropped. ## What is NDN Collective? The Rapid City-based NDN Collective is a Native rights organization that focuses on campaigns and financial assistance programs related to Native American issues nationwide. NDN Collective filed a federal civil rights class action lawsuit accusing racism against the Grand Gateway Hotel in Rapid City in March 2022 after Connie Uhre, an owner of the hotel, [threatened to ban all Native Americans from the hotel](https://rapidcityjournal.com/news/local/hotel-threatens-to-ban-native-americans-following-shooting/article%5Fd3282ee4-95fb-5873-a02a-2d0aff9c0975.html?ref=sdnewswatch.org). In December, a jury ruled the hotel's owners had been discriminatory and ordered to pay $1 in damages, which NDN Collective had requested. The organization is also known for its several funding and resource assistance programs, like its Community Self Determination grant and the NDN Fund, a loan program providing funding to various sectors of Native communities like renewable energy and housing. The group laid off around 40% of its employees in September, [citing funding losses](https://ictnews.org/news/mountain-bureau/ndn-collective-funding/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) amid federal cuts to diversity, equity and inclusion programs. ## Why was Tilsen charged? Nick Tilsen is charged with two felonies and a misdemeanor: aggravated assault of a law enforcement officer, simple assault of a law enforcement officer and obstruction of a law enforcement officer, according to court filings. If convicted of all counts, Tilsen could be sentenced to up to 26 years in prison. The simple assault of a law enforcement officer felony charge was added to Tilsen's case on Jan. 7\. The trial began more than three years after the June 2022 incident. In an evidentiary hearing in August, Tilsen said that he witnessed a homeless person interacting with police while driving in downtown Rapid City on June 11, 2022, and stopped by the scene to observe the interaction. ![Nick Tilsen at an NDN Collective event. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/01/IMG_7766.jpeg) Nick Tilsen at an NDN Collective event. (Photo: Brooke Anderson/NDN Collective) Nicholas Glass, who was a police officer in Rapid City at the time, testified that he heard Tilsen accelerating toward him while his back was turned to the vehicle. He then said that Tilsen's vehicle came to a stop 1 to 2 feet from him. Tilsen said he was pulling into a parking spot and had no intentions of hitting Glass. He said that he remained in his vehicle until he was granted permission to leave the scene. Glass is Native American and no longer serving as a Rapid City police officer. He testified that he was approached in 2023 and asked if he wanted to press charges against Tilsen but said he could not remember who asked. ## Case timeline Here is a timeline of the court case against Nick Tilsen: - **June 11, 2022**: Tilsen observes a police interaction with a homeless person. Rapid City police officer Nicholas Glass accused Tilsen of accelerating the vehicle toward him. - **June 30, 2023**: A complaint and warrant of arrest for Tilsen is filed, alleging aggravated assault and obstruction of a law enforcement officer, according to court filings. The same day, before the warrant was filed, NDN Collective publishes an official press release announcing they will host a March Towards Justice on July 4 after announcing it on social media ten days prior. - **August 2025**: Glass and Tilsen testify at an evidentiary hearing. - **August 2025**: The judge takes case under advisement. - **Dec. 15, 2025**: The judge denies Tilsen's motion to dismiss the case and announces case will go to trial in January. - **Jan. 7, 2026**: Pennington County brings forward a new charge against Tilsen, simple assault of a law enforcement officer. NDN Collective said the charge is politically motivated. - **Jan. 26, 2026**: Trial begins. - **Jan. 28, 2026:** Judge declares a mistrial after a hung jury. ## Petition calls for dismissal of charges A petition demanding the dismissal of charges against Tilsen received nearly 22,000 signatures. NDN Collective said that the new charge of simple assault of a law enforcement officer is "a felony that is easier to convict with" and accused the Pennington County state's attorney of "abuse of power." Katy Urban, public information officer at the state's attorney's office,[ told Indian Country Today in a statement during the evidentiary hearing](https://ictnews.org/news/tilsen-on-trial/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) in June that claims about political motivation were untrue. "This case, like all cases our office prosecutes, is based on the evidence and our ability to prove the charges beyond a reasonable doubt,” Urban said. “Any claim that the defendant is being targeted for who he is or the role he holds in our community is simply not true.” Simple assault of a law enforcement officer was [the fourth-most common charge in Pennington County](https://www.canva.com/design/DAGYR73yg0Q/eGs3bZUWsDTSsL4JdhH-7w/view?utm%5Fcontent=DAGYR73yg0Q&utm%5Fcampaign=designshare&utm%5Fmedium=link2&utm%5Fsource=uniquelinks&utlId=h6fa1fe1db1#9) in 2024, according to the Pennington County States Attorney's office's annual report. The Pennington County State's Attorney's Office and Tilsen's lawyer, John Murphy, declined to comment to News Watch on the case. *This story was updated on Jan. 28, 2026, with details of the mistrial.* [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email) *for statewide stories. Investigative reporter *Molly Wetsch* is a* [*Report for America*](https://www.reportforamerica.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *corps member covering rural and Indigenous issues. Contact her at* [*molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Fact brief: Can people hunt on South Dakota tribal lands? URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/fact-brief-south-dakota-tribal-lands-reservation-hunting/ Last updated: 2026-01-29T11:00:45.000Z ## Yes. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/WhiteFACT-BRIEF--500-x-200-px--2-1-1.png) Though rules differ, several South Dakota reservations allow hunting on tribal lands. The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, located in north-central South Dakota and parts of North Dakota, allows hunting on its 1.6 million acres. The tribe uses a lottery system for tags for deer, antelope and elk and also offers guided hunts. The Oglala Sioux Tribe, which includes Pine Ridge in southwestern South Dakota, requires non-members to have a guide who is certified with the reservation. The Yankton Sioux Tribe requires a guide for non-Indians. The South Dakota Game Fish and Parks has memorandums of understanding with five of the reservations, allowing sharing of information, season recommendations, managing resources and providing law enforcement assistance when requested. The South Dakota Department of Tribal Relations says hunters should reach out to each individual tribe to learn about their rules and regulations and whether they require guides. *This fact brief responds to conversations such as* [*this one.*](https://www.reddit.com/r/SouthDakota/comments/1q7sqq7/hunting%5Fon%5Findian%5Freservations/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) ### **Source** SDGF&P, [Tribal relations](https://gfp.sd.gov/tribal-relations/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, [Game & Fish Department](https://gameandfish.standingrock.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org#:~:text=Standing%20Rock%20Sioux%20Tribe%20Game%20and%20Fish%20%2D%20Home) Oglala Sioux Parks and Recreation Authority, [2024 Hunting Guidebook](https://oglalasiouxparksandrec.net/image/cache/2024%5FHunting%5FGuidebook.pdf?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Yankton Sioux Tribe, [Hunting regulations](https://www.yanktonsiouxgamefishandparks.com/hunting-dates-and-fees/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) South Dakota Department of Tribal Relations, [Hunting on tribal lands](https://sdtribalrelations.sd.gov/docs/Tribal%20Wildlife%20Contacts.pdf?ref=sdnewswatch.org) --- [South Dakota News Watch](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/) partners with [Gigafact](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) to publish fact briefs that refute or confirm a claim with supporting information and additional evidence and context. - [Read previous fact briefs](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/tag/fact-brief/). - Read our verification standards and other [best practices policies](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/best-practices/). - Submit a question for us to answer on the [South Dakota News Watch Tipline](https://gigafact.org/tipline/south-dakota-news-watch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). - Send questions or feedback to [factbrief@sdnewswatch.org](mailto:factbrief@sdnewswatch.org). [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact Michael Klinski* at michael.klinski@sdnewswatch.org.* ### Reserves of critical minerals driving mining interest in SD URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-critical-mineral-reserves-mining/ Last updated: 2026-01-28T22:04:12.000Z RAPID CITY, S.D. – As worldwide demand for rare earth elements and other similar minerals rises – as do tensions among the United States, China and now Greenland – South Dakota is experiencing its own debate over its reserves of what are known as "critical minerals." Rare earth elements are naturally occurring metallic materials found in sub-surface rocks that have been found to possess unique properties that make them highly valuable and highly useful, particularly in a variety of new technologies. While 17 elements are classified as rare earth, the U.S. government has identified 50 minerals overall that are labeled critical minerals, which also includes a number of other minerals that are seen as essential to economic and military strength of the nation. [Piedmont residents shocked by new mine coming to townA lax state mining law and lack of county land-use regulations allowed the operation to be approved without input from the public or local government.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-379.jpg)South Dakota News WatchBart Pfankuch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/20205-10-23-Piedmont-SD-park-1-2.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/piedmont-sd-limestone-mine-zoning-mining-law/) Of those 50 critical minerals, South Dakota is known to host reserves of 15 of them, none of which are rare earth minerals but which contain some of the same properties that make them valuable for industry and technology. ## Critical minerals present in South Dakota Critical minerals in the state include antimony, arsenic, barite, beryllium, cesium, fluorspar, graphite, lithium, manganese, niobium, tantalum, tellurium, tin, tungsten and vanadium, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Those minerals are located in the western South Dakota counties of Custer, Fall River, Harding, Lawrence, Pennington and Perkins as well as the central counties of Buffalo and Lyman, according to a 2024 analysis by the state Legislative Research Council. Given its long history of mining, and based on new studies, the Black Hills region is well-known as a place where usable critical minerals are present, which is attracting exploratory mining, said Christopher Pellowski, a geology professor at South Dakota Mines in Rapid City. ![South Dakota Mines geology professor Christopher Pellowski stands in the university's geology museum in Rapid City, S.D., ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/01/2026-1-14-Mines-prof-Pellowski-4-1-1.jpeg) South Dakota Mines geology professor Christopher Pellowski stands in the university's geology museum in Rapid City, S.D., on Jan. 14, 2026\. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) Rare earth elements and other critical minerals can be abundant but are difficult to extract because they tend to lie within other minerals that must be mined and separated through chemical processes. One example, Pellowski said, is that the common Black Hills igneous rock pegmatite can hold deposits of lithium. Pellowski said he doesn't expect large-scale mining to occur in the Black Hills unless and until companies can find substantial levels of critical minerals that can be monetized. > "What they’re doing now is the homework to get their heads wrapped around what’s there." – Christopher Pellowski, geology professor at South Dakota Mines "Mining is important and it’s a real economic driver. ... But I don't see us at a point where we're ready for a large commitment (of money and resources)," he said. "They’re just going to have to do this in steps. And what they’re doing now is the homework to get their heads wrapped around what’s there." Pellowski said modern mining can also be done with far less intrusion on the land than in the past when open pit and strip mines were the norm. "Mining today is not the mining of 100 years ago," he said. "It’s new and improved." ## Exploration underway in Black Hills According to the LRC report and other state records, mining and exploration efforts are underway at several sites in South Dakota, including for graphite, lithium, niobium, tantalum, tellurium, tin and tungsten. Exploration for lithium has seen the most activity in pegmatite ore near Hill City and Keystone. South Dakota was mined for lithium in the mid-20th century for use in glass, ceramics and grease. But the target products have shifted as technology has evolved. ![red and black car doorRare earth elements and critical minerals are often used in batteries to help store energy, including for use in electric vehicles. ](https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1615903214534-582a77a2a85e?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDExfHxlbGVjdHJpYyUyMHZlaGljbGV8ZW58MHx8fHwxNzY5MDMxOTQ5fDA&ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=80&w=2000) Rare earth elements and critical minerals are often used in batteries to help store energy, including for use in electric vehicles. Photo by [myenergi](https://unsplash.com/@myenergi?ref=sdnewswatch.org) / [Unsplash](https://unsplash.com/?utm%5Fsource=ghost&utm%5Fmedium=referral&utm%5Fcampaign=api-credit) Lithium is increasingly in demand for use in lithium-ion batteries in handheld technologies such as smartphones and laptops as well as in electric vehicles and for energy storage from wind farms and other electricity sources. Four lithium exploration projects are now underway in the central Black Hills, the LRC report said. ## ****Get South Dakota stories** An email summary on most weekdays that links to the full version. Cancel anytime. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. A licensed pegmatite mine in Lawrence County is seeking ore that could contain critical minerals to include niobium, tantalum, tellurium, tin and tungsten, according to the LRC report. Tantalum, tin and tungsten are also being sought in a separate exploration effort in the central Black Hills, the report said. The most recent critical mineral exploration is being undertaken by Rapid City-based Pete Lien and Sons, which hopes to find reserves of graphite by drilling 18 holes roughly 1,000 feet deep on federal lands about 3 miles southwest of Rochford, according to U.S. Forest Service documents. Graphite can be used in lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles, and in lubricants, brake linings, pencils and other products. South Dakota lawmakers have made recent efforts to further regulate lithium mining, though none has been successful. [Major power line expansions will fuel future growth in SDMajor new power lines are coming to South Dakota, which could provide a path for new development over the next few decades.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-378.jpg)South Dakota News WatchBart Pfankuch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/2025-9-24-Elec-tower-near-White--SD-1-2.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/electric-power-transmission-crypto-data-mining-sd/) In 2023 and 2024, bills were filed to reclassify lithium and add taxation to its production. In 2025, lawmakers tried but failed to increase permitting requirements on lithium mines. Under current law, lithium mines can be classified the same as sand and gravel mines, which require far less public notification and input and do not require environmental and cultural impact studies that are mandatory for hard rock mines. That same debate is raging now in Piedmont, where a proposed limestone mine fell under the sand and gravel permit laws and therefore required no notification of the city or its residents that a mine is coming. ## Environmental concerns and opposition A handful of Native American and environmental groups have taken strong stances against further mining in the Black Hills, be it for critical minerals or for uranium at proposed mine sites in the southern hills region. Native American tribal officials and the NDN Collective political organization have registered opposition to uranium and lithium mining and the efforts by Pete Lien and Sons to hunt for graphite. The proposed Lien mine site is very close to Pe' Sla, a Lakota ceremonial site in the central hills. NDN has sponsored billboards in the Rapid City area urging the company to end its mining efforts. ****Trusted, independent sources of information are needed more than ever. Help us continue delivering timely, fact-based storytelling today.** [Donate ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) The potential negative effects of mining on drinking water supplies is a major concern of the Black Hills Clean Water Alliance, which opposes further mining of any sort in the region. Lilias Jarding, executive director of the alliance, said more than 250,000 acres of the Black Hills are already under active federal mining claims and can therefore be mined almost at any time. "It’s an issue of both quantity and quality of water," Jarding told News Watch. "We're in a semi-arid area and mining uses huge quantities of water and makes the quality of the water worse." ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/01/Gilt-Edge-superfund-1.jpg) Visitors to the locked Gilt Edge Mine site are welcomed by a sign informing them that the Environmental Protection Agency has declared it a contaminated Superfund site. Water treatment activities go on 24 hours a day at the site, shown in June 2018\. (File photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) Any type of mining can be destructive to the Black Hills, she said. "Wildlife is displaced and people can be displaced," she said. "An open-pit mine destroys the landscape and contributes to global warming because mining creates 10% of the total carbon emissions worldwide." ## Jobs and revenue in eastern Wyoming While direct comparisons to South Dakota aren't suitable – because the state so far isn't known to have rare earth elements – a project underway in eastern Wyoming shows the potential interest and investment associated with discovery of a strong reserve of a highly valuable material. With funding from the U.S. Department of Energy, the state of Wyoming and private investors, the firm Rare Element Resources has invested $170 million into a project to extract and separate rare earth minerals from rocks found in the Black Hills just west of the South Dakota border. > "As ridiculous as it sounds, this is Upton and Sundance, Wyoming, versus Beijing." – Paul Bonifas, RER director of business development The company has spent $100 million and is seeking final federal permitting to mine rocks from the Bear Lodge region of northeast Wyoming that it believes contain an "incredibly rich deposit" of NdPr oxide (Neodymium-Praseodymium oxide). The mineral is a key component of high-strength permanent magnets. The company has obtained a 1,000-pound sample of rock from the Bear Lodge area that it will process soon to confirm its predictions, Paul Bonifas, RER director of business development, told News Watch. To separate the NdPr oxide, RER has built a $70 million demonstration plant in Upton, Wyoming, where more than 20 full-time employees have been hired to process the minerals. The mineral NdPr oxide is used in magnets that are part of a wide range of consumer and military machines and products, including electric vehicles, robotics, electricity turbines, computers and medical devices such as MRI machines. "It’s no secret that China controls roughly 90% of rare earth processing, separation and production," Bonifas said. "Because all of these things are essential to national defense, it is absolutely a national security imperative that we domesticate the rare earth supply chain." As proof of concept, and evidence of the high value of rare earth element and critical minerals mining, Bonifas pointed out that RER's market value in January 2026 was nearly $440 million. "This is much bigger than the Black Hills and just trying to get these projects going," he said. "As ridiculous as it sounds, this is Upton and Sundance, Wyoming, versus Beijing." [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact* *content director Bart Pfankuch* at* [*bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Fact brief: Does Southeast SD generate more tourism dollars than the Black Hills? URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/fact-brief-south-dakota-tourism-dollars-black-hills/ Last updated: 2026-01-27T11:00:41.000Z ## Yes. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/WhiteFACT-BRIEF--500-x-200-px--2-1-1.png) The Southeast region of South Dakota has generated more in tourism revenue for the state than the Black Hills and Badlands for three consecutive years. Data from the Department of Tourism shows that the Southeast region generated $2 billion in revenue compared to $1.9 billion for Black Hills and Badlands in 2024\. Margins were similar in 2022 and 2023\. The state divides the state into four regions: Black Hills and Badlands (the western-most part of the state), Missouri River (counties that border the river on its north-soute route), Glacial Lakes and Prairies (northeast) and Southeast (Sioux Falls, Yankton and Mitchell areas). The Glacial Lakes and Prairies Region was third in visitor spending in 2024 and Missouri River fourth. Region data hasn't been released for 2025. While western South Dakota tourism focuses on outdoors and traditional tourism sites, Southeast is driven by weekend excursions, retail, events, shows and restaurant visits. *This fact brief responds to conversations such as* [*this one.*](https://www.reddit.com/r/SouthDakota/comments/1qjxhre/how%5Fis%5Fit%5Fthat%5Fsioux%5Ffalls%5Fgets%5Fmore%5Ftourism/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) ### **Sources** South Dakota News Watch, [Southeast SD surges ahead of Black Hills in tourism revenue](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-black-hills-sioux-falls-tourism-numbers/) South Dakota Department of Tourism, [2024 region report](https://sdvisit.com/sites/default/files/2025-03/24EcoImp%5FTourism%5FEconomics%5FCounties.pdf?ref=sdnewswatch.org) State of South Dakota, [2025 shows continued strength for South Dakota's tourism industry](https://sdvisit.com/newsroom/2025-shows-continued-strength-south-dakotas-tourism-industry?ref=sdnewswatch.org) --- [South Dakota News Watch](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/) partners with [Gigafact](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) to publish fact briefs that refute or confirm a claim with supporting information and additional evidence and context. - [Read previous fact briefs](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/tag/fact-brief/). - Read our verification standards and other [best practices policies](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/best-practices/). - Submit a question for us to answer on the [South Dakota News Watch Tipline](https://gigafact.org/tipline/south-dakota-news-watch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). - Send questions or feedback to [factbrief@sdnewswatch.org](mailto:factbrief@sdnewswatch.org). [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact Michael Klinski* at michael.klinski@sdnewswatch.org.* ### From instinct to evidence: Building connections matters most to women in SD ag URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-women-agriculture-research-rebecca-blue/ Last updated: 2026-01-29T13:38:47.000Z HURON, S.D. – When Rebecca Blue first began asking South Dakota women in agriculture what they were missing, the answers felt familiar. Connection. Community. A sense that they weren’t navigating their careers and livelihoods alone. What Blue didn’t know at the time was whether those instincts were widely shared, or whether they reflected only her own experience. Now, after a year of statewide data collection from nearly 370 surveys and more than 100 focus group participants, the answer is clear. Women across South Dakota overwhelmingly said they want the same thing Blue was searching for: meaningful relationships, peer support and networks that help them grow into leadership. [Empowering and connecting women in agricultureSouth Dakota woman’s podcasting and networking effort wins $1.2 million grant to help emerging female leaders statewide expand their leadership potential.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-374.jpg)South Dakota News WatchKristi Hine![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/2024-8-22-Christina-Christensen-and-Rebecca-Blue-1.jpeg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-women-agriculture-dakotafest/) “I suspected other women were feeling the same need I was,” Blue said. “But to see the data come back and confirm that connection and relationships rose to the top, that was powerful.” That confirmation comes from one of the most comprehensive research efforts focused on women in agriculture ever undertaken in the state that will guide the first full year of the [Women’s Ag Network](https://www.womensagnetwork.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). ## From idea to statewide effort The idea for the Women’s Ag Network grew out of a simple realization Blue kept hearing again and again while talking with women across South Dakota: many felt isolated and lacked the professional networks they wanted. “When I shared the idea of creating a place to connect, learn and collaborate, it immediately resonated,” she said. In 2023, using her personal savings, Blue launched "The Best Job in South Dakota" podcast featuring women working in agriculture and related fields across the state. As the interviews accumulated, a pattern emerged. “I went out on my own and realized I was not alone,” Blue said. “There were all these women going through the same thing.” One of those early conversations with Rachel Lawton, an urban conservationist with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), helped turn an idea into a larger initiative. That interview led to discussions with NRCS staff about potential funding opportunities and ultimately to a partnership with the South Dakota Association of Conservation Districts. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/01/2024-8-22-Blue--Kessler--Ehlers--DuVall.jpeg) Rebecca Blue, Colette Kessler, Angela Ehlers and Darrel DuVall, who has since retired, on Aug. 22, 2024, at Dakotafest in Mitchell, S.D. They are using a $1.2 million grant to help women in agriculture grow their networks, expand their opportunities and build collaboration. (Photo: Kristi Hine/ South Dakota News Watch) Angela Ehlers, executive director of the association, said the concept aligned with long-standing concerns about the underrepresentation of women in agriculture and conservation leadership. “The point of this project is connection, and it starts at the local level,” Ehlers said. With guidance from Ehlers and Colette Kessler, NRCS assistant state conservationist for partnerships, the group identified the South Dakota Conservation Collaboration Cooperative Agreement as a fit. ## ****Get South Dakota stories** An email summary on most weekdays that links to the full version. Cancel anytime. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. In June 2024, NRCS, the Jones County Conservation District and the South Dakota Association of Conservation Districts finalized a $1.17 million agreement to support a statewide effort to connect, engage and educate women in agriculture and conservation. The project team, led by Blue, includes Ehlers, Kessler and Valerie Feddersen of the Jones County Conservation District. Their goal is to build a relationship-driven network that helps women expand leadership opportunities, strengthen peer connections and shape the future of agriculture and conservation, guided not by assumptions but by data. ## From Dakotafest to data The Women’s Ag Network formally launched in August 2024 at Dakotafest in Mitchell, where Blue and her team introduced the concept alongside a QR-code survey designed to gather input from women working across agriculture, conservation and related industries. At the time, the idea was still taking shape. Since then, the network has gathered responses from more than 400 women statewide, conducted focus groups with more than 100 participants and contracted with the Sioux Falls marketing firm Paulsen for professional analysis. [Jobs and money follow new agricultural processing in SDGrow it here, process it here: South Dakota sees big financial benefits from operations like those in Aberdeen and Mitchell.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-373.jpg)South Dakota News WatchBart Pfankuch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/2024-10-17-Mitchell-plant-Gate-2--1.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/mitchell-south-dakota-grain-processing-plant-corn-soybeans/) Women’s Ag Network also layered in a second, independent review through a semester-long collaboration with University of South Dakota students in the Coyote Business Consulting program. Together, the findings offer both validation and direction. “This wasn’t about confirming what we already believed,” Blue said. “It was about meeting women where they are and letting the data steer what comes next.” ## The women behind the data Survey responses skewed heavily toward early- and mid-career women, particularly those between the ages of 25 and 50\. While women over 65 were less represented, Blue said that outcome was expected, and intentional outreach ensured voices of all ages were still included in focus groups and discussions. “Later in life, you’ve often had the advantage of time to build your network,” she said. “When you’re in those earlier stages, that connection maybe hasn’t come as easily yet.” Blue said the survey was promoted at events ranging from the South Dakota State Fair to Dakotafest and regional conferences, where women of all ages were present. “It was important to make sure there was never a group that wasn’t included in the discussion,” she said. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/01/2025-12-24-Rebecca-Blue-standing-1.jpg) Rebecca Blue, founder and project coordinator of the Women’s Ag Network, works in Huron, S.D., on Dec. 24, 2025\. Blue is leading a statewide initiative aimed at strengthening connections, leadership, and business development opportunities for women in agriculture across South Dakota. (Photo: Kristi Hine/ South Dakota News Watch) What emerged was a portrait of a highly educated, deeply engaged group of women, many of whom found their way into agriculture through non-traditional paths. Nearly half of respondents hold a bachelor’s degree, and more than three-quarters have completed post-secondary education. At the same time, roughly half did not formally study agriculture. “That tells us something important,” Blue said. “When I say a woman with a career in agriculture, I’m not just talking about an executive director of a commodity group.” She pointed instead to the women managing farm finances, coordinating with lenders and crop insurance agents, raising families and working alongside spouses or partners on operations. “They’re the executive director of the farm,” she pointed out. “They just don’t give themselves the title.” Others work in engineering, finance, tax preparation or technical fields that intersect with agriculture. “In South Dakota, you’re hard-pressed to find an industry that doesn’t touch ag in some way,” Blue said. ## What rose to the top of the data Across every region of the state, one theme dominated the data: women want connection. Networking and relationship-building ranked as the top priority statewide, surpassing technical training, leadership workshops and formal presentations. That finding echoed through focus groups and forced organizers to rethink long-standing assumptions about professional programming. > “It’s that shared experience that really shapes how women think about their next steps.” – Rebecca Blue “One of the most surprising things was that small-group breakout sessions ranked higher than motivational speakers,” Blue said. “The least popular thing was a big speaker on a stage.” That realization has already changed how the network plans events. “Sure, speakers have a place,” she said. “But maybe not as often as we thought.” Instead of keynote-driven programming, Blue envisions gatherings that begin with shared stories, often from women within the community, before moving into facilitated, small-group discussion. “It’s that shared experience that really shapes how women think about their next steps,” she said. ## Where leadership and opportunity miss each other While more than a quarter of respondents said they currently serve in leadership roles, nearly 60% of those positions are outside agriculture and conservation. That disconnect stood out to Blue. “We knew leadership participation was underrepresented,” she said. “But it was striking to see how many women were serving on boards unrelated to ag.” The implication, she said, is not a lack of qualified women, but a lack of connection. “We hear boards say all the time, ‘We’d love to have more women,’” Blue said. “But if they don’t know Jane Doe exists, they can’t go after her. And if Jane Doe doesn’t know there’s an opportunity, she can’t pursue it.” That disconnect, she said, is exactly where the Women’s Ag Network intends to operate. ## Barriers that can be addressed Focus group data also challenged assumptions about the obstacles women face. Time and confidence ranked as the top barriers to advancement, followed by cost and access. Gender bias ranked lowest. “That was actually encouraging,” Blue said. “Time and confidence are things we can work on.” ****Support stories about rural South Dakota with a tax-deductible donation.** [Donate ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/reportforamerica/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Rather than pushing women toward a single definition of leadership, Blue said the network will emphasize meeting women where they are. “For some people, leadership means being president of a board,” she said. “For others, it’s volunteering, mentoring or stepping into something when they’re ready.” Often, she added, it takes someone else recognizing potential before a woman recognizes it herself. “That’s why these hubs matter,” she said. “Often it's way easier for someone else to see your potential much clearer than you can, right? Someone can say, ‘You’d be amazing at this,’ which is likely to encourage positive next steps.” ## Digging into the data Survey responses showed clear regional patterns both in participation and in what women in ag said they needed most. The southeast (17.72%) and east-central (18.69%) regions reported the highest participation, together accounting for more than one-third of all responses. Organizers see that strong engagement as both validation and opportunity, signaling areas where momentum already exists and where targeted outreach could deepen impact statewide. Across all regions, women consistently ranked networking, leadership development and business education as top priorities. But the emphasis shifted depending on geography. In western South Dakota, respondents placed greater importance on community connection and leadership development. Eastern regions leaned more heavily toward business skills, technical education and U.S. Department of Agriculture program knowledge. Women in urban centers such as Sioux Falls and Brookings emphasized career growth, communication skills and crossover roles that intersect agriculture with other industries. Despite those differences, the underlying message was consistent: women want inclusive networking, mentorship and confidence-building opportunities. Programs that blend relationship-building with practical skill development resonated most strongly across the state. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/01/2025-12-24-Rebecca-Blue-looking-at-camera.jpg) Rebecca Blue, founder and project coordinator of the Women’s Ag Network, is pictured working in Huron, S.D., on Dec. 24, 2025\. A recently completed statewide survey highlighted regional differences while consistently identifying connection and community-building as top needs among women in agriculture. (Photo: Kristi Hine/ South Dakota News Watch) While the survey provided a broad snapshot, focus groups added depth, particularly around barriers and preferences. Time emerged as the most significant challenge, cited by 38.8% of participants, followed by confidence (12.7%), cost and location. Gender bias ranked lowest among perceived barriers, a finding organizers described as both encouraging and instructive. “Focus group participants also offered clarity on how they want to connect. Small-group breakout sessions (22%), icebreakers (18%) and informal, conversation-based settings ranked far higher than speaker-heavy or lecture-style events. Many participants said large, unstructured networking environments felt intimidating or unproductive, while guided conversations helped foster genuine connection. Those insights are now shaping how the Women’s Ag Network designs its programming. Participants also expressed a desire for continuity beyond single events. In response, the network created an online community via social platforms (Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn) for ongoing discussion to sustain engagement between in-person gatherings. While regional differences highlight the need for tailored approaches, the shared emphasis on relationships and community-building provides a unifying framework for a statewide network designed to meet women where they are. ## A second set of eyes and deeper validation In addition to the Paulsen analysis, the Women’s Ag Network partnered with USD’s Coyote Business Consulting program. Students Dawson Aberson and Abby Pinkerman independently reanalyzed the survey and focus group data and evaluated program design and sustainability. The students’ findings closely mirrored Paulsen’s conclusions, reinforcing the emphasis on networking, leadership confidence and regional nuance. “That second layer of analysis was incredibly valuable,” Blue said. “It confirmed we were on the right path and helped sharpen how we move forward.” ## A network built on co-elevation At its core, Blue said, the Women’s Ag Network is not about competition or individual advancement. “It’s about co-elevation,” she said. “How are we rising together?” She believes that shift in mindset reflects a broader change in how women view networking itself. [Small local farms growing stronger roots in South DakotaConsumer demand for organic and locally grown foods continues to rise, but running a small farm isn’t always an easy task for producers.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-372.jpg)South Dakota News WatchBart Pfankuch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/2025-9-18-Bear-Butte-Gardens-produce-1-1.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-local-organic-farms-agriculture-sturgis-sd/) “A few years ago, ‘networking’ had a negative undertone,” she said. “I don’t think that’s the case anymore. People are realizing opportunity comes from relationships.” For Blue, the first year of data collection did more than validate an idea. It provided a roadmap. “From the beginning, the goal was to let the data steer our decisions,” she said. “This gives us clarity we didn’t have before.” ## Building the network, region by region With the research phase complete, the Women’s Ag Network is moving into implementation through a series of regional hubs, each led by a local hub manager selected for their ties to agriculture, leadership experience and deep community connections. While the network launches with a shared framework, Blue said each hub is expected to evolve based on regional input. “What works in Spearfish may not work in Eagle Butte,” she said. “The data showed us how regional this really is.” [Meet the South Dakota Women’s Ag Network teamThe network is led by support members who live across South Dakota.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-375.jpg)South Dakota News WatchKristi Hine![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/WomenAg.png)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/meet-the-south-dakota-womens-ag-network-team/) Early events will emphasize structured networking, a response to widespread feedback that unstructured introductions are intimidating. “If I walk into a room where I don’t know anyone, I’ll sit on my phone pretending to send really important messages,” Blue said with a laugh. “We heard loud and clear that format doesn’t work.” The plan is to meet monthly, creating consistency that many women said has been missing from other professional programs. “So often, women’s programming is once a year, or a short series, and then it disappears,” Blue said. “This is about being present in communities, consistently and over time.” The first hub event is scheduled for 5 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 25, at Corner Post in Huron. “What women need in one community isn’t always the same as in another,” Blue said. “This network gives us a way to honor those differences without losing the collaboration and support of a statewide connection.” *Correction: This story was corrected Jan. 29, 2026, to fix the day of the week of the Feb. 25 event.* [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact:** [*info@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:info@sdnewswatch.org). ### Meet the South Dakota Women's Ag Network team URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/meet-the-south-dakota-womens-ag-network-team/ Last updated: 2026-01-26T20:19:49.000Z To help guide programming and ensure the Women's Ag Network reflects a range of statewide agricultural perspectives, the project is supported by an advisory committee that provides input on regional needs and leadership development: - Kristi Cammack, assistant dean for West River operations for South Dakota State University’s College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences - Mike Jaspers, business development director for East River Cooperative and former South Dakota secretary of Agriculture - Donita Fischer, CEO of Acre Inc., the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe’s agriculture corporation, and owner of Wóyute and Native Nations Rebuilder with the Bush Foundation - Liv Stavick, executive director of the South Dakota Agri-Business Association - Justine Rivard, an agricultural lender with Black Hills Federal Credit Union The network is led by four hub managers from around the state: ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/01/Dew-Bad-Warrior-1-1.jpg) **Dew Bad Warrior-Ganje** serves as the Eagle Butte area hub manager for the Women’s Ag Network, supporting women in agriculture, ranching, conservation and land stewardship across the Cheyenne River region. With more than 15 years of experience working alongside tribal governments and rural communities, she brings deep knowledge of tribal–federal relationships, land management systems and the policies affecting agriculture and natural resources. Her background includes work with the U.S. Census, service with the Bureau of Indian Affairs and leadership roles advancing Native-led tourism and agri-tourism through partnerships with the South Dakota Native Tourism Alliance and George Washington University. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/01/Kelly-Brandlee-2-1-1.jpg) **Kelly Brandlee**, communications technician,farms alongside her husband, Clint, and their two young daughters, raising cattle and crops near Pierpont. She is also an entrepreneur, operating Back Forty Beef, where the family sells their homegrown beef and tallow products locally and ships nationwide. Passionate about sharing the story of agriculture, Kelly and Clint welcome visitors to their Corn Maze and Adventure Farm each fall. In addition, Kelly manages a small communications consulting business. Kelly is a graduate of South Dakota State University and South Dakota Agricultural and Rural Leadership Class VII. She has also been actively involved in several boards and community organizations across the state. In her spare time, she enjoys riding her horses and spending quality time with friends and family. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/01/Nikiah-Hamilton-1-1.jpg) **Nikiah Hamilton,** the Huron area hub manager, is a farmer, wife and mother who farms alongside her husband while managing two small businesses centered on compost and tallow. Rooted in regenerative practices and land stewardship, Hamilton brings a practical, hands-on perspective to her role as hub manager. She focuses on supporting, encouraging and connecting women in agriculture, with an emphasis on sustainable operations, peer learning and community-based leadership. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/01/Brooke-Hendrickx-1-1.png) **Brooke Hendrickx,** Sioux Falls area hub manager, grew up on a diversified livestock operation in Minnesota and studied agricultural leadership at South Dakota State University. She now works as a lending assistant at First Dakota while remaining actively involved in livestock shows and youth agriculture events across the region. As hub manager, she bridges production agriculture with finance and leadership development, helping women connect across traditional and emerging ag roles. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/01/Meg-McNeese-1-1.jpg) **Meg McNeese,** the Spearfish area hub manager, is the chief operating officer of Rose Group International, a Spearfish-based business management consultancy. A ranch kid from Belle Fourche, McNeese brings experience guiding organizations through transition, change management and leadership development. As hub manager, she combines her professional expertise with deep agricultural roots to support women navigating growth, leadership and evolving roles within agriculture and related industries. ## ****Get South Dakota stories** An email summary on most weekdays that links to the full version. Cancel anytime. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact:** [*info@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:info@sdnewswatch.org). ### Fact brief: Can trees ‘explode’ during extreme cold weather? URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/fact-brief-can-trees-explode-max-velocity-weather/ Last updated: 2026-01-22T11:00:55.000Z ## ## No. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/WhiteFACT-BRIEF--500-x-200-px--2-1-1.png) Extreme cold weather can cause trees to snap and branches to break, but a viral social media post that says trees “explode” in cold weather is misleading. During periods of extreme cold, sap inside a tree can freeze, which leads to expansion. That pressure can cause tree trunks to break and branches to snap, resulting in a loud noise that can sound like an explosion. It’s called frost cracking, and it’s more prevalent on the south or southwest side of vulnerable trees. Maple, birch, poplar and ash are the most at risk. Another winter weather phenomenon is a "frost quake," or cryoseism. That's when soil or rock fractures due to rapid freezing of water in saturated ground. These are sometimes mistaken for true earthquakes and can cause loud booms or seismic vibrations. Viral social media posts by [Meteorologist Max Velocity](https://www.facebook.com/maxvelocitywx/posts/pfbid02VmtRVE1WEkU1UMGZofbdpyCwcJ6Eq4z3pB2BnF6E5F8qhrazAYDKhSFcSr6vftcNl) warned of an “exploding tree risk” this weekend due to extreme cold. *This fact brief responds to conversations such as* [*this one.*](https://www.facebook.com/maxvelocitywx/posts/pfbid02VmtRVE1WEkU1UMGZofbdpyCwcJ6Eq4z3pB2BnF6E5F8qhrazAYDKhSFcSr6vftcNl) ### **Sources** Facebook, [Post by Max Velocity](https://www.facebook.com/maxvelocitywx/posts/pfbid02VmtRVE1WEkU1UMGZofbdpyCwcJ6Eq4z3pB2BnF6E5F8qhrazAYDKhSFcSr6vftcNl) Montana State University, [Frost crack](https://www.montana.edu/extension/Full%5FHTML%5FPubs/a-guide-to-pests-problems-and-identification-of-ornamental-shrubs-and-trees-in-montana/abiotic-issues/frost-crack.html?ref=sdnewswatch.org) National Forest Foundation, [How do trees survive the winter?](https://www.nationalforests.org/blog/how-do-trees-survive-the-winter?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Britannica.com, [Cryoseism](https://www.britannica.com/science/cryoseism?ref=sdnewswatch.org) --- [South Dakota News Watch](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/) partners with [Gigafact](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) to publish fact briefs that refute or confirm a claim with supporting information and additional evidence and context. - [Read previous fact briefs](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/tag/fact-brief/). - Read our verification standards and other [best practices policies](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/best-practices/). - Submit a question for us to answer on the [South Dakota News Watch Tipline](https://gigafact.org/tipline/south-dakota-news-watch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). - Send questions or feedback to [factbrief@sdnewswatch.org](mailto:factbrief@sdnewswatch.org). *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact Michael Klinski* at michael.klinski@sdnewswatch.org.* ### What $189M in rural health care funding may mean for SD URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-rural-health-care-funding-state-legislature/ Last updated: 2026-01-21T12:09:21.000Z Rural South Dakotans may see incremental changes to their health care coverage in the next year after $189 million in funding was awarded to the state, but the most significant improvements will likely take more time, industry leaders said. In his State of the State address Jan. 13, Gov. Larry Rhoden said that the bill authorizing federal funds for the Rural Health Transformation Program should be prioritized by Congress. "We could be the first state in the nation to authorize this funding, so I would love it if this was the first bill that reaches my desk," Rhoden said during the speech. [Health care in South Dakota, explainedThe key players and where they operate.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-370.jpg)South Dakota News WatchMolly Wetsch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1517120026326-d87759a7b63b)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-health-care-explained/) The dollars will fund the Department of Health’s proposed rural health transformation projects for 2026, which span a range of categories. The amount, [which averages $379 per rural resident in the state](https://www.kff.org/state-health-policy-data/first-year-rural-health-fund-awards-range-from-less-than-100-per-rural-resident-in-ten-states-to-more-than-500-in-eight/?ref=sdnewswatch.org), was about $4 million less than requested and less than the average award of $200 million per state. Rhoden indicated during the address that future funding awards may depend on the speed of implementation, saying "the federal government will reward states that move quickly." The Rural Health Transformation Program will distribute funds to states over the next five years, with 50% of the $50 billion total distributed equally across all 50 states and 50% as discretionary funding allocated by factors like rural population and the condition of rural health care facilities. ## Tech improvements, maternal care take center stage The DOH's presentation to the Joint Appropriations Committee on Jan. 15 outlined four strategic pillars of the project: - Connect technology and data for a healthier South Dakota - Advance the rural workforce - Keep health care access local and strong - Transform systems for sustainability Some of the most significant funding dollars will be dedicated to technology installations and improvements, which the DOH said would cost about $500 million over the five-year funding cycle. Those tech improvements could include cybersecurity updates, health management platforms and robotic surgical or diagnostic systems, among others. ## ****Get South Dakota stories** An email summary on most weekdays that links to the full version. Cancel anytime. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. South Dakota Association of Health Organizations CEO Tim Rave told News Watch that those improvements would likely be some of the first to reach South Dakotans. "That's going to get ramped up pretty fast. I mean, people are already doing it. If we can just bolster what we're doing, that one I see as a real short-term with a real quick impact on people to have access," Rave said. One major proposal from the project is to establish three regional obstetrics hubs as well as "spoke sites," which would utilize community support networks, though the DOH did not specify where those hubs or spoke sites would be established. Maternal health gaps in the state has [long been a topic of concern](https://southdakotasearchlight.com/2025/05/11/south-dakota-maternal-care-deserts-driven-labor-and-delivery-closures-medicaid-cuts/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) as labor and delivery units close in rural areas. [Birthing risks rise in SD as another hospital ends serviceThe state’s strict abortion ban makes South Dakota far less attractive to prospective OB-GYNs and other doctors who can deliver babies.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-369.jpg)South Dakota News WatchBart Pfankuch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1480985041486-c65b20c01d1f-1)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-maternity-care-hospitals-infant-mortality/) Behavioral health is also a focus. In 2023, the American Psychological Association said that South Dakota had some of the [worst "mental health deserts" in the country](https://centerforhealthjournalism.org/our-work/insights/health-care-access-rural-south-dakota-terrible-what-might-be-done?ref=sdnewswatch.org) – 47% of its counties without mental health services. Advancements in telehealth may also improve behavioral health outcomes, Rave said. Collaborative care programs, which connect primary care providers with psychiatrists in hubs like Sioux Falls and Rapid City, will also aim to ensure rural South Dakotans have access to psychiatric care. Initial proposals from the DOH indicated that grants to facilities would be awarded based on "facility readiness, community impact and alignment with state health priorities." The Great Plains Tribal Leaders' Health Board, which Rhoden mentioned in his address as a key collaborator with the project, said that application programs should consider the circumstances of providers in tribal communities, some of which have poor access to health care and lack sufficient care providers. "This investment creates a real opportunity to expand services and address long standing workforce shortages in rural Tribal communities," Leah Belgarde, intergovernmental affairs liaison for the Great Plains Tribal Leaders' Health Board said in a statement to News Watch. "As implementation moves forward, success depends on execution. Tribes need a fair and realistic path to access these funds. The application process must reflect the conditions Tribal providers face on the ground." ![The Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe Health Center in Flandreau, S.D., which is an Indian Health Services facility offering primary care, acute care and pain management services, among others.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/01/DSC_0769.JPG) The Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe Health Center in Flandreau, S.D., which is an Indian Health Services facility offering primary care, acute care and pain management services, among others. (Photo: Molly Wetsch/South Dakota News Watch) Other programs, like workforce recruitment and retention programs and improving quality of Medicaid care were other large allocations. Health care workforce recruitment has long been a concern in the state. SDAHO's own workforce grant program, which is slated to run until 2027, is one of several existing efforts to fortify health care employee numbers in rural areas. "One of the easy, low-hanging fruit is maybe bolstering the current rural recruitment programs we have today. If you supercharge them with some funding, we get more people going to school for those health sciences and professions. And I think those really work in harmony together," Rave said. ## Future sustainability of programs, collaboration a key component While the funding may be a start to filling health care gaps in the state – which are some of the most pronounced in the country – there must be a focus on building sustainable programs that will last beyond the five years of federal funding. Some of the most crucial long-term goals, like rebuilding the state's rural maternal health network, will likely take a significant chunk of the funding cycle to complete in full, Rave said. [Monument could lose millions due to Sanford Health expansion“I don’t think the population is growing fast enough for what they plan to build.”![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-368.jpg)South Dakota News WatchBart Pfankuch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/2024-4-17-Monument-Health-signage-1-2.JPG)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/monument-sanford-health-expansion-black-hills-sd/) "You've just got to make sure we can prove that there'll be self-sustaining going forward once those one-time dollars are gone. So that to me is probably one of the biggest hurdles that we all have to get over. I'm confident that we will do that, but it's not as easy as it seems to just (say), 'Oh, here's dollars.' It's going to take some effort," he said. Lawmakers in the joint appropriations committee questioned the DOH especially about sustainability planning. Sen. Taffy Howard, a Republican from Rapid City, asked the DOH how it would ensure both that taxes and fees for patients do not rise after the five-year period, and how to ensure that implemented programs stay active after the funding finishes. "How do you incentivize somebody with an incentive that goes away in a few years, and expect them to keep providing the same services" she asked in the meeting. ****Support stories about rural South Dakota with a tax-deductible donation.** [Donate ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/reportforamerica/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Rave said that the program, while a step in the right direction, is not a fix-all for some of the state's biggest issues and that other community interventions will need to continue to support further success. Issues like housing and community development, while outside the scope of funding dollars, remain a major hurdle for health care employees in rural areas. Statewide, housing programs have been spearheaded by rural communities looking to attract residents. "That is probably one of the biggest things that people are pivoting to right now," Rave said. "There's plenty of grants and incentives, and the state and the communities and the providers have worked really well together on our rural recruitment programs, so everybody has some skin in that game financially. There's great ways to get young people or providers into these small communities, but if they don't have places to live, they ain't going," he said. [Engage South Dakota: Housing solutionsA list of entities and programs that can assist in developing or obtaining housing as well as links to News Watch reporting on housing solutions.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-364.jpg)South Dakota News WatchBart Pfankuch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/IMG_2326-9.jpeg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/engage-south-dakota-housing-rent-own-solutions-journalism/) The conversations about the funding, its allocation and how it will be executed will likely have to be dynamic, Rave said, and continuously analyzed. "I'm not concerned, but it is just certainly on the top of our mind about getting creative on getting those programs stood up and then making sure they are self-sustainable," Rave said. "Our members stand by to help some of these programs along if they're, one, doing what they were intended to do and, two, mostly self-sustaining. We're here to give care to people where they're at and make sure that a rural hospitals stay strong." [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email) *for statewide stories. Investigative reporter *Molly Wetsch* is a* [*Report for America*](https://www.reportforamerica.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *corps member covering rural and Indigenous issues. Contact her at* [*molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Health care in South Dakota, explained URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-health-care-explained/ Last updated: 2026-01-21T12:53:36.000Z South Dakota, with two large urban centers and miles of vast, rural prairie in between, faces unique challenges when it comes to health care coverage. In several areas of the state, access to health care can be extremely limited. Here's an overview of South Dakota's health care system and the major players who work across the state: ## Largest health care providers in South Dakota **Sanford Health**, **Avera Health** and **Monument Health** are the three largest care providers in the state. Sanford Health is the largest provider in the state. It and Avera Health dominate the eastern portion of South Dakota, and Monument Health covers the western, though Sanford Health [recently announced](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/sanford-health-rapid-city-hospital-healthcare/) that it will open a medical center in Rapid City, its first foray into the Black Hills region. That's expected to open in 2030 and could cost over $500 million. **Horizon Health** provides primary care access to rural South Dakota through the community health center model, which sees active patients make up at least half of the governing board. The provider's locations stretch across the state in Huron, Yankton, Bison and 20 other cities. ## Hospitals in South Dakota Hospitals in South Dakota are identified as general hospitals, critical access hospitals or Indian Health Service hospitals. There are 10 general hospitals, 39 critical access hospitals and four IHS hospitals in the state. ## Tribal health care in South Dakota Tribal clinics in the state range from tribally owned and operated clinics to IHS hospitals. Members of federally recognized tribes can receive care from these facilities, which exist on all nine reservations in the state. Some prominent tribally owned and IHS facilities include: - **Oyate Health Center**, which sits on the site of the former Sioux San Hospital in Rapid City, which was an Indian Health Services hospital. It is now a tribally owned primary care clinic, administered through the Great Plains Tribal Leaders' Health Board. It opened in July 2019\. The health center also has a mobile clinic that travels to nearby reservations and tribal communities. - **Pine Ridge IHS hospital**, which has a 45-bed hospital and emergency room and offers obstetric services. It is located in Pine Ridge, which is in the southwest corner of the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. - **Cheyenne River Health Center**, which replaced the Eagle Butte Hospital in 2012\. The center operates four satellite health programs throughout the Cheyenne River Indian Reservation in Whitehorse, Cherry Creek, Red Scaffold and Swiftbird. ## Veterans' Affairs clinics in South Dakota There are 12 Veterans' Affairs facilities in the state. The three main locations, which offer the widest range of care for veterans, are the **Fort Meade VA Medical Center** outside of Sturgis, the **Hot Springs VA Medical Center**, and the **Royal C. Johnson Veterans' Memorial Hospital** in Sioux Falls. --- **Read more of SDNW's coverage of rural health care below:** [Access to health care limited in SD rural and reservation areasA weekslong investigation revealed numerous barriers to health care in rural and reservation areas of South Dakota that are leading to increased illness and higher mortality rates. This is the first of a two-part series.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-367.jpg)South Dakota News WatchBart Pfankuch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/IHS-Hosp-Fort-Thompson-open-hours-1.JPG)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/health-care-access-limited-in-south-dakota-rural-reservation-areas/) [Rural and reservation health providers face major hurdles in South DakotaPatchwork system of health care in rural and reservation areas of South Dakota complicates care. This is the second of a two-part series on rural and reservation health care.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-366.jpg)South Dakota News WatchBart Pfankuch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/23.-Len-Wonnenberg--PA--Horizon-Health-Huron--SD-1.JPG)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-rural-native-american-reservation-health-care/) [Birthing risks rise in SD as another hospital ends serviceThe state’s strict abortion ban makes South Dakota far less attractive to prospective OB-GYNs and other doctors who can deliver babies.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-365.jpg)South Dakota News WatchBart Pfankuch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1480985041486-c65b20c01d1f)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-maternity-care-hospitals-infant-mortality/) ****Join other South Dakotans and support statewide storytelling.** [Donate ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email) *for statewide stories. Investigative reporter *Molly Wetsch* is a* [*Report for America*](https://www.reportforamerica.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *corps member covering rural and Indigenous issues. Contact her at* [*molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Fact brief: Was Martin Luther King Jr. discriminated against in Sioux Falls? URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/fact-brief-sd-martin-luther-king-jr-sioux-falls-1961/ Last updated: 2026-01-20T11:00:37.000Z ## Yes. Civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr. had to use a back entrance when he gave a speech and wasn’t allowed to stay at the hotel where he spoke during a Jan. 12, 1961, visit to Sioux Falls. King arrived in the middle of riots at the University of Georgia after two Black students were admitted for the first time. "Mobs function when they feel they are being aided and abetted by law enforcement authorities,” King said of the protests. His visit was covered with a Jan. 12 front-page photo in the Argus Leader, which was an afternoon newspaper at the time. His speech that evening at the Knife & Fork Club at the Cataract Hotel, however, was relegated to page 10 in the Jan. 13 edition. King also gave a 12-minute long interview to KELO-TV. The City of Sioux Falls erected a statue of King to commemorate the visit in 2020\. *This fact brief responds to conversations such as* [*this one.*](https://www.facebook.com/keloland/posts/pfbid0twVuJAVbt86fjGMXtHrguA3yALyvQ9Xmpzg8oSVRomRDPrEAcKeyAuGqjZqoe9b8l) ### **Sources** Historical Marker Database, [Martin Luther King in Sioux Falls](https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=208208&ref=sdnewswatch.org) KELO-TV, [Full interview with Martin Luther King Jr.](https://www.keloland.com/news/local-news/mlk-jr-in-sioux-falls-interview-from-1961/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) KELO-TV, [Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. felt ‘unwelcome’ during 1961 visit to Sioux Falls](https://www.keloland.com/keloland-com-original/dr-martin-luther-king-jr-felt-unwelcome-during-1961-visit-to-sioux-falls/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Dakota News Now, [Throwback Thursday: The history of MLK in Sioux Falls](https://www.dakotanewsnow.com/2025/01/16/throwback-thursday-history-mlk-sioux-falls/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Sioux Falls Argus Leader, [Jan. 12, 1961 front page](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1rnjMMItLyrYP1IeOIyVxqmnTl4invwh-/view?usp=drive%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) Sioux Falls Argus Leader, Jan. 13, [1961 edition (Page 10)](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1H-tSuUWE2lr-a6tjrE3be1MKX9goSw4O/view?usp=drive%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) Sioux Falls Argus Leader, [Martin Luther King Jr.'s Sioux Falls visit remembered with statue](https://www.argusleader.com/story/news/2020/01/20/martin-luther-king-jr-s-sioux-falls-visit-remembered-statue/4503428002/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Sioux Falls Argus Leader, [Center fought segregation, served Black community for 20 years in Sioux Falls](https://www.argusleader.com/story/news/business-journal/2022/09/12/sioux-falls-center-fought-segregation-served-black-community-20-years/8039428001/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) --- [South Dakota News Watch](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/) partners with [Gigafact](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) to publish fact briefs that refute or confirm a claim with supporting information and additional evidence and context. - [Read previous fact briefs](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/tag/fact-brief/). - Read our verification standards and other [best practices policies](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/best-practices/). - Submit a question for us to answer on the [South Dakota News Watch Tipline](https://gigafact.org/tipline/south-dakota-news-watch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). - Send questions or feedback to [factbrief@sdnewswatch.org](mailto:factbrief@sdnewswatch.org). [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact Michael Klinski* at michael.klinski@sdnewswatch.org.* ### As student violence rises, state wants districts to have options URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/student-violence-school-behavior-legislature-sd-legislature/ Last updated: 2026-01-19T11:44:38.000Z Whether caused by the pervasiveness of social media, an increase in "soft" parenting without consequences or lingering trauma from the COVID-19 pandemic, South Dakota's top education official said more public school students are being violent or aggressive in the classroom. In addition to an increase in the number of disruptive incidents, Department of Education Secretary Joseph Graves said the level of violence exhibited by students against teachers, administrators and other students has also intensified in recent years. "We're not talking about the kind of misbehavior many of us might think of when we think of our schools," Graves told News Watch. "This is nothing like we have experienced in American education, so it’s new territory and it’s scary and we need to get a handle on it." Graves said he does not have data on how often violent behaviors are occurring in South Dakota schools, and a spokeswoman for the Sioux Falls School District said the vast majority of schools are peaceful and that student outbursts remain rare. And yet, Graves said the anecdotal information he is receiving strongly indicates an increase. ## ****Get South Dakota stories** An email summary on most weekdays that links to the full version. Cancel anytime. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. Without providing specifics on the date, school name or location, Graves shared with News Watch a few examples of the dangerous and disruptive behaviors of school students he has been told about recently: - An elementary student receiving one-on-one instruction got angry, smashed a computer against a wall and threw an object through a window, sending shards into an adjacent classroom full of students. The child then assaulted the teacher, who required medical attention. - A high school student was accused of sexually assaulting a classmate and then was allowed to return shortly thereafter to the same classroom where the victim was present. - A student in an elementary classroom threw a desk at another student and attacked teachers and administrators who responded, severely biting one adult and knocking down another who received a concussion. "It's pervasive and what started in our urban centers has spread to our smaller, rural districts," Graves said. ![boy in black hoodie sitting on chair](https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1581726707445-75cbe4efc586?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDR8fHNjaG9vbCUyMHN0dWRlbnRzfGVufDB8fHx8MTc2ODYwMjUzNnww&ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=80&w=2000) School districts across the country are seeing a rise in disruptive student behaviors. (Photo by [Taylor Flowe](https://unsplash.com/@taypaigey?ref=sdnewswatch.org) / [Unsplash](https://unsplash.com/?utm%5Fsource=ghost&utm%5Fmedium=referral&utm%5Fcampaign=api-credit)) Graves said the main effect of those incidents, in addition to any acute injuries or resulting trauma, has been the interruption of the education of other students. Furthermore, the rise in student violence is causing many teachers, especially those new to the field, to leave the profession at a time of a long-range, ongoing teacher shortage in South Dakota, he said. "Those other 24 kids in the class matter and these teachers matter," Graves said. "We already have a hard time hiring people now, and teachers are starting to say, 'This isn't part of the bargain, this isn't what I signed up for.'" ## Bill filed to remove unruly students In response, Graves has brought forward [House Bill 1017](https://sdlegislature.gov/Session/Bill/26667/291585?ref=sdnewswatch.org) this legislative session, a measure that seeks to empower school boards to quickly remove disruptive students from their school and require them to continue their education elsewhere. Removed students could be taught either virtually or in person at home, at a behavioral health facility or at some other agreed-upon location either inside or outside the school. > "We're not talking about the kind of misbehavior many of us might think of when we think of our schools. This is nothing like we have experienced in American education, so it’s new territory and it’s scary and we need to get a handle on it." > \-- Department of Education Secretary Joseph Graves Gov. Larry Rhoden has expressed his support for the legislation. The bill had its first hearing in the House Education Committee on Friday, Jan. 16, where it received both support and opposition from those who testified and the legislators on the committee. Opponents included Rob Monson, executive director of the School Administrators of South Dakota, who told lawmakers that schools already have policies and procedures in place to effectively remove disruptive students from classrooms. Monson also said the measure would increase the likelihood of costly legal challenges and could become an "unfunded mandate" for school districts already operating with tight budgets. ****Choose how to give.** Click the Donate button to see the different ways you can give and help make stories like this one possible. And tell us why you support our work. [Donate ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Lobbyists for the state's largest school systems and the Children's Home Society also testified against the bill. Both noted that there are waiting lists for acceptance into school and community programs that help children with behavioral problems, so options for removed students may be limited. Lawmakers said they understood the need to address the problem, and some supported the concept in general. Republican Rep. Roger DeGroot, a retired educator from Brookings, said the bill would give administrators and school boards "a little bit of a hammer" they need to quickly and effectively remove violent students from schools. [Hot topics aplenty on 2026 SD legislative session agendaSession will feature a robust debate on how to spend limited state funds. “We have a long list of ideas people want to discuss,” said top budgeting lawmaker Mike Derby.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-362.jpg)South Dakota News WatchBart Pfankuch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/2025-2-6-SD-Capitol-lake-view-1-1.JPG)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/2026-legislature-property-taxes-data-centers-sd/) But other lawmakers said the bill language was not specific enough in terms of what threshold of actions would be considered violent, what forms of alternative education would be allowed or who would pay for it. Some also wondered if the education of students removed from class would suffer, and why expulsion couldn't be used to remove violent students. Ultimately, after a robust hourlong debate, lawmakers vote 15-0 to defer action on the bill until later in the session in hope that several questions could be answered. ## Social media, parenting skills eyed as causes Graves told lawmakers that elements of the bill were left intentionally broad to allow school boards to make case-by-case decisions that work best for the districts and the students involved. He said parents would likely have to pay for alternative education and noted that while disruptive students probably would not get the same level of classroom instruction once removed, it's less fair to expose dozens of other students to learning disruptions caused by unruly students. Expulsion is a rarely used method of dealing with serious student misconduct that not only takes weeks to months to litigate but which also does not provide any future educational programming for students, Graves said. Graves told News Watch he believes student aggression is on the rise for a variety of reasons. Intense use of cellphones is districting children from their education, and that the "filth" available to them on social media is reducing their capacity to learn and grow, he said. ![man and woman sitting on chairs](https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1509062522246-3755977927d7?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDJ8fGNsYXNzcm9vbXxlbnwwfHx8fDE3Njg2MDMwMzN8MA&ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=80&w=2000) School leaders in South Dakota said violence in classrooms remains rare, even as the number of individual incidents may be rising. (Photo by [Kenny Eliason](https://unsplash.com/@heyquilia?ref=sdnewswatch.org) / [Unsplash](https://unsplash.com/?utm%5Fsource=ghost&utm%5Fmedium=referral&utm%5Fcampaign=api-credit)) He also pointed to an increase in hands-off parenting in which adults do not enforce rules for children who often do not face consequences for negative acts. Graves said a school punishment system that does not fully hold violent children accountable exacerbates the lack of consequences that enables negative behaviors to continue. "There's been a change in parenting, and we're seeing kids who are basically given no bed time and allowed to play video games and play with (their) smartphone all hours of the day," Graves said. "By basically giving in to whatever your child demands, that is not a great way to parent. Children begin to think that, 'There's no consequences for what I do, and whatever I want is what should happen.'" ## A growing national problem Graves told lawmakers that surveys of South Dakota's roughly 10,000 teachers showed that 7.5% left the profession for good in 2015 for reasons that did not include retirement. Ten years later, that number rose to 17.3%, Graves said. National survey data shows similar impacts on teachers and the education system. A 2024 poll of nearly 3,000 teachers and paraprofessionals by the National Education Association, America's largest teacher's union, found that 80% considered student misbehavior a "serious problem." A recent study by Pew Research also found that 80% of teachers reported they must address students' behavioral problems several times per week, with nearly 60% saying it happens every day. A 2024 survey by the RAND Corp. found that nearly half of educators said student misbehavior was the top source of job-related stress and that aggressive student behavior was the second-most common job complaint behind low wages. "School aggression and violence have negative effects on school personnel health and retention and on student achievement and development," according to a [2024 research paper](https://www.apa.org/pubs/journals/releases/amp-amp0001348.pdf?ref=sdnewswatch.org) published by the American Psychological Association. ## State's largest district seeks solutions The Sioux Falls School District has been working to manage an increase in student behavioral problems for the past several years, mostly by trying to get students the help they need to function well, said DeAnn Konrad, spokeswoman for the district. While the overwhelming majority of the district's 25,000 students remain well behaved, and incidents of violence are rare, administrators are aware that student behavioral health problems are on the rise, she said. "We’ve definitely seen an increase in the needs and severity of students who are deeply troubled," Konrad said. [State-tribal relations shift tone 1 year after Noem exit″’It was almost like a light switch went on and it just felt like that immediate ... ‘This is the olive branch that we are willing to offer.’”![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-361.jpg)South Dakota News WatchMolly Wetsch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/YanktonSiouxTribe-1-1.png)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-state-tribal-relations-native-american-sd/) Konrad said the district works to provide counseling and education for students and parents through partnerships with outside agencies such as Avera Health, Lutheran Social Services and Southeastern Behavioral HealthCare. The district also has behavioral health specialists at all of its schools, including at Axtell Park Middle School where specialized help is provided to students with both behavioral and learning disabilities. The district's approach has largely focused on helping students manage behavioral issues while educating parents on how to help their children be mentally ready to learn. "For example, if kids aren’t getting enough sleep they can be dis-regulated when they come to school and are unable to focus on learning," she said. "We look to support and educate parents about making those hard decisions because kids are only with us for seven hours, and then if they go home and there are no rules, we basically start back over the next morning." ****Ways to help South Dakota News Watch:** 1\. ****Subscribe** for [weekday emails with story summaries](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) and links to the full version. 2\. ****Share** that email with friends and family and encourage them to sign up, or click the gold Share button in the bottom left of this page and send it via text or social media. 3\. ****Support** us with a [one-time or recurring donation ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)and become a partner in reporting important stories. [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact* *content director Bart Pfankuch* at* [*bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### South Dakota students to compete in state spelling bee URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-scripps-state-spelling-bee-2026-education/ Last updated: 2026-02-07T13:34:32.000Z Twenty-seven elementary and middle school students from around South Dakota qualified to compete Saturday, Feb. 7, in the state spelling bee at Dakota Wesleyan University in Mitchell. For the second year, DWU and South Dakota News Watch are sponsoring the competition that will send a winner to the 2026 Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington in May. Financial support for Black Hills area students came from the Independent Insurance Agents of Rapid City. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/01/bee_main_blue-1-1.png) Schools had until Jan. 16 to hold their own competition and crown a school winner who will take the stage in Mitchell. “Hosting the South Dakota State Spelling Bee reflects Dakota Wesleyan University’s commitment to academic excellence and lifelong learning. It’s an honor to welcome students from across the state and celebrate their hard work, curiosity and love of learning," said Jan Larson, director of marketing and communications at DWU. “We received incredibly positive feedback from participants and families last year, which speaks to the excitement and impact of this spelling bee. We’re proud to host the bee at DWU again, and invite the public to attend and support these outstanding students as they compete.” The competition, held in the Sherman Center on campus, is open to everyone at no cost, and tickets are not required. Registration for the competitors will begin at 9 a.m. Central time Saturday, Feb. 7, and the bee will start at 10 a.m. ## ****Get South Dakota stories** An email summary on most weekdays that links to the full version. Cancel anytime. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. In late 2024, the bee reached out to South Dakota News Watch to see if it would be interested in covering the sponsorship fee to ensure the state was represented at the national competition. "South Dakota News Watch is committed to civic engagement and powerful storytelling, so we’re proud to sponsor a program that showcases dynamic young South Dakotans, their remarkable dedication and the power of language," said Nick Kotzea, SDNW's board chair. Schools that qualified students to compete at the state bee: - Brandon: Brandon Valley Intermediate School; Robert Bennis Elementary School - Brookings: George S. Mickelson Middle School - Clear Lake: Deuel School - Estelline: Estelline Junior High; Sharon F. Delzer Elementary School - Florence Middle School - Garretson School - Madison Elementary School - Milbank Middle School - Mitchell: Gertie Belle Rogers Elementary School - North Sioux City: Dakota Valley Upper Elementary Middle School - Parkston Elementary School - Piedmont Valley Elementary School - Platte-Geddes Elementary School - Rapid City: Saint Elizabeth Seton Central School; Saint Thomas More Middle School - Scotland Middle Senior High School - Sioux Falls: Challenge Center Elementary School; Cornerstone School; Good Shepherd Lutheran School - Spearfish: Black Hills Christian Academy - Sturgis Elementary School - Vermillion Middle School; Vermillion Elementary School - Waverly South Shore School - Yankton: Sacred Heart Middle School [Read the story on last year's state bee](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/scripps-national-spelling-bee-south-dakota-2025/) and [how the winner did at the national competition](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-scripps-national-spelling-bee-brookings-2025/). *This story was updated Jan. 27, 2026, with an additional participant school.* ****Do you value education?** Please consider partnering with us by helping to cover the sponsorship costs at the link below to ensure the state competition continues. [Yes, I will support the bee ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email) *to get story summaries on weekdays. *Contact CEO Carson Walker* at 605-610-9366 (call/text) or* [*carson.walker@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:carson.walker@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Fact brief: Was Rapid City’s M Hill the first of its kind in the United States? URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/fact-brief-rapid-city-south-dakota-school-mines-m-hill/ Last updated: 2026-01-15T11:00:44.000Z ## No. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/WhiteFACT-BRIEF--500-x-200-px--2-1-1.png) The iconic M Hill has showcased South Dakota Mines in Rapid City for more than 100 years, but it's not the first large letter to be displayed prominently in a college town. The tradition began in 1905 when University of California, Berkeley students constructed a big “C” on a hill overlooking campus. Fifty years later, University of California, Riverside students made their own. Other schools with the tradition include an “M” at the Colorado School of Mines and University of Wisconsin-Platteville, a “Y” at Brigham Young University in Utah and an “A” for when Colorado State University’s nickname was the Aggies. Rapid City's M was built in 1912 by faculty and students who used more than 100 wagonloads of rock. Ten years later, it was replaced with concrete. The “S” and “D” were added in 1953\. Students hike up the hill during homecoming to clean the “M”. *This fact brief responds to conversations such as* [*this one.*](https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/nb93qd/til%5Fthe%5Fletters%5Fon%5Fhillsides%5Fwere%5Fstarted%5Fby/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) ### **Sources** South Dakota Mines, [M Hill](https://www.sdsmt.edu/student-life/campus-points-of-interest/off-campus/m-hill.html?ref=sdnewswatch.org) UC Riverside, [A tale of two campuses and the Big ‘C’](https://news.ucr.edu/articles/2025/12/03/tale-two-campuses-and-big-c?ref=sdnewswatch.org) BYU History, [The story of ‘Y’ Mountain](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBySlHkWkfY&ref=sdnewswatch.org) University of Wisconsin-Platteville, [The Platteville Mound of the 'M'](https://www.uwplatt.edu/platteville-mound-or-m?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Colorado School of Mines, [M Climb](https://www.mines.edu/oredigger-experience/m-climb/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Colorado State University, [100-year tradition](https://magazine.csusystem.edu/2024/09/23/a-100-year-old-tradition/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) --- [South Dakota News Watch](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/) partners with [Gigafact](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) to publish fact briefs that refute or confirm a claim with supporting information and additional evidence and context. - [Read previous fact briefs](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/tag/fact-brief/). - Read our verification standards and other [best practices policies](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/best-practices/). - Submit a question for us to answer on the [South Dakota News Watch Tipline](https://gigafact.org/tipline/south-dakota-news-watch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). - Send questions or feedback to [factbrief@sdnewswatch.org](mailto:factbrief@sdnewswatch.org). [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact Michael Klinski* at michael.klinski@sdnewswatch.org.* ### State-tribal relations shifts tone 1 year after Noem exit URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-state-tribal-relations-native-american-sd/ Last updated: 2026-01-16T02:35:07.000Z Two years after former Gov. Kristi Noem was banned from all nine tribal nations in South Dakota and one year after her departure from office, some tribal leaders said the state has made progress toward repairing relations with its Native residents. Noem, during a series of appearances in early 2024, made several comments relating to Native communities in the state, including that drug cartels were active on reservations in the state and [that Native children "don't have any hope."](https://southdakotasearchlight.com/2024/03/13/noem-slings-accusations-about-tribes-while-signing-education-bills/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) [A guide to South Dakota’s 9 Native American tribesThe governance, geography, people and economy of South Dakota’s nine Native American reservations and tribes.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-358.jpg)South Dakota News WatchMolly Wetsch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/sdtribes-map-1.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/nine-south-dakota-native-american-tribes-reservations-guide/) Peter Lengkeek, chairman of the Crow Creek Sioux Tribe, told News Watch that while the ban on Noem occurred primarily because of those comments, there were ongoing issues between her office and the tribes inhibiting collaboration. "We tried. I mean, that's the thing. You've got (tribal leaders) working really hard and trying and then (the state) ..." Lengkeek said. "It was really frustrating. A lot of times, they wouldn't even acknowledge our jurisdictions or sovereignty or anything about us." ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/01/NoemStateofState.jpg) South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem speaks to legislators during the State of the State address on Jan. 9, 2024 in Pierre, S.D. (Photo: Samantha Laurey / Argus Leader) Noem has also faced scrutiny from tribes in her new position as secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, as Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers [detained at least four members of the Oglala Sioux Tribe](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/fact-brief-ice-native-americans-detained-minneapolis/) in Minnesota last week. Oglala Sioux Tribe president Frank Star Comes Out said Tuesday evening that the tribe provided Noem and other federal officials with a formal memorandum "placing the United States on notice of its legal obligations to the Oglala Sioux Tribe as a sovereign nation." ## Tribes making steps back to state relations after 'reset' year Lengkeek said that Noem's departure has allowed the state to begin work on repairing trust among tribal communities. In a gubernatorial election year, there's even more possibility for shakeup, but Lengkeek is positive. "You have to rebuild the trust, but it's happening. I'm hopeful. The candidates coming up (in the election for governor), it looks like a good lineup. And I wish them all the best of luck," Lengkeek said. "Whoever is still standing when the dust clears, I'll be there to shake their hand and welcome them to Crow Creek." ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/01/Peter-Lengkeek-1.jpg) Peter Lengkeek, chairman of the Crow Creek Sioux Tribe. (Photo: Provided by Peter Lengkeek) Last year's State of the Tribes address, delivered by Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate Chairman J. Garret Renville, called for a "reset" of state-tribal relations. At that time, Noem was waiting on her official confirmation to the Department of Homeland Security and Gov. Larry Rhoden was set to take over for the final two years of her term. That shift was positive for tribal leaders, who had unproductive relationships with the state after Noem was banned from tribal lands, Lengkeek said. "I have always strived for a relationship with the state because we need them and they need us. And the closer we can come together, as state and tribes, the better off we're both going to be," Lengkeek said. "I mean, we're South Dakota citizens, too." ## State-Tribal Relations Committee finds focus for 2026 session Sen. Tamara Grove, a Republican whose district covers the Rosebud, Lower Brule and Crow Creek reservations, said the State-Tribal Relations Committee has placed particular focus this year on its ongoing relationships with tribal citizens and leaders. Grove also echoed sentiments that the state has been able to connect with tribes more in the past year. During State-Tribal Relations Committee meetings last summer, a feeling of progress was present, she said. "I know that there's been a lot of distance between the State-Tribal Relations Committee and the tribes themselves," Grove said. "In past years, it has not always been a friendly situation, and of course, I'm not pointing fingers as to why or to who. I'm just saying that that is the way that it was. It was not that way this year." ## ****Get South Dakota stories** An email summary on most weekdays that links to the full version. Cancel anytime. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. Discussions, which took place across the state with multiple tribal leaders, focused on issues including health care and water concerns and addressed the need for a "reset," Grove said. "We had hard discussions. But yet there was such a desire for unity that it was actually pretty overwhelming because we came off of a situation where the governor was literally banned," Grove said. "It was almost like a light switch went on and it just felt like that immediate, 'OK, we're doing a new thing now and this is the olive branch that we are willing to offer.'" ## MMIP focus of state-tribal relations day Tribal Relations Secretary Algin Young told News Watch that the Department of Tribal Relations' focus for the coming year will largely focus on ongoing issues like suicide and drug abuse prevention. State-Tribal Relations Day, which takes place on Feb. 25, is an opportunity for tribal leaders and state workers to connect with each other and address concerns or questions about tribal relations. "We hope to bring awareness, in collaboration with some legislators, tribal leaders, and tribal law enforcement," Young said. "Our ultimate goal is to unite the groups, the tribal leaders and legislators and build those partnerships." The day, which has a theme every year, will this year focus on missing and murdered Indigenous people (MMIP). Sixty-nine of 113 actively missing persons in South Dakota are Native – more than 60%. Of those, 49 are juveniles. ![South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley speaks to supporters during his congressional race announcement party at the Loud American bar in Sturgis, S.D. on Sept. 9, 2025. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/01/2025-9-9-Jackley-announcement-stage-1.jpg) South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley speaks to supporters during his congressional race announcement party at the Loud American bar in Sturgis, S.D. on Sept. 9, 2025\. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley told News Watch that his office has begun to prioritize DNA collection and analysis in support of missing persons cases. In 2022, the AG's office hired an MMIP coordinator who works with law enforcement and tribes to support the issue, which is considered a nationwide crisis. "We're focusing on DNA collection to help with cold cases," Jackley said. "We identify and mobilize support services for victims, families throughout the court process. And I think those are all important to continue to build on the tribal relations. But more importantly, to provide good services in those instances when there is a missing loved one or family member." Eighteen of the current active MMIP in South Dakota have been missing for at least five years – and some have been missing for more than 50. ## Public safety taking center stage in state-tribal relations conversations Public safety as a whole has dominated state-tribal relations conversations in recent years. One of the bills brought forward by the State-Tribal Relations Committee for the 2026 session would redefine "law enforcement officer" to include tribal law enforcement. A resolution brought forward by the committee would urge the Department of Homeland Security – now led by Noem – to establish a tribal law enforcement training academy in the state. "I think it's further recognition of those relationships, that tribal training that we do together. I think it helps them knowing that when they're doing their official duties and they're within the jurisdiction of the state, they have certain additional protections," Jackley said about the bill. ****Support Native American storytelling.** Help South Dakota News Watch tell stories from Indian Country that don't just focus on the problems but on the solutions and rich Indigenous culture. [Donate ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) The Crow Creek Sioux Tribe has also taken steps to collaborate further with law enforcement. A memorandum of understanding signed with South Dakota Highway Patrol allows officers to support tribal law enforcement during events like the tribe's annual wacipi, or powwow. Lengkeek said that SDHP officers are not permitted to enforce state law on tribal lands and mostly assist tribal law enforcement officers with holding individuals until tribal officers arrive. "A lot of the guys return year after year because of the experiences they have there. You know, we honor them in our powwow circle. We ask them to help the veterans put up flags because they serve also," Lengkeek said. "We make sure that our community knows who they are, that they're here and that they're in and amongst the community." Jackley said that law enforcement enters tribal lands when asked, but only with full agreement from the tribes. "I've taken the position as attorney general, if we're invited in, we will do our best job for public safety purposes, and that's an invitation," Jackley said. "If we do something that they don't want, they're able to un-invite us." ## Work still remains to rebuild trust between state and tribes Though relations have been improving, ongoing concerns from tribal leaders loom large – including water, the ever-present public safety issue and health care access. And when just two years ago the atmosphere was so different, state officials agree that ongoing work will be required to continue building relationships. "It's very important that we have the voice that we currently have and that we maintain that position. And not just be able to go places and say words but to actually have an understanding of the topics and to bring strategy," Grove said. "Keeping our foot in the door, building and pushing in a little bit more by building relationships, building trust between the two groups." The Crow Creek Sioux Tribe is the only tribe in the state to have an ongoing law enforcement collaboration agreement like the one with SDHP. Though Lengkeek said he's traveled to speak with tribal leaders about collaboration, there haven't been any other takers. Lengkeek said he understands why other tribes are hesitant to collaborate with state agencies in such a major way. It relates to centuries of history, beyond former governors and Senate bills, and boils down to one crucial element that will take a significant amount of time to address in full. "We do have trust issues (due to historical exploitation)," he said. "It feels like, you know, at least especially from two years ago, state-tribal relations are improving." [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email) *for statewide stories. Investigative reporter *Molly Wetsch* is a* [*Report for America*](https://www.reportforamerica.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *corps member covering rural and Indigenous issues. Contact her at* [*molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Fact brief: Have ICE agents detained Native Americans? URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/fact-brief-ice-native-americans-detained-minneapolis/ Last updated: 2026-01-13T11:00:52.000Z ## Yes. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/WhiteFACT-BRIEF--500-x-200-px--2-1-1.png) Native American tribes from across the country have reported that some of their tribal members have been detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The Indian Citizenship Act in 1924 granted citizenship to all Native Americans born in the United States. The Oglala Sioux Tribe, which is headquartered in Pine Ridge, South Dakota, said four tribal members were detained Friday in Minneapolis, according to a statement. The day before, a 20-year-old Red Lake Nation descendant said he was struck on his face and neck by ICE agents even though he said he told them he was an American citizen. In Iowa, an Arizona tribal member was almost deported after she was turned over to an ICE detainer by mistake in November. The Navajo Nation said dozens of Native Americans had been questioned or detained, including one woman who said ICE agents thought her federal ID was fake. *This fact brief responds to conversations such as* [*this one.*](https://www.reddit.com/r/news/comments/1q8nge9/five%5Fnative%5Famericans%5Fdetained%5Fby%5Fice%5Fduring/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) ### **Source** Newsweek.com, [ICE Detains and Holds Four Native Americans, Tribal Leader Says](https://www.newsweek.com/ice-detains-native-americans-minnesota-minneapolis-oglala-sioux-11339071?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Native American Rights Fund, [Resources for individuals and nonprofits approached by ICE](https://narf.org/ice-resources-2026/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) MPR News, [Twin Cities Native American community members share resources, support amid ICE operations](https://www.mprnews.org/story/2026/01/11/native-american-community-members-share-resources-support-amid-ice-operations?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Indian Country Today, ‘I felt like I was kidnapped’: [Ojibwe man recounts ICE detainment](https://ictnews.org/news/i-felt-like-i-was-kidnapped-ojibwe-man-recounts-ice-detainment/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) AZ Mirror, [Arizona tribal member nearly deported after Iowa jail issues ICE detainer by mistake](https://azmirror.com/2025/11/12/arizona-tribal-member-nearly-deported-after-iowa-jail-issues-ice-detainer-by-mistake/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) CBSNews.com, [Dozens of Native Americans report being questioned or detained by ICE](https://www.cbsnews.com/texas/news/dozens-of-native-americans-report-being-questioned-or-detained-by-ice/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Library of Congress, [Indian Citizenship Act](https://www.loc.gov/item/today-in-history/june-02/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) --- [South Dakota News Watch](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/) partners with [Gigafact](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) to publish fact briefs that refute or confirm a claim with supporting information and additional evidence and context. - [Read previous fact briefs](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/tag/fact-brief/). - Read our verification standards and other [best practices policies](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/best-practices/). - Submit a question for us to answer on the [South Dakota News Watch Tipline](https://gigafact.org/tipline/south-dakota-news-watch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). - Send questions or feedback to [factbrief@sdnewswatch.org](mailto:factbrief@sdnewswatch.org). [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact Michael Klinski* at michael.klinski@sdnewswatch.org.* ### Hot topics aplenty on 2026 SD legislative session agenda URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/2026-legislature-property-taxes-data-centers-sd/ Last updated: 2026-01-12T12:21:53.000Z With a slate of hot-button policy issues on the table and limited funding to work with, state Sen. Jim Mehlhaff of Pierre said it is difficult to predict how the 2026 legislative session will play out in the South Dakota Capitol this year. "A legislative session is just like the rest of my life – it usually goes just the way I didn't plan," the Republican Senate majority leader said of the roughly two-month session that convenes Tuesday. "Maybe we can have respectful discussions and find good compromises, but it could also become a rodeo-and-a-half, too." ![Members of the South Dakota House of Representatives on Feb. 6, 2025, at the Capitol in Pierre, S.D. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/01/2025-2-5-SD-House-of-Rep-1.JPG) Members of the South Dakota House of Representatives on Feb. 6, 2025, at the Capitol in Pierre, S.D. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) All joking aside, South Dakota lawmakers are expected to tackle a roster of topics that could have long-lasting impact on the state and its roughly 925,000 residents. > "Maybe we can have respectful discussions and find good compromises, but it could also become a rodeo-and-a-half, too." > \-- Sen. Jim Mehlhaff, South Dakota state Republican majority leader Mehlhaff said that in addition to the annual battle over how to spend state money, legislators are also sure to dive headlong this session into property tax reform and legislation regarding data centers. Rep. Mike Derby, a Republican from Rapid City, said other major policy issues on the 2026 agenda include efforts to change the state's electoral process, possible regulation of tax increment financing districts and refining how economic development tools are used in the state. ## ****Get South Dakota stories** An email summary on most weekdays that links to the full version. Cancel anytime. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. Hovering over any policy debates, however, will be the difficult task of developing and passing an annual state spending plan following a year when overall tax revenues fell by 1.4%. In response, Republican Gov. Larry Rhoden has proposed no funding increases for schools, state employees and government-funded health programs. "That’s what we’re going to spend all session talking about," said Derby, who will lead budget discussions as chairman of the Joint Appropriations Committee. "We have a long list of ideas people want to discuss." ## South Dakota's annual budget Passing a spending plan for the upcoming fiscal year is the Legislature's only required action each year. After several years of receiving a total of roughly $1.3 billion in federal funds related to the COVID-19 pandemic, lawmakers are back into what Derby describes as budget "normalization" mode. In his budget address in December, Rhoden proposed a lean budget but did include $14 million in discretionary funds lawmakers could possibly use to advance one-time local, regional or statewide projects. [In lean year, governor offers no increase in ‘Big 3’ spendingWith sales tax revenues down, Gov. Larry Rhoden proposes no spending increases for health care and education and no raises for state employees.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-352.jpg)South Dakota News WatchBart Pfankuch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/2025-12-2-Rhoden-budge-address-podium-1-1.jpeg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/gov-rhoden-budget-legislature-spending-education-sd/) Derby noted that the governor's budget recommendation is subject to review and alteration. For instance, some lawmakers might try to use the discretionary money to give one-time bumps to state employees, schools and Medicaid providers, he said. Other ideas that could rise up during budget negotiations include funding of airport expansions, finding ways to tap into funds from unclaimed property and using money Rhoden targeted toward boosting state reserves to fund new or ongoing projects instead. ## Property tax relief Lawmakers tried and failed in 2025 to reform the property tax system, which largely funds local schools and county governments. The push to reform the property taxes comes as many South Dakota homeowners have seen sharp increases in property valuations that have correspondingly caused their tax bills to jump. Most state government operations are funded through the state sales and use taxes. A summer task force made 19 recommendations on how to reduce the burden on homeowners, and those ideas are still on the table. ![The chamber of the South Dakota House of Representatives on Feb. 6, 2025, at the Capitol in Pierre, S.D. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch)](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/01/2025-2-5-SD-House-from-above-1.JPG) The chamber of the South Dakota House of Representatives on Feb. 6, 2025, at the Capitol in Pierre, S.D. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) Rhoden has offered a plan to allow counties to vote in a local sales tax to offset a reduction in property taxes, and gubernatorial candidate U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson has floated a plan to give homeowners a $400 annual property tax credit. Mehlhaff told News Watch he will offer a plan this session to increase the statewide sales tax by 2% and use that money to remove the burden of funding schools from local taxpayers. ## Pros and cons of data centers The decision on whether to allow construction of data centers that use extensive electricity and water to store huge amounts of computer data is perhaps the hottest topic in South Dakota right now. The issue [drew a large crowd and high emotions](https://www.sdpb.org/politics/2026-01-07/sioux-falls-city-council-approves-rezoning-of-proposed-data-center-land?ref=sdnewswatch.org) at a Sioux Falls City Council meeting Jan. 6. "There’s going to be a robust debate about whether we should incentive data centers to come to South Dakota or put up barriers to them," Mehlhaff said. ****Play a bigger role in our storytelling.** Join us as a partner in telling stories that are important to all South Dakotans with a tax-deductible donation. [Donate ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/reportforamerica/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) [A bill](https://sdlegislature.gov/Session/Bill/26317/291571?ref=sdnewswatch.org) has already been filed to provide tax exemptions for data centers in an attempt to encourage their development in the state. Mehlhaff, who is a co-sponsor of that bill, said he would rather see data centers built in the United States, including South Dakota, instead of in foreign countries such as China. ## Democrats to push prison reform The recent large expenditures related to building new prisons for men and women in South Dakota will translate into efforts in the upcoming session to reform elements of the state judicial system and current criminal sentencing laws, said Rep. Erin Healy, a Sioux Falls Democrat who is the House minority leader. In the past two years, lawmakers have approved construction of a $650 million men’s prison for a site in eastern Sioux Falls and an $87 million women’s prison now being built in Rapid City. [Fewer job vacancies in DOC as new women’s prison prepares to openNew Corrections report shows reduced job openings since pay increase took effect as state agency hires 133 for new Rapid City facility.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-351.jpg)South Dakota News WatchMolly Wetsch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/rapidcitywomenrendering-1.jpeg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-womens-prison-staffing-corrections/) Healy said she expects to see legislation filed to keep low-level offenders out of prison and to provide better prison programs to reduce recidivism. “I think people are realizing that incarcerating people is a very expensive endeavor and that if we take care of people after arrest or before re-entry (into society) that we can avoid some of those costs,” Healy said. “We can help people before they enter the system because it costs us less money but also because it’s the right thing to do.” Healy expects to file a bill to provide some criminal immunity from drug charges to anyone who witnesses someone else suffering an overdose. Amid a tight budget year, Democrats will be looking for new revenue streams in 2026 to counter the funding freezes Gov. Rhoden has proposed for schools, state employees and Medicaid-funded health programs, Healy said. She also said the rhetoric in the Capitol might be heightened due to the upcoming 2026 gubernatorial election as candidates and their supporters seek to drive home messaging they believe will resonate with voters. [SD governor poll: Rhoden, Johnson lead; Doeden, Hansen surgeA poll shows GOP voters throwing their support behind incumbent Larry Rhoden and U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson. But challengers are pulling in voters.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-353.jpg)South Dakota News WatchKevin Killough![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/Gubernatorial-7.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/sd-poll-gop-gubernatorial-governor-rhoden-johnson-doeden-hanson/) Rhoden, one of those candidates, faces primary challengers from within and outside of the state Legislature. “There are going to be some interesting developments and potentially we’re going to see some new priorities coming out from different camps aligned with gubernatorial candidates,” Healy said. --- ### Five bills worth a look before South Dakota's legislative session - [House Bill 1010 ](https://sdlegislature.gov/Session/Bill/26815?ref=sdnewswatch.org)would further restrict the use of cellphones while driving, making it illegal to look up, choose or enter a telephone number while behind the wheel. - [House Bill 1017](https://sdlegislature.gov/Session/Bill/26667/291585?ref=sdnewswatch.org) would allow school districts to send unruly students to be taught in an alternative setting if their behavior disrupts the classroom learning environment. - [House Bill 1037](https://sdlegislature.gov/Session/Bill/26899/293024?ref=sdnewswatch.org) would waive the fee for a fishing license for active-duty military members and for military veterans who were honorably discharged. - [Senate Bill 16](https://sdlegislature.gov/Session/Bill/26819/292091?ref=sdnewswatch.org) would require anyone intending to work as a hunting or fishing guide to obtain state certification before taking on clients. - [Senate Bill 47](https://sdlegislature.gov/Session/Bill/26761/292847?ref=sdnewswatch.org) would make it more difficult for government entities to go into executive session to discuss topics outside the purview of the press and public. [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact* *content director Bart Pfankuch* at* [*bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### News about News Watch: January 2026 URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/news-about-news-watch-january-2026/ Last updated: 2026-01-09T16:00:12.000Z *The latest news about South Dakota News Watch for our community of subscribers, donors and media partners* --- ## New politics and statehouse reporter ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/01/Rifaat--Alexander-1-1.jpeg) **Alexander Rifaat**, a native Texan, has joined South Dakota News Watch as the **new politics and statehouse reporter** based year-round in Pierre. He'll cover all three branches of state government as well as statewide campaigns and elections. Rifaat previously covered the White House and Treasury for Tax Notes in Washington and the legal industry for Euromoney in New York. He holds a M.Sc. in political economy from King’s College London and a B.A. in political science from the American University in Cairo. His hobbies include tennis, soccer and baseball. Contact him with story tips, feedback or ideas: 605-736-4396 (call/text), [alexander.rifaat@sdnewswatch.org](mailto:alexander.rifaat@sdnewswatch.org), [alexander-rifaat](https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexander-rifaat-2397a0154/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) on LinkedIn and @[alexrifaat](https://x.com/alexrifaat?ref=sdnewswatch.org) on X/Twitter. Rifaat joins content director [**Bart Pfankuch**](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/author/bart-pfankuch/) in Rapid City and reporter / Report for America corps member [**Molly Wetsch**](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/author/molly-wetsch/) in Sioux Falls. --- ## SDNW to host INN/Scripps intern ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/01/Screenshot-2026-01-08-at-4.18.20---PM.png) South Dakota News Watch will again host a student journalist this year in a **paid, 10-week** [**internship** through the Institute for Nonprofit News and Scripps Howard Fund](https://news.inn.org/institute-for-nonprofit-news-and-scripps-howard-fund-offer-25-paid-journalism-internships/?ref=sdnewswatch.org), one of just 25 newsrooms chosen for the program. It is aimed at expanding access to high-quality, hands-on experience for students in rural areas. The internships are open to undergraduate and graduate college students as well as students graduating college in the 2025-26 school year. If you know of a young journalist who qualifies and is interested, please forward this email to them and encourage them to [apply by the Jan. 31 deadline](https://scrippshowardfoundation.submittable.com/submit/19569327-b580-4705-ab85-6c2159dd135a/2026-scripps-howard-journalism-internship-application?ref=sdnewswatch.org). --- ## $100,000 will support housing solutions stories ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/01/Screenshot-2026-01-08-at-4.25.54---PM.png) South Dakota News Watch received a **$100,000 grant from the South Dakota Community Foundation** for its ongoing series of solutions-focused stories on the state's housing crunch. It was part of the SDCF's 2025 [Big Idea Grants awards for community-based problem-solving](https://www.sdcommunityfoundation.org/grants/beyond-idea-grants?ref=sdnewswatch.org). SDNW was one of just eight newsrooms nationally to be accepted into the first cohort of the [Solutions Journalism Revenue Accelerator](https://www.solutionsjournalism.org/program/solutions-journalism-revenue-accelerators?ref=sdnewswatch.org) program that provided training and guidance on the storytelling approach. Here's some of the feedback on the stories: - **Paula Jensen**, senior vice president of Dakota Resources: "I just want to say thanks to you and SD NewsWatch for telling the solutions-focused stories about our rural communities in South Dakota." - **Cammie Mengwasser**, executive director of the Watertown Community Foundation: "I know it’s gotten us a lot of good exposure.” - **Terry Sabers**, president of Mitchell Area Housing Inc. (MAHI): “I think it’s created momentum in the state.” Read [all the solutions stories we've done so far](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/tag/solutions/), including one that's regularly updated with [new housing ideas from around the state](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/engage-south-dakota-housing-rent-own-solutions-journalism/). --- ## Most popular stories last month Here are the most-read stories from the past month with links to each: 1. [Hispanic population thrives in one South Dakota town](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/hispanic-thrives-plankinton-south-dakota-iglesia-renuevo/) 2. [Fact brief: Does South Dakota have the highest Hutterite population in the U.S.?](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/fact-brief-south-dakota-hutterite-population-united-states/) 3. [Fact brief: Does South Dakota require front license plates?](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/fact-brief-south-dakota-license-plates-front-rear-sd/) 4. [Fact brief: Did a South Dakota city register the fastest temperature change in recorded history?](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/fact-brief-temperature-change-guiness-world-record-spearfish-sd/) 5. [Fact brief: Does South Dakota have the highest percentage of Native American residents?](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/fact-brief-sd-native-american-population-reservations/) --- ****Ways to support South Dakota News Watch:** 1\. ****Subscribe** for [weekday emails with story summaries](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/). 2\. ****Share** that email with friends and family and encourage them to sign up. 3\. ****Support** us with a [one-time or recurring donation](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) and become a partner in reporting important stories. Thank you for trusting us as a source for stories of statewide interest, your partnerships and financial support! Please reach out any time with feedback, questions or ideas. *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email) *to get story summaries on weekdays. *Contact CEO Carson Walker* at 605-610-9366 (call/text) or* [*carson.walker@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:carson.walker@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Moving mountains: Blasting and clawing toward a safer US 385 URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/black-hills-us-385-project-highway-construction-road-closures/ Last updated: 2026-01-09T13:09:21.000Z HILL CITY, S.D. – Kristen Kilcoin has experienced the good and the bad of the nearly three-year project to rebuild and widen a long stretch of U.S. 385, the only major north-south highway through the central Black Hills. As the owner and operator of Three Forks Campground, located at the intersection of U.S. highways 385 and 16 just south of Hill City, Kilcoin has seen a slight reduction in patrons during the past two tourism seasons. "Some tourists were afraid to use the road because it was hit-or-miss whether it would be closed or if they would hit delays from a pilot car," she said. And yet, Kilcoin sees clear upsides to the construction and its anticipated results. ![Kristen Kilcoin, owner of Three Forks Campground near Hill City, S.D., on the patio of a rental cottage at the resort on Jan. 6, 2026. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch)](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/01/Kristen_Kilcoin-1.jpg) Kristen Kilcoin, owner of Three Forks Campground near Hill City, S.D., on the patio of a rental cottage at the resort on Jan. 6, 2026\. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) In an unexpected windfall, her campground and RV park is hosting several U.S. 385 construction workers who are providing a significant off-season revenue boost. She also is encouraged by the look and feel of the sections of the highway that have already been completed. > "We're not going to stop every accident, but you’ll have a better chance to avoid it or it will become much less severe." > \-- Tim Wicks, DOT engineer overseeing Highway 385 project "It's going to be really nice, and safer for people driving it," she said. "There's a couple places where you don't even recognize it is the same road." ## Adding space to increase safety The $72 million [highway rebuild](https://us-385.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) that began in 2024 will widen and enhance safety on a 15-mile stretch of the narrow, winding two-lane highway that flows amid scenic lakes, rock walls and dramatic ridge lines but which also has a high rate of crashes and fatalities. Construction will include widening of road shoulders, smoothing out of sharp curves, adding turn lanes and softening off-road slopes to make the road safer. The construction route runs from Sheridan Lake on the south to the Pennington-Lawrence county line on the north. Making room for wider lanes has required the use of dynamite blasts and removal of jagged rocks and huge boulders by giant construction excavators. ![These images show a section of U.S. 385 heading northbound at a point north of state Highway 44 before the construction project and after widening, shoulder expansion and resurfacing were completed. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/01/US-385-before-after-horizontal.jpg) These images show a section of U.S. 385 heading northbound at a point north of state Highway 44 before the construction project and after widening, shoulder expansion and resurfacing were completed. (Photo: Courtesy South Dakota Department of Transportation) The highway forms a critical transportation pipeline through the Black Hills, running from Lead-Deadwood on the north to the Nebraska state line on the south. Along the way, it provides access to Hill City, Custer and Hot Springs and is a popular drive for Sturgis Motorcycle Rally attendees. It enables access to Mount Rushmore National Memorial, Crazy Horse Memorial and Custer State Park. And it helps fuel a regional tourism industry that brought nearly $2 billion in revenue to South Dakota in 2024. ## Seeking to cut accidents by 50% The overall crash rate on the stretch of highway being rebuilt is more than double the state average, according to DOT data. In the five-year period from 2018-2022, 187 crashes were reported, with four fatalities and 57 injuries. A third of those wrecks and most of the deaths occurred when motorists left the roadway, which in spots has almost no shoulder space while closely abutting rock walls or rimming atop significant drop-offs. ![These photos show a section of U.S. 385 heading southbound just north of Pactola Reservoir before the construction project and after widening, slope softening and resurfacing were completed.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/01/US-385-before-after-vertival.jpg) These photos show a section of U.S. 385 heading southbound just north of Pactola Reservoir before the construction project and after widening, slope softening and resurfacing were completed. (Photo: Courtesy South Dakota Department of Transportation) The DOT’s goal is to cut the crash rate on the segment of highway by 50%, largely by eliminating tight curves, expanding sight lines for motorists or expanding shoulders from 2 to 8 feet, which has a proven success rate in reducing run-off wrecks. The project is well into its second major phase and now includes a full road closure south of Pactola Reservoir, the final of five closures that require motorists to make a 40-mile detour through Rapid City. ****Join other South Dakotans and support statewide storytelling.** [Donate ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Many Black Hills businesses have reported slower sales during the project that will reach full completion in 2027\. The project has also created transportation challenges for area residents, schools and emergency services, though many locals are aware of work-around routes that enable them to avoid the long delays of the posted detours. ## On schedule and on budget (so far) The construction project has required major planning, coordination and resources of the South Dakota Department of Transportation and a wide range of local and regional agencies. To date, the work being done by Oftedal Construction of Miles City, Montana, has run smoothly with no major delays or injuries to workers reported, said Tim Wicks, the DOT engineer overseeing the project. “As of now, we are on schedule and very happy with the progress,” Wicks told News Watch. “We’ve had some additional costs that often happen with these kinds of projects, but nothing major.” ![An ambulance skirts past a pilot car waiting site during reconstruction of U.S. 385 in the central Black Hills of South Dakota on Jan. 6, 2026. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch)](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/01/2026-1-6-US-385-ambulance-1-1.jpg) An ambulance skirts past a pilot car waiting site during reconstruction of U.S. 385 in the central Black Hills of South Dakota on Jan. 6, 2026\. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) Wicks said motorists who want to see how the highway will look when complete can drive the section north of Pactola Reservoir to the Lawrence County line, where lanes are widened, shoulders expanded and the pavement is resurfaced. "The shoulders are wider and the slopes are gentler in case you do run off the road," Wicks said. "We're not going to stop every accident, but you’ll have a better chance to avoid it or it will become much less severe." ## Removal of rock ridges a big challenge The most challenging and labor-intensive part of the construction project has been removing giant boulders and slashing away rocky ridges to make way for a wider road surface, Wicks said. On a recent day in January, a large excavator could be seen using its clawed bucket to chip away at a vertical rock wall on the west side of the highway north of Sheridan Lake. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/01/2026-1-16-US-385-giant-claw-1.jpg) Contractors are using dynamite and excavators like this one, shown on Jan. 6, 2026, to blast and claw away mountainsides to make room for a wider road surface during a reconstruction of U.S. 385 through the central Black Hills north of Hill City, S.D. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) At the same time, dump trucks carried away rocks and boulders while trucks with two side-dump trailers added fill dirt to build up the road and shoulder surfaces. Chopping down a Black Hills ridge must begin at the top because starting at the bottom would create a rocky avalanche risk, Wicks said. ## ****Get South Dakota stories** An email summary on most weekdays that links to the full version. Cancel anytime. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. In a process known as “pioneering,” workers clear trees and rocks to build a path to the top of the ridges where construction equipment and dynamite blasts are used to remove rock and form edges. “You don’t just fly up there and land on the top,” he said “You have to build a road to get there.” After that, ground-level excavators can then safely chip away at the edges to create space. “Otherwise, you would undermine the surface and it would all land on top of you,” Wicks said. ## 2026 goal: Open for Sturgis rally traffic One big goal for 2026 is to have the road fully open to traffic during the annual Sturgis rally in early August. As reported by News Watch, U.S. 385 was open during the 2024 rally, but the construction project left the road surface [uneven and gravely in spots](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/sturgis-motorcycle-rally-us-highway-385-construction-black-hills/), which increased the risk of cycles to slide down. ![Huge amounts of dirt and gravel were being removed and repositioned on Jan. 6, 2026, as part of the widening of U.S. 385 through the central Black Hills.of South Dakota. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch)](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/01/2026-1-6-US-385-big-trucks-1.jpg) Huge amounts of dirt and gravel were being removed and repositioned on Jan. 6, 2026, as part of the widening of U.S. 385 through the central Black Hills of South Dakota. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) Wicks said the road surfaces will be smooth and the speed limit should be the typical 55 mph during the 2026 rally. "That’s still weather-dependent, and issues do pop up. But it should be completely free-flowing traffic during the rally,” Wicks said. The bulk of the road construction and rebuilding should be completed in 2026, with only some final road surfacing to be completed in 2027, Wicks said. "It’s all being done for safety," he said. [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact* *content director Bart Pfankuch* at* [*bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Fact brief: Could a data center use the equivalent of 50,000 homes of power? URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/gemini-data-center-power-usage-sioux-falls-sd-ai-electricty/ Last updated: 2026-01-08T13:12:03.000Z ## Yes. A data center that is inching closer to becoming a reality in northeastern Sioux Falls could use 50,000 homes’ worth of power a year at its planned peak. The Sioux Falls City Council on Tuesday voted unanimously to rezone the land for the Gemini Data Center. The City Council heard objections from dozens of residents who are worried about environmental impacts of the facility. Data centers have used significant amounts of power in other states. In 2023, 26% of the electricity supply of Virginia was used by data centers. For North Dakota, it was 15%. The hyperscale data center would be constructed on 160 acres previously owned by Xcel Energy – with a nearby substation. For comparison, the entire Empire Mall complex in Sioux Falls, from 41st Street to 49th Street and between Interstate 29 and Louise Avenue, is about 150 acres. *This fact brief responds to conversations such as* [*this one.*](https://www.reddit.com/r/energy/comments/1es5x5o/how%5Fmuch%5Fenergy%5Fdoes%5Fa%5Fdata%5Fcenter%5Fuse/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/WhiteFACT-BRIEF--500-x-200-px--2-1-1.png) ### **Source** KELO, [Why do data centers want to come to South Dakota](https://www.keloland.com/keloland-com-original/data-center-has-more-steps-to-construction/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) SiouxFalls.Business, [Hyperscale data center seeking city approvals to build northeast of Sioux Falls](https://siouxfalls.business/hyperscale-data-center-seeking-city-approvals-to-build-northeast-of-sioux-falls/?ref=sdnewswatch.org#:~:text=Gemini%20Data%20Center%20SD%20LLC,large%2Dscale%20data%20center%20there.) The Dakota Scout, [Planned data center sparks outrage in downtown Sioux Falls](https://www.thedakotascout.com/p/planned-data-center-sparks-outrage?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Pew Research Center, [What we know about energy use at U.S. data centers amid the AI boom](https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2025/10/24/what-we-know-about-energy-use-at-us-data-centers-amid-the-ai-boom/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Google Maps, [Empire Mall acres](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1q7BEw1BA3TmuedIxyd4t9IF%5FDPG2gQxj/view?usp=drive%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) --- [South Dakota News Watch](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/) partners with [Gigafact](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) to publish fact briefs that refute or confirm a claim with supporting information and additional evidence and context. - [Read previous fact briefs](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/tag/fact-brief/). - Read our verification standards and other [best practices policies](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/best-practices/). - Submit a question for us to answer on the [South Dakota News Watch Tipline](https://gigafact.org/tipline/south-dakota-news-watch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). - Send questions or feedback to [factbrief@sdnewswatch.org](mailto:factbrief@sdnewswatch.org). *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact Michael Klinski* at michael.klinski@sdnewswatch.org.* ### Fewer job vacancies in DOC as new women's prison prepares to open URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-womens-prison-staffing-corrections/ Last updated: 2026-01-07T15:17:29.000Z RAPID CITY, S.D. – The state Department of Corrections, which has struggled to maintain workers in the past, must hire 133 staff members for the new women's prison here as it takes a new approach to drug treatment. The task should be easier thanks to pay incentives that have significantly dropped the number of open positions, according to the agency's latest annual report. In 2022, former Gov. Kristi Noem [announced an increase in salaries](https://news.sd.gov/news?id=news%5Fkb%5Farticle%5Fview&sysparm%5Farticle=KB0039027&sys%5Fkb%5Fid=e85961cc1b10a9506e4aa97ae54bcb66&spa=1&ref=sdnewswatch.org) for correctional staff from $20 to $23.50 an hour. Starting salaries are now $25.50, a [43% increase from three years prior](https://mylrc.sdlegislature.gov/api/Documents/Attachment/276532.pdf?Year=2025&ref=sdnewswatch.org#:~:text=Page%2018,Sign%20on%20bonus%20$10%2C000%20%28Nurses%29). Those increases were instituted under Noem and then-DOC secretary Kellie Wasko. In January 2025, Wasko told lawmakers the department also would reimplement loan repayment and scholarship programs and a $10,000 sign-on bonus for nurses. The DOC’s [2025 fiscal report](https://www.doc.sd.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/1820/639015727545730000?ref=sdnewswatch.org) released last month shows a major improvement. In July, there were just 16 vacant security staff positions, a four-year low for the department, compared to 55 in January 2025 and 143 in January 2024\. DOC press secretary Michael Winder said Tuesday that 29 positions are currently unfilled. Gov. Larry Rhoden’s 2026 budget allocates $13.2 million for first-year operating costs and 96 security operations, 23 health care and 20 education, programming and administrative staff members at the new Rapid City prison, which is scheduled to open this year. Those jobs would bring the DOC’s total full-time employee number to more than 1,000 statewide. Rep. Mike Derby, a Republican from Rapid City who co-chairs the Joint Committee on Appropriations, told News Watch that salary increases for correctional staff has "been on the radar" of lawmakers for the past few years, and that the new prison should be able to find workers easier because of it. "I'm very happy and proud of the fact that we were able to move the needle by providing additional salaries for the staff. And of course, in Rapid City, it's a brand new facility," Derby said. "It's very impressive and replaces a facility in Pierre that was long overdue. And so I'm confident that we'll get a nice qualified staff at the new salary levels that we're doing, and looking forward to getting that open." ![The new women's prison campus, which is still under construction, in Rapid City, S.D., on Dec. 18, 2025. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/01/DSC_0752-1.jpg) The new women's prison campus, which is still under construction, in Rapid City, S.D., on Dec. 18, 2025\. Buildings pictured are housing. (Photo: Molly Wetsch/South Dakota News Watch) Across the state, jails and prisons have historically struggled with building and maintaining appropriate staff numbers. Clinical staff has proved a larger challenge. In January 2025, [the DOC told lawmakers](https://mylrc.sdlegislature.gov/api/Documents/276532.pdf?ref=sdnewswatch.org) that vacancies for clinical services within the system were at 36%. Among licensed practical nurses (LPNs), who are typically responsible for patient comfort and basic needs, vacancies sat at 53% and registered nurses (RNs) were at 40%. The South Dakota Board of Nursing said in March that 1.5% of LPNs in the state were currently working at a correctional facility. ## New prison to ease overcrowding in Pierre The site of the new Rapid City prison is just off I-90 and East North Street near Menards and other commercial businesses, a retail shopping and dining center and a housing development. It's classified as a Level III facility, which houses "appropriately designated close classified offenders, medium classified offenders, and offenders of lower classification levels," according to the DOC's website. The prison's Level III security status requires continuously controlled perimeters and a wall or double perimeter fencing with razor wire. Nearly 100,000 square feet of space will make up the new prison, with three housing buildings and a building dedicated entirely to mother and infant services. Clinical, behavioral health, and educational and vocational services will be offered in another building. Winder said the prison will house "primarily minimum-custody" inmates, though one of the three housing units is designated for medium-custody offenders. ![The exterior of the new women's correctional facility in Rapid City, S.D., with fencing surrounding it, on Dec. 18, 2025.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/01/DSC_0754-1.jpg) The exterior of the new women's correctional facility in Rapid City, S.D., with fencing surrounding it, on Dec. 18, 2025\. (Photo: Molly Wetsch/South Dakota News Watch) The Mike Durfee State Prison in Springfield, near the Nebraska border in southeastern South Dakota, is the only other Level III facility in the state, though it houses only men. That campus, which has more than triple the capacity of the new Rapid City facility, staffs 186 full-time employees compared to Rapid City's projected 133\. The new correctional center's medium-security status will ease overcrowding at the women's prison in Pierre, Wasko said in 2023\. In June, that prison was at 150% of its intended capacity. The Pierre Minimum Center, which will be decommissioned after the new facility opens, was at 167%. "In all of my time, I’ve never seen a facility so crowded,” Wasko said about the prison in 2022. Winder said that decisions about how inmates will be transferred to Rapid City from Pierre, and who will move, are yet to be finalized. [Former employees say DOC isn’t ready for the new prisonOpponents of the new prison raised concerns about the “chaos” in the South Dakota Department of Corrections.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-346.jpg)South Dakota News WatchKevin Killough![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/Prison-Inmates-4.png)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-department-corrections-doc-new-prison-wasko/) The women's prison was discussed in the Legislature along with the controversial new men's prison on the other side of the state but faced significantly fewer barriers. The $650 million men's prison, which will replace old buildings at the state penitentiary in Sioux Falls, narrowly passed a vote in September. Opponents of it argued, among other things, that the state needed to address problems in the DOC before embarking on a major construction project. Unless the problems are addressed, the DOC will just transfer the same problems to a new facility, undermining its benefits, they argued. ## Therapeutic community model aims to provide treatment, reduce recidivism The new women’s facility will practice a therapeutic community model for substance use disorder treatment, the first of its kind in the state. Therapeutic community programs focus on using peer-to-peer interaction and accountability work to reduce substance abuse. That's especially necessary for female inmates in South Dakota because more than half are serving time for drug-related charges, Winder said. ## ****Get South Dakota stories** An email summary on most weekdays that links to the full version. Cancel anytime. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. "These are outstanding programs. It really does cut down on the recidivism rate. Therapeutic communities are constant programming and treatment for the offenders that are in there. It’s round-the-clock treatment," DOC secretary Nick Lamb, who replaced Wasko, said during a tour of the facility in December. "The offenders are housed together, they work together. They hold each other accountable. It improves the recidivism rate. It improves mental health. It’s just amazing what it does.” [Treatment courts help reduce South Dakota’s prison populationThe state is exploring solutions to address recidivism and ease the burden on prisons. Treatment courts show impressive results.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-344.jpg)South Dakota News WatchKevin Killough![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/Graduation-1.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/sd-treatment-court-recidivism-rehabilitation-prisons-addiction-recovery/) State Sen. Jamie Smith, a Sioux Falls Democrat who was appointed to the state’s Correctional Rehabilitation Task Force in October, said the new prison in Rapid City will provide opportunities for incarcerated women in the area to reenter the community upon release, as well as connect with family members living in the area. "One of the things that the Rapid City facility offers is the opportunity for people to be able to get visits, which is very important for families to stay intact and very important for the person that's incarcerated," Smith said. "Secondly, that opportunity for work release-type opportunities to get people into the community and get them working (is important). The sentences that most women in the state receive are quite short. But there needs to be opportunity (afterward)." Derby echoed the importance of work opportunities for inmates, citing the location as a benefit. "Instead of putting this on the outskirts or on the fringes of Rapid City, it's literally right across from Rushmore Crossing," Derby said of the popular shopping area. "I would hope that there's accommodations made and that employers will hire some of those folks that will be in there making the accommodations to get them to work." ****Trusted, independent sources of information are needed more than ever. Help us continue delivering timely, fact-based storytelling today.** [Donate ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) In addition to the therapeutic community program, the new prison will have vocational programs offered by Western Dakota Technical College in Rapid City as well as community organizations offering support for Native American inmates, Winder said. "The educational opportunities are important, the vocational opportunities, the parenting opportunities to learn to break the cycles. So many of these things come from the cycle of poverty and abuse, neglect and trauma. If we can work on those, and breaking the cycles, it'd be great to look at South Dakota in 25, 50 years and say that we have done a better job (in terms of prisons)," Smith said. "I think that's something that all of us need to look at, is what does the future look like for people in our state?" [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email) *for statewide stories. Investigative reporter *Molly Wetsch* is a* [*Report for America*](https://www.reportforamerica.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *corps member covering rural and Indigenous issues. Contact her at* [*molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Fact brief: Does SD have one of the shortest legislative sessions? URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/fact-brief-south-dakota-shortest-legislative-sessions/ Last updated: 2026-01-07T12:24:40.000Z ## Yes. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/WhiteFACT-BRIEF--500-x-200-px--2-1-1.png) South Dakota’s maximum legislative session length of 40 days is among the shortest in the United States. The state's constitution mandates that the legislative session start on the second Tuesday in January with a maximum of 40 working legislative days, though some sessions have fewer days. This year’s session, which starts Jan. 13 and is the 101st overall, is scheduled to last 38 days. Wyoming’s session is also among the shortest – 40 days in odd years and 20 in even years for the budget. North Dakota meets for 80 days every other year, and Alabama convenes for 30 days. Fourteen states, including South Dakota, have part-time legislatures, where members spend less than half of a full-time job in session. North Dakota, Wyoming and Montana are among these states. Ten states, including Wisconsin, have full-time legislatures. After two consecutive sessions in 1890, South Dakota’s Legislature met every other year until 1964. *This fact brief responds to conversations such as* [*this one.*](https://www.facebook.com/SouthDakotaLegislature/posts/pfbid0776hEbDpQ7AbiptA2EhskmHHyL9KyZb66uXHKApuoGxGxM6fQybFjGFNLsbJNSmGl) *Correction: This story was updated at 8:09 a.m. Jan. 6, 2026, to correct that this year is the 101st session.* ### **Source** Legislative Research Council, [The South Dakota Legislature](https://mylrc.sdlegislature.gov/api/Documents/StudentReferenceSeries/72122.pdf?Year=2024&ref=sdnewswatch.org#:~:text=As%20mandated%20in%20our%20State,to%20convene%20a%20special%20session.) Legislative Research Council, [A brief overview of the South Dakota Legislature](https://mylrc.sdlegislature.gov/api/Documents/Resource/269338.pdf?Year=2024&ref=sdnewswatch.org#:~:text=The%20first%20regular%20legislative%20session,the%20move%20to%20annual%20sessions.) Wyoming Legislature, [Session dates](https://www.wyoleg.gov/citizenEngagement/AttendLegSession?ref=sdnewswatch.org) National Conference of State Legislatures, [Full- and part-time legislatures](https://www.ncsl.org/about-state-legislatures/full-and-part-time-legislatures?ref=sdnewswatch.org#:~:text=Green:%20Full%20Time%2C%20Well%20Paid,Wisconsin) --- [South Dakota News Watch](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/) partners with [Gigafact](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) to publish fact briefs that refute or confirm a claim with supporting information and additional evidence and context. - [Read previous fact briefs](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/tag/fact-brief/). - Read our verification standards and other [best practices policies](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/best-practices/). - Submit a question for us to answer on the [South Dakota News Watch Tipline](https://gigafact.org/tipline/south-dakota-news-watch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). - Send questions or feedback to [factbrief@sdnewswatch.org](mailto:factbrief@sdnewswatch.org). [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact Michael Klinski* at michael.klinski@sdnewswatch.org.* ### Small local farms growing stronger roots in South Dakota URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-local-organic-farms-agriculture-sturgis-sd/ Last updated: 2026-01-05T18:28:54.000Z STURGIS, S.D. – Driving up a dirt road to the small produce stand at Bear Butte Gardens just outside Sturgis, one would never imagine the incredibly diverse ways that the organic farm is capitalizing on the rising consumer interest in healthy foods and the farm-to-table movement. The seasonal vegetables sold at the stand remain a viable revenue stream for co-owners Michelle and Rick Grosek, who have found myriad ways to attract customers and keep their 80-acre, organically certified farm financially strong. They sell their produce and home-cooked foods to grocers and restaurants. They offer regular farm tours for adults and children. And they hold cooking and gardening classes and special meals like a recent five-course mushroom dinner. ![Rick and Michelle Grosek are shown on Sept. 18, 2025 at Bear Butte Gardens organic farm located northeast of Sturgis, S.D.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/12/2025-9-18-Bear-Butte-Gardens-Groseks-1.jpg) With the Bear Butte geological formation as a backdrop, Rick and Michelle Grosek are shown on Sept. 18, 2025 at the organic Bear Butte Gardens farm they operate northeast of Sturgis, S.D. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) They also host community festivals, including a woolen fiber festival where sheep were sheared and a Winter Wonderland Festival where Rick, whose natural beard outshines the whiskers of any mall Santa, dressed up like Kris Kringle. Bear Butte Gardens also welcomes travelers, including campers and RVers as well as people who stay in a nightly Airbnb-style rental home that puts them in the middle of the farm and within easy gaze of the 1,200-foot-tall Bear Butte geological formation. ****Support stories about rural South Dakota with a tax-deductible donation.** [Donate ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/reportforamerica/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) The Groseks are also training to become organic farm inspectors for the U.S. Department of Agriculture. "We're going strong, but we do a lot of diverse things with our products so we don’t have all our eggs in one basket, so to speak," Michelle Grosek said of the farm that began operating in 2010. [Slow year for South Dakota tourism industry so far in 2025“Inflation, unrest about the economy, we saw that nationally and in this state as well, so everyone is seeing the same sort of funk,” said Tourism secretary Jim Hagen![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-332.jpg)South Dakota News WatchBart Pfankuch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/2025-6-23-Wall-Drug-soda-fountain-1-3.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-tourism-numbers-canada-travel-season-trump/) She said 2025 was a slow sales year for the farm, likely due to a weak national economy and a reduction in tourists, especially from Canada. ## Demand for locally grown foods rising Despite the minor slowdown in 2025, the demand for locally grown vegetables and meats continues to rise in the U.S. and in South Dakota, said Angela Jackson, an organic transition advisor with the South Dakota Speciality Producers Association. "The demand for these products is going up for sure," Jackson said. "We have a lot of young families especially who are seeking these products." Jackson works with the specialty producers group and the USDA to help farmers navigate the process to become formally USDA-certified to legally label their products as organic. The certification provides consumers with guarantees about how foods are grown and processed and can enable producers to charge more for their goods. In the locally grown food industry, there is a legal distinction between products that can be labeled as "organic" and those that are not. Many local producers use no or minimal pesticides, for example, but only those who go through certification can legally use that term on their products. ![Rick Grosek on Sept. 18, 2025, with a few of the stars of the farm tours held at Bear Butte Gardens organic farm near Sturgis, S.D. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/12/2025-9-18-Bear-Butte-Gardens-Rick-with-goat-1.jpg) Rick Grosek on Sept. 18, 2025, with a few of the stars of the farm tours held at Bear Butte Gardens organic farm near Sturgis, S.D. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) South Dakota remains in the bottom third nationally in the number of USDA organically certified farms and livestock operations, and the number of certified producers has fallen in recent years, Jackson said. USDA data shows that the state had 124 certified producers in 2022 but had 87 as of December. In 2022, the last year the USDA published its national agricultural survey, South Dakota generated $14 million in sales of organic goods. Jackson said some producers let certifications lapse because the process became too expensive. Some farmers told News Watch that there was simply too much red tape to make certification worth the effort. "Going from farm to fork is very challenging," said Jackson, who operates a USDA-certified farm, PrairieSun Organics, near Vermillion. ## Keeping revenues in South Dakota Jackson said she is working with a number of South Dakota farmers who are in the process of becoming USDA certified. But whether certified or not, Jackson said farms that focus on growing healthy foods provide producers with the opportunity to serve a growing consumer base and hopefully keep more agricultural dollars in the state. "We grow and process foods on the farm and package it for direct sale to the consumer, and there's value in not losing that money to an out-of-state processor," she said. "We capitalize on that and increase our net profit." ![These free-range chickens were being raised in October 2025 at the Cedar Creek Gardens farm near Midland, S.D.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/12/2025-9-22-Cedar-Creek-free-range-chicken-layers.jpg) These free-range chickens were being raised in October 2025 at the Cedar Creek Gardens farm near Midland, S.D. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) Jackson said local producers also protect the environment and provide an overall boost to the local economy not seen when vegetables and other products are imported from other states and countries. "I believe that it’s better for the environment and it helps rural communities," she said. ## Challenges to fast growth in South Dakota One barrier to expanded production and consumption of locally grown foods in South Dakota is the geography and population of the state itself, said Blake Pulse, a researcher and Ph.D. candidate at South Dakota State University in Brookings. The low population and spread-out nature of the state make it harder for small producers to get their products in front of interested consumers, Pulse said. "When you think about South Dakota agriculture, it’s the corn, the soybeans and the cattle, and not necessarily tomatoes and carrots and other fresh fruits and vegetables," he said. "Buying South Dakota-grown products requires more labor on the consumer’s part because we haven’t reached the institutional and grocery store level for those goods yet." [Fraud and weak USDA oversight chip away at integrity of organic food industryAs organic farming in the U.S. has evolved into a $63 billion a year industry, some farmers have turned to fraud.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-340.jpg)South Dakota News WatchBart Pfankuch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/charlie-johnson-in-oat-field--scaled.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/fraud-and-weak-usda-oversight-chip-away-at-integrity-of-organic-food-industry/) But Pulse said there are positive signs in the supply chain for locally grown and organic foods. One example is food hubs in which producers combine efforts to get products to eager consumer markets, either in small stores and stands or in restaurants. "It covers the intersection between producer and consumer," he said. "It allows for grouping of products to reach a larger market." ## Poultry grower sees strong growth The challenges in the supply chain have not stunted the growth of Odessa Farms, a small but thriving organic chicken production facility in Butte County. Owners Meghan and Joe Volk of Nisland have doubled production in each of the past few years as the market for locally grown meat continues to increase in western South Dakota. The Volks will raise and process about 5,500 meat chickens this year, selling them to restaurants, individual consumers and a few local organic grocery stores. Their birds arrive from North Dakota as chicks in May and July, then spend their days free-ranging on grass while being fed organic grain. ## ****Get South Dakota stories** An email summary on most weekdays that links to the full version. Cancel anytime. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. The birds are allowed to grow a few weeks longer than traditional commercial poultry and have smaller breasts, more dark meat and a richer flavor as a result, Megan Volk said. Prices for their products are a few dollars more per pound than chickens grown on larger production farms, she said. “There’s a market out there of people who want their food grown locally and humanely, and a big part of our farm is that we want our animals to live the absolute best life they can,” she said. “We don’t compete with Walmart or any big box stores on quantity, but they can’t compete with us for quality.” [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact* *content director Bart Pfankuch* at* [*bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Fact brief: Does the SD congressional delegation support the Venezuela attack? URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/fact-brief-united-states-attack-venezuela-maduro-thune-rounds-johnson/ Last updated: 2026-01-04T22:05:42.000Z ## Yes. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/WhiteFACT-BRIEF--500-x-200-px--2-1-1.png) All three South Dakota congressional members voiced support for the United States’ strike on Venezuela and capture of its President Nicolás Maduro early Jan. 3. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, Sen. Mike Rounds and Rep. Dusty Johnson – all Republicans – posted praise for the mission on their social media channels. Thune called Trump's move a "decisive action" to address drug trafficking in the region and said it was an "important first step to bring (Maduro) to justice.” Rounds said the operation was legal and defended Congress not being briefed beforehand. He defended the attack by saying Venezuela had taken "a number of assets" from the U.S. that had been "taken inappropriately." Johnson referred to Maduro as a "narcoterrorist and illegitimate leader of Venezuela" and praised the United States' military in "executing the warrant" for Maduro's arrest. Gov. Larry Rhoden and Attorney General Marty Jackley also supported the move. *This fact brief responds to conversations such as* [*this one.*](https://www.reddit.com/r/Askpolitics/comments/1q2ojkv/megathread%5Fvenezuela/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) ### **Source** Sen. John Thune’s X account, [Statement on Venezuela mission](https://x.com/LeaderJohnThune/status/2007464869432267134?ref=sdnewswatch.org) KELO-TV, [Rounds: Trump ‘correct’ on Maduro](https://www.keloland.com/news/local-news/rounds-trump-correct-on-maduro/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Rep. Dusty Johnson’s Facebook account, [Statement on Venezuela mission](https://www.facebook.com/RepDustyJohnson/posts/pfbid0yhuEUQwAo4LoTJNF1hXTjU6H232AhabiUbbw3NFgURTv7uvsrfwXUFU4GEvG2ns4l) Gov. Larry Rhoden’s X account, [Statement on Venezuela mission](https://x.com/GovLarryRhoden/status/2007527208613720572?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Attorney General Marty Jackley’s X account, [Statement on Venezuela mission](https://x.com/SDAttorneyGen/status/2007499416098545836?ref=sdnewswatch.org) --- [South Dakota News Watch](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/) partners with [Gigafact](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) to publish fact briefs that refute or confirm a claim with supporting information and additional evidence and context. - [Read previous fact briefs](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/tag/fact-brief/). - Read our verification standards and other [best practices policies](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/best-practices/). - Submit a question for us to answer on the [South Dakota News Watch Tipline](https://gigafact.org/tipline/south-dakota-news-watch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). - Send questions or feedback to [factbrief@sdnewswatch.org](mailto:factbrief@sdnewswatch.org). *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact Michael Klinski* at michael.klinski@sdnewswatch.org.* ### Student interest in SD energy programs on the rise URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-student-interest-energy-lake-area-tech/ Last updated: 2026-01-02T13:24:47.000Z WATERTOWN, S.D. – In South Dakota, where the state's proportion of clean energy production is the highest in the country, students are taking advantage of growing energy workforce needs. Lake Area Technical College, which has two degree-providing programs in the energy sector, has seen students with renewed interest in the industry thanks to both its growth and opportunity in the state. Brooks Jacobsen, energy department supervisor at Lake Area Tech, told News Watch that the Watertown school's energy operations and energy technology programs have 100% job placement rates. According to Lake Area Tech's website, the energy technology program has an average salary of $71,000 after six months of employment. ****Powering Rural Futures:** This is a follow-up to a story published last year on how clean energy is creating new jobs in rural America, generating opportunities for people who install solar panels, build wind turbines, weatherize homes and more. [The five-part series](https://www.canarymedia.com/rural?ref=sdnewswatch.org) from the Rural News Network explored how industry, state governments and education systems are training this growing workforce. Read the first story at the bottom of this article. Jacobsen said that the exposure students get to various energy sectors, including hydroelectricity, coal, wind and solar energy, allows them to be more flexible when searching for the right career. "They'll go do an interview or a job shadow on (a specific energy sector) and they'll just love it, and they never thought they would. We try to keep an open mind, try to pre-teach these students that there are these capabilities all over the state," Jacobsen said. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/12/Screenshot-2025-12-31-at-9.18.52---AM.png) A map of the energy capabilities commonly found in S.D., featured in Lake Area Tech's energy classroom. (Photo: Molly Wetsch/South Dakota News Watch) News Watch spoke to three students about their decision to enter the energy sector and the opportunities that the state provides for their futures. Here are their stories. --- ## Lakshan Sethuhewa: 'Energy is everywhere' 0:00 /2:47 1× Lakshan Sethuhewa, a second-year energy operations student at Lake Area Technical College, speaks to News Watch about the program. Lakshan Sethuhewa, a 29-year-old student from Sri Lanka, came to Lake Area Tech after a tour that showed him the "sophisticated program." Now in his second year, Sethuhewa said he already has a job as a refrigeration expert lined up at the soon-to-open CJ Schwan's Foods production facility in Sioux Falls. ## ****Get South Dakota stories** An email summary on most weekdays that links to the full version. Cancel anytime. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. He said that all of his classmates have job prospects and that choosing energy was in part due to the vast employment opportunities the field offers. Sethuhewa is a student in the energy operations program, which trains students to manage energy facilities and operate plants. He described the program as "hands-on and minds-on" and appreciated how his education could translate globally. "You can practice energy everywhere in the world. Whether you want to go to Europe, South Asia, energy is everywhere," Sethuhewa said. --- ## Quincy Thu: 'The only thing that I could envision myself doing in the future' 0:00 /1:26 1× Quincy Thu, an energy technology student in his second year at Lake Area Tech, speaks to News Watch about how his father's job teaching at the college got him thinking about energy. For Quincy Thu, energy runs in the family: His father began teaching energy technology at Lake Area Tech in 2022, which got Thu thinking about the opportunities of the sector. Thu said that the proximity of the school to his home in Castlewood, as well as affordability, was his deciding factor. As he comes into his final year in the program, he said that he's particularly interested in the wind energy sector, which has strong roots in the eastern side of the state. [Is SD’s percentage of clean energy the highest in the US?A fact brief that refutes or confirms a claim with supporting information and additional evidence and context.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-336.jpg)South Dakota News WatchMichael Klinski![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1598491621613-b1e4460573a0)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/fact-brief-south-dakota-wind-solar-clean-energy-production/) "I'm trying to talk to people, interview people, find out where I want to go, find the best company that fits me," Thu said. But he plans on staying in the state for any future career ventures. "I'm from South Dakota, I love it here," Thu said. --- ## Tate Sheehan: 'The industry is growing at immense rates' 0:00 /2:11 1× Tate Sheehan, a second-year energy technology student at Lake Area Tech, speaks to News Watch about the industry's rapid growth and job opportunities. Tate Sheehan, a second-year student who is originally from Bird Island, Minnesota, said that his decision to enter the energy sector comes from the idea that the industry's growth is not slowing down any time soon. He said that a combination of in-class work and hands-on projects has allowed him to feel exceptionally prepared for his entry into the energy world. ****Support stories about rural South Dakota with a tax-deductible donation.** [Donate ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/reportforamerica/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Though he's a few hundred miles from home, Sheehan said he plans to stay in South Dakota and find a company he can "settle down" with while continuing to climb the career ladder – a goal he credits to seeing firsthand how quickly the industry is growing. "There's a lot of great opportunities through the energy technology program and the energy operations program to prepare us for the real world and get us ready to go out there and make a difference working for them," Sheehan said. --- **Read more about the energy industry in South Dakota at the links below:** [Renewable energy industry powers new job growth in SDWith new wind farms leading the way, South Dakota and its strong technical college system have put the state on the forefront of training needed energy workers.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-341.jpg)South Dakota News WatchBart Pfankuch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/2025-4-8-Wind-towers-along-interstate-1-2.jpeg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/renewable-energy-wind-power-electricity-south-dakota/) [Major power line expansions will fuel future growth in SDMajor new power lines are coming to South Dakota, which could provide a path for new development over the next few decades.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-337.jpg)South Dakota News WatchBart Pfankuch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/2025-9-24-Elec-tower-near-White--SD-1-1.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/electric-power-transmission-crypto-data-mining-sd/) [South Dakota sees new interest in solar powerDespite being home to wide-open spaces and abundant sunshine, South Dakota ranks 47th in the nation for production of solar power.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-339.jpg)South Dakota News WatchBart Pfankuch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/sd_lookout_solar_park_project_pine_ridge_img1-1.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-solar-power-wind-renewable-energy-electricity/) [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This reporting is part of* [*a collaboration*](https://www.canarymedia.com/rural?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *between the* *Institute for Nonprofit News*’ [*Rural News Network*](http://ruralnewsnetwork.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*Canary Media*](https://www.canarymedia.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*,* [*South Dakota News Watch*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/), [*Cardinal News*](https://cardinalnews.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*,* [*The Mendocino Voice*](https://mendovoice.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*The Maine Monitor*](https://themainemonitor.org/?gad%5Fsource=1&gbraid=0AAAAADsqZ8nDeSmHUqojuL-FAIULTmcLJ&gclid=Cj0KCQjw%5FJzABhC2ARIsAPe3ynrL4tCcdwmweOnqRoDA-z235%5FuKWruKzMdTUic3F5%5FZutX-MlEhQZMaAiYBEALw%5FwcB&ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. Support from Ascendium Education Group made the project possible.* *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email) *for statewide stories. Investigative reporter *Molly Wetsch* is a* [*Report for America*](https://www.reportforamerica.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *corps member covering rural and Indigenous issues. Contact her at* [*molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Fact brief: Does SD have the lowest unemployment rate in the country? URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/fact-brief-sd-unemployment-rates-jobs/ Last updated: 2026-01-01T11:00:04.000Z ## Yes. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/WhiteFACT-BRIEF--500-x-200-px--2-1-1.png) South Dakota has the lowest unemployment rate in the country as of September 2025 data. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, South Dakota's unemployment rate is 2%, ahead of Hawaii (2.5%), Vermont (2.5%) and North Dakota (2.6%). South Dakota's unemployment rate was low even before the COVID-19 pandemic – with a rate of 2.5% in February 2020\. The rate has stayed in the area of 2% since a brief COVID-era spike.. Behind the positive headlines, however, some job seekers are finding it difficult to find work, including recent college graduates. Nationwide, 4.59% of college graduates aged 23 to 27 are experiencing unemployment in 2025, up from 3.2% six years earlier. David Chicoine, former president of South Dakota State University, told News Watch in 2024 that 2% unemployment rate can mean the state doesn't have enough workers to take advantage of new opportunities and sustain growth. *This fact brief responds to conversations such as* [*this one.*](https://www.reddit.com/r/SouthDakota/comments/166qa8v/sds%5Flow%5Funemployment%5Frate%5Fis%5Fbad%5Fnews%5Ffor/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) ### **Source** U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, [Unemployment rate for states](https://www.bls.gov/web/laus/laumstrk.htm?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Dakota Institute, [Is South Dakota’s unemployment rate back to zero?](https://www.dakotainstitute.org/research%5Fanalysis/is-south-dakotas-labor-market-back-to-normal/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) SiouxFalls.Business, [Low unemployment masks tough S.D. market for some job seekers](https://siouxfalls.business/low-unemployment-masks-tough-s-d-market-for-some-job-seekers/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) South Dakota News Watch, [Warning signs found in new South Dakota economic data](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-economy-unemployment-rate-data/) --- [South Dakota News Watch](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/) partners with [Gigafact](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) to publish fact briefs that refute or confirm a claim with supporting information and additional evidence and context. - [Read previous fact briefs](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/tag/fact-brief/). - Read our verification standards and other [best practices policies](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/best-practices/). - Submit a question for us to answer on the [South Dakota News Watch Tipline](https://gigafact.org/tipline/south-dakota-news-watch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). - Send questions or feedback to [factbrief@sdnewswatch.org](mailto:factbrief@sdnewswatch.org). [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact Michael Klinski* at michael.klinski@sdnewswatch.org.* ### Performing for generations, community theater groups meet modern challenges URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/community-theater-challenges-rewards-volunteers/ Last updated: 2026-01-01T00:11:54.000Z PIERRE, S.D. – On a Tuesday night in October, the [Pierre Players Community Theater](https://www.pierreplayers.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) held a kickoff event for its 2026 season lineup. Supporters and volunteers filled the Grand Opera House in downtown Pierre, the theater group’s home, to see the show. In the spirit of fun and creativity that are characteristic of community theater, Pierre Players held a mock awards ceremony to announce the plays the group has planned for the season. Presenters dressed in suits and gowns covered in glittering sequins, got the audience laughing with their jokes and handed the “winners” plastic gold statues resembling Academy Awards. The “winners” were the directors, co-directors and assistant directors of the upcoming shows. After receiving their mock awards, the presenters interviewed them about why the play was chosen for the season, their hopes for the project and what challenges they face in bringing it to the stage. [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/11/Donate-News-Watch--3-.png)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?%5Fgl=1%2A1txxzuc%2A%5Fgcl%5Fau%2AMjAyOTY2NTc3My4xNzMwNDcxOTUz%2A%5Fga%2AMTM3NDcyODMyNS4xNzAyMTQ0MTg3%2A%5Fga%5FH98KVPR32J%2AMTczMDkzMzA3Ni40Mi4wLjE3MzA5MzMwNzYuMC4wLjA.&ref=sdnewswatch.org) There are more than a dozen local theater groups active in South Dakota. While the staff and volunteers find much joy in their work, it’s a challenge to keep community theater alive. And some of those troubles are mounting. In a world where entertainment is digital and on-demand, it’s difficult to keep audiences engaged with live performances. Productions can require hundreds of volunteers who have full-time jobs and kids to raise, and community volunteering isn’t as ingrained in culture as it once was. On top of all that, the cost of the productions and the need to keep ticket prices low stretch budgets thin. Despite these difficulties, the people participating in community theater also speak of immense rewards for themselves and the communities they live in, and that keeps them coming back season after season for more. ## Season 20 of Pierre Players Community Theater Besides promoting the upcoming season, the Pierre Players’ season kickoff event was aimed at selling tickets and soliciting donations. It turned out to be a successful evening for the group, and by the end of the night, they’d received thousands in donations and sold a lot of season passes. The Pierre Players Season 20 performances include “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde,” a play adapted from the Robert Louis Stevenson novella. In May, the group will perform “Sylvia,” a comedy about a couple that adopts a dog, which is played by a human. And in July, they will perform “1776,” a musical about the events leading up to the signing of the Declaration of Independence. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/11/2025-11-25-Pierre-Players1.jpg) Some community theater groups create activities for kids, such as this performance of "Mr. Toad's Mad Adventures" by Pierre Players in July 2025\. (Photo by Josh Penrod/Pierre Players) This December the group is performing “[The Thanksgiving Play](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZNKItUn1spQ&ref=sdnewswatch.org),” written by Larissa FastHorse, who’s a member of the Sicangu Lakota Nation. She grew up in Pierre and worked the concession stand for Pierre Players shows in high school. She’s also the first female Native American playwright to produce a play on Broadway. “The Thanksgiving Play” is about well-meaning but culturally insensitive white theater artists who attempt to create a politically correct elementary school play about the first Thanksgiving while struggling with their own biases and the lack of Native representation. ## Performances trigger a sense of awe Putting on these productions in the coming year will demand a lot of hours from a lot of volunteers. From that donated time, the volunteers said, comes a lot of personal rewards and benefits to the community. Ashley Boone, president of the Pierre Players Board of Governors, said theater has a positive psychological impact on audiences. She points to the research of Dacher Keltner, a psychology professor at the University of California, Berkeley. Whereas much of psychology studies unpleasant emotions, Keltner’s work in positive psychology studies why people experience pleasant emotions. ## ****Get South Dakota stories** An email summary on most weekdays that links to the full version. Cancel anytime. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. His research looked into the emotion of awe and found that there are several triggers that produce this emotion, such as being moved by kindness and bravery, being swept up in a group event and marveling at visual designs and music. “Theater touches on all of them. I can point to probably at least five or six of them that are probably present in every experience people have going to the theater. And being able to provide that in a small town in South Dakota is kind of unparalleled,” Boone said. ## Performances for the community, by the community Brian Schultz, artistic/managing director of the [Aberdeen Community Theater](https://www.aberdeencommunitytheatre.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org), said one of the most rewarding aspects of local theater is its ability to bring the community together. “You’re taking a pile of people — anywhere from two people to 100 people — and just endeavoring to all get to the same place at the same time. When you have a wide variety of ages and a wide variety of experience trying to get them all to end up in the same place, and then when you see the finished product, there's … there's nothing that compares,” Schultz said. ![Hannah Gasperich (center) performs as Maria Rainer in the Aberdeen Community Theater's production of the "Sound of Music" in October 2025](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/11/2025-11-25-Aberdeen-Community-Theater.jpg) Hannah Gasperich (center) performs as Maria Rainer in the Aberdeen Community Theater's production of the "Sound of Music" in October 2025\. (Photo: Courtesy Aberdeen Community Theater) Linda Anderson, executive director of [Theatre 605 Black Hills Playhouse](https://www.blackhillsplayhouse.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org), a professional theater group, participated in Pierre Players when she was in high school around 1980\. She said she knows a lot of professionals that got their start in community theater, but even for those who don’t seek careers in the craft, it creates social connections in the community. “It's that sense of belonging. People want to be a part of something. And there's that special dynamic that happens when ensembles come together. People get to exchange talents and stretch themselves in a way that they don't in their everyday life,” Anderson said. > “It’s so individual. Every community theater is kind of the same all around the country, yet all of them are different.” – James Walker, artistic director emeritus for the Aberdeen Community Theater James Walker, artistic director emeritus for the Aberdeen Community Theater, has been involved with community theater for over four decades. He served on the American Association of Community Theater for 16 years. Part of that time, he served on the international committee of the association, so he’s seen community theater nationally and internationally. While all theater groups have a lot in common, each one is unique because they’re a product of the community and they’re tailored to the community the groups are performing for, Walker said. “It’s so individual. Every community theater is kind of the same all around the country, yet all of them are different,” he said. ## Passionate volunteers While some community theater groups are able to hire some staff, the bulk of the effort is done by volunteers. Boone, with Pierre Players, said that the culture of volunteering has changed considerably from what it was for previous generations. Groups like the Kiwanis and Rotary Club struggle to find volunteers today, which used to be a common outlet for the community. “It seems like our society has just really gone away from that idea that we can make our community better by volunteering our time,” Boone said. Jesse Stroud, who is interim office manager for the [Mitchell Area Community Theater](http://mitchellact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org), said it is hard to find those people willing to donate their time to these performances, but those who do are exceptional people. "When you're not paying people, it's hard. But when you do get good people, you get passionate people. You get people that are going to stick with you and do a really good job,” Stroud said. ![From left: Emmy Schwab as Miss Scarlet, Chris Hiles as Mr. Green and Shannun Vander Wal as Mrs. White in the Mitchell Area Community Theater's performance of "Clue" ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/11/2025-11-25-Mitchell-Area-Community-Theater-1.jpg) From left: Emmy Schwab as Miss Scarlet, Chris Hiles as Mr. Green and Shannun Vander Wal as Mrs. White in the Mitchell Area Community Theater's performance of "Clue" in September 2025\. (Photo: Courtesy Mitchell Area Community Theater) The Aberdeen Community Theater just finished its run of the “Sound of Music,” which Schultz called a “massive endeavor.” Despite the difficulty in bringing the musical to the Aberdeen stage, they had no trouble finding the people with the voice training to fill the show’s roles, he said. More than 80 people auditioned, and there was so much talent they could have used them all. It was a challenge to whittle those 80 down to 35, he said. ## Small budgets meet mounting expenses These local productions also don’t come cheap. Expenses include utilities, set materials, costumes, projectors, microphones and lighting equipment, and sometimes venue rentals. As a community performance, these costs have to be balanced with the needs to keep ticket prices low. “The big challenge is simply bringing the money in and to continue to be able to provide value to the people that come and see our shows. When they're paying a $35 ticket, you want to give them $35 worth of value. You don't want to give them a $10 show,” Stroud said. The rights and royalties, though they come at a discount for local nonprofits, are another major expense. The rights to an off-Broadway play can cost $4,000 or more. For something like the "Wizard of Oz" or "Frozen," it can be $10,000 to $15,000\. ![Kaden Aumer as Percy Jackson in the Aberdeen Community Theater's performance of "The Lightning Thief ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/11/202-11-25-Aberdeen-Community-Theater1.jpg) Kaden Aumer as Percy Jackson in the Aberdeen Community Theater's performance of "The Lightning Thief -- The Percy Jackson Musical," in May 2025 (Photo: Courtesy Aberdeen Community Theater) Then, there can be additional costs, like buying the music tracks and materials – the scripts, books and sheet music. And like everything else, the costs for rights and royalties have gone up in recent years. "We could probably afford ‘Frozen’ if we charge $90 a ticket. But in our mission, we do not charge above $35,” Stroud said, adding that due to various discounts, the average ticket price is lower than that. [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/11/Donate-News-Watch-2--1-.png)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?%5Fgl=1%2A10w9pkh%2A%5Fgcl%5Fau%2AMjAyOTY2NTc3My4xNzMwNDcxOTUz%2A%5Fga%2AMTM3NDcyODMyNS4xNzAyMTQ0MTg3%2A%5Fga%5FH98KVPR32J%2AMTczMTAxOTY1OS40NC4wLjE3MzEwMTk2NTkuMC4wLjA.&ref=sdnewswatch.org) The Mitchell Area Community Theater’s home is the Pepsi-Cola Theatre for the Performing Arts, which needs upgrades to bring it into compliance with the American with Disabilities Act, as well as repairs to the roof. After an estimate for a new roof came in at $126,000, the group did some repairs in order to prevent more deterioration of the roof or interior, the Mitchell Republic reported. To close the gap between ticket sales and costs, these theater groups rely on donations from individuals and businesses in the community. ## Theater in a digital world Theater today also comes up against the changes of a modern, digital world. Boone said that there was a time that promoting a community play was just a matter of printing up fliers and hanging them around town. > “Whether being an actor on stage with a small role to being a stage hand, we always have a need,” – Ashley Boone, president of the Pierre Players Board of Governors Now promotions need fancier designs and require marketing strategies. Social media has to be utilized, and demographics have to be considered to get the message to the right people. In previous generations, community theater wasn’t competing with a deluge of on-demand entertainment. Now, people feel more in control of their own fulfillment without connecting with others, Boone said. “That not only affects people that we wish would come out and volunteer, but also people that would come out and see the shows,” Boone said. ## The show must go on While there are challenges, community theaters across South Dakota continue to put on regular performances, and communities that have the resources for it are fortunate, Stroud said. “Not everybody has that opportunity to have a good community theater, especially when you're talking about rural communities where you know they can't necessarily support it,” he said. For those who want to get involved with community theater, there’s always some way to contribute, said Boone with Pierre Players. People can help with set building, sewing costumes, running concession stands, operating sound and lighting tech, ushering and promotions. “Whether being an actor on stage with a small role to being a stage hand, we always have a need,” she said. [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact statehouse investigative reporter Kevin Killough* at* [*kevin.killough@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:kevin.killough@sdnewswatch.org). ### Fact brief: Does SD have the highest Hutterite population in the U.S.? URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/fact-brief-south-dakota-hutterite-population-united-states/ Last updated: 2025-12-30T11:00:50.000Z ## Yes. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/WhiteFACT-BRIEF--500-x-200-px--2-1-1.png) South Dakota has the largest Hutterite population in the United States, with more than 7,000 spread out across more than 60 colonies in the eastern part of the state. Hutterites migrated to North America in the 1870s, spreading out across South Dakota, North Dakota, Minnesota and into Canada. Their first South Dakota colony was Bon Homme Colony near Springfield, which was established in 1874. The U.S. Census Bureau does not specifically track the number of Hutterites. But a 2010 estimate showed that they comprise 0.7% of the state's population, with the largest proportional populations in the counties of Faulk, Hanson, McPherson and Clark. Originally from central and eastern Europe, Hutterites migrated to the United States in search of religious freedom. Colonies typically feature 15 or more families that live communally. Communities largely depend on large-scale farming – with 10% of the state’s farming population – and shops that offer various products. *This fact brief responds to conversations such as* [*this one.*](https://x.com/GrantSlatton/status/2004671945212846217?ref=sdnewswatch.org) ### **Source** South Dakota State University South Dakota Data Center, [Hutterite Data PhD report by Prekchya Singh](https://openprairie.sdstate.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1045&context=sd%5Fdemography%5Fconference&ref=sdnewswatch.org#:~:text=4%20South%20Dakota%20Counties%20have,o%20Clark:%2011.32%25) SDPB, [Landscapes of South Dakota: Hutterite Colonies](https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=425317004932248) KXRB, [Who are the Hutterites and how many live in South Dakota?](https://kxrb.com/who-are-the-hutterites-and-how-many-live-in-south-dakota/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Association of Religious Data Archives, [South Dakota state membership report (2020)](https://www.thearda.com/us-religion/census/congregational-membership?y=2020&y2=0&t=1&c=46&ref=sdnewswatch.org) --- [South Dakota News Watch](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/) partners with [Gigafact](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) to publish fact briefs that refute or confirm a claim with supporting information and additional evidence and context. - [Read previous fact briefs](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/tag/fact-brief/). - Read our verification standards and other [best practices policies](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/best-practices/). - Submit a question for us to answer on the [South Dakota News Watch Tipline](https://gigafact.org/tipline/south-dakota-news-watch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). - Send questions or feedback to [factbrief@sdnewswatch.org](mailto:factbrief@sdnewswatch.org). [What's working in your community? Share your comments and ideas.](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdSEE1F4irRiyi9MOOwQszosDlmSghlnIKbEHxeCJEjDKZRVw/viewform?usp=sharing&ouid=100426322203936282954&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact Michael Klinski* at michael.klinski@sdnewswatch.org.* ### Tribal nations in SD are betting on tourism on reservations URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/tribal-nations-south-dakota-native-indigenous-tourism/ Last updated: 2025-12-29T13:29:47.000Z Some members of the state's tribal nations are beginning to slowly embrace visitors, as the South Dakota Native Tourism Alliance (SDNTA) works with tribal leaders and organizations to reframe tourism on the nine reservations as an engine for economic development. Tourism and visitors haven’t always been positive concepts in these communities, Sarah Kills In Water of SDNTA told News Watch. There has long existed on reservations a hesitation to allow outsiders into certain traditional spaces and a general fear of exploitation. That's especially true in South Dakota, where some Native lands are among the poorest regions in the country. “When we first entered these spaces, they didn't want to know about tourism. They already had this idea that we were selling our culture. And so we had to do a lot of work in educating," Kills In Water said. "But once we did that, their little light bulb started to click on and you could see them starting to dream and starting to think, ‘What can I do?’” > "We want to want them to see us for who we are, not for what they think we are, not for what they've been told we are by somebody else. We want to share, authentically, our story with every person who comes, who has an interest to learn." – Sarah Kills In Water, South Dakota Native Tourism Alliance SDNTA was recently awarded the $175,000 J.M. Kaplan Innovation Prize, one of 10 organizations of more than 3,500 applicants to receive ongoing funding, training and resources to grow their efforts. ## Native tourism highlights cultural reconnection, historical conversation Rhea Waldman, executive director of SDNTA, and Kills In Water envision a world in which reservations are crucial destinations for South Dakota visitors, as much as Mount Rushmore National Memorial, Badlands National Park and Crazy Horse Memorial. “Tourism is, just in South Dakota, a big thing. And so what we're trying to do is highlight the gems that stand on every single reservation, and they're very different. Every reservation has their own own cultural pieces, their own stories, they have their own museums," Waldman said. [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/11/Donate-News-Watch--3-.png)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?%5Fgl=1%2A1txxzuc%2A%5Fgcl%5Fau%2AMjAyOTY2NTc3My4xNzMwNDcxOTUz%2A%5Fga%2AMTM3NDcyODMyNS4xNzAyMTQ0MTg3%2A%5Fga%5FH98KVPR32J%2AMTczMDkzMzA3Ni40Mi4wLjE3MzA5MzMwNzYuMC4wLjA.&ref=sdnewswatch.org) Nationwide, tourism on reservations has quietly grown. The Navajo (Diné) nation's tribal lands are home to iconic natural landmarks like Monument Valley and Antelope Canyon – though hiccups like the COVID-19 pandemic and a drop in international visitors [have inhibited some tour operators](https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/26/travel/navajo-tourism-monument-valley.html?ref=sdnewswatch.org). Kills in Water said that many of the possibilities tribal members find the most exciting are outdoor activities that they think travelers will enjoy, which also allows for connection to the land that Indigenous people have called home for thousands of years. “There's a lot of ideas surrounding outdoor recreation on the Rosebud reservation. Our people want to take people out on hiking trips and look at our medicines and teach them about the flora and the fauna of our reservation,” Kills in Water said. ## Reconnecting Native Americans to their own culture In addition to economic development, reconnecting with cultural traditions can be beneficial for tribal members as well, promoting greater community connection and leadership development. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/12/SDNTA-3.jpeg) Native leaders teach a group about indigenous flora and fauna in the Black Hills. (Photo: Provided by the South Dakota Native Tourism Alliance) “I see this as the main opportunity to reconnect our people to our culture. Through learning about our culture and reconnecting, they're going to find ways that they can educate visitors about who we are today. Not in a way that's exploiting our culture, not selling our ceremonies. But educating our visitors about who we are today, about all of the things that we've been through and that we're still here. Yes, we still have struggles, we're still challenged. But we're still here to tell our story,” Kills In Water said. Several significant historical sites exist on those tribal lands, including the Wounded Knee Memorial on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, land which President Donald Trump recently signed legislation protecting. ## ****Get South Dakota stories** An email summary on most weekdays that links to the full version. Cancel anytime. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. Visitors interested in the history of the country would find trips to reservations in South Dakota especially insightful, Waldman said. Tourism on tribal lands, though, will always look different than other trips across the country. The more rural nature of most reservations will change things as well as the inherent cultural conversations that occur when visiting historic sites or witnessing tribal traditions. ![A girl kneels in front of a rock formation at Wind Cave National Park, which is a sacred site to the Lakota people. (Photo: Provided by the South Dakota Native Tourism Alliance)](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/12/SDNTA-2.jpeg) A girl kneels in front of a rock formation at Wind Cave National Park, which is a sacred site to the Lakota people. (Photo: Provided by the South Dakota Native Tourism Alliance) Sherry L. Rupert, CEO of the American Indigenous Tourism Association, said that the experiences tourists are not expecting, especially when it comes to Native culture, are often the most rewarding. “Oftentimes people don’t know it, but that’s really what they’re looking for – being outside and learning about people that have been here for thousands of years. It changes their perspective of the world. They go back and share that with their families, and it changes who they are as people,” Rupert said. ## Barriers to successful tribal tourism Though the opportunities that a tourist economy holds are enticing to many, there are still barriers to many tribal nations’ entry into the industry. In South Dakota, where reservations and trust land comprise more than 12% of the land, population centers are few and far between, which can make travel difficult. Support services may also not be sufficient to accommodate groups of tourists. “It's really hard if you have a community that doesn't have the infrastructure to bring tourists there," Waldman said. "If the restaurant that we were planning on going to is closed and there aren't really a lot of other options, and then you're an hour and a half away from anything else, that is not necessarily helpful.” And then there's the challenge of basic economics. “If you have a community that really wants to build tourism and you have artisans and artists and other people in the tourism industry that are trying to build their business," Waldman said, you also need an influx of tourists and their dollars in order to support those business owners. "So that is really the big chicken-and-the-egg situation that we're in, where that is a real challenge. How do we make sure that we build demand and supply at the same time?” The balance between allowing tourists into Native communities to learn more about the culture, while also protecting sacred spaces is also a challenge, Waldman said. Tribal members’ level of comfort with tourist engagement varies greatly, so any ongoing work requires tailored plans for each tribe. Bus tour company Trafalgar launched a “National Parks and Native Trails of the Dakotas” trip in 2022, which made stops on reservations in North Dakota and South Dakota, including the Pine Ridge, Rosebud and Standing Rock reservations. Though Waldman said large tours can often be difficult to navigate when it comes to lodging, meals and other logistics, continued partnerships with tour companies like that allow for further visibility among potential visitors. “We're trying to navigate this place and say, ‘What are you looking for?’ Because we don't want to create something that no one takes. And there are some that say, ‘You create what you want to create. We will find the right people.’ Those are exactly the partners and the partnerships that we need,” Waldman said. ## State support crucial for ongoing tourism efforts In 2016, South Dakota Republican [U.S. Sen. John Thune co-sponsored](https://www.congress.gov/114/plaws/publ221/PLAW-114publ221.pdf?ref=sdnewswatch.org) the bipartisan NATIVE Act – or the Native American Tourism and Improving Visitor Experience Act. That legislation was unanimously approved by the Senate and ensures that tribal nations are represented among federal agencies working within the tourism industry, that continued infrastructure development is supported and that data is collected and analyzed surrounding tribal tourism. "South Dakota is rich in the culture and traditions of the Lakota, Dakota, and Nakota nations,” Thune said in a statement after the legislation passed. “We should do all we can to help celebrate and recognize the numerous and oftentimes invaluable contributions our tribal communities provide to our state." Rupert told News Watch that ongoing collaboration with state and federal tourism agencies is crucial to ensuring ongoing exposure for tribal experiences. Travel South Dakota, which promotes the state as a vacation destination, did not respond to requests for comment for this story. The agency hosts a [list of ways to experience Native culture in South Dakota on its website](https://www.travelsouthdakota.com/trip-ideas/ways-experience-native-culture-south-dakota?ref=sdnewswatch.org), including several attractions on tribal lands. “Support from the state destination marketing organization or the state tourism office is necessary. They’re tasked with marketing all the destinations and experiences in your state, and that should include the Indigenous offerings as well," Rupert said. Waldman said that working with the state's tourism office has allowed SDNTA to understand what visitors are looking to get out of experiences, how to market them and how to use data to their advantage. [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/11/Donate-News-Watch-2--1-.png)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?%5Fgl=1%2A10w9pkh%2A%5Fgcl%5Fau%2AMjAyOTY2NTc3My4xNzMwNDcxOTUz%2A%5Fga%2AMTM3NDcyODMyNS4xNzAyMTQ0MTg3%2A%5Fga%5FH98KVPR32J%2AMTczMTAxOTY1OS40NC4wLjE3MzEwMTk2NTkuMC4wLjA.&ref=sdnewswatch.org) "There's definitely places where working together is really important because they have a huge budget for marketing, for example. They have a lot of contacts. So they're helping us to get the word out and also make sure that we are at the table to make some of the bigger decisions," Waldman said. South Dakota is well known for several attractions with connections to Native culture – especially in the Black Hills, the traditional sacred lands of the Lakota and other Native people. But Waldman and Kills In Water hope that visitors see the value in visiting tribes where they currently exist. "What we hope to create are these powerful connections between our guests and who we are," Kills In Water said. "We want them to see us for who we are, not for what they think we are, not for what they've been told we are by somebody else. We want to share, authentically, our story with every person who comes, who has an interest to learn." [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email) *for statewide stories. Investigative reporter *Molly Wetsch* is a* [*Report for America*](https://www.reportforamerica.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *corps member covering rural and Indigenous issues. Contact her at* [*molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Fact brief: Has SD ever supplied the National Christmas Tree in Washington? URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/fact-brief-south-dakota-national-christmas-tree-washington-dc/ Last updated: 2025-12-25T12:00:55.000Z ## Yes. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/WhiteFACT-BRIEF--500-x-200-px--2-1-1.png) South Dakota has provided the tree for the National Christmas Tree display in Washington, D.C., two times since the tradition started in the 1920s. A third tree was selected to be displayed at the U.S. Capitol in 1997. The trees are placed annually near the White House on the Ellipse. The Rushmore State provided the tree for the display in 1955 and 1970\. In 1955, a 67-foot Black Hills spruce from Nemo was selected. A commemorative sign was placed at the site. In 1970, a 78-foot tree from the Black Hills was transported on a train that derailed twice in Nebraska. Winds blew the tree over on the weekend before the event, requiring new branches to be affixed to it. Later, lights on the bottom half of the tree exploded. The 1997 tree that was placed in front of the Capitol building was a Black Hills Spruce. *This fact brief responds to conversations such as* [*this one.*](https://www.reddit.com/r/washingtondc/comments/1gmrf7a/national%5Ftree%5Flighting/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) ### **Source** KOTA-TV, [South Dakota’s history of delivering national Christmas trees to our nation’s capitol](https://www.kotatv.com/2024/12/24/south-dakotas-history-delivering-national-christmas-trees-our-nations-capitol/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) National Park Service, [1969-1973 National Christmas Trees](https://home.nps.gov/whho/learn/historyculture/1969-1973-national-christmas-trees.htm?ref=sdnewswatch.org) U.S. Forest Service Black Hills Facebook page, [1955 Christmas Tree](https://www.facebook.com/blackhillsnf/posts/tbt-in-1955-the-black-hills-supplied-the-national-christmas-tree-a-67-foot-black/1575824939344770/) The Dakota Scout, [Black Hills spruce help White House, South Dakotans celebrate Christmas](https://www.thedakotascout.com/p/scouting-yesterday-black-hills-spruce?ref=sdnewswatch.org) --- [South Dakota News Watch](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/) partners with [Gigafact](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) to publish fact briefs that refute or confirm a claim with supporting information and additional evidence and context. - [Read previous fact briefs](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/tag/fact-brief/). - Read our verification standards and other [best practices policies](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/best-practices/). - Submit a question for us to answer on the [South Dakota News Watch Tipline](https://gigafact.org/tipline/south-dakota-news-watch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). - Send questions or feedback to [factbrief@sdnewswatch.org](mailto:factbrief@sdnewswatch.org). [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact Michael Klinski* at michael.klinski@sdnewswatch.org.* ### The one issue South Dakota towns agree is holding them back URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/rural-housing-solutions-dakota-resources-engage-south-dakota/ Last updated: 2025-12-24T12:57:33.000Z MURDO, S.D. – When a group of two dozen economic development leaders gathered in this central South Dakota city in November, they were asked to list the top challenges to growth and prosperity in their communities. The concerns were as varied as the cities and towns they represent and ranged from pinpointing local problems to big-picture historical hurdles. Some worried about how vacant or dilapidated downtown buildings were turning away potential new businesses and residents, while others sought ways to attract younger people who can build a community's future. But one overarching issue hovered over all the local challenges: a need for more and better housing to accommodate new residents who will create the backbone of any economic development initiative. [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/11/Donate-News-Watch-2--1-.png)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?%5Fgl=1%2A10w9pkh%2A%5Fgcl%5Fau%2AMjAyOTY2NTc3My4xNzMwNDcxOTUz%2A%5Fga%2AMTM3NDcyODMyNS4xNzAyMTQ0MTg3%2A%5Fga%5FH98KVPR32J%2AMTczMTAxOTY1OS40NC4wLjE3MzEwMTk2NTkuMC4wLjA.&ref=sdnewswatch.org) "People don't follow jobs as much as jobs follow people," Brian Blackford, a Ball State University professor of community development, told the group. One major takeaway of the Thriverr session hosted in Murdo by the nonprofit Dakota Resources community development group was that to attract those people, almost every community in South Dakota needs more housing. That sentiment was a critical factor that drove a new, coordinated effort in 2025 to highlight successful housing development programs across South Dakota. ## Solutions-focused storytelling shares best ideas The need for more housing, and a desire to share what is working in individual communities, underscored a partnership South Dakota News Watch launched in 2025 with Dakota Resources. Dakota Resources is a nonprofit Community Development Financial Institution that has provided support to local communities in South Dakota for more than 25 years. ![Dakota Resources community coach Paula Jensen, right, speaks to local economic development leaders who attended an idea-sharing meeting in Murdo, S.D., on Nov. 12, 2025. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch)](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/12/2025-11-12-Murdo-Paula-Dakota-Resources--1.jpg) Dakota Resources community coach Paula Jensen, right, speaks to local economic development leaders who attended an idea-sharing meeting in Murdo, S.D., on Nov. 12, 2025\. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) Paula Jensen, vice president of program development at Dakota Resources, told the Murdo gathering that idea sharing both inside and outside of communities is an important part of generating statewide momentum for continuing growth. "So much of this just comes down to communication," Jensen said. Throughout 2025, News Watch embraced that concept by telling stories of successful housing development efforts in Redfield, Wall, Chamberlain and Salem. It previously featured stories from Mitchell and Aberdeen. Known as Engage South Dakota, the ongoing reporting project highlighted a strong spirit of innovation and idea sharing among local housing agencies and nonprofits that seek to generate new housing opportunities in communities across the state. ## ****Get South Dakota stories** An email summary on most weekdays that links to the full version. Cancel anytime. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. Driving the project forward were the tenets of solutions journalism, a rising philosophy among some American news outlets to not only report on problems but to also highlight successes and solutions that can hopefully be duplicated elsewhere. The ongoing housing projects across the state are often bolstered by public-private partnerships and investments of money, time and energy by local nonprofit organizations. The Engage South Dakota effort will continue in 2026 and beyond, fueled in large part by a $100,000 grant from the South Dakota Community Foundation. [Engage South Dakota: Housing solutionsA list of entities and programs that can assist in developing or obtaining housing as well as links to News Watch reporting on housing solutions.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-328.jpg)South Dakota News WatchBart Pfankuch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/IMG_2326-7.jpeg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/engage-south-dakota-housing-rent-own-solutions-journalism/) As part of that project, News Watch has developed an [online landing page](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/engage-south-dakota-housing-rent-own-solutions-journalism/) where published articles are posted along with a roster of resources that agencies and nonprofits can tap into to obtain funds, locate resources or get new ideas to spur further housing growth. ## Focus is duplication of ideas that work At the two-day meeting in Murdo in November, members of the Dakota Resources team provided attendees with a wealth of resources to generate new economic growth and housing opportunities. Under the banner of "Using of Public Policy for Local Development," the group provided a slate of speakers and statewide experts on hand to share their research but also to answer specific questions posed by local development officials. A handful of economic officials from rural communities were tapped to share their successes and answer questions on how their efforts can be replicated elsewhere. ![Brian Blackford, a Ball State University professor, spoke to local economic development leaders during a meeting in Murdo, S.D., on Nov. 12, 2025. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch)](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/12/2025-11-12-Murdo-Brian-Blackford--1-1.jpg) Brian Blackford, a Ball State University professor, spoke to local economic development leaders during a meeting in Murdo, S.D., on Nov. 12, 2025\. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) For example, Republican state Rep. Mike Weisgram of Fort Pierre shared details of how his community was able to implement a local hotel, motel and campground occupancy tax of $2 per night that opened the door to increased tourism promotion and community enhancements in the city of 2,200. Another presentation provided attendees a road map to enacting an ordinance that uses the threat of fines to urge owners of vacant downtown buildings to either renovate or sell their properties that can become eyesores. > "It takes partnerships, it takes patience and it takes a fair amount of capital," he said. "But (revitalizing) one building at a time can make a huge impact in your community." – Jared Hybertson, economic development coordinator in Centerville Jared Hybertson, economic development coordinator in Centerville, a Turner County city of 900 located about 40 miles southwest of Sioux Falls, said the city's vacant building ordinance was aimed at preventing potential blight that can deter growth in a downtown district. In 2014, before Centerville had the ordinance, there were 11 vacant buildings downtown, some of which had become eyesores due to long periods of vacancy. Hybertson told the Murdo group that generating initial support for the ordinance among elected officials and the community at large is a big first hurdle. "I know a lot of small towns struggle with this, and getting an ordinance off the ground is probably the hardest part," he said. Hybertson said the ordinance has created a few tense moments with property owners. But it has ultimately led to redevelopment of several downtown buildings and storefronts that are now used as businesses, community hubs and residences. "It takes partnerships, it takes patience and it takes a fair amount of capital," he said. "But (revitalizing) one building at a time can make a huge impact in your community." [What's working in your community? Share your comments and ideas.](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdSEE1F4irRiyi9MOOwQszosDlmSghlnIKbEHxeCJEjDKZRVw/viewform?usp=sharing&ouid=100426322203936282954&ref=sdnewswatch.org) [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/11/Donate-News-Watch--3-.png)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?%5Fgl=1%2A1txxzuc%2A%5Fgcl%5Fau%2AMjAyOTY2NTc3My4xNzMwNDcxOTUz%2A%5Fga%2AMTM3NDcyODMyNS4xNzAyMTQ0MTg3%2A%5Fga%5FH98KVPR32J%2AMTczMDkzMzA3Ni40Mi4wLjE3MzA5MzMwNzYuMC4wLjA.&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact* *content director Bart Pfankuch* at* [*bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Fact brief: Does South Dakota require front license plates? URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/fact-brief-south-dakota-license-plates-front-rear-sd/ Last updated: 2025-12-23T11:00:37.000Z ## Yes. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/WhiteFACT-BRIEF--500-x-200-px--2-1-1.png) South Dakota is one of almost 30 states that requires front and back license plates on vehicles, though there are a couple of exceptions. Vehicles that are used for “occasional transportation, public displays, parades and related pleasure hobby activities” can use a rear-only plate. The plates cost $25 in addition to the normal registration cost. To qualify, drivers must provide their odometer reading at the time of registration and not exceed 7,500 miles in a year. Motorcycles are also only required to have one plate. Why use rear-only plates? Many owners don’t like how front plates take away from the aesthetic of their vehicles. But dual plates are touted as a way to assist law enforcement with crime. South Dakota offers more than a dozen different types of plates: construction, emblem, habitat conservation, Dignity sculpture, historical, amateur radio license, disabled person, firefighter, EMS, tribal, tribal veteran, veteran and several military plates. *This fact brief responds to conversations such as* [*this one.*](https://www.reddit.com/r/SouthDakota/comments/1prmjf0/does%5Fhaving%5Fa%5Frear%5Fplate%5Fonly%5Factually%5Frequire/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) ### **Source** South Dakota Department of Revenue, [Personalized and Specialty Plates](https://dor.sd.gov/individuals/motor-vehicle/cars-trucks-vans/personalized-specialty-plates/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) South Dakota Department of Revenue, [License plate application](https://sddor.seamlessdocs.com/f/1304?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Lakota Times, [South Dakota specialty plates available July 1](https://www.lakotatimes.com/articles/south-dakota-specialty-plates-available-july-1/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) South Dakota laws, [32-5-98](https://sdlegislature.gov/Statutes/32-5-98?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Thompson Law Injury lawyers, [Which states require front license plates?](https://1800lionlaw.com/which-states-require-a-front-license-plate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) --- [South Dakota News Watch](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/) partners with [Gigafact](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) to publish fact briefs that refute or confirm a claim with supporting information and additional evidence and context. - [Read previous fact briefs](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/tag/fact-brief/). - Read our verification standards and other [best practices policies](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/best-practices/). - Submit a question for us to answer on the [South Dakota News Watch Tipline](https://gigafact.org/tipline/south-dakota-news-watch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). - Send questions or feedback to [factbrief@sdnewswatch.org](mailto:factbrief@sdnewswatch.org). *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact Michael Klinski* at michael.klinski@sdnewswatch.org.* ### ICE's year in SD, from small towns to Operation: Prairie Thunder URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/immigration-customs-enforcement-ice-south-dakota-operation-prairie-thunder/ Last updated: 2025-12-22T12:15:27.000Z Five months after Operation: Prairie Thunder officially began, the South Dakota Highway Patrol's collaborative anti-crime and immigration enforcement effort will continue into the new year, the governor’s office has confirmed. The program was originally announced by Gov. Larry Rhoden to take place from July 28 through December. One portion of Operation: Prairie Thunder involves the state's entrance into multiple 287(g) agreements with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement that allow ICE to delegate some authority to state and local law enforcement agencies. That happened as immigration enforcement operations ramped up after the inauguration of President Donald Trump, who nominated former South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem as the Department of Homeland Security secretary. Under Trump and Noem, more than 500,000 people have been deported from the country, according to Homeland Security, which has not released state-by-state deportation numbers. ## ICE arrest data indicates focus on Hispanic, male individuals In South Dakota, ICE and Homeland Security have been visible, especially in small towns in the eastern part of the state. In July, [ICE confirmed an active investigation](https://www.mitchellrepublic.com/news/local/ice-confirms-active-investigation-at-mitchells-trail-king?ref=sdnewswatch.org) at the Trail King Industries Inc. manufacturing plant in Mitchell, though no further information has been released about whether that investigation resulted in arrests, detainments or deportations. In May, Manitou Equipment and Global Polymer Industries in Madison saw eight people arrested on immigration charges. [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/11/Donate-News-Watch--3-.png)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?%5Fgl=1%2A1txxzuc%2A%5Fgcl%5Fau%2AMjAyOTY2NTc3My4xNzMwNDcxOTUz%2A%5Fga%2AMTM3NDcyODMyNS4xNzAyMTQ0MTg3%2A%5Fga%5FH98KVPR32J%2AMTczMDkzMzA3Ni40Mi4wLjE3MzA5MzMwNzYuMC4wLjA.&ref=sdnewswatch.org) And in October, Drumgoon Dairy near Lake Norden [confirmed that the company](https://southdakotasearchlight.com/2025/10/10/dairy-farm-drumgoon-south-dakota-kristi-noem-loses-38-employees-after-federal-immigration-audit/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) had been subjected to an immigration audit by Homeland Security, which is not the same as an immigration raid. But it resulted in the forced termination of 38 employees with citizenship information that was outdated, inaccurate or incomplete. While nationwide ICE arrests and deportations have targeted a wide variety of individuals from multiple countries – including in neighboring Minnesota, where Somalian people have been the most recent target of ICE operations – South Dakota arrests have involved nearly all Hispanic people. Most recent ICE arrestees in South Dakota are citizens of Mexico and Central America, with the majority coming from Mexico and Honduras, and 98% are male, according to government data obtained via a FOIA request from the Deportation Data Project and analyzed by South Dakota News Watch. The project currently retains accurate state-based data from July 1 to Oct. 15\. The data cannot accurately reflect any arrests prior to July 1 but can help to understand general arrest trends in South Dakota. Hispanic people across the state have reported feeling less safe, said Ivan Romero, vice president of the South Dakota Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. The Latino Festival and Parade, which is hosted in Sioux Falls by the South Dakota Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, was canceled this year due to safety concerns, Romero told News Watch in October. [Hispanic population thrives in one small SD townRural towns like Plankinton, population 768, are growing their community services to fill needs.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-326.jpg)South Dakota News WatchMolly Wetsch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/IMG_6307-1.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/hispanic-thrives-plankinton-south-dakota-iglesia-renuevo/) "That was unfortunate, but people just don't feel comfortable coming to Sioux Falls at this point," he said. The vast majority of detainer requests from July 1 to Oct. 15 went to the Minnehaha County Jail in Sioux Falls, followed by the Pennington County Jail in Rapid City and the South Dakota State Penitentiary in Sioux Falls. The Deportation Data Project defines detainer requests as “all requests to state, county, and municipal jails and prisons either for a person to be held on a detainer or for a notification of release date and time. A detainer is a request to a local jail to hold someone for 48 hours beyond when they otherwise would be released so that ICE can make an arrest in the jail while the individual remains detained.” ICE said that detainer requests are most often lodged against an individual in an agency's custody that poses a "public safety threat." Other Homeland Security agencies can issue detainers, but most come from ICE, according to the agency's website. ## Operation: Prairie Thunder focuses on drug operations To date, ICE has signed more than 1,200 287(g) agreements with agencies in 40 states, including five with various South Dakota agencies enabling parts of Operation: Prairie Thunder. Those agreements take three different forms: - **Task Force Agreement**: The "force multiplier" program that allows law enforcement officers to adopt limited immigration enforcement duties, with ICE oversight. The South Dakota Highway Patrol signed this agreement on May 22 and the South Dakota Department of Criminal Investigations signed it on June 11. - **Warrant Service Officer**: Allows law enforcement officers to execute warrants on behalf of ICE on individuals in their agency's jail. The South Dakota Department of Corrections signed this agreement on Aug. 28, the Minnehaha County Sheriff's Office signed it on March 17 and the Hughes County Sheriff's Office in Pierre signed it on March 7. - **Jail Enforcement Model**: Allows law enforcement officers to identify and process individuals who may be in violation of immigration laws while they are serving time in their agency's jail. The DOC signed this agreement on July 25. ## ****Get South Dakota stories** An email summary on most weekdays that links to the full version. Cancel anytime. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. While Operation: Prairie Thunder's immigration enforcement prong has been well-publicized in the state, the majority of the program's activity comes from enhanced traffic monitoring and drug enforcement, according to data released from the governor's office. According to a press release from Operation: Prairie Thunder, 260 of 406 – 64% – of individuals currently in custody as a result of Operation: Prairie Thunder have a drug charge and 156 have been cited with a drug charge and released. More than 2,000 traffic citations have been issued. The “ICE Contacts” section of Operation: Prairie Thunder’s most recent dataset said that 89 people had been contacted in ICE-related situations since the program was announced. A representative from the Department of Public Safety told News Watch in a statement: "The intent of (Operation: Prairie Thunder) is to reduce crime in our communities. "It is important to note that any ICE contacts are incidental contacts – we aren't seeking out illegal aliens during the saturation patrols. However, the 287(g) agreement allows us to coordinate swiftly with ICE if a stop uncovers undocumented individuals. Those undocumented, non-citizens, are the people counted as 'Individuals Contacted.' Not all of those found to be undocumented are taken into custody, per ICE guidance, therefore the ‘Contacts’ and ‘Arrests’ sections differ." [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/11/Donate-News-Watch-2--1-.png)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?%5Fgl=1%2A10w9pkh%2A%5Fgcl%5Fau%2AMjAyOTY2NTc3My4xNzMwNDcxOTUz%2A%5Fga%2AMTM3NDcyODMyNS4xNzAyMTQ0MTg3%2A%5Fga%5FH98KVPR32J%2AMTczMTAxOTY1OS40NC4wLjE3MzEwMTk2NTkuMC4wLjA.&ref=sdnewswatch.org) The program, which initially concentrated most of its efforts in Sioux Falls and the surrounding area, has started other efforts across the state. Operation: Prairie Thunder most recently carried out operations in Belle Fourche, Huron and Yankton, where 75 individuals were taken into custody, 42 with a drug charge. Twenty-seven people were identified as ICE contacts. The city of Brookings [issued a statement](https://www.facebook.com/cityofbrookings/posts/pfbid08kYJYFhvqoRAgVffzf2jtSivb4JZKuCwc7F9w29xaBVWhwbPjmfF14587ZRejfWNl) on Dec. 12 that the operation would be coming to town Dec. 17-19 and that the city "would not be participating." Josie Harms, Rhoden's press secretary, said the ongoing arrest and citation statistics indicate successful crime-fighting efforts. "Our results remain impressive, and it is clear that this operation is keeping South Dakota strong, safe, and free — so we are going to keep it up," Harms said in a statement. [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email) *for statewide stories. Investigative reporter *Molly Wetsch* is a* [*Report for America*](https://www.reportforamerica.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *corps member covering rural and Indigenous issues. Contact her at* [*molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Improving open records law in SD an uphill battle for advocates URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/police-videos-open-records-south-dakota-body-cam/ Last updated: 2025-12-19T12:23:18.000Z *Part 3 of a 3-part series.* In 2020, a bill was filed in South Dakota that would have spelled out extensive rules for how police body camera footage can be obtained, maintained, used and shared. Then-Sen. Reynold Nesiba, a Sioux Falls Democrat and primary sponsor of the bill, said that without a state law, police agencies across the state are on their own to decide how and when to use cameras, what happens to the footage and who should have access to the videos. Without such a law, South Dakota would remain behind many other states that already regulate police videos, he said. [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/11/Donate-News-Watch-2--1-.png)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?%5Fgl=1%2A10w9pkh%2A%5Fgcl%5Fau%2AMjAyOTY2NTc3My4xNzMwNDcxOTUz%2A%5Fga%2AMTM3NDcyODMyNS4xNzAyMTQ0MTg3%2A%5Fga%5FH98KVPR32J%2AMTczMTAxOTY1OS40NC4wLjE3MzEwMTk2NTkuMC4wLjA.&ref=sdnewswatch.org) "In South Dakota, we have a patchwork and it depends on the individual police department … (and) I think it puts our law enforcement in a really difficult position,” said Nesiba. “I think it would be helpful to have guiding statute under what conditions it becomes a public record, who can ask for that record and under what conditions it can be released or held back." Opposition to the measure came from state, county and local law enforcement officials, who testified that the measure was unnecessary because police agencies across the state use a set of "best practices" to guide use of body cameras. The six-page bill, [Senate Bill 100](https://sdlegislature.gov/Session/Bill/10361?ref=sdnewswatch.org), never made it to a vote. Instead, the measure's original language was gutted immediately in committee and an amendment to recommend a legislative summer study session on body cameras videos was voted down. ## New records laws unlikely in South Dakota Since then, no other police video bill has been filed in the Legislature, according to a review of measures filed. Given the current makeup of the South Dakota Legislature, support for enacting legislation related to release of police videos appears unlikely, said David Bordewyk, executive director of the South Dakota NewsMedia Association. "We are on an island because our law is so weak in this area. And a consequence is loss of public trust and having full confidence in the accountability of law enforcement," he said. "That's not to say that distrust is the default because it’s not. But by not having good public access to these types of records, it can feed distrust and misinformation in the community." ![This screenshot from a South Dakota Highway Patrol dashboard camera shows an officer-involved shooting incident on April 1, 2025.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/12/Police-shooting-video-1.jpg) This screenshot from a South Dakota Highway Patrol dashboard camera shows an officer-involved shooting incident on April 1, 2025\. Troopers said the suspect, Samir Albaidhani, who is circled in red, fired several shots at law enforcement officers during an arrest attempt. (Photo: DCI/South Dakota Highway Patrol via SDPB) Bordewyk pointed out that it took him and other First Amendment advocates several years to make it legal for police agencies in South Dakota to release criminal booking photos and police logs that show when and where officers respond. "Those are commonplace public records in every other state in the nation forever, and it took moving heaven and earth to make those a public record in South Dakota," he said. "There’s this embedded DNA that because we’re a small state, we know each other and trust each other, and we can trust law enforcement is going to do the right thing." > "By not having good public access to these types of records, it can feed distrust and misinformation in the community." > \-- David Bordewyk, executive director of the South Dakota NewsMedia Association State Sen. Helene Duhamel, a Rapid City Republican, told News Watch in an email that she supports the current open records law, which gives law enforcement agencies full discretion on if or when to release police videos to the public. "I am not pursuing changes to current public records laws involving law enforcement video," wrote Duhamel, a former television newscaster who now works as the spokeswoman for the Pennington County Sheriff's Office. "Body worn cameras are used every day by our largest agencies in South Dakota. It is one of the most successful policing reforms of the 21st century." Duhamel said police videos can be seen by the public if they attend court proceedings where the videos are shown. "The video is evidence and not entertainment," she wrote. ## South Dakota ranks low in openness South Dakota ranks at or near the bottom in more than a dozen analyses of public access to records, especially when it comes to law enforcement agencies, said David Cullier, director of the Brechner Freedom of Information Project at the University of Florida. “They allow police to keep everything secret, and that’s against the basics of public records laws that have been around for hundreds of years,” he said. “If I lived in South Dakota, I would be up in arms because it turns out South Dakota is one of the most secretive states in the nation.” ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/12/Body-camera--2-.png) Cullier said expanding public and press access to law enforcement records tends to make police agencies more transparent but also more accountable for their actions. And it ultimately leads to better performance by officers in the field, he said. “It’s a way of making sure our police officers are doing their jobs that we entrust them to do because the body cams tell the story,” Cullier said. “When they deny records requests, they’re not saying ‘no’ to journalists and the media. They’re saying ‘no’ to the million people who live in South Dakota.” ## ****Get South Dakota stories** An email summary on most weekdays that links to the full version. Cancel anytime. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. Cullier said the American public has demanded more access to police videos after several high-profile incidents in which illegal and misreported shootings by police officers were captured on camera. Among them: the 2014 killing of Laquan McDonald by a Chicago police officer; the 2015 South Carolina shooting death of Walter L. Scott, who was unarmed and running away from the officer who shot him; and the 2020 murder of George Floyd by an officer in Minneapolis. In the McDonald killing, officer Jason Van Dyke initially reported that the 17-year-old had charged at him with a knife, and the shooting was ruled justified. A year later, when the video was released publicly, it showed the boy walking away from officers and not brandishing a knife prior to being shot 16 times. Van Dyke was convicted of second-degree murder. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/12/Screenshot-2025-12-17-at-3.23.40---PM-1.png) This is a screenshot of a dashboard camera video moments before the [October 2014 fatal shooting ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xaXuT9sxCnI&ref=sdnewswatch.org)of Laquan McDonald by a Chicago police officer. Warning: video contains graphic images. (Photo: YouTube) Despite calls for more openness, and some state laws passed to expand open-records laws, most state legislatures have not taken steps to improve public access to police videos, Cullier said. “I think we’ve seen a public push, especially since Floyd and other police brutality and killings,” he said. “Unfortunately, I don’t think a lot of legislatures have been moved by it. And I don’t think we’re going to see improvement unless the public continues to demand it.” ## Challenging even for lawyers to obtain videos The ability of prosecutors or judges to block access to videos can protect officers who might have acted illegally or improperly, said Jeffrey Montpetit, a Minneapolis attorney who has worked several civil cases involving law enforcement activities in South Dakota. “I know of two cases I had in South Dakota where the courts basically said this video isn’t getting out because we don’t like what it shows,” he said. The lack of access to police videos can inhibit the ability of the public to file civil claims against law enforcement officers who are alleged to have used excessive force or violated someone’s rights, Montpetit said. “Without video, you’re out of luck,” he said. > “When they deny records requests, they’re not saying ‘no’ to journalists and the media. They’re saying ‘no’ to the million people who live in South Dakota.” > \-- David Cullier, director of the Brechner Freedom of Information Project at the University of Florida Defense attorneys who take cases on a contingency basis are unlikely to accept cases where a judgment might come down to the word of a police officer versus the claims of a member of the public, he said. “The trooper, sheriff or police officer can write some B.S. report that the defendant resisted or took a swing at him,” Montpetit said. “Then all you’re getting is a credibility comparison between someone who may be a felon and a law enforcement officer, and you're going to lose those cases.” Also, members of the public who cannot afford to hire an attorney are unlikely to obtain videos that could help make a case against an officer or the government, he said. “Without video, there’s not a lot of options for lawyers to undertake those efforts,” Montpetit said. ## Rural sheriff supports a possible state law Alan Dale, sheriff of Corson County, said videos of interactions with the public or perpetrators have mainly been used to help prosecutors prove crimes or have helped his deputies respond to unwarranted complaints. “In one incident, we had someone complain the officer searched a vehicle without cause. And when we watched the video, it showed the man actually giving the deputy his consent to search,” Dale said. News Watch submitted a request to view videos of a June 30, 2023, incident in which a Corson County deputy and tribal officers engaged in a vehicle chase with 25-year-old Samir Albadhani, who brandished a gun before being shot and wounded by officers. Dale forwarded the request to the local state’s attorney, who declined the News Watch request. [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/11/Donate-News-Watch--3-.png)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?%5Fgl=1%2A1txxzuc%2A%5Fgcl%5Fau%2AMjAyOTY2NTc3My4xNzMwNDcxOTUz%2A%5Fga%2AMTM3NDcyODMyNS4xNzAyMTQ0MTg3%2A%5Fga%5FH98KVPR32J%2AMTczMDkzMzA3Ni40Mi4wLjE3MzA5MzMwNzYuMC4wLjA.&ref=sdnewswatch.org) Dale said he isn’t sure if police videos should become an open record for press or public viewing in South Dakota, but he would support some form of legislation to create a uniform approach for cameras and videos for all agencies across the state. “When I first started in law enforcement, we didn’t have cameras,” Dale said. “But now I wouldn’t want to be in law enforcement without them because the cameras don’t lie.” > "I don't feel that we're done yet, and I feel there's more work to be done on that." > \-- South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley said that while serving two separate stints in the office, he has formed three task forces to examine public meetings and records laws, which have led to more openness. Jackley, who is running for South Dakota's lone seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, said he is willing to ask his ongoing open meetings task force or a new task force to consider whether police videos should be more publicly accessible. "I don't feel that we're done yet, and I feel there's more work to be done on that," he said. --- ***Read parts 1 and 2 of the 3-part series:*** [Police videos in SD: Public pays costs but cannot see footageAs more states begin to provide public access to videos captured by law enforcement agencies, South Dakota continues to keep a tight lid on them.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-324.jpg)South Dakota News WatchBart Pfankuch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/2025-shooting-of-Deondre-Gene-Black-Hawk-1-2.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/police-videos-in-sd-public-pays-costs-but-cannot-see-footage/) [With discretion left to agencies, police video releases rareWhen videos and still images have been released, they tend to justify officer use of force or highlight humorous on-the-job interactions.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-323.jpg)South Dakota News WatchBart Pfankuch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/Rapid-City-police-wedding-proposal-vid-2-1-1.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/police-video-releases-discretion-south-dakota-body-cam/) [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact* *content director Bart Pfankuch* at* [*bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Fact brief: Does SD have the highest percentage of Native American residents? URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/fact-brief-sd-native-american-population-reservations/ Last updated: 2025-12-18T11:00:35.000Z ## No. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/WhiteFACT-BRIEF--500-x-200-px--2-1-1.png) South Dakota ranks fourth in the nation for the percentage of residents who identify as Native American. As of the 2020 census, almost 100,000 people in South Dakota identify at least partially as Native American – 11.1% of the population (98,842 total). Alaska has the highest percentage (22%), followed by Oklahoma (16%) and New Mexico (12%). In 1980, 6.5% of South Dakota was Native American (44,948) – the third highest-percentage in the country. Indigenous people make up more than 50% of the population in nine South Dakota counties, with the highest percentage being Oglala Lakota County on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation at 95.6%. Native Americans have been undercounted in the official U.S. Census historically. In 2010, for instance, the Census estimated that the population was undercounted by 4.9%. The Census moved the response deadline up 30 days in 2020, prompting concerns that the earlier deadline would lead to greater undercounts. *This fact brief responds to conversations such as* [*this one.*](https://www.reddit.com/r/MapPorn/comments/1g11rvb/native%5Famerican%5Fpopulation%5Fdensity%5Fmap%5Fas%5Fof%5F2020/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) ### **Source** 2020 Census, [South Dakota](https://www.census.gov/library/stories/state-by-state/south-dakota.html?ref=sdnewswatch.org#pop-housing) South Dakota State University, [American Indians of South Dakota (1987)](https://openprairie.sdstate.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1249&context=agexperimentsta%5Fcirc&ref=sdnewswatch.org) Sioux Falls Argus Leader, [Earlier census deadline sparks concern about undercounting Native Americans](https://www.argusleader.com/story/news/politics/2020/08/07/earlier-census-deadline-sparks-concern-undercounting-native-americans/3289141001/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) South Dakota Tribal Relations, [Tribes of South Dakota](https://sdtribalrelations.sd.gov/tribes/nine-tribes.aspx?ref=sdnewswatch.org) --- [South Dakota News Watch](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/) partners with [Gigafact](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) to publish fact briefs that refute or confirm a claim with supporting information and additional evidence and context. - [Read previous fact briefs](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/tag/fact-brief/). - Read our verification standards and other [best practices policies](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/best-practices/). - Submit a question for us to answer on the [South Dakota News Watch Tipline](https://gigafact.org/tipline/south-dakota-news-watch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). - Send questions or feedback to [factbrief@sdnewswatch.org](mailto:factbrief@sdnewswatch.org). [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact Michael Klinski* at michael.klinski@sdnewswatch.org.* ### With discretion left to agencies, police video releases rare in SD URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/police-video-releases-discretion-south-dakota-body-cam/ Last updated: 2025-12-17T13:12:02.000Z *Part 2 of a 3-part series.* South Dakota's weak open records law gives police agencies full discretion on whether to release footage from body or dashboard cameras, and in most cases, the videos of officer conduct are never shown to the public. South Dakota News Watch made formal public records requests to obtain video footage of use of deadly force incidents from eight separate law enforcement agencies in November, and all of the requests were quickly denied. On a few occasions, South Dakota law enforcement agencies have released video footage of their own accord but not necessarily in cases where officer conduct is in question. The Watertown Police Department released a video on Facebook in early November showing officers responding to a possible break-in with their guns drawn only to find a whitetail buck that had made it into a bedroom. [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/11/Donate-News-Watch--3-.png)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?%5Fgl=1%2A1txxzuc%2A%5Fgcl%5Fau%2AMjAyOTY2NTc3My4xNzMwNDcxOTUz%2A%5Fga%2AMTM3NDcyODMyNS4xNzAyMTQ0MTg3%2A%5Fga%5FH98KVPR32J%2AMTczMDkzMzA3Ni40Mi4wLjE3MzA5MzMwNzYuMC4wLjA.&ref=sdnewswatch.org) In 2016, the Rapid City Police Department posted a dash cam video to its public Facebook page showing the chief’s nephew proposing to his girlfriend in a mock traffic stop. “This one is too good not to share,” the Facebook post noted. The Rapid City Police Department rejected News Watch's request for videos of a May 30, 2023, incident in which an officer fatally shot 25-year-old Kyle Whiting, who brandished a fake gun during a foot chase. A bystander inside a nearby home was also shot in the abdomen by the officer and survived. The state ruled the [shooting was justified](https://atg.sd.gov/docs/Officer%20Involved%20Shooting%20Summary%20RCPD%20Whiting%205.30.2023.pdf?ref=sdnewswatch.org). ## Still images tend to clear officers Some police agencies will occasionally release still images from body or dashboard camera videos, typically when the screenshots show an officer facing a clear threat that appears to justify use of deadly force. ![This screenshot is from a video released publicly in November 2025 by the Watertown (S.D.) Police Department. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/12/Watertown-deeer-video-1.jpg) This screenshot is from a video released publicly in November 2025 by the Watertown (S.D.) Police Department. An officer, right, can be seen holding a chair to protect himself from a deer that broke into a home. (Photo: Watertown Police Department Facebook page) In August, the state released an image from video of a July 5 chase in which a Sioux Falls police officer shot and wounded 24-year-old Deondre Gene Black Hawk in the 100 block of Garfield Avenue. One still image released to the public shows the gun Black Hawk fired at police. Another image shows Black Hawk pointing the gun toward a pursuing officer prior to the shooting, which [was ruled justified](https://atg.sd.gov/docs/July%207%202025%20OIS%20SFPD.pdf?ref=sdnewswatch.org) by state investigators. In 2022, the Rapid City Police Department took the unusual step of inviting local media to privately view body camera footage showing the shooting of Barney Leroy Peoples Jr., who was killed after pointing a rifle at officers. The video was not released to the public, and the shooting [was ruled justified ](https://atg.sd.gov/docs/Officer%20Involved%20Shooting%20Summary%20Rapid%20City%20PD%20RCPD%20March%2026%202022.pdf?ref=sdnewswatch.org)by the state. ## ****Get South Dakota stories** An email summary on most weekdays that links to the full version. Cancel anytime. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. "This was done for public interest and public safety to dispel a false narrative circulating on social media that could have led to civil unrest," spokesman Brendyn Medina wrote in an email to News Watch. In a move that appeared to have political overtones, videos were released in 2021 showing former South Dakota Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg being pulled over by officers for suspected traffic violations. The videos and audio showed Ravnsborg informing officers of his status as attorney general during the traffic stops, some of which did not result in tickets. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/12/Ravsnborg-1.jpg) In an unprecedented move, videos were released of former Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg being pulled over by police. This image is a screenshot of a traffic stop from 2021\. The video releases came as Ravnsborg was facing possible impeachment after Ravnsborg struck and killed pedestrian Joe Boever with his vehicle. (Photo: Screenshot of 2021 state video) The videos were released during a period when Ravnsborg was facing possible removal from office for striking and killing a pedestrian in September 2020\. Ravnsborg was eventually impeached, an action supported by then-Gov. Kristi Noem, whose office also made the unprecedented move of releasing videos of Ravnsborg being interviewed by detectives during the investigation into the 2020 fatal accident. ## Federal agency released SD shooting video In general, the federal government provides more public access to police videos than states like South Dakota, and that access was expanded in a May 2022 executive order from President Joe Biden. That order included a requirement to expedite public release of videos from officers' body-worn cameras. As a result, in October 2022, the U.S. Department of Interior issued a new policy that required federal officers to wear body cameras and sought to make it easier and faster for the media and public to obtain videos captured by federal authorities. Due in part to that policy, video of a June 2023 police-involved shooting in South Dakota was released by the federal Bureau of Indian Affairs. In that incident, 39-year-old James Schneider of Watauga fired a weapon and then led authorities on a vehicle chase that ended at the Bullhead Community Center parking lot. According to the dashboard video, Schneider was waving his arms and holding a handgun in an area where people were present. After he turned to flee into a residential neighborhood, he was shot in the back by an officer. Schneider was found guilty in August of assault and weapons charges after a jury trial and is awaiting sentencing. In releasing[ the video](https://www.bia.gov/regional-offices/great-plains/north-dakota/standing-rock-agency/BIA-releases-vehicle-mounted-camera-footage-June2023?ref=sdnewswatch.org), the BIA said it was doing so to be transparent in its operations. To protect the privacy of all involved, faces were blurred in the video. "The community briefing video is intended to help members of the community gain a better understanding of what occurred," the BIA said in a release. "We are committed to being transparent with our community." ## Privacy a top concern for agencies Rapid City police do not routinely release department videos, largely due to privacy concerns of anyone captured in the footage, said Medina, the department spokesman. "Much of the information collected by (body-worn cameras) is confidential and involves personal information, including that of victims, juveniles, and vulnerable individuals involved in critical and traumatic incidents," Medina wrote in an email. "It’s important to note that we have had requests from victims and families specifically not to release photos or videos of their encounters with police. Additionally, juvenile and victim information is protected by state statute." Almost all states that allow for public video releases do so with caveats that privacy issues and often concerns over protecting prosecutions are met prior to release. ![This photo shows a body camera worn on the uniform of a Pennington County Sheriff's Office deputy in December 2025. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/12/Penn-County-body-camera-image-1.JPG) This photo shows a body camera worn on the uniform of a Pennington County (S.D.) Sheriff's Office deputy in December 2025\. (Photo: Courtesy Pennington County Sheriff's Office) Rapid City shares the management of its video program with the Pennington County Sheriff's Office, which recently spent about $48,000 to buy 68 Axon body cameras, said sheriff's spokeswoman Helene Duhamel. The Sioux Falls Police Department has an extensive video policy that does not typically allow for public release of videos, said Sgt. Aaron Benson. "Granting public access to dash and body camera video potentially involves numerous issues relating to the rights of all persons in those videos. These rights include but are not limited to general privacy concerns of victims, suspects, witnesses and others, to statutory and constitutional rights of those same individuals," Benson wrote in an email. "Additionally, release of video can detrimentally affect ongoing investigations, prosecutions and other legal matters related to those videos." McPherson County Sheriff David Ackerman, president of the South Dakota Sheriff’s Association, said body and dash cameras are important tools for police agencies in both urban and rural areas, even though his camera program costs about $60,000 a year, roughly 10% of the overall departmental budget. “These are very valuable tools, and it’s something that in this day and age, every office and agency needs to have,” Ackerman said. “I’m glad where we are today because they’re for the protection of the public as well as the officers.” ## Assistant police chief on body cam: 'I enjoy wearing it' Monty Rothenberger, assistant police chief in Yankton, said he supports the use of dash and body cameras as a way to increase accountability for officers and to aid in resolving public complaints. “I wouldn’t do this job without a body camera, and I enjoy wearing it,” Rothenberger said. “I don’t have anything to hide. And because everything is on video, I feel like Big Brother is watching and I support that.” The Yankton Police Department bought new cameras last year at a cost of about $80,000, he said. [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/11/Donate-News-Watch-2--1-.png)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?%5Fgl=1%2A10w9pkh%2A%5Fgcl%5Fau%2AMjAyOTY2NTc3My4xNzMwNDcxOTUz%2A%5Fga%2AMTM3NDcyODMyNS4xNzAyMTQ0MTg3%2A%5Fga%5FH98KVPR32J%2AMTczMTAxOTY1OS40NC4wLjE3MzEwMTk2NTkuMC4wLjA.&ref=sdnewswatch.org) Rothenberger said that while he is aware of South Dakota public records laws that do not require the department to release videos to the public, he said he personally would support the release of videos in a high-profile or controversial case. “I’m only speaking for myself, but I would never hide anything like that,” Rothenberger said. “That’s not up to me. … (But) releasing that stuff, it’s good that agencies release things when something has gone wrong and they are being transparent.” --- ***Read part 1 of the 3-part series:*** [Police videos in SD: Public pays costs but cannot see footageAs more states begin to provide public access to videos captured by law enforcement agencies, South Dakota continues to keep a tight lid on them.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-321.jpg)South Dakota News WatchBart Pfankuch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/2025-shooting-of-Deondre-Gene-Black-Hawk-1-1.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/police-videos-in-sd-public-pays-costs-but-cannot-see-footage/) **Publishing Friday, Dec. 19, part 3:* A 2020 legislative effort to regulate body camera videos never made it to a vote, maintaining South Dakota's national reputation for law enforcement secrecy* [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact* *content director Bart Pfankuch* at* [*bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Fact brief: Does South Dakota lead the nation in cattle per capita? URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/fact-brief-south-dakota-cattle-population/ Last updated: 2025-12-16T12:00:06.000Z ## Yes. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/WhiteFACT-BRIEF--500-x-200-px--2-1-1.png) South Dakota’s cattle population outnumbers the state’s human residents by roughly a 4-to-1 margin, the highest ratio in the country. As of January 2023, the state had 3.6 million head of cattle -- 4% of the nation's inventory. With a human population of roughly 920,000, that puts the cattle-to-people ratio at 3.9\. Nebraska is second, followed by North Dakota and Wyoming. The number of cattle in the Rushmore State has trended downward the past decade. In 2018, South Dakota’s cattle-to-human ratio was 4.6-to-1\. Nationally, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said that the country had 87.2 million head of cattle in 2024, the lowest amount since 1951\. The USDA reported in July that beef production would drop 4% in 2025 and a further 2% in 2026, citing drought across the country as one of the factors. That’s contributed to record-high beef prices: up 51% since 2020\. *This fact brief responds to conversations such as* [*this one.*](https://www.reddit.com/r/SouthDakota/comments/190ozfq/a%5Fmap%5Fof%5Fthe%5Funited%5Fstates%5Fshowing%5Fhow%5Fmany%5Fcows/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) ### **Source** South Dakota Governor’s Office of Economic Development, [Livestock development](https://sdgoed.com/key-industries/livestock-development/?ref=sdnewswatch.org#:~:text=Dairy%20Pork%20Poultry-,Cattle%20&%20Calves,Highest%20proportion%20of%20any%20state) U.S. Census, [South Dakota quick facts](https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/SD/INC110223?ref=sdnewswatch.org) National Beef Wire, [Cattle vs. Human Population](https://www.nationalbeefwire.com/cattle-inventory-vs-human-population-by-state-when-it-comes-to-cattle-in-the-united-states-some-states-have-more-of-our-bovine-friends-than-they-do-people?printer%5Ffriendly=true&ref=sdnewswatch.org) Sioux Falls Argus Leader, [Cattle outnumber people in South Dakota](https://www.argusleader.com/story/news/business-journal/2018/02/01/beware-bovine-revolt-south-dakota-cattle-outnumber-residents-more-than-any-other-state/1084748001/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Farm Bureau, [U.S. cattle inventory smallest in 71 years](https://www.fb.org/market-intel/u-s-cattle-inventory-smallest-in-73-years?ref=sdnewswatch.org) NPR, [Why beef prices are higher than ever (and shoppers are finally resisting](https://www.npr.org/2025/09/18/nx-s1-5534424/beef-prices-record-high-cost?ref=sdnewswatch.org#:~:text=Beef%20prices%20are%20at%20record%20highs&text=He%20had%20to%20buy%20pricey,supply%20for%20a%20long%20while.) --- [South Dakota News Watch](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/) partners with [Gigafact](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) to publish fact briefs that refute or confirm a claim with supporting information and additional evidence and context. - [Read previous fact briefs](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/tag/fact-brief/). - Read our verification standards and other [best practices policies](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/best-practices/). - Submit a question for us to answer on the [South Dakota News Watch Tipline](https://gigafact.org/tipline/south-dakota-news-watch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). - Send questions or feedback to [factbrief@sdnewswatch.org](mailto:factbrief@sdnewswatch.org). [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact Michael Klinski* at michael.klinski@sdnewswatch.org.* ### Police videos in SD: Public pays costs but cannot see footage URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/police-videos-in-sd-public-pays-costs-but-cannot-see-footage/ Last updated: 2025-12-15T13:12:31.000Z *Part 1 of a 3-part series* Attorney Jeffrey Montpetit knew that obtaining a video of a South Dakota Highway Patrol trooper's actions after a 2015 DUI arrest in Clay County would be critical to his client's civil case alleging excessive use of force by the officer. As a lawyer, Montpetit was able to view the video that showed Trooper Cody Jansen restrain Troy Rokusek in the Clay County Jail by pulling both his arms behind his back in a disabling move called a "double chicken wing." According to court documents, Jansen then threw Rokusek face first into the ground, breaking off two of his teeth. In his official report, Trooper Jansen – who was named the 2017 South Dakota State Trooper of the Year – said Rokusek resisted arrest, which would have justified the violent takedown maneuver. But after Rokusek sued Jansen, a judge ruled that the video did not corroborate Jansen's claims. In September 2018, the state of South Dakota made a $100,000 payment to settle Rokusek's civil case. [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/11/Donate-News-Watch-2--1-.png)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?%5Fgl=1%2A10w9pkh%2A%5Fgcl%5Fau%2AMjAyOTY2NTc3My4xNzMwNDcxOTUz%2A%5Fga%2AMTM3NDcyODMyNS4xNzAyMTQ0MTg3%2A%5Fga%5FH98KVPR32J%2AMTczMTAxOTY1OS40NC4wLjE3MzEwMTk2NTkuMC4wLjA.&ref=sdnewswatch.org) The Rokusek lawsuit wasn't the only time Montpetit has tried to obtain videos to support civil cases filed against authorities in South Dakota. And in each instance, it was challenging to get videos that show what really happened during interactions between law enforcement and the public. "A lot of times in South Dakota, it's just damn near impossible to get any of these videos because of the way that their statutes are written," said Montpetit, who is based in Minneapolis but represents plaintiffs across the Great Plains. "In a lot of cases, the circuit court judges in South Dakota will write into their orders that the files should remain locked and sealed." While it can be difficult for lawyers to obtain copies of videos from police dashboard, body or facility cameras, it is nearly impossible for the public or media to see video evidence in South Dakota. ## State laws give police wide discretion State statutes in South Dakota provide law enforcement agencies and prosecutors with near-complete discretion on whether to release a wide variety of police records – including videos – for public review. The state's open-records law is commonly used by state, county and local law enforcement agencies to deny the release of information and thereby avoid public scrutiny of their actions and interactions with the public. > "A lot of times in South Dakota, it's just damn near impossible to get any of these videos because of the way that their statutes are written." > \-- Attorney Jeffrey Montpetit David Bordewyk, executive director of the South Dakota NewsMedia Association, said South Dakota public records laws are among the weakest in the nation, giving law enforcement agencies in particular the right to deny public or media access to records in almost all cases. “It’s a very weak law in regard to law enforcement,” Bordewyk said. “It’s extremely broad and it allows law enforcement to legally keep just about anything and everything from the public.” ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/12/OfficerInvolvedShooting-copy.jpg) South Dakota Highway Patrol dashcam image of an officer-involved shooting incident on April 1, 2025\. Troopers say the suspect, Samir Albaidhani — who is circled in red — fired several shots at law enforcement officers during an arrest attempt. (Photo: DCI/South Dakota Highway Patrol via SDPB) While neighboring states allow public access to common police records such as incident reports and probable cause affidavits, and police videos in some cases, South Dakota laws give law enforcement agencies wide discretion on what is released or not. Almost all police agencies in South Dakota use cameras in cars and on uniforms to record activities in the field. “They say, ‘Well, the law allows us to keep these videos confidential, so we can and we will,'” Bordewyk said. “That’s opposed to saying, ‘We do have discretion but we want to lean toward full accountability and transparency, and by golly we’re going to show the public what this investigation has concluded.' But that just doesn’t happen in South Dakota.” South Dakota is increasingly an outlier when it comes to lack of public access to police videos, even as public pressure to release them has increased after numerous high-profile national cases in which videos showed officers taking questionable or illegal actions. > “It’s a very weak law in regard to law enforcement. It’s extremely broad and it allows law enforcement to legally keep just about anything and everything from the public.” > \-- David Bordewyk, executive director of the South Dakota NewsMedia Association Some states, like Colorado, have passed laws to make all police videos a public record, while other states allow release once privacy and other prosecutorial concerns are met. The federal government also routinely releases law enforcement videos upon request if privacy concerns can be alleviated. Open-government advocates say releasing videos to the public and media improves transparency, increases accountability of officers and can ultimately lead to increased public trust in law enforcement. South Dakota is one of 13 states that has not passed some form of legislation to regulate the maintenance and public release of policy body camera videos, according to the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press. ## AG: Video releases could impede justice The lack of public disclosure comes despite the fact that taxpayer dollars, either in local taxes or from federal grants, are used to pay for law enforcement cameras and the videos they generate. Many agencies pay tens of thousands of dollars a year to generate, process and store videos from dashboard and body cameras. South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley said he supports government openness but added the release of law enforcement records could have negative effects on both police agencies and the public. ## ****Get South Dakota stories** An email summary on most weekdays that links to the full version. Cancel anytime. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. In an interview with News Watch, Jackley said that as the state's top law enforcement officer he understands that there is a desire for government openness but also a duty by law enforcement to protect the rights of both victims and defendants while upholding the fairness of the legal system. "I've tried to be as transparent as I can without affecting public safety, privacy and the sanctity of the courtroom," he said. Jackley said he would not support release of law enforcement records, including videos, that could prevent prosecutors from making a case or inhibit a defendant's right to a fair trial. The improper release of records or video could make it also harder for someone to file a civil case against a law enforcement officer, he said. "I pride myself in never losing a case because of an inappropriate disclosure of evidence," Jackley said. ## News Watch requests for videos denied South Dakota News Watch tested the state's open records law by filing formal public records requests in an effort to obtain videos from eight law enforcement agencies. To determine which records to request, News Watch reviewed numerous state investigative reports regarding officer-involved shootings to locate cases in which dashboard or body camera video evidence was specifically mentioned as part of the material reviewed by investigators. In early November, News Watch made requests to the state Department of Public Safety, police departments in Sioux Falls, Rapid City, Huron and Yankton, and sheriff's offices in Minnehaha, Pennington and Corson counties. All eight police-involved shootings – ranging from 2016 to 2025 – were declared justified by state investigators. None of the agencies agreed to provide the video evidence to News Watch, including from a closed 2016 case in Pennington County in which the defendant, Abraham Fryer of Sturgis, was [shot and killed by a deputy](https://atg.sd.gov/docs/Officer%20Involved%20Shooting%20Rapid%20City,%20Penn.%20Co%20Sheriff,%20February%2026,%202016.pdf?ref=sdnewswatch.org). ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/12/5JKS7XNV4VBI3PFCOH4X2XIWWA-1.jpg) South Dakota police agencies will sometimes release still images from videos that tend to justify the actions of their officers. This image shows Ira Julian Wright pointing a gun at a Rapid City police officer just prior to the officer shooting and killing Wright on Jan. 18, 2023\. (Photo: Courtesy South Dakota Department of Public Safety) In denying News Watch's request for access to videos, most of the agencies cited state statute [SDCL 1-27-1.5(5)](https://sdlegislature.gov/Statutes/1-27-1.5?ref=sdnewswatch.org), which declares that “records developed or received by law enforcement agencies and other public bodies charged with duties of investigation” are not open records. Not a single agency asked questions about the requests by News Watch or tried to determine if there was a way to provide access without harming a criminal case or violating someone's privacy. ## Local agencies have custody over videos In a letter denying the News Watch request, management analyst Arin Diedrich of the Department of Public Safety provided a basic explanation for the denial that was similar to those given by other agencies. "Your request for dash-cam footage is denied pursuant to SDCL 1-27-1.5(5), which provides that records developed or received by law enforcement agencies and other public bodies charged with duties of investigation or examination of persons are not subject to disclosure," Diedrich wrote. Jackley pointed out that the police agency that recorded the video – and not the attorney general's office – holds the custodial right on whether to publicly release material. A member of the public or media could seek a court order to obtain access to evidence in a criminal or civil case, including videos, he said. [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/11/Donate-News-Watch-2--1-.png)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?%5Fgl=1%2A10w9pkh%2A%5Fgcl%5Fau%2AMjAyOTY2NTc3My4xNzMwNDcxOTUz%2A%5Fga%2AMTM3NDcyODMyNS4xNzAyMTQ0MTg3%2A%5Fga%5FH98KVPR32J%2AMTczMTAxOTY1OS40NC4wLjE3MzEwMTk2NTkuMC4wLjA.&ref=sdnewswatch.org) Jackley said there are three avenues for videos in high-profile cases to become public – either in a criminal or civil trial or through an open examination by the state Law Enforcement Training Commission, which reviews some police actions in South Dakota. "If it's a video that has a level of controversy, it's either going to be disclosed or likely disclosed in a criminal trial," he said. However, in numerous internet searches related to police videos in South Dakota, News Watch found only a few instances where footage was released and almost never in a case where the actions of law enforcement officers were in question. --- **Editor's Note (caption for main photo):* This still image was released by the Sioux Falls (S.D.) Police Department from a video showing 24-year-old Deondre Gene Black Hawk holding a gun during a foot chase with an officer, who shot and wounded Black Hawk. (Photo: Courtesy South Department of Public Safety)* ***Parts 2 and 3:*** **Wednesday, Dec. 17:* The surprising instances when police videos have been released in South Dakota, and a deeper look at how camera programs function* **Friday, Dec. 19:* A 2020 legislative effort to regulate body camera videos never made it to a vote, maintaining South Dakota's national reputation for law enforcement secrecy* [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact* *content director Bart Pfankuch* at* [*bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Some doubt property tax reform will come in 2026 URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/property-taxes-reform-south-dakota-task-force-proposals/ Last updated: 2025-12-12T21:18:33.000Z PIERRE, S.D. – Over the course of five months, the Comprehensive Property Tax Task Force met eight times across the state. The panel, which consists of 16 voting members and two non-voting members, heard from experts, officials and constituents about the impacts rising property taxes have on property owners across South Dakota. In its final meeting on Oct. 22, the task force recommended [19 proposals for property tax reform](https://mylrc.sdlegislature.gov/api/Documents/287258.pdf?ref=sdnewswatch.org). There is also a ballot question that’s collecting signatures for voters to consider in the 2026 general election that seeks to replace property taxes with increased sales taxes. The number of proposals coming into the upcoming legislative session has some wondering if property tax reform will end up again in gridlock. In the 2025 legislative session, lawmakers considered 13 bills related to property taxes, not including joint resolutions. Two of those were signed into law, and the rest died at some point during the course of lengthy debates. Now with 19 proposals for lawmakers to consider, the question remains if any real reform will be seen in 2026\. ## Rising delinquency rates Bon Homme County Commissioner Duane Bachmann provided testimony during the task force’s May 30 meeting. He said that in the 10 years he’s served on the commission, the county evicted three families from their homes because they were delinquent on their property tax payments. “That’s something I didn’t really sign up for when I got on the commission, and it’s something we shouldn’t have to do,” Bachmann said. [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/11/Donate-News-Watch--3-.png)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?%5Fgl=1%2A1txxzuc%2A%5Fgcl%5Fau%2AMjAyOTY2NTc3My4xNzMwNDcxOTUz%2A%5Fga%2AMTM3NDcyODMyNS4xNzAyMTQ0MTg3%2A%5Fga%5FH98KVPR32J%2AMTczMDkzMzA3Ni40Mi4wLjE3MzA5MzMwNzYuMC4wLjA.&ref=sdnewswatch.org) The increases in property taxes in the county are especially hard on retired people who have fixed incomes, Bachmann said in an interview. Every year, the treasurer produces a list of people who are behind on their taxes. “It just seems in the last probably three years, I've seen more people behind on their property tax than prior to that,” Bachmann said. At the May task force hearing, Bachmann proposed gradually replacing all property taxes with sales taxes. “We’re going to be back here every so many years talking about the high property taxes. And the only way we can get rid of them is to replace them with something else,” Bachmann told the panel. ## Custer County bidding war The problem is also evident across the state in the Black Hills. Lea Anne McWhorter lives in Custer County, where she’s the chair of the Custer County Republican Central Committee. ![Custer County resident Lea Anne McWhorter stands on the patio of her home. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/12/Lea-Anne-McWhorter.jpg) Custer County resident Lea Anne McWhorter stands on the patio of her home. Since buying it in 2018, she and her husband have seen their property taxes increase over 22%. (Photo: Kevin Killough/SD News Watch) She is originally from Custer County, but she and her husband lived in Anchorage, Alaska, for 30 years. They retired and moved back to Custer County in 2018\. “We saved to buy the house of our dreams. And that’s what we did,” McWhorter said. They paid around $550,000 for the property in 2018\. In 2020, the strict pandemic health regulations had many residents of states like California, Washington and Colorado looking to relocate to states with less restrictive governments. “We started to get an influx of these political refugees,” McWhorter said. These residents moving from other states sold their houses for exorbitant sums and came out to South Dakota where the houses were cheaper. They didn’t need to finance their purchases, and the demand for houses in Custer County grew. “They would have an open house on Saturday, and on Sunday, they’d have a bidding war,” McWhorter recalled. ## ****Get South Dakota stories** An email summary on most weekdays that links to the full version. Cancel anytime. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. As a result, home prices in Custer County have ballooned. Between July 2017 and October 2025, the Zillow Home Value Index for single-family homes in Custer County rose from $245,000 to $506,000\. Much of that increase has been since January 2020, when the home index price of a home was $300,000 McWhorter said her last assessment put her home value at $1.2 million. Her first property tax bill was $6,200\. It’s now $8,000 per year. ## The young and the elderly hit hardest She said she and her husband can absorb that hit financially, but these increases hurt elderly people who are on fixed incomes. This group of county residents has lived in the area their entire lives, and there’s nothing about the increases in their home values that goes into their pockets, McWhorter said. Hank Whitney, another resident of Custer County, agrees this group is struggling with the problem. “There are a lot of people in this area that it is bothering. People who were on fixed incomes. People with no nest eggs. That’s a really big issue,” Whitney said. > “Everybody is going to feel it at some point.” > – Lea Anne McWhorter, Custer County resident. There are also young people who grow up in Custer County but can’t afford to stay, McWhorter said. If they can afford a home, they pay for their mortgages with tight budgets that can’t take property tax increases. The county also doesn’t have a lot of high-salary opportunities for young people. The problem is statewide, and if something isn’t done, it’s only going to get worse, she said. “Everybody is going to feel it at some point,” McWhorter said. State Sen. Red Dawn Foster, a Democrat from Pine Ridge, said that some elderly people in Martin have told her that property tax increases are especially hard because of the recent increases in the cost of living. “I met with people who told me ‘I’ve worked all my life. I’ve lived modestly, and I have a modest savings.’ Now they’re having to struggle to meet their basic needs. So their quality of life has been drastically affected,” Foster said. ## Difficult to appeal property taxes Property taxes are collected on the county level, and they go to pay for many government services, including schools, jails, fire and ambulances. A broader description of the assessment process is available on the [Department of Revenue website](https://dor.sd.gov/media/oeqheqmi/property-tax-101.pdf?ref=sdnewswatch.org). Put simply, assessment begins with a county’s department of equalization, which determines the value of all real property within the county. Agriculture is assessed based on the value of its productivity, and all other property is based on fair market value. Assessment notices go to property owners before March 1, and they can appeal if they disagree with the assessed value of their property. They first appeal to the local board of equalization, and then they can appeal to the county board. They then can appeal to the Office of Hearing Examiners. Finally, they can appeal to the circuit court. Appealing the assessments isn’t easy, however. David Chicoine, former president of South Dakota State University, said the assessment on a house he owns on Lake Poinsett jumped 30% in one year. His neighbors were hit with the same increases, he said. ![David Chicoine, former president of South Dakota State University, said the homes along this shore of Lake Poinsett, S.D., saw their taxes jump 30% in one year.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/12/DJI_0041-1.JPG) David Chicoine, former president of South Dakota State University, said the homes along this shore of Lake Poinsett, S.D., saw their assessments jump 30% in one year. Photo was taken on Oct. 30, 2025\. (Photo: Kevin Killough/SD News Watch) When he saw the sudden increase, he wanted to learn more about the methodology that led to the assessment and contacted his local assessor in Hamlin County. “I asked her if she could just send me the manual that they used to assess property taxes with. And she says there isn't any,” Chicoine said. He said the methodology they use to do the assessments limits the ability to appeal the process. There aren’t any comparables that would allow the property owners to look at records and compare them to other properties. “The appeal process is just sort of moot, given the methodology they use to increment the assessments from one year to the next,” Chicoine said. ## More than a dozen approaches Each of the 19 proposals the task force advanced approaches the problem in a different way. Many of them make adjustments — expanding eligibility or making applications easier — to [various relief programs available in the state](https://dor.sd.gov/individuals/taxes/property-tax/relief-programs/?ref=sdnewswatch.org), which are available for the elderly, the disabled and veterans. Others make adjustments to the tax structures for school districts, which take up 57% of tax revenue, according to a [Legislative Research Council report from 2024](https://mylrc.sdlegislature.gov/api/Documents/Issue%20Memo/269615.pdf?ref=sdnewswatch.org). Joe Kirby, a Sioux Falls businessman and government reform advocate, [proposes on his blog](https://siouxfallsjoe.com/2025/11/18/want-lower-property-taxes-start-by-fixing-school-boundaries/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) that having more than 150 school districts in South Dakota is inefficient. Consolidating some of these districts, he argues, would lower administrative costs and allow for more efficient capital planning. > “Property tax relief ... is so multifaceted that one bill is not going to solve it. It takes a comprehensive approach.” > – Sen. Chris Karr, Sioux Falls Republican Another proposal the task force recommended for consideration asks the governor to provide a 5% cut to the general budget. Other proposals seek to replace some property taxes with sales taxes. In his budget address on Dec. 1, [Rhoden proposed no increases](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/gov-rhoden-budget-legislature-spending-education-sd/), but his budget also doesn’t offer any major cuts. South Dakota’s 4.2% sales tax rate is due to increase to 4.5% as a result of a sunset clause. Another proposal would take that increase and put it toward a fund to replace part of the money the state sends to school districts. A [ballot question](https://sdsos.gov/elections-voting/upcoming-elections/assets/2026%20BQ/14ptfontFullTextCAMikeMuellerPropertyTax2026001.pdf?ref=sdnewswatch.org) that is currently collecting signatures would replace all property taxes with a $1.50 flat tax on retail purchases of $15 or more. On transactions of less than $15, consumers would pay 10% of the purchase price. ## Multifaceted problem These wide-ranging approaches have some questioning if another gridlock debate will prevent meaningful property tax reform in the coming session. McWhorter in Custard County has doubts. “I think there will be some talk, and some things will get tweaked. I don’t see anything that will be long-term,” she said. State Sen. Chris Karr, a Republican from Sioux Falls who chaired the task force, told News Watch that people shouldn’t get discouraged if multiple bills put forth approaches to addressing the problem. “Property tax relief, the way we fund property taxes, or the way we fund schools and local government through property taxes, is so multifaceted that one bill is not going to solve it. It takes a comprehensive approach,” Karr said. [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/11/Donate-News-Watch-2--1-.png)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?%5Fgl=1%2A10w9pkh%2A%5Fgcl%5Fau%2AMjAyOTY2NTc3My4xNzMwNDcxOTUz%2A%5Fga%2AMTM3NDcyODMyNS4xNzAyMTQ0MTg3%2A%5Fga%5FH98KVPR32J%2AMTczMTAxOTY1OS40NC4wLjE3MzEwMTk2NTkuMC4wLjA.&ref=sdnewswatch.org) He also points out that only some of the 19 proposals deal directly with tax revenues. The rest provide “guardrails” and relief for high-need groups. Sen. Foster, of Pine Ridge, said she’s not discouraged by the number of proposals because it shows there’s a lot of interest from legislators in solving the problem. “The political will is there more than it’s ever been before, and the need is also there," she said. "It’s not going to be cut and dry. So I’m optimistic, but I’m also aware of the challenges that we’re going to be facing.” She said one of those challenges is that the state’s dire funding outlook in the coming year might give lawmakers fewer options. The 2026 legislative session starts at noon on Tuesday, Jan. 13, with Gov. Rhoden’s “State of the State” address. March 9 is the last day for a bill or joint resolution to pass both houses. *Correction: This story was corrected at 3:09 p.m. on Dec. 12, 2025, to state that the 30% increases impacting properties on Lake Poinsett were assessments and not taxes.* [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact Kevin Killough* at* [*kevin.killough@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:kevin.killough@sdnewswatch.org). ### Fact brief: Does South Dakota have the highest fertility rate in the nation? URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/fact-brief-south-dakota-highest-fertility-rate-nation/ Last updated: 2025-12-11T11:00:31.000Z ## Yes. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/WhiteFACT-BRIEF--500-x-200-px--2-1-1.png) South Dakota ranked No. 1 in the nation for fertility rates in 2023, with 65.6 live births per 1,000 women aged 15-44\. Nebraska is second (65.2) followed by Alaska (62.4). The United States recorded 54.5 births per 1,000 women aged 18-44 in 2023\. Rates across the country have fallen since 2013, including in South Dakota. There were 78.1 births per 1,000 women that year in the state. Then-South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem touted the state’s top ranking in 2024, saying that the birth rate shows that residents “want to raise a family.”. Though the fertility rate is falling, South Dakota’s No. 1 ranking is a combination of family and religious values, the state's prominent agriculture sector and a strong economy, experts say. South Dakota was 15th in infant mortality rates nationally, with 6.34 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2023, according to the CDC. *This fact brief responds to conversations such as* [*this one.*](https://www.reddit.com/r/SouthDakota/comments/qwec7z/sd%5Fprojected%5Fto%5Fhave%5Fthe%5Fhighest%5Fbirth%5Frate%5Fin/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) ### **Source** CDC,[ Fertility rates](https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/state-stats/births/fertility-rate.html?ref=sdnewswatch.org) KELO-TV, [More people going childless despite SD’s high fertility rates](https://www.keloland.com/keloland-com-original/more-people-going-childless-despite-sds-high-fertility-rates/?ref=sdnewswatch.org#:~:text=But%20South%20Dakota%20also%20continuously,their%20decision%20to%20remain%20childless.) KELO-TV, [Why SD Is leading the nation with fertility rate](https://www.keloland.com/news/why-sd-is-leading-the-nation-with-fertility-rate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Argus Leader, [While births are rising, South Dakota's infant mortality continues to lead the nation](https://www.argusleader.com/story/news/politics/2024/10/27/while-births-are-rising-south-dakotas-infant-mortality-continues-to-lead-the-nation/75159418007/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF), [Births per 1,000 Women Ages 15-44](https://www.kff.org/state-health-policy-data/state-indicator/birth-rate-per-1000/?activeTab=graph¤tTimeframe=0&startTimeframe=10&selectedRows=%7B%22states%22:%7B%22south-dakota%22:%7B%7D%7D,%22wrapups%22:%7B%22united-states%22:%7B%7D%7D%7D&sortModel=%7B%22colId%22:%22Location%22,%22sort%22:%22asc%22%7D&ref=sdnewswatch.org) CDC, [Infant Mortality](https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/state-stats/deaths/infant-mortality.html?ref=sdnewswatch.org) --- [South Dakota News Watch](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/) partners with [Gigafact](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) to publish fact briefs that refute or confirm a claim with supporting information and additional evidence and context. - [Read previous fact briefs](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/tag/fact-brief/). - Read our verification standards and other [best practices policies](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/best-practices/). - Submit a question for us to answer on the [South Dakota News Watch Tipline](https://gigafact.org/tipline/south-dakota-news-watch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). - Send questions or feedback to [factbrief@sdnewswatch.org](mailto:factbrief@sdnewswatch.org). [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact Michael Klinski* at michael.klinski@sdnewswatch.org.* ### Biotech: SD revs up for the future in a young, growing industry URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/usd-discovery-district-biotech-industry-south-dakota/ Last updated: 2025-12-11T19:43:47.000Z SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — In the northwest corner of Sioux Falls, an 80-acre campus opened its first building this year dedicated entirely to expanding the state's life science and biotechnology research industry. After nearly 30 years of planning and development, the University of South Dakota Discovery District now provides flexible core and shell space for companies to design and build their own labs and offices. It's representative of the collaboration among major entities across the state working to ensure that, as these emerging technology fields seek to expand nationwide, South Dakota is atop the list. Dozens of companies and universities are part of the budding industry, including health care giants Sanford Health and Avera Health and Rapid City-based innovation company Phylloceuticals. [Biotech defined: Economic impact, SD companies and moreIndustry leaders in state trying to make South Dakota part of a $3.2 trillion industry.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-317.jpg)South Dakota News WatchMolly Wetsch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/usdrp-2025-market-study-building-1-progress-on-prairie-1.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/biotech-economic-impact-sd-companies/) According to Built In, an online tech community, "biotech is the intersection of biological, engineering and computer sciences, which uses living organisms (or parts of them) and biological systems to create products and services with a wide range of applications." Those include pharmaceutical research, food and fuel production, chemical manufacturing, breeding for biodiversity, and the production of hazardous materials and weapons. [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/11/Donate-News-Watch--3-.png)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?%5Fgl=1%2A1txxzuc%2A%5Fgcl%5Fau%2AMjAyOTY2NTc3My4xNzMwNDcxOTUz%2A%5Fga%2AMTM3NDcyODMyNS4xNzAyMTQ0MTg3%2A%5Fga%5FH98KVPR32J%2AMTczMDkzMzA3Ni40Mi4wLjE3MzA5MzMwNzYuMC4wLjA.&ref=sdnewswatch.org) Joni Ekstrum, executive director of the South Dakota Biotech Association, told News Watch that interest in the industry is only increasing as the technology develops. "Membership (of the association) has grown in size. We've gotten new, not just biotech members, but people that are interested in the biotech industry, such as law firms, such as construction companies, architecture firms. They want to be part of us. They want to see it grow. They are excited about what their future can be," Ekstrum said. ## Market study illustrates a growing, but young, industry The Discovery District's [2025 Market Study](https://www.usddiscovery.com/2025-south-dakota-bioscience-market-study?ref=sdnewswatch.org) provides an overview of the biotech industry in South Dakota and nationwide. Tung Nguyen, who handles marketing, developed the study, which is now in its third year. For the 2025 iteration, he traveled to the BIO International Convention in Boston and spoke to major players in the biotech and life sciences industries about their focuses for the coming year and what South Dakota may offer to them. Emerging themes from the market study are the convenience of South Dakota's interstate and highway system, growth of health care and pharmaceutical imports and an affordable environment for early-stage business development. The study quotes one international life sciences company as saying, “A business may have five years of runway in Boston, but for the same capital, that business can have a 10-year runway in South Dakota.” ![Sioux Falls Mayor Paul TenHaken (left) and South Dakota Lt. Gov. Tony Venhuizen at the USD Discovery District's ribbon cutting on Apr. 1, 2025. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/12/Discovery-District-Ribbon-Cutting-4--1-.jpg) Sioux Falls Mayor Paul TenHaken (left) and South Dakota Lt. Gov. Tony Venhuizen at the USD Discovery District's ribbon cutting on Apr. 1, 2025\. (Photo: Adam Pearson) Nguyen said that for many companies, South Dakota's smaller industry, easy access to major legislative and industry players and collaborative nature can also be a draw. "I think in South Dakota, considering our small population size, sometimes we kind of naturally collaborate," Nguyen told News Watch. "I think naturally, we just know who the people are. And the circle's relatively small in that regard." Former Gov. Mike Rounds established funding for specialized research centers at public universities in 2004, so South Dakota entered the bioscience and research space relatively recently. That means ongoing collaboration will be necessary into the future, Ekstrum said. [SDSU loses $86M in federal research fundingBudget cut was to 1 South Dakota State agricultural program; 3 other public and tribal universities take $1.6M hit.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-316.jpg)South Dakota News WatchEmily DeCock![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/cattle-1-1.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-sdsu-federal-livestock-bison-research-cuts-doge/) "If we look at where we came from in the past 20 years, we've come a long way, honestly," she said. "We do need to have the state's help with some of those operations because we are small, because we're trying to grow this industry. So it will take ongoing state dollars." ## ****Get South Dakota stories** An email summary on most weekdays that links to the full version. Cancel anytime. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. Several states offer tax credits or other incentives to support bioscience development, like research and development tax credits or grant matches through the federal Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program. South Dakota is one of two states without any incentive programs for the biotech industry, according to BIO’s Best Practices 2025 report. South Dakota’s Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) published the South Dakota Science and Technology Plan in March. That report says that the state’s business research and development and academic R&D efforts rank 47th and 50th in the country, respectively. Those rankings have gotten lower in the past decade, as neighbors Wyoming and North Dakota moved up. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/12/USDRP-Building-1-Core-and-Shell-2025.jpg) Marc Niamba, Ryan Oines and Tung Nguyen at the University of South Dakota Discovery District in Sioux Falls, S.D. (Photo: Skye Giebink) Nguyen said that while the state's rankings are "humbling," they do not mean certain death for the biotech and life science industries, which rely heavily on research in the state. "What I was trying to demonstrate in the market study is how can we look at the numbers differently? Since we ranked so low, that doesn't necessarily mean we are bad at academic research or our students aren't capable of doing these things," Nguyen said. ## State-specific opportunities are the future of biotech Nguyen said that he hopes to see companies come to South Dakota because of the state's unique qualities, which have the opportunity to set it apart from tech hubs like Silicon Valley or nearby major metropolitan areas like Minneapolis. “The question I always ask myself is, 'What's the point of replicating another cluster in America?' What's the point of that? Because I think if we do that, we risk kind of losing our own identity in some ways. Our own unique differentiators, that other places may not have," Nguyen said. Ekstrum said that some of those differentiators lie in the state's success in other industries, many of which have begun to see biotech applications to their practices. > "Valued-added ag is a big thing for us. How do we do more processing here in our state to make it more profitable for those farmers?" > \-- Joni Ekstrum, executive director of the South Dakota Biotech Association "Yes, we do have great strengths, like a low tax environment. That is a huge draw for many companies wanting to come here. That's the big thing. So then building upon that, what other resources do we have? We've got a tremendous amount of commodities in ag. We're rich in that space," Ekstrum said. "Valued-added ag is a big thing for us. How do we do more processing here in our state to make it more profitable for those farmers? Rather than just exporting their corn, how can we process it here to make it something better, something different?" Part of the reason Nguyen is hopeful for the industry's future is the state’s close relationship to the Department of Defense, including through Ellsworth Air Force Base near Rapid City and Dakota State University in Madison. Biotech has risen to the top of mind in the White House as a national security issue, which elevates South Dakota's ability to adapt to future regulation or collaboration with federal agencies, he said. “South Dakota has a really rich and strong history in military defense. But I think, as the federal and the macro picture is biotech becoming more of a national asset, I think that's going to also increase collaboration within our state. It's going to be more of a talking point,” Nguyen said. ## Discovery District begins attracting companies in first year of operation The first building in the Discovery District has three tenants already operating in the space, including OmegaQuant LLC, a nutritional analytics company. That leaves 25,000 square feet of space still available. Discovery District President and CEO Ryan Oines said one of the benefits of the research park is job creation. The district projects 2,800 new workers in the biotech and life science industry by the time of its completion, which is currently estimated on a 25-year timeline. ![Inside available shell space at the USD Discovery District in Sioux Falls, S.D. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/12/Discovery-District-Ribbon-Cutting-188.jpg) Inside available shell space at the USD Discovery District in Sioux Falls, S.D. (Photo: Adam Pearson) "I always look at it from, 'Can we help the existing ecosystem, meaning add jobs, add tax base, but also can we bring opportunities for the student workforce that's just across the parking lot (at USD's Sioux Falls campus)?' And hopefully feed some of those companies with opportunities to fill empty positions or grow research," Oines said. And as more companies begin to join the space, there will be a domino effect, Oines said, bringing more industry players into the state, which will take time. "Each organization that we talk to, it builds momentum. And so being able to bring in another biotech company will build momentum to a product or a service provider, a consultant that works with that company," Oines said. "In the research park world, we always say it's a 20-year overnight success." [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/11/Donate-News-Watch-2--1-.png)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?%5Fgl=1%2A10w9pkh%2A%5Fgcl%5Fau%2AMjAyOTY2NTc3My4xNzMwNDcxOTUz%2A%5Fga%2AMTM3NDcyODMyNS4xNzAyMTQ0MTg3%2A%5Fga%5FH98KVPR32J%2AMTczMTAxOTY1OS40NC4wLjE3MzEwMTk2NTkuMC4wLjA.&ref=sdnewswatch.org) [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **Correction:* The second paragraph of this story was corrected at 1:41 p.m. Dec. 11, 2025, to clarify the type of space available in the building.* *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email) *for statewide stories. Investigative reporter *Molly Wetsch* is a* [*Report for America*](https://www.reportforamerica.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *corps member covering rural and Indigenous issues. Contact her at* [*molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Fact brief: Is South Dakota’s rate of chronic absenteeism in schools increasing? URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/fact-brief-south-dakota-education-chronic-absenteeism/ Last updated: 2025-12-09T11:00:07.000Z ## No. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/WhiteFACT-BRIEF--500-x-200-px--2-1-1.png) The number of students who are marked as chronically absent in the South Dakota public school system has stayed flat since falling from a COVID-era spike. Chronically absent students jumped from 14% in 2018-19 to 22% in 2021-22 and have stayed at 21% since then. Chronic absenteeism is when students miss more than 10% or more of school – about two days per month. Nationally, chronic absenteeism reached 31% in 2021-22 and fell to 28% in 2022-23. South Dakota’s chronic absenteeism is largely fueled by absences at Native American schools. During the 2023-24 school year, 51% of Indigenous students were chronically absent from school. Chronic absenteeism is linked to a higher likelihood of students not finishing high school. In 2023, the state Department of Education awarded grants to nine South Dakota school districts to address chronic absenteeism by implementing programs that will fund transportation, community engagement opportunities and mentoring, among others. *This fact brief responds to conversations such as* [*this one.*](https://www.reddit.com/r/SiouxFalls/comments/1pbgw90/do%5Fkids%5Feven%5Fgo%5Fto%5Fschool%5Fthese%5Fdays/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) ### **Source** South Dakota Department of Education, [Attendance matters](https://doe.sd.gov/attendance/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) South Dakota News Watch, [Native absenteeism challenges SD educators: 'There's no silver bullet'](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/native-american-absenteeism-south-dakota-education/) South Dakota Department of Education, [2022-23 Report Card data](https://boardsandcommissions.sd.gov/bcuploads/10.20.23%20BOES%20Presentation.pdf?ref=sdnewswatch.org) NPR, [Research has linked chronic absenteeism with lower academic achievement and a higher likelihood of dropping out of high school.](https://www.npr.org/2025/11/01/nx-s1-5576453/schools-absenteeism-states-pandemic?ref=sdnewswatch.org) --- [South Dakota News Watch](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/) partners with [Gigafact](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) to publish fact briefs that refute or confirm a claim with supporting information and additional evidence and context. - [Read previous fact briefs](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/tag/fact-brief/). - Read our verification standards and other [best practices policies](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/best-practices/). - Submit a question for us to answer on the [South Dakota News Watch Tipline](https://gigafact.org/tipline/south-dakota-news-watch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). - Send questions or feedback to [factbrief@sdnewswatch.org](mailto:factbrief@sdnewswatch.org). [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact Michael Klinski* at michael.klinski@sdnewswatch.org.* ### Hispanic population thrives in one small SD town URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/hispanic-thrives-plankinton-south-dakota-iglesia-renuevo/ Last updated: 2025-12-08T12:03:39.000Z PLANKINTON, S.D. – Of the just 768 people who call Plankinton home, 163 identify as Hispanic, according to the 2023 American Community Survey. That's 1 in 5 people – far higher than the state's total proportion of Hispanic individuals, which sits at around 4% of the population. Churches are working to provide Spanish language services and interpretation technology. The town’s elementary school is one of the few of its size in the state to have an English as a Second Language (ESL) education program. And non-Hispanic residents, at a recent city council meeting, said they are looking into starting adult Spanish classes to “reach out more effectively with our Hispanic neighbors.” It’s indicative of a larger trend in South Dakota, where diversity in rural communities grows as job opportunities flourish, in part due to new agricultural processing plants popping up in the central part of the state. It also demonstrates how non-Hispanic community members are embracing the new diversity in their towns. [![Made with Flourish](https://public.flourish.studio/resources/made_with_flourish.svg) ](https://public.flourish.studio/visualisation/24590729/?utm%5Fsource=embed&utm%5Fcampaign=visualisation/24590729) Huron, 60 miles north of Plankinton, is the seat of Beadle County, which has the highest percentage of Hispanic residents in the state. But Plankinton’s Aurora County, which has just one-seventh of Beadle’s population, is the second-highest. [Hispanic population gains in rural counties spark South Dakota growthSouth Dakota’s Hispanic population more than doubled over the past 12 years and now helps keep many small towns vibrant, a trend seen in other rural areas of the U.S., according to census data and experts.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-311.jpg)South Dakota News WatchStu Whitney![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/CincodeMayo.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/hispanic-population-gains-in-rural-counties-spark-south-dakota-growth/) As diversity in rural areas increase, community members have come together to provide services that benefit those who speak Spanish as their primary home language. ## More statewide interpretive and other Spanish services Ivan Romero, vice president of the Sioux Falls-based South Dakota Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, said that statewide, people are seeing the benefits of increased diversity – even in small towns like Plankinton. “In the past, it was really difficult for people to get services in their language. Going to the doctor you would need an interpreter and it would be difficult to find one. Daily necessities became difficult because of the language barriers that might've been there. But now, we do have a larger Hispanic population and not just people that cook. We also have people that are working professionals," he said. [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/11/Donate-News-Watch--3-.png)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) "There's attorneys, real estate agents. There are doctors that speak Spanish, whereas a few years ago, even five years ago, we didn't see that. So that makes people comfortable. To have somebody that understands their culture and their language and is able to interact with them on a professional level. We have CPAs, we have accountants, we have just all kinds of folks that do speak Spanish, and are Hispanic as well, providing services through the wider community.” ## Worship services a key site of community gathering Herman Perez has called South Dakota home for over a decade. A native of Puerto Rico, he’s served missions across Central America, most recently in Mexico, but rural South Dakota has ended up an unexpected place for Spanish-language support needs. Iglesia Renuevo, which means Renew Church in English, Perez’s Spanish-language church service, has partnered with Sunnycrest United Methodist Church in Sioux Falls and the United Methodist Church of Plankinton to offer regular services in Spanish. ## ****Get South Dakota stories** An email summary on most weekdays that links to the full version. Cancel anytime. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. Perez said that the services in Plankinton have drawn in people from surrounding communities of White Lake, Mount Vernon and Stickney as well as town residents. “Sometimes we have 10, 15 people, but we sometimes have up to 80 people in one service,” Perez said. "Plankinton is a really small town. But they've got a really, really big population of Hispanics, and that's why we took advantage of that, started to open a service there once a week, and it's just a blessing for everybody." Interpretive services have been available in larger cities for a while. But in more rural areas, gaps still exist. Plankinton, because of its large community and availability of Spanish-friendly services, has become somewhat of a gathering space for Hispanic people from nearby communities where the population is smaller, Perez said. [Rural and reservation health providers face major hurdles in South DakotaPatchwork system of health care in rural and reservation areas of South Dakota complicates care. This is the second of a two-part series on rural and reservation health care.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-313.jpg)South Dakota News WatchBart Pfankuch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/23.-Len-Wonnenberg--PA--Horizon-Health-Huron--SD.JPG)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-rural-native-american-reservation-health-care/) "Almost all of the people (in Plankinton) are very welcoming. You go to Mount Vernon, and they only have one Spanish family," Perez told News Watch. "You know, all of the little cities, like Kimball only has two families. But most of the people in the community (of Plankinton) are very welcoming, so they go there." Romero said that, while the population is growing across the state, there are still barriers to be faced regarding the community's integration into conversation across the state. He said that many Hispanic people want to see greater collaboration between Hispanic and non-Hispanic people – even outside of important cultural times like Hispanic Heritage Month and Día de los Muertos. “What I would want people to understand is that we are part of the community, we're not just an add-on to the community. We are the community,” Romero said. “People want our voice and our number at that moment when it's needed and convenient, but then after that we get forgotten. That's the biggest thing, is that we also sit at the table because we are in the same kitchen.” ## Immigration enforcement casts shadow, but ultimately brings community together Immigration enforcement efforts have ramped up across the country in the past several months. In July, Gov. Larry Rhoden announced Operation: Prairie Thunder, a collaborative initiative focusing on both broadly targeting crime and working with immigration officials. That operation was originally announced to run from August to December. But a spokesperson from the governor's office told News Watch that, "Our results remain impressive, and it is clear that this operation is keeping South Dakota strong, safe, and free — so we are going to keep it up!" The majority of foreign-born people in South Dakota are Latin American, though other populations are not far behind, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The title "foreign-born," though, does not indicate citizenship or other legal immigration status. While those circumstances have caused some fear among residents, it has mostly created a sense of unity among the community that he serves, Perez said. “People are in fear, but they cannot live in fear. In our case, we hear of more people coming to church after (immigration activity) happens,” he said. "Churches are a very safe place for people, and they feel very welcomed and very safe there. When things get difficult, it's where they go." Romero said that Hispanic-owned businesses have told him that they are seeing a decrease in business activity, as their community members leave the house less for leisure activity. He hopes that other people living in areas with Hispanic-owned businesses step in to support the business owners who have been feeling the pinch for several months. “I’d just ask that people come out and support local Mexican restaurants, Hispanic restaurants, ethnic restaurants because the traffic is down. So not only is that gonna hurt the business owner, but it also hurts the employees that are not getting their hours. And then it’s a ripple effect because now those people can’t come to the hair salon and get a haircut. People are cautious about going out. They’re also cautious about sharing information online, just because they don’t want to get in trouble.” [Immigration crackdown comes to South DakotaImpact also includes misinformation, fears and rumors about ICE raids. “People are terrified.”![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-312.jpg)South Dakota News WatchBart Pfankuch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1620577789277-7801315bd4f2-1)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/illegal-immigration-ice-president-trump-south-dakota-impact/) Romero said that while the day-to-day activities of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce have changed, the mission remains the same: to uplift the Hispanic community in the state and provide services that allow businesses to thrive. “We’re playing a different role now. We’re out advocating and trying to drum up more business. We’re playing a different role than we were six months ago, for sure.” For Perez, towns like Plankinton remind him of the need to expand services in more areas of the state. He said that Iglesia Renuevo is looking to expand farther west in the coming months. But he hopes Plankinton's Hispanic community will continue to appreciate the services it provides. "What a blessing, working with people in Plankinton," Perez said. [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/11/Donate-News-Watch-2--1-.png)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email) *for statewide stories. Investigative reporter *Molly Wetsch* is a* [*Report for America*](https://www.reportforamerica.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *corps member covering rural and Indigenous issues. Contact her at* [*molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Treatment courts help reduce South Dakota's prison population URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/sd-treatment-court-recidivism-rehabilitation-prisons-addiction-recovery/ Last updated: 2025-12-05T16:10:34.000Z PIERRE, S.D. – As much as lawmakers debated whether South Dakota should build a new men's prison, they generally agreed that rehabilitation must be a vital component to ease the state's overflowing prisons and drug problems. After passage of a bill authorizing a $650 million prison to replace the current state penitentiary in Sioux Falls, Gov. Larry Rhoden set up the Correctional Rehabilitation Task Force to look for programs and best practices that keep people from ending up back behind bars. The 30-member panel began meeting in October. As the task force explores options for improving and expanding programs to reduce recidivism, one program shows considerable success. Of those who participate in the South Dakota Unified Judicial System’s (UJS) treatment courts program, just 27% commit another felony offense within five years of their involvement with the program. That includes those who don’t graduate from it. For those who went into South Dakota’s prisons in 2020, 43% returned to prison within three years and 28% were for a new crime. The rest were technical parole violations, [according to the Department of Corrections](https://www.doc.sd.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/1296/638724678040600000?ref=sdnewswatch.org). [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/11/Donate-News-Watch--3-.png)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?%5Fgl=1%2A1txxzuc%2A%5Fgcl%5Fau%2AMjAyOTY2NTc3My4xNzMwNDcxOTUz%2A%5Fga%2AMTM3NDcyODMyNS4xNzAyMTQ0MTg3%2A%5Fga%5FH98KVPR32J%2AMTczMDkzMzA3Ni40Mi4wLjE3MzA5MzMwNzYuMC4wLjA.&ref=sdnewswatch.org) South Dakota has 17 treatment courts across the state. The program targets people who are addicts, have a high risk of reoffending and have multiple convictions. People enter the program when they’re sentenced to prison. If the courts determine the person is right for treatment court, a judge will suspend that sentence on the condition the felon participates in the program. The participants receive 200-300 hours of group and individual counseling. They’re required to have community supervision, weekly court sessions and drug testing throughout their time in the program, which is 18-24 months. The annual cost of treatment courts in South Dakota is $8,000 per person. That’s compared to $33,656 for incarceration. ## Treatment court graduate: ‘A new me’ The UJS regularly holds graduation ceremonies across the state to recognize those who successfully complete the requirements of the program. In a ceremony in Pierre in November, four graduates convicted on drug and DUI offenses were given plaques and a trophy of a cross made out of letters spelling out the first lines of the “serenity prayer.” Among the graduates was Jennifer — only first names are used — who stacked up multiple DUIs in her lifetime. When her last DUI landed her in prison once again, she was left alone in her cell at one point. She wrapped a bedsheet around her neck, intending to take her own life. “I was drinking to kill myself. I wanted to stop. I was over it,” she told a few dozen people in the audience — friends and family members who came to support the graduates. > “Everything I’ve done has made a new me.” > – Dylan, recent treatment court graduate Jennifer did not end her life and instead chose to pursue an aggressive treatment program. She even relocated temporarily to the Pierre area where she could access the treatment services she needed. “Now that's a commitment to your recovery. That's amazing,” said South Dakota Supreme Court Justice Janine Kern, who spoke at the ceremony. The others had their own stories of climbing out of their addictions to find recovery in the treatment court program. Mikey had been to prison six times, and every time he got out, he went back to using meth only to end up back in prison. [Poll: Majority of voters support new South Dakota prisonWith the new prison authorized, new disagreements over prison programs come to the forefront.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-304.jpg)South Dakota News WatchKevin Killough![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/2025-11-10-Current-prison-site-in-Sioux-Falls-4.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/poll-voters-new-prison-sioux-falls-rehabilitation-task-force/) “I was in a deep, dark place. I didn’t know if I was ever going to come out of that,” he said. Another graduate, Dylan, received a lot of support from his boss at Wheelhouse Auto Body and Paint, and his co-workers came to the ceremony that day to congratulate him. “Everything I’ve done has made a new me,” Dylan said. ![Coworkers from Wheelhouse Auto Body & Paint, where treatment court graduate "Dylan" (third from the left) works, came to the graduation ceremony to support him](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/11/Wheelhouse-1-1.jpg) Coworkers from Wheelhouse Auto Body & Paint, where treatment court graduate "Dylan" (center) works, came to the graduation ceremony to support him on Nov. 12, 2025, in Pierre, S.D. (Photo: Kevin Killough/South Dakota News Watch) While in the program, Zachary purchased his own food truck called Truck-It Burritos and Street Food, which he often parks near the Capitol in Pierre around lunchtime. As each of the graduates received their awards, they were met with applause and cheers. “You chose not to go to the penitentiary. And as one of the graduates told me today, that's the easy way out. But you didn't choose that. You chose to fight for yourself and for your family by tackling your addictions and learning new ways to cope with life's challenges,” Justice Kern said. ## Graduates of program reoffend at lower rates The UJS had previously tracked the recidivism rates of graduates of the program, but it didn’t have data on what rates were for the nearly 3,000 people who have ever participated in it, which includes those who didn’t complete the program. Greg Sattizahn, state court administrator, said that a legislative study in 2019 had suggested that just being in the program produced long-term results. The UJS wanted to test that theory by measuring the recidivism rate of all participants. “It really broadens who we’re looking at,” Sattizahn said. ## ****Get South Dakota stories** An email summary on most weekdays that links to the full version. Cancel anytime. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. He said they were surprised to find that nearly three-fourths of the participants didn’t get a felony conviction within five years of being in the program. Besides being cheaper than incarceration, the lower recidivism rates produce other savings to taxpayers. “Those we don’t see again are the success stories. They’re employed, paying taxes, living in stable homes, reunited with their families and contributing positively to their communities. The transformation in the lives of these individuals is truly remarkable,” Supreme Court Chief Justice Steven Jensen said in a statement announcing the recidivism-rate results. ## Evolving corrections philosophy With crack cocaine spreading epidemically across the country in the 1980s, drug addiction came to the forefront of Americans' concerns. The initial approach to the problem was to incarcerate as many drug offenders as could be caught. State and federal lawmakers increased penalties for possessing and selling drugs, and mandatory minimum sentences were set, which required judges to impose lengthy sentences. But drugs continued to be a serious problem. Between 2003 and 2022, the number of overdose deaths per capita quadrupled from 8.9 to 32.6 per 100,000 population, according to the Centers for Disease Control, though the number dipped in 2023\. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/11/Scott-Sattizahn-1-1.jpeg) Greg Sattizahn on Oct. 23, 2025, at his office in Pierre, S.D. (Photo: Kevin Killough/South Dakota News Watch) Drug courts have been around for more than 30 years. As it became apparent that locking people in prison wasn’t going to solve addictions, they’ve been utilized more often as a tool to address addiction. South Dakota implemented them in 2008. More than 3,400 drug courts operate in the United States today, and 150,000 people are served by them each year, according to the National Association of Drug Court Professionals. As of June 30, 2,970 individuals had participated in the South Dakota treatment court system, and close to half had completed their program. ## Treatment programs tailored to each participant There are different types of treatment courts in South Dakota. Some courts target those with DUIs and others are for those with drug offenses. Some courts handle both. Others are for those with mental health needs, and others are specifically for military veterans. The needs of the participants of the programs go beyond their addictions, Sattizahn explained. Some have problems with mental illnesses, employment, housing and family relationships. [With prison approved, attention turns to recidivismWhile the $650 million project was a contentious issue among legislators, the need to help repeat offenders received a lot of agreement.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-305.jpg)South Dakota News WatchKevin Killough![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/SDStatePen-2.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-mens-prison-recidivism-treatment/) A collaborative team involving judges, counselors and treatment providers develops personalized, evidence-based plans to address whatever needs the participants have. And while the participants work through the program, probation officers provide consistent community supervision. Sattizahn described it as a hub. The probation officer becomes a resource to connect the person with other resources, which can be things like getting clothes for a job interview, getting transportation, building relationships with their families — which are sometimes fragmented as a result of the addiction — or other basic life skills needs. This is all on top of drug treatment, counseling and supervision. “It's really very holistic,” Sattizahn said. ## 'Eventually the drugs kind of got to me' Derek Moe is another graduate of the South Dakota treatment court system. He started using marijuana and alcohol when he was 11 years old. Eventually he got into harder drugs, like MDMA, also known as ecstasy, and it wasn’t long before he was using cocaine and meth. “All during this time, I was having kids and going to college. And I somehow managed to start a career as an engineer,” he said. He eventually lost his high-paying engineering job, and it was the first time in his adult life he was unemployed. He was 36\. It happened during the COVID pandemic. Being in denial about his addiction, he blamed the pandemic for his job loss. His boss gave him a severance package, but he didn’t say he was letting Moe go over his drug use. ![Derek Moe successfully completed a drug court program and today sponsors others and hosts Bible studies.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/11/DerekMoe-ed-1.jpg) Derek Moe successfully completed a drug court program and today sponsors others and hosts Bible studies. (Photo: Courtesy of Derek Moe) “My boss sat me down and said, ‘Derek, I just have to let you go.’ He was very kind to me because I helped him for seven years. I helped him develop his business in Sioux Falls from the ground up, and he had a lot of success. But eventually the drugs kind of got to me,” Moe said. After finding himself unemployed, he discovered it was the job that was providing him with some structure to keep him functioning. Without a job to hold him together, he could use and sell drugs all day. From the time he was 18 until he was 36, he got two DUIs. In two years after he lost his job, he didn’t make a single house payment. He lost his house. He lost his kids. And he ended up with 27 misdemeanors and two felonies. The felonies were ingestion charges, which occurs when someone is arrested and tests positive for drugs after their arrest. The judge offered to suspend his sentence if he went through the drug treatment program. [Former employees say DOC isn’t ready for the new prisonOpponents of the new prison raised concerns about the “chaos” in the South Dakota Department of Corrections.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-294.jpg)South Dakota News WatchKevin Killough![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/Prison-Inmates-2.png)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-department-corrections-doc-new-prison-wasko/) In the beginning, Moe didn’t want to submit to the treatment program. He moved into a bedroom in his dad’s mobile home in Brookings and bought an ounce of psilocybin mushrooms, a hallucinogenic drug. Since drug tests don’t usually test for psilocybin, he could continue getting high. “I wasn’t willing to give up the addiction and alcoholism. I did that for a while until my daughter and my mom came and visited me. And I realized another felony would probably land me in prison for 10 years,” Moe said. ## A mustard seed: 'It's incredible how it works' He submitted to the treatment program, and at the time, he wasn’t a believer in God. The 12-step program requires submitting to a higher power, which for many is God. Moe’s higher power was initially the administrators overseeing his drug court program. “They were definitely a power greater than myself. And I started there,” he said. Over the 18 months he was in the program, Moe worked through the 12-step program, a popular self-help approach to addiction recovery that was created by the founders of Alcoholics Anonymous in the 1930s. His sponsor at the time was a Christian, and Moe said the sponsor led him to the Lord. He was able to work his way back into an engineering job, starting out working for $10 per hour for a friend. [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/11/Donate-News-Watch-2--1-.png)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?%5Fgl=1%2A10w9pkh%2A%5Fgcl%5Fau%2AMjAyOTY2NTc3My4xNzMwNDcxOTUz%2A%5Fga%2AMTM3NDcyODMyNS4xNzAyMTQ0MTg3%2A%5Fga%5FH98KVPR32J%2AMTczMTAxOTY1OS40NC4wLjE3MzEwMTk2NTkuMC4wLjA.&ref=sdnewswatch.org) Now, he sponsors others, hosts Bible studies and works with other people struggling with their own addictions. He’s also rebuilt relationships with his family. He said, thanks to his sobriety, he’s been able to help other family members in their own struggles. He compares the impact of drug court to Jesus’ parable of the mustard seed. It’s a story Jesus told in the New Testament that describes the Kingdom of Heaven as being like a mustard seed that grows into a large plant, providing shelter for birds and others. “All these things happen from this tiny, little seed. Drug court helps one person. Then that person goes off and does all kinds of other things to help others. It’s pretty incredible how it works,” Moe said. *Correction: This story was updated at 10:08 a.m. CT on Friday, Dec. 5, 2025, to correct the name of Greg Sattizahn in the caption of his photo.* [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact statehouse investigative reporter Kevin Killough* at* [*kevin.killough@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:kevin.killough@sdnewswatch.org). ### Fact brief: Has South Dakota seen the largest homeschool growth of any state? URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/fact-brief-south-dakota-homeschool-rate-comparison/ Last updated: 2025-12-04T11:00:14.000Z ## Yes ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/WhiteFACT-BRIEF--500-x-200-px--2-1-1.png) South Dakota’s rate of home-schooled students increased 143% from 2015-16 to 2023-24\. according to a database compiled by John Hopkins University. The number of home-schooled students in the state grew from 4,333 to 10,536 during that time. Of the states that reported data for every year during the range, Tennessee (135%) and North Dakota (114%) had the next highest gains of homeschooled students. The rapid increase in South Dakota has forced belt-tightening at public schools. Districts receive $7,000 per student from the state, resulting in a collective drop of more than $60 million in funding. The Rapid City School District sent mailers out to households where students had dropped attendance with the goal of getting them back to public school. The state's home-school numbers could increase even more after Gov. Larry Rhoden announced South Dakota will opt into a federal tax program that is designed to help students attending alternative schooling. *This fact brief responds to conversations such as* [*this one.*](https://www.reddit.com/r/SiouxFalls/comments/1l9uins/homeschooling%5Fin%5Fsouth%5Fdakota/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) ### **Source** John Hopkins University, [South Dakota education](https://education.jhu.edu/edpolicy/policy-research-initiatives/homeschool-hub/states/south-dakota/?ref=sdnewswatch.org#:~:text=Based%20on%20U.S.%20Census%20data%2C%20our%20calculations,and%205.97%25%20during%20the%202023%2D24%20school%20year.) John Hopkins University, [Home school database](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1xFaTmfL1W-rkgrT%5FM39aApH2SVTjpnte/edit?gid=1920782788&ref=sdnewswatch.org#gid=1920782788) The Dakota Scout, [Competing for kids: School districts struggle to stop exodus of homeschool students](https://www.thedakotascout.com/p/competing-for-kids-school-districts?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Dakota News Now, [Rhoden says state will opt in to federal education tax credit program](https://www.dakotanewsnow.com/2025/11/14/rhoden-says-state-will-opt-federal-education-tax-credit-program/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) --- [South Dakota News Watch](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/) partners with [Gigafact](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) to publish fact briefs that refute or confirm a claim with supporting information and additional evidence and context. - [Read previous fact briefs](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/tag/fact-brief/). - Read our verification standards and other [best practices policies](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/best-practices/). - Submit a question for us to answer on the [South Dakota News Watch Tipline](https://gigafact.org/tipline/south-dakota-news-watch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). - Send questions or feedback to [factbrief@sdnewswatch.org](mailto:factbrief@sdnewswatch.org). [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact Michael Klinski* at michael.klinski@sdnewswatch.org.* ### In lean year, governor offers no increase in 'big 3' spending URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/gov-rhoden-budget-legislature-spending-education-sd/ Last updated: 2025-12-09T13:36:55.000Z After several years of revenue surpluses that allowed for spending increases and ambitious government projects, the state of South Dakota expects a lean funding outlook, a reality reflected Tuesday in Gov. Larry Rhoden's budget address. In his first budget address to the Legislature since becoming governor in January, Rhoden proposed no annual state aid increase for the so-called big three core funding responsibilities of state government: K-12 education, health care providers and state employees. As a result, Rhoden's budget calls for no pay raises for the roughly 14,200 people employed in state government. To offset that pain, Rhoden also proposed that state employee health care plans not include a premium increase in the coming fiscal year. [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/11/Donate-News-Watch--3-.png)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?%5Fgl=1%2A1txxzuc%2A%5Fgcl%5Fau%2AMjAyOTY2NTc3My4xNzMwNDcxOTUz%2A%5Fga%2AMTM3NDcyODMyNS4xNzAyMTQ0MTg3%2A%5Fga%5FH98KVPR32J%2AMTczMDkzMzA3Ni40Mi4wLjE3MzA5MzMwNzYuMC4wLjA.&ref=sdnewswatch.org) His budget proposal also calls for no state increase in reimbursement to providers of Medicaid, the federal program that funds health care for low-income residents. And he offered no increase in spending for K-12 public education. Rhoden, the former lieutenant governor, became governor when former Gov. Kristi Noem left to run the federal Department of Homeland Security. Rhoden is running for re-election in 2026 and will have to survive a crowded Republican primary field to advance to the general election in November. [SD governor poll: Rhoden, Johnson lead; Doeden, Hansen surgeA poll shows GOP voters throwing their support behind incumbent Larry Rhoden and U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson. But challengers are pulling in voters.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-309.jpg)South Dakota News WatchKevin Killough![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/Gubernatorial-6.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/sd-poll-gop-gubernatorial-governor-rhoden-johnson-doeden-hanson/) Rhoden said that revenue challenges mean "we don’t have a ton of headroom" in spending plans. But he closed his address with a challenge to lawmakers, who will have the opportunity to adopt or change his spending priorities during the upcoming legislative session. "This limited budget might seem like a challenge, but as I often say, I encourage you all to view that as an opportunity," Rhoden said. "It’s an opportunity to make sure we’re investing only in the things that we should be.” In total, Rhoden’s plan calls for $7.44 billion in fiscal year spending, consisting of $2.51 billion in state general funds, $3.14 billion in federal funds and $1.79 billion from other sources. Here are some highlights of the governor's budget address and his spending proposals. ## Post-pandemic revenue slowdown Rhoden said the recent revenue slowdown comes after several years of prosperity. State data shows that South Dakota's main revenue source, the sales tax, fell by 2.6% in the fiscal year that ended in June 2024 and dropped another 0.6% in the fiscal year that ended in June 2025. ## ****Get South Dakota stories** An email summary on most weekdays that links to the full version. Cancel anytime. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. But sales tax revenues have risen in the first three months of the current fiscal year, and Rhoden said he expects more good news when sales tax figures for October are released soon. Overall, he estimated that the state would see sales tax growth of $60.3 million and overall revenue growth of $58.7 million in the coming year. > "So when folks try to tell you that slower sales tax growth means our economy is weak, don’t be fooled. We’re in great shape. We just can’t spend money we don’t have." > – Gov. Larry Rhoden "That doesn’t mean our sales tax is weak. Far from it," Rhoden said. "So when folks try to tell you that slower sales tax growth means our economy is weak, don’t be fooled. We’re in great shape. We just can’t spend money we don’t have." However, in the ongoing fiscal year, state revenues are lagging 8.2% behind legislative estimates, which affects future spending planning, he said. A slowdown in the agricultural economy, with prices for soybeans, corn and wheat all down this year, has exacerbated state revenue challenges, Rhoden said. ## Public safety projects Rhoden said his largest public safety proposal is $13.2 million for 133 full-time employees at a new women's prison in Rapid City, which will open in 2026\. The prison will provide extensive drug treatment programming, he said. The governor also proposed spending $2.4 million in state funding to add to $38 million in federal funding to expand the South Dakota National Guard Readiness Center in Sturgis and build a new National Guard vehicle maintenance facility there. ![Gov. Larry Rhoden gave his 2025 budget address on Dec. 2, 2025, to the Legislature in the state Capitol in Pierre, S.D. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/12/2025-12-2-Rhoden-budget-wide-view-1.jpeg) Gov. Larry Rhoden gave his 2025 budget address on Dec. 2, 2025, to the Legislature in the state Capitol in Pierre, S.D. (Photo: Courtesy South Dakota Governor's Office) Rhoden wants to spend $5 million in state money to buy a used airplane to replace the existing aircraft used by the South Dakota Highway Patrol. He also wants to spend $1.5 million to upgrade county courthouses and allocate $6.9 million to bolster the state's fire and emergency disaster funds. ## Airports and technical education Rhoden said sharp increases in passenger counts at airports in Sioux Falls and Rapid City create the need for expansion at both facilities. Rhoden said he wants to provide $15 million in zero-interest loans to the airports to allow for improvements and expansions. Rhoden proposed using $6 million of state money to help pay for a new advanced manufacturing center at Southeast Technical College in Sioux Falls. He also has proposed spending $4.3 million for equipment upgrades and another $1.7 million in state aid for other programming at the state's four technical colleges. ## Social services and communication Last year, the state cut $22 million from the Department of Human Services, which Rhoden said was "too steep." In response to increased need for services, he has proposed restoring $16.4 million in DHS funding in the coming year. Rhoden also wants to spend $3.1 million to modernize the employment system at the Department of Labor and Regulation, which hasn't been updated in decades. After a statewide system outage this summer, Rhoden has proposed spending $10 million to modernize state technology systems and equipment. He also proposed spending $30.6 million more on repair and maintenance of state-owned facilities and equipment overall. [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/11/Donate-News-Watch-2--1-.png)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?%5Fgl=1%2A10w9pkh%2A%5Fgcl%5Fau%2AMjAyOTY2NTc3My4xNzMwNDcxOTUz%2A%5Fga%2AMTM3NDcyODMyNS4xNzAyMTQ0MTg3%2A%5Fga%5FH98KVPR32J%2AMTczMTAxOTY1OS40NC4wLjE3MzEwMTk2NTkuMC4wLjA.&ref=sdnewswatch.org) Rhoden said he wants to invest $260,000 for a cloud-based backup to the state radio system and offered a $296,000 funding increase for South Dakota Public Broadcasting to continue to provide public access to legislative and government proceedings. Rhoden also wants to spend $300,000 on a study of potential nuclear energy projects in the state. In his final message to lawmakers, Rhoden noted that his budget sets aside $14 million in non-specific spending that can be set by lawmakers in the upcoming legislative session, which begins on Jan. 13. [South Dakota News Watch Quiz - Gigafact![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/cropped-favicon-270x270.png)Gigafact![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/quiz-og-image.png)](https://gigafact.org/quiz/south-dakota-news-watch/south-dakota-politics-government-quiz-11543/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact* *content director Bart Pfankuch* at* [*bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Fact brief: Did a SD city register the fastest temperature change in recorded history? URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/fact-brief-temperature-change-guiness-world-record-spearfish-sd/ Last updated: 2025-12-02T11:00:15.000Z ## Yes. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/WhiteFACT-BRIEF--500-x-200-px--2-1-1.png) On Jan. 22, 1943, Spearfish recorded a temperature increase of 49 degrees Fahrenheit in 2 minutes and a temperature drop of 58 degrees in 27 minutes. Both still stand as records more than 80 years later. At 7:30 a.m. on that day, it was minus 4 degrees. Two minutes later, thermometers shot up to 45 degrees. Then at 9:30 a.m., the temp crashed back downward from 54 degrees to minus 4. The geographic nature of the Black Hills makes the region prone to these frontal conditions. The National Weather Service described the event as “warmer Pacific air (rolling) like an ocean tide along the northern and eastern slopes of the Black Hills” before the cold returned. Windows fogged up and some glass cracked. The greatest temperature change in a 24-hour period was in Loma, Montana, on Jan. 14-15, 1972, when mercury rose 103 degrees from minus 54 to 49. *This fact brief responds to conversations such as* [*this one.*](https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story%5Ffbid=pfbid04GAwBk9VwQfrJY7Rn1Ymj8iL4gBUQ7tWBUGiT92b3CKky2AEo8d7wAbxXtHPV3VUl&id=61573989182885) ### **Source** SDPB, [History of Spearfish's world record temperature change](https://www.sdpb.org/rural-life-and-history/spearfishs-world-record-temperature-change?ref=sdnewswatch.org) National Weather Service, [The Black Hills remarkable temperature change of January 22, 1943](https://www.weather.gov/unr/1943-01-22?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Guiness World Records, [Fastest temperature drop](https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/112682-fastest-temperature-drop?ref=sdnewswatch.org#:~:text=At%209:00%20a.m.%20on%2022%20January%201943%2C,the%20record%20for%20the%20fastest%20temperature%20rise.) Guiness World Records, [Fastest temperature range in 24 hours](https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/greatest-temperature-range-in-day?ref=sdnewswatch.org) --- [South Dakota News Watch](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/) partners with [Gigafact](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) to publish fact briefs that refute or confirm a claim with supporting information and additional evidence and context. - [Read previous fact briefs](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/tag/fact-brief/). - Read our verification standards and other [best practices policies](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/best-practices/). - Submit a question for us to answer on the [South Dakota News Watch Tipline](https://gigafact.org/tipline/south-dakota-news-watch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). - Send questions or feedback to [factbrief@sdnewswatch.org](mailto:factbrief@sdnewswatch.org). [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact Michael Klinski* at michael.klinski@sdnewswatch.org.* ### Legislators plan bills to help Piedmont residents in mine fight URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/piedmont-sd-simon-limestone-mine-legislation-zoning/ Last updated: 2025-12-01T11:50:04.000Z PIEDMONT, S.D. – Three lawmakers who represent this Meade County city hope to change weak state mining laws that allowed a proposed limestone mine to be sited without notification or input by any local officials or residents. The plan by Simon Contractors to begin mining limestone on 300 acres within the city of Piedmont and in the surrounding Black Hills came as a shock to locals, who only learned of the mine project through an October notice in a local newspaper. Piedmont is located along Interstate 90 about midway between Rapid City and Sturgis. [Piedmont residents shocked by new mine coming to townA lax state mining law and lack of county land-use regulations allowed the operation to be approved without input from the public or local government.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-307.jpg)South Dakota News WatchBart Pfankuch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/20205-10-23-Piedmont-SD-park-1-1.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/piedmont-sd-limestone-mine-zoning-mining-law/) Simon, a French-owned, Wyoming-based mining and materials company, said it has acquired state approval and private landowner agreements to allow limestone mining on 10 parcels of land in and around Piedmont. The mine is expected to start running in August and operate through 2043, according to Simon. Simon followed lax state mining laws that allow mining of sand, gravel and limestone without a formal permitting, notification and public input process required of more invasive hard rock mining operations. The lack of zoning ordinances in Meade County also enabled the mining company to develop its plans without county input. Opposition to the mine has crystalized quickly in Meade County, where residents have held meetings and created a Facebook page that had 700,000 page views in its first month. More than 700 people have signed up for regular emails about the project. "We have rights, even if they tell us we don’t have rights," said Chris Greenberg, who recently retired to Piedmont. "I can’t come into your yard and dump a load of garbage, but yet they can come in and tear up the land, and bring dust and noise and blasting?" [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/11/Donate-News-Watch--3-.png)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?%5Fgl=1%2A1txxzuc%2A%5Fgcl%5Fau%2AMjAyOTY2NTc3My4xNzMwNDcxOTUz%2A%5Fga%2AMTM3NDcyODMyNS4xNzAyMTQ0MTg3%2A%5Fga%5FH98KVPR32J%2AMTczMDkzMzA3Ni40Mi4wLjE3MzA5MzMwNzYuMC4wLjA.&ref=sdnewswatch.org) The three Republican lawmakers from Meade County – Rep. Kathy Rice, Rep. Terri Jorgenson and Sen. John Carley – have teamed up in an effort to support Piedmont residents and to prevent similar mining operations from popping up suddenly in other communities around the state. “There’s a lot of mining to be done and the question is, ‘Does it have to be done right next to houses, and does it need to be put in after the homes are already there?'” Carley said. “If you moved into a community and there’s already a mine or industrial or commercial operation, you get to make that conscious decision. (But) this is a very different situation because there’s already a community established, and (the mine) is in a very visible, dust-oriented area.” So far, the lawmakers said they hope to file bills in the 2026 legislative session that would increase public notification requirements, require environmental impact statements for sand and gravel mines and tighten up state regulations that allow some mining operations to proceed without a permitting process. ## Seeking environmental impact data Rice told News Watch that she is investigating two options to help Piedmont residents now and to strengthen sand, gravel and limestone mining laws in the future. Rice said she realized that any laws passed in the 2026 legislation will likely be enacted too late to help Piedmont residents who are opposed to the limestone mine. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/12/Screenshot-2025-11-30-at-8.27.10---PM.png) Yet Rice said she's looking into whether a state law could be passed to require an environmental impact statement for gravel mines just as the state requires them for more extensive gold or silver mining. “We need to know how it’s going to impact our water and our air and the communities that are there,” she said. “We can’t just tear apart a hill and not know what it’s going to do to the community that’s there.” ## ****Get South Dakota stories** An email summary on most weekdays that links to the full version. Cancel anytime. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. Rice said she isn’t sure yet whether she will file a bill but plans to contact the Legislative Research Council to determine how such a bill could be drafted. “They (mining companies) can afford an impact study,” Rice said. “There’s millions of dollars in minerals in the Black Hills, so it shouldn’t just be a $100 license fee for the whole state and you can do as many mines as you want.” Rice said she also intends to contact the landowners who have agreed to allow Simon to mine for limestone on their land and perhaps persuade them to change their minds. “Simon has the license but does not have lease agreements,” Rice said. “So I wonder, what would make them stop from signing the agreements?” ## Packed house at public meeting The latest discussion of how to respond to the limestone mining plans came during a crowded public meeting held Nov. 20 at the Elk Creek Resort in Piedmont that drew about 250 residents. Carley, who hosted the meeting at the resort he manages, said he intends to file legislation that would require greater public notification of proposed sand, gravel and limestone mines. ![Republican state Sen. John Carley of Meade County addresses the crowd at a community meeting held in Piedmont, S.D.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/11/2025-11-20-Piedmont-mine-mtg-Sen-Carley-1.jpg) Republican state Sen. John Carley of Meade County addresses the crowd at a community meeting held in Piedmont, S.D., on Nov. 20, 2025, regarding a disputed limestone mine proposal. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) Under current state law, more invasive hard rock mines, including for silver and gold, require a full state permitting process that includes environmental studies, public notification and public hearing processes as well as approval by the state Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources. The proposed limestone mine in Piedmont fell under state sand and gravel mining laws that allow a mine company to obtain a state license that enables them to mine anywhere in the state where they own land or have landowner permission. That law does not require prior notification of neighbors or local governments and does not require a public hearing or state or county permit. Carley said he is researching a bill that would require notification of proposed mining operations to all property owners within a certain distance of the mine. The Simon Contractors limestone mine also was not subject to county zoning ordinances that could have restricted where it was built. Meade County voters have rejected prior ballot measures to enact zoning ordinances. Some residents suggested the county might need to revisit the possibility of creating zoning guidelines that could provide protections or distance setbacks for communities or individual landowners. Carley said the Meade County legislative delegation also plans to seek regulatory changes within the DANR that would further protect existing homeowners. ![About 250 people attended at a community meeting held in Piedmont, S.D., on Nov. 20, 2025 regarding a disputed limestone mine proposal. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/11/2025-11-20-Piedmont-mine-mtg-1.jpg) About 250 people attended at a community meeting held in Piedmont, S.D., on Nov. 20, 2025 regarding a disputed limestone mine proposal. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) During an hourlong discussion on Nov. 20, attendees brought up a number of questions and concerns regarding the mine and the process of approval. Among them: - Will property values fall and will it be harder for mine neighbors to get property insurance? - How much noise will mining operations create? - How will air quality be affected by dust and will drinking water wells be contaminated? - Are mining operations expanding in the Black Hills and in the Northern Hills in particular? - Why does Simon have a relatively small surety bond requirement for mine reclamation? - Can watershed protection rules be used to block this mine or other proposed mines? Two chairs were set aside at the front of the room to accommodate Simon Contractors representatives who were invited, but both seats were left empty throughout the meeting because they didn't show up. Simon did not return a call from News Watch seeking comment. ![Two chairs set aside for representatives of Simon Contractors, which is planning a limestone mine in Piedmont, S.D., sit empty after company representatives declined to attend a Nov. 20, 2025, community meeting about the mine held at Elk Creek Resort. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/11/2025-11-20-Piedmont-mine-mtg-empty-chairs-1.jpg) Two chairs set aside for representatives of Simon Contractors, which is planning a limestone mine in Piedmont, S.D., sit empty after company representatives declined to attend a Nov. 20, 2025, community meeting about the mine held at Elk Creek Resort. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) Some neighbors have hired Yankton attorney Nick Moser, who represented dozens of East River landowners in their mostly successful battle to stop the Summit Carbon Solutions carbon pipeline from being built on their land. ## Attorney pushes grassroots pressure Moser praised the residents for attending the meeting and urged them to continue to reach out to state and local officials to take action to prevent the mine from opening. “Keep the pressure on and make your voices heard,” he said. “Be engaged, talk to your elected officials and encourage them to make reasonable policy that (prevents) things like the mine that is being proposed right in your backyard, (because) that’s not reasonable and that’s not what you want.” [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/11/Donate-News-Watch-2--1-.png)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?%5Fgl=1%2A10w9pkh%2A%5Fgcl%5Fau%2AMjAyOTY2NTc3My4xNzMwNDcxOTUz%2A%5Fga%2AMTM3NDcyODMyNS4xNzAyMTQ0MTg3%2A%5Fga%5FH98KVPR32J%2AMTczMTAxOTY1OS40NC4wLjE3MzEwMTk2NTkuMC4wLjA.&ref=sdnewswatch.org) Carley said he is hearing from concerned residents frequently but noted that most are not opposed to mining in general but want greater controls that protect neighbors and communities. "Many of the calls go this way, 'You know, I’m not against mining, mining is an important industry in South Dakota that is doing well in this state,'" Carley said. "I’m against the mining when it’s in my backyard or when it’s going to cause noise or dust or watershed problems. That’s what I’ve heard the community is concerned with." [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact* *investigative reporter Bart Pfankuch* at* [*bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Fact brief: Is Trump the first president to have Rapid City statue installed while in office? URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/fact-brief-president-trump-city-presidents-statue-rapid-city-sd/ Last updated: 2025-11-28T11:00:43.000Z ## Yes. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/WhiteFACT-BRIEF--500-x-200-px--2-1-1.png) President Donald Trump is the first president to have his City of Presidents statue in Rapid City placed while he is in office. Trump's statue, the 44th statue of a president in downtown Rapid City, was placed Tuesday. It was commissioned in 2021 after Trump’s first term ended and completed before his re-election in 2024. City leaders waited until after the election to determine when the statue would be installed. Ultimately, they decided it wouldn't be fair to donors or the artist to wait four more years. Trump's statue, which was made by artist Jim Maher, features the president wearing a red tie and speaking at a lectern with his right hand gesturing. A phone placed on the lectern prominently displays a Twitter logo. President Grover Cleveland, who also served non-consecutive four-year terms, has just one statue on the City of Presidents, which started honoring former chief executives in 2000\. Former President Joe Biden’s statue is currently in progress. *This fact brief responds to conversations such as*[ *this one.*](https://www.reddit.com/r/SouthDakota/comments/1p6rx7w/president%5Ftrumps%5Fbronze%5Fstatue%5Fto%5Fbe%5Fpermanently/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) ### **Source** NewsCenter1, [Statue of President Trump placed in downtown Rapid City](https://www.newscenter1.tv/news/south-dakota/trump-statue-placed-rapid-city?ref=sdnewswatch.org) KOTA-TV, [Trump statue installed on Rapid City’s City of Presidents trail](https://www.kotatv.com/2025/11/26/trump-statue-installed-rapid-citys-city-presidents-trail/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) KOTA-TV, [President Trump’s bronze statue to be permanently placed in downtown Rapid City](https://www.kotatv.com/2025/11/20/president-trumps-bronze-statue-be-permanently-placed-downtown-rapid-city/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) City of Presidents, [Walking Guide](https://presidentsrc.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) ### Showing our math: The numbers behind the latest poll URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/news-watch-chiesman-poll-summary-methodology/ Last updated: 2025-11-26T13:14:13.000Z The latest scientific survey of registered South Dakota voters offered insight into the leading contenders for governor and Congress, the favorability of the state's top politicians and other results. South Dakota News Watch and the Chiesman Center for Democracy at the University of South Dakota sponsored the biannual poll and published stories over the past few weeks on [sdnewswatch.org](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/tag/politics/). Below are links to those stories and a summary of each as well as the raw numbers gleaned from the poll that offer a glimpse into geographic and demographic differences. [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/11/Donate-News-Watch--3-.png)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?%5Fgl=1%2A1txxzuc%2A%5Fgcl%5Fau%2AMjAyOTY2NTc3My4xNzMwNDcxOTUz%2A%5Fga%2AMTM3NDcyODMyNS4xNzAyMTQ0MTg3%2A%5Fga%5FH98KVPR32J%2AMTczMDkzMzA3Ni40Mi4wLjE3MzA5MzMwNzYuMC4wLjA.&ref=sdnewswatch.org) Mason-Dixon Polling and Strategy, [ranked as one of the least-biased and most-factual pollsters](https://mediabiasfactcheck.com/mason-dixon-polling-bias-and-credibility/?ref=sdnewswatch.org), conducted the poll of 500 registered voters from all parties and 502 Republican voters Oct. 16-20 using random selections from a telephone-matched state voter registration list that included both landline and cellphone numbers from across the state. Quotas were assigned to reflect voter registration by county. The margin for error is no more than plus or minus 4.5 percentage points. [South Dakota Election Voter GuideEverything South Dakota voters need to know about statewide contests in the primary and general elections.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-303.jpg)South Dakota News WatchCarson Walker![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/2024-6-4-Election-signs-1-2.JPG)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-voter-guide-primary-general-election/) Julia Hellwege, University of South Dakota associate professor in political science and director of the Chiesman Center, said regularly surveying people's attitudes toward elected officials, candidates, current events and trust in institutions helps track the state and health of democracy. "By understanding the public’s attitudes, we can hold government, and ourselves, accountable. This in turn allows us to share that information with the goal of promoting continued civic engagement, which requires both information and action," she said. ## ****Get South Dakota stories** An email summary on most weekdays that links to the full version. Cancel anytime. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. Besides co-sponsoring the poll, the Chiesman Center is asking South Dakotans to submit questions about how government works and which level of government they turn to with their concerns: school board, city council, county commission, tribal government or the state Legislature. [Submit your questions on this form](https://sites.google.com/usd.edu/chiesman/dakota-dialogues?ref=sdnewswatch.org) and they may be featured on an upcoming episode of "Civics Uncovered," season 3 of the [Dakota Dialogues podcast](https://sites.google.com/usd.edu/chiesman/dakota-dialogues?ref=sdnewswatch.org). ## Poll story summaries and links Here are the latest poll summaries and links to the full stories: - U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson and Gov. Larry Rhoden are effectively tied atop the race for the Republican nomination for governor, while Aberdeen businessman Toby Doeden and state Rep. Jon Hansen have surged in popularity over the past six months. [Read the full story](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/sd-poll-gop-gubernatorial-governor-rhoden-johnson-doeden-hanson/). - If the 2026 primary election for U.S. House were held today, most South Dakota Republicans would support Attorney General Marty Jackley ahead of state Sen. Casey Crabtree and Piedmont businessman James Bialota. [Read the full story](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/sd-house-poll-jackley-bialota-crabtree-gop-republican/). - South Dakota's most prominent political leaders generally maintain high approval ratings among registered voters. However, Kristi Noem, former governor and current secretary of Homeland Security, has seen declines from a poll six months ago, and U.S. Sen. John Thune's ratings may reflect the challenges of balancing state interests and national priorities in his new role as majority leader. [Read the full story](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/approval-ratings-poll-noem-rhoden-doeden-thune-rounds-jackley-johnson/). - More than two-thirds of South Dakota voters surveyed approve of the new men's prison planned for Sioux Falls. [Read the full story](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/poll-voters-new-prison-sioux-falls-rehabilitation-task-force/). - Voter support for President Donald Trump's tariffs is uneven and largely split along political party lines, with most Republicans in approval. [Read the full story](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/poll-president-trump-tariffs-agriculture-politics-south-dakota/). - South Dakotans have a high degree of polarization between parties when it comes to their trust in government and public institutions, which includes state government, all three branches of the federal government, the media and higher education. [Read the full story](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/poll-confidence-government-executive-legislative-judicial-institutions-sd/). ## The raw numbers Here are documents with details of the poll results, which can be downloaded by clicking the arrow: [GOP voter tabs 2025-10Results of the Republican-only questions.GOP voter tabs 2025-10.pdf162 KBdownload-circle](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/content/files/2025/11/GOP-voter-tabs-2025-10.pdf "Download") [All party tabs 2025-10Results of questions asked to registered voters of all political parties. All party tabs 2025-10.pdf216 KBdownload-circle](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/content/files/2025/11/All-party-tabs-2025-10.pdf "Download") [All party demographics 2025-10Demographics of registered voters from all political parties. All party demographics 2025-10.pdf162 KBdownload-circle](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/content/files/2025/11/All-party-demographics-2025-10.pdf "Download") [GOP voter demographics 2025-10Demographics of registered Republican voters. GOP voter demographics 2025-10.pdf161 KBdownload-circle](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/content/files/2025/11/GOP-voter-demographics-2025-10.pdf "Download") [All party methodology 2025-10Methodology of questions asked of registered voters from all parties. All party methodology 2025-10.pdf253 KBdownload-circle](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/content/files/2025/11/All-party-methodology-2025-10.pdf "Download") [GOP voter methodology 2025-10Methodology of questions asked of Republican-only voters. GOP voter methodology 2025-10.pdf253 KBdownload-circle](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/content/files/2025/11/GOP-voter-methodology-2025-10.pdf "Download") [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/11/Donate-News-Watch-2--1-.png)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?%5Fgl=1%2A10w9pkh%2A%5Fgcl%5Fau%2AMjAyOTY2NTc3My4xNzMwNDcxOTUz%2A%5Fga%2AMTM3NDcyODMyNS4xNzAyMTQ0MTg3%2A%5Fga%5FH98KVPR32J%2AMTczMTAxOTY1OS40NC4wLjE3MzEwMTk2NTkuMC4wLjA.&ref=sdnewswatch.org) [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact Carson Walker* at* [*carson.walker@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:carson.walker@sdnewswatch.org). ### Fact brief: Are South Dakota police departments using automatic license plate readers? URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/fact-brief-automatic-license-plate-reader-flock-safety-cameras/ Last updated: 2025-11-25T12:46:11.000Z ## Yes. Several South Dakota police departments, including Sioux Falls and Madison, are using Flock Safety automatic license plate readers for surveillance purposes with the goal of cutting back on crime. In early 2025, the Sioux Falls City Council approved a $168,000 contract for the police department to purchase and implement software for 25 cameras. According to Flock and the Sioux Falls Police Department, those cameras are only used to detect license plates. Police Chief Jon Thum said the cameras cannot be used for facial recognition, and a transparency portal on the Flock website says the cameras are not used for immigration enforcement. But Flock cameras have been used in immigration enforcement in other places across the country. Santa Cruz, California, paused its use of data sharing after out-of-state agencies, including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, accessed license plate data illegally. The cameras have been used for immigration reasons in several other states, including Colorado and Virginia. *This fact brief responds to conversations such as*[ *this one.*](https://www.reddit.com/r/SiouxFalls/comments/1p56tpd/cameras%5Fpopping%5Fup%5Faround%5Fsioux%5Ffalls/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) ### **Source** Sioux Falls Simplified, [How police are using technology to solve crimes](https://www.sfsimplified.com/how-police-are-using-technology-to-solve-crimes-sioux-falls-police-license-plate-readers/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Flock Safety Transparency, [Sioux Falls Police Department](https://transparency.flocksafety.com/sioux-falls-sd-pd?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Flock Safety Transparency, [Madison Police Department](https://transparency.flocksafety.com/madison-sd-pd-?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Colorado Newsline, [Frequent immigration-related searches of Denver Flock camera data revealed in logs](https://coloradonewsline.com/2025/08/06/immigration-denver-flock-camera/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) KSBW, [Santa Cruz pauses FLOCK camera data sharing after illegal searches](https://www.ksbw.com/article/santa-cruz-flock-camera-data-sharing-illegal/69490747?ref=sdnewswatch.org) VPM, [The feds' hidden immigration weapon: Virginia's surveillance network](https://www.vpm.org/news/2025-07-07/vcij-immigration-enforcement-flock-safety-license-plate-readers-poggenklass?ref=sdnewswatch.org) --- [South Dakota News Watch](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/) partners with [Gigafact](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) to publish fact briefs that refute or confirm a claim with supporting information and additional evidence and context. - [Read previous fact briefs](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/tag/fact-brief/). - Read our verification standards and other [best practices policies](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/best-practices/). - Submit a question for us to answer on the [South Dakota News Watch Tipline](https://gigafact.org/tipline/south-dakota-news-watch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). - Send questions or feedback to [factbrief@sdnewswatch.org](mailto:factbrief@sdnewswatch.org). *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact Michael Klinski* at michael.klinski@sdnewswatch.org.* ### Monument could lose millions due to Sanford Health expansion URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/monument-sanford-health-expansion-black-hills-sd/ Last updated: 2025-11-24T12:15:18.000Z RAPID CITY, S.D. – Monument Health could lose $40 million a year in federal revenue, be forced to reduce some medical services and have to cut back on construction efforts as a result of plans by Sanford Health to build a competing medical campus, Monument's CEO said in an interview. Right now, Monument operates the only hospital in Rapid City and is the major provider of primary, emergency and specialty medical care in western South Dakota. But for the first time, it would have direct competition for many of those services – and their related revenues – due to Sanford Health's $500 million expansion plans. Sanford Health [announced on Nov. 17 ](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/sanford-health-rapid-city-hospital-healthcare/)that the Sioux Falls-based medical group plans to build a 168-bed, full-service hospital as well as numerous specialty facilities by 2030 on a 480,000 square-foot campus in southwestern Rapid City. The project will be fueled in large part by a $300 million donation by South Dakota philanthropist and namesake Denny Sanford. ![Paulette Davidson, president and CEO of Monument Health, in 2020. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/11/5e99f2a32b916.png) Paulette Davidson, president and CEO of Monument Health, in 2020\. (Photo: Courtesy Rapid City Journal) While the announcement was met with great excitement by local and state officials, it has also raised questions and concerns about the financial future of Monument Health and its ability to provide a broad range of medical care for patients of all incomes across western South Dakota and eastern Wyoming, according to president and CEO Paulette Davidson. However, it's far too soon to know exactly how the Sanford Black Hills Medical Center campus will affect operations and revenues at Monument once it is built and operational, she said. "There's so many repercussions I don't know yet ... (but) I think we have to look at every service we provide very carefully," Davidson said. "The community needs the services that we're providing. And if there are some barriers to our ability to do that in the future, that's where I have concerns." ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/11/SanfordHealth.jpg) A rendering of the planned Sanford Black Hills Medical Center campus in Rapid City, S.D. (Photo: Rendering by Sanford Health) Sanford Health is a much larger provider. It is the largest rural health system in the U.S., with 48 medical centers and 226 clinics across seven Midwest states. The group's annual revenues in 2023 were $5.7 billion and assets were $3.8 billion, according to tax documents. Monument Health has five hospitals and 23 clinics, almost all in western South Dakota. Its annual revenue in 2023 was $1.2 billion and assets were $1.5 billion, according to Monument's annual report. Sanford Health CEO Bill Gassen, speaking at a press conference after the expansion announcement on Nov. 17, said he believes having multiple providers will benefit patients and providers. [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/11/Donate-News-Watch-2--1-.png)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?%5Fgl=1%2A10w9pkh%2A%5Fgcl%5Fau%2AMjAyOTY2NTc3My4xNzMwNDcxOTUz%2A%5Fga%2AMTM3NDcyODMyNS4xNzAyMTQ0MTg3%2A%5Fga%5FH98KVPR32J%2AMTczMTAxOTY1OS40NC4wLjE3MzEwMTk2NTkuMC4wLjA.&ref=sdnewswatch.org) "Competition makes for a better community," he said. "The competition that has taken place for the past several decades in Sioux Falls ... we have better care in that community due to the competition and I actually believe that is what is going to happen here, too." But in a wide-ranging interview with South Dakota News Watch hours after the Nov. 17 announcement, Davidson said there are likely to be negative effects. ## Loss of $40 million in federal funding One of the most significant impacts could be the loss of Monument's sole provider status within the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Davidson said. That $40 million supplemental annual payment from CMS is made because Monument provides most primary medical care in the region, she said. "We take those extra dollars and we reinvest them into the community," Davidson said. "It is used primarily for staffing, so it flows right to our caregivers and then into the economy." Losing that money could make it harder for Monument to recruit and retain employees at a time when the group has a shortage of 300 nurses, Davidson said. It also could require difficult decisions about eliminating or reducing services that do not turn a profit, including behavioral health, she said. "So we'll have to figure out where to cut back on our services and what services do we cut back on in order to continue to care for as many people as we were caring for before," Davidson said. "That $40 million, or $400 million over 10 years, leaves the hospital and it leaves the economy. It goes away and it isn't replaced." ## Specialty care on the chopping block? Another potential impact of Sanford Health's expansion into the Black Hills is that any duplication of medical offerings could reduce Monument's ability to offer and pay for advanced specialty care, Davidson said. For example, Monument maintains a neurological stroke program with two or three full-time surgeons who are on call 24 hours a day to remove a blood clot to the brain that can quickly kill a patient or leave them without speech or movement. ## ****Get South Dakota stories** An email summary on most weekdays that links to the full version. Cancel anytime. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. "Can we both run that program and keep our staff competent, and is there enough volume in those specialty areas?" Davidson said. "Are we going to divide the market so that you're not able to provide that high-quality outcome because you can't keep staff because they're not busy enough?" Davidson also said that duplication of services could reduce revenues that Monument uses to provide services to lower-income patients in a market where 72% of its patients are on some form of government payment program, which often does not cover the full cost of care. "I don't think the population is growing fast enough for what they plan to build," Davidson said. "I'm just concerned that they're trying to duplicate the services that are actually paying for all the other services that we do that no one else wants to provide." [Monument Health: Rapid City hospital ratings have risen“It shows progress on our quality journey and using the same measurement with today’s data would result in higher ratings.”![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-290.jpg)South Dakota News WatchBart Pfankuch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/Monument-new-wing-sign-1.jpeg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/monument-health-says-rapid-city-hospital-ratings-have-risen/) Monument provided $91 million in non-reimbursed charity care to patients who cannot pay in 2024, often through its emergency room, Davidson said. "We're not hearing that they're going to provide behavioral health services or provide for our poor or needy or uninsured families," she said. "The community needs the services that we're providing. And if there are some barriers to our ability to do that in the future, that's where I have concerns." ![Sanford Health CEO Bill Gassen speaks at the Hyatt Place hotel in Rapid City, S.D. during the Nov. 17, 2025 announcement of plans for a new medical campus in the city. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/11/2025-11-17-Bill-Gassen-in-RC-1.jpg) Sanford Health CEO Bill Gassen speaks at the Hyatt Place hotel in Rapid City, S.D. during the Nov. 17, 2025 announcement of plans for a new medical campus in the city. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch/South Dakota News Watch) When asked by News Watch whether the high cost of charity care currently provided by Monument would be an issue for Sanford Health in Rapid City, Gassen said the group considered those costs during its expansion planning processes. "For us at Sanford Health, that's every day for us in every single community where we provide care," Gassen said. "The mix of charity care and bad debt and different services we provide is different across the whole continuum of our organization. ... (But) coming into this community in a deeper way, we've got eyes wide open about some of the challenges and some of the incredible opportunities that are there. And we're excited to extend that world-class care to every single patient regardless of their ability to pay or who the payer is." ## Cutting back on construction Besides services, Monument might also have to adjust its current capital plan that includes about $650 million in new construction and modernization efforts over the next decade, Davidson said. "We have dollars set aside in all our communities," she said. "Anything we have left over at the end of the year is all invested here in western South Dakota." Some of those plans could be curtailed or scrapped if revenues decline, she said. > "I don't think the population is growing fast enough for what (Sanford Health plans) to build." – Paulette Davidson, president and CEO of Monument Health As an example, Monument's 28-bed neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) is undersized and does not offer patients as much privacy as it should, Davidson said. A plan to upgrade the facility, scheduled for 2026, could be delayed or eliminated in the future if revenues decline. Davidson noted that the NICU already operates at a $6 million annual deficit but is maintained due to high community need for those services. "If a new player comes in and we see a shift in the business that pays for all the services we provide and we can't afford to do some of those projects because the revenue we generate goes away, we're left with less (money) to do things because we can't afford it," she said. "That's the challenge." ## Monument, Sanford Health partnerships possible Gassen said final designs for the new medical campus and specific plans for what services will be offered are yet to be determined. At this point, it is impossible to know how Sanford Health's expansion in Rapid City will impact the cost of care, competition for employees or how the two medical groups will co-exist. Gassen acknowledged on Nov. 17 that neither he nor the other members of Sanford Health's Rapid City leadership team had spoken to Monument leaders about the proposed new medical center. But he said he expects the two health groups will work together well. [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/11/Donate-News-Watch--3-.png)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?%5Fgl=1%2A1txxzuc%2A%5Fgcl%5Fau%2AMjAyOTY2NTc3My4xNzMwNDcxOTUz%2A%5Fga%2AMTM3NDcyODMyNS4xNzAyMTQ0MTg3%2A%5Fga%5FH98KVPR32J%2AMTczMDkzMzA3Ni40Mi4wLjE3MzA5MzMwNzYuMC4wLjA.&ref=sdnewswatch.org) "Even in our most fiercely competitive markets, while we compete with each other, driving each other every day to be successful, we also do partner in many different ways to make sure we make the community better," he said. Davidson said she remains bullish on Monument's ability to fulfill its mission to care for all patients regardless of income or ZIP code, and she's also hopeful that the two organizations can become strong partners in those efforts. "I think that is what the community expects us to do as two not-for-profit health systems, to work together and find ways to keep our community and everyone in it healthy," she said. [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact* *investigative reporter Bart Pfankuch* at* [*bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Poll: Confidence in government shows large partisan divides URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/poll-confidence-government-executive-legislative-judicial-institutions-sd/ Last updated: 2025-11-21T12:28:36.000Z PIERRE, S.D. – South Dakotans have a high degree of polarization between parties when it comes to their trust in government and public institutions, according to a new scientific poll co-sponsored by South Dakota News Watch. “This is alarming from the standpoint of democratic consensus and can make policymaking at the institutional level and community-building at the grassroots level challenging,” said Julia Hellwege, University of South Dakota associate professor in political science and director of the Chiesman Center for Democracy, which co-sponsored the poll. South Dakota News Watch invests in scientific polls to let elected leaders know how constituents think they're doing and also survey people's opinions on important issues. But a good poll isn't cheap, so if you value these stories, please consider helping cover the cost. Thank you! ALL DONATIONS UP TO $1,000 ARE MATCHED THROUGH DEC. 31! [Donate and make these polls possible ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?%5Fgl=1%2Ab9m3w3%2A%5Fga%2AMTEzMjQ0NDQ5NC4xNzQxNjg3OTU5%2A%5Fga%5FH98KVPR32J%2AMTc0NjIxNzgwNy43MC4xLjE3NDYyMTc4MDcuMC4wLjA.&ref=sdnewswatch.org) The latest statewide survey queried people about: - Trust in the three branches of federal government: the presidency, Congress and federal courts - Confidence in state government and its focus on pressing issues - Trust in media and higher education Mason-Dixon Polling and Strategy, [ranked as one of the least biased and most factual pollsters](https://mediabiasfactcheck.com/mason-dixon-polling-bias-and-credibility/?ref=sdnewswatch.org), conducted the poll of 500 registered voters from all parties Oct. 16-19 using random selections from a telephone-matched state voter registration list that included both landline and cellphone numbers from across the state. Quotas were assigned to reflect voter registration by county. The margin for error is no more than plus or minus 4.5 percentage points. Here are the results of that survey. --- ## Federal executive branch Voters in the poll across all parties are split on their confidence in the executive branch, with 50% saying they’re very or somewhat confident, and 48% saying they’re not too confident or not at all confident. Another 3% aren’t sure. The executive branch of the federal government includes the president, vice-president and the heads of 15 key departments — called the Cabinet — who advise the president Of the Republicans polled, 73% said they are very confident or somewhat confident in the executive branch, whereas 8% of Democrats said they are very or somewhat confident. Less than half of Independents (44%) are very confident or somewhat confident in the branch. ### Takeaway: Independents acting as moderates Jon Schaff, professor of political science at Northern State University in Aberdeen, pointed out that Independent voters are driving a lot of the lack of confidence in the executive branch. Among Independents, 52% said they were not too confident or not at all confident in the branch. “Democrats, unsurprisingly, have no confidence, but Independent confidence is also low. One could read this as a vote of no confidence in the Trump administration by Independents,” Schaff said. Independents are acting as moderates in the poll, which is different from poll results from April 2025 and October 2024, when the views of Independents were largely indistinguishable from that of Republicans, Hellwege said. ### Takeaway: Republicans seeing internal rifts The Chiesman Center for Democracy published the “[South Dakota State of Democracy Report](https://sites.google.com/usd.edu/chiesman/state-of-democracy-in-south-dakota-report?ref=sdnewswatch.org)” in 2023, which included results from a Mason-Dixon poll of 500 voters in South Dakota conducted in 2021 and co-sponsored by News Watch. Between 2021 and 2025, there was a reduction in voters who said they have no confidence in the executive branch (42% under former President Joe Biden and 36% under President Donald Trump). ## ****Get South Dakota stories** An email summary on most weekdays that links to the full version. Cancel anytime. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. Hellwege said it’s expected that voters in deeply red South Dakota would have fewer no-confidence positions toward the executive branch under a Republican president than a Democratic leader. However, in 2021, 9% of Democrats reported confidence in the executive branch but 15% of Republicans report no confidence under Trump. “This is highly indicative of the internal rifts between the Trump administration and establishment Republicans,” Hellwege said. --- ## Congress When it comes to Congress, voters of all parties in the survey showed a largely even distribution among responses of somewhat confident, not too confident and not at all confident. Only 2% were very confident in the legislative branch of the federal government, which includes lawmakers in the House and Senate. Among the parties, there was a similar divide with voters’ position on Congress as there was with the executive branch. A large portion (88%) of Democrats stated they are not too confident or not at all confident in Congress, whereas 53% of Republicans thought the same. As with the executive branch, Independents were moderates among the parties on Congress, with 67% saying they are not too confident or not at all confident in the body. ### Takeaway: Low confidence but improvement The low confidence among South Dakota’s voters aligns with historical polling showing Congress usually has low levels of confidence. However, fewer voters in this recent poll indicated no confidence in Congress from the 2021 poll. There was a drop from 41% in 2021 to 33% in this recent poll. The historic lack of voter confidence is partly due to the nature of the branch, Hellwege said. [South Dakota 2024 Election Voter GuideEverything South Dakota voters need to know about statewide contests in the 2026 primary and general election: How to register and vote, who and what are on the ballot.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-291.jpg)South Dakota News WatchCarson Walker![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/2024-6-4-Election-signs-1.JPG)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-voter-guide-primary-general-election/) “Congress is designed to move slowly and require compromise. This is frustrating for the general public when it comes to public opinion assessment, but as an institution, it tends to be preferable. The psychology on this may appear confusing, but people have complex and sometimes contradictory thoughts,” she explained. The low confidence South Dakota voters have toward Congress is just like “nationally where Congress is slightly more popular than malaria,” Schaff said. The confidence levels among South Dakota voters are bolstered by the fact the state’s congressional delegation are Republicans: Sen. Mike Rounds, Sen. John Thune and Rep. Dusty Johnson. The Republican party is currently more popular in South Dakota, Schaff said, so these would support higher trust in Congress among South Dakota voters. ### Takeaway: Far from South Dakota Michael Card, emeritus professor of political science at the University of South Dakota, noted that northern counties east of the Missouri River had significantly less confidence in the federal government than counties west of the Missouri River, according to the poll. He speculated that the impact of the government shutdown on agriculture may be to blame. “That’s a wild guess more than anything else. But it just struck me as those numbers are a little lower, significantly,” Card said. The federal government will often have a lower confidence with South Dakota voters, Card said. “They’re the furthest away. They’re the ones we have less direct contact with, they’re often doing something for us or not. If they’re not, they’re usually withholding money or doing things we don’t like. But we don’t have great amounts of direct contact with the federal government here (in South Dakota),” he said. --- ## Federal courts The judicial branch of the federal government — which includes district courts, appeals courts and the Supreme Court — had more confidence among polled voters than the executive and legislative branches. A little more than half (51%) said they are somewhat confident or very confident in the federal judicial branch. Another 46% said they are not too confident or not at all confident in the courts, which falls just outside the margin of error. Card described this could be read as voters “leaning toward confidence” in the federal courts. Confidence in the courts was lower among Democrats, with 63% saying they’re not too confident or not at all confident, compared to 38% among Republicans. Confidence in the courts among Independents fell between that of Democrats and Republicans, with 47% saying they are not too confident or not at all confident in the judicial branch. ### Takeaway: Effects of controversial rulings The results showed little difference from those in 2021\. “On one hand this is great to see such consistency. On the other hand, it’s somewhat interesting, given media and expert alarm bells sounding over some recent decisions,” Hellwege said. Federal courts have made a number of rulings in the past year that were favorable to the Trump administration. These involved, among other things, birthright citizenship, withholding of federal foreign aid and transgender issues. Other rulings have gone against the administration's policies, including cases involving environmental policy rollbacks and tariffs. [Chiesman Center for Democracy - Dakota DialoguesDAKOTA Dialogues A Podcast about the Health of Democracy in the State of South Dakota Produced by Laine Moser Productions with support of South Dakota Public Broadcasting Season 3: Civics Uncovered is coming soon!![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/favicon-4.ico)Dakota Dialogues![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/AAzXCkfjSXW36SwTSjfg5sn49eXvoJ7caS2aTi3bYv4eIvSRUC1CnqpzcZ2mCh7djRXipPp_fP06QqKYmok20bVdWCm7TO0CoLZnNfbBguBMtIJyXpRyAYGCkuK-rknUGv0naO19W60HiUaIB0HeB3_ZMbdpzj2EOFXTSEItdDFoiGzzucNU7PxkLwsE-w16383)](https://sites.google.com/usd.edu/chiesman/dakota-dialogues?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Hellwege notes that the poll results show a partisan effect. Since many of these controversial rulings were related to the Trump presidency, it’s not surprising that we see nearly double the percent of Democrats indicating no confidence in the courts than were seen in 2021, she said. Schaff said the lack of confidence in the courts was a surprise. While it’s not as deep as that with other branches, which is typical, the no-confidence positions appeared high. “As both sides have reasons to have seen increased distrust in the courts over the last few years, perhaps we shouldn't be surprised. Democrats are more distrustful, perhaps reflecting the conservative shift in the Supreme Court after” the first Trump administration, Schaff said. ### Takeaway: Comparison to national polls On a national level, there are trends toward distrust in the federal government. A [Gallup poll released earlier this month](https://news.gallup.com/poll/697421/trust-government-depends-upon-party-control.aspx?ref=sdnewswatch.org) found that 41% of adults surveyed have a great deal or fair amount of trust in the executive branch. For the legislative branch, 32% of adults have a great deal or fair amount of trust, and for the judicial branch, 49% have a great deal or fair amount of trust. [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/11/Donate-News-Watch--3-.png)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?%5Fgl=1%2A1txxzuc%2A%5Fgcl%5Fau%2AMjAyOTY2NTc3My4xNzMwNDcxOTUz%2A%5Fga%2AMTM3NDcyODMyNS4xNzAyMTQ0MTg3%2A%5Fga%5FH98KVPR32J%2AMTczMDkzMzA3Ni40Mi4wLjE3MzA5MzMwNzYuMC4wLjA.&ref=sdnewswatch.org) In each of the branches of government, there was a substantial decline in trust over the past 20 years. Trust in the executive branch was at 65% in 2000, according to the Gallup poll, and trust in Congress in 2000 was at 68%. The judicial branch saw a decline from 75% in the same time period. The Gallup poll was based on telephone interviews conducted by ReconMR Sept. 2-16, with a random sample of 1,000 adults, aged 18 and older, living in all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia. For results based on the total sample of national adults, the margin of sampling error is no greater than 4 percentage points at the 95% confidence level. --- ## State government A majority of South Dakota voters surveyed in the poll are confident in state government, with 70% saying they are very confident or somewhat confident in state government. Another 29% said they are not too confident or not at all confident, and 2% were unsure. Registered voters were also asked if the South Dakota Legislature spends its time on the most pressing issues of the state. More than half (57%) of voters said the state’s lawmakers spend a great deal or a fair amount of their time working on the most pressing issues. Another 36% said the legislators spend not very much or none of their time on these issues, while 8% were unsure. South Dakotans generally view public officials in the state as accountable to its residents, with 66% saying they are very or somewhat accountable. Another 32% said they are not too accountable or not at all accountable, and 2% were unsure. There were some partisan differences in the results of this question. A majority of Democrats (56%) said public officials are not too accountable or not at all accountable, whereas that was true for only 18% of Republicans. For Independents, 58% said public officials are very or somewhat accountable, and 38% said they are not too accountable or not at all accountable. ### Takeaway: Higher confidence than federal government Schaff said the numbers show that South Dakotans are supportive of their state government, with even Democrats showing high levels of confidence, which outpaces confidence in the federal government. As with the federal government, there is some partisan divide. The poll found that 52% of Democrats indicated they are very or somewhat confident in state government and 82% of Republicans indicated they are very or somewhat confident. “I think to some extent that's to be expected by the actions of state government. This is a Republican-dominated state, and Democratic voters would be less satisfied because the Legislature probably isn't enacting laws that they would like,” Card said. The figures showed only a slight change from 2021, and even Democrats increased their confidence in the last few years, Hellwege said. ### Takeaway: Not proportional to voter population The statistical distribution of voters' attitudes toward how the Legislature is spending its time is normal, with most voters (57%) thinking lawmakers are spending a great deal or a fair amount of their time on the important issues. However, the Legislature is skewed toward the Republican Party, and [about 23% of registered voters in South Dakota are Democrats](https://sdsos.gov/elections-voting/upcoming-elections/voter-registration-totals/voter-registration-comparison-table.aspx?ref=sdnewswatch.org). The expectation, then, is the numbers should follow a distribution curve similar to that of the voter population, Hellwege said. “Given that the Legislature is so skewed, if the population was equally skewed, then these numbers should also be skewed. But since these numbers are normally distributed, that sort of indicates we know that it's not proportional. For example, there’s nine Republican legislators for every one Democrat. And that’s not what the voter population looks like,” she said. --- ## Satisfaction with democracy The majority of voters surveyed are not satisfied that democracy is working in the United States. More than half (57%) said they are somewhat or very unsatisfied that it’s working, while 41% were very or somewhat satisfied. Broken into party demographics, the numbers show a large divide. Democrats indicated little satisfaction with democracy in America, with 11% saying they are very or somewhat satisfied, whereas 56% of Republicans said they are very or somewhat satisfied. For Independents, 38% were very or somewhat satisfied. ### Takeaway: Slight improvement In 2021, only 4% of South Dakota voters said they were very satisfied with democracy, and in this latest poll, that number doubled. This is largely a result of South Dakota voters being happier with a Republican Congress and president, Hellwege said. About half of Republicans in 2021 were very dissatisfied with democracy in America, and about 17% of Democrats were. The portion of those dissatisfied with democracy in the latest and 2021 polls are concerning overall, but there aren’t large trends toward increasing dissatisfaction, Hellwege said. --- ## Media South Dakota voters in the survey expressed little confidence in the press. Of those polled, 58% were not too confident or not at all confident in the news media, and 39% were very confident or somewhat confident. Another 2% were unsure. Democrats were much more confident in the news media than Republicans, with 74% of Democrats saying they are very or somewhat confident in the press. For Republicans, only 22% were very or somewhat confident. As with the other results, Independents showed a more moderate position, with 42% being very or somewhat confident in the press, and 53% being not too confident or not at all confident. The survey did not differentiate between national media and those outlets that serve the state or communities. ### Takeaway: Substantial improvement There was a substantial improvement in confidence in attitudes toward the media over the past few years. In 2021, more than half of respondents had no confidence in the press, and in this latest poll, that had fallen to a third who had no confidence. “This is still somewhat concerning, either indicating that people don’t trust an important institution of democratic oversight or that the media has lost its ability to act as democratic oversight,” Hellwege said. [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/11/Donate-News-Watch-2--1-.png)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?%5Fgl=1%2A10w9pkh%2A%5Fgcl%5Fau%2AMjAyOTY2NTc3My4xNzMwNDcxOTUz%2A%5Fga%2AMTM3NDcyODMyNS4xNzAyMTQ0MTg3%2A%5Fga%5FH98KVPR32J%2AMTczMTAxOTY1OS40NC4wLjE3MzEwMTk2NTkuMC4wLjA.&ref=sdnewswatch.org) Young people showed less confidence in the press than voters over age 65\. For those ages 18-34, 63% had no confidence in the press. For those over age 65, 51% had no confidence in the media. “This is indicative of the younger generation's higher sensitivity to misinformation and skepticism of media and information overall,” Hellwege said. --- ## Higher education A little more than half of South Dakota voters in the survey were very confident or somewhat confident in colleges and universities, but 42% were not too confident or not at all confident. Democrats showed a high degree of confidence in higher education institutions, with 81% expressing confidence. For Republicans, 30% were confident in academia. As with the other poll results, Independents showed a moderate position, with 67% saying they are very or somewhat confident in higher education. ### Takeaway: Improvements since 2021 Since 2021, the percentage of voters with no confidence in higher education dropped slightly from 19% to 14%. There was also increased confidence among Democrats and Republicans. In 2021, 4% of Democrats indicated no confidence, and fewer than 1% indicated no confidence in this latest poll. Four years ago, 26% of Republicans had no confidence in higher education, and this fell to 23% in the latest poll. “While there’s still a substantial and similar gap between the parties when it comes to higher education from 2021 to now, the confidence has actually improved somewhat. This might be surprising given recent legislative proposals and reform, particularly at the state level in recent years, suggesting that this sentiment may be stronger among politicians than the general public,” Hellwege said. ### Takeaway: Regaining trust Schaff, who didn’t compare current results with those of 2021, said the high numbers of voters who aren’t confident in higher education is concerning. “When the press and higher education are deeply distrusted by a large, discreet group of citizens, they should ask whether they have earned any of this distrust and think about ways to regain that trust,” Schaff said. In South Dakota, most higher education institutions are public. Large portions of the public viewing higher education with distrust might say something about that segment of the public, he said. “But it may also say something about higher education,” Schaff said. --- **Read other stories on the latest South Dakota News Watch poll:** [SD governor poll: Rhoden, Johnson lead; Doeden, Hansen surgeA poll shows GOP voters throwing their support behind incumbent Larry Rhoden and U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson. But challengers are pulling in voters.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-289.jpg)South Dakota News WatchKevin Killough![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/Gubernatorial-5.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/sd-poll-gop-gubernatorial-governor-rhoden-johnson-doeden-hanson/) [SD House poll: Jackley leads with many undecidedThe AG trailed behind the leaders in the governor’s race, but his move to the House race appears to have paid off.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-288.jpg)South Dakota News WatchKevin Killough![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/HouseCandidates-1-4.png)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/sd-house-poll-jackley-bialota-crabtree-gop-republican/) [Poll: What South Dakotans think of their political leadersMost enjoy high approval ratings, though national positions are weighing on a couple. Challengers struggle with name recognition.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-287.jpg)South Dakota News WatchKevin Killough![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/Rhoden-Rounds-Thune-Noem-3.png)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/approval-ratings-poll-noem-rhoden-doeden-thune-rounds-jackley-johnson/) [Poll: Majority of voters support new South Dakota prisonWith the new prison authorized, new disagreements over prison programs come to the forefront.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-286.jpg)South Dakota News WatchKevin Killough![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/2025-11-10-Current-prison-site-in-Sioux-Falls-2.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/poll-voters-new-prison-sioux-falls-rehabilitation-task-force/) [Poll: Support for Trump tariffs uneven in South DakotaWhile opinion of Trump’s aggressive policies is mixed among voters, some businesses and agricultural producers are put off by volatility.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-285.jpg)South Dakota News WatchBart Pfankuch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/2022-7-20-Chester-farm-harvest-1-1.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/poll-president-trump-tariffs-agriculture-politics-south-dakota/) [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact statehouse investigative reporter Kevin Killough* at* [*kevin.killough@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:kevin.killough@sdnewswatch.org). ### Fact brief: Is South Dakota one of the easiest states to acquire residency? URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/fact-brief-south-dakota-residency-drivers-license-dmv/ Last updated: 2025-11-20T11:00:58.000Z ## Yes. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/WhiteFACT-BRIEF--500-x-200-px--2-1-1.png) South Dakota is one of the easiest states to establish residency in, with several websites promoting the practice for full-time RVers, Americans living abroad, military personnel or those seeking tax savings. The organization South Dakota Residency Center says it can be "easily" done in three steps: securing a physical address in the state from a local mailbox provider service; staying one night at a state campground or hotel; and bringing required documents to the Department of Motor Vehicles. The America’s Mailbox website provides mailbox services, as well, and touts the South Dakota residency as a way to “avoid state income and other taxes, save on vehicle insurance and more.” In 2024, a Connecticut state comptroller asked prosecutors to investigate whether any of their state residents were using South Dakota to get out of state taxes. One South Dakota legislator estimated in 2024 that 30,000 people are full-time traveler residents. *This fact brief responds to conversations such as* [*this one.*](https://www.reddit.com/r/vandwellers/comments/1gy6sgz/is%5Fthe%5Fresidence%5Fprocess%5Fin%5Fsouth%5Fdakota%5Fstill/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) ### **Sources** Associated Press, [Becoming a resident of South Dakota is easy. Some say too easy](https://apnews.com/article/south-dakota-residency-taxes-voting-travelers-1656a39e8430d9bd16d889cbc25d8c46?ref=sdnewswatch.org) AmericasMailbox.com, [South Dakota residency](https://americasmailbox.com/south-dakota-residency/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) South Dakota Residency Center, [Get your SD residency in 3 easy steps](https://choosesd.com/south-dakota-residency/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) --- [South Dakota News Watch](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/) partners with [Gigafact](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) to publish fact briefs that refute or confirm a claim with supporting information and additional evidence and context. - [Read previous fact briefs](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/tag/fact-brief/). - Read our verification standards and other [best practices policies](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/best-practices/). - Submit a question for us to answer on the [South Dakota News Watch Tipline](https://gigafact.org/tipline/south-dakota-news-watch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). - Send questions or feedback to [factbrief@sdnewswatch.org](mailto:factbrief@sdnewswatch.org). *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact Michael Klinski* at michael.klinski@sdnewswatch.org.* ### Financial literacy aims to boost tribal sovereignty on Pine Ridge URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/financial-literacy-tribal-sovereignty-pine-ridge-reservation/ Last updated: 2025-11-19T12:13:04.000Z An organization that 15 years ago helped to open the first federally insured bank on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation now offers several programs that teach young people how to manage money. Lack of financial institutions and financial literacy are among many factors that have had long-term effects that can lead to higher rates of debt, lower credit scores and low financial mobility for reservation residents. [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/11/Donate-News-Watch--3-.png)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?%5Fgl=1%2A1txxzuc%2A%5Fgcl%5Fau%2AMjAyOTY2NTc3My4xNzMwNDcxOTUz%2A%5Fga%2AMTM3NDcyODMyNS4xNzAyMTQ0MTg3%2A%5Fga%5FH98KVPR32J%2AMTczMDkzMzA3Ni40Mi4wLjE3MzA5MzMwNzYuMC4wLjA.&ref=sdnewswatch.org) "The whole thing is pushing those goals to where we don't have to rely on the government, where we can get out there and be the working class," said Tawney Brunsch, executive director of Lakota Funds, a Native Community Development Institution based in Kyle. It recently began its second year of the Tokeya Financial Education Program teaching financial literacy to young people on the Pine Ridge reservation. The program, which is entirely self-funded by Lakota Funds, hopes to teach self-reliance. ## Reaching youth a key factor in mass financial literacy The Family and Child Education program (FACE), which was instituted in 1990 by the Bureau of Indian Education, allows parents on rural reservations to join their young children in their educational settings, which the BIE said enhances parent-child relationships and improves educational outcomes. Two schools on Pine Ridge, the Little Wound School in Kyle and Pine Ridge School in Pine Ridge, have active FACE programs. Last year, Lakota Funds began the Tokeya Financial Education Program in partnership with the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. That program collaborates with the FACE curriculum at the Little Wound School to provide financial literacy programs to both parents and children. > "The whole thing is pushing those goals to where we don't have to rely on the government, where we can get out there and be the working class." – Tawney Brunsch, executive director of Lakota Funds Lakota Funds also started the Tokátakiya matched savings program at the Little Wound School last year. Through the program, families participating in FACE will have the opportunity to, in addition to taking financial literacy classes, work on establishing their own savings accounts with assistance from Lakota Funds. Tokátatiya means “towards the future” in Lakota, said Nicole Pourier, who leads the financial education program. “When I look at our littles (the children participating in the matched savings program), we're planting the seed. And once we plant the seed, we get to watch it grow. And so what Tokátakiya means is we get to watch them grow and bloom through the future, and we're going to be a part of their lives for the next couple of years," she said. ![Education programming leader Nicole Pourier with a student in the FACE program at Little Wound high school in Kyle, S.D. (Photo: Nicole Pourier)](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/11/image-1.jpeg) Education programming leader Nicole Pourier with a student in the FACE program at Little Wound high school in Kyle, S.D. (Photo: Nicole Pourier) FACE allows parents not just to help their children learn but to learn alongside them as well, Pourier said. For many parents – some of whom are working toward their GED certificate or other education milestones – it's also the first time they are being exposed to certain financial concepts. “It's so fun to be doing two different lesson plans where they mean the same thing at different age levels that they can take home together. They're learning the banking world, money, all the financial stuff. And it's so exciting,” Pourier said. At the end of the program, families that participated in the Tokátakiya program will be able to start a certificate of deposit with the Lakota Federal Credit Union, the reservation's first federally insured financial institution, which Lakota Funds helped open in 2013. High school seniors at Crazy Horse School in Kyle are also getting monthly personal finance lessons and saving for their class trip in the spring through the Tokeya program. > “It's so fun to be doing two different lesson plans where they mean the same thing at different age levels that they can take home together. They're learning the banking world, money, all the financial stuff. And it's so exciting." – Nicole Pourier, education programming leader Pourier checks in with their progress each month and helps them plan out what needs to be saved to reach their own goals. This month, seniors will learn about paychecks and W-2s as well as other employment-related finance principles. "I figured if I could reach 10 kids at one high school, that's a win, you know? And then next year we can build on and figure out a way to make it work in the future," Pourier said. While there are challenges that come with teaching the next generation, connecting with them through her own life experience growing up on Pine Ridge often proves successful, she said. ## ****Get South Dakota stories** An email summary on most weekdays that links to the full version. Cancel anytime. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. "Your success is already impacting the next generation. That's what we want for our families who are participating in this. It's not just about the dollar amount in the matched savings. It's about sharing that story because maybe no one else is sharing that kind of story," Pourier said. Brunsch told News Watch that creating an environment where financial education is part of everyday life is critical to earning tribal sovereignty, a goal that’s reflected in the group’s vision/mission statement: “sovereignty through self-reliance.” ## Lakota Funds sees similar challenges, but renewed opportunity, 40 years later Lakota Funds, which was the first Native Community Development Institution in the country and sponsored the LFCU upon its opening, began providing business loans and assisting in job creation and business establishment in 1987\. Its work focuses on eliminating barriers to economic development on the reservation, which include access to capital, business networks, infrastructure and technical assistance. On the Pine Ridge reservation, about 48% of residents live below the poverty line, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Brunsch, who has served as executive director of Lakota Funds since 2008, told News Watch that while the organization has evolved since its creation, many of its goals remain the same. [Boys and Girls Clubs innovating after budget shortfalls“Yes, the funding has been cut, but so what? These kids are getting it done anyway, and the Boys and Girls Club isn’t going anywhere.”![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-283.jpg)South Dakota News WatchMolly Wetsch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/Dancing-in-Games-Room-1.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/boys-girls-clubs-south-dakota-budget-shortfall/) "I feel like a lot of the needs are still the same, that there hasn't been a lot of change in some areas. There's still that need for financial awareness for this idea of self-reliance, there's still a lot of families out there that are dependent and have been for many generations, on support," Brunsch said. "We have definitely more resources and a whole new subset, if you will, of youth, that do understand what the possibilities are and that are taking steps to to move forward with their secondary education or trade school or a trade or a job now." Lakota Funds' work, in addition to loan and financial programs, also extends into community development through education and workforce access initiatives like its construction internship program, which has paired over 100 interns with local builders. ## Future goals reflect current commitment to self-sufficiency While the financial education programs are, for now, limited to Crazy Horse and Little Wound Schools, executives at the Lakota Fund said they hope to see similar programs expand to the rest of the reservation and to other tribal communities in the state. Because the program is self-funded, there are certain limits to growth. But that also allowed for a level of freedom that grant-based programs do not always have, Brunsch said. “The fact that this was self-funded is part of the reason that we were able to move forward with it because Lakota Funds' lending is doing well. We've been pursuing self-sufficiency and sustainability without any federal support for years," Brunsch told News Watch. > "...I hope that this is just one little building block to get to where we have the sovereignty for self-reliance, that we have the ability to allow these kids to stay home and grow and build and shape our future, our communities." – Ellen White Thunder, deputy director of Lakota Funds "We're hoping that through this program, we are starting to establish a bit more self-reliance and establish a bit more sovereignty in our families, in our communities, through asset development and through wealth building." Ellen White Thunder, deputy director of Lakota Funds, said the future for the program is broad and could involve adding new forms of education into their outreach programs. And, hopefully, the effects will cascade down to permanent improvements in quality of life on the reservation, she said. "I would love to see more STEM somehow incorporated into this and really tied together with the framework that's already there. I would love to see our children have the knowledge and understanding of the opportunities that are in the different career fields, career paths," White Thunder said. "Beyond that, I would hope that in 15, 20 years that we have our own high-level jobs (on the reservation). And I'm not saying that we don't have high-level jobs but a variety of high-level jobs here. And I hope that this is just one little building block to get to where we have the sovereignty for self-reliance, that we have the ability to allow these kids to stay home and grow and build and shape our future, our communities." Pourier, who has lived on the Pine Ridge reservation her entire life, said that programs like Tokeya allow her to remind students that they are capable of doing great things. "The stuff that I tell my parents and my students is that we're gonna face this, we're gonna face challenges. We're gonna climb mountains. We got to. But it's hard. I'm not saying it's easy, it's hard, but we can get there if we're determined," Pourier said. [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/11/Donate-News-Watch-2--1-.png)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?%5Fgl=1%2A10w9pkh%2A%5Fgcl%5Fau%2AMjAyOTY2NTc3My4xNzMwNDcxOTUz%2A%5Fga%2AMTM3NDcyODMyNS4xNzAyMTQ0MTg3%2A%5Fga%5FH98KVPR32J%2AMTczMTAxOTY1OS40NC4wLjE3MzEwMTk2NTkuMC4wLjA.&ref=sdnewswatch.org) [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email) *for statewide stories. Investigative reporter *Molly Wetsch* is a* [*Report for America*](https://www.reportforamerica.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *corps member covering rural and Indigenous issues. Contact her at* [*molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Fact brief: Does South Dakota have a county that doesn’t have a SNAP-eligible retailer? URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/fact-brief-south-dakota-snap-food-stamp-benefits-counties/ Last updated: 2025-11-18T11:00:35.000Z ## Yes. Ziebach County doesn’t have a retailer that can accept food stamps and has the sixth-highest percentage of residents who receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits in the nation at 43.5%. Two other counties are in the top 10: Todd County (third, at 49.3%) and Oglala Lakota County (eighth, at 43%). All three are home to Native American reservations. Five other counties have only one SNAP-eligible retailer: Campbell, Hanson, Harding, Sanborn and Sully, while seven have two retailers. The lack of retailers can lead to people having to drive longer distances to get SNAP-eligible items. Residents on the west side of Ziebach County can drive to Meade and Perkins counties. And residents on the east and north can go to Dewey county, where some SNAP-eligible retailers are near county lines. Ziebach County covers the western part of the Cheyenne River Indian Reservation. Residents have a median income of $26,211\. *This fact brief responds to conversations such as* [*this one.*](https://www.reddit.com/r/politics/comments/1onlp3i/reminder%5Fsnapebt%5Fauthorized%5Fretailers%5Fmust%5Fcomply/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) ### **Sources** Center for American Progress, [SNAP study](https://www.americanprogress.org/article/snap-cuts-are-likely-to-harm-more-than-27000-retailers-nationwide/?utm%5Fsource=General+Interest&utm%5Fcampaign=3a17a35381-EMAIL%5FCAMPAIGN%5F2025%5F11%5F04%5F05%5F20&utm%5Fmedium=email&utm%5Fterm=0%5F-3a17a35381-466919369) USDA, [SNAP retailer locator ](https://usda-fns.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=15e1c457b56c4a729861d015cd626a23&ref=sdnewswatch.org) Data Commons, [Dewey County](https://datacommons.org/place/geoId/46137?ref=sdnewswatch.org) --- [South Dakota News Watch](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/) partners with [Gigafact](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) to publish fact briefs that refute or confirm a claim with supporting information and additional evidence and context. - [Read previous fact briefs](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/tag/fact-brief/). - Read our verification standards and other [best practices policies](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/best-practices/). - Submit a question for us to answer on the [South Dakota News Watch Tipline](https://gigafact.org/tipline/south-dakota-news-watch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). - Send questions or feedback to [factbrief@sdnewswatch.org](mailto:factbrief@sdnewswatch.org). *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact Michael Klinski* at michael.klinski@sdnewswatch.org.* ### Sanford Health to build $500 million hospital in Rapid City URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/sanford-health-rapid-city-hospital-healthcare/ Last updated: 2025-11-18T00:43:18.000Z RAPID CITY, S.D. – Speaking from his wheelchair, South Dakota philanthropist Denny Sanford told an adoring crowd at a Rapid City hotel on Monday that he feels "lucky" to have been able to donate nearly $2 billion to improve health care in his home state. Sanford, 89, spoke softly and his statement of appreciation surprised most of the crowd of 100 people who gathered at the Hyatt Place Rapid City to hear about Sanford's latest donation of $300 million that will help fuel construction of a $500 million medical center and health care campus in the Black Hills. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/11/2025-11-17-Gassen-and-Sanford-1.jpg) Philanthropist Denny Sanford, foreground, speaks Nov. 17, 2025, as Sanford Health CEO Bill Gassen listens during an event at the Hyatt hotel in Rapid City, S.D. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) "I am the lucky one," said Sanford, the founder of First Premier Bank and namesake of Sanford Health, the Sioux Falls-based regional medical group that will build and operate the new medical campus. "It's been a marvel to me how much I love this state." The plan to build a major new hospital on the southwest edge of Rapid City by 2030 is the latest step in a steady expansion into the Black Hills market by Sanford Health, which operates medical facilities in seven states and serves more than 2 million patients annually. [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/11/Donate-News-Watch-2--1-.png)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?%5Fgl=1%2A10w9pkh%2A%5Fgcl%5Fau%2AMjAyOTY2NTc3My4xNzMwNDcxOTUz%2A%5Fga%2AMTM3NDcyODMyNS4xNzAyMTQ0MTg3%2A%5Fga%5FH98KVPR32J%2AMTczMTAxOTY1OS40NC4wLjE3MzEwMTk2NTkuMC4wLjA.&ref=sdnewswatch.org) Bill Gassen, CEO of Stanford Health, said the new hospital will improve health care access and delivery across western South Dakota and the larger Great Plains region. "Denny Sanford's generous philanthropic investments have enabled Sanford Health to transform care for millions of people across the Midwest," Gassen said. "With his support and partnership, we are proud to that same transformative impact to western South Dakota, building a healthier future for generations to come." Here is a question-and-answer look at details of the new medical campus. **Where and when will the campus be built?** Construction on the Black Hills medical center campus will start in 2027 with completion anticipated in 2030 on a 103-acre site east of U.S. 16 (Mount Rushmore Road) a quarter-mile south of Catron Blvd. and about 5 miles south of downtown Rapid City. **What will the campus include?** Plans for the 480,000 square-foot campus call for a 168-bed hospital with room for 168 more beds in the future, an emergency department, intensive care unit, surgical suites and catheter labs, imaging rooms, dialysis center, oncology center, women's health and birthing center and a children's services center. ## ****Get South Dakota stories** An email summary on most weekdays that links to the full version. Cancel anytime. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. **What other medical facilities does Sanford Health own in the Black Hills?** The new campus will be the latest in a steady expansion by Sanford Health into the area. The new medical center will be located adjacent to the Black Hills Orthopedic & Spine Center, which Sanford Health acquired in November 2024\. At that time, it also partnered with Black Hills Surgical Hospital, Black Hills Urgent Care and Black Hills Surgical Center of Wyoming. Sanford Health also recently acquired Black Hills Plastic Surgery and Creekside Medical Clinic. **How will the new medical campus be staffed?** Sanford Health leaders said they are unsure of potential employment to be created by the new campus but that they have plans to invest in education of health care workers. The $300 million donation by Sanford includes $2.5 million for medical education of K-12 students through the Aspire program, $3 million in Build Dakota scholarships for medical technical education and $4.5 million to expand sponsorships at state colleges. **Why is Sanford Health expanding into the Black Hills?** Gassen said the region is growing rapidly, adding that the growth in personnel at Ellsworth Air Force Base, soon to be home to a new B-21 bomber squadron, helped solidify plans to expand into western South Dakota. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/11/2025-11-17-Rhoden-at-Sanford-announcement-1.jpg) South Dakota Gov. Larry Rhoden speaks Nov. 17, 2025, at the announcement of a new Sanford Health hospital in Rapid City, S.D. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) **What are state and local political leaders saying?** South Dakota Gov. Larry Rhoden said the new medical campus "will expand access to world-class health care right here in Rapid City. More health care providers will mean more choices for South Dakotans and more choices will mean increased access and quality of care." Rapid City Mayor Jason Salamun said the Sanford Health campus will be the latest in a series of major investments into the region. "One of the things I'd really love to see in Rapid City is that we become a health care hub for the region. ... We are so blessed to have exceptional health care here and it will continue to get better as we have yet another amazing health care system in our community." **How will the new medical campus impact Monument Health, which operates a full-service hospital and other facilities in Rapid City and which has medical centers in Sturgis, Spearfish and other locations across the Black Hills?** Gassen said that while Monument will be a competitor to Sanford Health, he hopes the two groups can work together just as Sanford Health and Avera Health partner on projects in the Sioux Falls market. Monument Health President and CEO Paulette Davidson told News Watch in an interview Monday that while she has both questions and concerns about how the new medical center will affect Monument's operations and offerings, she also expressed hope that the two groups can work together to provide the best medical care possible to the people of western South Dakota. [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact* *investigative reporter Bart Pfankuch* at* [*bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Poll: Support for Trump tariffs uneven in South Dakota URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/poll-president-trump-tariffs-agriculture-politics-south-dakota/ Last updated: 2025-11-19T22:37:59.000Z If there is one part of the policy agenda of President Donald Trump that is affecting South Dakota the most, it is likely his trade war with China and his aggressive approach to implementing tariffs on international trading partners. Trump's battle with China has led to retaliation by the Asian nation that included a freeze on purchases of soybeans from the U.S., including from South Dakota. Tariffs placed on imports from other nations also have affected the costs of goods purchased by a wide range of South Dakota businesses, industries and consumers. [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/11/Donate-News-Watch--3-.png)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?%5Fgl=1%2A1txxzuc%2A%5Fgcl%5Fau%2AMjAyOTY2NTc3My4xNzMwNDcxOTUz%2A%5Fga%2AMTM3NDcyODMyNS4xNzAyMTQ0MTg3%2A%5Fga%5FH98KVPR32J%2AMTczMDkzMzA3Ni40Mi4wLjE3MzA5MzMwNzYuMC4wLjA.&ref=sdnewswatch.org) Trump said tariffs will level the trade playing field with other countries and stop them from taking advantage of America. A major question hovers over the debate about the effectiveness of tariffs and who pays them. Trump insists foreign countries absorb the higher costs, but tariff opponents say American businesses and consumers are paying higher prices as a result. That lack of clarity about the effectiveness and effects of tariffs showed up in a recent poll gauging the support among South Dakotans for Trump's tariff strategy. The poll, co-sponsored by South Dakota News Watch and the Chiesman Center for Democracy at the University of South Dakota, revealed that among all voters statewide, 49% approve of Trump's tariff policies, 44% disapprove and 7% are unsure. Mason-Dixon Polling and Strategy, [ranked as one of the least-biased and most-factual pollsters](https://mediabiasfactcheck.com/mason-dixon-polling-bias-and-credibility/?ref=sdnewswatch.org), conducted the poll of 500 registered voters from all parties Oct. 16-19 using random selections from a telephone-matched state voter registration list that included both landline and cellphone numbers. Quotas were assigned to reflect voter registration by county. The margin for error is plus or minus 4.5 percentage points. Other highlights of the poll show that support for tariffs falls largely along political party lines, with 70% of Republicans in approval, compared to only 8% approval among Democrats. Independent voters showed mixed support, with 43% in approval of tariffs and 52% disapproving. The poll also showed that older voters are less supportive of Trump tariff policies than younger voters. While those aged 18-64 supported tariffs an average of 50%, 44% of voters aged 65 support the tariff policy. ![cargo ship on body of water during daytime](https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1614568111321-aaefe48192e2?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDl8fHRhcmlmZnxlbnwwfHx8fDE3NjMzNDU0MDV8MA&ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=80&w=2000) Photo by [Galen Crout](https://unsplash.com/@galen%5Fcrout?ref=sdnewswatch.org) / [Unsplash](https://unsplash.com/?utm%5Fsource=ghost&utm%5Fmedium=referral&utm%5Fcampaign=api-credit) Nathan Sanderson, president of the South Dakota Retailer’s Association, said the wide divide of tariff support based on political party affiliation likely mirrors support or disapproval of President Trump overall. ”If you’re a Republican, you’re by default looking to your Republican leaders for your policy direction, even if it’s a little different than in the past,” he said. “There remains very strong sentiment among Republicans that the U.S. has been getting the short end of the stick in trade policies in the past number of years.” ## Individual income status may affect support Sanderson said he wasn’t surprised to see poll results showing that South Dakotans age 65 and up are less supportive of tariffs than younger voters. Retirees on fixed incomes don’t like market volatility that can negatively affect their retirement savings, and older Republicans may dislike policies that interfere with the GOP’s historical stance in favor of free markets and free trade. Among the 4,000 members of the retailer’s group, Sanderson said support for tariffs likely depends on how they are affecting a business’s bottom line. A hardware store owner probably isn’t seeing much impact, while a toy store owner who buys goods from China is probably feeling some pain, he said. ## ****Get South Dakota stories** An email summary on most weekdays that links to the full version. Cancel anytime. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. “The overall sentiment from businesses in South Dakota is that they don’t see these tariffs as a long-term change but instead a short-term change to achieve some very specific policy goals," he said. "The question they’re asking is whether the short-term pain is worth the long-term benefits.” Support for tariffs among the general population probably also depends on an individual’s overall financial status, Sanderson said. “Generally speaking, individuals on the higher end of the income spectrum haven’t changed their spending habits at all,” he said. "But if you’re in the middle-to-lower-end of that range, you’ve changed your habits and are looking for deals and trading down on your spending.” ## Tariffs cause uncertainty for soybean farmers Soybean farmers in South Dakota were hit hard this fall by Trump’s ongoing trade war with China, as the Asian nation stopped buying soybeans from the U.S. Producers had a bumper crop in 2025 but lost one of the largest foreign markets for their goods. And many are worried their beans will have to be stored in bins or on the ground and possibly go to waste if China sales don't restart. Trump met with Chinese President Xi Jinping in late October and announced a deal in which China would end retaliatory tariffs and agree to buy 12 million metric tons of American soybeans before the end of 2025 and millions of tons in future years. The back and forth nature of trade and tariff negotiations has left many South Dakota soybean farmers frustrated and uncertain about their financial futures, said Jerry Schmitz, executive director of the South Dakota Soybean Association. ![green grass field under cloudy sky](https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1561761072-deee72e72d76?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDV8fHNveWJlYW4lMjBzb3V0aCUyMGRha290YXxlbnwwfHx8fDE3NjMzNDQ4NDh8MA&ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=80&w=2000) Photo by [Emma](https://unsplash.com/@pictures102?ref=sdnewswatch.org) / [Unsplash](https://unsplash.com/?utm%5Fsource=ghost&utm%5Fmedium=referral&utm%5Fcampaign=api-credit) “The more quickly we can move away from the uncertainty, the better,” he said. “Tariffs add more uncertainty and can increase the costs of other inputs, such as fertilizers.” As a result, there is mixed support for tariffs among the producers in the state’s $2.8 billion annual soybean industry, Schmitz said. Due to the volatility of the tariff situation, their opinions might have shifted significantly even in the three weeks since the News Watch poll was conducted, he said. [Chiesman Center for Democracy - Dakota DialoguesDAKOTA Dialogues A Podcast about the Health of Democracy in the State of South Dakota Produced by Laine Moser Productions with support of South Dakota Public Broadcasting Season 3: Civics Uncovered is coming soon!![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/favicon-5.ico)Dakota Dialogues![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/AAzXCkdX4vi3BpnfG46GtbNlHE3HA71GRAXtFUBHLZFXIoR9B3X_w_8Y3RbdEQpjbSRjjGmMq6ec23xE87eBnm_sL6oNvY-BZYgg_VqusHiaqm89GUgm_5q3l5C3E62uyLL1j0l88Pe7pGL_RugBSHRZoZu_x0re38fElkzRUK17HF3zObCvzoDKnTNY-w16383)](https://sites.google.com/usd.edu/chiesman/dakota-dialogues?ref=sdnewswatch.org) “Some farmers look at tariffs placed on soybeans in past years and were happy that there was something going on to change and hopefully improve that. And there are some that just wish it had never happened,” Schmitz said. A few contracts have been signed by South Dakota producers to sell beans to China this year, but no beans have moved yet and details of the trade deal remain unclear, he said. “We need certainty in agriculture, including in commodity grains and in livestock. But the American people in general need certainty,” Schmitz said. ## Tariffs also prompt volatility for ranchers The South Dakota ranching industry also has been forced to keep a keen eye on Trump’s tariffs and how the president’s actions or pronouncements are affecting their bottom line. [News Watch reported](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/tariffs-trade-south-dakota-agriculture/) in late September that while row crop producers were suffering under the trade war with China, the state’s livestock producers were seeing potentially record prices for their stock, due largely to supply and demand but also due to tariffs placed on beef from Mexico and other nations. But recently, just a week after the poll on tariffs was conducted by News Watch in October, Trump upended U.S. cattle markets and angered many producers with his announcement the U.S. may quadruple imports of beef from Argentina in an attempt to lower meat prices for American consumers. Such a move, which hasn't taken place so far, could reduce profits for South Dakota beef producers. ![South Dakota cattle ranchers have experienced the good and the bad of President Trump's tariff policies within the year 2025. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch/South Dakota News Watch file image)](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/11/alderson-cattle-barn-1.jpg) South Dakota cattle ranchers have experienced the good and the bad of President Trump's tariff policies within the year 2025\. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch/South Dakota News Watch file image) The volatility caused by tariffs and Trump’s statements have put new financial pressures on South Dakota ranchers, said Warren Symens, a Marshall County farmer and rancher who is president of the South Dakota Cattlemen’s Association. Symens reviewed the results of the News Watch poll and said he thinks the views of the more than 700 members of the association probably mirror the mixed support for tariffs by state voters overall. > “The more quickly we can move away from the uncertainty, the better. Tariffs add more uncertainty and can increase the costs of other inputs, such as fertilizers.” > \-- Jerry Schmitz, executive director of the South Dakota Soybean Association “It’s pretty reflective of what our membership thinks,” he said. “We understand that tariffs can be a tool in trade negotiations. But we know that long-term they are not an economic solution to anything.” South Dakota ranchers rely on export markets to add value to their products, adding an estimated $400 in value to each head of cattle recently priced around $3,600, Symens said. As with the state soybean farmers, livestock producers are enduring stress over the market volatility caused by the tariffs, he said. “I think the one overarching feeling is that the uncertainty is what causes disruption,” Symens said. “We’re not in this business to trade on the (Board of Trade), we’re in the business to raise cattle and raise families.” --- **Read other stories on the latest South Dakota News Watch poll:** [Poll: Majority of voters support new South Dakota prisonWith the new prison authorized, new disagreements over prison programs come to the forefront.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-274.jpg)South Dakota News WatchKevin Killough![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/2025-11-10-Current-prison-site-in-Sioux-Falls-1.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/poll-voters-new-prison-sioux-falls-rehabilitation-task-force/) [SD governor poll: Rhoden, Johnson lead; Doeden, Hansen surgeA poll shows GOP voters throwing their support behind incumbent Larry Rhoden and U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson. But challengers are pulling in voters.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-275.jpg)South Dakota News WatchKevin Killough![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/Gubernatorial-4.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/sd-poll-gop-gubernatorial-governor-rhoden-johnson-doeden-hanson/) [SD House poll: Jackley leads with many undecidedThe AG trailed behind the leaders in the governor’s race, but his move to the House race appears to have paid off.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-276.jpg)South Dakota News WatchKevin Killough![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/HouseCandidates-1-3.png)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/sd-house-poll-jackley-bialota-crabtree-gop-republican/) [Poll: What South Dakotans think of their political leadersMost enjoy high approval ratings, though national positions are weighing on a couple. Challengers struggle with name recognition.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-277.jpg)South Dakota News WatchKevin Killough![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/Rhoden-Rounds-Thune-Noem-2.png)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/approval-ratings-poll-noem-rhoden-doeden-thune-rounds-jackley-johnson/) [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact* *investigative reporter Bart Pfankuch* at* [*bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Hemp industry grows amid federal legality battle URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/cannabis-hemp-industry-federal-shutdown-marijuana/ Last updated: 2025-11-14T11:59:09.000Z WINFRED, S.D. – South Dakota, the No. 1 producer of hemp fiber in the nation, gets a major addition to its hemp processing industry later this year that will help expand the state's capacity to grow and create products. But it comes as federal legislation tied to the reopening of the government after a seven-week shutdown seeks to change how the plant can be used, which some industry members said poses an existential threat to its growth. It's representative of the growing two-sided hemp industry: one that produces goods like animal bedding, hemp wood and plastic, and another that creates consumable goods for humans and animals, some of which are intoxicating. ## Hemp still attractive to South Dakota farmers John Peterson, founder of Dakota Hemp, an industrial hemp farm near Wakonda, is nearly ready to open the state's second hemp processing facility. It's slated to begin operation by the end of the year and will have the capability to process hemp fibers and hurds, the coarse, woody parts of the plant, into a variety of products. At the farm, Peterson also grows cannabidiol, or CBD, plants, which create Dakota Hemp-branded CBD products like tinctures, lotions and pet treats, among other items that are sold throughout the state. ![Some of Dakota Hemp's products, including hemp wood, hemp plastic and CBD items, pictured Nov. 7, 2025, at the Dakota Hemp Facility near Wakonda, S.D. (Photo: Molly Wetsch/South Dakota News Watch)](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/11/hempproducts-1.jpg) Some of Dakota Hemp's products, including hemp wood, hemp plastic and CBD items, pictured Nov. 7, 2025, at the Dakota Hemp Facility near Wakonda, S.D. (Photo: Molly Wetsch/South Dakota News Watch) Hemp farming remains popular in South Dakota, where adding a third row crop proves attractive to farmers looking for increased diversity in their income streams. Ken Meyer, owner of Complete Hemp Processing in Winfred and member of the farmer advisory council for the U.S. Hemp Roundtable, told News Watch that he regularly fields calls from farmers looking to grow the crop. [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/11/Donate-News-Watch--3-.png)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?%5Fgl=1%2A1txxzuc%2A%5Fgcl%5Fau%2AMjAyOTY2NTc3My4xNzMwNDcxOTUz%2A%5Fga%2AMTM3NDcyODMyNS4xNzAyMTQ0MTg3%2A%5Fga%5FH98KVPR32J%2AMTczMDkzMzA3Ni40Mi4wLjE3MzA5MzMwNzYuMC4wLjA.&ref=sdnewswatch.org) “People just call us, saying, ‘Can I grow hemp? Can I grow this many acres?’ They're looking for, waiting to have, income on the farm,” Meyer said. The U.S. Department of Agriculture reported in April that the 2024 value of hemp production was $445 million – up 40% from 2023\. That includes hemp grown in the open and in protective facilities. [South Dakota No. 1 state in nation for hemp productionSouth Dakota recently became the top producer of hemp fibers after being the third-to-last state to make it legal just three years ago.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-273.jpg)South Dakota News WatchGreta Goede![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/Screen-Shot-2024-06-04-at-8.53.57-PM-3.png)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-hemp-production-sdiha-farm-bill/) Adding Peterson's processing facility into the mix will allow the state to keep its commanding position in the industry. Last year, South Dakota rose to the No. 1 spot for hemp fiber production in the country. Now, Peterson said, the crop has gotten so popular that processing facilities can't keep up with the demand. "We'll have about 12 people working (at the processing facility)," Peterson said. "But (South Dakota) should have so many more (processors). I wish I could just look ahead 10 years and see where (the industry) in South Dakota is at." Last year, there were hemp bales as far as the eye could see in Winfred, where Meyer's processing facility is located. Today, most of those bales have disappeared. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/11/2025-10-13_hemp_bales_and_fibers_in_Winfred.jpg) Hemp bales and fibers on Oct. 12, 2025, at Complete Hemp Processing in Winfred, S.D (Photo: Molly Wetsch/South Dakota News Watch) That’s a good thing, Meyer said. It means that his processing facility is keeping up with the amount of hemp that farmers in the state are growing. “We're trying to run hard and get things done. And sometimes we run into bumps and it's not smooth, but it is progressing. So we're excited about that,” Meyer said. “We need to catch up in processing because obviously, if we're not processing as fast as they grow it, they slow down growing. But interest to grow is at an all time high.” ## New federal legislation causes uncertainty Though hemp has proven a successful venture for many South Dakota farmers, Meyer and other industry members are concerned that the [2026 Agricultural Appropriations package in Congress](https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/R48564?ref=sdnewswatch.org) will cause chaos in the industry. The package includes language that redefines hemp and how its products can be sold. Under the language proposed by Kentucky Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell, consumable hemp products would be legal only if they contained a “non-quantifiable amount of THC.” THC, or tetrahydrocannabinol, is the intoxicating compound in the marijuana plant. [Cannabis defined: Everything to know about marijuanaAn explanation about cannabis products available (legally and not) in South Dakota.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-279.jpg)South Dakota News WatchMolly Wetsch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/cannabisstore-1.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/cannabis-marijuana-hemp-thc-cbd-definitions/) The appropriations package, which had its passage delayed by the government shutdown, has been passed by the Senate and the House and was signed by President Donald Trump Wednesday evening. Hemp farmers, processors and product sellers will have one year to comply with the new regulations. Meyer expressed concern that many hemp CBD products, like those that Dakota Hemp creates, would be forced to cease production because they often contain some measurable level of THC, though those levels are not enough to be intoxicating. ## ****Get South Dakota stories** An email summary on most weekdays that links to the full version. Cancel anytime. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. The federal legal limit for THC content in a hemp plant is 0.3% by dry weight. And Meyer and Peterson said that all hemp plants grown in the U.S. contain some quantifiable amount of THC. Meyer said that he believes the definition change will also cause general confusion for farmers, processors and other industry members, even those who make nonintoxicating hemp products. “It's just not doable. It's not possible,” Meyer said. “There's risk for us as farmers. What will be the end of the process, where will we end up? We just want to know, where are we at?" Industrial hemp farmers are subject to several regulations in South Dakota, including registering for a license with the state Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources and agreeing to regular sampling of their crop and harvest. ## Popular consumable hemp products on the chopping block The proposed language change specifically bans quantifiable amounts of THC in consumable products, a move that McConnell said would close the "unintended loophole" created in the 2018 Farm Bill, which legalized industrial hemp growth. Hemp-derived THC products have gained a strong foothold across the country, including in states where recreational marijuana is illegal, like South Dakota. South Dakotans can stop in most liquor stores and some bars and purchase THC seltzers – intoxicating beverages that can produce effects similar to traditional cannabis use. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/11/IMG_5528-1-1.jpg) Hemp-derived THC beverages on Nov. 12, 2025, at a store in Sioux Falls, S.D. (Photo: Molly Wetsch/South Dakota News Watch) Other products that have gained popularity include gummies and vapes, which are often sold in unregulated smoke shops. South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley was among 38 state attorneys general to urge Congress to close the loophole and ban intoxicating hemp products. The coalition's letter said that "the entire synthetic THC industry rests on a foundation of illicit conduct" and expressed concerns that those products were more potent than marijuana and being marketed to minors. ## Hemp debate divides Republicans Sen. Rand Paul, a Kentucky Republican, has been one of the most outspoken lawmakers in opposition to the hemp language change. Delivering remarks on the Senate floor, Paul said the language change will "destroy hemp farming in Kentucky and across the United States" and "regulate the hemp industry to death." Paul voted against his fellow Kentucky congressman McConnell's push to ban intoxicating hemp products – which in turn voted to keep the government closed. He was the only Republican to do so but has not been the only Republican to speak in support of hemp. In September, Rep. James Comer, another Kentucky Republican, led 26 other lawmakers, both Democrats and Republicans in asking Speaker of the House Mike Johnson to reconsider the language change. Industrial hemp grown and processed in South Dakota is primarily used for products like animal bedding, Meyer said. But nationwide, much of the hemp industry finds its footing in hemp CBD products and hemp-derived THC products. [Alcohol’s impact: 35, dry and dying while waiting for transplantChronic liver disease is now the leading cause of death of South Dakotans in their 30s. “Alcohol is particularly challenging because it’s prevalent. It’s relatively cheap, and it’s not in any way illegal.”![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-278.jpg)South Dakota News WatchMegan Luther![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/Taylor-Nielsen-comparison-1.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/chronic-liver-disease-cirrhosis-killing-south-dakota-30-year-olds/) Art Massolo is vice president of business development for Cycling Frog, an Oregon-based THC product company that sells its low-dose seltzers in South Dakota. Massolo told News Watch that people are drinking less alcohol and looking to replace some of that consumption with hemp-based drinks. "Alcohol, who are our partners in a lot of this, see THC beverages as the future for their growth," Massolo said. "People aren't drinking as much beer, wine and spirits right now. We've been a wonderful boon to the alcohol industry." Massolo opposes the language change in the Appropriations bill, but said that unregulated products are posing a threat to legitimate companies that require age verification to purchase their products and specifically target adults. He told News Watch that the industry wants regulation of their products but not an all-out ban. "We are worried about the bad actors that are putting THC and other molecules that we don't even know that much about into boxes that look like Skittles or potato chips," Massolo said. "They sell those everywhere, and that's why we need regulation. We think that normalizing (THC beverages) is for the better nature of our society." [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/11/Donate-News-Watch-2--1-.png)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?%5Fgl=1%2A10w9pkh%2A%5Fgcl%5Fau%2AMjAyOTY2NTc3My4xNzMwNDcxOTUz%2A%5Fga%2AMTM3NDcyODMyNS4xNzAyMTQ0MTg3%2A%5Fga%5FH98KVPR32J%2AMTczMTAxOTY1OS40NC4wLjE3MzEwMTk2NTkuMC4wLjA.&ref=sdnewswatch.org) [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email) *for statewide stories. Investigative reporter *Molly Wetsch* is a* [*Report for America*](https://www.reportforamerica.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *corps member covering rural and Indigenous issues. Contact her at* [*molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Cannabis defined: Everything to know about the plant URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/cannabis-marijuana-hemp-thc-cbd-definitions/ Last updated: 2025-11-14T11:50:44.000Z Cannabis/marijuana/pot dominates many political, scientific and cultural conversations nowadays. In 2023, [half of U.S. adults ](https://www.samhsa.gov/data/data-we-collect/nsduh-national-survey-drug-use-and-health/national-releases/2023?ref=sdnewswatch.org)said that they'd used it least once in their lives. But to many, it still remains a confusing and complex drug. Below is a guide to the cannabis sativa plant, its uses and its legality in South Dakota. #### What is THC and what does it do? THC, or tetrahydrocannabinol, is the intoxicating compound in marijuana plants. It produces psychoactive effects associated with a typical "high." Marijuana products vary in their THC content because different strains of the marijuana plant have different THC content. The average potency of seized marijuana in 2022 was 16.14%, [according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.](https://nida.nih.gov/research/research-data-measures-resources/cannabis-potency-data?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Through an extraction process that separates the potent flower from the rest of the plant, [some THC products](https://www.thecalmleaf.com/elyxr-90-thc-p-disposable-vape-pen/?ref=sdnewswatch.org), usually in the form of vape pens, resin, or wax, can have up to 90% THC content. #### What is the difference between hemp and marijuana? Hemp and marijuana have been conflated for years, which led to hemp’s ban in the United States. In 1970, then-President Reagan passed the [Controlled Substances Act](https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/R45948?ref=sdnewswatch.org), which listed both hemp and marijuana as controlled, banned substances. But the plants are very different, even in appearance. While they’re both strains of the cannabis sativa plant, hemp grows in stalks, much like bamboo, with flowering heads on the top. These stalks loom large and can grow up to 15 feet tall. Marijuana plants, on the other hand, are much smaller and probably look more familiar to the general public. Their green, three-leafed flowers are the most recognizable symbol of the drug. The biggest difference between hemp and marijuana is in their usage. Hemp, with its hard stalks, inner fibers and coarse hurds, can be used to create a variety of non-consumable, non-intoxicating products. "Hempcrete" (hemp concrete), hemp wood, animal hurds and hemp fiber clothing are all common, popular uses for the plant. [South Dakota is the No. 1 producer of hemp fiber in the country](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-hemp-production-sdiha-farm-bill/), thanks to the state's climate and soil. There's also a major difference in THC content: Hemp plants typically contain anywhere from 0.2% to 0.5% THC, compared to marijuana plants, which typically hover around 15% to 20%. The [2018 Farm Bill](https://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/farm-bill/2018-farm-bill?ref=sdnewswatch.org) reclassified hemp as a non-controlled, and therefore legal, plant, as long as the plant contains less than 0.3% THC by dry weight. While hemp can be synthetically modified into hemp-derived THC products, the raw, unmodified plant cannot be smoked or consumed to create a "high." #### What does "medical marijuana" mean? Medical marijuana was voted into legality in South Dakota in 2020 and formally legalized in 2021\. [SDCL 34-20G](https://sdlegislature.gov/Statutes/34-20G?ref=sdnewswatch.org) establishes the rules and regulations for medical cannabis in the state. The first dispensary in the state opened in 2022\. The South Dakota medical cannabis website keeps a list of [certified establishments](https://medcannabis.sd.gov/Establishments/CertifiedEstablishments.aspx?ref=sdnewswatch.org) in the state, which include growers, distributors, testers and processors of medical marijuana. In South Dakota, patients can only apply for a medical marijuana card after a physician recommendation. They'll then be directed to an online portal where they pay the yearly registration fee of $75\. [Eligible conditions for medical marijuana cards](https://doh.sd.gov/programs/medical-cannabis-program/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) are limited in the state to "debilitating" medical conditions, which include but are not limited to: - AIDS or HIV positive status - Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis - Cancer or its treatment - Crohn’s disease - Epilepsy and seizures - Glaucoma - Multiple sclerosis - Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) Patients who have debilitating or severe pain, seizures or severe nausea, among other symptoms, as a result of other conditions may also be eligible for a medical marijuana card. The South Dakota Department of Health's [most recent annual report](https://doh.sd.gov/media/jeqlqbgc/2024-sd-doh-annual-report-web.pdf?ref=sdnewswatch.org) said that, of the 13,325 active cardholders in June 2024, 10,001 patients got those cards for severe pain – over 70% of medical cannabis cardholders in the state. There are currently more than 17,000 medical cannabis cardholders in South Dakota. South Dakota's [Medical Marijuana Oversight Committee](https://sdlegislature.gov/Interim/Committee/491/Detail?ref=sdnewswatch.org), which began meeting in late 2025, was created to greater understand and regulate the medical marijuana industry in the state. It is chaired by Rep. Josephine Garcia, a Codington County Republican, and has not yet proposed any legislation or regulation of medical cannabis in the state, though there have been discussions about marijuana potency, minors' access to medical cannabis and fines for inspection violations. #### Why can I buy marijuana on reservations? Native American tribes in the U.S. are viewed as sovereign entities, with the ability and authority to establish their own laws and regulations. While cannabis use on reservations was historically regulated by the federal government, the [2013 Cole Memorandum](https://www.justice.gov/iso/opa/resources/3052013829132756857467.pdf?ref=sdnewswatch.org) established tribes' sovereignty to create their own cannabis regulations, regardless of the bordering state's laws. Several tribes in South Dakota, including the Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe and the Oglala Lakota Tribe of the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, have incorporated laws that allow them to grow, process and sell marijuana products on their tribal lands. On Pine Ridge, recreational marijuana is legal for those over 21, and there are several dispensaries on the reservation. But any products purchased on the reservation must only be consumed there and cannot be taken off tribal lands. On the Flandreau reservation, [medical marijuana is legal](https://fsst-nsn.gov/resources/medical-cannabis-program-forms?ref=sdnewswatch.org) and sold at Native Nations Cannabis Dispensary. Unlike medical marijuana dispensaries in the rest of the state, medical marijuana cards from any state or jurisdiction are accepted for purchase. #### Why can I buy THC products in South Dakota stores? South Dakotans who frequent bars, liquor stores and even some grocery stores in the state will have seen new products in the past few years. They commonly take the form of canned seltzers but can also come as gummies, vapes and other snack products. These products are made with hemp-derived THC, an intoxicating compound that mimics the experience of traditional cannabis use. Hemp-derived THC began its rise in popularity when the 2018 Farm Bill re-legalized the growth of industrial hemp. The South Dakota Legislature [banned the sale and distribution](https://sdlegislature.gov/Session/Bill/24425/264191?ref=sdnewswatch.org) of THC products derived from hemp in 2024, but these products are still widely available and sold across the state. The products remain in an uncertain balance in terms of legality. In November 2025, Attorney General Marty Jackley released [an official opinion ](https://atg.sd.gov/OurOffice/OfficialOpinions/opinionhtml.aspx?id=1770&ref=sdnewswatch.org)in response to questions about hemp-derived THC seltzer sales in Brookings. That opinion said that without comprehensive testing of products, it could not be determined whether those products were legal. South Dakotans may not be able to buy hemp-derived THC products for long, though. The 2026 Agricultural Appropriations package was passed as the government shutdown ended on Nov. 12, 2025\. That package federally bans consumable hemp products with a "quantifiable" amount of THC, closing a "loophole" that Sen. Mitch McConnell said was unintended. It gives hemp growers, processors and distributors one year to follow new regulations. #### What's the difference between Delta-8 and Delta-9 THC? Delta-9 THC is the scientific name for the THC compound found in cannabis sativa plants. Delta-8 molecules are found in much lower concentrations in the cannabis sativa plant – both hemp and marijuana – but can be chemically modified to produce similar intoxicating effects as Delta-9 THC. Delta-8 THC products became popular after the 2018 Farm Bill was passed because most regulations on marijuana in the United States specifically outlaw products and plants containing high levels of Delta-9 THC and because Delta-8 THC is found in low concentration. The process to extract Delta-8 THC from hemp varies from manufacturer to manufacturer, which means that it's difficult to determine the actual potency of a Delta-8 THC product. The Food and Drug Administration [released a report in 2022](https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/5-things-know-about-delta-8-tetrahydrocannabinol-delta-8-thc?ref=sdnewswatch.org) that 104 adverse events had been reported as a result of Delta-8 THC. #### So what forms of marijuana are actually legal in South Dakota? The answer to this question is not necessarily as clear as simply saying "marijuana is legal" or "marijuana is illegal." Recreational marijuana is not legal in South Dakota, but it is legal on the nearly 3,500 square miles that make up the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. Medical marijuana patients with a valid South Dakota medical cannabis card can possess, purchase and use marijuana in South Dakota. They're limited in the amounts they can hold at one time, though, to 3 ounces or less. Medical cannabis users who hold cards from other states or jurisdictions will not be arrested for the possession or use of marijuana in South Dakota, but they cannot purchase medical cannabis in the state. However, anyone with an out-of-state card can drive 45 miles north of Sioux Falls to the Flandreau Indian Reservation, where its medical dispensary accepts out-of-state medical cannabis cards. And hemp-derived THC remains a murky area for both consumers and sellers. Though the Legislature [passed a bill](https://sdlegislature.gov/Session/Bill/24425/264191?ref=sdnewswatch.org) banning synthetically modified hemp products, like Delta-8 products and other hemp-derived THC, the products are available in spades across the state – most commonly as hemp-derived THC seltzers. In September 2025, a statewide sting operation prompted Jackley, the state attorney general, to [indict five individuals](https://atg.sd.gov/OurOffice/Media/pressreleasesdetail.aspx?id=2919&ref=sdnewswatch.org#gsc.tab=0) for possession and distribution of controlled substances. Three of those indictments were related to industrial hemp modification (hemp-derived THC) offenses. ****Trusted, independent sources of information are needed more than ever. Help us continue delivering timely, fact-based storytelling today.** [Donate ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) ## ****Get South Dakota stories** An email summary on most weekdays that links to the full version. Cancel anytime. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email) *for statewide stories. Investigative reporter *Molly Wetsch* is a* [*Report for America*](https://www.reportforamerica.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *corps member covering rural and Indigenous issues. Contact her at* [*molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Fact brief: Can data centers lead to higher energy prices? URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/fact-brief-data-centers-electricity-prices-increase-sd/ Last updated: 2025-11-13T11:00:16.000Z ## Yes. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/WhiteFACT-BRIEF--500-x-200-px--2-1-1.png) Energy prices for people living in some areas where data centers are constructed increased after the facilities become operational. An analysis by[ Bloomberg.com](http://bloomberg.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) showed that electricity prices increased 267% over five years for energy customers who live near newly constructed data centers. The report said that wholesale prices have doubled since 2020, mainly in areas near data center hot spots. Of the areas that had price increases, 70% are located within 50 miles of data centers. The impact on energy prices can vary, however, according to a separate study. If data centers require new power plants or other substantial improvements to the grid, price changes could be more dramatic. Data centers now have their eyes on South Dakota. Gemini Data Center SD LLC purchased 160 acres in northeastern Sioux Falls near an existing Xcel Energy substation. The project still requires city approval. Another company is proposing a multi-billion data center in Deuel County. *This fact brief responds to conversations such as* [*this one.*](https://www.reddit.com/r/SiouxFalls/comments/1ough79/concerning%5Fthe%5Fnew%5Fdata%5Fcenter/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) ### **Sources** Bloomberg, [AI data centers are sending power bills soaring](https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2025-ai-data-centers-electricity-prices/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Washington Post, [There’s a reason electricity prices have been rising. And it’s not data centers.](https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2025/10/25/data-centers-electricity-prices-rise/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) SiouxFalls.Business, [Hyperscale data center seeking city approvals to build northeast of Sioux Falls](https://siouxfalls.business/hyperscale-data-center-seeking-city-approvals-to-build-northeast-of-sioux-falls/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) The Dakota Scout, [Planned hyperscale data center moving into South Dakota's largest city](https://www.thedakotascout.com/p/planned-hyperscale-data-center-moving?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Keloland.com, [Deuel County could be multi-billion data center site](https://www.keloland.com/keloland-com-original/deuel-county-eyes-multi-billion-data-center-proposal/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) --- [South Dakota News Watch](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/) partners with [Gigafact](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) to publish fact briefs that refute or confirm a claim with supporting information and additional evidence and context. - [Read previous fact briefs](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/tag/fact-brief/). - Read our verification standards and other [best practices policies](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/best-practices/). - Submit a question for us to answer on the [South Dakota News Watch Tipline](https://gigafact.org/tipline/south-dakota-news-watch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). - Send questions or feedback to [factbrief@sdnewswatch.org](mailto:factbrief@sdnewswatch.org). *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact Michael Klinski* at michael.klinski@sdnewswatch.org.* ### Poll: Majority of voters support new South Dakota prison URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/poll-voters-new-prison-sioux-falls-rehabilitation-task-force/ Last updated: 2025-11-19T16:18:01.000Z PIERRE, S.D. – A new scientific poll co-sponsored by South Dakota News Watch finds that a majority of registered voters approve of a men's prison project. Through the years-long debate over whether and where to build a new prison, opponents and supporters generally agreed recidivism needed to be addressed. With the new prison authorized, new disagreements over prison programs come to the forefront. According to the poll, which was co-sponsored by the Chiesman Center for Democracy, 68% of registered South Dakota voters surveyed said they approve of the new prison, and 20% said they disapprove of the project. Another 12% were unsure. The poll also found that a majority of voters of both parties and Independents support the project. Among Democrats, 70% support the new prison, and 66% of Republicans support it. With Republican voters, a higher percentage (13%) were unsure, whereas 9% of Democrats were unsure. Among Independents, 72% support the new prison, 15% disapproved and 13% were unsure. Mason-Dixon Polling and Strategy conducted the poll of 500 registered voters from all parties Oct. 16-19 using random selections from a telephone-matched state voter registration list that included both landline and cellphone numbers from across the state. Quotas were assigned to reflect voter registration by county. The margin for error is no more than plus or minus 4.5 percentage points. ## Division over agreement on rehabilitation The poll was conducted nearly four weeks after the South Dakota Legislature, in a special session on Sept. 23, narrowly approved the construction of a $650 million prison. It will be located about 4 miles northeast of the current South Dakota State Penitentiary in Sioux Falls near Benson Road and I-229. Opponents of the prison argued that the state should focus on addressing recidivism, consider options to expand other facilities, and address operational and leadership issues in the Department of Corrections. Supporters agreed the state needs to do more to address recidivism, but they argued that other construction options were more expensive. Besides alleviating overcrowding, the new facility would provide the programmatic space needed for workforce training, treatment and counseling programs to help with recidivism, they said. [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/11/Donate-News-Watch-2--1-.png)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?%5Fgl=1%2A10w9pkh%2A%5Fgcl%5Fau%2AMjAyOTY2NTc3My4xNzMwNDcxOTUz%2A%5Fga%2AMTM3NDcyODMyNS4xNzAyMTQ0MTg3%2A%5Fga%5FH98KVPR32J%2AMTczMTAxOTY1OS40NC4wLjE3MzEwMTk2NTkuMC4wLjA.&ref=sdnewswatch.org) A week before the special session, Gov. Larry Rhoden pledged to create a task force to look at rehabilitation programs in an effort to reduce recidivism and lower the state’s prison population, if the bill authorizing the new prison passed. That announcement may have gained some extra votes in favor of the new prison. The rehabilitation task force [held its first meeting on Oct. 29 in Sioux Falls](https://boardsandcommissions.sd.gov/Meetings.aspx?BoardID=11775&ref=sdnewswatch.org), and the 30-member panel heard a series of presentations on various programs the South Dakota Department of Corrections currently provides inmates, including drug treatment, workforce training and mental health counseling. The panel agreed to break into subcommittees in the coming weeks to study specific topics related to rehabilitation, such as drug and alcohol treatment, tribal programs and education. The subcommittees will then report back on their studies at the next meeting of the full panel, planned for sometime in December. ## Examining results of controversial program In the morning before the meeting of the rehabilitation task force, an [interim committee](https://sdlegislature.gov/Interim/Committee/506/Detail?ref=sdnewswatch.org) examining programs in other states listened to presentations about the effects of faith-based programs that were implemented in the Louisiana State Penitentiary, commonly nicknamed “Angola.” Programs modeled after Angola’s were later implemented in Mississippi prisons. Burl Cain, CEO and founder of the Global Prison Seminaries Foundation, testified on how the ministry programs in the prison have transformed Angola from one of the most violent prisons in the U.S. into one of the nation’s safest. Cain, who was warden of Angola from 1995-2016, later helped create these programs in Mississippi prisons, which he said produced similar results to those he’d seen in Angola. ## ****Get South Dakota stories** An email summary on most weekdays that links to the full version. Cancel anytime. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. The programs aren’t without their controversies. The American Civil Liberties Union filed lawsuits on behalf of Catholic and Mormon inmates in Angola who alleged they were denied materials or rites, [Mother Jones reported in 2011](https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2011/07/burl-cain-angola-prison/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). Another prisoner told the magazine writer that he was punished for not participating in the programs. During the testimony, Rep. Kadyn Wittman, a Sioux Falls Democrat, asked Cain about how South Dakota’s Indigenous inmates would fit into these programs, were they to be implemented in the state’s prisons. > “We don't care if you're a Christian. We want you to be a Muslim. We want you to be an atheist. We don't care who's in this program. We just care that you're in the program." – Burl Cain, CEO and founder of the Global Prison Seminaries Foundation “A particularly large portion of our incarcerated population are Indigenous community members that participate in powwows and sweats (lodge ceremonies) as part of their religious practice. So my question is, how do you or did you ensure that non-Christian inmates received equal access to rehabilitation programs and participation, and that it wasn't coercive in any way?” Wittman asked. Cain said that inmates in the program sign a statement that they won’t debate their own religion or object to what they’re being taught. “We don't care if you're a Christian. We want you to be a Muslim. We want you to be an atheist. We don't care who's in this program. We just care that you're in the program. But you can't hardly study it for years without it catching on to you,” Cain replied. ## Debate over corrections in the 1970s Debates over corrections in South Dakota go back decades. In 1971 and 1972, Bill Walsh co-chaired a prison reform committee, which was established by former Gov. Richard Kneip. At the time, Walsh was an active Catholic priest and chaplain at the state penitentiary. He told News Watch that in the course of many meetings, the group had “many heated discussions.” The committee produced a report, which recommended alternatives to incarceration as the better approach to satisfying the state’s long-term correctional needs than building more prisons. Walsh said he’s not sure the report had much influence. “It was a case of a lot of time and money put into a study, and then it just gets shelved,” he said. ## Lincoln County plan fizzled In 2021, the DOC hired a consultant to study South Dakota's correctional needs, and it produced a report concluding a new facility was needed. Building a new prison became a priority for then-Gov. Kristi Noem, and a plan materialized to build a 1,500-bed, $825 million prison in Lincoln County. The Legislature [passed a law in 2023](https://sdlegislature.gov/Session/Bill/23949?ref=sdnewswatch.org) to authorize the Department of Corrections to purchase property for a proposed facility. In 2024, the Legislature[ approved an appropriation](https://sdlegislature.gov/Session/Bill/24927/258070?ref=sdnewswatch.org) for site preparation and planning for a proposed facility. ![A sign protesting the site of the proposed prison in Lincoln County is seen along 278th Street in rural Canton, S.D., on Feb. 8, 2025. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/11/2025-2-8-NOPE-sign.JPG) A sign protesting the site of the proposed prison in Lincoln County is seen along 278th Street in rural Canton, S.D., on Feb. 8, 2025\. Neighbors Opposed to Prison Expansion, or NOPE, is a group of landowners that filed suit against the state. (Photo: Stu Whitney / South Dakota News Watch) The plan was met with [fierce opposition from landowners in the area](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-department-corrections-lincoln-county-prison-project/). A group of landowners near the proposed project sued to stop it, arguing that it violated the county’s zoning laws and clashed with its comprehensive plan. In court, the state countered that the landowners lacked standing and the state was protected by the legal doctrine of sovereign immunity, which puts limits on when the government can be sued. The Second Judicial Circuit granted the state’s motion to dismiss the lawsuit, and the landowners appealed to the Supreme Court, which [upheld the lower court’s ruling](https://ujs.sd.gov/media/phpn3l5f/30890.pdf?ref=sdnewswatch.org) in July. ## Back to the drawing board By the time the ruling was passed down, it had little impact. The Lincoln County plan had already failed to gain the support of legislators in the session the previous February. A task force Rhoden set up following the failed bid to gain legislative authorization, and the panel ultimately scrapped the Lincoln County plan in favor of the $650 million facility in Sioux Falls. [Chiesman Center for Democracy - Dakota DialoguesDAKOTA Dialogues A Podcast about the Health of Democracy in the State of South Dakota Produced by Laine Moser Productions with support of South Dakota Public Broadcasting Season 3: Civics Uncovered is coming soon!![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/favicon-6.ico)Dakota Dialogues![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/AAzXCkdX4vi3BpnfG46GtbNlHE3HA71GRAXtFUBHLZFXIoR9B3X_w_8Y3RbdEQpjbSRjjGmMq6ec23xE87eBnm_sL6oNvY-BZYgg_VqusHiaqm89GUgm_5q3l5C3E62uyLL1j0l88Pe7pGL_RugBSHRZoZu_x0re38fElkzRUK17HF3zObCvzoDKnTNY-w16383-1)](https://sites.google.com/usd.edu/chiesman/dakota-dialogues?ref=sdnewswatch.org) The controversy over the Lincoln County plan may still linger in the minds of East River voters. The latest poll showed support was somewhat higher west of the Missouri River, with 72% of voters saying they approve of the project. In northern counties of East River, 71% of voters approved of the project and 65% of southern East River counties approved of the project. In the Sioux Falls metropolitan area, 66% of voters approved of the project. ## Moving forward With the Sioux Falls prison project a done deal, meetings of the rehabilitation task force will continue after its December meeting with the goal of making recommendations to the Legislature at some point in the coming year. Kellie Wasko, former secretary of the DOC, resigned ahead of the September special session after House members penned a letter critical of the DOC leadership. Last month, Rhoden appointed [Nick Lamb to head the DOC](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-department-corrections-doc-new-prison-wasko/). Lamb has 31 years of experience in corrections, having served in the Illinois, New Mexico and Iowa DOC. He’s expected to take over the department this month. Construction of the new prison is expected to take four years. Once it's open, South Dakotans will be able to measure how far these efforts will go to addressing the issues in the state’s corrections. --- **Other stories on the latest South Dakota News Watch poll:** [SD governor poll: Rhoden, Johnson lead; Doeden, Hansen surgeA poll shows GOP voters throwing their support behind incumbent Larry Rhoden and U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson. But challengers are pulling in voters.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-271.jpg)South Dakota News WatchKevin Killough![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/Gubernatorial-3.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/sd-poll-gop-gubernatorial-governor-rhoden-johnson-doeden-hanson/) [SD House poll: Jackley leads with many undecidedThe AG trailed behind the leaders in the governor’s race, but his move to the House race appears to have paid off.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-270.jpg)South Dakota News WatchKevin Killough![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/HouseCandidates-1-2.png)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/sd-house-poll-jackley-bialota-crabtree-gop-republican/) [Poll: What South Dakotans think of their political leadersMost enjoy high approval ratings, though national positions are weighing on a couple. Challengers struggle with name recognition.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-269.jpg)South Dakota News WatchKevin Killough![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/Rhoden-Rounds-Thune-Noem-1.png)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/approval-ratings-poll-noem-rhoden-doeden-thune-rounds-jackley-johnson/) [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact statehouse investigative reporter Kevin Killough* at* [*kevin.killough@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:kevin.killough@sdnewswatch.org). ### Fact brief: Does South Dakota have the most high school football classes? URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/fact-brief-south-dakota-high-school-football-classes/ Last updated: 2025-11-11T11:00:58.000Z ## No. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/WhiteFACT-BRIEF--500-x-200-px--2-1-1.png) South Dakota’s seven classifications of high school football is among the highest in the country, but it’s one fewer than Illinois, which has eight. South Dakota increased the number of classes from six to seven in 2013 when the state added a fourth 11-man class, with the largest schools moving to Class 11AAA. The other three classes consist of nine-man schools. The seven classes don’t include the All Nations Football Conference, which features 16 tribal teams from South Dakota and Nebraska. One proposal in 2019 was for five classes (three 11-man teams and two nine-man teams) and another was for six, but ultimately the SDHSAA decided to stay with seven. Regionally, Minnesota has seven football classes, including one for nine players; North Dakota has four, including one nine-man; Wyoming has five, including one nine-man and one six-man; Wyoming has seven, including two eight-man and one six-man; and Iowa has seven, including one eight-player class. Texas has six classes. *This fact brief responds to conversations such as*[ *this one.*](https://www.reddit.com/r/NFLNoobs/comments/1fad9wg/understanding%5Fhighschool%5Ffootball/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) ### **Sources** NCSA, [High school football 101](https://www.ncsasports.org/blog/high-school-football?ref=sdnewswatch.org#:~:text=Although%20the%20exact%20terms%20will,game%20being%20contested%20in%20each.) Sioux Falls Argus Leader, [Time to overhaul South Dakota's seven-class football system](https://www.argusleader.com/story/sports/high-school-sports/2019/09/27/south-dakota-high-school-football-seven-class-system-pierre-whitney/3774998002/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) SDPB, [2021 11-man high school football classifications](https://www.sdpb.org/sports-and-leisure/2021-01-13/2021-11man-high-school-football-classifications?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Sioux Falls Argus Leader, [South Dakota high school football: Plan for five-class system gains steam](https://www.argusleader.com/story/sports/high-school-sports/2019/12/05/proposals-could-end-south-dakota-seven-class-high-school-football-system/2514184001/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Minnesota State High School League, [2025 state championship schedule](https://www.mshsl.org/sites/default/files/2025-11/state-tournament-full-schedule%5F2.pdf?ref=sdnewswatch.org) North Dakota High School Activities Association, [Football](https://ndhsaa.com/athletics/football?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Wyoming High School Activities Association, [Football](https://www.whsaa.org/football/football.html?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Nebraska School Activities Association, [Football](https://nsaahome.org/football/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) SDPB, [What is All Nations Football? ](https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=763153646731412) University Interscholastic League, [UIL Realignment](https://www.uiltexas.org/football/alignments?ref=sdnewswatch.org) --- [South Dakota News Watch](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/) partners with [Gigafact](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) to publish fact briefs that refute or confirm a claim with supporting information and additional evidence and context. - [Read previous fact briefs](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/tag/fact-brief/). - Read our verification standards and other [best practices policies](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/best-practices/). - Submit a question for us to answer on the [South Dakota News Watch Tipline](https://gigafact.org/tipline/south-dakota-news-watch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). - Send questions or feedback to [factbrief@sdnewswatch.org](mailto:factbrief@sdnewswatch.org). [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact Michael Klinski* at michael.klinski@sdnewswatch.org.* ### Salem residents invest own money in new subdivision URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/salem-south-dakota-housing-subdivision-solutions-sd/ Last updated: 2025-11-10T11:59:34.000Z SALEM, S.D. – In an effort to build new housing that will help this small eastern South Dakota city recover from two weather disasters in the same year, community leaders, local businesses and even individual residents have put up their own money – without any potential financial return – to help make it happen. The town of about 1,300 people just north of Interstate 90 midway between Sioux Falls and Mitchell is still rebounding from two separate derecho wind storms in 2022 that took no lives but damaged numerous homes and businesses. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/11/Engage-SD-small-logo-1-1.png) To lay the groundwork for a new subdivision that could include up to 24 new houses, Salem economic development leaders needed to find roughly $1 million in 2023\. Two years later, the city and the Salem Economic Development Corp. (SEDC) have reached their funding goal and are using a combination of a state grant, donations from a local bank and insurance company, and contributions from about 50 businesses and individual residents to fund the project. “It was amazing to see people wanting to invest in their community because they’re not getting any return on their money up front,” said Jeremy Grady, an executive at First Dakota National Bank in Salem who also serves on the SEDC board. During the wind storms that hit in May and July of 2022, Salem saw a number of homes damaged and had its National Guard Armory and the Avantara nursing home damaged beyond repair. Avantara decided against rebuilding the nursing home or opening a new facility in Salem, which stung but which also suddenly made land available for new development. ![The dining room at the Avantara Nursing Home in Salem, S.D., on May 13, 2022, one day after a derecho wind storm severely damaged the structure.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/11/Derecho-damage-in-Salem-2022-file-photo-1.jpg) The dining room at the Avantara nursing home in Salem, S.D., on May 13, 2022, one day after a derecho wind storm severely damaged the structure. (Photo: Annie Todd/Sioux Falls Argus Leader) In the years before the derechos, local government and business leaders had already realized they were hampered in encouraging housing, commercial or industrial development in Salem. ****ABOUT ENGAGE SOUTH DAKOTA** This story is part of an ongoing South Dakota News Watch series called Engage South Dakota using storytelling, crowdsourcing and community engagement to identify and share potentially replicable housing solutions. Each story includes the community's ****response**, ****insights** to be learned, ****proof** of whether the ideas are effective and ****limitations** on the efforts. ****Key takeaway for this story:** Obtaining funding to expedite housing growth requires innovation, determination and a combination of grants, loans and local taxpayer support. [****Read about other South Dakota housing solutions**](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/engage-south-dakota-housing-rent-own-solutions-journalism). ## Response: Revitalizing development efforts At the time of the storms, Salem faced many of the same challenges in housing development as other small, rural South Dakota cities. That included a shortage of buildable lots, limited interest from homebuilders seeking to make a quick profit, and a lack of population and employment growth. Beyond that, the city’s economic development group had withered due to inaction. "Economic development had been dormant for some time," said Mayor Glenda Blindert, co-owner of Blindert Insurance Agency and a leading proponent of housing and commercial development in Salem. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/09/2025-9-24-Salem-mayor-pointing.jpg) Salem, S.D., Mayor Glenda Blindert, on Sept. 24, 2025, points to a new twin home built in a subdivision now being developed in the city. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch/South Dakota News Watch) With guidance from the Sioux Metro Growth Alliance, a regional development agency located in Sioux Falls, the SEDC was revived in late 2021 and obtained non-profit status, a board and bylaws to guide its efforts. The relaunch of the SEDC has been critical to the effort to build new housing in Salem, as the group played a major role in obtaining the land, funding and community support to build a new subdivision. “For us, it wasn’t a chicken-or-the-egg thing because we know that in order to have more businesses we are going to need more housing,” said Grady. [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/11/Donate-News-Watch--3-.png)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?%5Fgl=1%2A1txxzuc%2A%5Fgcl%5Fau%2AMjAyOTY2NTc3My4xNzMwNDcxOTUz%2A%5Fga%2AMTM3NDcyODMyNS4xNzAyMTQ0MTg3%2A%5Fga%5FH98KVPR32J%2AMTczMDkzMzA3Ni40Mi4wLjE3MzA5MzMwNzYuMC4wLjA.&ref=sdnewswatch.org) In 2023, the SEDC began raising the roughly $1 million needed to buy the land and build the infrastructure for a new housing subdivision. As has taken place in other small South Dakota cities seeking to encourage construction of new housing, Salem leaders knew that developers would be far more likely to build homes if the municipality provided the streets and sewer and water systems in advance. The SEDC was able to secure about $330,000 in a matching grant from South Dakota Housing, a state agency that uses state and federal funds to boost local development projects. First Dakota Bank in Salem donated $50,000 in seed money and matched further donations up to $50,000, making the bank’s total contribution $100,000, Grady said. The Blindert Insurance Agency, the business co-owned by the mayor, contributed another $50,000, he said. ## Insights: Locals step up with support and money After that, the group was able to raise another $100,000 from 50 other local businesses and individuals who did so knowing that there would be no other return on investment other than helping the community grow and thrive, Grady said. The SEDC spent about $250,000 to buy the land and clear it for construction and has used state and local money to build roads and install water and sewer for the subdivision. The SECD is borrowing the remainder of the funding needed to build out the infrastructure, Grady said. ## ****Get South Dakota stories** An email summary on most weekdays that links to the full version. Cancel anytime. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. To date, four of the 24 lots in the subdivision have been sold and one twin home has been built as a “spec” home, he said. The SEDC has also received interest from potential buyers who include developers that will build and sell houses or individuals who hire their own housing contractor, he said. “There’s going to be a lot of housing opportunities, which is great because housing drives your local economy,” Grady said. As of November, the underground systems are in place and roads have been mapped and cleared in the Colonial Estates subdivision, with final road paving to occur in the spring, Grady said. ## Limitations: Rural housing market a challenge So far, it appears the concept is working, though some challenges lay ahead. Brian Kappenman is a developer who so far is the only buyer of lots in the new Salem subdivision. He bought three lots with plans to build two twin homes, which are essentially side-by-side duplexes. One of the twin homes is fully built, and both sides are available for sale. Kappenman said he paid $42,000 for each of the three lots, less than half the per-lot price he paid in nearby Hartford, where he is also building homes. Each side of the twin home has 1,758 square feet of space with three bedrooms and two bathrooms, a three-stall garage and a list price of $365,000, which is lower than average for new homes in the region, he said. ![Road work, shown on Sept. 24, 2025, is ongoing in the Colonial Estates subdivision being developed in Salem, S.D.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/11/2025-9-24-Salem-subdivision-sign.jpg) Road work, shown on Sept. 24, 2025, is ongoing in the Colonial Estates subdivision being developed in Salem, S.D. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch/South Dakota News Watch) Kappenman, who developed housing in Salem seven years ago, said efforts by the city and the SEDC to build out the infrastructure made his housing project more attractive by reducing overhead costs. “As far as price-wise and the size of the lots, they’re doing it right, and the city and development group are very easy to work with,” Kappenman said. However, Kappenman said he hoped he would have sold his twin homes faster or at least had more interest than he has so far, with high interest rates and location dampening buyer interest. [Redfield rebuilds housing stock: 1 lot and 1 house at a timeSmall towns may have to tackle a small project first in order to encourage larger developments down the road.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-266.jpg)South Dakota News WatchBart Pfankuch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/2025-4-25-Redfield-housing-project-1.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/redfield-engage-south-dakota-governor-housing-population/) “You’re kind of far away from Sioux Falls and Mitchell, so it makes it harder to sell those homes,” he said. “You’ve got to have people to buy, and so far I haven’t been able to get that done.” As city leaders try to develop housing that they hope will make Salem more attractive to new employers, Kappenman said the lack of businesses and industry in the city may deter developers from buying lots and building homes in the new subdivision. “They need to bring in some new businesses because nobody is going to build if there’s nobody to buy,” he said. ## Proof: First home project builds momentum Grady said Kappenman’s willingness to build a home in an unfinished subdivision shows confidence in the project and has helped maintain a strong level of community support. “Nothing creates buzz in a town like moving dirt. And when he started moving dirt and building things, you could start to see what this can look like,” Grady said. As far as luring new business and industry to Salem, Grady said the SEDC is seeking to attract several small-scale employers rather than a single large operation. "We’re not looking for a company to come in that’s going to hire 100 people. Our sweet spot is really 15 to 25 employees," he said. "Given our proximity to Sioux Falls, Mitchell and Madison, I think we sit in a really nice spot." > “It was amazing to see people wanting to invest in their community because they’re not getting any return on their money up front.” – Jeremy Grady Mayor Blindert said the new subdivision will be a first step in what she believes will be a positive future for Salem. "We'll see more businesses, more property and sales tax dollars, and more families and children in our school system to keep it viable," she said. Grady said interest in living in Salem or opening a business there will rise if people visit and see the city's amenities that include a new city hall and community center, a budding industrial park, a strong education system, a sprawling sporting complex and, ultimately, a subdivision bursting with new homes. Grady, an Iowa native, said he planned to live in Salem a year or two but has instead spent the past 28 years working, living and supporting the community. "It’s a great place to raise a family," he said. “Everything we’re doing is for the betterment of the community, and I believe the direction the city is going is very positive.” [Engage South Dakota: Housing solutionsA list of entities and programs that can assist in developing or obtaining housing as well as links to News Watch reporting on housing solutions.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-264.jpg)South Dakota News WatchBart Pfankuch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/IMG_2326-5.jpeg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/engage-south-dakota-housing-rent-own-solutions-journalism/) [What's working in your community? Share your comments and ideas.](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdSEE1F4irRiyi9MOOwQszosDlmSghlnIKbEHxeCJEjDKZRVw/viewform?usp=sharing&ouid=100426322203936282954&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact* *investigative reporter Bart Pfankuch* at* [*bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Effort to highlight Midwestern history and academia comes to South Dakota URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/midwest-history-lost-region-recovery-project-south-dakota/ Last updated: 2025-11-07T12:03:29.000Z SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – A conference that focuses on the revitalization of Midwestern studies comes to South Dakota this month, bringing with it nearly 30 academics from across the country. The [Lost Region Recovery Project Conference](https://uimiddle.wordpress.com/lost-region-recovery-project-conference/?ref=sdnewswatch.org), which is hosted by the "Middle West Review," will take place Nov. 15 at the Washington Pavilion in Sioux Falls. It’s part of a broader effort to highlight the history of the Midwest and bring a level of organization and order to the concentrated study of the region. ## Midwestern history finds steady footing in new academic field Just over a decade ago, historian Jon Lauck, who teaches at the University of South Dakota, founded the "Middle West Review" after writing his first book, "Prairie Republic," on South Dakota history. During that process, he found resources to understand Midwestern history few and far between. "I wanted to write a follow-up article (after the book's publication), and I just couldn't find anything. And I was like, 'What?' There must be more about this region," Lauck told News Watch. "I just noticed there's not much written about the Midwest. That's really how this began." ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/11/Screenshot-2025-11-06-at-7.39.17---AM-1.png) The poster for the Lost Region Recovery Project Conference, which will take place in Sioux Falls, S.D. on Nov. 15, 2025\. (Photo: Middle West Review) The journal, which is published from USD by the University of Nebraska Press, is the first of its kind for Midwestern historians. Lauck also helped found the Midwestern History Association, which advocates for the further study of the Midwest. Lauck said the Midwest has a relatively sparse academic field dedicated to its study compared to other regions in the country. “I think there's 10 different academic centers for the study of the South. And I think there's at least as many for the American West. But in the Midwest, there's a total of zero. Which is pretty shocking,” he said. [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/11/Donate-News-Watch--3-.png)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?%5Fgl=1%2A1txxzuc%2A%5Fgcl%5Fau%2AMjAyOTY2NTc3My4xNzMwNDcxOTUz%2A%5Fga%2AMTM3NDcyODMyNS4xNzAyMTQ0MTg3%2A%5Fga%5FH98KVPR32J%2AMTczMDkzMzA3Ni40Mi4wLjE3MzA5MzMwNzYuMC4wLjA.&ref=sdnewswatch.org) Though the field is young, there is substantial interest in it, Lauck said. The Midwestern History Association now hosts five officers and a board of directors that includes historians from the National Museum of American History, Northwestern University and the University of Notre Dame. "A lot of teachers, a lot of young professors have come (to the conference), and they've decided to add more about the Midwest to their courses. And they've started research projects, and there's a couple of book series that have gotten underway in the last six, seven years. So those are all good signs," Lauck said. ## 'Middle West Review' helps crystallize Midwestern identity In 2023, the journal conducted a survey asking people from across the region whether they identified as a Midwesterner. The results were surprising in their far-reaching nature – people from Pennsylvania to Idaho felt that they were part of the region. Surveys like those are only a small part of the work that the "Middle West Review" publishes, but Lauck said it illustrates the importance of a focused Midwestern studies field. “For Iowa, a quintessential Midwestern state, 97% of people said, 'Yes, I am a Midwesterner (in the survey).' When you get 97% of people saying anything in this day and age, this day of fractured polarization, that means that belief and that sense of identity is pretty strong,” Lauck said. “So if we've established that people believe this is who they are, and this is where they’re from, what does that mean exactly? What is that history? And we're trying to tease that out with (the "Middle West Review") and with conferences like this.” ## Conference speakers range from Midwestern music to democracy Eight themes will lead the conference, ranging from "Present Perils," speaking to issues plaguing Midwestern studies, to "Hope," which will focus on how the field can contribute to cultural development in the region. "Rural people, in particular, have an interest in place and rootedness and where they are from. They often grow up on farms that have been in the family for 100 or 150 years. So their roots are particularly deep, much deeper than someone who grows up in the suburbs of Chicago, going to McDonald's and who doesn't have as much connection to a particular place or space," Lauck said. "So I think rural Americans, rural South Dakota, will appreciate this effort to understand their place better." ## ****Get South Dakota stories** An email summary on most weekdays that links to the full version. Cancel anytime. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. In the "Midwestern Voices" section of the conference, three academics will speak about three different racial groups who call the Midwest home: - David Brodnax Sr., a Trinity Christian College professor, will discuss the Midwestern African American population. - Kristy Nabhan-Warren, a professor at the University of Iowa, will speak about the Midwestern Hispanic population. - Mary Stockwell, a historian and author studying Native American and Midwestern history, will speak on the intersection of those topics. Stockwell said that her books, which highlight topics like the removal of Native Americans in Ohio and President Ulysses S. Grant's federal Indian policy, focus on both sides of historical events without painting sides as good or bad. “I'm amazed to find it's not black and white, it's not good versus evil everywhere," Stockwell told News Watch. "I write about people on all sides of this great conflict, collision and creativity of people that have created the United States of America." She said that studying the past has allowed her to understand more fully how the Midwest acts in the present – and how others can learn from how it has developed. "I always say, 'Can you imagine the United States of America if you didn't have the Midwest?' It's incomprehensible," Stockwell said. “That miracle is happening in the center of the United States, and historians have told this story. Maybe, if we do worry about democracy in the future, we can look back to the Midwest and see what it did for good. It is truly the heart of America. That's not a sentimental thing. That's almost a scientific thing.” [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email) *for statewide stories. Investigative reporter *Molly Wetsch* is a* [*Report for America*](https://www.reportforamerica.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *corps member covering rural and Indigenous issues. Contact her at* [*molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Fact brief: Are members of Congress getting paid during the government shutdown? URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/fact-brief-us-congress-pay-government-shutdown/ Last updated: 2025-11-06T11:00:15.000Z ## Yes. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/WhiteFACT-BRIEF--500-x-200-px--2-1-1.png) Members of the United States Senate and House are still receiving paychecks during the government shutdown, though some lawmakers are looking to change that. Since 1983, Congress’ pay has been funded by a permanent appropriation, and their paychecks aren’t subject to annual renewal. However, at least 20 lawmakers have asked to have their pay withheld. U.S. Rep. Bryan Steil, R-Wisconsin, Sen. John Kennedy, R-Lousiana, and others are introducing legislation that would eliminate paychecks for senators and representatives during shutdowns. Members of Congress earn $174,000 annually, while the Speaker of the House earns $223,500 and Senate majority and minority leaders, including South Dakota Sen. John Thune, earn $193,400. As of 2015, the median net worth of Congress was $1.1 million — 12 times greater than the average U.S. household. The government has been shut down for 36 days as of Nov. 6, the longest in history. *This fact brief responds to conversations such as* [*this one.*](https://www.reddit.com/r/fednews/comments/1ogoyha/congress%5Fkeeps%5Fgetting%5Fpaid%5Fyou%5Fdont/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) ### **Sources** Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, [Bryan Steil introduces bill to prohibit Congress from being paid during shutdowns](https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/politics/2025/11/04/wisconsin-congressman-says-lawmakers-shouldnt-get-pay-during-shutdown/87090828007/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) FoxNews.com, [Kennedy pushes plan to halt Congress pay during government shutdown](https://www.foxnews.com/politics/kennedy-pushes-plan-halt-congress-pay-during-government-shutdown?ref=sdnewswatch.org) CBSNews, [Does Congress get paid during a government shutdown?](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/government-shutdown-2025-does-congress-get-paid/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Congress.gov, [Congressional Salaries and Allowances: In Brief](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/government-shutdown-2025-does-congress-get-paid/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Straight Arrow News, [Here are the lawmakers who are giving up their paychecks during the government shutdown](https://san.com/cc/here-are-the-lawmakers-who-are-giving-up-their-paychecks-during-the-government-shutdown/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Quartz, [The typical US Congress member is 12 times richer than the typical American household](https://qz.com/1190595/the-typical-us-congress-member-is-12-times-richer-than-the-typical-american-household?ref=sdnewswatch.org) --- [South Dakota News Watch](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/) partners with [Gigafact](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) to publish fact briefs that refute or confirm a claim with supporting information and additional evidence and context. - [Read previous fact briefs](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/tag/fact-brief/). - Read our verification standards and other [best practices policies](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/best-practices/). - Submit a question for us to answer on the [South Dakota News Watch Tipline](https://gigafact.org/tipline/south-dakota-news-watch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). - Send questions or feedback to [factbrief@sdnewswatch.org](mailto:factbrief@sdnewswatch.org). [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact Michael Klinski* at michael.klinski@sdnewswatch.org.* ### Poll: What South Dakotans think about their political leaders URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/approval-ratings-poll-noem-rhoden-doeden-thune-rounds-jackley-johnson/ Last updated: 2025-11-19T22:38:53.000Z PIERRE, S.D. – South Dakota's most prominent political leaders generally maintain high approval ratings among registered voters, according to a scientific poll co-sponsored by South Dakota News Watch. However, Kristi Noem, former governor and current secretary of Homeland Security, has seen declines from a poll six months ago and Sen. John Thune's ratings appear somewhat low for a senator of a deeply red state. These numbers may reflect the challenges of balancing state interests and national priorities, analysts said. [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/11/Donate-News-Watch-2--1-.png)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?%5Fgl=1%2A10w9pkh%2A%5Fgcl%5Fau%2AMjAyOTY2NTc3My4xNzMwNDcxOTUz%2A%5Fga%2AMTM3NDcyODMyNS4xNzAyMTQ0MTg3%2A%5Fga%5FH98KVPR32J%2AMTczMTAxOTY1OS40NC4wLjE3MzEwMTk2NTkuMC4wLjA.&ref=sdnewswatch.org) This latest statewide survey, co-sponsored by the Chiesman Center for Democracy at the University of South Dakota queried people about: - Favorability and name recognition of U.S. House and governor candidates among Republican voters - All voters' position on Thune’s job performance as Senate majority leader and his commitment to South Dakota as senator - All voters' view of the job performance of Gov. Larry Rhoden, U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds and Noem. Mason-Dixon Polling and Strategy, [ranked as one of the least-biased and most-factual pollsters](https://mediabiasfactcheck.com/mason-dixon-polling-bias-and-credibility/?ref=sdnewswatch.org), conducted the poll of 500 registered voters from all parties Oct. 16-19 and 502 Republican voters Oct. 16-20 using random selections from a telephone-matched state voter registration list that included both landline and cellphone numbers from across the state. Quotas were assigned to reflect voter registration by county. The margin for error is no more than plus or minus 4.5 percentage points. Here are the results of that survey. --- ## House and governor GOP candidates There are currently four candidates in the race for governor: Aberdeen businessman Toby Doeden, state Rep. Jon Hansen, U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson and Rhoden. There are currently three candidates for U.S. House: Piedmont businessman James Bialota, state Sen. Casey Crabtree and Attorney General Marty Jackley. Johnson saw a drop of 5 percentage points in his favorable rating among Republican voters [from the poll last spring](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-poll-kristi-noem-john-thune-larry-rhoden/) while Rhoden's remained unchanged. In that time, Doeden saw his favorable ratings increase 10 percentage points. Hansen struggles with name recognition in the race for governor. In the U.S. House race, Jackley's favorable rating fell 6 percentage points, but he remains well above his challengers, Crabtree and Biolata, who weren't polled in April as they hadn't entered the race at that point. ### Takeaway: Johnson name recognition Julia Hellwege, director of the Chiesman Center and USD associate professor in political science, said that Johnson’s lead in favorability over Rhoden may stem from Rhoden having a higher number of Republicans who don't recognize his name. Rhoden’s name wasn’t recognized by 14% of Republicans, and Johnson wasn’t recognized by 2%. That’s compared to Doeden who wasn’t recognized by 30% of Republicans and Bialota who wasn’t recognized by 81% of Republicans. In April, 58% of Republicans didn't recognize Doeden's name. There was a much higher level of neutral feelings toward Rhoden than Johnson, which may be due to the difference in their offices, Hellwege said. “Congress tends to be more visible and polarizing than the governor. Dusty’s favorability is higher than Rhoden, but compared to April, his favorability rating is somewhat lower. In part, it may stem from a higher name recognition at this time,” she said. Hansen, Crabtree and Bialota have low name recognition, making it difficult to consider their favorability ratings among Republican voters, she said. --- ## Sen. Thune's approval rating Registered voters were also asked about their position on Thune’s job performance as Senate majority leader as well as his level of commitment to South Dakota. The senator maintains a high approval rating, and a majority believe he’s committed to South Dakota. ### Takeaway: No change since April Thune’s ratings haven’t changed since the April poll. He officially became majority leader in January when the new Congress convened. Brad Coker, founder of Mason-Dixon Strategy and Polling, said that, while 54% of voters approve of Thune’s performance as majority leader, South Dakota is a deeply red state, where you’d expect the number to be higher. “If I saw these approval numbers for a congressional leader in a swing state, such as Arizona, they would be considered average in the current polarized environment,” Coker said. ### Takeaway: Daschle parallels Thune’s approval ratings may be lower than they might otherwise be for the same reasons his predecessor’s approval declined, said Michael Card, emeritus professor of political science at the University of South Dakota. Tom Daschle served in the U.S. Senate from 1987 until 2005\. Mason-Dixon polling from the 2004 Senate race showed Daschle with a 54% favorable rating among voters, but that declined to 49% in October 2004, just before the election. Daschle had tried to balance the national Democratic agenda with the interests of Republicans in South Dakota, but voters ultimately saw Republican Thune as the better choice in 2004\. Card said Thune may run into the same trouble. In the midst of the federal government shutdown and trying to hold the Democratic party responsible for it, Senate Republicans have to keep holding votes. ## ****Get South Dakota stories** An email summary on most weekdays that links to the full version. Cancel anytime. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. “Sen. Thune has spent much of the month of October in Washington,” Card said. Daschle had made a big deal of going to all 66 counties in the state, but when he became majority leader in 2001, he couldn’t pull off that kind of schedule, Card said. Thune may not be seeing declining approval ratings as Daschle did in the months leading up to the 2004 election due to the current political climate of South Dakota, he said. Republicans are particularly popular, and the Democratic Party is more unpopular than it was in Daschle’s time. Were Thune in the same political climate today as Daschle was in 2004, his approval rating might be lower. So any impacts to his favorability stemming from his association with D.C. may be masked by the fact South Dakota is redder than it was in Daschle's time, Card said. Coker said that Thune isn't politically vulnerable right now. Republicans were on the rise when Daschle's ratings fell, and the current Democratic Party doesn't appear to be organizationally capable of defeating Thune. --- ## Rhoden, Rounds and Noem job performance Voters of all parties also weighed in on the job performance of Rhoden, Rounds and Noem. Rhoden maintains a high approval rating among voters with 58%, as does Rounds (52%), according to the poll. Noem saw a slight decline in her approval rating among registered voters from a [poll News Watch and its partners conducted last April](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-poll-kristi-noem-john-thune-larry-rhoden/) but was still 47%. ### Takeaway: Noem's decline In April, 51% of registered voters approved of Noem’s job performance as head of the Department of Homeland Security, and the latest poll shows it’s fallen 4 percentage points. Hellwege said it’s not a substantial drop, but the decline is there. “It’s difficult to disentangle, though, whether this stems from policy or her individual behavior, especially given the sheer amount of media attention. She has certainly carved out an individual persona, which is historically somewhat unusual for cabinet members, but more true of Trump’s cabinet overall,” Hellwege said. Noem, who's from Castlewood, has become the face of immigration enforcement as the Trump administration carries out its policy of mass deportations. [Her high-visibility methods ](https://www.dhs.gov/news-releases/press-releases?ref=sdnewswatch.org)have drawn as much attention as her mission, which involves running a federal network of more than 20 agencies and over 200,000 employees. ### Takeaway: Partisan divide The poll results show an expected partisan divide, with Noem having the most polarized results. Only 2% of Democrats approved of Noem's job performance and 98% disapproved. None of those polled were neutral. Among Republicans, 71% approved of her job performance and 26% disapproved. For Rhoden, 20% of registered Democrats approved of his job performance, and 52% had an unfavorable position. Among Republicans, Rhoden’s approval was 77%, with 11% having a negative view. Rounds' approval among Democrats was 20%, with 75% saying they disapprove of his performance as senator. Republican voter approval for Rounds was at 68% and 27% disapproved. ### Takeaway: Growing gap with Independents In South Dakota and the nation as a whole over the past year, Independents’ positions have been similar, if not indistinguishable, from Republicans, Hellwege said. However, this latest poll shows a gap between both parties and Independents. For Noem, 41% of registered Independents approved of her job performance and 57% disapproved. Only 2% were unsure. The same gap is seen with Rhoden’s results, with 56% of Independents saying they approve of his job performance and 25% saying they disapprove. Another 19% were unsure. “Independents are significantly different from either of the two parties holding a solid moderate middle ground on approval,” Hellwege said. ## Biographies - **Bialota** is a small-business owner, dealing in military surplus, sporting goods and precious metals. The Piedmont resident is a disabled combat veteran who served in the Air Force and is the former director of the West Dakota Water Development District. - **Crabtree** was appointed to the South Dakota Senate by Noem in 2020 and was reelected in 2020, 2022 and 2024\. He lives in Madison, where he is economic development director for Heartland Energy, a public power utility. - **Jackley** was elected in 2022 to serve as South Dakota’s attorney general. He was U.S. attorney for South Dakota from 2006 to 2009 and previously served as state attorney general from 2009 to 2019 when term limits kept him from running again. He ran unsuccessfully for governor against Noem in 2018. - **Doeden** has never run for office. He bought Aberdeen Chrysler in 2020 after working there for 23 years. He also owns a Ford dealership in Redfield as well as rental properties and retail establishments. - **Hansen** served in the state House from 2011 to 2013 before resigning to attend law school. The Dell Rapids lawyer was again elected to the House in 2019 and rose to speaker this year. South Dakota limits House members to four consecutive terms, and Hansen's term ends next year. - **Johnson** was elected to South Dakota’s at-large congressional district in 2018\. Prior to that, the Pierre native served on the Public Utilities Commission from 2004 to 2011 and was chief of staff to former Gov. Dennis Daugaard. Upon announcing his intention to run for governor, he said he wouldn't run for reelection to the U.S. House. - **Noem** was elected to be South Dakota’s 33rd governor in 2018 and was reelected to serve a second term in 2022\. In January, she resigned after being confirmed as secretary of the Department of Homeland Security. She served in the South Dakota House from 2007 to 2011 and the U.S. House from 2011 to 2019. - **Rhoden** became the 34th governor of South Dakota in January when Noem was appointed to lead Homeland Security. The Union Center rancher was elected to lieutenant governor in 2018 and again in 2022\. He also served as South Dakota's agriculture ambassador from 2020 to 2025\. - **Rounds** was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2014, succeeding Sen. Tim Johnson, a Democrat who retired. He was reelected in 2020 and is running for re-election in 2026\. The Pierre native served two terms as the 31st governor of South Dakota from 2003-2011\. Prior to that, he served in the South Dakota Senate from 1991-2000. - **Thune** was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2004 after serving in the U.S. House from 1997-2003\. He grew up in Murdo and before running for office was a legislative aide to U.S. Sen. James Abdnor from 1985-1987\. He also served as executive director of the South Dakota Republican Party, as state railroad director and as executive director of the South Dakota Municipal League. --- **Other poll results:** [SD governor poll: Rhoden, Johnson lead; Doeden, Hansen surgeA poll shows GOP voters throwing their support behind incumbent Larry Rhoden and U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson. But challengers are pulling in voters.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-259.jpg)South Dakota News WatchKevin Killough![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/Gubernatorial-2.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/sd-poll-gop-gubernatorial-governor-rhoden-johnson-doeden-hanson/) [SD House poll: Jackley leads with many undecidedThe AG trailed behind the leaders in the governor’s race, but his move to the House race appears to have paid off.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-260.jpg)South Dakota News WatchKevin Killough![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/HouseCandidates-1-1.png)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/sd-house-poll-jackley-bialota-crabtree-gop-republican/) [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact statehouse investigative reporter Kevin Killough* at kevin.killough@sdnewswatch.org*. ### Fact brief: Is South Dakota’s high school football participation at a historic low? URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/fact-brief-is-south-dakotas-high-school-football-participation-at-a-historic-low/ Last updated: 2025-11-04T11:00:36.000Z ## No. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/WhiteFACT-BRIEF--500-x-200-px--2-1-1.png) The number of high school football players in South Dakota has rebounded after hitting a 15-year low in 2019-20\. More than 5,500 students signed up to play high school football in 2024-25, with 2,048 of those in nine-man and 3,512 of them in 11-man. During the 2018 season, the number of athletes dipped below 5,000 for the only time since at least 2009\. In 2018, 4,997 competed, with 3,133 in 11-man and 1,846 in nine-man. Despite declining participation across the country in the 2010s, numbers are starting to rise again nationally. In the 11-man game, there are about 23,000 more athletes in 2024-25 than 2018-19\. Numbers also increased in nine-man. The National Federation of High Schools says the increase is partly due to parents getting more comfortable with the safety of the sport after concussion protocols and new laws. *This fact brief responds to conversations such as* [*this one.*](https://www.reddit.com/r/TrueReddit/comments/1g21exj/the%5Fchanging%5Fface%5Fof%5Famericas%5Ffavorite%5Fsport/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) ### **Sources** NFHS, [High school participation survey archive](https://nfhs.org/resources/sports/high-school-participation-survey-archive?ref=sdnewswatch.org) NFHS, [High school football continues to rebound from pre-pandemic decline](https://nfhs.org/stories/high-school-football-continues-to-rebound-from-pre-pandemic-decline?ref=sdnewswatch.org) SDHSAA, [Football](https://sdhsaa.com/activity/football/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) --- [South Dakota News Watch](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/) partners with [Gigafact](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) to publish fact briefs that refute or confirm a claim with supporting information and additional evidence and context. - [Read previous fact briefs](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/tag/fact-brief/). - Read our verification standards and other [best practices policies](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/best-practices/). - Submit a question for us to answer on the [South Dakota News Watch Tipline](https://gigafact.org/tipline/south-dakota-news-watch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). - Send questions or feedback to [factbrief@sdnewswatch.org](mailto:factbrief@sdnewswatch.org). *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact Michael Klinski* at michael.klinski@sdnewswatch.org.* ### Major power line expansions will fuel future growth in SD URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/electric-power-transmission-crypto-data-mining-sd/ Last updated: 2025-11-04T22:53:28.000Z BIG STONE CITY, S.D. – This small city in northeastern South Dakota already serves as a major hub for energy. It's home to a coal-fired power plant, a Poet Biofuels ethanol plant and a major electrical substation that is critical to the region’s power grid. A planned multi-state, multibillion-dollar expansion of the region’s transmission system would make Big Stone City an even bigger spoke for the Upper Midwest’s energy economy. If a proposed 765-kilovolt transmission line through town is built in the next few years as planned, it would easily become the highest-capacity power line in the state. It would also set the stage for new natural gas, wind and solar electricity generation in South Dakota. “The key piece here is that transmission infrastructure supports all development,” said Matt Prorok, an electricity policy analyst for the nonprofit Great Plains Institute, based in Minneapolis. “It’s essentially creating access to buying or selling whatever you need when you want to.” ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/10/2025-9-25-Big-Stone-power-lines-overhead-shot.jpg) These 230-kilovolt power lines carry electricity generated by the Otter Tail Power Co. plant in Big Stone City, SD., shown on Sept. 25, 2025\. Big Stone City could see development of a 765-kilovolt power line in the coming years. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) That means new jobs and greater need for trained workers, and not just in [the state’s growing renewable energy economy](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/renewable-energy-wind-power-electricity-south-dakota/). More capacity to move electricity through the state will also create opportunities for a wide range of new industrial, commercial and residential growth in the coming decades. Furthermore, the high-capacity line also would strengthen and stabilize the region’s electric grid during weather disasters, generate numerous new jobs in the energy and construction industries and ultimately lower costs for ratepayers, according to Midcontinent Independent System Operator, or MISO, the regional grid operator behind the project. ## Projects part of $30 billion in plans South Dakota is expected to see several new transmission line projects in the coming years. The major one through Big Stone City is among the plans by two major power grid operators to expand electric capacity through dozens of Great Plains and Midwestern states over the next 10 to 20 years with a price tag of nearly $30 billion. The new transmission line projects will pave the way for growth not only in energy production but also for a variety of commercial, industrial and residential developments, Prorok said. ****Powering rural futures:** Clean energy is creating new jobs in rural America, generating opportunities for people who install solar panels, build wind turbines, weatherize homes and more. [This seven-part series](https://inn.org/inn-collaborations/powering-rural-futures/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) from the Rural News Network explores how industry, state governments and education systems are training this growing workforce. Prorok said that while planning, forecasting, siting and funding transmission lines is a complex, multi-year process, the benefits can be simplified by comparing the expanded lines to roads in farm country. As new roads are built or existing roads are expanded, it opens the door for more commerce on a wide variety of fronts. For instance, higher-capacity transmission lines could prepare the way for new power plants and wind farms as well as for industrial plants, residential complexes or new technologies like data centers to be built in South Dakota or neighboring states, he said. ## ****Get South Dakota stories** An email summary on most weekdays that links to the full version. Cancel anytime. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. Beyond that, the new transmission lines will protect utility customers by allowing for energy to flow during natural disasters and should ultimately save ratepayers money, Prorok said. "Customers will pay less overall, because when transmission projects get approved, they are required to demonstrate a net benefit over time," he said. "The key piece here is that when you spend a dollar on transmission, you’re going to save more than a dollar on the production side." ## 2 sets of regional projects planned South Dakota is part of two separate regional transmission organizations that manage the electrical grid in multiple states. MISO manages energy flow in 15 states, including the northeast portion of South Dakota and in Manitoba, Canada. The Southwest Power Pool, or SPP, oversees energy flow in 14 states, including most of South Dakota. Both organizations have proposed major transmission line expansions to increase the nation’s capacity to generate and move electricity. ![The coal-fired electricity plant in Big Stone City, S.D., is shown on Sept. 25, 2025. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch)](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/10/2025-9-25-Big-Stone-plant-sign-and-plant-1.jpg) The coal-fired electricity plant in Big Stone City, S.D., on Sept. 25, 2025\. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) MISO has plans for 488 individual projects to be done over the next 10 years at a cost of $22 billion. In South Dakota, the MISO expansion — part of an expansive project known as Tranche 2.1 — calls for construction of a 345-kilovolt line from Alexandria, Minnesota, to Big Stone City and development of a new 765-kilovolt line from Big Stone City to White and to the city of Trimont in southwestern Minnesota. SPP has approved plans for 89 transmission projects to include 2,333 miles of new lines and about 500 miles of rebuilt lines at an overall cost of $7.7 billion. In its 2024 Integrated Transmission Plan, SPP said that its power network “is facing a generational challenge as the need arises to balance new sources of demand, like data centers, crypto mining, mining, and oil and gas production, with the retirement of conventional resources that use coal and natural (gas) as fuel sources.” ****Join other South Dakotans and support statewide storytelling.** [Donate ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) The SPP projects in South Dakota would include a new 50-mile, 115-kilovolt line from Carpenter to Lake Preston, reconstruction of an existing power line in Watertown and the construction of a new 345-kilovolt line for 440 miles from Belfield, North Dakota, to New Underwood in western South Dakota and then south to Laramie, Wyoming. The 345-kilovolt line is needed, according to the SPP plan, “to address the rapid load growth in North Dakota and South Dakota” and to “contribute to SPP’s strategic opportunity to develop a robust ‘grid of the future.’” ## Adding capacity for wind, other energy projects The new transmission lines in and out of South Dakota should open the door to future development of energy in the state, especially in regard to sustainable sources such as wind and solar. South Dakota has been a national leader in rapid expansion of wind energy production over the past decade and has a welcoming environment for greater solar production as well. As of 2024, South Dakota had 3,600 megawatts of wind energy in production, according to Public Utilities Commission records. About 60% of the wind production has come online since 2020, a five-year period in which the state added about 2,100 megawatts of production by almost 700 new turbines. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/09/2025-9-25-Big-Stone-plant-230-KV-line.jpg) This energy substation is part of the transmission system at the Otter Tail Power Co. plant in Big Stone City, S.D., on Sept. 25, 2025\. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) However, applications for new wind production facilities have slowed dramatically, largely due to a lack of transmission line capacity in the state and Great Plains region. “We’re pretty much stalled right now,” PUC Commissioner Chris Nelson told News Watch. The South Dakota PUC is currently reviewing applications for three new energy projects in the state, Nelson said. Missouri River Energy wants to build a 130-megawatt natural gas plant near Toronto. Black Hills Energy plans a 98-megawatt natural gas plant in Rapid City. And Philip Wind Partners has applied to build a 300-megawatt wind farm with 87 turbines northwest of Philip. [What to know about Black Hills Corp., NorthWestern Energy mergerBy the end of 2026, South Dakota residents from the far corners of the Black Hills to the southeastern tip of the state could be sharing an energy provider.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-252.jpg)South Dakota News WatchMolly Wetsch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/IMG_3559-1-1.JPG)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/black-hills-corp-northwestern-energy-merger/) Those projects were able to find space on the existing power transmission network, Nelson said. But in large part, South Dakota’s capacity to build new wind farms, solar fields or power plants is restricted by the fact the existing power grid needs to expand to handle more energy, he said. “There’s still some of these developments happening, but it’s certainly slowed down from what we saw five or six years ago as the transmission lines have filled up,” Nelson said. “At this point, our capacity is limited, but MISO believes that this large backbone of new transmission lines in the upper Midwest will allow additional generation sources to be sited.” ## Energy projects face some headwinds The energy industry is keeping a close eye on the actions of President Donald Trump’s administration, which has canceled funding for numerous energy expansion projects across the country. The Associated Press reported in early October that Trump had canceled nearly $8 billion in grants for hundreds of proposed clean-energy related projects, most of them in states that did not vote for him in the last election. Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Times also reported in October that it had obtained a new list of $15 billion in clean-energy project cuts being considered by the Trump administration. Nelson, the South Dakota PUC commissioner, said he is not aware of how those cuts would affect transmission line projects. But they could limit development of energy sources that would use expanded transmission capacity and therefore lower the viability of the need for the new lines and expansion of existing lines, he said. Seth Blomeley, a spokesperson for SPP, told News Watch in an email only that SPP will “continue to evaluate the project.” [Black Hills water supplies not meeting demand, study saysWater supplies are not sufficiently recharging in the most populous areas of the Black Hills. Is a $2 billion Missouri River pipeline the answer?![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-253.jpg)South Dakota News WatchBart Pfankuch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/2025-4-21-Pactola-marina-low-1-3.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/black-hills-water-study-missouri-river-pipeline/) Any grant cancellations would increase the amount of investment required by power companies, which would shift more costs of transmission lines away from government subsidies and further onto ratepayers, Prorok said. Nelson told News Watch that the main government program aiding energy development in South Dakota are the production tax credits, which may be allowed to expire in the next few years, raising the cost of new projects in the state. The MISO expansion plan also has been the subject of complaints filed with federal energy regulators arguing that the transmission line plans should be halted because the grid operator overstated the financial benefits of the new lines. Those complaints remain under consideration. ## Greater stability for future energy needs Otter Tail supports efforts to expand the power grid in South Dakota and other states where it operates, said Rebecca Michael, company spokeswoman. “We’re part of MISO, who acts as the air traffic controller for the energy grid, ensuring the right amount of electricity for approximately 45 million people,” Michael wrote to News Watch in an email. “We, along with energy companies throughout the region, have been working closely with MISO over many years to develop transmission solutions as the region’s grid continues to evolve.” [Reversal of US energy agenda sparks friction between statesRollback of climate regulations in Trump administration highlights policy differences between South Dakota and Minnesota.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-254.jpg)South Dakota News WatchStu Whitney![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/electric.1-2.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/us-energy-trump-south-dakota-minnesota-climate/) Michael said Otter Tail and other energy producers regularly take steps to ensure a stable workforce, working closely with prospective employees and educational institutions to train and hire employees who are able to have successful careers in the industry. “We have strong relationships with technical institutes as well as colleges and universities in each of the three states (Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota) we serve. These relationships include providing scholarship funding, serving on program advisory boards, and providing internships for students,” she wrote. “During their careers, craft employees often progress through an apprenticeship program, achieving journeyman status. From there, employees can advance to lead or foreman positions. The work is often challenging and rewarding, and our employees live our mission every day.” [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This reporting is part of* [*a collaboration*](https://www.canarymedia.com/rural?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *between the* *Institute for Nonprofit News*’ [*Rural News Network*](http://ruralnewsnetwork.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*MinnPost*](https://www.minnpost.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*,* [*South Dakota News Watch*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/), [*Cardinal News*](https://cardinalnews.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*,* [*The Mendocino Voice*](https://mendovoice.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*The Maine Monitor*](https://themainemonitor.org/?gad%5Fsource=1&gbraid=0AAAAADsqZ8nDeSmHUqojuL-FAIULTmcLJ&gclid=Cj0KCQjw%5FJzABhC2ARIsAPe3ynrL4tCcdwmweOnqRoDA-z235%5FuKWruKzMdTUic3F5%5FZutX-MlEhQZMaAiYBEALw%5FwcB&ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. Support from Ascendium Education Group made the project possible.* *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact* *investigative reporter Bart Pfankuch* at* [*bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### 'Real-life science experiment' fills critical legal gaps in rural SD URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-legal-deserts-solutions-lawyers-attorneys/ Last updated: 2025-10-31T11:54:39.000Z When a tornado ripped through Burke in 2019, the town’s only attorney was crucial to getting two families who lost their homes a new place to live through the Governor's House Program. Rachelle Norberg might not have been there at all, though, if it weren’t for a collaborative effort between the State Bar of South Dakota, the South Dakota Unified Judicial System (UJS) and rural areas in desperate need of more practicing attorneys. "I think there's a lot of other stories like that," she told News Watch. ![Burke, South Dakota, population 570, where Rachelle Norberg practices. (Photo: Rachelle Norberg)](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/10/Welcome-to-Burke.JPG) Burke, S.D., population 570, where Rachelle Norberg practices. (Photo: Rachelle Norberg) Norberg is originally from Burke, which has a population of 570\. She returned to the town to practice law through the Rural Attorney Recruitment Program (RARP), a program that aims to stymie "legal deserts" – areas where legal services are few and far between – and now chairs Project Rural Practice, the state bar association's answer to those deserts. ## Gaps in legal access necessitate action at state level South Dakota is one of many states facing a growing gap in legal services available to those living outside of urban population centers. In legal deserts, rural residents could be more likely to deal with issues like financial distress, wrongful incarceration or lack of access to due process, according to an Iowa State University study published this year in the South Dakota Law Review. That same study found that 20 of South Dakota's 66 counties are considered legal deserts, nine of which are "critical legal deserts," or areas with "the most acute lawyer shortages in the nation." In 2013, South Dakota became the first state in the country to institute the RARP, a program that financially incentivizes lawyers to live and practice in rural areas. K. Aleks Schaefer, associate professor of international markets, trade and policy at Oklahoma State University, once called the program a "real-life science experiment." The initiative provides attorneys with $12,513 a year, or $62,568 total, if they commit to practicing law in a rural town or county for five years after they complete their law degree. That funding comes jointly from the state bar, the UJS and the counties and municipalities that house the lawyers. Forty-eight counties in South Dakota are eligible to participate in the program, and any municipality under 3,500 people is eligible, though there is a preference system for counties with the greatest need. Just 20 of 309 municipalities in the state exceed that population requirement. **"Your clients are going to be the couple down the street, the old guy across the road, your kids’ friends’ parents, the farmer that lives 2 miles out of town that you see at the gas station every day." -- Dylan Kirchmeier* RARP participant Dylan Kirchmeier, who now serves as the state's attorney for Roberts County, was in the room at the Capitol in Pierre as a Senate page when Tom Barnett, former executive director of the state bar, first discussed the program. "I remember being in the appropriations meeting one morning when Barnett was talking about the bill to the appropriations committee. So I had knowledge of it going into my undergraduate studies, knowing that I was wanting to go to law school the entire time," Kirchmeier said. Last week, 12 years after that appropriations meeting, he officially finished his five-year contract and got his final payment from the state. “I have no intentions of leaving (Roberts County),” Kirchmeier told News Watch. The program can fund schooling costs or the opening expenses of hanging your shingle in a small town, but the dollars are, by design, flexible in their use. Kirchmeier used his stipend to pay his mortgage in Wilmot, population 432\. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/10/Headshot-1.jpg) Dylan Kirchmeier, state's attorney for Roberts County in northeastern South Dakota. (Photo: Dylan Kirchmeier) RARP was born of Project Rural Practice, which was established by former bar president Patrick Goetzinger. That program aims to identify rural lawyer shortages and make recommendations. Since its inception, 36 attorneys have come through the program, and 19 have graduated. Fourteen of those graduates are still practicing in their communities. ## Lawyers find case variety in rural South Dakota Kirchmeier's status as state's attorney means his work is in prosecution, but he told News Watch that lawyers who have a private practice in rural areas, like Norberg, often have more varied day-to-day work than those working in larger cities. "Your clients are going to be the couple down the street, the old guy across the road, your kids’ friends’ parents, the farmer that lives 2 miles out of town that you see at the gas station every day,” Kirchmeier said. "If you're a practitioner in a small town, you have everything walking through the door, whether it be trust and estate work, divorces, custody disputes, criminal defense. You run the whole gamut of things that people might ask you to do." In his own role, Kirchmeier emphasized that a smaller population does not mean less work. Roberts County is small in population but large in geographic size and also covers parts of the Lake Traverse Indian Reservation, and Kirchmeier prosecutes hundreds of cases every year. Greg Sattizahn, state court administrator for the South Dakota UJS, agrees. "We've never had anyone in the program not complete the program because they didn't have the work. The work is certainly there. It's more, actually, managing the work that is out there," Sattizahn told News Watch. ****Support stories about rural South Dakota with a tax-deductible donation.** [Donate ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/reportforamerica/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Sattizahn said that professional opportunities for attorneys are not necessarily limited by the small population size of rural counties or towns. For Kirchmeier, professional achievements abound in 10,000-person Roberts County. In 2024, he was awarded Prosecutor of the Year by the South Dakota State's Attorneys Association. "There's a fear of not being able to be successful if you're in a rural area versus more of an urban setting in the legal profession, whether that be personal achievements or wealth. I think that fear needs to get dispelled to some degree," Kirchmeier said. "I know from friends that I have that are also in the program that have started their own firms in these small towns. Obviously it takes a while to get ingratiated into a community, but they're doing well for themselves financially. They have more than enough work to keep their lights on in their business, to feed their families, to make a good living." ## Community service a crucial role A key underpinning in both the RARP and Project Rural Practice is that rural law, even private practice, is framed as for the public interest – an exercise in community service. Hannah Haksgaard, professor at the University of South Dakota's Knudson School of Law, published "The Rural Lawyer: How to Incentivize Rural Law Practice" with Cambridge University Press earlier this year. She told News Watch that part of the reason South Dakota's program has been so successful is that focus on community service. "In some of the earliest interviews I did with rural lawyers, I was struck that their choice to go into rural practice was because they were focused on the community involvement and community service aspects," Haksgaard said. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/10/Hannah-at-Buffalo-SD--1--1.jpg) Hannah Haksgaard in Buffalo, S.D., while conducting research for her book, "The Rural Lawyer: How to Incentivize Rural Law Practice." (Photo: Jesse Haksgaard) When Norberg went to commissioners in Gregory County, where Burke is located, in 2018 to request approval for her RARP placement, it only narrowly passed. Norberg said she submitted yearly reports to the county to prove their investment in her practice was worth it. Those reports demonstrated over 300 hours of pro bono work, equivalent to more than $30,000 in free legal aid, and the creation of eight nonprofits in the county. "It was probably a lot more out of stubbornness than anything, honestly: 'I'm going to track all this stuff and I'm going to show you this is what I saved you.' And what it ended up being was really beneficial, not only to me, but to a lot of other potential participants," Norberg said. ## Program's evolution key to its success Haksgaard said that part of the reason the state's program has been so successful is its constant evolution. In the RARP's infancy, there were issues with health care access for attorneys, she said. But the state bar listened to participant concerns and found an insurance provider that worked for all of them. "There was a clear policy problem, but a solution was found," Haksgaard said. The program also recently began an intern placement program with USD's law school, which allows students to get a taste of rural practice without committing to the five-year contract. Norberg has participated in that program as an employer. "It is invaluable to have that. I practice on my own. I have three full-time staff between two offices. But to have an intern come in and assist is just fabulous," she said. "It gives the employers an opportunity to bring somebody in that's otherwise sometimes kind of difficult to recruit." ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/10/IMG_6897-1-1.JPG) Rachelle Norberg (left) and her office staff at the 2025 Burke, S.D., homecoming parade. (Photo: Rachelle Norberg) She said that serving as an intern in a rural area can often provide greater exposure to key parts of the legal process as well as a stronger community connection. "Anytime I have a court hearing, they're coming with me to court to see the different types of hearings that go on. They're getting to meet with clients. They're getting to research specific issues that makes it a little more real than maybe sitting in a classroom does," Norberg said. "They see a lot of things that you wouldn't see for three to five years if you're going to work at a larger firm and actually get to have some of that hands-on experience before they graduate from law school." ## ****Get South Dakota stories** An email summary on most weekdays that links to the full version. Cancel anytime. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. Some experts said that incentive programs alone will not fill these legal gaps, considering over half of the country's non-metro counties are classified as either emerging, urgent or critical legal deserts. "I don't think that South Dakota is ever going to be at a spot with rural lawyers where the organizers look around the room and say 'OK, we've done our job. We can stop making steps forward.' I don't think that ever will be the case," Haksgaard said. For now, though, RARP has brought some level of hope both to rural areas and to the state itself – where the intention is to keep the program going into the foreseeable future. "I think the biggest factor of all is just the strength in personality and the work ethic of the people who are involved in this program," Haksgaard said. "There are just people who are very dedicated to making this program work. And that dedication is what has made the difference." [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email) *for statewide stories. Investigative reporter *Molly Wetsch* is a* [*Report for America*](https://www.reportforamerica.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *corps member covering rural and Indigenous issues. Contact her at* [*molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Fact brief: Does SD have one of the lowest SNAP recipient rates in the country? URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-food-stamps-snap-benefits-government-shutdown/ Last updated: 2025-10-30T10:00:56.000Z ## Yes. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/WhiteFACT-BRIEF--500-x-200-px--2-1-1.png) South Dakota’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participation rate of 8.1% is among the lowest in the nation. As of 2024, the state was ranked 12th for percentage of people who receive food stamps. Utah (4.8%), Wyoming (4.9%) and New Hampshire (5.5%) are the lowest, while New Mexico (21.2%), Louisiana (18.4%) and Oregon (17.7%) have the highest rates. About 75,000 South Dakota residents receive SNAP benefits. Households in the state receive an average of $356 per month. SNAP funds will not be available for more than 42 million Americans starting Saturday, Nov. 1, because of the federal government shutdown. Attorneys general and governors from 25 states have sued the Trump administration, saying the government is legally required to use a $5 billion contingency fund to pay for benefits during the shutdown. The funds would be enough to fund the program for a month and a half. *This fact brief responds to conversations such as* [*this one.*](https://www.reddit.com/r/SouthDakota/comments/1ohx89a/is%5Fthe%5Fstate%5Fof%5Fsd%5Fjust%5Fgoing%5Fto%5Flet%5Fpeople/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) ### **Sources** USDA, [State SNAP participation (XLS file)](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1mVBZp%5FFhjuI5OWZs2I29U1i8DVmVToem/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=103987753564616879512&rtpof=true&sd=true&ref=sdnewswatch.org) USAToday, [Who will be impacted by food stamps running out?](https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2025/10/28/snap-runs-out-impact-food-stamp-recipients/86943125007/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, [South Dakota SNAP data](https://www.cbpp.org/research/food-assistance/a-closer-look-at-who-benefits-from-snap-state-by-state-fact-sheets?ref=sdnewswatch.org#South%5FDakota) SNAP, [Trump Admin Faces Lawsuit from 25 States Over Emergency Funds](https://www.newsweek.com/snap-update-trump-admin-faces-lawsuit-25-states-over-emergency-funds-10953090?ref=sdnewswatch.org) --- [South Dakota News Watch](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/) partners with [Gigafact](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) to publish fact briefs that refute or confirm a claim with supporting information and additional evidence and context. - [Read previous fact briefs](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/tag/fact-brief/). - Read our verification standards and other [best practices policies](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/best-practices/). - Submit a question for us to answer on the [South Dakota News Watch Tipline](https://gigafact.org/tipline/south-dakota-news-watch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). - Send questions or feedback to [factbrief@sdnewswatch.org](mailto:factbrief@sdnewswatch.org). [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact Michael Klinski* at michael.klinski@sdnewswatch.org.* ### House poll: Jackley leads with many undecided URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/sd-house-poll-jackley-bialota-crabtree-gop-republican/ Last updated: 2025-11-19T22:39:14.000Z PIERRE, S.D. – If the 2026 primary election for U.S. House were held today, most South Dakota Republicans would support Attorney General Marty Jackley, according to a scientific poll of registered GOP voters co-sponsored by South Dakota News Watch. The statewide survey, co-sponsored by the Chiesman Center for Democracy at the University of South Dakota, showed Jackley with 57%. State Sen. Casey Crabtree was the preferred candidate with 5%, followed by Piedmont businessman James Bialota, who was the preferred candidate for 2% of those surveyed. ## ****Get South Dakota stories** An email summary on most weekdays that links to the full version. Cancel anytime. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. The poll also found that 36% of GOP voters haven't decided who they would vote for in the June 2 primary. Mason-Dixon Polling and Strategy, [ranked as one of the least-biased and most-factual pollsters](https://mediabiasfactcheck.com/mason-dixon-polling-bias-and-credibility/?ref=sdnewswatch.org), conducted the poll of 502 registered Republican voters Oct. 16-20 using random selections from a telephone-matched state voter registration list that included both landline and cellphone numbers from across the state. - **Bialota** is a small-business owner, dealing in military surplus, sporting goods and precious metals. The Piedmont resident is a disabled combat veteran who served in the Air Force and is the former director of the West Dakota Water Development District. - **Crabtree** was appointed to the South Dakota Senate by former Gov. Kristi Noem in 2020 and was reelected in 2020, 2022 and 2024\. He lives in Madison, where he is economic development director for Heartland Energy, a public power utility. - **Jackley** serves as South Dakota’s attorney general. He was U.S. attorney for South Dakota from 2006 to 2009 and previously served as state attorney general from 2009 to 2019 when term limits kept him from running again. He ran unsuccessfully for governor against Noem in 2018\. In 2022, he ran successfully for attorney general against challenger David Natvig in the primary. He was unopposed in the 2022 general election. ## Takeaways from analysts: Here are some observations from News Watch partners as the campaign for the June 2 primary heats up. ### Jackley fares better in House Upon announcing his campaign for governor, Rep. Dusty Johnson, South Dakota’s at-large representative, said he wouldn't run for reelection to the U.S. House. Jackley was exploring a run for governor but later announced a run for U.S. House. He came in third behind Gov. Larry Rhoden and Johnson for governor in [an April poll by News Watch and Chiesman](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/poll-dusty-johnson-larry-rhoden-south-dakota-john-thune-kristi-noem/). South Dakota News Watch invests in scientific polls to let elected leaders know how constituents think they're doing and also survey people's opinions on important issues. But a good poll isn't cheap, so if you value these stories, please consider helping cover the cost. Thank you! [Donate and make these polls possible ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?%5Fgl=1%2Ab9m3w3%2A%5Fga%2AMTEzMjQ0NDQ5NC4xNzQxNjg3OTU5%2A%5Fga%5FH98KVPR32J%2AMTc0NjIxNzgwNy43MC4xLjE3NDYyMTc4MDcuMC4wLjA.&ref=sdnewswatch.org) Brad Coker, founder of Mason-Dixon Strategy and Polling, said Jackley made a wise choice to opt to run for Congress over governor. “That was a crowded field,” Coker said of [the governor’s race, which has four candidates](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/sd-poll-gop-gubernatorial-governor-rhoden-johnson-doeden-hanson/). Unless someone well-positioned jumps into the race — and Coker said there’s no one that fits that description who's likely to enter — it’s “clear sailing” for Jackley. ### One-third undecided Looking at the 36% who said they’re not sure who they’ll vote for in the race, Julia Hellwege, director of the Chiesman Center and USD associate professor in political science, said it’s unclear if they aren’t decided or don’t know the candidates. “I guess if there’s any story in the House race at all, it's going to be, are undecided voters truly undecided, or is it just a lower-information race?” Hellwege said. Coker said that for an open seat in a congressional race — meaning no widely recognized incumbent — and the primary seven months away, it’s not unusual to see a large portion of respondents having no preference. The poll results, even factoring in the one-third who will be putting their support behind a candidate in the coming months, don’t open up much room for Crabtree to catch up to Jackley, Coker said. “There's nothing that I see anywhere in this poll that says that'sjust a whole bunch of Crabtree voters waiting to jump on the train,” he said. ### Jackley’s Washington connections Starting around 2022, Jackley was an adviser on an unofficial council of state attorneys general for President Donald Trump on a range of issues related to the rule of law, [South Dakota Searchlight reported in November 2024](https://southdakotasearchlight.com/2024/11/27/qa-south-dakota-attorney-general-talks-about-advising-trump-team/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). After Matt Gaetz withdrew his name from consideration for the nomination of U.S. attorney general after allegations of drug use and payments for sex, Jackley was a [vocal supporter for Attorney General Pam Bondi](https://atg.sd.gov/OurOffice/Media/pressreleasesdetail.aspx?id=2702&ref=sdnewswatch.org#gsc.tab=0). With Jackley showing 57% support in the latest poll, he’s likely to see increased financial support for his campaign, Coker said. “I think people will get out their checkbooks ... and not just in South Dakota, either. He's going to get a lot of checks from people waiting for him in Washington. So he's in a good spot to put this thing away, even if somebody of some credibility comes in,” Coker said. ### Crabtree and carbon pipelines Noem appointed Crabtree to the South Dakota Senate in 2020, and he was selected to serve as majority leader in 2023\. He was a [prime sponsor of Senate Bill 201](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-summit-carbon-pipeline-eminent-domain-legislature/), which would have created landowner protections from the construction of carbon-capture pipelines and other linear transmission facilities. The bill would not have prevented the use of eminent domain, which forces landowners to sell their land for “fair market value” regardless of whether they approve of the transaction. Opponents of the measure referred the bill to the ballot, which voters rejected in the 2024 general election. The bill played a role in 11 out of 14 incumbent Republicans losing their seats in the June 2024 primary, [South Dakota Searchlight reported](https://southdakotasearchlight.com/2024/06/05/new-landscape-confronts-south-dakota-republicans-after-political-earthquake-shakes-incumbents/?ref=sdnewswatch.org), and Crabtree lost his position as majority leader in January. ### Bialota stands his ground Bialota might have trouble gaining name recognition in the race with little experience in office outside the West Dakota Water Development District. He owns Dead on Surplus in Rapid City, which sells military surplus, precious metals and sporting goods. "It's all the fun stuff," he said. He has had a number of run-ins with the law over the past few years. In 2021, he was arrested for simple assault and received a 90-day suspended sentence and a $346 fine. Bialota claimed self-defense under the state’s “stand your ground” law, [Searchlight reported](https://southdakotasearchlight.com/2023/06/16/how-stand-your-ground-plays-out-in-court/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). Most recently, he was arrested for refusal to leave after notice earlier this month. That case is pending in Pennington County Magistrate Court. Bialota said he was campaigning on a public sidewalk and wasn't trespassing. He said he's being targeted for political reasons. “They’re just trying to throw everything at me under the sun for no valid reason,” he said. *Correction: This story was corrected at 7:36 a.m. on Oct. 29, 2025, to state that Jackley explored a run for governor but never formally announced. A clarification was added at 10:18 a.m. on Oct. 30, 2025, to state that Jackley ran unopposed in the 2022 general election.* [SD governor poll: Rhoden, Johnson lead; Doeden, Hansen surgeA poll shows GOP voters throwing their support behind incumbent Larry Rhoden and U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson. But challengers are pulling in voters.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-256.jpg)South Dakota News WatchKevin Killough![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/Gubernatorial-1.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/sd-poll-gop-gubernatorial-governor-rhoden-johnson-doeden-hanson/) [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact statehouse investigative reporter Kevin Killough* at* [*kevin.killough@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:kevin.killough@sdnewswatch.org). ### Fact brief: Is South Dakota’s percentage of clean energy the highest in the US? URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/fact-brief-south-dakota-wind-solar-clean-energy-production/ Last updated: 2025-10-28T11:00:45.000Z ## Yes. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/WhiteFACT-BRIEF--500-x-200-px--2-1-1.png) South Dakota is ranked No. 1 in the nation for the percentage of its energy that is produced by renewable sources. The state’s share of clean-energy production is 92% as of 2024, up from 70% in 2023\. Iowa is second (83%) and Kansas third (74%). In 2025 when the state’s share of renewable energy was 81%, wind power generated 59% with most of the rest coming from hydropower. South Dakota wind turbines provide enough energy to take the equivalent of 2.2 million cars off the road, and wind energy in the state has quadrupled since 2019. That clean-energy boom has led to an increase of jobs. The state has 12,500 jobs in the field, representing a 1.6% bump since 2024\. Solar power generation increased from 4 gigawatt hours (GWh) in 2022 to 346 GWh in 2024, enough to power 35,000 homes. *This fact brief responds to conversations such as* [*this one.*](https://www.reddit.com/r/SouthDakota/comments/1off9x9/south%5Fdakota%5Fbenefits%5Ffrom%5Fmidwest%5Fgreen%5Fenergy/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) ### **Sources** Environment America, [What are the top 10 states for renewable energy?](https://environmentamerica.org/center/articles/what-are-the-top-10-states-for-renewable-energy/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) South Dakota News Watch, [Renewable energy industry powers new job growth in SD](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/renewable-energy-wind-power-electricity-south-dakota/) SDPB, [South Dakota benefits from Midwest green energy boom, but lags behind peers](https://www.sdpb.org/business-economics/2025-10-16/south-dakota-benefits-from-midwest-green-energy-boom-but-lags-behind-peers?ref=sdnewswatch.org) U.S. Energy Information Administration, [South Dakota State Energy profile](https://www.eia.gov/state/print.php?sid=SD&ref=sdnewswatch.org#:~:text=Table%5Ftitle:%20Data%20Table%5Fcontent:%20header:%20%7C%20Environment%20%7C,811%20thousand%20MWh%20%7C%20:%20Jul%2D25%20%7C) Environment America, [South Dakota, an unexpected leader in renewable energy](https://environmentamerica.org/articles/south-dakota-an-unexpected-leader-in-renewable-energy/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) --- [South Dakota News Watch](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/) partners with [Gigafact](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) to publish fact briefs that refute or confirm a claim with supporting information and additional evidence and context. - [Read previous fact briefs](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/tag/fact-brief/). - Read our verification standards and other [best practices policies](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/best-practices/). - Submit a question for us to answer on the [South Dakota News Watch Tipline](https://gigafact.org/tipline/south-dakota-news-watch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). - Send questions or feedback to [factbrief@sdnewswatch.org](mailto:factbrief@sdnewswatch.org). [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact Michael Klinski* at michael.klinski@sdnewswatch.org.* ### Governor poll: Rhoden, Johnson lead but Doeden, Hansen surge URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/sd-poll-gop-gubernatorial-governor-rhoden-johnson-doeden-hanson/ Last updated: 2025-11-19T22:39:37.000Z *Editor's note: This story was updated on Oct. 27 at 8:17 a.m. Central Time to state that South Dakota places term limits on House members, and Rep. Jon Hansen’s final term ends next year.* PIERRE, S.D. – U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson and Gov. Larry Rhoden are effectively tied atop the race for the Republican nomination for governor, while Toby Doeden and Rep. Jon Hansen have surged in popularity over the past six months, according to a scientific poll of registered GOP voters co-sponsored by South Dakota News Watch. Of those voters surveyed, 28% would support Johnson and 27% would vote for Rhoden. The margin of error was no more than 4.5 percentage points, meaning they are statistically tied. Rhoden has not officially announced his bid for governor, but he is anticipated to seek the Republican nomination. Fundraising letters have also asked for donations to support a "competitive campaign," [The Dakota Scout reported](https://dakotawarcollege.com/rhoden-kicks-off-fundraising-efforts-with-event-fundraising-letter?ref=sdnewswatch.org). ## ****Get South Dakota stories** An email summary on most weekdays that links to the full version. Cancel anytime. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. The statewide survey, co-sponsored by the Chiesman Center for Democracy at the University of South Dakota, showed Doeden, an Aberdeen businessman, taking 15% of the vote. Hansen, speaker of the South Dakota House, was the choice for 10% of those polled. About 21% were undecided. "I think that there's a race that's going to happen. That's the big picture," said Julia Hellwege, director of the Chiesman Center and USD associate professor in political science. Mason-Dixon Polling and Strategy, [ranked as one of the least-biased and most-factual pollsters](https://mediabiasfactcheck.com/mason-dixon-polling-bias-and-credibility/?ref=sdnewswatch.org), conducted the poll of 502 registered Republican voters Oct. 16-20 using random selections from a telephone-matched state voter registration list that included both landline and cellphone numbers from across the state. - **Doeden** has never run for office. He bought Aberdeen Chrysler in 2020 after working there for 23 years. He also owns a Ford dealership in Redfield as well as rental properties and retail establishments. - **Hansen** served in the state House from 2011 to 2013 before resigning to attend law school. The Dell Rapids lawyer was again elected to the House in 2019 and rose to speaker this year. South Dakota limits House members to four consecutive terms, and Hansen's term ends next year. - **Johnson** was elected to South Dakota’s at-large congressional district in 2018\. Prior to that, the Pierre native served on the Public Utilities Commission from 2004 to 2011 and was chief of staff to Gov. Dennis Daugaard. Upon announcing his intention to run for governor, he also announced he isn’t running for reelection to the U.S. House. - **Rhoden** became governor in January when former Gov. Kristi Noem was appointed to lead the Department of Homeland Security. The Union Center rancher was elected to lieutenant governor in 2018 and 2022\. [A Morning Consult poll](https://pro.morningconsult.com/trackers/governor-approval-ratings?ref=sdnewswatch.org#america-s-most-popular-and-unpopular-governors) in October found 57% of those surveyed approved of his job performance, with 22% undecided. ## Takeaways from analysts Here are some observations from News Watch partners as the campaign for the June 2 primary heats up. ### Changes since April The poll shows that there are clearly two front-runners in the four-way race with Johnson and Rhoden, but Doeden and Hansen have gained support. [An April poll by News Watch and Chiesman](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/poll-dusty-johnson-larry-rhoden-south-dakota-john-thune-kristi-noem/) showed 4% of Republican voters would vote for Doeden and 2% for Hansen. Johnson polled at 28% and Rhoden 27% at the time, the same level of support as this month's poll. Undecided voters fell 1 percentage point. South Dakota News Watch invests in scientific polls to let elected leaders know how constituents think they're doing and also survey people's opinions on important issues. But a good poll isn't cheap, so if you value these stories, please consider helping cover the cost. Thank you! [Donate and make these polls possible ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?%5Fgl=1%2Ab9m3w3%2A%5Fga%2AMTEzMjQ0NDQ5NC4xNzQxNjg3OTU5%2A%5Fga%5FH98KVPR32J%2AMTc0NjIxNzgwNy43MC4xLjE3NDYyMTc4MDcuMC4wLjA.&ref=sdnewswatch.org) Since then, Attorney General Marty Jackley, who polled at 18% in April, dropped out of the governor’s race to run for U.S. House. Doeden announced his campaign in May and has since spent heavily on television and social media ads. If none of the candidates receives 35% of the vote, a runoff election between the two top vote-getters will be held eight weeks after the primary election. ### Moving to the right Doeden has been running a populist campaign, presenting himself as a “political disruptor” of the establishment, Hellwege said. Meanwhile, Rhoden and Johnson present as moderate Republicans, she said. The Hansen and Doeden campaigns are likely pulling more away from Rhoden than from Johnson, Hellwege said. With Doeden gaining ground as a candidate, the Rhoden and Johnson campaigns might move further to the right to capture voters Doeden is pulling away, she said. ### Successful template Brad Coker, founder of Mason-Dixon Strategy and Polling, which conducted the poll, said similar campaigns following Doeden’s outsider strategy have proved successful — namely President Donald Trump and former North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, who now serves as Trump's secretary of Interior. “That template has worked,” Coker said. As the sitting governor, Rhoden has a lot of influence, including the ability to veto bills. “People might be hedging their bets a little bit,” Coker said. Johnson has been in Washington since first being elected to the House in 2018, and Congress doesn’t have a great overall rating, which might influence some of the voter preferences, he said. “When Washington is dysfunctional and politicians don’t seem to be getting the job done, a guy with a business background starts to get an appeal,” Coker said of Doeden. ### Seven months to go until primary Conventional wisdom suggests that Johnson would normally be the front-runner, and while he is leading, it’s neck-and-neck with Rhoden, Coker said. Doeden still has seven months before the June 2 primary to make further progress. How far he can go depends on the ability of the other campaigns to counter his messaging, said Michael Card, emeritus professor of political science at USD. Rhoden will have his influence as governor, and Johnson can take actions in Congress to show he’s working for South Dakota. “Those are defensive strategies that those two candidates might consider, which would really make Doeden work hard. He's going to have to work hard,” Card said. ### Voter differences With 21% still undecided, those voters will be moving toward one of the candidates in the coming months. The poll showed that Hansen has pull among women Republicans when compared to Doeden and Johnson but not compared to Rhoden or undecided voters. The candidates' appeal to voters shows the most divergence among geographical groups. Doeden polls weaker in all areas except the northern part of East River, which includes his hometown of Aberdeen. Hansen is coming in stronger in the southern part of East River, where he lives. While East River polls more moderate among all voters, a GOP-only poll shows Republican voters in the southeast part of the state are quite conservative, Hellwege said. The race will be shaped by whether Hansen and Doeden stay in the race, she said. As a "disruption" candidate, Doeden will likely stay in to make a statement regardless of polling, but Hansen is running a different campaign. "I'd be curious to see if he (Hansen) stays in the race and then (it) becomes more of a three-way (race). And then that would be interesting to see what could happen," Hellwege said. ****Coming Wednesday:** Results of the poll for U.S. House [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact statehouse investigative reporter Kevin Killough* at* [*kevin.killough@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:kevin.killough@sdnewswatch.org). ### News about News Watch URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/news-about-news-watch-4/ Last updated: 2025-10-24T15:00:11.000Z *The latest news about South Dakota News Watch for our community of readers, donors and media partners* --- ## News Watch co-sponsors multiple events ### 'Separation of Powers' town hall ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/10/IMG_3221-1-1.JPG) Members of the legislative, executive and judicial branches of South Dakota state government take part in the "Separation of Powers Town Hall" on Sept. 18, 2025, at the Capitol rotunda in Pierre, S.D. (Photo: Carson Walker/ South Dakota News Watch) Representatives from the executive, legislative and judicial branches of state government discussed how the system of checks and balances works in South Dakota and the media's role at a "Separation of Powers" town hall on Sept. 18 at the Capitol rotunda in Pierre. Leaders who took part: Gov. Larry Rhoden and Lt. Gov. Tony Venhuizen; Supreme Court Chief Justice Steven Jensen and Justice Patricia DeVaney; Republican Rep. Scott Odenbach of Spearfish, House majority leader, Republican Sen. Carl Perry of Aberdeen, Senate assistant majority leader, Democratic Rep. Erik Muckey of Sioux Falls and Democratic Sen. Jamie Smith of Sioux Falls, assistant minority leader. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/10/IMG_3187-1-1.jpg) Jackie Hendry of South Dakota Public Broadcasting and Kevin Killough of South Dakota News Watch moderate the "Separation of Powers" town hall on Sept. 18, 2025, at the Capitol rotunda in Pierre, S.D. (Photo: Carson Walker/ South Dakota News Watch) The 90-minute event was televised live on SDPB and is [archived on its YouTube channel](https://www.youtube.com/live/b-PjCSZiK-4?ref=sdnewswatch.org). ### Civics and media series The town hall was part of a series on civics and media literacy that South Dakota News Watch is sponsoring with the **League of Women Voters of South Dakota**, the **Chiesman Center for Democracy at the University of South Dakota** and **South Dakota Public Broadcasting**. The discussions and community gatherings are intended to increase civic engagement and help South Dakotans identify credible sources of information. All events are free and will lead up to the November 2026 election. **If you're interested in hosting an event**, email me at [carson.walker@sdnewswatch.org](mailto:carson.walker@sdnewswatch.org). Here are the upcoming events: **Monday, Nov. 10**, 6-7 p.m. Central time at the Vermillion fire house, 820 N. Dakota St. (enter on Duke Street across from Pizza Ranch): “Origin of the Species: Voter Initiatives and Veto Referendums in SD.” Michael Card, USD emeritus professor of public policy and management, will discuss South Dakota's initiated measure and voter referendum processes. It will include the situation in 1898 that led to passage of the initial constitutional amendment and the 1972 vote that expanded the petition process to propose constitutional amendments. Refreshments will be served starting at 5:30 p.m. **April 2026:** Televised town hall on SDPB before the primary election. **September 2026:** Televised town hall on SDPB before the general election. ### South Dakota courts training Journalists, students and others took part in an Oct. 10 training session that covered how to access South Dakota state courts. It was held in person at SDPB in Sioux Falls and Rapid City and live online at sd.net. Unified Judicial System staff explained how the state court system works and how journalists and members of the public can access court documents and attend hearings. The participants: Seventh Circuit Presiding Judge Robert Gusinsky, Seventh Circuit Court administrator Liz Hassett, Pennington County clerk of court Amber Watkins, Second Circuit Judge Jon C. Sogn, Second Circuit court administrator Karl Thoennes and UJS public information officer Alisa Bousa. **The South Dakota Bar Foundation** co-sponsors this twice-annual training. [Watch the entire session on SDPB's YouTube channel](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VDeRVqhwB8s&list=PLCvVBOK6lIHubLbsZhA1hxhPHxrefBuGF&index=1&t=3443s&ref=sdnewswatch.org), where previous training sessions are archived. --- ## Fall fundraising match starts Nov. 1 South Dakota News Watch will again run its fall fundraising match starting Nov. 1\. All **donations up to $1,000 are doubled through the end of the year**, thanks to a gift from Dan and Arlene Kirby and NewsMatch, a program that supports nonprofits like News Watch. Please consider a [**one-time or recurring donation**](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) that will have twice the impact. News Watch can also qualify for a **significant bonus if we add 50 new donors**, so please consider donating any amount if you don't currently give and encourage friends and family who appreciate quality journalism to donate. Thank you! --- ## Most popular stories last month Here are the most-read stories from last month with links to each: 1. [Iconic movies shot in South Dakota](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/movies-filmed-south-dakota-dances-with-wolves-national-treasure/) (sidebar to [Lack of film incentives a roadblock, but South Dakota film industry still growing](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-film-industry-incentives-movies-americana/)) 2. [Slow year for South Dakota tourism industry so far in 2025](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-tourism-numbers-canada-travel-season-trump/) 3. [South Dakota hospital ratings: See how yours fared in 2025](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/sd-hospital-ratings-avera-sanford-monument-health/) 4. [$20 million disputed stage gun range to open in early November](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-black-hills-gun-range-pete-lien-shooting-sports-complex/) 5. [Alcohol's impact: 35, dry and dying while waiting for a transplant (update)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/chronic-liver-disease-cirrhosis-killing-south-dakota-30-year-olds/) --- Thank you for trusting us as a source for stories of statewide interest, your partnerships and financial support! Please reach out any time with feedback, questions or ideas. ****Play a bigger role in our storytelling.** Join us as a partner in telling stories that are important to all South Dakotans with a tax-deductible donation. [Donate ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/reportforamerica/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email) *to get story summaries on weekdays. *Contact CEO Carson Walker* at* [*carson.walker@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:carson.walker@sdnewswatch.org) *or 605-610-9366 (call/text).* ### Piedmont residents shocked by new mine coming to their city URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/piedmont-sd-limestone-mine-zoning-mining-law/ Last updated: 2025-10-24T14:49:52.000Z PIEDMONT, S.D. – Residents and government leaders in this small western South Dakota city are in shock that the state approved a limestone mining operation without notifying them in advance about the project. Locals learned about the sprawling limestone mine set to nearly encircle the city only after brief notices announcing project approval ran in a pair of newspapers published elsewhere in Meade County. What they discovered is that Simon Contractors, a French-owned, Wyoming-based mining and materials company, has acquired state approval and private landowner agreements to allow limestone mining on 10 parcels of land that are either within the Piedmont city limits or that directly border its western boundary. ## ****Get South Dakota stories** An email summary on most weekdays that links to the full version. Cancel anytime. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. The 300-acre mine is expected to start running in August and operate through 2043, according to Simon. Piedmont is a city of 1,000 people located in the foothills of the Black Hills along Interstate 90 about midway between Rapid City and Sturgis. The bulk of development is located between the interstate and the pine-laden hills on the west, where the mine is planned. Piedmont consists mostly of homes and small ranches, several churches and a few commercial properties that include a gas station/convenience store, a couple bar/restaurants, a butcher shop and a campground. A few municipal buildings and an elementary school round out the community. ![The location of a proposed mine in Piedmont in the Black Hills of South Dakota.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/10/2025-10-23-Piedmont-countryside-1.jpg) Many residents are worried about potential impacts of a limestone mine planned for the woodlands around their homes in Piedmont, S.D., shown on Oct. 23, 2025\. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch/ South Dakota News Watch) With almost no details released about the mine project so far, dozens of residents attended a standing-room-only city meeting on Oct. 21 to share their concerns about potential air, water, traffic and property value impacts. “This is going to destroy Piedmont,” said Paul Betts, pastor of Redemption Church in Piedmont, which borders the mine site on two sides. “It will destroy the beauty of this area and it will look completely different. Your house’s property values will decline and nobody is going to want to move here.” Speaking during the Oct. 21 meeting, Betts said he and his daughter have asthma and they worry it could be worsened by limestone dust that can blow about in the frequent high winds. “I’m not going to put my daughter in danger by breathing in this silica that can cause years-long problems,” Betts said. “If this happens, we may have to move our church out of Piedmont, and we don’t want to move out of Piedmont.” ## State and local laws limited notifications A rare combination of a lax state mining law and a lack of county land-use regulations allowed the Piedmont mine to gain approval without input from the public or local government. South Dakota has two levels of permit requirements depending on the type and scope of a proposed mine, said Rich Williams, an attorney who represents the city of Piedmont. A more invasive mine, such as a gold or silver mine, requires a specific state permit that mandates an environmental impact study, an analysis by state regulators and public input, Williams said. [Lawmaker considers limiting new Black Hills water usageIdea was prompted by USGS study that found some underground aquifers aren’t recharging fast enough to keep up with growth.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-249.jpg)South Dakota News WatchBart Pfankuch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/northdale-water-towers-1-1.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-black-hills-water-usage-legislation/) But for a limestone, sand or gravel mine like the one proposed for Piedmont, a mining company only needs to obtain a general state mining license, submit project maps and pay a bond that enable it to mine on any piece of private property where it secures the right to do so. No public hearings or notifications are required for that type of mine, so Piedmont residents and town leaders were not required to be notified in advance, Williams said. ![Phil Anderson, municipal board chairman in Piedmont, S.D., shown on Oct. 23, 2025, walks on land next to where a limestone mine is expected to begin operations in 2026. (](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/10/2025-10-23-Piedmont-board-chairman.jpg) Phil Anderson, municipal board chairman in Piedmont, S.D., shown on Oct. 23, 2025, walks on land next to where a limestone mine is expected to begin operations in 2026\. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch/ South Dakota News Watch) They were also kept out of the process by the lack of land-use regulations in Meade County, which has no zoning laws, said Phil Anderson, chairman of the Piedmont board of trustees. Attempts at public votes to enact zoning laws in the county have failed over the years, Anderson told News Watch. “The responsibility for this resides on our people a little bit because they don’t want government telling them what to do, though sometimes we need government to be involved,” he said. A spokeswoman for Simon did not respond to a list of email questions sent by News Watch. Simon is part of a French-owned conglomerate and has about a dozen mine or materials locations in the Black Hills region, ranging from Sturgis to Hot Springs. ## Little recourse for mine opponents The Oct. 21 meeting was marked by frustration and worry by both city officials and members of the public. Officials said that while they have some level of control over mining within the city limits, they are unable to regulate mining on parcels that surround the west side of the city. South Dakota Rep. Terri Jorgenson, a Meade County Republican, was one of four state lawmakers to attend the meeting. > "The city of Piedmont will not see any financial benefit from this project." – Phil Anderson, chairman of the Piedmont board of trustees Jorgenson said she has contacted several state agency officials – including those at the Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources – to learn more about the limestone mine but was unable to find any firm path to opposing or blocking the project at this point. “Basically what the state is doing is just reclamation,” she said. “After mining is complete, the state’s responsibility is to make sure the land goes back to what it was before.” DANR did not immediately return a call Thursday seeking comment. ****Your donation supports trusted, balanced storytelling that's delivered for free to all South Dakotans.** [Donate ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Jorgenson said she has concerns about the mine’s potential impacts on air and water quality, property values and on the local elementary school, where children could be exposed to dust or noise. She promised to continue to push for answers on how to mitigate resident worries. Jorgenson and others said it might take innovative thinking and a grassroots effort by locals to find ways to control the activities of the mining company or to mitigate negative impacts from the mine. Anderson said his research found that the mine area likely contains about 5 million tons of limestone that would sell for up to $33 a ton, about 10% of which will go to landowners who allow mining on their property. "The city of Piedmont will not see any financial benefit from this project," Anderson said. ## Residents worried over health, property values Resident George Malley, whose home borders the mine boundary, said he has four children who could be impacted by mine activities. ”I’m concerned about the air and water quality,” Malley said. “I have special needs children and I don’t know what that blasting could do to them.” ![Piedmont, S.D., resident George Malley, shown on Oct. 23, 2025, lives in a home on the border of a proposed limestone mine site. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/10/20205-10-23-George-Malley-Piedmont.jpg) Piedmont, S.D., resident George Malley, shown on Oct. 23, 2025, lives in a home on the border of a proposed limestone mine site. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch/ South Dakota News Watch) Bree Woods, a second-generation Piedmont resident, said the limestone mine could hamper agricultural operations of local landowners. “We’re still an ag community. We have horses and we have people that have cattle,” Woods said. “This is going to create massive vet bills for all of us that have animals that are our livelihood.” [Black Hills water supplies not meeting demand, study saysWater supplies are not sufficiently recharging in the most populous areas of the Black Hills. Is a $2 billion Missouri River pipeline the answer?![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-250.jpg)South Dakota News WatchBart Pfankuch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/2025-4-21-Pactola-marina-low-1-2.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/black-hills-water-study-missouri-river-pipeline/) At the close of the Oct. 21 meeting, the residents, local officials and state lawmakers all agreed to work together to either block the mine from opening or to make the best of the situation if mining operations begin. "I'll do what I said I would, and that is to pray about this," Malley told Anderson, the city board chairman. [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact* *Bart Pfankuch* at* [*bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Fact brief: Has South Dakota ever held a vote to eliminate daylight saving time? URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/fact-brief-daylight-saving-time-standard-time-sd/ Last updated: 2025-10-24T10:52:13.000Z ## Yes. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/WhiteFACT-BRIEF--500-x-200-px--2-1-1.png) South Dakota voters shot down an attempt to eliminate daylight saving time in a referendum in 1968, with 59% voting against the measure. Two states – Hawaii and Arizona – observe standard time year-round. Nineteen states have voted to permanently observe daylight saving time year-round, but federal law only allows for standard time to be permanent. South Dakota state Rep. Carl Perry, R-Aberdeen, introduced legislation to permanently end daylight saving time in the state in 2025, but a committee rejected the plan 8-1. Supporters of the proposal said it would improve sleep, health, public safety and avoid students having to adjust to the new time and losing focus at school. Rep. John Sjaarda, R-Valley Springs, opposed the plan, saying daylight saving time is better for farmers. Daylight saving time this year, where clocks “fall back” an hour to standard time, ends on Nov. 2. *This fact brief responds to conversations such as* [*this one.*](https://www.reddit.com/r/SiouxFalls/comments/1obhxx4/love%5Fthis%5Ftime%5Fof%5Fyear%5Fwish%5Ftheyd%5Fhave%5Fgotten%5Fa/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) ### **Sources** Ballotpedia, [South Dakota Refered Law 1 ](https://ballotpedia.org/South%5FDakota%5FReferred%5FLaw%5F1,%5FDaylight%5FSaving%5FTime%5FMeasure%5F%281968%29?ref=sdnewswatch.org) The Hill, [These states approved permanent daylight saving time: Why their clocks still change in November](https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/5526971-these-states-approved-permanent-daylight-saving-time-why-their-clocks-still-change-in-november/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) National Conference of State Legislatures, [Daylight Saving Time | State legislation](https://www.ncsl.org/transportation/daylight-saving-time-state-legislation?utm%5Fsource=chatgpt.com) KELO-TV, [Sun sets on attempt to end daylight savings in SD](https://www.keloland.com/keloland-com-original/sun-sets-on-attempt-to-end-daylight-savings-in-sd/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) --- [South Dakota News Watch](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/) partners with [Gigafact](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) to publish fact briefs that refute or confirm a claim with supporting information and additional evidence and context. - [Read previous fact briefs](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/tag/fact-brief/). - Read our verification standards and other [best practices policies](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/best-practices/). - Submit a question for us to answer on the [South Dakota News Watch Tipline](https://gigafact.org/tipline/south-dakota-news-watch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). - Send questions or feedback to [factbrief@sdnewswatch.org](mailto:factbrief@sdnewswatch.org). [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact Michael Klinski* at michael.klinski@sdnewswatch.org.* ### Igloo bunker residents file class-action lawsuit against owner URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/igloo-bunker-community-class-action-lawsuit-vivos-sd/ Last updated: 2025-10-22T10:10:09.000Z A new class-action lawsuit, if successful, could require the California owner of former military munitions bunkers near Edgemont to pay more than $17 million to people who rent the so-called igloos for use as homes or shelters to protect them in the case of a global catastrophe. The lawsuit filed in Fall River County Circuit Court alleges on a basic level that Vivos xPoint Investment Group, the owner of the Vivos xPoint bunker complex, uses an illegal lease that is unenforceable and violates the rights of the bunker residents. ## ****Get South Dakota stories** An email summary on most weekdays that links to the full version. Cancel anytime. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. The lawsuit is similar in its claims to an earlier case filed by an individual former resident of the Vivos complex that challenged the legality of the bunker lease. That claim was upheld by a circuit court judge but has been appealed by the complex owner and is [awaiting a hearing](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-igloo-bunker-community-supreme-court/) before the South Dakota Supreme Court. The new lawsuit also alleges that the investment group made "deceptive and misleading statements" by promising to provide numerous amenities at the bunker complex, most of which have never been built. It seeks a return of all money paid to Vivos by more than 150 tenants. ## Where weapons once sat, people now live The Vivos xPoint community includes hundreds of above-ground, earth-covered concrete bunkers that were used by the U.S. military from 1942 to 1967 to store conventional and chemical munitions in a town once known as Igloo. A large portion of the former Black Hills Army Depot munitions facility was purchased and developed in 2016 by California businessman Robert Vicino. The 2,200-square-foot bunkers are now rented as residences, mostly to survivalists, or “preppers,” who want to live off the grid and be positioned to survive a global catastrophe. According to [prior reporting by News Watch](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/igloo-south-dakota-prepper-bunker-vivos-xpoint/), the residential community located on windswept prairie land 8 miles south of Edgemont has been beset by conflicts between residents and employees, numerous lawsuits, several complaints to the state attorney general’s office and a [near-fatal shooting of a complex employee by a tenant in 2024](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/bunker-community-igloo-south-dakota-vivos/). After a grand jury review, the tenant was not charged. News Watch interviewed more than a dozen people, reviewed hundreds of pages of court records, examined emails and internal Vivos communications, filed three open-records requests and visited the Vivos site to understand the unrest that exists within the community. Records in the South Dakota Secretary of State's office show the investment group is licensed to Vicino. He is also the owner of a parent company called Vivos Group, which states on its Vivos Global Shelter Network website that it provides access to bunker complexes in South Dakota as well as at other sites in the U.S. and Europe. ****Will you support South Dakota News Watch?** SDNW is an independent, 501(c)(3) nonprofit that tells investigative stories, verifies claims and engages with communities to identify solutions. With your gift, we can do even more important stories like this one. [Donate ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Vicino did not return a call from News Watch seeking comment, and his attorney, Eric Schlimgen of Spearfish, also did not return calls or an email seeking comment. In a prior interview, Vicino told News Watch that those who complain at Vivos xPoint are “bad apples” and that most tenants are happy with their treatment. ## Lease signed by tenants at heart of lawsuits People who live in the bunkers or have them ready to occupy do not buy them outright. Instead, they pay an upfront fee of up to $55,000 and sign a 99-year lease that governs the landlord-tenant relationship. The 14-page lease and an accompanying long list of community rules became the subject of lawsuits after they were used as the basis to evict several bunker residents who then lost the right to occupy the bunkers despite paying the upfront fees and a monthly service fee. The lease requires tenants to use their own money to make the bunkers habitable, including installing basic utilities. The lease then allows Vivos to evict tenants while retaining the value of those improvements, said J. Scott James, a Custer attorney representing plaintiffs. ![Attorney J. Scott James in his Custer, S.D., office in 2024.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/10/Attorney-J.-Scott-James.jpeg) Attorney J. Scott James in his Custer, S.D., office in 2024\. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch/ South Dakota News Watch) James previously told News Watch that Vivos finds ways to evict tenants and then re-leases their bunkers with a requirement that new tenants still pay the upfront and monthly fees. James said the class-action lawsuit is a natural progression in the legal claims against Vivos xPoint, so far upheld in court, that now makes it possible for all bunker renters to seek financial remedies. The case was filed prior to the ruling by the Supreme Court on the first case because Scott said tenants told him that the complex ownership was offering or was about to offer tenants a new lease that would have reduced or eliminated their rights to sue. Just as in the case before the Supreme Court, the class-action lawsuit argues that the Vivos lease is illegal because it is "illusory," a legal term that essentially means the complex ownership can change the contract at any time without consideration or approval of the tenants. ![This image from October 2024 shows the inside of a Vivos xPoint bunker, located south of Edgemont, S.D., prior to any residential improvements being made.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/10/2024-10-4-Empty-bunker-1.JPG) This image from October 2024 shows the inside of a Vivos xPoint bunker, located south of Edgemont, S.D., prior to any residential improvements being made. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch/ South Dakota News Watch) "The unfettered ability of Vivos to unilaterally change material provisions of the lease, as well as the ability to evict (tenants) ... makes the lease illusory, unlawful and unenforceable," the lawsuit states. The case makes a further separate argument that the lease is invalid because it does not comply with a [South Dakota law](https://sdlegislature.gov/Statutes/43-32-8?ref=sdnewswatch.org) that requires landlords to provide basic utilities, services and upkeep. The existing lease, which requires tenants to install their own electricity, water, plumbing, sewer and communication services, would therefore be illegal under state law, James said. ## Amenities promised but not provided The new lawsuit also raises consumer protection arguments in that Vivos has failed to follow through on promises made to tenants before they signed the lease, James said. "The way Vivos marketed this development and these bunkers to these folks contained a lot of deceptive material, and so they were made a lot of promises," he said. "People were given tours and told that there's a medical facility, and there's not a medical facility. They were told, 'You're going to get a gymnasium and a laundry, and all this kind of stuff is going to happen.'" James said none of those amenities have been provided, even several years after the promises were made. He added that trash pickup, security services and road maintenance have been spotty over the years. ![This sign just inside the entrance to the Vivos xPoint bunker complex, shown Oct. 4, 2024, near Igloo, S.D.,](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/10/2024-10-4-Vivos-coming-soon-sign-1.JPG) This sign just inside the entrance to the Vivos xPoint bunker complex, shown Oct. 4, 2024, near Igloo, S.D., indicates that most promised amenities have not been built and are still "coming soon," several years after the project launched. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch/ South Dakota News Watch) The new lawsuit was filed Sept. 16 on behalf of six people who leased bunkers in the complex, including two who live there and four others who live elsewhere but lease a bunker to be ready if needed. If class-action status is granted, as many as 150 bunker lessees would qualify for settlement money unless they specifically opt out, James said. He said that as word of a possible class-action case spread through the Vivos complex, he has already heard from more than 40 tenants interested in knowing more about it. ## Millions in remedies sought for tenants The lawsuit seeks a return of all money paid to Vivos by tenants, including the up-front lease fees ranging from $25,000 to $55,000 per tenant, the money tenants spent on improving the bunkers to make them habitable and the monthly common area amenity fees. It also calls for payment of attorney fees and possible punitive damages. After doing a rough calculation, James estimated Vivos could have to pay the tenants more than $17 million if the lawsuit is upheld, which would be in addition to any attorney fees or damages. If Vivos cannot pay, the lawsuit contends that the tenants would then be allowed to take ownership of the leased bunkers and land beneath them, James said. --- ***Read South Dakota News Watch's earlier coverage on Igloo:*** [SD bunker residents raise financial, safety concernsA former military munitions site with concrete bunkers now used as residences has become the source of numerous lawsuits.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-242.jpg)South Dakota News WatchBart Pfankuch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/2024-10-14-Bunker-wide-shot-with-road-1-4.JPG)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/igloo-south-dakota-prepper-bunker-vivos-xpoint/) [Move into SD bunker backfires on family seeking new lifeThe problems at the residential bunker complex south of Edgemont, uncovered in a recent News Watch investigation, have landed particularly hard on one family.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-243.jpg)South Dakota News WatchBart Pfankuch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/2024-12-7-Chris-Yellow-Thunder_David-Street-outside-home-1.JPG)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/bunker-community-igloo-south-dakota-vivos/) [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact* *Bart Pfankuch* at* [*bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### News Watch and Dakota Wesleyan again sponsor spelling bee URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/scripps-south-dakota-state-spelling-bee-2026/ Last updated: 2025-10-21T14:00:08.000Z South Dakota News Watch and Dakota Wesleyan University are again sponsoring the state spelling bee that will send a winner to the 2026 Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington. DWU will host the state competition Saturday, Feb. 7, at its campus in Mitchell. It will run identical to this year, with up to 40 elementary and middle school students chosen from local competitions. This is the second year News Watch and Dakota Wesleyan are the official sponsors of America’s longest-running educational competition. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/10/bee_main_blk_color-1.jpg) “We are thrilled to welcome the 2026 South Dakota State Scripps Spelling Bee to our campus once again," said Dakota Wesleyan University President Dan Kittle. "At DWU, we believe education and literacy are the foundation for opportunity, growth and lifelong success. This event celebrates the passion, dedication and brilliance of the youth in South Dakota, and we are honored to be the home where their talents shine.” The champion of the regional competition will represent South Dakota at the national competition in Washington in May. [Read the story on last year's state bee](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/scripps-national-spelling-bee-south-dakota-2025/) and [how the winner did at the national competition](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-scripps-national-spelling-bee-brookings-2025/). Each year, the bee reaches millions of students across the country and around the world with the classroom materials it provides schools enrolled in the yearlong program. Participation in regional bees also provides an opportunity for students to gain experience in public speaking, develop confidence and inspire a love of learning and connection with their peers. "Having a South Dakota speller compete with spellers from every other state brings their community's pride and perseverance to a national level while inspiring other young learners to aim high. We look forward to cheering on the students of South Dakota as they learn words to help define their lives, and to celebrating the South Dakota champion at our national competition next May," said Corrie Loeffler, Scripps National Spelling Bee executive director. --- *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact Carson Walker* at* [*carson.walker@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:carson.walker@sdnewswatch.org). ### Fact brief: Did South Dakota stop publishing pheasant population estimates? URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/fact-brief-south-dakota-ring-necked-pheasants/ Last updated: 2025-10-21T10:59:59.000Z ## Yes. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/WhiteFACT-BRIEF--500-x-200-px--2-1-1.png) The South Dakota Game Fish & Parks Department stopped publishing an estimate of the pheasant population ahead of the hunting season in 2019. The counts were conducted by state employees who would drive the same routes every year and count the number of pheasants they saw. That data would then be extrapolated to determine a population estimate, which would provide hunters an outlook on how plentify the birds were ahead of the hunting season. In a 2020 marketing plan, the state GF&P said the estimates were stopped “... to ensure that South Dakota is not unintentionally deterring hunters from coming to our state based on the media headlines reporting of low bird numbers.” The last pheasant estimate to be conducted by the state was in 2018, when 7.1 million pheasants were reported. The year before that, 4.6 million were reported. The 2025 season opened for non-residents on Oct. 18\. *This fact brief responds to conversations such as* [*this one.*](https://forum.ultimatepheasanthunting.com/threads/passing-through-sd%E2%80%A6pheasants-galore.26993/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) ### **Sources** Sioux Falls Argus Leader, [State ends pheasant brood survey, proposes extending hunting season](https://www.argusleader.com/story/news/politics/2020/08/03/south-dakota-ends-pheasant-brood-survey-proposes-extending-hunting-season/5549196002/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) SDPB, [Some traditional hunters feel sidelined by state's pheasant tourism efforts](https://www.sdpb.org/business-economics/2022-05-02/wild-pheasant-hunters-sidelined-south-dakota-tourism-effort?ref=sdnewswatch.org) South Dakota GF&P, [Ring-necked Pheasant Statistics for South Dakota](https://gfp.sd.gov/userdocs/docs/pheasant%5Ftable%5F19192023.pdf?ref=sdnewswatch.org) --- [South Dakota News Watch](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/) partners with [Gigafact](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) to publish fact briefs that refute or confirm a claim with supporting information and additional evidence and context. - [Read previous fact briefs](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/tag/fact-brief/). - Read our verification standards and other [best practices policies](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/best-practices/). - Submit a question for us to answer on the [South Dakota News Watch Tipline](https://gigafact.org/tipline/south-dakota-news-watch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). - Send questions or feedback to [factbrief@sdnewswatch.org](mailto:factbrief@sdnewswatch.org). [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact Michael Klinski* at michael.klinski@sdnewswatch.org.* ### Rhoden appoints new Corrections secretary URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-department-corrections-doc-new-prison-wasko/ Last updated: 2025-10-20T22:06:23.000Z PIERRE, S.D. – Gov. Larry Rhoden on Monday appointed an Iowa man with a lifetime of correctional leadership experience as the new South Dakota Department of Corrections secretary. Nick Lamb replaces Kellie Wasko, whose resignation became effective Monday. Lamb has 31 years of corrections experience, having served in the Illinois, New Mexico and Iowa DOC, where he currently serves as deputy director of institutional operations, according to the [governor's announcement](https://news.sd.gov/news?id=news%5Fkb%5Farticle%5Fview&sys%5Fid=79c76cdc4730f21022dc4080236d4342&ref=sdnewswatch.org). “I am honored and humbled to have been selected as the next secretary of corrections by Gov. Rhoden. I also want to thank outgoing Secretary Kellie Wasko for her many years of service to the state of South Dakota and for the positive changes she initiated during her tenure,” Nick Lamb said in the statement. Wasko tendered her resignation in the lead-up to the vote on a new prison in September, after 20 House members penned a letter critical of the DOC leadership. The same day Wasko resigned, South Dakota House Speaker Jon Hansen called for her to be fired in a [post on Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/hansenlems2026/posts/pfbid02c2pezpusn1wuGh6xQwHUkQnyf5MgfdLjgCLw2QamHD952EkpLdN3fHXsx3LGs6hzl). The measure authorizing the building of the $650 million prison in Sioux Falls narrowly passed, and Wasko’s resignation might have helped gain support from the House members critical of her leadership. ## ****Get South Dakota stories** An email summary on most weekdays that links to the full version. Cancel anytime. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. Opponents of the bill argued, among other things, that the state needed to address problems in the DOC before embarking on a major construction project. Unless the problems are addressed, the DOC will just transfer the same problems to a new facility, undermining its benefits. Other former employees, including one who was warden, said the current state of DOC operations is abysmal and the DOC leadership is to blame. Others defend the Wasko administration and said she’s being treated unfairly. The DOC disputes the employees’ claims and argues improvements are continuing. Wasko wrote earlier this year that the hard-line approaches of the past don't work and the department needed to be reformed. ## New correctional officers ‘fed to the wolves’ Jacob Gale spent a year as a correctional officer for the South Dakota Department of Corrections, working mostly at the Jameson Annex in Sioux Falls, a maximum-security facility. He thought working in the prisons would provide a promising career. Instead, he encountered inadequate training, safety issues and a lack of support from his superiors, Gale told News Watch. He also said he was retaliated against when he spoke about the problems he saw, such as rampant drug use. “It was like a pharmacy up there,” said Gale, who resigned from the DOC in September. Gale said that his training to become a correctional officer lasted three weeks. He then spent three days with a correctional officer at the prison — what’s called “live time” — before he was working on the prison floor by himself. “Three days, and then you’re just kind of fed to the wolves,” Gale said. One day he was escorting an inmate from the showers back to his cell. Another inmate “jumped his cuffs,” meaning he slipped his hands out of them. The attacker then punched Gale in the head 10 to 15 times, he said. “I got a pretty nasty scar on my head,” Gale said. He said it was a random, unprovoked attack. Besides the scar, Gale said he experienced post-traumatic stress disorder afterward. “I couldn't sleep for like three days. All I kept thinking about was the (shower) door that opened,” he said. ## Correctional officer claims he faced retaliation for complaints Gale asked for counseling, and the DOC granted him three free counseling sessions, which wasn’t enough. Correctional officers get little support for their problems from their superiors, he said. Besides the lack of counseling following the attack, Gale said he communicated other issues, such as the regular use of methamphetamine, pills and a synthetic chemical called K2\. He said he could often smell the drugs when he was walking the tiers. There was so much of it that officers were overwhelmed. “I would confiscate it, do the evidence bags and turn it in. And it might get dealt with in six months when they have time to look at it,” Gale said. The Division of Criminal Investigations has dealt with five suspected overdose deaths in the prison this year, according to the Attorney General's Office. As a result of those deaths, two defendants are scheduled to stand trial in January and another case is pending. Two more cases are still under investigation. The cases under investigation include an inmate, Kaleb Lukkes, who was found unresponsive in his cell on Sept. 23\. ## ****Get South Dakota stories** An email summary on most weekdays that links to the full version. Cancel anytime. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. Gale said his complaints resulted in retaliation. He was written up on a number of occasions and even received a two-day suspension. He appealed the suspension with the human resources department and didn’t receive a response for a month. By that time he didn’t want to deal with it anymore, he said. Gale said he also tried to appeal the other infractions he was written up for but couldn’t get anyone to look at body camera footage or other evidence that would dispute the infraction. Another former correctional officer who didn’t want to be named corroborated many of the details Gale provided on the problems officers face working in South Dakota’s prisons. There is a lot of drug use, and the DOC cares little about officers on the floor, he said. ## Former warden blames Wasko Doug Weber, former chief warden and interim secretary for the DOC, told News Watch he’s heard similar stories from current correctional officers he’s spoken with. He blames Wasko’s leadership. Weber had a 32-year career in the Department of Corrections, working his way up the ladder from correctional officer. Under the Wasko administration, the situation in the state’s prisons significantly deteriorated, he said. “They’re much worse than I, who worked in the business for 32 years, could have imagined possible,” Weber said. Weber is critical of Wasko’s decision to end “insolence” infractions. He said this led to a loss of control over the inmates. Allowing prisoners to be disrespectful to staff is like allowing high school students to be irreverent to teachers or administrators. It’s going to encourage the bad apples to push further, he said. ![Doug Weber stands outside the South Dakota State Penitentiary in northern Sioux Falls on Feb. 13, 2025. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/10/2025-2-13-Doug-Weber-1-1.jpg) Doug Weber stands outside the South Dakota State Penitentiary in northern Sioux Falls on Feb. 13, 2025\. The former chief warden has been a public opponent of building a new men's prison in rural Lincoln County. (Photo: Stu Whitney / South Dakota News Watch) “Under my watch, if an officer told an inmate it's time to go lock up in your cell, the inmate did that. And if they didn't, there would be consequences,” Weber said. He said not all inmates are going to be doing drugs, getting into fights and attacking officers. Most of them just want to keep quiet and serve their time. But there’s a small number that want to cause problems. And where they see a relaxing of the rules, they see an opportunity. “Wasco has turned the prison over to the inmates,” Weber said. By many metrics — including staff misconduct, inmate fatalities and overdoses — South Dakota prisons are worse than when Wasko took the helm in February 2022, he said. According to DOC news releases, deaths in the South Dakota prisons averaged 11 per calendar year since former Gov. Kristi Noem appointed Wasko. This calendar year, there have been 19 so far. ## Wasko: critics are ‘behind the times’ In an [op-ed in The Dakota Scout](https://www.thedakotascout.com/p/counterpoint-weve-made-south-dakota?ref=sdnewswatch.org) in June, Wasko defended the policy ending punishment for insolence, arguing that the previous administrations were throwing prisoners into solitary confinement for swearing at corrections officers. She compared this to giving life sentences to shoplifters and wrote that solitary confinement “dehumanizes.” The change in policy is part of a rehabilitation-focused approach to corrections. Those who oppose relaxing this policy are “behind the times,” she wrote. The DOC also disputed Weber’s and Gale’s claims. > “The Department of Corrections takes all threats to the health and safety of inmates and staff seriously.” – DOC Inmates caught with drugs are removed from the population, placed under investigation and processed accordingly through the Division of Criminal Investigation. This was not the case in the past, including during Weber’s tenure, when the warden determined what to submit to law enforcement, according to the DOC. [With prison approved, attention turns to recidivismWhile the $650 million project was a contentious issue among legislators, the need to help repeat offenders received a lot of agreement.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-246.jpg)South Dakota News WatchKevin Killough![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/SDStatePen-1.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-mens-prison-recidivism-treatment/) “The Department of Corrections takes all threats to the health and safety of inmates and staff seriously,” the DOC told News Watch. Staff entering the DOC receive four weeks of training, where they learn “self-defense techniques, the dynamics of incarcerated offenders, use of less lethal techniques, and numerous other proprietary courses that prepare them to work in a prison, which is an inherently dangerous environment,” according to the DOC. Security staff vacancies have dropped from over 30% a few years ago to a 3%-6% vacancy rate today, the DOC said. The DOC said that it has a zero-tolerance policy for retaliation of any staff, visitor or inmate reporting information to the administration. Any staff member has multiple agencies to reach out to, and claims of retaliation “misrepresent the way all of state government works and the multiple ways employees are protected,” the DOC said. Under Wasko’s tenure, the DOC has stepped up investigations of illegal activity in the prisons, which have uncovered drug smuggling, gang activities and corruption among some staff. The department also wrote up 724 “insolence” incidents last year, so it continues to discipline those infractions. The DOC pointed out that of the 19 deaths in the past fiscal year, 15 of those were by natural causes. And while the total number of offender deaths increased, the percentage of deaths as a share of the total prison population hasn’t changed dramatically under Wasko’s leadership. ## Restorative justice Sen. Jim Mehlhaff, R-Pierre, has been a defender of Wasko. Her critics have treated her unfairly, he told News Watch. As for the metrics that show worsening outcomes during her time at the DOC, “correlation doesn’t equal causation,” he said. Wasko tried to implement restorative justice, and these policies take time to bear fruit, Mehlhaff said. During the time she was at the helm, inmates read about the negative comments from lawmakers as well as the reports of deaths and violence in the prison. This “firestorm” in the media could be what’s causing the increase in violence, he said. ![Former Secretary of the Department of Corrections, Kellie Wasko.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/10/KellieWasko.png) Former Secretary of the Department of Corrections, Kellie Wasko. (Photo: Sioux Falls Argus Leader) The new prison, which Mehlhaff voted for, will expand programmatic space to reduce recidivism and improve behavior among the inmates, he said. While Gale, the former correctional officer, is critical of the DOC leadership, he’s supportive of restorative justice policies. High turnover, which he blamed on low morale, is bringing in younger officers who don’t know how to get respect from the inmates, he said. “I treated them (the inmates) like men. I tried to help them get through the night. And I’d say that’s one of the biggest problems with corrections. It’s a lot of younger kids that come in and they say, ‘Hey, I’m in charge. You listen to me.’ And that’s not how you go about getting respect from people,” Gale said. ## Lessons from Utah’s new prison Weber, the former chief warden, warns that a new prison won’t fix problems in the DOC operations. He points to the experience in Utah, which spent over $1 billion on a new prison that opened in July 2022\. A string of assaults at the new prison in 2023 prompted Utah Gov. Spencer Cox to launch an investigation, and these problems existed before the new prison, [KUTV 2News](https://kutv.com/news/local/utah-governor-spencer-cox-state-prison-correctional-facility-salt-lake-city-assaults-officers-antelope-unit-department-of-corrections-brad-wilson-stuart-adams-legislature?ref=sdnewswatch.org) reported. Experts told the Utah news outlet that the cause of the assaults was chronic understaffing, mandatory overtime and a policy that had probation and parole officers taking shifts at the new prison. It's not known if Lamb, the new Corrections secretary, will continue Wasko's policies or make significant changes, but Rhoden's announcement says Lamb will "ensure strong implementation of rehabilitation services that will reduce recidivism and keep our communities safe." [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact statehouse investigative reporter Kevin Killough* at* [*kevin.killough@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:kevin.killough@sdnewswatch.org). ### Calving goes high tech URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/high-tech-calving-cameras-south-dakota-agriculture/ Last updated: 2025-10-18T23:18:04.000Z **Editor's note:* This story originally published in June 2025 has been updated at the end.* MITCHELL, S.D. – The snow’s blowing sideways, the heavy stuff. It’s one of the few winter storms this year and it happens to fall on the first days of March, calving season. I arrive at Steve Easton’s farm in Hanson County in southeastern South Dakota, prepared, wearing long underwear, snow pants, ski mask. What I was not prepared for was finding Steve, in a T-shirt and jeans sitting at his kitchen table. “You look like you’re dressed for bad weather,” Steve smiles. He has no plans to go outside today. And he doesn’t need to. From where he sits, he has a crystal-clear view of those cows that are close to labor on a TV divided into eight smaller screens, one for each camera. ![Steve Easton checks on his pregnant cows using a camera system in rural Hanson County, ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/05/20250304_101228-1.jpg) Steve Easton checks on his pregnant cows using a camera system in rural Hanson County, S.D., on March 4, 2025\. (Photo: Megan Luther/ South Dakota News Watch) One screen shows a cow standing, sometimes slightly swaying looking uncomfortable. Is she due soon? Steve pulls out his smartphone and opens an app connected to the cameras. “On the phone, you can actually enlarge it.” He zooms in on the ear tag. The number confirms she’s the one that’s due any day now. I was shocked: “That is insane.” The last brush I had with calving was in the early ‘90s at a friend’s ranch, where every two hours they rode a four-wheeler through the pasture to check on cows. ## Record low cattle numbers I had intended to write about hard-working, down-to-earth South Dakotans. Lately, any national news about our state dealt with politics. South Dakota’s more than that. It’s calving season, so I searched for a rancher. But Steve’s calving cameras blew me away — and led me on another journey to understand how science and technology have made calving more efficient. Read: saving money. The number of cattle in the U.S. today is at a record low, numbers not seen since 1951, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Over the years, historic drought conditions left little food for cows in the pasture and forced producers to sell their herds. [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/05/donate-3.jpg)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate?ref=sdnewswatch.org) In 2024, Americans ate around 59 pounds of beef on average, up from the year before, according to the USDA. Short supply and strong demand mean a higher price. Add a recent temporary ban on importing beef from Mexico due to a parasite and USDA estimates that beef prices will hit new highs in 2026. Ranchers are looking for efficiency: How to consistently produce the best beef that consumers want. In South Dakota, it’s big business with four times as many cattle as humans. The cost of raising cattle for beef is an investment. Depending on feed costs and operation size, producers can spend hundreds to thousands raising a single animal before it goes to slaughter, confirms Erin DeHaan,South Dakota State University professor and extension beef specialist. Too expensive to just cross their fingers and pray that it all works out. ## A family affair Easton calves part-time. In search of a larger, full-time calving operation, I traveled just 10 miles from the North Dakota border near Leola to a fourth-generation ranch with around 1,000 head of cattle. Turning off the gravel road, I pass under a 16-foot tall wooden archway with a large sign “Erdmann Ranch” hanging from the top. A red tractor-trailer is backed up to the cattle corral. A handful of Erdmann family members are loading up their Black Angus heifers — each weighing around 1,100 pounds. These are year-old cows that have yet to get pregnant. “Hupt! Here we go girls,” commands the matriarch, Anne Jo Erdmann. Anne pronounced Annie, or just call her AJ. “One of my boys gives me crap. He goes, ‘Mom, you're a 56-year-old grandma. You don't need to use initials anymore.’” But AJ is easier than people repeatedly misspelling Anne Jo. She’s easy to spot with her purple snow pants and hot pink hoodie poking through her winter coat. She’s joined by her son, husband, his brother, nephew and his wife. They use various commands to get the heifers to move. “Haaww!” “Let’s go ladies.” There’s a lot of whistling and counting. They need to fit 58 on this load. The heifers stomp and moo in protest. The Erdmanns use a cattle prod and paddle to get them moving as they funnel through, single file, up the ramp and into the back of the two-story trailer. ![Anne Jo Erdmann, far right, stands with her family after loading heifers onto a tractor-trailer near Leola, S.D.,](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/05/20250426_104819-1.jpg) Anne Jo Erdmann, far right, stands with her family after loading heifers onto a tractor-trailer near Leola, S.D., on April 26, 2025\. (Photo: Megan Luther/ South Dakota News Watch) In the corral, Anne Jo endearingly calls out “Hey, Lovey.” Does she call all heifers by that name? No – Lovey, or No. 463, is special. She looks the same as the others with her jet-black hide. But Lovey’s calm demeanor makes her stand out as they are loaded onto the tractor-trailer. Lovey came from a very planned pregnancy, an investment aided by technology that started before she was even a twinkle in a bull’s eye. ## The other AI Whether Lovey’s life will be a success has been tested for generations by trial and error. “We're kind of rigorous. We're kind of picky,” says Anne Jo. The Erdmanns prefer cows with structurally correct feet and legs, features that indicate a long lifespan. Angus can live up to 10-15 years. They want cows with nice round udders and good teeth and temperament, indicators of being a nurturing mama. All those features are held by another cow, Queen of Wetonka, named after the tiny town of 16, south of Leola. When a cow has a name, she’s a prize, a nice pet deserving of special treatment. [Trump’s tariffs: South Dakota farmers prepare for impactUncertainty surrounding American trade policies could rattle an already fragile agricultural outlook.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-120.jpg)South Dakota News WatchStu Whitney![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1484759288640-783b22c95d54-1)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/president-trump-agriculture-tarriffs-south-dakota/) Queen of Wetonka has been with the Erdmanns for years and already had birthed three calves by 2023 when they were ready to breed her again. They will use the other AI — artificial insemination. But first they have to choose a bull. ## The bull: By the numbers It’s a family research effort. Anne Jo, her husband, Dan, their son, Royce, and his Uncle Joe all flip through glossy magazines with high-quality profile photos of bulls, complete with bios and stats. Like a dating profile but with more accurate information. They search online profiles and talk to other ranchers about their favorite bulls. Anne Jo is also a sperm dealer. She sells and delivers straws of bull semen to customers. She got an alert about a young bull out of Montana named Spectrum. “We liked his numbers. We liked his pedigree,” Anne Jo says. One look at his profile page and you can see why. His photo, taken by a professional photographer, shows a side profile of pure black Spectrum standing in fresh hay. This literal stud was born on Valentine’s Day in 2020. ![Spectrum the bull](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/05/Spectrum-1.jpg) This picture of Spectrum from Sitz Angus Ranch in Montana accompanies his profile with his statistics for those shopping for semen on Genex's website. (Submitted photo: Kate Roberts) His bio speaks for itself: “He is the perfect combination of Cow Sense & Science and will raise the bar for nearly every measurable trait.” Below Spectrum’s auspicious birthday is his scrotal circumference: 40 cm, or about 16 inches. The science behind the size shows positive correlation with his daughters maturing early and allowing them to become pregnant sooner. And typically, the bigger the size, the greater the sperm count, which increases the likelihood of pregnancy. But there is such a thing as too big. It’s a sign of an injury or a growth, both red flags for fertility. ## ****Get South Dakota stories** Sign up for an email summary on most weekdays that links to the full story. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. If you click on Spectrum’s extended online profile, more than 100 different numbers pop up. The stats show everything from his offsprings’ average birth weight to how his daughters perform as first-time moms to the marbling score of his offsprings’ beef. It also shows the accuracy of those stats: The more offspring, the greater likelihood a future calf will follow Spectrum results. He’s fathered more than a thousand. While those stats configure into Erdmann’s decision, what matters most is temperament. “We don't want anything that's got any kind of a wonky, snarky temperament,” says Anne Jo. And there’s a stat for that. Spectrum’s docile score shows his offspring are more calm compared to others. ## Diversify to increase success But numbers aren’t everything. Both Anne Jo and Steve Easton tell me some producers have been known to fudge their stats, hiking up the value of their bulls. “That's why we don't hop in, hog wild, and breed all of our heifers to just one brand new bull. We've seen the next ‘Wonder Bull’ umpteen times,” Anne Jo says. The Erdmanns diversify, choosing multiple bulls’ semen. Beyond the numbers, they also do their own social networking: asking around and finding out how offspring behaved for other ranchers. Spectrum fit the bull bill, so the Erdmanns purchased several straws of his semen and inseminated around 20 cows, including Queen of Wetonka in 2023. To check for a viable pregnancy, they hire a traveling veterinarian from Missouri. With a portable ultrasound machine, he takes just seconds to check if a cow is expecting. The ultrasound image projects on special eye glasses he wears, saving time and effort lugging around a screen. Spectrum’s semen took and the Queen is indeed pregnant and will be for nine months. When Queen is close to giving birth, she’s moved into one of the barns with cameras to watch over her labor. ## Cameras were a game-changer This technology was a turning point on the Erdmann ranch. Royce, representing the fourth and youngest generation, tried for years to persuade his dad to add cameras to the farming operation. “Nope. We don’t need it,” Royce remembers Dan’s repeated reply. Royce, a board member on the South Dakota Angus Association, heard from other ranchers loving their cameras, wishing they'd installed them sooner. So Royce called the company himself and ordered a camera system at his own expense. “They installed it. And he said it was stupid,” Royce says. It didn’t take long for his dad to jump on board. The cameras mean freedom. Now they can run into town and still check the status of calving on their smartphones, which they can also do from the comfort of bed. It also allows pregnant cows to labor in peace, without disruption. The technology also saves lives, Steve Easton attests. The eight cameras, which cost him around $2,500, enables him to quickly spot a calf in trouble, such as having its cord wrapped around the neck, being born in the gestational sac or rejected by its mama. “So if you save one calf, it pays for itself in a year,” Steve says. But there’s something worth even more than money. “Our time is so valuable, and I don't think many of us put a dollar value to our time or even to our health, to tell you the truth,” says Robin Salverson, a cow/calf field specialist with South Dakota State University Extension. ## No. 463 Queen of Wetonka, a veteran mama, had an uneventful labor and gave birth to a healthy female calf, No. 463, on March 6, 2024\. Anne Jo rattles off the calf's numbers like it’s her own Social Security number. A true heir of her parents, this calf appears to be calm. In every herd, the Erdmanns take two heifers with nice temperaments they can easily break. The nice ones tend to lead the herd and make it easier to corral them. The chosen ones are brought to fairs to be shown. Calf No. 463 shows promise. “She's just so appreciative of being scratched and brushed and washed and loved. And so we just named her Lovey,” Anne Jo says. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/05/lovey.jpg) Anne Jo Erdmann's daughter Brianna Schwarzrock gets ready to show Lovey at the South Dakota State Fair in Huron, S.D. in August 2024\. (Submitted photo: Erdmann family) Lovey’s a pet, a sweetheart, who loves to lick. “She licks your jeans. She'll lick your arm.” And she shows well, placing second in her class, reserve calf champ at the South Dakota State Fair in Huron. But any rancher’s goal is to turn a heifer into a cow that successfully carries a healthy calf. And once they reach a year old, heifers are ready to be bred. ## Helping nature along The weather is starting to turn on the Erdmann ranch, the April winds picking up and it’s starting to spit. The Erdmanns are on their last load and have a herd in the cattle corral. Lovey’s easy for Anne Jo to spot. While they all look alike, completely black, Anne Jo knows her prized pet. Lovey’s the one with kind, hazel eyes that wiggles her way up to the front of the herd. With Lovey and the other heifers loaded, the tractor-trailer heads 25 miles south to her mother’s namesake, Wetonka, the south ranch. There Lovey shares 80 acres of pasture with 39 other heifers. [Renewable energy industry powers new job growth in SDWith new wind farms leading the way, South Dakota and its strong technical college system have put the state on the forefront of training needed energy workers.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-121.jpg)South Dakota News WatchBart Pfankuch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/2025-4-8-Wind-towers-along-interstate-1.jpeg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/renewable-energy-wind-power-electricity-south-dakota/) By mid-May, Lovey and the other heifers in the herd are ovulating. On a Friday, the Erdmanns remove their intrauterine device, or IUD, birth control and give each one a hormone shot to get their cycles in sync. Just days later, on a rainy and cold Monday, the Erdmann family gathers to insert straws of semen into the heifers one by one. Anne Jo also discovers her purple snow pants aren’t waterproof. “I got wet all the way down to the skin. Man, we were so cold on Monday.” Lovey is inseminated with a new bull Erdmanns want to test out. A young guy named Grindstone from North Platte, Nebraska. Three weeks later, they'll release the cleanup bulls into the pasture to impregnate any heifer whose AI didn’t take. When the veterinarian does ultrasounds in August, he can usually spot the typical 2-pound difference between an AI calf and a cleanup calf conceived three weeks later, which helps identify the father. ## Cows must carry their weight If Lovey’s pregnant and all goes well, with her easy temperament and natural maternal instincts, she can reasonably stay on the Erdmann ranch for years as a breeder. “So hopefully, she's able to level up and accept the challenge that we set in front of her,” Anne Jo says. They are picky. You have to be when your livelihood is on the line. If Lovey isn’t pregnant, "she goes to town," sold for slaughter. They’ve done it before. There was Barbara. “Barbara was the nicest heifer. Just loved her,” Anne Jo says. You can hear a little sadness in her voice. But ranching is a business. “And that's where tough love comes into play,” she says. “Why would you keep a heifer that's not paying her way? Do you want those kind of genetics kept in your herd?” Lovey alive is more valuable to the Erdmanns. She helps lead the herd and could possibly produce several calm offspring like herself. But if this pregnancy doesn’t take, prices are high for beef this year and are expected to continue to climb in 2026\. But just like any market, there’s uncertainty. “We don't have crystal balls. We pray a lot,” Anne Jo says. And that’s something technology just can’t do. **Editor's note, Oct. 17, 2025:* Lovey and her mother, Queen of Wetonka, are both pregnant. They are back home grazing at the Erdmann Ranch. Queen is due in March and Lovey is expected to give birth in April.* [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact Megan Luther* at* [*megan.luther@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:megan.luther@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Fact brief: Is South Dakota home to the tallest grain elevator mural in the country? URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/fact-brief-faulkton-grain-elevator-mural/ Last updated: 2025-10-16T02:51:31.000Z ## No. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/WhiteFACT-BRIEF--500-x-200-px--2-1-1.png) Faulkton’s 110-foot tall grain elevator mural is the tallest in South Dakota, but a 135-foot tall mural in Toledo, Ohio, is the largest in the country. The South Dakota town of about 800 people in the north-central part of the state commissioned Australian Guido van Helten to paint the mural in 2018\. It came to be after another Australian who lived in Faulkton showed town leaders the murals van Helten – his friend – had completed. The mural, which took two years to complete from idea to execution, features a girl and a boy exchanging a cowboy hat across three sides of the elevator. It is among the largest in the country. The Toledo grain storage mural is the biggest in the country. It spans 170,000 square feet — 100,000 square feet more than the next biggest mural — and features sunflowers and Native American portraits. *This fact brief responds to conversations such as* [*this one.*](https://www.reddit.com/r/SouthDakota/comments/f6v2hi/small%5Ftowns%5Fwhatchu%5Fgot/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) ### **Sources** Tri-State Neighbor, [A grand canvas](https://agupdate.com/tristateneighbor/news/article%5F61f757ae-b5ba-11e8-b988-7bc91c145c58.html?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Great Lakes Seaway Review, [Art project at Toledo port to be the biggest mural in the U.S.](https://seawayreview.com/the-beauty-of-grain-silos-art-project-at-toledo-port-to-be-the-biggest-mural-in-the-u-s/?ref=sdnewswatch.org#:~:text=The%20mural%20features:%20%2A%20A%20field%20of,Toledo%20%2A%20Other%20local%20businesses%20and%20individuals) Data Commons, [Faulkton demographics](https://datacommons.org/place/geoId/4621260?ref=sdnewswatch.org) --- [South Dakota News Watch](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/) partners with [Gigafact](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) to publish fact briefs that refute or confirm a claim with supporting information and additional evidence and context. - [Read previous fact briefs](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/tag/fact-brief/). - Read our verification standards and other [best practices policies](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/best-practices/). - Submit a question for us to answer on the [South Dakota News Watch Tipline](https://gigafact.org/tipline/south-dakota-news-watch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). - Send questions or feedback to [factbrief@sdnewswatch.org](mailto:factbrief@sdnewswatch.org). [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact Michael Klinski* at michael.klinski@sdnewswatch.org.* ### Pheasant season begins Saturday with big numbers expected URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-pheasant-hunting-tourism-population/ Last updated: 2025-10-15T13:22:37.000Z This year’s pheasant season has some big shoes to fill, and the South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks Department says it just might. The pheasant season, which runs from Oct. 18 to Jan. 31, depends largely on the brooding season for the birds, which happens in spring and early summer, Nick Harrington, spokesman for GFP, told News Watch. Last year's season saw the most birds harvested in a decade, according to GFP's Upland Outlook. Other popular small game, like prairie grouse, had their highest numbers in 25 years. More birds were harvested in South Dakota over two weeks of October 2024 than in any other state’s entire season. ## ****Get South Dakota stories** An email summary on most weekdays that links to the full version. Cancel anytime. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. Numbers have been steadily increasing since 2017, Harrington said. “We had that mild winter, so we know there were a lot of birds left on the landscape. When you have those tough winters, that's when we aren't set up just as perfectly,” Harrington said. “Now, pheasants can rebound really well. You get yourself an ideal spring and ideal summer, you'll still have a great fall that year, but with that mild winter we enjoyed last year and the perfect spring and summer this year, that's why that optimism is so high with us.” [2025 Upland OutlookSouth Dakota Game, Fish and Parks' upland outlook for the 2025-26 hunting season.uplandoutlook\_2025.pdf3 MBdownload-circle](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/content/files/2025/10/uplandoutlook%5F2025.pdf "Download") ## Hunting season may defy low 2025 tourism numbers Across the state, where relatively low summer tourism numbers have some business owners and community members concerned, hunting season may be a hopeful reprieve for some rural counties. Last year, spending from hunters totaled over $100 million across the state, with Brown and Beadle counties as the highest earners. Marshall Springer from Buffalo Butte Ranch in Gregory County said that numbers are already promising for the 2025-26 season. Buffalo Butte Ranch is a hunting preserve, which means that hunters have been out since early September when their season began. [Slow year for South Dakota tourism industry so far in 2025“Inflation, unrest about the economy, we saw that nationally and in this state as well, so everyone is seeing the same sort of funk,” said Tourism secretary Jim Hagen![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-239.jpg)South Dakota News WatchBart Pfankuch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/2025-6-23-Wall-Drug-soda-fountain-1-2.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-tourism-numbers-canada-travel-season-trump/) “Our season is booked full. It has been for a while. We have all of our deposits in and we do probably 95% repeat business. It's a good season for hunting this year. I was a little skeptical with the economy, what it's going to be like. But it's strong,” Springer told News Watch. Harrington said that while there's never any guarantee that a season will be successful, the economical nature of hunting trips can encourage travelers from neighboring states to visit for an inexpensive vacation option. “When it comes to prioritization of travel, many hunting trips and fishing trips do make the top of the list,” Harrington said. “Hunting can be a pretty inexpensive trip. If you're within driving distance and you see good bird numbers, you want to come up for a weekend, you're willing to stay at some of these local hotels that are probably a little bit more budget friendly. It doesn't necessarily have to be a tremendous expenditure.” ![A pheasant flies through the air in South Dakota. (Photo: Dean Pearson)](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/10/PheasantDeanPearson--1---1-.jpg) A pheasant flies through the air in South Dakota. (Photo: Dean Pearson) Last year more than 140,000 hunters spent time in South Dakota and averaged about nine birds per hunter, which Harrington said is a good sign that visitors are still getting a good yield year after year. "That number itself has held pretty true the last handful of years, too, so it's been nice to see the hunter numbers increase, but the bird numbers increase, too," Harrington said. ## Spending benefits rural counties and small towns The vast majority of pheasant hunting takes place east of the Missouri River in less-populated counties. Far from major population centers like Sioux Falls and Rapid City, rural corners of the state experience tourism that rivals that of its urban neighbors. [Southeast SD surges ahead of Black Hills in tourism revenueSouth Dakota saw $4.96 billion in tourism spending in 2023, with 14.7 million visitors. Increasingly, more of them are drawn to the 14 counties in and around Sioux Falls.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-240.jpg)South Dakota News WatchBart Pfankuch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/Falls-Park-tourists-photo-2-1.JPG)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-black-hills-sioux-falls-tourism-numbers/) In Redfield, pheasant season is nearly a five month-long guarantee that the county will see millions of dollars in spending and that hotels and restaurants will fill up. In Spink County, where Redfield is located, hunters spent $11 million during the 2024-25 season, with $7.5 million of that from non-residents. "It trickles down to every aspect of the community. When you think about the sporting goods stores, when you think about the restaurants, the convenience stores. Literally everybody opens their arms to the hunters that want to come to South Dakota and hunt," said Kim Leonhardt, director of the Redfield Chamber of Commerce. The town has fully embraced its hunting identity, recently installing a mural, photo opportunities and digital signs that welcome hunters to the area. "(Opening weekend) is like a hunter's homecoming and everybody's just excited. It's like Christmas morning," Leonhardt said. "As it gets closer, every dash on every truck that drives by, you see orange." ****Support stories about rural South Dakota with a tax-deductible donation.** [Donate ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/reportforamerica/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) When the hunters fade from the fields, the pheasant endures, she said. "Not only is it big during pheasant season, but our school mascot is the pheasant, it's on our water tower. It's so important in our community. The pheasant ties everything together," Leonhardt said. [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email) *for statewide stories. Investigative reporter *Molly Wetsch* is a* [*Report for America*](https://www.reportforamerica.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *corps member covering rural and Indigenous issues. Contact her at* [*molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Fact brief: Are hunters bagging more pheasants in SD the past 10 years? URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/gigafact-fact-brief-south-dakota-pheasant-season-population/ Last updated: 2025-10-14T11:00:34.000Z ## Yes. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/WhiteFACT-BRIEF--500-x-200-px--2-1-1.png) The number of pheasants harvested by resident and non-resident hunters in South Dakota has increased gradually since 2017. More than 1.3 million pheasants were bagged by hunters in 2024, the highest since 2012, when hunters collected more than 1.4 million. After three straight years of hunters collecting fewer than 1 million pheasants from 2017-2019, South Dakota saw five straight years of more than 1 million harvested from 2020-2024 The state remains the best in the nation for pheasant hunting, with hunters harvesting more roosters in two weeks of October than any other state during the entire season. Non-residents are allowed to bag three pheasants per day, for a total of 15\. Hunters have collected an average of about nine pheasants per season since 2022. While the number of pheasants harvested is increasing, it still lags behind the first decade of 2000, when numbers frequently exceeded 1.5 million. *This fact brief responds to conversations such as* [*this one.*](https://www.reddit.com/r/PheasantHunting/comments/1ie3h8p/question%5Fabout%5Flimits/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) ### **Sources** South Dakota GF&P, [Ring-necked Pheasant Statistics for South Dakota](https://gfp.sd.gov/userdocs/docs/pheasant%5Ftable%5F19192023.pdf?ref=sdnewswatch.org) South Dakota GF&P, [2024 pheasant season harvest highest in over a decade](https://gfp.sd.gov/news/detail/1634/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) HuntingLocator.com, [South Dakota pheasant hunting guide for 2025-2026](https://huntinglocator.com/blog/south-dakota-pheasant-hunting/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) --- [South Dakota News Watch](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/) partners with [Gigafact](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) to publish fact briefs that refute or confirm a claim with supporting information and additional evidence and context. - [Read previous fact briefs](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/tag/fact-brief/). - Read our verification standards and other [best practices policies](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/best-practices/). - Submit a question for us to answer on the [South Dakota News Watch Tipline](https://gigafact.org/tipline/south-dakota-news-watch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). - Send questions or feedback to [factbrief@sdnewswatch.org](mailto:factbrief@sdnewswatch.org). *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact Michael Klinski* at michael.klinski@sdnewswatch.org.* ### Chamberlain gives away land to spur new housing development URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/chamberlain-south-dakota-land-giveaway-missouri-river/ Last updated: 2026-02-26T22:18:50.000Z CHAMBERLAIN, S.D. – This picturesque city on the shore of the Missouri River is so eager to encourage development of new housing that it bought a tract of land and is giving away lots to anyone who promises to build a home. The free lots, awarded to individuals or developers through a lottery system, are located in a subdivision where the city has used taxpayer money to build streets and install sewer and water lines to further jump-start construction. The effort to use municipal funds and resources to spur growth in Chamberlain is seen as the only way to create significant new housing in a city of about 2,500 people known more for walleye fishing and bird hunting than for commerce or industry. "We said it for a long time in Chamberlain, that as a community, you're either growing or you're dying, and there's no in between," said Greg Powell, who spent 25 years as city engineer and led a previous city housing project before retiring in 2021. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/10/Engage-SD-small-logo-1.png) In recent years, Chamberlain has seen development of very few new homes and has been losing some family housing to conversion of existing properties into short-term rentals, said Sheena Larsen, executive director of the Lake Francis Case Development Corp. The city has several apartment buildings, but all have waiting lists for occupancy, Larsen said. The overall lack of housing – a common problem in small South Dakota cities and towns – is holding back growth by limiting options for new residents and employers, she said. "With the school or the hospital, anytime they need employees, the biggest thing is trying to find a place for them to live," Larsen said. "A lot of times, they take the job and can’t find a place to live, so they have to turn it down." ****ABOUT ENGAGE SOUTH DAKOTA** This story is part of an ongoing South Dakota News Watch series called Engage South Dakota using storytelling, crowdsourcing and community engagement to identify and share potentially replicable housing solutions. Each story includes the community's ****response**, ****insights** to be learned, ****evidence** of whether the ideas are effective and ****limitations** on the efforts. ****Key takeaway for this story:** Municipalities in South Dakota cannot wait for private developers to create new housing and must be innovative and may need to invest taxpayer money in order to solve the problem. [****Read about other South Dakota housing solutions**](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/engage-south-dakota-housing-rent-own-solutions-journalism). ## Response: City goes all-in on housing The land giveaway is part of a municipal subdivision development project that began in 2018 when the city spent $900,000 to buy a 60-acre tract south of downtown and east of Interstate 90, said city administrator Clint Soulek. The property was divided into 30 housing lots, one multi-family lot for apartments and 11 commercial lots for businesses, he said. ![Chamberlain, S.D., city administrator Clink Soulek, shown at city hall on Sept. 23, 2025,](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/10/2025-9-23-Chamberlain-city-manager.jpg) Chamberlain, S.D., city administrator Clink Soulek, shown at city hall on Sept. 23, 2025, said giving away land for housing speeds up the development process. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch/ South Dakota News Watch) Not long after buying the land, the city gave away 11 buildable housing lots through a computerized lottery system to applicants who met financial parameters and promised to begin building within 18 months, said Soulek, who was on the city council at the time. The city created a tax-increment financing district, then spent about $2 million in taxpayer money and another $2 million in state and federal grants to hire contractors to build roads and curb and gutter and to extend sewer and water systems to the neighborhood, he said. "With the free lots, it entices people to get things moving quicker," Soulek said. "Without this, I don't think there's any way we can grow." [Citizens’ fight highlights tax increment financing district debateAnswers to a residents’ question about a TIF in Mitchell highlights concerns about if tax increment financing districts are being done correctly.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-234.jpg)South Dakota News WatchKevin Killough![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/MitchellTIF-3.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/tax-increment-financing-district-explanation-sd-tif/) Since the lottery, seven homes have been built in the subdivision, known as the Smokey Groves Addition, after a historical name for the area. Of those, four houses have gone to families who are new to the area, Soulek said. Recipients of the lots have contracted with builders to construct the homes, which have ranged in price from $330,000 to $630,000, he said. The subdivision project has had strong support from the city council and from the public, Soulek said. "Anything we’ve done with housing, we haven’t had any opposition, including giving the lots away," he said. ## ****Get South Dakota stories** An email summary on most weekdays that links to the full version. Cancel anytime. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. Though the subdivision development has been slowed by the road contractor who is facing penalties for missing deadlines, Smokey Groves will be a win for the city and for the people who live there, Soulek said. "The homeowners get $15,000 to $20,000 in instant equity due to the free land, which can lower their downpayment or lead to better terms with a lender," he said. "And it's going to benefit the city in the end with new housing and a stronger tax base." ## Insights: Small towns cannot wait around Smokey Groves will be the second major housing project launched by Chamberlain town leaders. The city took the bold step of jumpstarting construction of its first new subdivision in 2000 after realizing it was unlikely that private developers would ever build new homes in the city. "Small-town development is so much different than in big cities, and nobody wants to invest in small-town subdivisions," said Powell, the retired city engineer who led Chamberlain's early municipal housing efforts. ![This apartment building, shown on Sept. 23, 2025, is part of the Cedar Heights subdivision, ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/10/2025-9-23-Chamberlain-apartment-complex.jpg) This apartment building, shown on Sept. 23, 2025, is part of the Cedar Heights subdivision, the first municipally supported development project in Chamberlain, S.D. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch/ South Dakota News Watch) Private developers want to move houses faster and obtain larger profit margins than are available in small cities like Chamberlain that are seeing slow or stagnant growth, he said. "It takes you 20 years to get your lots sold, and most developers want their money back in five years," Powell said. ## Evidence: Homes bought 'on faith' In the years before the city developed Cedar Heights, it was seeing as little as one new house built per year. > "All of these small towns, if they want to grow and survive, they’re going to have to take responsibility for housing themselves." > – Greg Powell, former Chamberlain city engineer In its first subdivision development – known as Cedar Heights – the city owned a large tract of land on its south side and paid to install infrastructure. The land had been used as an airport in the mid-20th century and was vacated when a new airport was built, Powell said. The city hired a contractor to build the streets and install sewer and water connections, and the city began to sell lots to builders or homeowners, though at below-market prices, Powell said. At the time, the need for new housing was so great that buyers didn't wait for the infrastructure to be completed before making offers on lots, Powell said. "People bought them on blind faith after we promised to install streets, sewer and water within three years," he said. ## Limitations: Growth comes slow, but that's OK Soulek said other cities considering subdivision development or land giveaways should get the roads paved and curb and gutter fully installed before offering lots for development. Smokey Groves has been hampered by road work delays and the inability of potential buyers to fully visualize how it might look when completed, he said. "I'd tell them to get the roads in first before you allow any building because you'll have less headaches later," Soulek said. "A lot of people held off on building because without the infrastructure, it is hard to see what it can look like in the end." Though it took nearly two decades to build out, Cedar Heights ultimately resulted in construction of about 70 houses, six multi-family properties and 15 commercial enterprises, he said. The growth was slow, but the effort provided new development and strengthened the city economy and tax collections, Soulek said. “One of the big reasons it worked for us is that we expanded housing but we also grew our tax base,” he said. ![This home, shown on Sept. 23, 2025, is one of those built on free lots given away by the city of Chamberlain, S.D., to spur faster residential development.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/09/2025-9-23-Chamberlain-subdivision-1.jpg) This home, shown on Sept. 23, 2025, is one of those built on free lots given away by the city of Chamberlain, S.D., to spur faster residential development. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch/ South Dakota News Watch) Local builders and businesses, including a concrete company and contractor's outlet, benefited from revenue and product sales related to housing construction, Soulek said. Powell said Chamberlain's experience with subdivision development in the early 2000s and now again with the Smokey Groves project provide a lesson to other municipal leaders around the state. "All of these small towns, if they want to grow and survive, they’re going to have to take responsibility for housing themselves," he said. ****Choose how to give.** Click the Donate button to see the different ways you can give and help make stories like this one possible. And tell us why you support our work. [Donate ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Vance Hickey is a retired developer who built several homes in the Cedar Heights subdivision over the past two decades. He co-owns VC Hickey Construction, which is now run by his son, Cliff. Hickey said he isn’t sure if his son, who is busy on other projects, will pursue home construction on lots being given away by the city in the Smoky Groves subdivision. But the city’s willingness to make lots available and affordable and to install critical infrastructure has helped expedite construction of new homes in Chamberlain, he said. In the early 2000s, Chamberlain had no available lots for homes, so the city’s involvement was key to making home construction possible, Hickey said. “It made it easier,” he said. “We had no building sites, so the city developing that with sewers and water and streets, all you had to do was walk up, pick out a lot you wanted and get going on the house.” Hickey built several “spec homes,” or homes that are built before a contract is signed, in the Cedar Heights subdivision and had success selling them. His adult son and daughter both live in homes he built in Cedar Heights, he said, adding that he is proud to have been a part of a project that has made life better in Chamberlain. “I sometimes drive through that area and I hold my head up high,” he said. [Engage South Dakota: Housing solutionsA list of entities and programs that can assist in developing or obtaining housing as well as links to News Watch reporting on housing solutions.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-235.jpg)South Dakota News WatchBart Pfankuch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/IMG_2326-4.jpeg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/engage-south-dakota-housing-rent-own-solutions-journalism/) [What's working in your community? Share your comments and ideas.](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdSEE1F4irRiyi9MOOwQszosDlmSghlnIKbEHxeCJEjDKZRVw/viewform?usp=sharing&ouid=100426322203936282954&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact* *Bart Pfankuch* at* [*bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### 'Tunnel farming' extends growing season by 4 months URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/tunnel-farming-agriculture-south-dakota-growing-season/ Last updated: 2025-10-10T10:00:28.000Z OKATON, S.D. – When snow covers the frozen ground, and most South Dakota farmers have sold or stored their products for the season, the operators of Cedar Creek Gardens are still able to grow vegetables and harvest a lucrative crop. Located in a remote area southwest of Murdo, about 12 miles south of Interstate 90, the sprawling farm is one of dozens in the state that utilize what are called farm tunnels to extend the planting and growing seasons. The tunnels are fortified above-ground hoop buildings covered in plastic that capture heat from the sun, creating a greenhouse effect. Many of the tunnels at [Cedar Creek](https://cedarcreekgarden.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) are covered with two separated layers of plastic and have fans that circulate warm air between the layers, creating even warmer growing conditions. ## ****Get South Dakota stories** An email summary on most weekdays that links to the full version. Cancel anytime. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. The tunnels differ from greenhouses in that crops are grown directly into the soil rather than in raised boxes or beds, and they are watered from the ground up instead of from above. Cedar Creek is run by Peggy Martin and Bud Manke, who are business partners and good friends. Martin and Manke were some of the first South Dakota farmers to install tunnels after reading about them online in the early 2000s. "At first, we were just going to grow food for our families," Martin said. "But it's become a passion, and they (the tunnels) have helped us grow to what we are now." ![Peggy Martin and Bud Manke are co-owners of Cedar Creek Gardens near Okaton, S.D., shown on Sept. 22, 2025, and were among the first South Dakota farmers to use tunnel buildings to extend their growing season. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch)](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/09/2025-9-22-Cedar-Creek-co-owners-1.jpg) Peggy Martin and Bud Manke are co-owners of Cedar Creek Gardens near Okaton, S.D., shown on Sept. 22, 2025, and were among the first South Dakota farmers to use tunnel buildings to extend their growing season. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) Beyond extending the growing season by up to four months each year, the controlled weather conditions and targeted water use also allow them to produce top-quality, organically grown vegetables. One-pound tomatoes that are firm, filled with nutrients and free of blemishes. Banana peppers as long as bananas and so crisp they snap. Sweet onions the size of softballs. Kale plants that top 5 feet in height. ## Tunnels part of a diversified operation On their farm, they grow crops on 14 acres, have about 1,400 free-range laying chickens, and Manke raises cattle. The farm is dotted with about a dozen tunnel buildings, the largest of which are up to 14 feet tall, 30 feet wide and 200 feet long. Martin said the tunnels have enabled them to expand their farm and its output over the past 25 and help them grow into the largest South Dakota specialty farming operation west of the Missouri River. Martin, Manke and the farmhands they hire grow a wide variety of seasonal produce, including tomatoes (the primary cash crop) as well as pumpkins, melons, sweet and green onions, red and green peppers, kale, cabbage, broccoli, sugar-snap peas, radishes, lettuce and zucchini. ![Cabbages grow within a tunnel at Cedar Creek Gardens near Okaton, S.D., shown on Sept. 22, 2025. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch)](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/09/2025-9-22-Cabbages-in-tunnel-builing-1.jpg) Cabbages grow within a tunnel at Cedar Creek Gardens near Okaton, S.D., shown on Sept. 22, 2025\. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) The foods they grow and raise are sold at area farm stands and farmer's markets but also through a weekly wholesale business that serves West River grocery stores, restaurants and a buyer's group. The tunnels have allowed them to plant vegetables as early as March and maintain growth of some hearty varieties for picking as late as mid-December. The first frost date in their region is typically around Sept. 15, Manke said. "There can be snow out here in the wintertime and it's 20 degrees when the sun comes up, but it can be 100 degrees inside the tunnels," Manke said. "It can actually get too hot sometimes, so we have to be careful and open things up." ## Higher productivity, higher profits Martin did the math to show how the tunnels can increase productivity and profits. In a 200-foot tunnel, they can place three rows of 100 tomato plants, each of which can produce 40 pounds of fruit, more than double a typical household tomato plant, she said. At an average of $2.25 per pound, and even with 20% waste, that single tunnel can produce $21,600 of tomatoes in a single grow-out. !["Tunnel" installations reach up to 200 feet long at Cedar Creek Gardens near Okaton, S.D., shown on Sept. 22, 2025. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch)](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/09/2025-9-22-Cedar-creek-tunnels-1.jpg) "Tunnel" installations reach up to 200 feet long at Cedar Creek Gardens near Okaton, S.D., shown on Sept. 22, 2025\. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) Rachel Lawton, the South Dakota urban conservationist for the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service, runs the federal program that provides financial assistance to qualified individuals and operations that want to install tunnel farms. Lawton, based in Sioux Falls, said the tunnels aren't suitable for high-production farms that raise thousands of bushels of corn, soybeans or wheat. But they work well for specialty crop farmers or backyard gardeners who want to produce a stable, almost year-round crop of vegetables, she said. ****Support stories about rural South Dakota with a tax-deductible donation.** [Donate ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/reportforamerica/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) "The season extension with high tunnels is beneficial, but it’s even more beneficial when you look at the quality of produce they’re producing while also getting protection from wind, hail, frost, chemical drift and pests," she said. [NRCS](https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/state-offices/south-dakota?ref=sdnewswatch.org) accepts applications for financial assistance in development of tunnel gardens each fall, with recipients receiving up to 75% of the cost of a project, Lawton said. In addition, successful applicants receive NRCS help in developing a wider-ranging conservation plan for their commercial farms or home gardening projects, she said. ## Interest in tunnels growing in South Dakota Lawton said she has seen increased interest in tunnel farming in South Dakota in recent years. In recent years, the agency has provided funding for about 10 to 15 tunnels projects a year with money from the USDA Environmental Quality Incentive Program, or EQIP. The largest tunnels, up to about 3,000 square feet, can cost more than $20,000, though smaller tunnels with fewer amenities cost far less, Lawton said. Tunnels cannot be used for equipment storage or livestock handling, and NRCS applicants must own or rent land, be U.S. citizens and make less than $900,000 a year, she said. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/09/2025-9-22-Cedar-creek-water-system-1.jpg) Bud Manke, co-owner at Cedar Creek Gardens near Okaton, S.D., shown on Sept. 22, 2025, examines the watering system within a tunnel growing operation on the farm. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) Lawton cautioned that people who consider construction of a tunnel should be aware that they require frequent maintenance and are susceptible to damage from the elements. "As wonderful and as cool as they are, I wouldn’t say they are the solution to everything," she said. "There can be a lot of pitfalls and a lot of work if you aren't an experienced grower." ## Martin now a 'resident expert' on tunnels The tunnels come in three basic sizes, from "high tunnels" that are the tallest and widest to "caterpillar tunnels" that are shorter and more narrow to "low tunnels" which are light enough to lift and change positions quickly. Lawton refers to Martin as South Dakota's "high tunnel resident expert" because she has more high tunnels than most South Dakota farmers and because she has more than two decades of operating them. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/09/2025-9-22-Cedar-Creek-tunnel-kale-1-1.jpg) Two different varieties of kale and other vegetables are being grown at the first high tunnel installed in the early 2000s at Cedar Creek Gardens near Okaton, S.D., shown on Sept. 22, 2025\. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) Martin likens the tunnels to "problematic 2-year-old kids" that require patience and wisdom to manage properly. "You can't just plant them and then leave home," she said. "If there's bad weather coming, you have to roll down the sides and get them buttoned up." But for those who accept the hard work and risk, the payoff in extended growing time, improved quality of products and protection of natural resources can far outweigh those drawbacks, Lawton said. Conservation benefits include soil conservation and reduced water, pesticide and electricity use, she said. “You can do multiple successions of crops, and you have a better growing environment, which essentially translates into dollars because you can grow more and sell more or grow more food for your own family,” Lawton said. “It all starts with conservation, but the end product is something that is more efficient, more productive and more financially beneficial all at the same time.” [From barn to table: How agritourism is reviving rural South DakotaTourism data from 2024 indicates that several counties in the state had a spike in visitor spending, and most of those are rural.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-220.jpg)South Dakota News WatchMolly Wetsch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/farm1-1-4.JPG)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/agritourism-south-dakota-tourism-good-earth/) [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact* *Bart Pfankuch* at* [*bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Fact brief: Was there a decorative swastika on the Corn Palace in the early 1900s? URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/mitchell-corn-palace-swastika-fact-brief-south-dakota/ Last updated: 2025-10-09T11:00:29.000Z ## Yes. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/WhiteFACT-BRIEF--500-x-200-px--2-1-1.png) A swastika was prominently displayed on the front of Mitchell’s Corn Palace in 1907, more than a decade before Adolf Hitler and the Nazi party appropriated the symbol’s meaning. The swastika is one of the oldest symbols to be found in early human cave and rock paintings, with an estimated origin of 6,000 years ago. The symbol is called the “Whirling Log” in Navajo culture and represents good luck, healing and balance. The Navajo, Papago, Apache and Hopi signed a proclamation and renounced its use on blankets, artwork and clothing in 1940 after it became ubiquitous with Nazis. In the early 1900s, the symbol was used regularly in world culture. The initial Corn Palace in Mitchell was built in 1892 and rebuilt in 1905\. Interior and exterior corn murals depict agricultural scenes and other aspects of South Dakota life. The exterior murals are replaced or updated annually. *This fact brief responds to conversations such as* [*this one.*](https://www.facebook.com/groups/1374844216806798/posts/1679296413028242/) ### **Sources** SDPB, [History of the World’s Only Corn Palace](https://www.sdpb.org/rural-life-and-history/2023-07-25/history-of-the-worlds-only-corn-palace?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Moab Museum, [Moab History: The history of the “Whirling Log” motif](https://moabmuseum.org/moab-history-the-history-of-the-whirling-log-motif/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) BBC, [How the world loved the swastika - until Hitler stole it](https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-29644591?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Smithsonian Magazine, [How the Swastika, an ancient symbol of good fortune used around the world, became the Nazi logo](https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/how-the-swastika-an-ancient-symbol-of-good-fortune-used-around-the-world-became-the-nazi-logo-180962812/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) --- [South Dakota News Watch](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/) partners with [Gigafact](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) to publish fact briefs that refute or confirm a claim with supporting information and additional evidence and context. - [Read previous fact briefs](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/tag/fact-brief/). - Read our verification standards and other [best practices policies](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/best-practices/). - Submit a question for us to answer on the [South Dakota News Watch Tipline](https://gigafact.org/tipline/south-dakota-news-watch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). - Send questions or feedback to [factbrief@sdnewswatch.org](mailto:factbrief@sdnewswatch.org). [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact Michael Klinski* at michael.klinski@sdnewswatch.org.* ### As more communities embrace tax increment financing, the tiff over TIFs heats up URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/tax-increment-financing-districts-tifs-libertyland-rapid-city/ Last updated: 2025-10-08T12:16:37.000Z PIERRE, S.D. – Tax increment financing districts have become a popular approach to supporting the growth of communities in South Dakota. A TIF is a tool that local and county governments can use to pay for improvement projects. As they become more popular, so does the controversy surrounding them. Supporters argue the districts allow for the development of housing, infrastructure and economically beneficial projects that wouldn’t otherwise happen. But critics say they increase property tax burdens of landowners, lack transparency and oversight, and haven’t been audited to prove they produce net benefits for a community. This debate recently came to a head in Rapid City after the city council approved a TIF to support a $125 million theme park complex, which a group of residents has forced to a vote so the community can decide if the project is a good idea. [Citizens’ fight highlights tax increment financing district debateAnswers to a residents’ question about a TIF in Mitchell highlights concerns about if tax increment financing districts are being done correctly.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-231.jpg)South Dakota News WatchKevin Killough![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/MitchellTIF-2.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/tax-increment-financing-district-explanation-sd-tif/) ## Clash over Libertyland In August, the council voted in favor of a $27 million TIF that will finance improvements — including infrastructure and demolition of existing structures — to a commercial district in hopes of attracting a Chick-fil-A, Panda Express and other restaurants and businesses to the area. A month later, the council approved another TIF for a $125 million theme park, called Libertyland USA, which will include a hotel, conference center, housing developments and more. Concerned about whether the impacts of the TIF would be good for Rapid City, a group of residents gathered enough signatures to put it to a vote. ## ****Get South Dakota stories** An email summary on most weekdays that links to the full version. Cancel anytime. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. The council had previously approved both the Libertyland USA TIF and another TIF for the catalyst district, which includes a sports complex. However, the public notices had referenced the wrong TIFs, so the approval process had to be restarted. “When you're voting on something, especially an expenditure like that, something that large, you would expect that they would do their homework,” Tonchi Weaver with South Dakota Citizens for Liberty told News Watch. ## Grants to private developers After the TIFs passed, some residents organized a successful petition drive to put the Libertyland TIF to a vote. Weaver was one the organizers of that effort. Among her concerns about the Libertyland TIF is the $46.5 million in discretionary funds included in the project costs. Weaver said that the funding functions as a grant to a private developer and there’s a wide degree of latitude for what the money can be used toward, which raises questions about whether these costs can be considered to have a public benefit. “It can be just about anything,” Weaver told News Watch. ![From left, Tonchi Weaver, Julie Frye-Mueller, Mike Hilles and Elaine Shepherd pose for a photo while out collecting petition signatures on Sept. 9, 2025, at the yard waste collection site at Fitzgerald Stadium in Rapid City, S.D. (Photo courtesy Mike Brownlee/ Rapid City Journal)](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/10/2025-10-02-TIF-petition-collectors.jpg) From left, Tonchi Weaver, Julie Frye-Mueller, Mike Hilles and Elaine Shepherd pose for a photo while out collecting petition signatures on Sept. 9, 2025, at the yard waste collection site at Fitzgerald Stadium in Rapid City, S.D. (Photo courtesy Mike Brownlee/ Rapid City Journal) Daniel Ainslie, Rapid City finance director, said this funding will pay utilities, hardscape — paths, walls and fences — and landscaping. He said these costs, which make up about 37% of the total costs, are a substantial part of the project. Without the grant, these aspects would be public infrastructure, meaning the city would have to maintain it. This would mean, for example, when water mains break in 30 years, the city would have to repair it. “We didn't want city crews to have to go through the middle of an entertainment district and dig up the water lines,” Ainslie said. ****Will you support South Dakota News Watch?** SDNW is an independent, 501(c)(3) nonprofit that tells investigative stories, verifies claims and engages with communities to identify solutions. With your gift, we can do even more important stories like this one. [Donate ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Sen. Taffy Howard, R-Rapid City, said that the use of discretionary funds in TIFs demonstrates one of the ways they have expanded past their original purpose. The original 1978 state law authorized TIFs as a means to address blighted areas and encourage their redevelopment. Besides creating new classifications and allowing for discretionary funds to be included in the project costs, which the state authorized in 2011, the blight requirement was loosened. “When you start finding 'blighted' as simply a grass field or when you start adding in the discretionary funds … I really have issues with that. I think that's an abuse of what TIFs were intended for,” Howard told News Watch. ## But for the TIF Supporters of the Rapid City TIF and TIFs in general argue that the improvements that come from the districts have extensive benefits. But for the TIFs, these developments would never happen. In the 1990s, Doyle Estes, a Rapid City lawyer and real estate developer, helped create the first TIF district in Pennington County. The TIF paid for a project that stopped flooding on a racetrack. He said he paid approximately $1.5 million for the improvements, and at the time it was created, the district valuation was $3 million. > “When you start finding 'blighted' as simply a grass field or when you start adding in the discretionary funds … I really have issues with that. I think that's an abuse of what TIFs were intended for." > State Sen. Taffy Howard, R-Rapid City Today, the property values in the district are more than $90 million. Since the district was dissolved a decade ago, all the tax revenues in that district are now funding schools, emergency responders and other government services. “The county gets more tax revenues in one year than the whole darn taxes cost them and the developer, which was me,” Estes said. In Pierre, the Clubhouse Hotel and Suites, which includes a conference center and restaurant, was another project created by a TIF. ![The Clubhouse Hotel and Suites in Pierre, S.D., was a project funded through a TIF district. Sen. Jim Mehlhaff, who was on the city commission when it was approved, said it's an example of a beneficial TIF. Prior to becoming a hotel and conference center, it was a truck stop.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/10/Clubhouse-Hotel-and-Suites-20251002-1.jpg) The Clubhouse Hotel and Suites in Pierre, S.D., was a project funded through a TIF district. Sen. Jim Mehlhaff, who was on the city commission when it was approved, said it's an example of a beneficial TIF. Prior to becoming a hotel and conference center, it was a truck stop. (Photo: Kevin Killough/ South Dakota News Watch) Sen. Jim Mehlhaff, R-Pierre, said TIFs can be a valuable tool for such projects. He was on the Pierre City Commission when it was approved. Prior to becoming the Clubhouse, it was a Kum and Go truck stop. "It was pretty much just a big gravel parking lot that trucks would park on," Mehlhaff said. Without the TIF, it would still be a parking lot, he said. ## Benefits beyond the district Ainslie said Libertyland is likewise dependent on the TIF district. “The only way that financially it makes sense for them is to have some additional assistance through the TIF to help offset the very substantial construction costs that would go into opening up in Rapid City,” he said. The project will also have benefits that go beyond the Libertyland developers, Ainslie said. “The project is bringing what would end up being the largest entertainment destination area in at least a 300-mile radius, and the largest in the state,” he said of Libertyland. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/10/LibertyLand.png) A concept illustration of what Libertyland USA could look like in Rapid City. (Image: Storyland Studios) The Libertyland project has indoor attractions, which will help ensure more tourism dollars during the Black Hills area’s “shoulder season.” These are the months outside the peak summer and winter travel times. This will help hotels, restaurants, gas stations and retail shops during the months they struggle the most. “So it's a good way to try to uplift the overall economy throughout the entire year,” Ainslie said. Studies of similar facilities have shown that the projects have economic benefits to businesses outside the TIF district. On average, $2 to $4 is spent outside that destination district for every $1 spent inside it, Ainslie said. Howard pointed out that downtown Rapid City was built without TIFs. “Throughout history, we did really well as a nation, as a state, as a city without TIFs,” she said. ## Impact to taxes A point of contention for TIF opponents is the increased burden to state taxpayers. Some TIFs require county auditors to impose special levies so that school districts don't lose out on any funding as a result of a TIF. The influx of tourism that results from the economic TIFs in Rapid City increases sales tax revenue. This is the one tax revenue South Dakota can increase and makes South Dakota less dependent on property taxes to fund government, Ainslie said. [The projects that TIFs built: How SD is using programTo highlight some of the projects that tax increment financing districts have helped fund, here are 10 examples in South Dakota from the past 20 years.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-232.jpg)South Dakota News WatchKevin Killough![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/2025-10-02-Demkota-Ranch-1-2.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/tax-increment-financing-tif-south-dakota-projects-housing-industry/) “The only way for the government to truly reduce property taxes is to either significantly reduce government expenditures, which not many people are asking for roads to not be maintained and for public safety to be reduced — or anything like that. So either you reduce government spending or you increase revenue,” Ainslie said. TIF critics also question whether anyone really knows if TIFs have a net benefit to the communities. Rep. Julie Auch, R-Yankton, said that TIFs need more accountability to be sure they are delivering benefits for the impacts they have to property taxes. “There's no transparency. There's no checks and balances on these TIFs. There's no governing body that is actually doing an audit annually or biannually on these TIFs,” Auch said. Estes disputes that the process lacks transparency. The bodies creating the districts have to go through multiple public hearings, and all the project documents are made public, he said. ## Risks and rewards For Weaver, the issue isn’t whether Libertyland is a good project. “I have tried not to criticize the project itself. If the developer wants to put up — whatever he wants to put up — he's free to do that on his own property. But where we object is to having the taxpayers shoulder part of that burden. And it’s a risk,” Weaver said. Ainslie said there is no risk to Rapid City taxpayers. “It's not a gambling of city resources. The city's not investing in this project. The only part of the TIF that the city would be a part of are some actual public roads as well as public utility lines that would be in streets that the city would be constructing — about $8 million worth. And the city would be repaid through the increment,” he said. The Rapid City Council Monday selected Jan. 20 for the date of the special election, when the voters of Rapid City will decide if they believe the Libertyland TIF will be of benefit to the community. [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact statehouse investigative reporter Kevin Killough* at* [*kevin.killough@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:kevin.killough@sdnewswatch.org). ### Fact brief: Are undocumented immigrants eligible to receive free health care? URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/fact-brief-undocumented-immigrants-free-health-care-aca-shutdown/ Last updated: 2025-10-07T11:00:13.000Z ## No. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/WhiteFACT-BRIEF--500-x-200-px--2-1-1.png) Undocumented immigrants in the United States cannot receive free health care from the Affordable Care Act and Medicaid, according to the HealthCare.gov website and other sites. The only people eligible to receive care through ACA are U.S. citizens, U.S. nationals from American territories and “lawfully present migrants,” which include green card holders, refugees, those with official asylum status and others, though provisions in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act have added more restrictions. Some Republicans say Democrats forced the federal shutdown in part to provide free health care to undocumented immigrants. But Democrats’ demands include extending marketplace tax credits that make plans more affordable and reverse Medicaid cuts, which undocumented immigrants are not eligible for. Hospitals receive reimbursements for emergency care that is required to be provided to some undocumented immigrants. In the 2023 fiscal year, that was 0.4% ($3.8 billion) of Medicaid’s total budget. *This fact brief responds to conversations such as* [*this one.*](https://www.reddit.com/r/AskUS/comments/1nwb9ow/rightleaning%5Fvoices%5Fare%5Fsaying%5Fdemocrats%5Fshut/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) ### **Sources** Healthcare.gov, [Health care for immigrants](https://www.healthcare.gov/immigrants/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) U.S. Immigration, [U.S. Citizen vs. U.S. National: Differences](https://www.usimmigration.org/articles/u-s-citizen-vs-u-s-national-what-is-the-difference?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF), [Rolling back the Big Beautiful Bill’s health care provisions would not provide health care to undocumented immigrants](https://www.kff.org/quick-take/rolling-back-the-big-beautiful-bills-health-care-provisions-would-not-provide-health-care-to-undocumented-immigrants/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) KFF, [Five key facts about immigrants and Medicaid](https://www.kff.org/racial-equity-and-health-policy/5-key-facts-about-immigrants-and-medicaid/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) --- [South Dakota News Watch](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/) partners with [Gigafact](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) to publish fact briefs that refute or confirm a claim with supporting information and additional evidence and context. - [Read previous fact briefs](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/tag/fact-brief/). - Read our verification standards and other [best practices policies](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/best-practices/). - Submit a question for us to answer on the [South Dakota News Watch Tipline](https://gigafact.org/tipline/south-dakota-news-watch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). - Send questions or feedback to [factbrief@sdnewswatch.org](mailto:factbrief@sdnewswatch.org). [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact Michael Klinski* at michael.klinski@sdnewswatch.org.* ### Citizens' fight highlights tax increment financing district debate URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/tax-increment-financing-district-explanation-sd-tif/ Last updated: 2025-10-06T19:28:42.000Z **Editor's note:* This article was updated to add the response from the City of Mitchell. A clarification was also added on Monday, Oct. 6, 2025, at 2:09 p.m. CT concerning water infrastructure to the Box Elder hotels.* PIERRE, S.D. – As more South Dakota counties and cities use a somewhat hard-to-understand method called a tax increment financing district, or TIF, to pay for public projects, scrutiny of them has increased. There were 264 active TIFs in the state at the end of 2024, an increase of 65 from just four years before. Typical uses include affordable housing and infrastructure for economic development. Some state lawmakers and residents are concerned about their increased use, but proponents say that in a low-tax state, TIFs are a much-needed option. “They're one of the few tools in the toolbox for the developer to get projects built in South Dakota,” said Doyle Estes, a Rapid City lawyer and real estate developer. ## TIF history and types Over the past several months, a panel of lawmakers on the state's property tax task force have been listening to public comments and hearing presentations from state officials on TIFs. At a meeting in September, Rep. Julie Auch, R-Yankton, asked rhetorically how many in the audience could fully explain what TIFs are and how they work. ## ****Get South Dakota stories** An email summary on most weekdays that links to the full version. Cancel anytime. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. If most people can’t understand their implications, how can the governmental bodies creating the districts fully understand them, she asked. “We have city commissioners and county commissioners making decisions in reference to tax incremental financing, and they don't fully understand the concept. And they're putting the burden on the South Dakota taxpayer,” Auch told News Watch. The law authorizing municipalities to create TIFs was passed in 1978 as a means to help municipalities address blighted areas. Since then, it’s gone beyond that original purpose to allow counties to set up TIFs and to allow classifications of TIFs that help finance other types of projects other than local infrastructure supporting residential areas. [Engage South Dakota: Housing solutionsA list of entities and programs that can assist in developing or obtaining housing as well as links to News Watch reporting on housing solutions.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-226.jpg)South Dakota News WatchBart Pfankuch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/IMG_2326-2.jpeg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/engage-south-dakota-housing-rent-own-solutions-journalism/) Here are the four classifications of TIFs and the percent of each in the state, based on the increased property values in 2024 from when the TIFs were created: - **Economic development (82%)**: A district where one or more businesses engaged in any activity defined as commercial or industrial. An example would be water infrastructure servicing a commercial area. - **Local (10%)**: Used for public infrastructure that benefits the local government, such as infrastructure improvements for housing that doesn’t meet the requirements for affordable housing. - **Industrial (5%)**: A district for factories, processing of raw materials or wholesale activities. Examples could be a meat processing plant or ethanol production facility. - **Affordable housing (3%)**: This could be used for infrastructure improvements to support housing development or workforce housing. ## How TIFs work When a TIF district is established, taxes based on the property valuation in the district continue to go to cities, schools and counties as normal. The projects that the TIF pays for increases the property values in the district. Any taxes resulting from that increased valuation over the life of the TIF, which is a maximum of 20 years, go to pay for the project. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/10/TIFExplainer.jpg) (Source: Department of Revenue) While the steps are complex, the basic process goes like this: 1. The city or county interested in funding a project defines a geographical area where the improvements will be made. This is the TIF district. 2. The planning commission of the county or city creating the TIF holds public hearings on the necessity of the district. If the commission decides it’s needed, then it recommends to the county or city commission that the TIF be created. 3. Once the recommendations of the planning commission are accepted, the city or county must adopt a resolution creating the TIF, which officially defines its name, legal boundary and project plan. The project plan explains how the project will be financed, which can be done with special bonds or private financing. The project can be publicly or privately owned, but the costs of the project to be financed are required to have a public benefit. A small fraction of TIFs go to voters to decide. 4. The South Dakota Department of Revenue then certifies the assessed value of all property within the district when it’s created. The taxes from this base value continue to go to the city, school and county during the life of the TIF. 5. After these costs are repaid — or the TIF reaches the 20-year limit — the TIF is dissolved. At that point, the full property tax revenue within the district, including the increment value, goes to the county to fund schools, public safety, infrastructure and government services. ## A tale of two projects Steve Sibson, a retired accountant and resident of Mitchell, raised concerns about a TIF that town leaders created in May. The city partnered with a developer to pay for the construction of 70 two- and three-bedroom apartments, including garage units, a fitness center and coffee shop. Sibson told News Watch the city didn’t follow state requirements in creating the district. ****Join other South Dakotans and support statewide storytelling.** [Donate ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) In addition to the housing development, the project included the construction of a road servicing the complex. Sibson grew concerned because it appears to contain two projects — one that funds the developer for the housing project and another that funds the city for the construction of the road. Sibson argued these different projects would create different classification of TIFs — an affordable housing TIF and a local TIF. If it's a local TIF, the county auditor is required to impose an additional school levy on property within the school district. ## Questioning TIF oversight Sibson argued at a [May 5 city council meeting](https://mitchellsd.portal.civicclerk.com/event/1393/media?ref=sdnewswatch.org) that state law required Mitchell to get a preliminary classification determination from the South Dakota Department of Revenue prior to approving the TIF. Both the city attorney and developer’s attorney said the state no longer required the preliminary determination. However, [the state does require this step](https://dor.sd.gov/media/ybvfvvrq/tif-guidelines-june-2018-revisions.pdf?ref=sdnewswatch.org). [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/10/Donate-today-News-Watch--1-.png)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?%5Fgl=1%2A1b0ep3i%2A%5Fga%2AMTM3NDcyODMyNS4xNzAyMTQ0MTg3%2A%5Fga%5FH98KVPR32J%2AMTcyNzIyNjUwOS40MzMuMS4xNzI3MjI3NzQ1LjAuMC4w&ref=sdnewswatch.org) Kenda Baucom, marketing and communication specialist with the DOR, said the City of Mitchell requested a preliminary classification determination from the DOR, and a response was provided in April. Stephanie Ellwein, city administrator for the City of Mitchell, said Monday there was some miscommunication between the city and the DOR about whether the classification was needed prior to council approval. While the DOR provided the determination in April, the project was classified as economic development. The [project plan](https://mitchellsd.portal.civicclerk.com/event/1393/files/attachment/7320?ref=sdnewswatch.org), however, states that, "Should the State of South Dakota not classify the TIF as affordable housing, the TIF will not be finalized and will cease to exist." Ellwein said she wasn't sure why the TIF was approved despite the preliminary determination being economic development. > “That told me they were not providing the oversight on these tips, that they were just rubber stamping them." - Steve Sibson, resident of Mitchell Sibson said that he had contacted the DOR to find out if Mitchell was required to get the preliminary determination and what could be done if the city had not. He said he was told that Mitchell has a lot of TIFs, and he could pursue a referendum to put the TIF to a vote. “That told me they were not providing the oversight on these TIFs, that they were just rubber stamping them,” Sibson said. ## Opponent: TIFs can be 'subsidies for ... private entities' Sibson said that when TIFs are done correctly, they can benefit a community and result in new growth. “If they're not done correctly, they end up being simply subsidies for certain private entities. That's my overall concern,” Sibson said. Estes, the developer who helped pioneer their use, said the TIFs he’s been involved in have brought enormous growth to Rapid City and the nearby town of Box Elder. One TIF district in Box Elder brought water services to a hotel in Box Elder. As a result of that water infrastructure, four more hotels were later built in Box Elder that wouldn’t have otherwise been feasible projects, he said. Estes said he built a road in Rapid City that was funded with a TIF, and due to the success of the project, the city is building a fire department, law enforcement center, and a city park. “Anybody that sees things beyond the end of their nose can see that tax increment districts work,” Estes said. [The projects that TIFs built: How SD is using programTo highlight some of the projects that tax increment financing districts have helped fund, here are 10 examples in South Dakota from the past 20 years.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-229.jpg)South Dakota News WatchKevin Killough![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/2025-10-02-Demkota-Ranch-1.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/tax-increment-financing-tif-south-dakota-projects-housing-industry/) --- *Part 2: Opponents of tax increment financing raise issues with TIFs, including the increased tax burdens, a lack of transparency, and the lack of auditing to objectively measure their benefits. Supporters say their growth is the product of how successful they have been for the cities and counties that use them. In the next part in this series, News Watch digs deeper into the debate on TIFs.* [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact statehouse investigative reporter Kevin Killough* at* [*kevin.killough@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:kevin.killough@sdnewswatch.org). ### Projects that TIFs built: Counties using for housing, industry URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/tax-increment-financing-tif-south-dakota-projects-housing-industry/ Last updated: 2025-10-06T12:08:43.000Z PIERRE, S.D. – Every year, the South Dakota Department of Revenue publishes an [annual report](https://dor.sd.gov/media/zp4cgfvx/tif-annual-report-2024.pdf?ref=sdnewswatch.org) showing all active tax increment financing (TIF) districts in the state. In 2024, there were 264 active TIFs in South Dakota, up from 199 in 2020\. When a TIF district is established, taxes based on the property valuation in the district continue to go to cities, schools and counties as normal. The projects that the TIF pays for increase the property values in the district. Any taxes resulting from that increased valuation over the life of the TIF go to pay for the project. After the project is paid for – or 20 years, which ever comes first – the TIF is dissolved and all taxes in the district, including any taxes from the increment value, goes to cities, schools and counties. [Citizens’ fight highlights tax increment financing district debateAnswers to a residents’ question about a TIF in Mitchell highlights concerns about if tax increment financing districts are being done correctly.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-228.jpg)South Dakota News WatchKevin Killough![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/MitchellTIF-1.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/tax-increment-financing-district-explanation-sd-tif/) The following are some examples of projects in the state that were funded with TIFs. These are selected from the 10 counties with the highest number of active TIFs in 2024\. Figures for the base valuation and the 2024 valuation show the current increment value that is paying for the project. ### Brookings County In 2014, the City of Brookings approved an economic TIF that paid for infrastructure improvements for a project of more than 300 acres. The project, according to Brookings community development director Mike Struck, resulted in approximately 300 multifamily housing units and is home to about 10 new businesses. The infrastructure improvements that were part of the project also benefit a fire station and elementary school. When the TIF was created, the total assessed property value in the district was just under $8 million. Today, it’s more than $133 million, for an increment of nearly $125.6 million. ### Brown County In 2006, Brown County created an industrial TIF district for a beef packing plant in Aberdeen, which is today operating as DemKota Ranch Beef. The project went bankrupt in 2013, and 35 Chinese investors lost their $18.55 million investment in the plant, [according to the Rapid City Journal](https://rapidcityjournal.com/news/local/state-escapes-19m-lawsuit-in-eb-5-scandal-pending-appeal/article%5Ff66417e9-f50f-5a18-ad2a-282c3cc8bbcd.html?ref=sdnewswatch.org). The investors sued state agencies over the loss, and the South Dakota Supreme Court dismissed an appeal of a lower court’s decision, which ruled that state agencies running a federal investment program that brought in the investors did not waive sovereign immunity, South Dakota Public Broadcasting [reported.](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/naturalization-citizen-illegal-immigration-noem/) More recently, the [Aberdeen Insider reported](https://aberdeeninsider.com/brown-county-residents-air-grievances-about-demkota-rendering-odor/?ref=sdnewswatch.org), Brown County residents were complaining about the odors emanating from the facility, which was the result of a mechanical failure. At the time it was created, the total assessed value of property in the district was $60,619\. Last year, it had increased to nearly $60.8 million, for a total increment of $60.7 million. ### Codington County In 2004, the City of Watertown approved an economic TIF district to fund the Mallard Pointe Industrial Park. In December, the TIF came to the end of its 20-year life and was dissolved. The city used a loan to cover the cost of construction, and when the TIF was dissolved, the city still had a loan balance of $1.5 million. The city wrote off the balance at the end of 2024. ## ****Get South Dakota stories** An email summary on most weekdays that links to the full version. Cancel anytime. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. In 2019, the city created another TIF to build another industrial park near the existing Mallard Pointe Business Park. According to the Watertown Development Co., a nonprofit economic development corporation serving the City of Watertown, the project improved the area for existing tenants and expanded it for future tenants. The assessed property value in the 2019 district was $118,709 when it was created. Last year, it was nearly $22.8 million, for a total increment of $22.7 million. ### Davison County In 2022, the City of Mitchell approved an affordable housing TIF to redevelop the Ramada Hotel and Conference Center into a 90-unit apartment complex called Flats on Havens. The hotel was built in 1968 and had many owners over its life, [according to the Mitchell Republic](https://www.mitchellrepublic.com/news/local/owners-of-former-mitchell-hotel-plan-to-breathe-new-life-into-property-with-90-unit-apartment-complex?ref=sdnewswatch.org). It had closed in January 2022\. Today, the complex offers luxury apartments that include movie rooms, a community lounge and fitness center. In 2022, the property valuation in the district was just over $2 million. It had increased to nearly $2.4 million last year, for a total increment of $293,762. ### Lawrence County In 2006, the City of Spearfish created an economic TIF district to build a new golf course, streets, water and sewer systems. The goal of the project was to create recreation, new housing, a convenience market and gas station. The city transferred ownership of the golf course in 2013, [according to the Black Hills Pioneer](https://www.bhpioneer.com/local%5Fnews/city-transfers-ownership-of-elkhorn-ridge-golf-course/article%5F206b2e16-5b72-11e3-9a69-0019bb2963f4.html?ref=sdnewswatch.org), and this released the city from any financial obligations to operate the course. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/10/2025-10-02-Elkhorn-Ridge-Golf-Course.JPG) An aerial view of the Elkhorn Ridge Golf Course and housing development. The City of Spearfish, S.D., created a tax increment financing district to fund the project in 2006\. (Photo: Mark Watson/ Black Hills Pioneer.) At the time of its creation, the total property valuation in the district was $211,233\. Last year, it had grown to nearly $84.8 million, for a total increment of $84.6 million. ### Lincoln County The City of Harrisburg created an economic TIF district in 2018 designed to make infrastructure improvements to support workforce housing. The project was estimated to create 100 jobs. At the time it was created, the total property valuation in the district was $410,398.In 2024, that had increased to $75.5 million, for a total increment of $75.1 million ### Meade County In 2020, the City of Sturgis approved an economic TIF to build a 50-unit independent and assisted living center. The project included road reconstruction and stormwater improvements. While the City Council approved the TIF in 2020, the COVID pandemic delayed the project. Ventilation and several rooms were redesigned in response to the disease, and material costs increased. The city council amended the resolution authorizing the district in 2021, to reflect the changes. ****Support solutions-focused storytelling.** Help South Dakota News Watch tell stories that identify and share solutions to the state's biggest challenges. [Donate ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) At the time it was created originally in 2020, the total property valuation in the district was a little more than $5 million. Last year, it was nearly $7.7 million, for an increment value of $2.8 million. ### Minnehaha County In 2020, the City of Sioux Falls created an economic TIF district for an [800-acre industrial development park](https://www.siouxfalls.gov/files/assets/public/v/1/business-and-permits/planning-amp-development/economic-development/tif/tif-23-project-plan.pdf?ref=sdnewswatch.org), which is owned by the Sioux Falls Development Corp. — now the Sioux Falls Development Foundation. The project costs were estimated to be $94 million, which included water, street, gas and power line improvements. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/10/Foundation-Park_1200x600.jpg) Foundation Park in Sioux Falls. (Photo: City of Sioux Falls) At the time of the TIF’s creation, the total property valuation in the district was $3.3 million. As of 2024, it had grown to $160.2 million, for a total increment value of $156.9 million. ### Pennington County Rapid City created an economic TIF district in 2021 for the purposes of assisting in the development of a commercial and residential property. The increment, [according to city records](https://www.rcgov.org/index.php?option=com%5Fdocman&view=download&alias=30255-23ti004-tid-84-project-plan-10-5-2023-1&category%5Fslug=tax-increment-finance-districts&Itemid=149&ref=sdnewswatch.org), would fund critical water distribution improvements, road improvements, and the relocation of a power line and private utilities. At the time the district was created, the total property valuation was nearly $33 million. Last year, it had increased to $210.3 million, for a total increment value of $177.3 million. ### Yankton County In 2015, Yankton County created an economic TIF district to fund a [$7.7 million rail industrial park](https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/63429?ref=sdnewswatch.org#:~:text=A%20private%20developer%20purchased%20a%20property%20to,with%20specialized%20grain%2Dhandling%20facilities%2C%20supporting%20regional%20economic) in Utica Township northeast of Yankton. The park has specialized grain-handling facilities. The increment funded payments on a loan that paid for road improvements needed to accommodate truck traffic, and electrical and water infrastructure. The total property valuation in 2015 was nearly $4 million and was nearly $36 million last year, bringing the total increment value to just under $32 million. [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact statehouse investigative reporter Kevin Killough* at* [*kevin.killough@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:kevin.killough@sdnewswatch.org). ### Free training on accessing South Dakota courts Oct. 10 URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-state-courts-training/ Last updated: 2025-10-03T10:00:27.000Z South Dakota journalists, students and members of the public can learn more about the state’s justice system at a free training session on Friday, Oct. 10, online and in person at Sioux Falls and Rapid City. South Dakota Unified Judicial System judges and staff will explain how the state court system works and how journalists and state residents can access court documents and attend hearings. High school and college students studying journalism, government, political science and law also would benefit from it. Those leading the session: Second Circuit Judge Jon C. Sogn, Second Circuit court administrator Karl Thoennes, Seventh Circuit Presiding Judge Robert Gusinsky, Pennington County clerk of court Amber Watkins and UJS public information officer Alisa Bousa. [Rotunda town hall held as part of civics and media seriesThe town halls, discussions and community gatherings are intended to increase civic engagement and help people be informed.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-222.jpg)South Dakota News WatchCarson Walker![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/IMG_3217-2.JPG)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-civics-media-politics-voting-series/) It will be interactive, and participants can text questions to 605-223-1797\. Attendees will also get access to the “South Dakota Crime Reporting Guide,” a resource for covering state and federal courts in South Dakota. The session will be held 9-11 a.m. Central time Friday, Oct. 10, online at [sd.net](https://www.sd.net/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) and in person at the SDPB studios at Sioux Falls (601 N. Phillips Ave.) and Rapid City (415 Main St.). [RSVP for the in-person sessions](https://sdpb.ticketbud.com/the-courts-and-the-news-a-training-for-journalists?ref=sdnewswatch.org), which open at 8 a.m. Central time with coffee and pastries. The event will be archived at [https://sdpb.org/youtube](https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCvVBOK6lIHubLbsZhA1hxhPHxrefBuGF&si=hTrut7kbuFFSVn8f&ref=sdnewswatch.org), where previous training sessions can be viewed. South Dakota Public Broadcasting, the South Dakota Bar Foundation and South Dakota News Watch are sponsoring the training. Download a handout with event details to post and share: [Training handout 2025-10-10Training handout 2025-10-10.pdf369 KBdownload-circle](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/content/files/2025/10/Training-handout-2025-10-10.pdf "Download") [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) ## ****Get South Dakota stories** Get the latest stories from South Dakota News Watch straight to your inbox. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. Cancel any time. *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact Carson Walker* at* [*carson.walker@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:carson.walker@sdnewswatch.org). ### Amid illegal immigration purge, new citizens are welcomed URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/naturalization-citizen-illegal-immigration-noem/ Last updated: 2025-10-03T02:17:01.000Z MOUNT RUSHMORE NATIONAL MEMORIAL, S.D. – Rose Wah came to the U.S. at the age of 8 to join her father who had immigrated to Sioux Falls from the West African country of Liberia. Wah graduated from Roosevelt High School and earned a nursing degree from South Dakota State University in 2024\. She now works as a pediatric nurse at the Lifescape Children’s Services clinic in Sioux Falls. As of Oct. 2, Wah now holds a new title — that of American citizen. “I feel good and will now have the perks and privilege of being a citizen, especially in terms of travel,” said Wah, 23. ## ****Get South Dakota stories** Get the latest stories from South Dakota News Watch straight to your inbox. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. Cancel any time. Wah was one of 72 people from 34 counties who were granted legal American citizenship during a naturalization ceremony Thursday at Mount Rushmore National Memorial. It took place amid a government shutdown that – so far – has not affected critical operations at the Black Hills memorial. The site hosts naturalization ceremonies at least annually. The celebration also occurred at a time when the nation is witnessing an aggressive crackdown on illegal immigration ordered by President Donald Trump and largely being led by former South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, now the secretary of the Department of Homeland Security. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/10/2025-10-2-Rose-Wah-1.jpg) Rose Wah, a resident of Sioux Falls, was granted American citizenship during a naturalization ceremony on Oct. 2, 2025 at Mount Rushmore National Memorial, S.D. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch/ South Dakota News Watch) Wah said she believes immigrants who come to America, either legally like her family or illegally like some others, share the dream of having opportunities they do not have in their home countries. Wah said she likely wouldn't have been able to drive a car, go to college and become a nurse if she stayed in Liberia. “People are bringing their children because they want a better life for their kids, which is what my dad did when he brought us here,” she said. “He wanted us to have a better future and better education.” ## Sympathy for illegal immigrants seeking opportunity Wah said she sympathizes with people who come to the country illegally because she understands their motives, even if she doesn’t approve of their methods. “I kind of understand their path, but I also don’t understand doing it in an illegal way,” she said. “It does make me sad how people are being treated.” The ceremony featured brief speeches by several elected officials, including U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson of South Dakota, Gov. Larry Rhoden and Noem. The ongoing crackdown on illegal immigration was never mentioned during the event, which carried a sense of joy and appreciation among those present. ****Join other South Dakotans and support statewide storytelling.** [Donate ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Rhoden told the new citizens and their family members that it is incumbent on Americans to fight if necessary to protect the country and the freedoms it provides. He also pointed to legal paths to citizenship as the proper way to become an American. "It is often said that America is a nation of immigrants, but that's not the whole story," Rhoden said. "We're a nation of immigrants who did it the right way." In her remarks, Noem said that "this is a fantastic time to become a citizen," stressing to those present that American leaders have historically put the needs of the country and its people above their own interests. "Our founders knew that a government of the people was the best form of government," Noem said. "They sacrificed their own wealth, their own well being, to defeat the British empire in the American revolution. And they didn't do it for wealth, they didn't do it for power and they didn't do it for glory. Men like (George) Washington and (Thomas) Jefferson did it because they knew they had a duty to ensure freedom for their families but also for their fellow citizens." ## Noem: U.S. a republic, not a monarchy She told the new citizens that the founders of the U.S. "knew that this nation would be difficult to maintain." Noem told how a woman approached Benjamin Franklin after the Constitutional Convention in 1787 and asked, "'Well, doctor, what have we got, a Republic or a monarchy?' and he said, 'A Republic, if you can keep it,"' Noem said. "That is our task in front of us today." Near the end of the ceremony, each new citizen briefly took the stage to state their name, nation of origin and where they live now. Noem hugged some of them and kissed at least one new resident on the cheek. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/10/2025-10-2-Hung-Vong-1.jpg) Hung Vong, of Spearfish, S.D., was granted American citizenship during a naturalization ceremony on Oct. 2, 2025, at Mount Rushmore National Memorial, S.D. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch/ South Dakota News Watch) Hung Vong, 19, a financial services student at Black Hills State University in Spearfish, was the first to receive his formal citizenship document from Noem. Vong, a native of Vietnam, said he came to Spearfish at the age of 14 to be with his mother and grandparents, who opened a hair and nail salon in the city a decade ago. Vong was bubbly about the prospect of being an American citizen. "It's really exciting because I feel like all my hard work is paying off," he said. Vong said he supports legal immigration for others who can support the U.S. and its economy. "I hope to take this opportunity to improve myself and contribute to helping make America greater." ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/10/2025-10-2-Solo-family-1-1.jpg) Brunelle Solo (right) stands with her husband, Sheva Solo, and two of their children before a naturalization ceremony on Oct. 2, 2025, at Mount Rushmore National Memorial, S.D. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch/ South Dakota News Watch) Brunelle Solo, 30, came to the U.S. from the Ivory Coast in West Africa in 2021 to join her husband, Sheva Solo, who had emigrated from the country to Deadwood with his parents in 2008. Brunelle and Sheva, 35, now live with their three children in Sioux Falls, where Sheva works in information technology for Avera Health. "I came to America to marry my best friend," Brunelle said with a smile. "I knew the U.S. was a place of freedom, and I think I will now have the best experience in my life with my family and my kids." [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact* *Bart Pfankuch* at* [*bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Fact brief: Are ACA premiums set to increase for all South Dakotans by 235%? URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/fact-brief-affordable-care-act-aca-premiums-government-shutdown/ Last updated: 2025-10-05T17:33:29.000Z ## No. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/WhiteFACT-BRIEF--500-x-200-px--2-1-1.png) While Affordable Care Act premiums are going to rise in 2026, a post on X from a United States senator saying costs will increase 235% in South Dakota if tax credits expire is misleading. Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Illinois, posted that premiums in red states would increase by as much as three times. The proposed rate increases for South Dakota insurers: Avera (8.9%), Sanford Health (5.2%) and Wellmark of South Dakota (1.2%). Nationally, the median proposed increase is 18%. Prices could increase substantially more if the tax credits are not renewed in 2026\. Those credits provided additional assistance to enrollees and expanded eligible income levels. KFF estimates that a family of four making $90,000 will have premiums increase by 56%. Lower-income levels will see the biggest increase, from $0 to $1,607 for a family earning $45,000\. Nationally, premiums would increase an average of 114%. *This fact brief responds to conversations such as* [*this one.*](https://www.reddit.com/r/politics/comments/1nwgna8/aca%5Fpremiums%5Fto%5Frise%5F114%5Fwithout%5Fsubsidy%5Frenewal/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) ### Sources Sen. Tammy Duckworth, [X post on ACA premiums](https://x.com/SenDuckworth/status/1973126854421700714?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Peterson-KFF, [Health System Tracker](https://www.healthsystemtracker.org/brief/how-much-and-why-aca-marketplace-premiums-are-going-up-in-2026/?ref=sdnewswatch.org#Overall%202026%20proposed%20rate%20change%20among%20ACA%20Marketplace%20plans,%20by%20insurer) KFF, [ACA marketplace premium payments would more than double on average if enhanced premium tax credits expire](https://www.kff.org/affordable-care-act/aca-marketplace-premium-payments-would-more-than-double-on-average-next-year-if-enhanced-premium-tax-credits-expire/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) --- [South Dakota News Watch](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/) partners with [Gigafact](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) to publish fact briefs that refute or confirm a claim with supporting information and additional evidence and context. - [Read previous fact briefs](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/tag/fact-brief/). - Read our verification standards and other [best practices policies](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/best-practices/). - Submit a question for us to answer on the [South Dakota News Watch Tipline](https://gigafact.org/tipline/south-dakota-news-watch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). - Send questions or feedback to [factbrief@sdnewswatch.org](mailto:factbrief@sdnewswatch.org). [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact Michael Klinski* at michael.klinski@sdnewswatch.org.* ### Questions still unanswered after man killed during raid; officer-involved shooting data URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/officer-involved-shootings-reservation-south-dakota/ Last updated: 2025-10-01T11:00:51.000Z Nearly a year after a Yankton Sioux man was killed in a tribal housing unit, the federal agency responsible for his death has few answers. On Nov. 27, 2024, officers from the U.S. Marshals Service shot Zander Zephier in a tribal housing unit on the Yankton Indian Reservation. Zephier, who had a criminal history and was considered escaped from Charles Mix County Jail at the time of his death, was brushing his teeth and live-streaming on Facebook. A media representative from the U.S. Marshals Service told News Watch that internal investigations about officer-involved deaths can take “months or years” but did not provide any updates on the status of Zephier’s case. The representative did not clarify whether an external investigation was taking place. [Family seeks justice after man killed in raidZander Zephier was shot after law enforcement used pepper spray and entered the basement of his family’s home on the Yankton Sioux Reservation.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-214.jpg)South Dakota News WatchStu Whitney![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/2024-12-11-Zane-at-vigil-1.JPG)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/zander-zephier-family-officer-involved-shooting-wagner-south-dakota/) The U.S. Marshals Service also denied a Freedom of Information Act request from News Watch for body and dash camera footage related to the shooting. "Exemption (b)(7)(A) permits withholding of information when a law enforcement proceeding is pending or prospective and release of information pertaining to the open investigation could reasonably be expected to cause some articulable harm," the denial said. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/09/2024-12-11-Candle-portraits.jpeg) Portraits of Zander Zephier are surrounded by lit candles during a vigil held Dec. 11, 2024, by friends and family in the tribal housing community just north of Wagner, S.D. (Photo: Stu Whitney / South Dakota News Watch) In February, Zephier’s family said it had retained Sioux Falls attorney Nicole Griese to represent it. [Former marshal: Shots fired in reservation raid ‘consistent with training’Questions remain about Zander Zephier’s death, including the use of pepper spray and the decision to enter the house without more negotiation.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-215.jpg)South Dakota News WatchStu Whitney![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/2024-12-11-Candle-portraits.JPG)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/zander-zephier-death-certificate-yankton-sioux-tribe-shooting/) Lawsuits against the U.S. Marshals Service and other federal agencies are usually filed under the Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA), which begins as an administrative claim with the Department of Justice. The FTCA allows individuals to sue the federal government for damage, including death, caused by a federal employee's "negligence" when acting within official job duties. ## ****Get South Dakota stories** An email summary on most weekdays that links to the full version. Cancel anytime. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. Griese told News Watch that an FTCA claim was filed on behalf of the family in July. If the DOJ does not respond within six months, the claim can be treated as a denial and a formal lawsuit can be pursued, she said. Griese said she could not comment further but said in February, "No family should have to fight this hard for basic answers about what happened to their loved one. We will not stop until the truth is brought to light and there is justice for Zander." ## Marshals shootings drop, with most tied to non-federal crimes Although the U.S. Marshals Service is a federal law enforcement agency, much of the agency's work is with local and state law enforcement in "locating and apprehending their most violent fugitives." In 2024, the agency executed 88,765 warrants, 58,792, or two-thirds, of which were state or local. Marshals are allowed to operate on tribal lands, like the Yankton reservation, when executing federal warrants but not when assisting in state or local arrests. According to the 2023 U.S. Marshals Service Shooting Incident Report, the most recent data available, there were 40 “intentional” agency shooting incidents in that year. Eighteen of them resulted in the death of a suspect and 11 resulted in injury of a suspect. There were 10 law enforcement officer injuries during those incidents. The 2023 numbers represent an overall 17% decline in shooting incidents from the previous year. In 2023, the U.S. Marshals Service made 65,089 physical arrests, some of which may have included the same suspect. Of shootings involving U.S. Marshals Service officers, 75% were related to the enforcement of local or state warrants, with just 17% related to federal warrants, according to the report. In 2023, there were no officer-involved shootings involving Native Americans, who made up 2.3% of total arrests that year. ## Other law-enforcement related deaths in South Dakota this year There have been seven officer-involved shootings in the state this year, one of which resulted in the death of a suspect. Two of those shootings involved the same suspect, and two shootings occurred on tribal lands. On Aug. 5, Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe member Shace Looking Horse died after being shot by a South Dakota Highway Patrol officer during a hostage situation. Two tribal officers from the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services were also present, though the shooting did not occur on the reservation. Looking Horse held a female hostage at gunpoint and led officers on a chase from Green Grass on the Cheyenne River Indian Reservation to a home in rural Haakon County. Looking Horse was fatally shot outside the residence while holding the hostage victim at gunpoint. ****Will you support South Dakota News Watch?** SDNW is an independent, 501(c)(3) nonprofit that tells investigative stories, verifies claims and engages with communities to identify solutions. With your gift, we can do even more important stories like this one. [Donate ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley announced on Sept. 5 that a Department of Criminal Investigation review determined the three officers were justified in their use of force. On Aug. 2, a member of the Sicangu Lakota Tribe suffered life-threatening injuries after being shot by tribal officers outside the Indian Health Service building in Rosebud, according to a press release from the Rosebud Police Department. "In accordance with standard protocol for officer-involved shootings, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has been notified and will serve as the primary investigative agency for this incident," the release said. The FBI did not respond to a request for comment. [Fact brief: Are officer-involved shootings in SD increasing?A fact brief that refutes or confirms a claim with supporting information and additional evidence and context.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-218.jpg)South Dakota News WatchMichael Klinski![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/2025-7-7-Officer-involved-shooting.jpeg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/fact-brief-officer-involved-shootings-south-dakota-gigafact/) [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email) *for statewide stories. Investigative reporter *Molly Wetsch* is a* [*Report for America*](https://www.reportforamerica.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *corps member covering rural and Indigenous issues. Contact her at* [*molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Fact brief: Has a president formally apologized for the Wounded Knee massacre? URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/fact-brief-wounded-knee-massacre-pete-hegseth-joe-biden/ Last updated: 2025-09-30T12:12:11.000Z ## No. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/WhiteFACT-BRIEF--500-x-200-px--2-1-1.png) A United States president has never formally apologized for the 1890 Wounded Knee Massacre that resulted in the deaths of about 300 Native American men, women and children in southwestern South Dakota, most of whom were unarmed. In 1990, the Democratic-led Congress passed a resolution expressing “deep regret” for the killings on behalf of the United States to the descendants of the victims and their tribal communities. The resolution also called for Congress “to acknowledge and learn from our history.” In 2020, then-candidate Joe Biden said it was “abhorrent” that soldiers involved in the killings received Medals of Honor. The Biden administration had ordered a review of the honors given out, but no details on the review were publicly released. On Sept. 26, 2025, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced that 20 U.S. soldiers would keep their medals. “We’re making it clear that they deserve those medals,” Hegseth said. *This fact brief responds to conversations such as* [*this one.*](https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/1nse9su/the%5Fus%5Fsecretary%5Fof%5Fwar%5Fhas%5Frecently%5Fannounced%5F20/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) ### **Sources** History.com, [What happened at the Wounded Knee Massacre?](https://www.history.com/articles/wounded-knee-massacre-facts?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Congress.gov, [Senate Concurrent Resolution 153](https://www.congress.gov/bill/101st-congress/senate-concurrent-resolution/153?ref=sdnewswatch.org) History, Art & Archives of U.S. House of Representatives, [101st Congress](https://history.house.gov/Congressional-Overview/Profiles/101st/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Native News Online, [Four Directions native vote calls on President Biden to remove the Medals of Honor](https://nativenewsonline.net/currents/four-directions-native-vote-calls-on-president-biden-to-remove-the-medals-of-honor-given-to-calvarly-members-who-murdered-the-innocent-at-wounded-knee?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Reuters, [Native Americans condemn Pentagon move to preserve Wounded Knee medals](https://www.reuters.com/world/us/native-americans-condemn-pentagon-move-preserve-wounded-knee-medals-2025-09-27/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) The Guardian, [Hegseth says Wounded Knee massacre soldiers will keep Medals of Honor](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/sep/26/pete-hegseth-wounded-knee-massacre-medals-of-honor?ref=sdnewswatch.org) --- [South Dakota News Watch](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/) partners with [Gigafact](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) to publish fact briefs that refute or confirm a claim with supporting information and additional evidence and context. - [Read previous fact briefs](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/tag/fact-brief/). - Read our verification standards and other [best practices policies](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/best-practices/). - Submit a question for us to answer on the [South Dakota News Watch Tipline](https://gigafact.org/tipline/south-dakota-news-watch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). - Send questions or feedback to [factbrief@sdnewswatch.org](mailto:factbrief@sdnewswatch.org). [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact Michael Klinski* at michael.klinski@sdnewswatch.org.* ### With prison approved, attention turns to recidivism URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-mens-prison-recidivism-treatment/ Last updated: 2025-09-26T10:00:33.000Z PIERRE, S.D. — The state of South Dakota must do a better job of keeping prisoners from reoffending and ending up back behind bars, South Dakota lawmakers said this week in narrowly passing a bill authorizing a $650 million facility in Sioux Falls. Among the concerns that opponents have about the large expenditure is whether the state has done enough to reduce recidivism, including addiction treatment. Before the state pursues such an investment it needs to improve the delivery of these services, they argued. Proponents of the new prison don’t dispute that, but they said the project will help by expanding the space available for these rehabilitation services. [Legislature’s prison vote this week caps decades of debateDaylong special session will end with fifth vote on proposed men’s facility. “The only way this prison will cost $1 billion is if we keep kicking the can down the road.”![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-216.jpg)South Dakota News WatchKevin Killough![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/PrisonSite2-1.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-prison-special-session-preview-legislature/) After the bill passed, Gov. Larry Rhoden made good on a promise to sign an [executive order authorizing a task force](https://governor.sd.gov/doc/Executive%20Order%202025-07.pdf?ref=sdnewswatch.org) to evaluate programming and treatment needs at the new facility, engage with Native Americans on their needs, study re-entry models and best practices and make recommendations. It will be some time before those recommendations come to fruition. The construction of the new prison will take four years, so advocates for correctional reform are taking a look at what can be done now to improve the system. ## The whole family Ernestine Chasing Hawk, a resident of Rapid City and managing editor of the Native Sun Times newspaper, has two daughters, ages 34 and 36, who were in prison for drug offenses. She asked that their names not be used. Both were caught up in South Dakota's ingestion law. Prior to July, the ingestion law dropped felony charges on people who test positive for drugs following an arrest. Last year, the law was reformed to make it a misdemeanor for the first and second offense. Chasing Hawk’s younger daughter has been in and out of prison for the past nine years, and the older one was first charged four years ago. They are both now in treatment, but there are a number of barriers to accessing those services, especially in the western part of the state, Chasing Hawk told News Watch. These barriers increase the risk they'll relapse, and they create burdens for others. “It doesn't just impact the person who's incarcerated, but it impacts the whole family,” she said. ## Sign up for South Dakota News Watch A nonprofit that tells investigative stories, verifies claims and engages with communities to identify solutions. Subscribe Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. One of her daughters has two children, and a third daughter took care of them while their mother was in prison. A felony ingestion charge can limit access to public housing, and many landlords also won't lease to people with recent drug convictions. This reduces their housing options, and sometimes parolees have to rely on family for housing. While case managers in the parole division of the Department of Corrections help parolees find jobs, many employment opportunities are closed to felons. Some offenses, such as drunken driving, can result in the loss of a driver's license. And the Department of Public Safety can take a person’s driver's license if they are too far in arrears for child support. Then, they have to rely on family and friends for transportation. "It's difficult to get housing, difficult to get jobs. And you're on parole, you have to have a job. And so then, if they don't, they eventually end up back in prison,” Chasing Hawk said. ![The Rapid City Minimum Center is at 175% capacity as of 2024. (Photo: Department of Corrections)](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/09/RapidCityMinimum.jpeg) The Rapid City Minimum Center is at 175% capacity as of 2024\. (Photo: Department of Corrections) She has had to drive her daughters to take drug tests, to treatment facilities and to meet with their parole officers. One time, a boyfriend drove Chasing Hawk’s younger daughter across the state in a blizzard to take her daughter to a detox program in Yankton. Native Americans made up 63% of female offenders in the South Dakota prison system in 2024, and 53% of female inmates were incarcerated for drug offenses. Another one of Chasing Hawk’s daughters wasn’t able to successfully complete treatment and died from her addictions. “That story is just too sad, and I don’t want to talk about it,” she said. ## Costs to taxpayers Sen. Tamara Grove, a Republican who lives on Lower Brule Indian Reservation, sponsored the law that made ingestion a misdemeanor. The law went into effect in July, so it’s too soon to tell how it will impact South Dakota’s incarceration and treatment rates. Grove told News Watch she sponsored the bill because the felony ingestion charges were taking people who were committing minor crimes as a result of their addictions and railroading them into incarceration. When drug tested upon arrest for minor offenses, the addicts would end up with felonies, which have greater impacts on their lives that create barriers to overcoming addiction. Treating addicts is much more affordable than incarceration, Grove said. “You’re not getting anything back for it (incarceration). In fact, when they come out, they’re worse,” she said. ****Play a bigger role in our storytelling.** Join us as a partner in telling stories that are important to all South Dakotans with a tax-deductible donation. [Donate ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/reportforamerica/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) In fiscal year 2024, the average daily cost per adult inmate in the South Dakota prison system was $92.21, up from $67.64 in fiscal year 2020, according to the Department of Corrections. The average daily cost of managing parolees was $12.02 in fiscal year 2024, up from $7.06 in fiscal year 2020. Grove said that it’s good that there are consequences for crimes, and these arrests can lead people into drug courts where they get treatment for their addictions. “We do want to be tough on crime. We do want that, but we also want people to be productive citizens,” Grove said. She said that programs such as the state’s drug courts that have stringent rules and set boundaries for the offenders are showing success in getting people past their addictions. She’d like to see the state relying more on these kinds of programs than incarceration. “I think that we can lead in areas when it comes to this, on how you can hold people accountable but also do so in a way that is productive for all of us,” Grove said. ## From prison to parole and back South Dakota’s parolees have to agree to conditions that are outlined prior to their release. These are based on a parolee’s criminal history, the risk they pose to the community, their individual needs for rehabilitation and other factors. In fiscal year 2024, 851 male and female parolees completed their parole or were granted early discharge, but 1,324 were sent back to prison. The most common reason for technical parole violations was a failure to keep their parole agents informed of their activities and location. These accounted for 69% of all violations. Failing to engage with and maintain treatment program participation accounted for 42% of violations. Drug use or positive drug tests accounted for 42% of violations. Other violations include a failure to obey all laws and failure to comply with directions and sanctions. Since parole hearings can include multiple violations, the numbers exceed 100%. Not all violations send the parolees back to prison. Depending on the seriousness and extent of their non-compliance, the parolees may receive a verbal reprimand, be required to write an apology letter, take anger-management classes, do community service, take more frequent drug tests or be on house arrest. Approximately 37% of admissions into prison in fiscal year 2024 were the result of technical parole violations. ## No perfect treatment program Nicole Dvorak, president of Glory House in Sioux Falls, told News Watch that the services in population centers of the state are more robust than those in rural areas. This is true of all kinds of services. Glory House has an extensive range of treatment services for addiction, including assessments, evidenced-based therapies, residential treatment, outpatient counseling and case management. Creating comprehensive treatment services for everyone struggling with addiction is no simple task, Dvorak said. “There's always going to be some increased need. These are people. People in life struggle with using substances to navigate through life, and it's hard. And when you're looking at getting into treatment facilities, oftentimes, there’s a waitlist,” she explained. Dvorak said for all Glory House offers, it’s not perfect. But she said she takes great pride in all those they have helped. “We don't get everything right. We absolutely don't because everybody is unique in what their needs are. We try to use our experience with the evidence, evidence-based tools to get people what they need,” she said. Relapse is considered a normal part of the addiction treatment process, and Dvorak said she doesn’t expect everyone to get it right the first time. “I believe in my heart that anyone can change. I believe that when the seeds are planted, it might stay dormant for a year, for two months, for six days, for 10 years — but that seed is still there,” she said. ## Appetite for rehabilitation With the state dropping $650 million on a new facility, it’s unlikely that South Dakota lawmakers will stomach another prison for a long time to come. Efforts to reduce recidivism in the coming years will likely see more support than ever. Grove, who voted in favor of the new prison, said she’s going to push for more reforms in the upcoming legislative session. The governor’s task force on rehabilitation could help if it has the right people on it, she said. And she’s optimistic that rehabilitation programs will improve in the coming years. “What’s exciting is that we appear to have an appetite in South Dakota for that now,” Grove said. [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact statehouse investigative reporter Kevin Killough* at* [*kevin.killough@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:kevin.killough@sdnewswatch.org). ### Fact brief: Was the Big Sioux River ranked as one of the dirtiest in the nation? URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/fact-brief-sioux-falls-big-sioux-river-smithfield-foods/ Last updated: 2025-09-25T11:00:36.000Z ## Yes. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/WhiteFACT-BRIEF--500-x-200-px--2-1-1.png) The Big Sioux River was ranked in the top 10 for the amount of toxic substances released into the watershed in 2020, according to a report by Environment America, but improvements to wastewater treatment at Smithfield Foods has improved the river's quality. The 2022 “Wasting Our Waterways” report ranked the Big Sioux River watershed sixth in the country for toxic substances released into the river in 2020\. The Lower Ohio-Little Pigeon watershed in Indiana and Kentucky ranked No. 1. Smithfield Foods was a major factor in that ranking, though the amount of nitrates released from the meat packing plant shrunk from 4.9 million pounds in 2020 to 1.1 million pounds in 2024 after the company opened a $45 million wastewater treatment facility. Smithfield’s discharge is downstream of Falls Parks and the city's core. Ag runoff from upstream is a bigger factor in unsafe river conditions in Sioux Falls. *This fact brief responds to conversations such as* [*this one.*](https://www.reddit.com/r/SiouxFalls/comments/144oxih/tubing%5Fthe%5Fbig%5Fsioux/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) ### **Sources** Environment America, [Wasting our Waterways: Toxic pollution and the unfulfilled promise of the Clean Water Act](https://publicinterestnetwork.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/AME-USP-FG-Wasting-our-Waterways-Sep22-revd-042523.pdf?ref=sdnewswatch.org) South Dakota News Watch, [Sioux Falls growth forces question: Can Smithfield and Big Sioux River co-exist?](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/sioux-falls-smithfield-foods-owner-pollution-big-sioux-river/) --- [South Dakota News Watch](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/) partners with [Gigafact](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) to publish fact briefs that refute or confirm a claim with supporting information and additional evidence and context. - [Read previous fact briefs](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/tag/fact-brief/). - Read our verification standards and other [best practices policies](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/best-practices/). - Submit a question for us to answer on the [South Dakota News Watch Tipline](https://gigafact.org/tipline/south-dakota-news-watch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). - Send questions or feedback to [factbrief@sdnewswatch.org](mailto:factbrief@sdnewswatch.org). *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact Michael Klinski* at michael.klinski@sdnewswatch.org.* ### Tariffs and trade war bring volatility to SD ag industries URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/tariffs-trade-south-dakota-agriculture/ Last updated: 2025-09-24T17:49:05.000Z NEWELL, S.D. – Tariffs, an international trade war and other market conditions are creating great volatility across the South Dakota agricultural industry, with West River ranchers celebrating record prices and some East River soybean and corn farmers facing potential financial disaster. Farming and ranching are always full of ups and downs and winners and losers. But 2025 is proving to be unusual in the way some agricultural sectors are riding high while others are worrying about potential foreclosures. President Donald Trump's trade war with China is almost exclusively negative for row crop growers, but his multitude of new tariffs are lifting some sectors, livestock producers in particular. ## ****Get South Dakota stories** An email summary on most weekdays that links to the full version. Cancel anytime. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. At a stock sale at the Newell Sheep Yards, replacement ewes were drawing "very high prices" on a recent Thursday in September, according to facility manager Barney Barnes. But the ebullient mood on display in Newell belies the misery being felt by thousands of farmers and farm families in the eastern half of South Dakota. Largely due to the trade war with China, which has led the Asian nation to forgo orders for American soybeans and turn instead to South American producers, row-crop farmers in eastern South Dakota expect low demand and low prices for their products this year. "When you look at crop markets like corn and soybeans and wheat, they're all just dead," said Scott VanderWal, president of the South Dakota Farm Bureau Federation. "They're all in a loss position." ![A lamb awaits sale on Sept. 18, 2025, at the Newell Sheep Yards in Newell, S.D. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch)](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/09/2025-9-18-Lamb-awaits-sale.jpg) A lamb awaits sale on Sept. 18, 2025, at the Newell Sheep Yards in Newell, S.D. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) Republican U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds of South Dakota told News Watch that row-crop farmers in South Dakota have suffered for years without favorable trade deals, adding that Trump's goal is to enact deals that "change the balance of trade." After meeting with a dozen row-crop farmers, lenders and agricultural leaders in Pierre on Sept. 22, Rounds cautioned them that the struggles of 2025 might continue into 2026 if new trade deals aren't made by then. "The American producer is the tip of the spear in these trade battles," he said. Rounds later suggested that perhaps some of the new federal revenue from tariffs could be used to offset losses by American farmers. ## Concerns greatest in soybean industry The worst hit among South Dakota’s roughly 28,000 farms and ranches are the 5,000 producers who grow soybeans. With no China sales, they are left with the untenable situation of having a huge crop of beans ready for harvest and a gap in the traditional marketplace to sell them. ![U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds, right, speaks during a meeting in Pierre, S.D., on Sept. 22, 2025 with South Dakota row-crop farmers, including Doug Simons, left, president of the South Dakota Wheat Growers Association. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch)](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/09/2025-9-22-Sen-Rounds-discussion-2-1.jpg) U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds, right, speaks during a meeting in Pierre, S.D., on Sept. 22, 2025, with South Dakota row-crop farmers, including Doug Simons, left, president of the South Dakota Wheat Growers Association. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) “If you don’t have a market or a good price for the product, you don’t have a working wage for the families, and there have been bankruptcies already,” said Jerry Schmitz, executive director of the South Dakota Soybean Association. “Especially the young families, when we start losing those, they’re the people who are our future and who should be producing for the next few generations.” > “With less demand, and a bumper crop coming through this year, that will all create downward pressure on prices,” said DaNita Murray, executive director of South Dakota Corn, the grower’s association. “Things are tightening up, and the mood out there ranges from worried to grim.” In a typical year, soybean producers generate about $5 billion for the state economy, Schmitz said. About 30% of the 230 million bushels of soybeans grown annually in South Dakota are exported to China, he said. As the annual soybean harvest begins, producers may have to pay to store their beans in grain bins or elevators, but some may have to bag them or store them on the ground, Schmitz said. ![A sheep stands in a stall at the ram show held by the South Dakota Rambouillet Association in Newell, S.D., on Sept. 18, 2025. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch)](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/09/2025-9-18-Ram-close-up-1.jpg) A sheep stands in a stall at the ram show held by the Newell Ram Show & Sale in Newell, S.D., on Sept. 18, 2025\. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) “In these trade deals with China, we’re making agreements that make things more fair for workers in Detroit or Chicago, but that’s being done at the expense of small family farms that are producing soybeans,” he said. Schmitz said he and other agricultural leaders are seeking new markets for soybeans and related products, including for oils that can be used in biofuels, such as diesel. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/09/Soybean-prices.png) This chart from NDSU Agricultural Trade Monitor shows the soybean basis, which is the difference between what a farmer receives in their local market and the price of the nearest‐term CBOT futures contract. Some hope arrived with a recent trade delegation from Nepal, Sri Lanka and other countries that visited South Dakota, though those nations are much smaller soybean consumers than China. Establishing markets in new countries is a slow process that can take years, Schmitz said. Meanwhile, China is likely to increase soybean purchases from South America, as it has during previous trade wars. Once those new markets are established, they cut into the market for American soybeans on a permanent basis, Schmitz said. ## Corn growers see low prices amid bumper crop South Dakota’s corn farmers, many of whom also grow soybeans, are also having a tough year. Even as they could set a record of more than a billion bushels grown in 2025, up from about 850 million last year, they are plagued by low demand and low prices that could stifle profits, said DaNita Murray, executive director of South Dakota Corn, the grower’s association. ![Farmers who grow corn, like this field near Dimock, S.D., shown in July 2023, expect a bumper crop but low prices for their product in 2025. (Photo: South Dakota News Watch file)](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/09/cornfield-1.jpg) Farmers who grow corn, like this field near Dimock, S.D., shown in July 2023, expect a bumper crop but low prices for their product in 2025\. (Photo: South Dakota News Watch file) Similar to the soybean industry, corn farmers are seeing no orders from China as well as slowed interest from the two major importers of American corn — Canada and Mexico, Murray said. “With less demand, and a bumper crop coming through this year, that will all create downward pressure on prices,” she said. “Things are tightening up, and the mood out there ranges from worried to grim.” A lack of details about trade deals made by Trump, including with the United Kingdom, have caused uncertainty in the markets that has further stagnated prices, Murray said. About half of South Dakota corn is used for ethanol and the remainder is used for animal feed and exports, she said. Corn was selling for about $3.60 a bushel in early September. ****Support stories about rural South Dakota with a tax-deductible donation.** [Donate ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/reportforamerica/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Potential negative outcomes include farmers having to pay to store their grain and, in the longer term, an inability to afford equipment or fertilizers that are subject to import tariffs in the upcoming planting season. Those impacts could spill further down the line in the agricultural economy in the state, Murray said. VanderWal said if the cost of "inputs," that include seed, fertilizers and land rents or mortgage payments continue to rise, and prices don't rise along with them, some South Dakota farmers might not be able to survive. "So here we go again, with higher input costs and a low price for our output that is below break even," he said. "People who don't have a lot of capital built up or pretty solid equity are going to have a problem." ## Beef, lamb producers having a very good year With a strong national market for lamb meat in 2025, sheep producers from across northwestern South Dakota were seeing strong prices and solid profits as they sold their ewe and feeder lambs to dozens of buyers in the auction ring in Newell in September. The positive outcomes for the state's relatively small sheep production industry is being felt on an even greater scale by South Dakota's far larger cattle ranching sector, which is anchored west of the Missouri River and is seeing record prices for cows and calves in 2025. ![A pair of ranchers read up on sheep that were for sale on Sept. 18, 2025, at the Newell Sheep Yards in Newell, S.D. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch)](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/09/2025-9-18-Sheep-buyers-confer-1.jpg) Ranchers read up on sheep that were for sale on Sept. 18, 2025, at the Newell Sheep Yards in Newell, S.D. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) Nationally, beef producers have benefited from a reduction in supply as ranchers slowed production after the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to the lowest overall inventory since the early 1960s. Ranchers in the cow-calf industry have benefited from price increases caused by tariffs placed on beef imports that have reduced the amount of foreign-grown meat coming into the U.S., including from Mexico due to concern over a New World screwworm outbreak. [Calving goes high techFrom breeding to birth: How South Dakota cattle producers use technology to lose fewer calves and get more sleep.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-212.jpg)South Dakota News WatchMegan Luther![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/wssolarpowerwell-1-1.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/high-tech-calving-cameras-south-dakota-agriculture/) Jack Orwick, who has about 2,000 sheep and 350 head of cattle on his ranch in Butte County about 40 miles north of Newell, said he expects a great year for revenues in 2025. Orwick said he recently sold open heifers for $3,100 a head, the highest price ever. “That’s just nuts, record high prices, and nobody’s ever seen anything like it,” he said. “The lamb market is pretty strong, too, and it’s expected to get stronger in the fall.” Demand for beef among American consumers has remained high, and their willingness to pay higher prices for ground beef and steaks has not waned despite consistent inflation, Orwick said. ## Other South Dakota markets holding stable Other markets in South Dakota are holding strong, including the pork, turkey and dairy industries. "Pork producers are currently experiencing market levels that are allowing them to be profitable," Abbey Riemenschneider, spokeswoman for the South Dakota Pork Producer Council, told News Watch in an email. "Like many other industries, we are concerned about existing and potential tariffs that could be put in place, as approximately 25% of U.S. production is exported." VanderWal said the state’s dairy operators are also having a good year. South Dakota has seen a recent surge in capacity to turn milk into cheese, and the demand for milk and cheese has remained high across the country this year, he said. Turkey production, largely led by Hutterite colonies, also remains stable, VanderWal said, though bird losses are reaching the hundreds of thousands due to avian flu this fall. [From barn to table: How agritourism is reviving rural South DakotaTourism data from 2024 indicates that several counties in the state had a spike in visitor spending, and most of those are rural.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-210.jpg)South Dakota News WatchMolly Wetsch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/farm1-1-2.JPG)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/agritourism-south-dakota-tourism-good-earth/) For South Dakota producers who lose money due to tariffs and trade conflicts, it's possible Congress might approve cash bailout payments, as [it did in South Dakota](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/19-million-paid-to-s-d-farmers-only-a-band-aid-for-tariff-losses/) with the Market Facilitation Program during the Trump trade war in 2018-2020. "That's not the way farmers want to make their money, but if it'll keep people alive financially for another year, it might be necessary," VanderWal said. VanderWal, who also serves as vice president of the American Farm Bureau, said he remains optimistic that short-term pain will result in long-term stability in American agricultural markets. But help might not come soon enough for farmers without sufficient capital or equity, he said. "We're talking about profitability to the administration and policymakers and helping them understand that the ag economy is not good, and that we're going to start losing people if things don't change around," VanderWal said. [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact* *Bart Pfankuch* at* [*bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Fact brief: Is South Dakota one of the friendliest states for credit card companies? URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/giga-fact-brief-sd-credit-card-companies-citi-wells-fargo/ Last updated: 2025-09-23T11:00:32.000Z ## Yes. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/WhiteFACT-BRIEF--500-x-200-px--2-1-1.png) South Dakota landed several major credit card companies after 1980 because of the state’s lack of laws restricting interest rates. In the 1970s, credit card companies were losing money with every swipe because most states had laws that capped interest rates. The lack of a usury law in South Dakota combined with a Supreme Court ruling that said companies could use the state’s laws where the company was headquartered led to a financial boom. Even if a card was used in another state, South Dakota laws governed interest rates. "The three best things that ever happened to South Dakota were the Homestead Act, the sculpting of Mount Rushmore and Citibank coming to Sioux Falls,” said Ron Williamson, chief of staff to then-Gov. Bill Janklow. Today, Wells Fargo, Citi and First PREMIER Bank/Premier Bankcard are three of the top 15 employers in Sioux Falls, employing up to 5,000 people. *This fact brief responds to conversations such as* [*this one.*](https://www.reddit.com/r/personalfinance/comments/12fyi5s/why%5Fdo%5Fcredit%5Fand%5Fdebit%5Fcards%5Falways%5Fcome%5Ffrom/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) ### **Sources** Cambridge University, [Why your US credit card bills come from Sioux Falls](https://www.cambridge.org/core/blog/2017/08/21/why-your-us-credit-card-bills-come-from-sioux-falls-a-brief-history-of-us-consumer-finance/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Marketplace, [Sioux Falls: The town credit built](https://www.marketplace.org/story/2009/03/25/sioux-falls-town-credit-built?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Sioux Falls Argus Leader, [What really happened to land Citibank](https://www.argusleader.com/story/stu-whitney/2015/04/04/whitney-real-story-behind-citibank/25296111/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) --- [South Dakota News Watch](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/) partners with [Gigafact](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) to publish fact briefs that refute or confirm a claim with supporting information and additional evidence and context. - [Read previous fact briefs](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/tag/fact-brief/). - Read our verification standards and other [best practices policies](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/best-practices/). - Submit a question for us to answer on the [South Dakota News Watch Tipline](https://gigafact.org/tipline/south-dakota-news-watch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). - Send questions or feedback to [factbrief@sdnewswatch.org](mailto:factbrief@sdnewswatch.org). [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact Michael Klinski* at michael.klinski@sdnewswatch.org.* ### Legislature's prison vote this week caps decades of debate URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-prison-special-session-preview-legislature/ Last updated: 2025-09-22T18:51:22.000Z *On Sept. 22, 2025, at 1:50 p.m., this article was edited to state that Bill Walsh was an active Catholic priest and chaplain at the penitentiary when he co-chaired a prison reform committee in the 1970s.* PIERRE, S.D. – The South Dakota Legislature convenes Tuesday for a special session to consider legislation authorizing the Department of Corrections to move forward with a new prison complex in northeastern Sioux Falls. The vote will be the fifth taken since the Department of Corrections hired a consultant in 2021 to study the state’s current and future prison needs, which concluded that South Dakota needed a new prison — a conclusion not all lawmakers agree with. The Legislature [passed a law in 2023](https://sdlegislature.gov/Session/Bill/23949?ref=sdnewswatch.org) to authorize the Department of Corrections to purchase property for a proposed facility. In 2024, the Legislature [approved an appropriation](https://sdlegislature.gov/Session/Bill/24927/258070?ref=sdnewswatch.org) for site preparation and planning for a proposed facility. Lawmakers then voted twice on a new prison in the last session, ultimately rejecting an $825 million facility in Lincoln County. A Project Prison Reset Task Force set up by Gov. Larry Rhoden came back in July with a proposal for the $650 million facility in Sioux Falls, which the Legislature will vote on Tuesday. ## ****Get South Dakota stories** An email summary on most weekdays that links to the full version. Cancel anytime. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. Supporters of the proposal say the South Dakota State Penitentiary in Sioux Falls is deteriorating, creating safety concerns for prison staff and inmates. The new facility will address those safety concerns, they argue, while also increasing the vocational and treatment programs to help reduce recidivism. It is, they say, the most affordable means to satisfy the state’s correctional needs. Opponents argue that there are cheaper options than the $650 million proposed facility, which they say will end up costing taxpayers more than the stated figure, and this is the wrong time to proceed with the project. ## Prison debate in 1970s: 'Great, great discussions' South Dakotans have been debating the best approach to corrections for decades. In 1971 and 1972, Bill Walsh co-chaired a prison reform committee, which was established by former Gov. Richard Kneip. At the time he was an active Catholic priest and chaplain at the state penitentiary. Walsh told News Watch that the effort was part of a nationwide review of the prison system, and he estimates the committee met more than a dozen times. In the course of their research, Walsh said, the committee members interviewed dozens of people, including inmates at the state penitentiary. At times, the members’ discussions, he said, were lively. “We had heated discussions — great, great discussions — on” correctional issues, Walsh said. The committee produced a lengthy report, which ultimately concluded that no more prisons were needed in South Dakota. “We really needed to look at parole and pardon possibilities,” Walsh said of the committee’s conclusions. ## From 300 prisoners to nearly 4,000 At the time of Kneip’s prison reform committee, Walsh said, South Dakota had a prison population at the state penitentiary — the state’s only facility at the time — of about 300 prisoners. By the mid-1980s, the state’s population had grown to more than 1,000 inmates, according to the Prison Policy Initiative. By 1995, that number had doubled. And seven years later, it surpassed 3,000 inmates. [Do all inmates in SD get released into the community where the prison is located?A fact brief that refutes or confirms a claim with supporting information and additional evidence and context.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-206.jpg)South Dakota News WatchMichael Klinski![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/SouthDakotaPenitentiary-1.png)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/inmates-south-dakota-mens-prison-penitentiary-release/) South Dakota’s prison population topped out at nearly 4,000 in 2018\. Then, following national trends, it began to decline. The average daily population in fiscal year 2024, according to the Department of Corrections, was 3,694. The per-capita prison population figures show similar growth. In 1978, South Dakota had approximately 80 prisoners per 100,000 residents. By 2013, the figure had jumped to 428 per 100,000 residents. Following national trends, it fell to 370 per 100,000 residents in 2022\. That ranked South Dakota as the 15th highest incarceration rate in the U.S., following Florida and just behind Wyoming. ## Seven new facilities for inmates since 1970 To accommodate the growth in inmate population, the state has added new facilities to its network over the past 50 years. During the 1970s, the state opened the Yankton Minimum Center. This is separate from the Human Services Center, a psychiatric hospital, operated by the Department of Social Services. Since the Yankton prison opening, South Dakota has built six more prison facilities. [Rotunda town hall held as part of civics and media seriesThe town halls, discussions and community gatherings are intended to increase civic engagement and help people be informed.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-207.jpg)South Dakota News WatchCarson Walker![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/IMG_3217.JPG)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-civics-media-politics-voting-series/) In 1984, the state built the Mike Durfee State Prison in Springfield. In 1993, South Dakota added two more facilities — the Jameson Prison Annex and the Sioux Falls Minimum Center. Four years later, the South Dakota Women’s Prison in Pierre and the Pierre Minimum Center were added to the state’s prison network. The Rapid City Minimum Center, built in 2012, was the last prison opened in the state. A second Rapid City prison, the Rapid City Correctional Facility, is currently under construction and expected to open in 2026\. When operational, it will hold an additional 288 female prisoners. All combined, the state’s current operating prisons are designed to hold 2,775 inmates, and in fiscal year 2024, the average daily population was 3,694\. The only prison in South Dakota that wasn’t housing more inmates than it was originally intended to hold was the Jameson Prison Annex. The Sioux Falls Minimum Center was at 235% of its capacity in 2024, down from 250% in 2023\. The State Penitentiary was at 182% capacity, down from 186% the previous year. The state’s largest facility, the Mike Durfee prison, is designed to hold 963 inmates. It was at 113% capacity in fiscal year 2024, up from 106% the previous year. On average, the state’s facilities in fiscal year 2024 were at 154% capacity. ## Muckey: 'We need to get this right' With a $650 million price tag, there’s a lot of discussion among lawmakers about whether to build the new prison, as well as the broader issue of how best to address South Dakota’s correctional needs going forward into the future. Rep. Erik Muckey, a Democrat from Sioux Falls, called the project the largest capital expenditure in South Dakota’s history. “We need to get this right,” he told News Watch. The South Dakota Freedom Caucus argues that this is the wrong time to build a new facility. After the resignation this month of Department of Corrections Secretary Kellie Wasko, who faced a number of controversies over her management of the department during her three-year tenure, Rep. Phil Jensen, a Rapid City Republican who chairs the Freedom Caucus, said there’s too much “chaos” for the state to initiate a major project. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/09/PrisonSite.jpg) The proposed prison site in northeastern Sioux Falls off Benson Road and east of I-229\. (Photo: Samantha Laurey / Sioux Falls Argus Leader) Likewise the chief economist for the research firm Moody’s has said that South Dakota is at high risk of a recession in the coming year. The uncertainties about the facility’s price tag and high operational costs, Jensen said, suggest the state should pause and take more time to evaluate the project and hire a good secretary to oversee the department before proceeding. The Freedom Caucus argues that existing facilities should be expanded, and the population reduced. A large portion of prisoners in South Dakota are in for minor parole violations, Jensen said, and these shouldn’t take up space in the correctional network. “That just seems like a more common-sense approach rather than just hurrying down this path with so many unknown variables and little restraints,” Jensen said. ## 'Good plan,' supporters say Supporters of building a new prison dispute that there are uncertainties in the $650 million price tag. In an op-ed, Ryan Brunner, senior policy adviser for the governor’s office, said that the legislation authorizing the funding requires a two-thirds vote, and it would be illegal for the state to exceed that cost. “The only way this prison will cost $1 billion is if we keep kicking the can down the road,” Brunner wrote. Brunner also stated that the governor’s task force evaluated other options, such as expanding existing facilities, and these would have increased costs by 30%-40%. “(This) week the Legislature has a choice. This is the right plan, at the right price, and the right location. This should be an easy vote,” Brunner wrote. ****Join other South Dakotans and support statewide storytelling.** [Donate ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Rep. Will Mortenson, a Republican from Fort Pierre, told News Watch that once the governor explained the difference in cost from the $825 million project proposed earlier this year, as well as the rehabilitation services that will be included, that he believes the project is a “good plan.” Lt. Gov. Tony Venhuizen said Wasko's resignation won't impact the facility construction. The governor, he said, is doing a nationwide search, and the Senate will need to confirm any candidates Rhoden nominates. Since the prison will take four years to build, he said, turnover in the position during the construction process was always a possibility. But the Office of State Engineer will oversee the construction of the facility, if the Legislature approves it, so oversight won't be disrupted by the secretary selection process. "If the secretary is leaving, well, the secretary doesn't oversee the project anyway," Venhuizen said. ## Common ground in the debate The proposed new prison will hold 1,500 male prisoners. The existing state penitentiary in Sioux Falls is currently housing about 800 male prisoners. The other male facilities in the state are over capacity by about 700 prisoners. So, the proposed facility is designed to accommodate all current male prisoners in the state penitentiary, as well as the overflow in the other existing facilities. Supporters hope this will address all the state's correctional facility needs for the foreseeable future, but that would assume no growth in South Dakota's prison population. The need for addressing the underlying issues that land people in prison — and prevent growth in the prison population — is an area of agreement on both sides of the aisle as well as within the parties. “The most important area to look at is clearly substance abuse treatment,” Mortenson said. “In talking to law enforcement, they will tell you 90%-plus of encounters with felonies involve substances, whether it’s drinking or drugs, in particular meth.” [Lack of film incentives a roadblock, but SD film industry still growingA new movie supposedly set in the state shows desert vistas and Southwestern-style buildings because it was shot in New Mexico.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-208.jpg)South Dakota News WatchMolly Wetsch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/fallisagoodtime-1.png)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-film-industry-incentives-movies-americana/) Muckey said the Democratic caucus views the prison as one component of a more comprehensive reform, which should include programmatic services, such as drug treatment and vocational training, to address the underlying problems driving recidivism. In turn, pressures on prison populations would diminish. Venhuizen said the new prison facility will provide four times the programming space for drug treatment, mental health treatment, religious programming, job training and education. These programs account for the increases in operational costs, which is a concern for opponents of the new facility. These costs, Venuizen said, will reduce the prison population and offer the state savings over time. "This is one business where you don't like repeat customers," he said. Jensen with the Freedom Caucus praised programs like Teen Challenge of the Dakotas, a faith-based treatment provider. “They actually go into these prisons and do incredible work to get people on the right track. And then they (the inmates) have a fighting chance of surviving and thriving outside of the prison system,” Jensen said. Walsh said that the report that former Gov. Kneip’s prison reform committee produced in the 1970s saw alternatives to incarceration as the better approach to satisfying the state’s long-term correctional needs. “We have all kinds of courts for people to treat them in the community and not put them in the penitentiary, and to help people, once they're out of the penitentiary, to successfully re-enter civilian life. ... The basic tenet of that report was, let's not build more prisons," he said. Venhuizen said he's optimistic Tuesday's vote will come down in favor of the new facility. The project location has support and the money is available to pay for it. While the support isn't unanimous, there's enough agreement that something needs to be done about the current state penitentiary, he said. "All the ingredients are there to get this done. ... Maybe we should have dealt with it 10 or 20 years ago, but we didn't have the money. Maybe you think you could get another five or 10 years out of it, but now is when we have the money," he said. [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact statehouse investigative reporter Kevin Killough* at* [*kevin.killough@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:kevin.killough@sdnewswatch.org). ### Alcohol's impact: 35, dry and dying while waiting for a transplant URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/chronic-liver-disease-cirrhosis-killing-south-dakota-30-year-olds/ Last updated: 2025-09-19T11:09:51.000Z **Editor's note:* This story originally published in August 2024, which won first place in the 2025 feature story-profile category in the South Dakota NewsMedia Association contest, has been updated at the end.* OMAHA, Neb. – Taylor Nielsen rests in a room with a view. The wall-to-wall windows feature midtown on an overcast afternoon in late March. The natural light makes the hospital room more tolerable but exposes just how yellow Taylor’s skin is. He drifts in and out of sleep. His dad, David Nielsen, hovers over his only child, places his right hand on Taylor’s swollen belly. He's in excruciating pain. Fluid has bloated Taylor, pooling around his barely functioning liver. David, 72, hopes his son’s suffering isn’t in vain. He encourages Taylor to share his experiences. “So we can help at least one to maybe thousands of people avoid going through this, right?” Taylor nods. Years of drinking have caught up with the 35-year-old. His liver has given out as have his kidneys. Taylor is dying. All that can save him now is a liver transplant. He was flown from Monument Health Rapid City Hospital in South Dakota to Nebraska Medical Center in hopes of being approved. A nurse walks into Taylor's room asking about the barely touched breakfast tray. “I got him to eat a couple of bites, that’s about it. He was having tummy aches, so it's not a fun time to eat,” David adds. ![A man lays in a hospital bed with tubes coming out of his nose as his father touches his stomach.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/07/20240327_160731.jpg) David Nielsen of Lead, S.D., checks the bloated stomach of his son, Taylor Nielsen, on March 27, 2024, at Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, Neb. His liver is so damaged that fluid builds in his abdomen. (Photo: Megan Luther/ South Dakota News Watch) Taylor has good days and bad. Sometimes he’s coherent, other times Taylor hallucinates. “Last week, he was talking up a storm,” David says. Today is a quiet day, but Taylor mumbles that he’s not really hungry. He’s nervous to hear from the doctors. Taylor’s gone through extensive testing, including blood work and a psychological evaluation. The transplant team will decide whether he’s a candidate for a new liver. Taylor and David expect to hear the answer today. Observing David, you wouldn't guess he's waiting for life or death news. He's calm, positive and tries to lift his son’s spirits. David, a lifelong veterinarian, knows enough about medical issues to ask questions. He’s Taylor’s biggest advocate. “For what he's going through, he's doing really quite well,” David says. “When he's on a roll, he's on a good positive roll and he wants to help others, so it's beautiful.” ## Alcohol-disease deaths skew younger I met Taylor once before. Two years ago, we had dinner at his dad’s, my neighbor in South Dakota's Black Hills. Taylor has aged decades since then: hair thinning, face gaunt, body skinny. A tube snakes into his nose for nutrition. A once strong, howling wolf tattooed on his left forearm now looks malnourished on its shrinking, yellow canvas. Taylor, a former wildland firefighter, weighed 190 pounds. Now his 6-foot-2 frame is down to about 120\. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/08/Copy-of-20240327_154338--1-.jpg) Taylor Nielsen shows his wolf tattoo on his left arm. (Photo: Megan Luther / SD News Watch) He’s feeble, using a bedpan because he can’t walk to the bathroom. The hospital staff tries. He's seen regularly by a physical therapist. The goal, someday, is to get Taylor to walk 100 feet. Today, they work on standing and taking a few side steps next to his bed. It's a process, but with the therapist holding on, Taylor stands. "Nice job, dude. Very good," his therapist says. "Let's take a couple steps to your left, OK?" Taylor steps forward. "I want you to step to your left side. Yep, 'cause we're not moving forward, OK? Move that way," the therapist instructs him. "I'm trying to." Taylor, confused and frustrated, says he has to go to the bathroom, ending what little progress he's made. Historically, most alcohol-associated liver disease deaths occurred in men in their 50s and older. But deaths are skewing younger. For the first time, chronic liver disease is the leading cause of death of 30- to 39-year-old South Dakotans. Nearly all were caused by alcohol. ## The beginning Taylor wasn’t always a drinker. Growing up, he watched his mother struggle with alcohol and drugs, something he wanted to steer clear of. But image is important to Taylor and he wanted to fit in. At summer house parties, he’d take a sip of beer, leave it and grab a second, wasting alcohol and annoying his best friend, Adam Bradsky. “I remember talking to him like, ‘Taylor, it's fine if you don't drink. Just don't waste the beer.’” They met in high school in Rapid City when Taylor decided to live with his dad. He grew up with his mother in Ohio and visited David in the summer. When he was 15, Taylor decided to stay. ## ****Get South Dakota stories** Sign up for an email summary on most weekdays that links to the full story. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. Taylor’s goofy with a great sense of humor. He's a confidant, who listens to Adam without judgement. “I don't think he ever betrayed my trust with any kind of secrets or anything that I ever told,” Adam says. They both ended up going to the University of South Dakota. Adam left with a law degree. Taylor left a year before graduation. Follow-through is not Taylor’s strong suit. It was after college when his friends and family grew concerned about his drinking. Adam vividly remembers the day he realized it was a problem. He stopped by Taylor’s place in rural Lead, South Dakota, on a random Wednesday. Taylor was on a tractor, haying, drunk. It was noon. Taylor remembers his downward spiral starting in 2017 after his mother took her own life. “I had to pick up my mom's ashes. And it really triggered me.” He reached for vodka. ![Instagram photo of a man holding a drink and looking at the camera.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/07/Taylor722021IG.png) Taylor Nielsen of Lead, S.D., posts on Instagram in 2021\. Less than three years later, he was 70 pounds lighter and hoping for a new liver. (Photo: Taylor Nielsen's Instagram feed) South Dakota saw record liquor store sales during the pandemic, with $126 million in 2021 sales when adjusted for inflation and seasons. The numbers don’t account for sales at grocery stores, bars or restaurants. While they’ve declined the past few years, sales have yet to go down to pre-pandemic levels. Last year, liquor sales were still up 20% from a decade ago. ## Drinking and mental health Alcohol is by far the most commonly abused substance seen by Monument Health Rapid City Hospital. And it causes the most mortality and morbidity, says Stephen Tamang, M.D., a board-certified addiction medicine physician. “Alcohol is particularly challenging because it's prevalent. It's relatively cheap, and it's not in any way illegal. In fact, in some ways, it has a positive association,” he says. Excessive drinking can permanently alter the brain. Alcohol becomes air, and an addict can’t get enough. ****Play a bigger role in our storytelling.** Join us as a partner in telling stories that are important to all South Dakotans with a tax-deductible donation. [Donate ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/reportforamerica/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Sometimes a person gets sober after hitting rock bottom, the lowest point of their life. It’s unclear if Taylor has one. “We should’ve been there by now,” David says. Taylor didn’t stop when his wife left, when he lost countless jobs or when his dad kicked him out of his home. He went to rehab and had short stays of sobriety. His longest: 260 days. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/08/Taylor-Nielsen-Black-Hills.png) Taylor Nielsen is shown in the Black Hills in 2013\. (Photo: Taylor Nielsen's Instagram feed) During that period, Taylor met Tory Long in 2021\. "When I met him, he was vibrant. He was just beautiful, full of life. He was vigorous. He was sober," she says. His loved ones suspect Taylor also struggles with mental illness. Upwards of 80% of alcoholics have struggled with mental issues, whether that’s before or because of drinking. Taylor doesn’t remember ever being diagnosed. “I have no (expletive) clue, but no one's ever said anything of the countless doctors I’ve seen,” he says. ## A family disease At their lowest, David called the sheriff to remove Taylor from his home after he broke in and wouldn't leave. David threatened him with a restraining order and the two became estranged until this year when David got the call Taylor was hospitalized. Addiction is a family disease. Parents try to do all they can to save their child, sometimes to their own detriment. Kim Humphrey of Phoenix, a former police officer, and his wife watched both of their children struggle with addiction. It put a strain on their marriage and health. “We were to the point of becoming very reclusive and not going out and such depression that, you know, we just didn't want to do anything,” he says. [Rural and reservation health providers face major hurdles in South DakotaPatchwork system of health care in rural and reservation areas of South Dakota complicates care. This is the second of a two-part series on rural and reservation health care.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/size/w256h256/format/jpeg/2023/09/SDNW-Logo-Vertical.jpg)South Dakota News WatchBart Pfankuch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/size/w1200/2024/06/23.-Len-Wonnenberg--PA--Horizon-Health-Huron--SD.JPG)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-rural-native-american-reservation-health-care/) He and his wife started attending [Parents of Addicted Loved Ones](https://palgroup.org/about-2/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) (PAL) support meetings. The nonprofit offers educational resources and support for parents dealing with a child’s addiction. Kim eventually became the CEO to help other parents. "The parent wants it so bad. They'll do anything. You know, 'Can I fix this?' And then they start realizing that they can't. And then you feel like a failure," he says Kim learned firsthand you can’t control another person. "The sad part of it is, what you can do is limited. And so what can you do? Well, I'm never going to stop loving my sons. And when they're ready for help, I'm there for them," he says. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/08/Kim-Humprhey-quote-1.png) David says he knew his son would get to this point. He just thought Taylor would be older. “Seriously, I did." On his kitchen island, you’ll usually find David's Bible open with highlighted passages and notes in the margins. It's how he copes, compartmentalizing and through his strong faith and "God's healing miracles, strength and love." ## The news It’s another March morning at Nebraska Medical Center. Taylor is quiet. He and David expected the decision yesterday but haven’t heard from the doctors. “There’s no communication,” David says, thinking it isn’t good news. He doesn’t let Taylor in on his suspicions. Most patients who need a liver aren't this young: Last year, the average age of a person listed for a potential transplant was 56\. [Access to health care limited in SD rural and reservation areasA weekslong investigation revealed numerous barriers to health care in rural and reservation areas of South Dakota that are leading to increased illness and higher mortality rates. This is the first of a two-part series.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/size/w256h256/format/jpeg/2023/09/SDNW-Logo-Vertical.jpg)South Dakota News WatchBart Pfankuch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/size/w1200/2024/06/IHS-Hosp-Fort-Thompson-open-hours.JPG)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/health-care-access-limited-in-south-dakota-rural-reservation-areas/) Determining who receives a donated liver – or even gets on the waiting list – is a complex process. Many factors influence a candidate's chances, including their blood type, underlying diagnosis and medical urgency. Over the years, roughly 2 out of 3 candidates ultimately received a liver. A hospital staffer walks into Taylor's room: “Hello. Hi. I'm with transport. We're going to be taking you down to dialysis.” Since his kidneys aren't working properly, Taylor needs dialysis to rid his blood of waste and extra fluid that builds up. He's wheeled out of the room in his bed. David waves goodbye. “Make your kidneys better, bud.” ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/08/Taylor-Nielsen-Instagram-photos.png) A sampling of photos from Taylor Nielsen's Instagram page. (Photo: Taylor Nielsen's Instagram feed) Minutes later, David gets a phone call – *the* phone call. After niceties are exchanged, the doctor says Taylor doesn’t meet the criteria. “I almost said, ‘Oh, they just gave him a death sentence,’ but I didn't do that,” David says. ## The stigma and shame The Nebraska Medical Center declined to answer questions about Taylor’s case or liver transplants in general. It’s one of the biggest liver transplant centers in the region, recording just over 600 transplants in almost six years, behind Mayo Clinic in Minnesota. People like Taylor represent a growing share of liver transplant candidates. Thirty years ago, about a quarter of the candidates were listed with an alcohol-related liver disease. Last year, they represented nearly half. The majority of these patients ended up with a liver. There's a stigma, of course, but Jenn Jones of Aurora, Colorado, who almost died from alcohol-associated liver disease, is working to minimize that. She points out that doctors also approve new livers for those who suffer from overeating. "There's not much difference between the two. It's just a choice of what we decide to put in our bodies," she says. The shame patients go through is so overwhelming that Jenn founded Sober Livers, an organization to support those suffering from alcohol-associated liver disease, pre- and post-transplant patients. She hopes the general public will provide empathy. "As long as the person is willing to get help, stop drinking ... why would we not want that person a part of our society?" There are no federally set guidelines for considering potential transplant candidates and it varies by transplant center. Some will not accept patients who are less than six months sober. A patient rejected by one hospital might be accepted by another. David’s not giving up and contacts a friend at another facility. He decides not to tell his son the bad news yet. He doesn’t want Taylor to give up. ## Father becomes caretaker After multiple phone calls and networking, it’s clear to David that Taylor needs to get healthier and log more sober days before doctors will consider him for a transplant. So far he’s been sober as long as he’s been hospitalized: three months and 17 days. In early June, he’s well enough to come home and live in the Black Hills with David, who becomes his caretaker. “I don't exactly enjoy cleaning up poop for an hour, but there's no other option, so I just do it.” At 72, he didn’t think he’d be taking care of his 35-year-old son. “I thought maybe the other way around.” David doesn’t think Taylor’s drinking, but he’s not completely following doctor’s orders either. ![Taylor Nielsen and his dad, David Nielsen fly fish in the Black Hills. Two dogs are running in the foreground.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/07/20240707_141641.jpg) Taylor Nielsen and his dad, David Nielsen (background), both of Lead, S.D., fly fish on July 7, 2024, in the Black Hills of South Dakota. (Photo: Megan Luther/ South Dakota News Watch) On a July afternoon, Taylor and David decide to go fishing. It’s been years since Taylor fly fished, something his dad does weekly. Taylor drives his dad’s Honda SUV to the edge of the pond on David’s property. He still can’t walk unassisted. On his passenger seat is his bill from Nebraska Medical Center. The total for his four-week stay: $219,980\. Taylor only has to cover his Medicaid copay of $50. He finds it funny. “It’s pretty cool because they were like money grabbers.” Nebraska Medical Center discounted the bill by more than half, with South Dakota Medicaid paying $97,000. Taylor’s tired today. Against his father’s advice, Taylor spends the night in his car in nearby Deadwood, South Dakota, after hanging out with friends. “I think he thinks I drank last night, but I did not.” David’s ready to fish. Taylor needs to eat. He grabs a take-out bag stacked on top of the car’s backseat and digs into leftover shrimp fettuccine Alfredo from the night before. “Oh God, this smells so good.” It’s been sitting in his car since dinner and Alfredo isn’t on his low sodium doctor-prescribed diet, which he says he’s been following. “Except for this.” Pointing to the creamy pasta. “I don’t give a (expletive).” Taylor won’t say the word but when asked if he’s an alcoholic, he nods yes. It’s something he has yet to acknowledge to his dad, even after all these years. Taylor has struggled throughout his life to take accountability. David focuses on tying a fly to his line, hoping to catch three large brown trout that have been eating smaller fish. Taylor leans his head back in the green camping chair and closes his eyes. “Honestly, this is so nice.” A clear fishing pond, with the Black Hills forest in the background is pretty serene. Taylor loves the outdoors. He floods his Instagram with nature landscapes sprinkled in with a few foodie pics. While Taylor relaxes, David continues to fish, casting back and forth, back and forth. “I think my goal for Taylor has changed,” he says, quietly enough for Taylor not to hear. Earlier this year, David hoped Taylor would get healthy and back to being a functional adult. “That seems to be far off, right now. Like way far off.” Taylor starts to fly fish, but he’s a few inches short of reaching the water, so all he catches are weeds. Taylor has a goal too: “Take care of him,” he says, pointing to David. Dark clouds start rolling in accompanied by thunder. “Let’s get out of here before we get fried,” David says “I second that,” Taylor replies, a small sign that he still wants to live. Wearing his hospital socks, he struggles to get out of the camping chair and into the car. His old sweatpants fall down, showing his diaper. [‘Getting sicker and dying younger:’ The cost of high health pricesThe high cost of health care has caused nearly 1 in 10 South Dakota residents to skip necessary medical care, according to KFF.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/size/w256h256/format/jpeg/2023/09/SDNW-Logo-Vertical.jpg)South Dakota News WatchBart Pfankuch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/size/w1200/2024/04/shutterstock_2051634257.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-health-costs-united-states-data-kff/) “I lost quite a bit of dignity in the hospital.” Being poked, naked, using a bed pan, Taylor’s willing to share it all for one reason. “If it could help save one person, that’s enough, right?” ## 'I have not been drinking a drop' Three days later, Taylor travels 45 minutes to Spearfish, South Dakota, to get dialysis but changes his mind. He decides to stay, and a friend gets him a motel room. Over the next two weeks Taylor reaches out to a lot of contacts, asking for a ride or money, trying to negotiate them down. “Not even $50,” he texts. “$10” two hours later. He may sound like a desperate man trying to buy a drink, but when he talks on the phone, Taylor's words don't slur. Friends and family also don't believe he's drinking. While he speaks coherently, Taylor’s not always living in reality. He hangs around Walmart, saying he’s looking for a job. He admittedly misses some dialysis appointments but isn’t worried. Even though he can barely take two steps from his wheelchair, he buys hiking boots off of Facebook Marketplace. Lawrence County Sheriff's Deputy Megan Merwin met Taylor during one of his ambulance calls. He's the youngest cirrhosis patient she's met in her decade in law enforcement. Off-duty they became friends. "I think he knew that he was nearing the end of his life," she says. "He seemed to be doing as much as he could in the little bit of time that he had left." That includes fishing. Megan takes Taylor to Orman Dam near Belle Fourche, South Dakota, multiple times to catch catfish. On Thursday evening, July 25, Taylor’s on a mission and mad. He wants a ride to Belle Fourche, 18 minutes north. “Spearfish sucks. I get the cops called on me every day for no reason.” ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/08/Mergan-Merwin-quote-copy.png) There’s usually a reason. Emergency services are called sometimes by strangers, many times by Taylor himself. One time he called for an ambulance because he needed help sitting up in the motel bed. Taylor maintains he's sober. "I have not been drinking a drop." His dad arranges for a hospice bed, if he’s willing to go. “I'm not in bad health. I just want to get out of here.” Denial is a strong demon. Taylor never makes it to Belle Fourche. The next morning, he's found unresponsive and rushed to Monument Health Spearfish Hospital. Taylor never wakes up. “He’s finally at peace,” David says. **Editor's note, Sept. 19, 2025:* After South Dakota News Watch published this original story, David Nielsen heard from parents across the country who were going through the same struggles with their children. At Taylor Nielsen's memorial service, two parents pulled David aside, sharing that their children are also battling alcohol. David and Taylor's willingness to reveal their raw story of addiction was fueled by their desire to help others. "We touched many lives," David texted in April. This month,* [*David passed away from heart complications*](https://www.bhpioneer.com/obituaries/dr-david-nielsen/article%5F4462e61b-835e-4c4f-9e7b-4a4e2fd38836.html?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. He was 73\.* --- ### Places to go for help If you or someone you love struggles with alcohol addiction, here are some places to go for help: - SAMHSA’s National Helpline is a free, confidential, 24/7, 365-day-a-year treatment referral and information service (in [English](https://www.samhsa.gov/find-help/national-helpline?ref=sdnewswatch.org) and [Spanish](https://www.samhsa.gov/linea-nacional-ayuda?ref=sdnewswatch.org)) for individuals and families facing mental and/or substance use disorders. 1-800-662-HELP (4357) **•** [Alcoholics Anonymous](https://www.aa.org/new-to-aa?ref=sdnewswatch.org) (aa.org) • Parents of Addicted Loved Ones (PAL) support group [palgroup.org](https://palgroup.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) --- ### Behind the story **Megan Luther** is a freelance investigative reporter for South Dakota News Watch, based in Mitchell, South Dakota. She has been in recovery for four years. Luther stays at a cabin next to David Nielsen in the Black Hills and started speaking with him and Taylor Nielsen earlier this year about sharing his story. She traveled to Omaha, Nebraska, and spent time in Taylor’s hospital room. She was with the family when they received the news that Taylor did not meet the criteria to become a transplant candidate. She also traveled to Rapid City to visit Taylor in the hospital and Lead to join David and Taylor on their fishing trip. Over several months, she was in mostly constant contact with David and Taylor through phone calls and texts including during weekends and nights. Luther spoke with Taylor hours before he was found unconscious in Spearfish. She conducted additional interviews with medical personnel, nationwide experts and other sources as well as Taylor's friends to fact-check each interview. Freelance journalist **Cody Winchester** from Spearfish, South Dakota, requested data from the United Network for Organ Sharing Data (UNOS) for the period October 1987-June 2024\. It included several data sets with anonymized details on organ transplants in the United States. The data were provided by the UNOS as the contractor for the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network. The interpretation and reporting of these data are the responsibility of Winchester and in no way should be seen as an official policy of or interpretation by the OPTN or the U.S. Government. Winchester analyzed hundreds of thousands of records for this report and contacted UNOS several times to confirm his findings. South Dakota News Watch CEO **Carson Walker** provided editorial and ethical guidance. ### References - Taylor Nielsen and his father, David Nielsen, were interviewed several times, together and separately, over the past five months, starting on March 27, 2024\. Taylor's last interview was the night before he died. - Alcohol-associated liver disease death data, [CDC Wonder](https://wonder.cdc.gov/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). - Leading cause of death in 30-39-year-olds, 2018-2022, [South Dakota Department of Health Vital Statistics 2022](https://doh.sd.gov/reports/?categoryId=3969&ref=sdnewswatch.org). The oldest electronic data go back to 1960. - Adam Bradsky, Taylor's friend, interviewed July 15 and 31, 2024. - Inflation and seasonally adjusted liquor store sales data provided by [Dakota Institute](https://www.dakotainstitute.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org), a nonprofit economic research organization. - Stephen Tamang, board-certified addiction medicine physician at Monument Health Rapid City Hospital, interviewed June 3, 2024. - Tory Long interviewed on July 20 and 31, 2024\. - Shivani R, Goldsmith RJ, Anthenelli RM. [Alcoholism and Psychiatric Disorders: Diagnostic Challenges](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6683829/?ref=sdnewswatch.org#:~:text=Mood%20disturbances%20%28which%20frequently%20are,1988%3B%20Anthenelli%20and%20Schuckit%201993). Alcohol Res Health. 2002;26(2):90–8\. PMCID: PMC6683829. - Kim Humphrey, CEO of [Parents of Addicted Loved Ones (PAL)](https://palgroup.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) interviewed on July 17 and 31, 2024\. - South Dakota News Watch analysis of [United Network for Organ Sharing Data](https://unos.org/data/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) (UNOS) for the period January 1994-June 2024\. Click [here](https://github.com/South-Dakota-News-Watch/20240805-liver-transplant-analysis?ref=sdnewswatch.org) for more details on how we crunched the numbers. - [Health Resources & Services Administration](https://data.hrsa.gov/data/download?data=organ&ref=sdnewswatch.org#organ), Organ Donation and Transplantation Data, Jan. 1, 2018-Sept. 30, 2023. - [Code of Federal Regulations](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-42/chapter-IV/subchapter-G/part-482/subpart-E/subject-group-ECFRc4be2badf376a95?ref=sdnewswatch.org) for Transplant Program Process Requirements. - Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network,[ General Considerations in Assessment for Transplant Candidacy](https://optn.transplant.hrsa.gov/professionals/by-topic/ethical-considerations/general-considerations-in-assessment-for-transplant-candidacy/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). - Jenn Jones, founder of [Sober Livers](https://soberlivers.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org), interviewed on July 16, 2024. - Nebraska Medical Center invoice. --- [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) ***Editor's note:*** [*As part of its ethics policy*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/best-practices/) *requiring South Dakota News Watch to disclose potential conflicts of interest, Monument Health Rapid City Hospital's public relations manager, Stephany Chalberg, also serves on its board of directors.* *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit news organization. Read more in-depth stories at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *every few days to get stories as soon as they're published. Contact freelance investigative reporter *Megan Luther* at* [*megan.luther@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:megan.luther@sdnewswatch.org)*. Freelance journalist *Cody Winchester* contributed to this report.* ### Fact brief: Is Larry Rhoden the only SD governor who graduated from a private high school? URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/fact-brief-south-dakota-governors-private-school-larry-rhoden/ Last updated: 2025-09-18T11:00:57.000Z ## No. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/WhiteFACT-BRIEF--500-x-200-px--2-1-1.png) At least three South Dakota governors attended and graduated from private high schools before delving into politics. Gov. Larry Rhoden graduated from Sunshine Bible Academy in Miller and governors Archie Gubbrud (served 1961-65) and Sigurd Anderson (1951-55) graduated from Augustana Academy, a Lutheran high school in Canton that closed in 1971. Rhoden attended the private school in Miller, which opened in the early 1950s. The school is still in operation and averages 15 students per grade level. Augustana Academy attracted students from across the country and had a graduating class of 63 in 1959\. Other notable alumni include TV personality Mary Hart (graduated 1968) and Ole Rolvaag (early 1900s), author of "Giants in the Earth.” Former Gov. Bill Janklow did not graduate high school. He dropped out of Flandreau High before his junior year and joined the U.S. Marine Corps, later attending the University of South Dakota. *This fact brief responds to conversations such as* [*this one.*](https://www.reddit.com/r/SouthDakota/comments/1nirxgf/gov%5Flarry%5Frhoden%5Fof%5Fsouth%5Fdakota/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) ### **Sources** Sioux Falls Argus Leader, [Whatever Happened To: Augustana Academy in Canton](https://www.argusleader.com/story/life/2014/06/08/augustana-academy-fond-memory-elite-group-young-students/10030321/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Gov. Larry Rhoden, [Address to Joint Legislative Session](https://news.sd.gov/news?id=news%5Fkb%5Farticle%5Fview&sysparm%5Farticle=KB0043400&sys%5Fkb%5Fid=62d073ba979752504696b12ef053af46&spa=1&ref=sdnewswatch.org) Sunshine Bible Academy, [About the school](https://www.sunshinebible.org/about?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Sunshine Bible Academy, [FAQ](https://www.sunshinebible.org/faq?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Rapid City Journal, [Timeline of Bill Janklow's life and career](https://rapidcityjournal.com/news/timeline-of-bill-janklows-life-and-career/article%5F0afb0ab8-3db2-11e1-9da7-0019bb2963f4.html?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Trail of Governors, [Sigurd Anderson](https://www.trailofgovernors.com/governor-sigurd-anderson/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) and [Archie Gubbrud](https://www.trailofgovernors.com/governor-archie-gubbrud/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) --- [South Dakota News Watch](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/) partners with [Gigafact](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) to publish fact briefs that refute or confirm a claim with supporting information and additional evidence and context. - [Read previous fact briefs](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/tag/fact-brief/). - Read our verification standards and other [best practices policies](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/best-practices/). - Submit a question for us to answer on the [South Dakota News Watch Tipline](https://gigafact.org/tipline/south-dakota-news-watch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). - Send questions or feedback to [factbrief@sdnewswatch.org](mailto:factbrief@sdnewswatch.org). [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact Michael Klinski* at michael.klinski@sdnewswatch.org.* ### Lack of film incentives a roadblock, but South Dakota film industry still growing URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-film-industry-incentives-movies-americana/ Last updated: 2025-09-17T11:27:29.000Z Last month, 1,100 theaters across the country showed a movie ostensibly set in rural South Dakota. The film, "Americana," features Sydney Sweeney as a small-town diner waitress on the hunt for a rare Lakota ghost shirt. Singer Halsey and Hunkpapa Lakota actor Zahn McLarnon also star. However, South Dakotans who watched "Americana" may have left confused at how the state was portrayed – vast, arid deserts and low, Southwestern-style buildings. That’s because it was shot entirely in New Mexico. ![Sydney Sweeney, Halsey and Paul Walter Hauser star in "Americana" – set in South Dakota but entirely filmed in New Mexico. (Photo: Nigel Bluck)](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/09/americanaaa.jpg) Sydney Sweeney, Halsey and Paul Walter Hauser star in "Americana" – set in South Dakota but entirely filmed in New Mexico. (Photo: Nigel Bluck) And it isn’t the only one: the 2017 film "South Dakota" was, despite its name and setting, filmed across the border in Iowa; "Wild Bill," a 1995 movie starring Jeff Bridges, is set entirely in Deadwood but was filmed in California. ## Lack of film incentives can deter filmmakers Steve Rausch, who spent most of his career in South Dakota as a provider of video production services, moved his business, Focused Motion Media, to Nevada early this year. He told News Watch that even though South Dakota has been featured in dozens of iconic films and has played host to filming in many, a lack of filming incentives could cause productions to look elsewhere to shoot movies and television shows – even those that rely on South Dakota as their setting. Film incentives are programs offered state-by-state that encourage productions to shoot in the area. Those usually take the form of tax credits but can also include cash grants or free shooting locations. South Dakota does not have any film incentive programs. One of only nine states not to have one in place, it acts as a proverbial island in the Midwest, where Minnesota and Iowa to the east, Wyoming to the west and Nebraska to the south have programs. Those states may draw filmmakers who want to shoot in South Dakota just a few miles away, with similar landscapes and geography, instead, Rausch said. “Unfortunately, the industry has evolved to where these incentives are vital to production. So if a state doesn't have one, they're crossed off the list immediately,” Rausch told News Watch. "A lot of times the rural Western landscape of South Dakota is actually Wyoming or Colorado." ## ****Get South Dakota stories** An email summary on most weekdays that links to the full version. Cancel anytime. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. New Mexico, where "Americana" was filmed, has one of the most robust incentive programs in the country. Eligible productions receive a minimum tax credit of 25% – which can be instrumental in getting a film over the line, Rausch said. "If someone gives you a proposal and says that's going to be $100,000\. Then somebody else says, well, it's going to be $80,000\. Where do you go? You go to the $80,000," Rausch said. ## Film industry brings economic benefits to local communities When a major production comes to town – like "Dances With Wolves," which was filmed in western South Dakota in 1989 – it brings more than just buzz about the movie to the area. Production crews often stay in hotels or rental properties on-site, and in many cases, contract local workers. “It's not just (the film industry) that's affected by this. It's all of the small mom-and-pop shops that would be providing meals, catering, hotels, car rentals … everything that's needed to sustain between 10 and 50 people for a month," Rausch said. "It just so happens that they're coming to the area to practice film. But from gas stations to snow cone trucks, everybody benefits from it." > "If you're open to the magic, South Dakota is going to provide. ... But you have to be open to it." – Kate Beecroft, director of "East of Wall" Tracy Mailloux, owner of Gator Grip and Lighting and administrator of the South Dakota Film and Television Association, said that when a state promotes itself during a film's rollout, the effects last far beyond the initial release. He gave Georgia as an example, which provides a tax credit to films that include the state's logo somewhere in the completed project and a link to the state's filming website on promotional materials. "If you're promoting things, a lot of people might think, that's a beautiful scene. Where did they shoot this? Oh, they shot it in South Dakota. We should plan a trip there," Mailloux said. ## Film incentive programs may be challenging in South Dakota Rausch said he led a campaign to instate, or establish, a film incentive program in the state nearly seven years ago. That campaign also aimed to move film resources to the Governor’s Office of Economic Development from the Department of Tourism, where all film queries are currently directed. It was unsuccessful, mostly because of the logistics and fiscal allocations required to create and maintain a film office in the state, Rausch said. Although South Dakota formerly ran a film office affiliated with the state, that initiative was disbanded in 2007\. “Since the film tax incentive wrapped up a number of years ago, we’ve focused on serving as a resource — connecting production companies with South Dakota’s film industry and helping guide them toward the right local or federal contacts for permits and permissions," a representative from Travel South Dakota said in a statement. Travel South Dakota's website provides information on key benefits for filmmakers in the state as well as a link to the South Dakota Film and Television Association, which maintains a database of local cinematographers, actors and other industry workers. ****Play a bigger role in our storytelling.** Join us as a partner in telling stories that are important to all South Dakotans with a tax-deductible donation. [Donate ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/reportforamerica/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Mailloux said instating a film tax incentive may be difficult for a state that does not already see many big-budget features coming to the area. "You're going to have to have a state auditor going through all the receipts and making sure everything lines up, you know? So then you've got to fill in that position. And is that position enough to keep them busy year round? I don't know," Mailloux said. Rausch has not given up on finding a compromise for the state. There are alternatives to film incentives that may prove beneficial to the small but growing industry in the state without dedicating large amounts of dollars and resources, he said. "I think small steps of at least having people that understand what this business is and how to translate it (to legislators and filmmakers) would make huge grounds," Rausch said. ## Independent and local film thrives in South Dakota A lack of direct financial film incentives may prevent large, out-of-state productions from coming to town, but it is not necessarily a death sentence for the South Dakota film industry. Documentaries, especially those that highlight nature or tell Indigenous stories, have been prolific sources of film activity in South Dakota. Independent films also seem to be a sweet spot for the state, where strong local ties and community interest in regional stories abound. “There’s three or four films that have been shot this year alone in South Dakota, all independent features,” Mailloux said. One reason South Dakota can be appealing to independent filmmakers is the lack of permits needed to shoot in the state. Unlike most other areas, where productions need to apply for permission and pay a fee to shoot at a location, South Dakota has a relatively open environment for filming. Independent and local films, which typically have smaller budgets and crews, are able to harness the state's wide open spaces and lax requirements for permits in their favor. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/09/nomadlands.jpg) Frances McDormand, as Fern, in the Badlands of South Dakota for "Nomadland." (Photo: Joshua James Richards) "Nomadland," Chloe Zhao’s independent Oscar-winning film, finds its main character, played by Frances McDormand, spending much of the middle act in the Badlands and Wall Drug. Western South Dakota’s "East of Wall," also an independent film, saw major success at the Sundance Film Festival, was purchased by Sony Pictures Classics and recently had a sold-out run at the Sioux Falls State Theatre. [Award-winning ‘East of Wall’ illustrates rural life in ‘docu-fiction’“There’s this amazing resurgence of cowboy and Western films, right? But have you seen any of them that are told through the voices of women?”![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-201.jpg)South Dakota News WatchMolly Wetsch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/2-1.png)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/east-of-wall-south-dakota-film-tabatha-zimiga/) "Fall Is A Good Time To Die" is a film written and directed by Sioux Falls native Dalton Coffey, which The New York Times called "sublime." It is set and was entirely shot in the vast prairies of central South Dakota. The smaller population, although it may cause worries about the size of the industry, can also be a major plus to some filmmakers, Mailloux said. He told the story of a film about the Battle of Little Bighorn, which was originally set to shoot in Montana. One South Dakotan on the crew saw the benefit of shooting elsewhere and sent the production to the state. “He said, 'Look, you can shoot there, but you look behind you, you're going to see the road. There's a lot of tourism. Over here, there's a visitor center. Let me bring you to South Dakota. Just entertain me. You don't have to pay me for the day, and I'll show you the exact same landscape.' And they ended up shooting that film in South Dakota just because it was more conducive to what they were doing,” Mailloux said. And there is no substitute for certain landscapes. Both the Badlands and Mount Rushmore National Memorial are such unique South Dakotan features that filmmakers cannot replicate them anywhere else, Rausch said. [Iconic movies shot in South DakotaFrom ‘Dances With Wolves’ to ‘National Treasure,’ these notable movies were filmed in South Dakota.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-202.jpg)South Dakota News WatchMolly Wetsch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/dances2--.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/movies-filmed-south-dakota-dances-with-wolves-national-treasure/) Kate Beecroft, director of "East of Wall," told News Watch that filming in South Dakota allowed her to tell a story that was entirely unique to the state. "If you're open to the magic, South Dakota is going to provide," Beecroft said. "But you have to be open to it." [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email) *for statewide stories. Investigative reporter *Molly Wetsch* is a* [*Report for America*](https://www.reportforamerica.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *corps member covering rural and Indigenous issues. Contact her at* [*molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Fact brief: Are diverging diamonds safer than traditional intersections? URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/gigafact-brief-south-dakota-diverging-diamond-interchanges-safety/ Last updated: 2025-09-16T11:00:43.000Z ## Yes. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/WhiteFACT-BRIEF--500-x-200-px--2-1-1.png) Diverging diamond interchanges (DDI) reduce crashes and improve traffic flow compared to traditional intersections. There are three diverging diamond interchanges in South Dakota. The busiest two – Lacrosse Street in Rapid City and 41st Street in Sioux Falls – saw crashes fall in the year after they became operational. Crashes were reduced by 58% in Rapid City and 73% in Sioux Falls in the months after the diverging diamonds opened. The Sioux Falls interchange averaged more than 100 crashes a year before construction. As of June, it was on pace to have 30 crashes in its first year. Diverging diamonds send vehicles to the left side of the road, allowing exits onto the interstate without left-hand turns across traffic. Traditional intersections have about 25 conflict points that can lead to crashes. Diverging diamonds have 14\. The first DDI opened in Missouri in 2009, and crashes fell 50%. *This fact brief responds to conversations such as* [*this one.*](https://www.reddit.com/r/SiouxFalls/comments/1gz77cn/diverging%5Fdiamond%5Fon%5F41st/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) ### **Sources** Missouri Department of Transportation, [Diverging diamond interchanges](https://drivesmart.mdot.ms.gov/diverging-diamond-interchange/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) KELO-TV, [Fewer crashes at SD diverging diamond interchanges](https://www.keloland.com/news/local-news/fewer-crashes-at-sd-diverging-diamond-interchanges/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Snyder & Associates law firm, [Safety improvements of a diverging diamond interchange](https://www.snyder-associates.com/diverging-diamond-interchange-benefits/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) --- [South Dakota News Watch](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/) partners with [Gigafact](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) to publish fact briefs that refute or confirm a claim with supporting information and additional evidence and context. - [Read previous fact briefs](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/tag/fact-brief/). - Read our verification standards and other [best practices policies](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/best-practices/). - Submit a question for us to answer on the [South Dakota News Watch Tipline](https://gigafact.org/tipline/south-dakota-news-watch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). - Send questions or feedback to [factbrief@sdnewswatch.org](mailto:factbrief@sdnewswatch.org). [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact Michael Klinski* at michael.klinski@sdnewswatch.org.* ### $20 million disputed state gun range to open in early November URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-black-hills-gun-range-pete-lien-shooting-sports-complex/ Last updated: 2025-09-22T12:31:18.000Z PIEDMONT, S.D. – Dust plumes rose frequently along a gravel section of Elk Vale Road on the open prairie of Meade County in early September where workers are vigorously trying to finish a gun range that will be among the nation's largest. Plumbers, landscapers, equipment operators and construction crews were all busy working or driving to or from the 400-acre site. The goal, according to the South Dakota Game, Fish & Parks Department, is to have the range, located about 12 miles north of Rapid City, ready for public use on Saturday, Nov. 8. Construction on the range – now known as the Pete Lien & Sons Shooting Sports Complex – has happened quickly and is going along smoothly, far different from the long, up-and-down path the project went through in the planning and funding processes. ## ****Get South Dakota stories** An email summary on most weekdays that links to the full version. Cancel anytime. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. The range proposal was raised by the GFP in 2021 with strong support from former Gov. Kristi Noem. Despite opposition by some lawmakers and neighbors, it is close to completion and is creating a buzz among shooting enthusiasts across the state and region, said John Kanta, a GFP section chief. "There's a tremendous amount of excitement among folks who want to start using it," he said. "Some weeks we're hearing from people daily who are super excited to get out there and start shooting or get their events scheduled." The $20 million range will include 160 rifle, handgun and shotgun shooting bays, a tactical shooting range for shooting and moving, and a 10,000 square-foot main building that can house events, law enforcement training and firearm education, Kanta said. ## Some lawmakers opposed funding mechanism Almost immediately after the range proposal was announced, both support and opposition arose within the South Dakota Legislature. While some lawmakers have supported construction as a way to serve the public and potentially generate millions of dollars in annual tourism revenue, others have been bothered by the way the project has been funded. Rep. Liz May, a Republican from Kyle, opposed the use of taxpayer money to build the range. May, who serves on the Joint Committee on Appropriations, said lawmakers defeated six separate bills or funding mechanisms brought forward by range supporters. “We kept killing it, and they kept bringing it back and bringing it back,” May told News Watch. “I’ve got nothing against guns or gun ranges. But that’s just not an appropriate use of taxpayer dollars.” ![Construction on Sept. 5, 2025, for the multi-purpose building at the new state gun range in southern Meade County, S.D. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch)](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/09/2025-9-4-Gun-range-main-building-1-1.jpg) Construction on Sept. 5, 2025, for the multi-purpose building at the new state gun range in southern Meade County, S.D. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) May was particularly bothered when Noem [allocated $13.5 million](https://sdgoed.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Public-Records-FF-CY-2024.pdf?ref=sdnewswatch.org) in Future Fund dollars toward construction of the range in 2024. The Future Fund consists of money collected from most South Dakota businesses as part of unemployment compensation fees. According to the Governor's Office of Economic Development, which issues grants under the program, the money is required to be used for “workforce development and technical assistance programs” for workers, including those who have been laid off. The law creating the fund states that, "moneys in the fund must be used for purposes related to research and economic development for the state." [Long-held rural values at odds in South Dakota gun range debate“This is about our quality of life, and our livelihood.” Ranchers in area of proposed gun range upset about Rapid City-area facility.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-196.jpg)South Dakota News WatchBart Pfankuch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/joe-norman.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/rapid-city-gun-range-south-dakota-gfp-proposal/) “There was opposition from landowners and lawmakers, and they basically just ignored all that and went around the process by using those Future Funds,” May said. “With the whole thing — they really stepped outside the boundaries.” ## Donors step in to complete project GFP officials promised that donations would help fund the construction of the gun range, and their plan has succeeded, with more than $6.3 million either donated or pledged for the project so far. According to a GFP budget document, obtained by News Watch through a public records request, more than $3 million has been donated and another $3.3 million has been pledged over the next five years by corporations, individuals and groups that support the project. About a third of the donations have come from firearm industry businesses or groups that support shooting. The top donation of $800,000 with a commitment to give another $1.2 million in the next three years came from Pete Lien & Sons, a Rapid City concrete company that is now the namesake of the range. The next largest donation of $600,000 came from South Dakota Youth Hunting Adventures, a charity group, followed by $200,000 from Scull Construction of Rapid City and $150,000 each from firearm manufacturers Smith & Wesson and Glock. ****Join other South Dakotans and support statewide storytelling.** [Donate ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Annual ongoing expenses at the range will be about $400,000 and include three full-time employees and some seasonal workers as well as upkeep, Kanta said. Those costs will be covered by permit fees paid by some users, support from government agencies that use the range for training and possibly from some federal grant funds, he said. "No general fund money will be used," Kanta said. ## Some neighbor opposition remains Joe Norman and his wife, Diane, own a home and a 7,600-acre cattle ranch in Meade County with borders that extend to within close proximity of the gun range site. Norman, 69, is one of several ranchers and landowners in the area who oppose the location of the gun range. After testifying before the Legislature and opposing the range in public meetings, he is resigned to the fact the range is about to become reality. ![Joe Norman, shown in April 2023, owns a home and ranch near the gun range site in Piedmont, S.D., and opposes the range's location due to potential noise and traffic in the rural area. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch)](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/09/2023-4-26-Joe-Norman-gun-ragne-opponent-1-1.jpg) Joe Norman, shown in April 2023, owns a home and ranch near the gun range site in Piedmont, S.D., and opposes the range's location due to potential noise and traffic in the rural area. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) Yet Norman remains concerned about heavy traffic on gravel roads in the area, disruption of his cattle, and the noise from the repeated firing of handguns and rifles. “If they’ve got 175 shooting bays and it's full, that’s potentially 175 shots every minute. And if they do that for 10 to 12 hours a day, I think the noise is going to be unbelievable,” Norman told News Watch. "The roads have also gone to heck with all the construction traffic." Initially, the range was expected to have 175 shooting bays, though that number has been reduced to 160, Kanta said. Norman said he’s already heard some shooting at the site, even though the formal opening is not until November. He’s concerned that promises to keep the noise level under 64 decibels will be difficult or impossible to monitor and enforce. ![One of the shooting stations is nearly complete at the state gun in southern Meade County, S.D., shown on Sept. 5, 2025. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch)](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/09/2025-9-5-Gun-range-bays-under-construction-1-1.jpg) One of the shooting stations is nearly complete at the state gun in southern Meade County, S.D., shown on Sept. 5, 2025\. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) Noise from the range will be reduced by the natural topography of the land and by berms and baffling that will help stifle sound, Kanta said. Shooters will aim to the east and northeast where there are no structures for miles, and lead bullets will be captured and contained within federal environmental guidelines, he said. As part of an agreement with Meade County, a 3-mile section of Elk Vale Road leading to the range will also be paved in the coming months to reduce dust from vehicles. Norman said he's disappointed that, in his opinion, the concerns of neighbors were largely ignored by the GFP, state officials and lawmakers who supported the range and were determined to find a way to get it funded and built. “We were fighting the governor, the lieutenant governor and legislators,” he said. “It feels like the GFP responses have all been smoke and mirrors.” ## Excitement building for new shooting option Despite its strong firearm culture, South Dakota has a fairly limited number of gun ranges. And one argument from range supporters was that more controlled shooting sites were needed to prevent gun owners from leaving messes and creating nuisances at unofficial shooting sites in the Black Hills. The GFP operates 20 public shooting sites, though most are for archery and only seven allow firearm discharges. Those that allow firearms include North Point in Lake Andes, Oahe Downstream in Fort Pierre, Louis Smith near Mobridge, Brule Bottom north of Chamberlain and South Shore in Codington County. This [interactive map](https://sdgfp.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=c140a957ddb5411fbc8b089ef353da05&ref=sdnewswatch.org) on the GFP website includes location and consumer information for 67 public and private shooting range sites in the state, though many have limited access or are for archery only. A few ranges are outdoors and allow easy public access, such as the Fall River Gun Club near Hot Springs and the Watertown Area Shooting Complex. A few ranges are indoors, including at Gary's Gun Shop in Sioux Falls. The large size, wide range of shooting options and quality of amenities at the new state range will make it a destination for shooting enthusiasts across the state and nation and possibly even internationally, said Mark Blote, a co-owner of First Stop Gun & Coin in Rapid City. [Slow year for South Dakota tourism industry so far in 2025“Inflation, unrest about the economy, we saw that nationally and in this state as well, so everyone is seeing the same sort of funk,” said Tourism secretary Jim Hagen![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-197.jpg)South Dakota News WatchBart Pfankuch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/2025-6-23-Wall-Drug-soda-fountain-1-1.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-tourism-numbers-canada-travel-season-trump/) Blote visited the range site in early September and was impressed with the progress. Excitement over the range’s opening is palpable in the firearms community and in the local tourism industry, he said. “I think it’s going to be great for the gun folks in our area. But it’s truly a world-class facility, so it will do a lot for the economy,” Blote said. “It’s going to bring in a lot of competitions, which will help the hotels and restaurants.” [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact* *Bart Pfankuch* at* [*bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Boys and Girls Clubs innovating after budget shortfalls URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/boys-girls-clubs-south-dakota-budget-shortfall/ Last updated: 2025-09-12T15:10:00.000Z Boys and Girls Clubs in some of the most vulnerable communities across South Dakota are finding ways to innovate in the midst of budget cuts. “The level of disruption that we're seeing as an organization is, in some ways, trivial compared to the everyday life of most of the kids we serve,” said Rachel Kocak, program director of the Rosebud Boys and Girls Club, which operates in Parmelee, Rosebud and Mission on the Rosebud Indian Reservation. She told News Watch that while around 40% of its annual operating budget comes from now-unavailable federal funding, the club is focused on coming up with creative solutions to make up funding gaps. One of the methods, which also builds life skills, is the social enterprise program Steep Up Entrepreneurs Club. Boys and Girls Club members hand make, package and sell herbal teas throughout the community. Students are involved in the entire process from beginning to end, which helps to build resilience and friendship among club members, Kocak said. ![The Steep Up Lakota Teas, of which there are three flavors, sold by the young entrepreneurs of the Rosebud Boys and Girls Club. (Photo: Rosebud Boys and Girls Club)](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/09/C4059A41-D555-4830-A827-BEE61A972D0C_1_105_c.jpeg) The Steep Up Lakota Teas, of which there are three flavors, sold by the young entrepreneurs of the Rosebud Boys and Girls Club. (Photo: Rosebud Boys and Girls Club) “We've come up with three really beautiful teas that the kids have created a label for. They've gone through the process of calculating product cost and doing some market research, and have been going to farmers markets,” she said. “It’s just been a hoot. We've gotten to know the kids in a different capacity and who is good at what. And they've grown in teamwork and confidence.” The club is also in the midst of an online charity auction, with items from local businesses like handmade earrings and a Lakota Times subscription available. The club recently received a U.S. Department of Agriculture Farm to School grant, which helped to build two high tunnels, extending the growing seasons in its vegetable garden. Other programs, such as the teen workforce development program, allow club members to get job experience helping out the club and spend time in a productive environment with their peers. ![Members of the Rosebud Boys and Girls Club at the club's vegetable garden in Parmalee, S.D., on the Rosebud Indian Reservation. (Photo: Rachel Kocak)](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/09/BGCR-Parm-Garden.jpg) Members of the Rosebud Boys and Girls Club at the club's vegetable garden in Parmelee, S.D., on the Rosebud Indian Reservation. (Photo: Rachel Kocak) “We had two teenagers who were paid to be here and were working. All of a sudden, we had four more teenagers just hanging out because they were part of that friend group. They were just going to stay late and help, even if they weren't being paid," Kocak said. "So then we hired those kids, and all of a sudden we've got six, and it's like, for every team we hire there's another couple that come along with it because they're part of that group." ## Major federal funding source now unavailable One major funding source for the Rosebud Boys and Girls Club was the 21st Century Community Learning Center funding provided by the U.S. Department of Education. Those dollars serve organizations that provide “academic enrichment” activities to students at high-poverty schools and are administered via the state’s Department of Education. That funding for this fiscal year was initially withheld by the federal government and placed under review, which meant it was not dispersed to states on the usual date of July 1\. It was later released on July 18, but it is unclear whether that funding will be provided next fiscal year. ## ****Get South Dakota stories** An email summary on most weekdays that links to the full version. Cancel anytime. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. The Rosebud Boys and Girls Club’s grant funding expired this year, and Kocak told News Watch that it was unable to apply for renewed funding through the Department of Education. “The department will not be releasing a new grant application cycle this year because of funding considerations. Future grant application availability will be made based upon availability of federal funds for the program,” the South Dakota Department of Education told News Watch in a statement. Programs that are currently in the midst of grant cycles – of which there are 25 in South Dakota – will still receive funding for this year. ## Multiple clubs looking to innovation for solutions Three other reservations in the state – Pine Ridge, Standing Rock and Lower Brule – also operate Boys and Girls Clubs. The SuAnn Big Crow Boys and Girls Club in Pine Ridge reopened in March after several years of closure due to restrictions from the pandemic and funding struggles. It was rechartered with the Boys and Girls Club of America and has restarted serving children attending school in Oglala Lakota County. “The principles of the club are to have the members be proud of who they are and develop themselves to be self-sufficient, have an education and be able to support themselves,” said Richard Abdoo, chairman of the club’s board. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/09/IMG_0065.JPG) Students at the SuAnn Big Crow Boys and Girls Club in Pine Ridge, S.D., on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. (Photo: Richard Aboo) Abdoo estimates that it costs more than $500,000 to operate the club annually. While startup funding from the national chapter of the Boys and Girls Club has buoyed the club for the next year, Abdoo and the board have started to have conversations about what to do next. "We're going to be putting our plans and our budget together to identify what are we going to do to make up the anticipated shortfall and find out what Boys and Girls Clubs National can contribute," Abdoo said. "But right now, you know, we're looking at a several hundred-thousand (dollar) shortfall for next year. And we don't know where it's going to come from." [Lakota Music Project to take program on tour this fall“There’s been a lot of tears in rehearsals, not out of frustration but out of joy.”![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-198.jpg)South Dakota News WatchMolly Wetsch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/Keeper-of-the-Drum--Emanuel-Black-Bear--starts-off-performance-of-Lakota-Music-Project-at-National-Museum-of-the-American-Indian-in-Washington-DC-2019-1-1-1-1.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/lakota-music-project-tour-south-dakota-tribes/) The club, which opened in 2002 after a visit from former President Bill Clinton, hopes to use its unique position to help with raising funds as they dry up next year. Part of the building was used by the Oglala Lakota tribe as a child care facility while a new one was being built. That helped pay for utilities and other costs for the building, Abdoo said. Now, they're looking to forge similar partnerships in the years ahead. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/09/SuAnne-Club-1-1.jpg) The exterior of the SuAnn Big Crow Boys and Girls Club in Pine Ridge, S.D. (Photo: Richard Aboo) “We're looking at doing a collaboration with the Civil Air Patrol, for them to use our facilities to conduct their biweekly or monthly meetings," Abdoo said. "The huge majority of our funding comes from outside the community. But even if we take an optimistic look at what we can do with a direct mail campaign, I don't see enough to run the club coming next year. So we're gonna have to do something else." ## Reservation clubs reach vulnerable youth Kocak told News Watch that federal funding cuts are the least of the club's worries. "Everyone's going to be going through a pinch right now, and our mission is to help kids do hard things. Right now, as an organization, we're hitting a point where we're going to have to do some hard things," Kocak said. Beyond day-to-day benefits like free meals and child care, long-term impacts stretch far and wide for Boys and Girls Clubs on reservations, where children and teens face some of the most difficult conditions in the United States. ****Support Native American storytelling.** Help South Dakota News Watch tell stories from Indian Country that don't just focus on the problems but on the solutions and rich Indigenous culture. [Donate ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) The South Dakota DOE’s Report Card shows that 51% of students in Todd County and 29% of students in Oglala Lakota County graduated on time in 2024\. Nearly 100% of Rosebud Boys and Girls Club attendees graduate from high school and generally attend school 20% more than their peers, Kocak said. “If you want to come to the club afterwards, you have to go to school during the day,” she said. Questions about budget abound, but Kocak said the focus on innovation and program benefits has allowed the club to be optimistic about the future. "Yes, the funding has been cut, but so what? These kids are getting it done anyway, and the Boys and Girls Club isn't going anywhere," Kocak said. "We're going to do what it takes because these kids matter so much." [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email) *for statewide stories. Investigative reporter *Molly Wetsch* is a* [*Report for America*](https://www.reportforamerica.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *corps member covering rural and Indigenous issues. Contact her at* [*molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Fact brief: Is South Dakota one of the last states still using a 19th-century prison facility? URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/gigafact-fact-brief-south-dakota-state-penitentiary-age/ Last updated: 2025-09-11T11:00:26.000Z ## Yes. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/WhiteFACT-BRIEF--500-x-200-px--2-1-1.png) The 145-year-old South Dakota State Penitentiary in Sioux Falls is one of only a few active prison facilities in the country that was built in the 19th century. South Dakota lawmakers have been debating a new prison location that would replace the existing pen that was built in the early 1880s. Gov. Larry Rhoden has put his support behind a new prison in northeastern Sioux Falls near Benson Road. Prison proponents cite the building’s age and lack of space as a reason for a new facility. Several states have men’s state correctional facilities older than South Dakota. Indiana State Prison was built in 1860, the Menard Correctional Center in Illinois opened in 1878, Wisconsin’s Waupun Correction Institution was finished in 1854 and the New Jersey State Prison was built in 1833\. New York’s Auburn Correctional Facility was built in 1817 and was the first to use the electric chair for capital punishment. *This fact brief responds to conversations such as* [*this one*](https://www.reddit.com/r/SouthDakota/comments/175e062/location%5Fof%5Fnew%5Fprison/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### **Sources** KELO-TV, [How many states have older prisons than South Dakota?](https://www.keloland.com/keloland-com-original/how-many-states-have-older-prisons-than-south-dakota/?ref=sdnewswatch.org#:~:text=But%20despite%20this%2C%20these%20South,Louisiana%2A) KOTA-TV, [Governor Rhoden wants new men’s prison to be built in Sioux Falls](https://www.kotatv.com/2025/09/10/governor-rhoden-wants-new-mens-prison-be-built-sioux-falls/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Spectrum News, [Auburn, New York's oldest prison, started many standards associated with incarceration](https://spectrumlocalnews.com/nys/central-ny/news/2025/04/04/history-of-auburn-s-prison?ref=sdnewswatch.org) --- [South Dakota News Watch](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/) partners with [Gigafact](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) to publish fact briefs that refute or confirm a claim with supporting information and additional evidence and context. - [Read previous fact briefs](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/tag/fact-brief/). - Read our verification standards and other [best practices policies](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/best-practices/). - Submit a question for us to answer on the [South Dakota News Watch Tipline](https://gigafact.org/tipline/south-dakota-news-watch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). - Send questions or feedback to [factbrief@sdnewswatch.org](mailto:factbrief@sdnewswatch.org). *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact Michael Klinski* at michael.klinski@sdnewswatch.org.* ### Lakota Music Project to take program on tour this fall URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/lakota-music-project-tour-south-dakota-tribes/ Last updated: 2025-09-10T11:04:43.000Z There are very few places in the world where one can listen to a violin and a cello played alongside a Lakota drum and singers. In October, the [Lakota Music Project](https://www.sdsymphony.org/education-community/lakota-music-project/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) will travel South Dakota for its Shared Vision Tour and give communities across the state a chance to hear just that. The Lakota Music Project, an initiative of the South Dakota Symphony Orchestra, began as a “conviction” of Delta David Gier, music director of the symphony. Just six months after he started that role in 2004, he began to think about the community that the symphony served. When he first started reaching out to Lakota musicians, he was met with skepticism. ## ****Get South Dakota stories** An email summary on most weekdays that links to the full version. Cancel anytime. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. “It was surprising, but it was my first lesson in learning how to listen,” Gier told News Watch. "Barry LeBeau, who was working with United Sioux Tribes in Pierre, said, 'You're crazy, but I'd like to try to help you.'" Gier eventually started conversations with Lakota musicians across the state with the help of LeBeau. That led him to Melvin Young Bear, of the New Porcupine Singers, a drumming group from the Pine Ridge reservation. > "We've been doing this for so many years that a lot of us have become good friends with each other. We have that trust between us, so we're able to come together with music." – Emmanuel Black Bear Gier eventually started conversations with Lakota musicians across the state with the help of LeBeau. That led him to Melvin Young Bear, of the New Porcupine Singers, a drumming group from the Pine Ridge reservation. It would be four years after that meeting that the orchestra and the singers would play a single note on a stage together. "There was a pivotal moment of a snowy evening in March in Pine Ridge. It must've been about 2007 and it was our principal string quartet, our principal woodwind quintet and the New Porcupine Singers," Gier said. "It was really awkward like, ‘What are we doing here?’ But we just started playing music for each other. Then (Young Bear) said, ‘Our hope is that we will pass on this tradition to the next generation.’ I said ‘Bingo. That's exactly what we do, too.’” ## First Lakota Music Project tour was in 2009 Now, the Lakota Music Project has been performing new programs since the inaugural tour in 2009, which saw performances on the Pine Ridge, Santee Sioux and Rosebud reservations. The model, a concert split into two parts with individual performances from both groups followed by collaborative performances, has remained largely unchanged. The Creekside Singers, from the Pine Ridge reservation, now work in collaboration with the orchestra. ![Bryan Akipa, a Dakota flautist who has also composed music for the program, performs a dance with the Lakota Music Project. (Photo: Tracy Salazar)](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/09/BryanAkipaDance-PhotoCreditTracySalazar-1.jpg) Bryan Akipa, a Dakota flautist who has also composed music for the program, performs a dance with the Lakota Music Project. (Photo: Tracy Salazar) Emmanuel Black Bear, current drum keeper of the Creekside Singers, has been involved with the Lakota Music Project since its inception. He told News Watch that much of the work the group does is on building understanding alongside rehearsing and performing music. “If we focus solely on our differences, we will probably never get along. So we have to focus on our similarities and how we make this work and how we do it in a positive way,” Black Bear said. "We've been doing this for so many years that a lot of us have become good friends with each other. We have that trust between us, so we're able to come together with music." And there are plenty of differences between traditional Lakota music and traditional symphonic music. ## Differences in the music Orchestras typically play with sheet music, and Lakota musicians typically do not. The way that a piece begins will vary greatly between the two groups, with orchestras starting on the same note every time and Lakota singers following the lead of the drum keeper. Gier said the project has been successful not only in its national prominence – the project has played at the Museum of the American Indian in Washington and for lawmakers in Pierre – but in how it has connected two musical communities in the state, which for most of history have never interacted with one another. [Delta David Gier lifts South Dakota Symphony Orchestra to national stageDelta David Gier arrived in Sioux Falls in 2004\. Since then, he’s transformed the South Dakota Symphony Orchestra and shattered stereotypes.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-193.jpg)South Dakota News WatchStu Whitney![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/2019-scaled-1.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/delta-david-gier-lifts-south-dakota-symphony-orchestra-national-stage/) “There's been a lot of tears in rehearsals, not out of frustration but out of joy. You see how hard we're working to fuse these two traditions together to create something beautiful that people will be able to understand and come away with a sense of possibility,” Gier said. This year, Derek Bermel, a composer from New York, is premiering work with the tour. Bermel has worked in music composition alongside a variety of cultures, from West Africa to Belgium. His work with the Lakota Music Project was the first time composing music from a Native American perspective. ****Support Native American storytelling.** Help South Dakota News Watch tell stories from Indian Country that don't just focus on the problems but on the solutions and rich Indigenous culture. [Donate ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) "I wanted the musicians in the Creekside Singers to feel comfortable. As long as I was focused on them feeling comfortable, I felt that the audience would also feel comfortable," Bermel told News Watch. "I heard this very powerful sound and I recognized that they were great melody writers. They were brilliant melodists, and that was the core. They produced these melodies that were like iron. They were solid. They were perfectly constructed. Like a tree trunk, they couldn't be broken." He worked alongside the Creekside Singers and the symphony to write orchestral accompaniments and notate music that the singers gifted to the project. [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/05/donate-3.jpg)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate?ref=sdnewswatch.org) “You keep trying to get closer to something that's inevitable, which is this shared space between these two cultures musically,” Bermel said. "The most important thing was to understand the way they think about their music from a structural perspective." ## Tour aims to reach underserved communities The program's tour will take the music to six locations in South Dakota, three of which are on reservations: Sinte Gleska University on the Rosebud Indian Reservation, Wagner Community School on the Yankton Indian Reservation and Lakota Tech High School on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. The tour begins Oct. 13 at the Crazy Horse Memorial in the southern Black Hills and move east through the week, ending Oct. 18 at the LSS Multi-Cultural Center in Sioux Falls. The concerts are free to attend, which is essential to reaching all members of the community, Gier said. The performances at schools will be particularly meaningful to Black Bear, whose role as drum keeper requires that he not only protect the sacred drum but the tradition of Lakota music itself. He frequently works with youth programs to pass on critical cultural skills and ideals. [South Dakota Symphony pulls ‘Giants in the Earth’ opera out of the shadowsProduction based on classic novel about Norwegian settlers will be performed April 26-27 at the Washington Pavilion in Sioux Falls.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-194.jpg)South Dakota News WatchStu Whitney![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/symphony.6.JPG)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-symphony-giants-in-the-earth-opera/) “When we talk about preservation of cultures, preservation isn't the recording of things. It's the teaching on. If we teach on, we’re preserving our culture, our language,” Black Bear said. While the tour will primarily make its way through many Native communities across the state, Black Bear said that the goal – to connect communities across cultures – remains the same no matter who's in the audience. “If my people can see the message, we've done it,” Black Bear said. “If non-Native people can see the message or hear the message, we've also accomplished what we're setting out to do.” [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email) *for statewide stories. Investigative reporter *Molly Wetsch* is a* [*Report for America*](https://www.reportforamerica.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *corps member covering rural and Indigenous issues. Contact her at* [*molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Fact brief: Did the Minnesota Vikings play their first-ever game in Sioux Falls? URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/gigafact-brief-minnesota-vikings-dallas-cowboys-sioux-falls-preseason-game/ Last updated: 2025-09-09T13:47:28.000Z ## Yes. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/WhiteFACT-BRIEF--500-x-200-px--2-1-1.png) The Minnesota Vikings played their first-ever game as a professional football team at Howard Wood Field in Sioux Falls on Aug. 5, 1961. About 5,000 fans saw the Dallas Cowboys beat the Vikings 38-13 in an exhibition game, which also featured the debut of future Hall of Famer Fran Tarkenton. Local coaching legend Bob Burns played a crucial role in bringing the team to Sioux Falls. At a chance encounter at a Minneapolis bar, Burns overheard a conversation involving the Vikings president discussing a preseason game in Fargo-Moorhead. Burns then advocated for Sioux Falls. Burns was told it would require $40,000, and he secured it from Sioux Falls contributors. Grandstand seats cost $5.50 (roughly $60 today), but attendance was lower than expected – organizers lost $10,000. To commemorate the game, two Sioux Falls men are trying to get a plaque placed near Howard Wood Field. *This fact brief responds to conversations such as* [*this one*](https://www.reddit.com/r/SiouxFalls/comments/1nbc4mo/does%5Fanyone%5Fhave%5Fany%5Fmemorabilia%5Ffrom%5Fthis%5Fgame/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### **Sources** Sioux Falls Argus Leader, [The day the Vikings played at Howard Wood Field in Sioux Falls](https://www.argusleader.com/story/stuwhitney/2014/08/14/vikings-nfl-howard-wood-field-sioux-falls/14058365/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) KELO-TV, [Historic marker project to honor first Vikings game](https://www.keloland.com/news/local-news/historic-marker-project-to-honor-first-vikings-game/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) SDPB, [Birth of a franchise, Minnesota Vikings In South Dakota](https://www.sdpb.org/sports-rec/birth-of-a-franchise-minnesota-vikings-in-south-dakota?ref=sdnewswatch.org) --- [South Dakota News Watch](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/) partners with [Gigafact](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) to publish fact briefs that refute or confirm a claim with supporting information and additional evidence and context. - [Read previous fact briefs](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/tag/fact-brief/). - Read our verification standards and other [best practices policies](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/best-practices/). - Submit a question for us to answer on the [South Dakota News Watch Tipline](https://gigafact.org/tipline/south-dakota-news-watch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). - Send questions or feedback to [factbrief@sdnewswatch.org](mailto:factbrief@sdnewswatch.org). [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact Michael Klinski* at michael.klinski@sdnewswatch.org.* ### SD hospital ratings: See how your hospital fared in 2025 URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/sd-hospital-ratings-avera-sanford-monument-health/ Last updated: 2025-09-09T22:00:40.000Z When it comes to quality of medical care and patient safety, South Dakota hospitals generally fared well in new rankings by two independent rating agencies, though there is room for improvement. In the 2025 quality ratings by the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), three South Dakota hospitals received the top mark of 5 stars, while seven hospitals rated 4 stars and two received 3-star ratings. None of the South Dakota hospitals rated by CMS received a 2-star or 1-star rating, the lowest on the 1-5 scale. The Overall Hospital Quality Star Ratings are based on 46 quality measures within five general categories of health and safety data, which are supplied by the facilities being rated or are collected independently by CMS. The federal agency rates hospitals and other medical facilities on rates of mortality, safety of care, readmissions, patient experience and timely and effective care. The rating system, found at the [Care Compare](https://www.medicare.gov/care-compare/?redirect=true&providerType=Hospital&ref=sdnewswatch.org) website, "displays hospital performance data in a consistent, unified manner to ensure the availability of credible information about the care delivered in the nation’s hospitals," according to CMS. In all, a dozen hospitals in South Dakota had high enough patient counts to qualify for CMS ratings. Two facilities within the Avera Health system had the highest CMS ratings in South Dakota, with 5-star ratings given to Avera Heart Hospital of Sioux Falls and Avera St. Luke's Hospital in Aberdeen. The other 5-star rating in South Dakota was obtained by the Veteran's Affairs hospital in Sioux Falls. The lowest ratings in South Dakota were also in the Avera system, where 3-star ratings were given to Avera McKennan Hospital & University Health Center in Sioux Falls and Avera St. Mary's Hospital in Pierre. ## ****Get South Dakota stories** Get the latest articles from South Dakota News Watch straight to your inbox. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. Cancel any time. The only 1-star rated hospitals in close proximity to South Dakota were MercyOne Siouxland Medical Center and St. Luke's Regional Medical Center, both in Sioux City, Iowa, both of which are owned by UnityPoint Health. ## Ratings valuable but only a 'snapshot' The CMS ratings are valuable for both patients and providers, said Tim Rave, CEO of the South Dakota Association of Healthcare Organizations. The ratings and specific data points provided by CMS give patients insight into quality measures and outcomes at their local hospitals, he said. But Rave added that the ratings are only a "snapshot in time" of hospital performance and should not be used as the sole source of determining quality of care. In some categories, hospitals can be dinged if patients don't follow up on suggested appointments, he said. [Monument Health: Rapid City hospital ratings have risen“It shows progress on our quality journey and using the same measurement with today’s data would result in higher ratings.”![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-191.jpg)South Dakota News WatchBart Pfankuch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/Monument-new-wing-sign.jpeg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/monument-health-says-rapid-city-hospital-ratings-have-risen/) "I think there's some value. But I don't think it’s driving consumer usage because people are going to go to their community hospital or where their providers recommend them to go," he said. The ratings also provide hospitals with an independent review and a benchmark upon which to seek improvements. "It challenges you, whatever facility you're in, to attain a goal," Rave said. "Even if you got to 4 stars, you'd like to be a 5." ## Leapfrog grades provide another rating Earlier this year, the[ Leapfrog Group](https://www.leapfroggroup.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) – an independent hospital rating organization – also released its annual grades, which range from A at the top to F at the bottom. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/09/2024-4-17-Monument-Health-signage-1.JPG) Monument Health Rapid City Hospital, shown on April 17, 2024, in Rapid City, S.D., has improved its quality ratings. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) Of the nine South Dakota hospitals rated by Leapfrog, seven received grades of C. Monument Health Rapid City Hospital, which has seen its quality ratings improve sharply in recent years, received the only A grade in South Dakota, while Avera St. Mary's in Pierre received the only D grade. South Dakota's CMS ratings were largely in line with hospital ratings in other states across the U.S. Of roughly 3,000 hospitals rated by CMS in 2025, about 60% of facilities received a 4-star or 3-star rating. About 10% achieved a 5-star rating, and 8% received a 1-star rating. In recent years, the CMS quality ratings have shown a general decline across the U.S. The number of 5-star rated hospitals fell from 455 in 2021 to 291 in 2025, and the number of 4-star rated hospitals fell from 998 in 2021 to 761 this year. Meanwhile, the number of 1-star ratings rose from 204 in 2021 to 293 in 2025. ## Pierre hospital has lower rankings With a CMS rating of 3 stars and a Leapfrog grade of D, the lowest in South Dakota in 2025, Avera St. Mary's Hospital in Pierre was flagged by the rating agencies in a number of areas. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/09/Avera-St.-Mary-s-in-Pierre-from-FB-1.jpg) Avera St. Mary's Hospital is the primary health care provider in Pierre, S.D. (Photo: Avera St. Mary's Facebook page) CMS rated St. Mary's high in some patient care areas. The hospital scored well in treatment of severe sepsis and septic shock and for its lower-than-average rate of infections from Clostridium difficile, or C. diff. The hospital was also noted for a low readmission rate and a low overall patient death rate of 4.1%, slightly lower than the national average of 4.2%. However, CMS flagged St. Mary's for its death rate of heart failure patients (17.3%), which was higher than the national average of 11.6%, and for its higher-than-average rate of patients who died of pneumonia. The hospital also had a lower rate of rapid brain scans taken on patients who came to the emergency room with stroke symptoms. The Leapfrog rating indicated a high rate of patient falls and injuries and a low rate of safe administration of medications. Leapfrog gave high marks to the hospital for responsiveness of staff and a low rate of problems with surgeries. [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/05/donate-3.jpg)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Cale Feller, director of media relations at Avera, responded to News Watch questions with an email statement, noting that some CMS data used in the current ratings is from 2021-2023 and is incomplete. Feller also said the Leapfrog ratings are based on voluntary reporting of data that is time-consuming and expensive. "For those who do not participate (in Leapfrog surveys), grades are calculated based onincomplete data, which may not accurately reflect performance," he wrote. In reference to the CMS rating at St. Mary's in Pierre, Feller said, "This information is not reflective of our level of care offered at Avera St. Mary’s. He noted that the hospital has implemented recent programs or policies aimed at improving pulmonary rehabilitation, heart failure support and stroke care. "Avera St. Mary’s continues to monitor quality rigorously through CMS, Joint Commission and internal quality initiatives, which provide more timely and validated performance metrics. Avera St. Mary’s has hired a dedicated infection control coordinator who reviews all cases and provides real-time guidance and support for care teams. While this is an effective process for improving future ratings – especially when one or two patient cases can impact overall rankings – it’s even better for ensuring high quality care for every patient at every encounter." ## Monument Health sees big improvement Leaders and staff at Monument Health have proven that making a comprehensive, committed effort to improve patient care and outcomes can be successful. In 2023, Monument's flagship hospital in Rapid City had the state's only 1-star CMS rating. A year later, the rating had risen to 3 stars. And this year, Monument received a 4-star rating. Monument leaders in 2023 noted that the data used by CMS to evaluate hospitals is outdated, sometimes by a few years, so they felt their performance was not accurately calculated that year. Furthermore, hospital leadership implemented a series of initiatives to improve performance, morale and outcomes, said Jill Tice, Monument Health vice president of quality, safety and risk management. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/09/2025-4-30-Jill-Tice-Monumen-Health-1.jpg) Jill Tice, Monument Health vice president of quality, safety and risk management, spoke on April 30, 2025, at a press conference at the hospital in Rapid City, S.D. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) That included frequent analysis of data, daily staff huddles where quality is the primary focus, and a multi-tiered safety and quality program. Under the 5-tiered improvement program, any issues or problems are documented and then addressed in a systematic and immediate way by increasing levels of management. Tice said those steps and others ultimately created a culture of accountability and constant improvement. "We talk about quality and safety every day," Tice told News Watch. "We have caregivers and physicians involved at the front lines, keeping safety at the forefront of our thoughts." Tice said Monument will now strive for a 5-star rating and that both patients and staff should notice Monument's improvements when they visit the hospital. "I think they will feel a difference," she said. "When you move the culture forward and improve service delivery, safety and overall quality, you feel that spill over into all areas of service." *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact* *Bart Pfankuch* at* [*bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Fact brief: Are there official Wall Drug signs around the world? URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/fact-brief-wall-drug-south-dakota-signs-world/ Last updated: 2025-09-04T11:42:22.000Z ## No. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/WhiteFACT-BRIEF--500-x-200-px--2-1-1.png) The only official “miles to Wall Drug” signs are scattered across South Dakota and neighboring states, including Wyoming and Minnesota. Signs around the world have been put there by “Wall Drug enthusiasts.” The signs have become a ubiquitous part of driving across South Dakota ever since the mid-1930s, when Dorothy Hustead thought to advertise free water to tired and thirsty travelers. Hours after the signs were placed, business boomed. There are about 300 official Wall Drug signs in the region, and each one is hand painted. They last 10-20 years before needing to be replaced. The tradition of signs being placed around the world started during World War II, when a family friend of the Husteads who was stationed overseas made his own. While there are no official signs across the world, others have made signs at Antarctica, the Great Wall of China, in Amsterdam and on a submarine. *This fact brief responds to conversations such as* [*this one.*](https://www.reddit.com/r/SouthDakota/comments/1n70lor/what%5Fis%5Fyour%5Ffavorite%5Fwall%5Fdrug%5Fsign/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) ### **Sources** Sioux Falls Argus Leader, [How far away is the farthest official Wall Drug sign? No, it's not in China.](https://www.argusleader.com/story/news/2021/12/09/south-dakota-wall-drug-billboard-signs-where-farthest-sign-world/8837022002/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Flickr, [Wall Drug sign in Amsterdam circa 2003](https://www.flickr.com/photos/mikes%5Ftrips/page194?ref=sdnewswatch.org) WallDrug.Com, [History](https://www.walldrug.com/about-us/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) WallDrug.com, [Wall Drug signs](https://www.walldrug.com/about-us/wall-drug-signs/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) --- [South Dakota News Watch](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/) partners with [Gigafact](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) to publish fact briefs that refute or confirm a claim with supporting information and additional evidence and context. - [Read previous fact briefs](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/tag/fact-brief/). - Read our verification standards and other [best practices policies](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/best-practices/). - Submit a question for us to answer on the [South Dakota News Watch Tipline](https://gigafact.org/tipline/south-dakota-news-watch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). - Send questions or feedback to [factbrief@sdnewswatch.org](mailto:factbrief@sdnewswatch.org). [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact Michael Klinski* at michael.klinski@sdnewswatch.org.* ### What to know about the Black Hills Corp. and NorthWestern Energy merger URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/black-hills-corp-northwestern-energy-merger/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T11:00:05.000Z By the end of 2026, South Dakota residents from the far corners of the Black Hills to the southeastern tip of the state could be sharing an energy provider. Black Hills Corp. and NorthWestern Energy announced Aug. 19 that the two companies would be pursuing a merger, consolidating two of the largest public-utility providers in South Dakota. ## Where do the companies operate now? Both companies provide energy resources to South Dakota and several other states: - NorthWestern serves 787,000 customers in South Dakota, Nebraska, Montana and in Yellowstone National Park. - Black Hills Corp., which operates under the name Black Hills Energy for its distribution services, has a customer base of 1.35 million in eight states: Arkansas, Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, South Dakota and Wyoming. - NorthWestern has 49,882 natural gas customers and 64,839 electric customers in South Dakota. - Black Hills Energy has 77,941 electric customers in the state. ## What will the new company look like? The merged company will be headquartered in Rapid City, S.D., where Black Hills Energy is currently based. It will have a new name and ticker symbol on the New York Stock Exchange, which is yet to be announced. Brian Bird, current CEO of NorthWestern Energy, will serve as the company’s new CEO. Black Hills Energy CEO Linn Evans will retire after the deal closes, according to Black Hills Corp.’s 8-K form filed with the Securities Exchange Commission on the day of the merger announcement. [Black Hills Corp SEC Filing Form 8-K – Aug. 19, 2025Black Hills Corp Form 8-K.pdf159 KBdownload-circle](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/content/files/2025/08/Black-Hills-Corp-Form-8-K.pdf "Download") While both companies are headquartered in South Dakota, they have significant presences outside of the state. According to an investor presentation given on Aug. 19, 31% of the new company’s total rate base will come from Montana, with South Dakota at 17%, the second-largest portion. ## How long is the merger going to take? The investor presentation accompanying the merger announcement said the process would take 12-15 months. During that time, the two companies will have to pursue approval from several bodies. Those include the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and public utilities commissions in Montana, Nebraska and South Dakota. ![Black Hills Energy built its $50 million headquarters, shown on Sept. 1, 2025, on the south side of Rapid City, S.D., in 2017. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/09/2025-9-1-Black-Hills-Energy-front-1.jpg) Black Hills Energy built its $50 million headquarters, shown on Sept. 1, 2025, on the south side of Rapid City, S.D., in 2017\. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) "They have to file here for approval, and when they do file, we'll have six months from the time of filing to make a decision. During that six months, people can file written comments in the docket," South Dakota Public Utilities Commission attorney Kristin Edwards told News Watch. ## Why is this important? The transaction is considered a megamerger because of its high value. The combined company, after the merger is complete, will have a market capitalization, or equity value, of $7.8 billion, making it the most valuable publicly traded company based in South Dakota by more than $5 billion. The next-largest is Pathward Financial, which has a market cap of $1.9 billion. The merger is also one of the first of its kind in South Dakota's public utilities history, according to Edwards. “I can't think of another time, off the top of my head, when there's been a large utility merger in South Dakota," she said. ![NorthWestern Energy's current headquarters in Sioux Falls, S.D., pictured on Aug. 28, 2025. (Photo: Molly Wetsch/ South Dakota News Watch)](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/08/northwestern-1.JPG) NorthWestern Energy's current headquarters in Sioux Falls, S.D., pictured on Aug. 28, 2025\. (Photo: Molly Wetsch/ South Dakota News Watch) In the Aug. 19 call with investors, the companies indicated that a growth priority for them as the merger closes will be data centers and other "new large-load opportunities," projects that require a large amount of energy. NorthWestern Energy has already entered into agreements with data centers in Montana. In July, [the company signed a letter of intent](https://montanafreepress.org/2025/07/31/northwestern-energy-inks-power-agreement-with-an-ai-data-center-planned-for-yellowstone-county/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) to provide power to a Quantica data center in the state. “If you want to do business in our states, you are going to be talking to us,” Bird said during the call. ## Will my energy rates go up or down, or will energy services be affected? South Dakota is a monopoly state for public utilities, which means only one company operates in a specific area. Users cannot choose their energy provider. Because of that status, the South Dakota PUC’s role is to keep energy prices in check. Customers in the state do not need to be worried about rates changing or energy services being affected as a result of the merger, Edwards said. “They have an obligation to provide reasonable service at reasonable rates. So they cannot put themselves into a situation where they cannot serve their customers,” she said. ## Will South Dakota get more transmission lines after the merger? The combined company will operate 59,000 miles of transmission and distribution across eight states, according to the merger announcement. About 7,000 of those miles are in South Dakota: NorthWestern currently operates 2,365 miles of distribution lines, 1,308 miles of transmission and 124 substations in the state; Black Hills Energy operates 1,234 miles of transmission and 2,627 miles of distribution in the state. ## ****Get South Dakota stories** An email summary on most weekdays that links to the full version. Cancel anytime. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. While the merger announcement referenced growth opportunities including regional transmission and natural gas transmission, there were no specific plans mentioned to increase the number of transmission or distribution lines in South Dakota. NorthWestern Energy did not respond to a request for comment regarding transmission line expansion in the state. ## What about renewable energy? Both Black Hills Energy and NorthWestern Energy have committed to clean energy goals, albeit on different timelines: Black Hills Energy pledged net-zero emissions for natural gas distribution systems by 2035, while NorthWestern said it will achieve the same goal by 2050\. ![Black Hills Energy has a 190,000 square-foot headquarters, shown on Sept. 1, 2025, called "Horizon Point" in Rapid City, S.D.. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch)](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/09/2025-9-1-Black-Hills-Energy-fountain-1.jpg) Black Hills Energy has a 190,000 square-foot headquarters, shown on Sept. 1, 2025, called "Horizon Point" in Rapid City, S.D.. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) Black Hills Energy did not respond to a request for comment on the company's net-zero goals by the time of publication. In South Dakota, 77% of in-state electricity was generated from renewable resources in 2023, [according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration](https://www.eia.gov/state/analysis.php?sid=SD&ref=sdnewswatch.org), with the majority coming from wind and hydroelectric power through the Missouri River dams. Both Black Hills Energy and NorthWestern Energy have significant investments in wind, solar and hydroelectric power: 44% of NorthWestern's electricity in South Dakota comes from wind resources; Black Hills Energy's most recent renewable facility, the Corriedale Wind Energy Project, serves electricity customers in both South Dakota and Wyoming. The state currently does not produce any energy from nuclear. But the subject recently entered the conversation as a potential source for increased capacity, as [data centers consider South Dakota](https://southdakotasearchlight.com/2024/12/07/massive-data-centers-consuming-large-amounts-of-energy-have-eyes-on-south-dakota/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) as a valuable location. ****Will you support South Dakota News Watch?** SDNW is an independent, 501(c)(3) nonprofit that tells investigative stories, verifies claims and engages with communities to identify solutions. With your gift, we can do even more important stories like this one. [Donate ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) South Dakota Gov. Larry Rhoden and Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen spoke Aug. 26 about the South Dakota's potential to enhance electric capabilities through small-module reactors, a nuclear energy source. However, neither Black Hills Energy or NorthWestern Energy have yet indicated whether nuclear energy is in the company's future. Justin Ballard, a senior associate in energy and sustainability practice and government affairs at consultant FGS Global in Washington, D.C., said the state may see both benefits and drawbacks from nuclear power. "It provides enormous amounts of energy with a very small impact as far as land usage," Ballard told News Watch. "The issue, of course, with nuclear that's still worth considering is the nuclear waste issue. The United States still does not have a long-term solution for nuclear waste storage. It's not an elephant in the room that can never be addressed, but it's there." ## How can I get more information? The two companies [launched a website](https://www.blackhillsnorthwesternbettertogether.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) that provides information about the merger. Financial records for both companies, as well as merger information, is available to the public online through the SEC's EDGAR Public Dissemination Service System. [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email) *for statewide stories. Investigative reporter *Molly Wetsch* is a* [*Report for America*](https://www.reportforamerica.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *corps member covering rural and Indigenous issues. Contact her at* [*molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Fact brief: Is South Dakota projected to have one of the worst nursing shortages by 2030? URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/fact-brief-south-dakota-nursing-shortage/ Last updated: 2025-09-02T11:00:07.000Z ## Yes. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/WhiteFACT-BRIEF--500-x-200-px--2-1-1.png) South Dakota is one of seven states that is expected to have a shortage of nurses by 2030. According to a report released by RegisteredNursing.org using Bureau of Health Workforce data, South Dakota will be 1,900 nurses short of demand by the end of the decade, 14% less than what is needed. That's projected to be the third worst in the nation, behind Alaska (22.7%) and South Carolina (-16.6%). The nursing shortage in South Dakota is exacerbated by the state’s rural areas because of the distance to health care facilities as well as economic challenges, among other factors. WalletHub ranked South Dakota 45th in the nation in a list of “best and worst states for nurses.” The website ranked states for salaries, quality and number of nursing schools, nurses per 1,000 residents and other categories related to workplace satisfaction. *This fact brief responds to conversations such as* [*this one.*](https://www.reddit.com/r/SouthDakota/comments/1n0htgm/anyone%5Fdo%5Frural%5Femt%5Fwork%5Faround%5Fthe%5Fchamberlain/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) ### **Sources** RegisteredNursing.org, [The states with the largest nursing shortages](https://www.registerednursing.org/articles/largest-nursing-shortages/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) South Dakota State University, [Addressing the rural nursing crisis](https://www.sdstate.edu/news/2025/06/addressing-rural-nursing-crisis?ref=sdnewswatch.org) WalletHub, [Best and worst states for nurses](https://wallethub.com/edu/best-states-for-nurses/4041?ref=sdnewswatch.org) --- [South Dakota News Watch](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/) partners with [Gigafact](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) to publish fact briefs that refute or confirm a claim with supporting information and additional evidence and context. - [Read previous fact briefs](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/tag/fact-brief/). - Read our verification standards and other [best practices policies](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/best-practices/). - Submit a question for us to answer on the [South Dakota News Watch Tipline](https://gigafact.org/tipline/south-dakota-news-watch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). - Send questions or feedback to [factbrief@sdnewswatch.org](mailto:factbrief@sdnewswatch.org). [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact Michael Klinski* at michael.klinski@sdnewswatch.org.* ### Slow year for South Dakota tourism industry so far in 2025 URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-tourism-numbers-canada-travel-season-trump/ Last updated: 2025-09-03T15:09:01.000Z RAPID CITY, S.D. – The owners of the Fort Hays Old West Town, a tourism destination just south of Rapid City, have about 150 days each year to turn a profit, relying on robust visitor spending from Mother's Day to mid-October. For more than 50 years, the family-run operation has made it work and was able to expand offerings to include a Wild West musical dinner show, a bus tour operation and a roller coaster where riders can shoot replica guns at buffalo statues. While second-generation operators Clint and Krystal Jones have seen some ups and downs over the years, they have rarely experienced such a poor season of tourism spending as they have in the summer of 2025. ![Clint Jones, co-owner of Fort Hays Old West Town south of Rapid City, S.D., shown on Aug. 27, 2025, said this year's tourist season has been "brutal" in regard to revenues. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/08/2025-8-27-Fort-Hays-owner-Clint-Jones-1.jpg) Clint Jones, co-owner of Fort Hays Old West Town south of Rapid City, S.D., shown on Aug. 27, 2025, said this year's tourist season has been "brutal" in regard to revenues. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) "It's been brutal," Clint Jones said of the business on U.S. 16 that is famous for its 99 cent all-you-can-eat pancakes and collection of historical buildings and artifacts. "It’s been absolutely brutal this year.” Krystal Jones, Clint's wife and business co-owner, told News Watch that Fort Hays has seen revenues at its five separate businesses fall by 20% to 40% this year. The Mount Rushmore Tours guided bus operation had the greatest decline. [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/05/donate-3.jpg)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Fort Hays has endured the same headwinds that slowed revenues at many tourism businesses across the state and nation – reduced spending by tourists, shorter durations of vacations and a dramatic drop in international visitors, especially from Canada. ## ****Get South Dakota stories** An email summary on most weekdays that links to the full version. Cancel anytime. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. "You take the Canadians away, and all the families who usually might have taken a two-week vacation this summer — we’re just not seeing them," said Teri Schmidt, CEO of Experience Sioux Falls, a leading East River tourism promotion agency. At one point this summer, visitor spending in Sioux Falls was down 9% compared to 2024, Schmidt said. "I feel so bad for the small businesses who live by what happens in the tourism season because they’re hurting," she said. ## Causes: Inflation, economic unease and politics South Dakota Secretary of Tourism Jim Hagen and other experts in the field said many Americans have been reluctant to plan trips and spend money due to nagging inflation and uncertainty over the future of the national economy. > "I feel so bad for the small businesses who live by what happens in the tourism season because they’re hurting." - Teri Schmidt, CEO of Experience Sioux Falls He's aware that some South Dakota tourism operators have suffered during what he called “an unusual summer season.” Hagen said state data is incomplete in regard to visitor and revenue outcomes for the summer months, but he is hopeful a slow summer can be boosted by a busier fall. “When push came to shove, consumers were a little bit more cautious on travel this summer,” Hagen told News Watch. “Inflation, unrest about the economy, we saw that nationally and in this state as well, so everyone is seeing the same sort of funk.” ![Falls Park, shown in August 2024, is a major attraction for visitors to Sioux Falls, S.D. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch)](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/08/2024-8-11-Falls-Park-1.JPG) Falls Park, shown in August 2024, is a major attraction for visitors to Sioux Falls, S.D. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) While tourists have still visited the state, many spent less while here, Hagen said. That can be bad news for tourism operators but also for the state general fund, about 60% of which is annual sales and use taxes. South Dakota, like other states near the Canadian border, saw a reduction in tourists from the north this summer. Hagen said early estimates show about a 20% drop in Canadian visits to South Dakota so far in 2025. ****Join other South Dakotans and support statewide storytelling.** [Donate ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) The U.S. economy could see a $12.5 billion loss in revenues in 2025 due to reduced international travel to the states, according to the World Travel & Tourism Council. Some traditional destinations such as Las Vegas have seen major declines in visitors and spending. Schmidt said tariffs and President Donald Trump's stated desire to make Canada the 51st U.S. state have put a chill on Canadian tourism in South Dakota. "They’re mad at America," she said. "They’re not happy with what the president is doing. And some of them, when they canceled, have said point blank, 'We’re not coming because we don’t like what your country is doing to ours,'" she said. ## Not all doom and gloom in 2025 There have been some bright spots for tourism in South Dakota this year. The state has seen high national park attendance and strong numbers from the annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, Hagen said. The 2025 rally, the 85th version of the event, saw an 11% increase in vehicles counted, according to the city of Sturgis. Overall tax revenues jumped to $1.6 million, a 13% increase over 2024, according to the state Department of Revenue. “It wasn’t the summer we hoped for, but it wasn’t terrible by any means,” Hagen said. [From barn to table: How agritourism is reviving rural South DakotaTourism data from 2024 indicates that several counties in the state had a spike in visitor spending, and most of those are rural.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-185.jpg)South Dakota News WatchMolly Wetsch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/farm1-1-1.JPG)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/agritourism-south-dakota-tourism-good-earth/) Michelle Thomson, CEO of the Black Hills & Badlands Tourism Association, said her membership has reported both wins and losses so far in 2025. "It's been a mixed picture for the region," she said. "Some businesses are seeing softer numbers, some are even and some are up." While hotel occupancy has fallen, higher room rates have made up for any decreases, Thomson said. And even though reservation windows have shortened as people wait longer to make travel decisions, some tourism operators are benefiting from last-minute bookings, she said. The region around Badlands National Park saw strong tourism activity this summer, with visitor counts there rising by 7.5% in June this year compared to 2024, Thomson said. ![Rick Hustead, shown in his office in Wall, S.D., on June 23, 2025, is the third-generation president of Wall Drug. Hustead said the famous tourist attraction is having a good year in 2025. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch)](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/08/2025-6-23-Wall-Drug-Rick-Hustead-1.jpg) Rick Hustead, shown in his office in Wall, S.D., on June 23, 2025, is the third-generation president of Wall Drug. Hustead said the famous tourist attraction is having a good year in 2025\. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) Rick Hustead, president of Wall Drug in Wall, said revenues at the world-famous tourist site were up 2.5% in July and 3.5% in August compared to last year. "It seems like people in the United States are getting out and traveling, they’re taking vacations and shopping and eating," he said. "We're having a good season. It's not the best year ever, but our numbers are hanging in there very solidly." ## Optimism for fall 2025 and 2026 Hagen is confident of a strong fall “shoulder season” that includes the 60th anniversary of the Custer State Park Buffalo Roundup and the upcoming pheasant hunting season, which Hagen said could set records. He's also buoyed by recent national survey data showing that 92% of U.S. travelers said they are planning domestic trips in the coming year. As a state with a strong dose of “Americana,” South Dakota will benefit in 2026 from the nation’s 250th anniversary celebration, which also includes fireworks at Mount Rushmore National Memorial on July 3, Hagen said. [SD Hall of Fame aims to expand education and exhibitsFundraising campaign has raised more than half of $4.5 million goal.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-186.jpg)South Dakota News WatchMolly Wetsch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/IMG_0024-2-1-1-1.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-hall-of-fame-tourism-education-chamberlain-tourism/) “One thing we have to keep in mind is that value is king, and people are looking for deals and destinations that are affordable and easier on the checkbook,” he said. “They’re seeking a ton of outdoor, family-friendly options, and South Dakota has those in spades.” Schmidt, the Experience Sioux Falls CEO, spent several days in late August courting a large national association that is considering holding a convention in the city next year. So far, she said, "they're loving what they're seeing" during their first-ever tour of eastern South Dakota. "All we can do is keep our chins up and keep believing in the product we’re selling, knowing that we’re good people and when people choose to travel, they will choose us," Schmidt said. Maintaining such an optimistic outlook is critical to survival for those in the tourism industry, including for Clint Jones, the co-owner at Fort Hays. “We’ll be here next year, and we’ll live to fight another day,” he said. “After a bad year, all you can do is pick up the pieces and move on.” [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact* *Bart Pfankuch* at* [*bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### The state of South Dakota media: Cuts, closures and new voices URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-media-sdpb-newspapers-television-radio/ Last updated: 2025-08-29T11:21:09.000Z Not too long ago, most people's local and statewide media choices were largely limited to three TV stations, a newspaper or two and a slew of radio stations offering a variety of programming. Recent developments in South Dakota illustrate how changing reader habits are rewriting the state's media landscape. "There was a time when it took 20 years to happen what’s happened in the past couple of weeks in South Dakota," said Dave Bordewyk, executive director of the South Dakota NewsMedia Association. Here are recent changes in the state's media landscape, which includes legacy organizations as well as so-called digital-first organizations like South Dakota News Watch. It is not exhaustive and does not delve into the financial and audience habits that led to the changes. ## Recent changes to radio, TV and newspapers ### SDPB people and programming cuts South Dakota Public Broadcasting last week announced that it will reduce its staff by 25% across its programs and services in response to a $2.2 million annual cut in federal funding. The radio program "In the Moment" and TV program "South Dakota Focus" were eliminated, and output of "Dakota Life" on TV and educational resources will be reduced. ## ****Get South Dakota stories** An email summary on most weekdays that links to the full version. Cancel anytime. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. SDPB said it will prioritize news of open government and access to the Legislature. And it will continue its coverage of high school athletic championships and fine arts events. The network will also keep all its TV and radio transmitters to maintain 98% of statewide coverage. “This is the hardest decision we've ever had to make,” said Julie Overgaard, SDPB executive director, adding that she hopes to restore some of the staff through fundraising efforts. ### Four newspapers saved by new owner As the SDPB changes unfolded, four newspapers that were abruptly shuttered weeks earlier found new life when a new owner bought the properties. Champion Media, a family-owned community newspaper company based in North Carolina, said it was acquiring and restarting The Brookings Register, Huron Plainsman, Redfield Press and Moody County Enterprise at Flandreau. "Every community deserves a newspaper and a voice and we feel fortunate to be able to help provide that," said CEO Scott Champion. ### Other newspaper changes The challenges of delivering a printed product have increased significantly recently because the U.S. Postal Service now processes much of South Dakota's mail in surrounding states. Some newspaper subscribers wait a week or more for editions printed only a few miles away, Bordewyk said. "So it’s making that ad worthless and causing advertisers to pull away," he said, adding that skyrocketing costs for labor, newsprint and other expenses also weigh on bottom lines. > “The news ecosystem in South Dakota, as it is everywhere, is at an inflection point." – Dave Bordewyk, executive director of the South Dakota News Media Association About 75 of the roughly 100 newspapers in the state have reported delivery problems. Larger, corporate-owned newspapers have had to cut resources because of heavy debt loads, but the issue for most smaller operators is razor-thin margins, Bordewyk said. "I fear their delivery is being changed in such a way to the point where they won’t be able to restore it," he said. When a local news source closes, the impact is twofold, Bordewyk said. "Connectivity: Connecting people to know what is going on in the community and to have a trusted, reliable source for news. Accountability: Having an independent source of journalism that reports about local government, what the school board and city council (are) doing and reporting to the community. If you don't have those two things, I believe a community will suffer," he said. ****Play a bigger role in our storytelling.** Join us as a partner in telling stories that are important to all South Dakotans with a tax-deductible donation. [Donate ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/reportforamerica/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) About 40 South Dakota newspapers closed over the past 30 years, but the state still has one of the highest number per capita. SDNA changed its bylaws a few years ago to allow new media organizations like South Dakota News Watch and another statewide nonprofit, South Dakota Searchlight, to join. Other startups include three newspapers that publish both online and print editions where Gannett-owned papers still operate: The Dakota Scout in Sioux Falls, started by two former Sioux Falls Argus Leader reporters, and the Aberdeen Insider and Watertown Current, owned by Aberdeen businessman Troy McQuillen. ### TV news In commercial television, Nexstar Media Group Inc., which owns KELO-TV in Sioux Falls, said it plans to acquire Tegna Inc. to form a new company that would serve 80% of U.S. households, if approved. (Tegna is comprised of Gannett's former broadcast and digital division.) Besides the CBS affiliate that serves the entire state, KELO operates keloland.com, South Dakota's top news website. Nexstar also provides local news from KCAU-TV, the ABC station in Sioux City, Iowa. Nexstar said the merger would help ensure that local news and programming continues from trusted, local sources and a diversity of local voice and opinion. ### Local TV streaming KELO also has started streaming more programming on its website, a smartphone app and services like Roku, Fire TV and Apple TV. "What you see a lot of broadcast companies trying to do is meet the viewer where they are," said Gary Weitman, Nexstar's chief communications officer. "It’s not designed to replace or move anything off broadcast." South Dakota's other major local TV news provider, Gray Media, broadcasts on KSFY-TV (ABC), KDLT-TV (NBC) and KTTW-TV (FOX) in Sioux Falls under Dakota News Now, on KOTA-TV (ABC) and KEVN-TV (FOX) in Rapid City as KOTA Territory News and on KTIV-TV (NBC) in Sioux City. Chris Gross, KOTA Territory general manager, said his stations are adding to their streaming efforts to include more detailed coverage of news stories and severe weather. "We can be live on there more in depth without breaking into over-the-air programming," he said. ![KOTA Territory's studios and towers on Dec. 23, 2024, in Rapid City, S.D. (Photo: Carson Walker/ South Dakota News Watch)](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/08/2024-12-23-KOTA-and-KEVN-station-and-towers.jpeg) KOTA Territory's studios and towers on Dec. 23, 2024, in Rapid City, S.D. (Photo: Carson Walker/ South Dakota News Watch) KNBN-TV, the NBC affiliate in Rapid City, was bought last year by North Dakota-based Forum Communications Co., which previously purchased two Sioux Falls stations, KWSD-TV (now KSFL-TV) and KCWS-TV. Forum also operates the Mitchell Republic newspaper and a printing plant in Sioux Falls as well as Sioux Falls Live, an online news and sports site. Forum's latest acquisition was MetroSports TV, which it has rebranded Midwest Sports+ to provide shows and live-streamed play-by-play of high school and college games, including University of Sioux Falls football and basketball. KNBN doesn't have a separate news app, but some sports from KNBN and KSFL will feed into Midwest Sports+, said Mary Jo Hotzler, Forum's chief content officer. "It's all very interconnected with what we're doing. You'll see (sports writer) Matt Zimmer on Sioux Falls Live and he'll have stories and columns covering the Jackrabbits, but you'll also see him on Midwest Sports+," she said. ### Commercial radio Another company innovating how it delivers content is The HomeSlice Media Group. It runs six Black Hills radio stations and the state’s largest podcast network and launched The Rapid City Post, a digital newspaper with more than 16,000 email subscribers that will soon have a print edition, said Brad “Murdoc” Jurgensen, chief revenue officer and executive producer. "Our primary vision of The Rapid City Post is free, ad-supported, locally staffed community media with strong journalistic standards, available to everyone as they like to digest it," he said. ## A map of the current state and looking ahead In response to readers asking about media changes, South Dakota News Watch created the interactive Google Map below that lists all traditional and new media organizations as well as blogs and other sources of information in the state. “The news ecosystem in South Dakota, as it is everywhere, is at an inflection point. The traditional models for gathering news and advertising, that model has been broken up in large part. And these new ways to provide that news and information, streaming and through apps that replace the traditional model, it’s really in some respects, it’s exciting," Bordewyk said. "Not to mention what AI (artificial intelligence) is going to do. "Opportunities exist, and how communities respond and engage will be fascinating." [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **Carson Walker* worked in radio, television, newspapers and at The Associated Press and now is CEO of *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization that produced this story. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email) *to get stories when they're published. Contact him at* [*carson.walker@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:carson.walker@sdnewswatch.org). ### Fact brief: Does South Dakota have a comparatively large population of cicadas? URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/fact-brief-south-dakota-cicadas-population-brood/ Last updated: 2025-08-28T12:47:59.000Z ## No. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/WhiteFACT-BRIEF--500-x-200-px--2-1-1.png) South Dakota has a relatively low number of cicadas compared to other states in the Midwest and some in the East that host periodic broods. Cicadas, which make a continuous and buzzing noise that can be as loud as 100 decibels, are found (and heard) in the late summer months in parts of South Dakota. But the cicadas that appear in the state are the annual species, which is the most common. Annual cicadas have an average lifespan of 1 to 5 years, but some can spend more than a decade underground. Periodical cicadas, which are found in other states east of South Dakota, appear in numbers up to the trillions nearly annually in 13- or 17-year intervals. Occasionally, the 13- and 17-year broods emerge at the same time, leading to an even larger population for the summer. South Dakota does not have periodical cicadas. *This fact brief responds to conversations such as* [*this one.*](https://old.reddit.com/r/SouthDakota/comments/1mwtcjw/the%5Fsoundtrack%5Fof%5Fsouth%5Fdakota%5Fin%5Faugust/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) ### Sources AZ Animals, [The geography of cicadas: Which states experience the most emergence?](https://a-z-animals.com/animals/cicada/where-are-cicadas-located/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) CBS News, [Cicada maps show where the noisy insects will emerge in the U.S. this spring](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/cicada-maps-2025-emergence/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) SDSU Extension, [What’s buzzing in the trees?](https://extension.sdstate.edu/whats-buzzing-trees?ref=sdnewswatch.org) --- [South Dakota News Watch](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/) partners with [Gigafact](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) to publish fact briefs that refute or confirm a claim with supporting information and additional evidence and context. - [Read previous fact briefs](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/tag/fact-brief/). - Read our verification standards and other [best practices policies](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/best-practices/). - Submit a question for us to answer on the [South Dakota News Watch Tipline](https://gigafact.org/tipline/south-dakota-news-watch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). - Send questions or feedback to [factbrief@sdnewswatch.org](mailto:factbrief@sdnewswatch.org). [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact Michael Klinski* at michael.klinski@sdnewswatch.org.* ### From barn to table: How agritourism is reviving rural South Dakota URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/agritourism-south-dakota-tourism-good-earth/ Last updated: 2025-08-28T12:51:23.000Z LENNOX, S.D. – Just 20 minutes away from South Dakota’s biggest city is an unexpected oasis. Chickens and geese freely roam, goats bleat for treats and a traditional barn with a shining metal roof towers over the prairie. There, people gather every Friday and Sunday in the summer and eat farm-to-table pizza made in a wood-fire oven while enjoying the outdoors. This is the Good Earth Farm outside of Lennox, and it represents a growing trend across the state of “[agritourism](https://sdvisit.com/agritourism?ref=sdnewswatch.org),” which attracts visitors to farms and ranches to try everything from flower picking to farm tours. Nancy Kirstein, who runs the farm with her husband, Jeff, bought the property in 2011\. It started as a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program, where they sold the produce that they grew on the farm. [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/05/donate-3.jpg)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate?ref=sdnewswatch.org) That, Kirstein said, didn’t give them the financial freedom to use the farm to its full potential, including the complete renovation of the barn that is now its centerpiece. Her husband eventually had to return to work full-time and she worked part-time. But Kirstein knew that she wanted to continue working with the land and growing produce. “That's really the very heart of it. You have a connection to the land and you want to preserve it and all of that stuff,” Kirstein said to News Watch. “But it doesn't pay the bills. So then you've got to figure out what does.” ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/08/barnexterior.JPG) The exterior and seating space of the Good Earth barn near Lennox, S.D., on Aug. 21, 2025\. (Photo: Molly Wetsch/ South Dakota News Watch) Kirstein joined the [AgritourismSD](https://extension.sdstate.edu/agritourismsd-program?ref=sdnewswatch.org) program run by South Dakota State University Extension after beginning repairs on the barn in 2019\. That program provides farmers and ranchers with resources and training to create successful agritourism ventures over the two-year program length. There, she honed her idea to serve food and drinks at the farm. Now, the farm sees customers twice a week, hosts a Labor Day “Blood Run” event and has started to offer flower picking in its colorful zinnia patch. This month, Kirstein and the Good Earth team made a record number of pizzas in one night, with 237 on Aug. 24. ## Visitor spending increases in rural communities across the state Perhaps the most appealing facet of agritourism to many is its broad nature: everything from pumpkin patches to hunting lodges to wineries fall under the umbrella. And all have a place in rural South Dakota. Tourism data from 2024 indicates that several counties in the state had a spike in visitor spending. Most of those are rural, including Ziebach and Turner counties and Potter County, which saw the largest percent change in spending growth in the state. It has a total population of about 2,500\. Kirstein said that the appeal of agritourism often comes from the peaceful, nostalgic nature of rural communities – and its relative novelty for city dwellers. “I think we’re getting to the point where a lot of people used to have a connection to a farm, maybe from the parents or the grandparents, and remember being in that space. But there's not a lot of opportunity to be in those spaces anymore,” Kirstein said. The South Dakota tourism and agriculture departments did not respond to requests for comment for this story. ## Annual events draw nationwide visitors The rise of agritourism isn’t limited to season- or year-long ventures, though. Beth Simonson founded the Highmore Sunflower Festival in central South Dakota last year. The one-day event attracted more than 500 attendees on Aug. 16 this year from more than 11 states, she said. “There was a couple from Louisiana this year. They saw something about sunflowers on public television and came to central South Dakota specifically to come to the sunflower festival," Simonson said to News Watch. Highmore, which has a population of about 700, has seen significant impact from the festival, even in its infancy. “All the vendors that were in the park did really well. I sold a ton of T-shirts. We had two food trucks and they were super busy. And even the grocery store had a ton of people come in," Simonson said. [Seasonal workers the ‘face’ of major SD attractions“It’s really fun because you’re in a tiny town and it’s just a melting pot.”![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-183.jpg)South Dakota News WatchJackie Hendry![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/2017-4-28-Wall-Drug-1-1.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-tourism-national-parks-badlands-wall-drug/) The festival was also a product of the AgritourismSD program, and Simonson started it as a way to highlight the hard work of farmers across the state who work on sunflower fields. She hopes the festival provides both education and engagement to those unfamiliar with the practice. "You need to respect the producers. You know, don't go cutting the sunflowers. That's their livelihood," Simonson said. "That's my favorite part, is that we're educating people about our sunflower fields from all over the country. That's what I wanted to do from the beginning." ****Support stories about rural South Dakota with a tax-deductible donation.** [Donate ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/reportforamerica/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Both this year and last year, the festival received a grant from the South Dakota Department of Tourism through the Tourism Advertising Promotion (TAP) program, which allowed Simonson to promote the festival across the state. That program will not be available next year, Simonson said, so she has begun to think about alternate ways to get the word out about the quickly-growing festival, including through social media and sponsorships. "Now that we've done it and had success, I think we can go after some more sponsors because we can say, 'Look what we're doing. We brought people to South Dakota,'" Simonson said. ## Zoning rules vary by county But the fast-growing and ever-changing nature of agritourism has put some strain on the businesses as they develop. Kirstein explained that differences in county-by-county planning and zoning ordinances make it difficult to understand what’s allowed and where – especially for those who may not be familiar with the rezoning process required to host events, serve food or provide tours. In the case of the Good Earth Farm, struggles with planning and zoning caused significant stress for the Kirsteins. “I’ve been in front of the zoning committee four times. We were once doing a big open house on Memorial Day weekend. We were going to have live music, they were going to be in the barn, and I got an email from the county saying, ‘You can't have people in your barn,’” Kirstein said. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/08/interior-1.JPG) The interior of the barn at the Good Earth Farm near Lennox, S.D., on Aug. 16, 2025, which is used for weddings and other events. (Photo: Molly Wetsch/ South Dakota News Watch) While neighboring Minnehaha County has a specific ordinance and permit process for agritourism, Lincoln County does not. That issue sparked a conversation in Lincoln County about how to zone for farms that use agritourism as a secondary form of income. The permanent solution to the problem was eventually found in the form of a planned development zone, which allows farms to maintain their status as agricultural producers while engaging in other commercial activity. It's similar to a mixed-use development in urban areas, said Lincoln County planning director Toby Brown. While farms in Lincoln County may now have a bit more clarity, Kirstein worries about other, smaller producers in counties without procedures in place to support agritourism. [Tourism leaders worried soft economy will slow revenuesInflation, an uncertain national economy and Canada comments from President Trump could add up to a soft year for tourism in South Dakota.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-182.jpg)South Dakota News WatchBart Pfankuch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/2025-5-6-Piedmont-SD-campsite-1.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-tourism-economy-travel-visitors-recession-sturgis-rally/) “There are other farms that do similar things but not to our scale, and it's mostly because they can't,” Kirstein said. “We were able to get there mostly through desperation and tenacity to say, 'No, we need this.'" For Kirstein and Simonson, agritourism represents an opportunity to bring vitality to rural communities while also reminding visitors of the agriculture industry’s deep importance in the state, especially as growth in cities like Sioux Falls sparks national attention. “Giving people this connection, being able to get people out into a space like this, helps them understand why we need to preserve spaces like this,” Kirstein said. [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email) *for statewide stories. Investigative reporter *Molly Wetsch* is a* [*Report for America*](https://www.reportforamerica.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *corps member covering rural and Indigenous issues. Contact her at* [*molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Fact brief: Does South Dakota have some of the nation's best roads? URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/fact-brief-south-dakota-highway-interstate-road-conditions/ Last updated: 2025-08-26T11:00:58.000Z ## Yes. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/WhiteFACT-BRIEF--500-x-200-px--2-1-1.png) South Dakota’s interstates and highways are among the best maintained in the nation. US News & World Report ranked the state second in road quality and second in infrastructure. The state is ranked third by the Bureau of Transportation, which reports that South Dakota’s roads are 95% “acceptable,” behind Indiana (97%) and Kansas (96%). The regional rankings: Minnesota (90.5%), Iowa (91.3), Nebraska (92.6%), Wyoming (94.9%) and North Dakota (93.3%). South Dakota’s roads have improved since 1995, when the bureau said 84.5% of the state’s roads were “acceptable.” But the state might not be ranked highly for long. Department of Transportation Secretary Joel Jundt told lawmakers in January that by 2034, 30% of state roadways will be in fair or poor condition, still well above the target of 20%. He cited the potential for decreased federal funding and major bridge replacement projects among the reasons. *This fact brief responds to conversations such as* [*this one.*](https://www.reddit.com/r/SouthDakota/comments/1mz8j7i/as%5Fa%5Ftruck%5Fdriver%5Fimho%5Fsouth%5Fdakota%5Fhas%5Fthe%5Fbest/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) ### Sources U.S. News & World Report, [Road quality rankings](https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/rankings/infrastructure/transportation/road-quality?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Bureau of Transportation, [Road condition reports](https://www.bts.gov/road-condition?ref=sdnewswatch.org) South Dakota Searchlight, [Roads, bridges will worsen in next decade, transportation leader says](https://southdakotasearchlight.com/briefs/south-dakota-roads-bridges-worsen-decade-state-department-transporation-secretary-joel-jundt/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) --- [South Dakota News Watch](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/) partners with [Gigafact](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) to publish fact briefs that refute or confirm a claim with supporting information and additional evidence and context. - [Read previous fact briefs](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/tag/fact-brief/). - Read our verification standards and other [best practices policies](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/best-practices/). - Submit a question for us to answer on the [South Dakota News Watch Tipline](https://gigafact.org/tipline/south-dakota-news-watch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). - Send questions or feedback to [factbrief@sdnewswatch.org](mailto:factbrief@sdnewswatch.org). [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact Michael Klinski* at michael.klinski@sdnewswatch.org.* ### Lawmaker considers limiting new Black Hills water usage URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-black-hills-water-usage-legislation/ Last updated: 2025-08-25T10:55:53.000Z A West River lawmaker said he might file a bill in the 2026 legislative session that could slow or even stop some new development across the Black Hills by limiting the ability to take more water from underground aquifers. Rep. Scott Odenbach, a Republican from Spearfish who is majority leader in the House of Representatives, said he began to think about water conservation in western South Dakota after seeing a [U.S. Geological Survey study ](https://pubs.usgs.gov/sir/2025/5067/sir20255067.pdf?ref=sdnewswatch.org)released in late July. It indicated that even in non-drought periods, some sections of aquifers that supply fresh water to the Black Hills were not sufficiently recharging through rainwater and runoff. ## ****Get South Dakota stories** An email summary on most weekdays that links to the full version. Cancel anytime. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. Odenbach said the study raised concerns that perhaps too much water is being removed from the Madison, Minnelusa and Inyan Kara aquifers and that eventually, a water shortage could result. The study, as [reported by News Watch](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/black-hills-water-study-missouri-river-pipeline/), found that overall the Black Hills aquifers remain sufficiently filled but that some areas, referred to as "sub-aquifers," are not recharging enough to meet the planned or current actual use of water. The portions of aquifers not sufficiently recharging tended to be in higher-growth areas, roughly from Box Elder on the east to Sturgis on the west. "We've got to have a conversation ... to ensure that we don't just heedlessly rush into water scarcity here," Odenbach told News Watch. "I think we've always got to make sure that we look out first for residential customers and the people that live here now and then those who want to do other types of uses." ## May try to 'tweak' obscure 1978 state law Odenbach suggested the USGS study could prompt the need to amend [SDCL 46-6-6.1](https://sdlegislature.gov/Statutes/46-6-3.1?ref=sdnewswatch.org), a statute passed in 1978 that prohibits so-called water mining, or the taking of water from aquifers that science shows are not refilling adequately. The law was passed during a period of drought and increased demand for water in southeast South Dakota. While the law bans removal of water from aquifers above the Greenhorn Formation, which includes those east of the Missouri River, it allows an exception for deeper bedrock aquifers like those beneath the Black Hills. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/08/Unknown-7.jpeg) State Rep. Scott Odenbach, R-Spearfish Odenbach told News Watch he might seek to "tweak" that law in order to remove the Black Hills exception, thereby preventing removal of water from any state aquifer that is not recharging as fast or as much as needed. "That (statute) essentially says you can't sink new wells into an aquifer, unless you can show that you're not taking out more than is naturally recharged," he said. "In light of that report by the U.S. Geological Survey, I think we need to ask the question of whether we need to make sure that the statute also applies to our aquifers West River." Odenbach added that he is concerned that some individuals and entities in the Black Hills, such as the development agency Elevate Rapid City, are promoting "growth for the sake of growth" that could negatively affect the existing high quality of life in the Black Hills. "Groups like Elevate Rapid City, they just want to have untrammeled development as fast as they possibly can. And then when we wake up and it's like Denver and we're out of water, they can move on to somewhere else," Odenbach said. "The people that live here and care about the Black Hills want us to be more careful." ## Elevate leader denies characterization Tom Johnson, CEO of Elevate Rapid City, took umbrage at Odenbach's characterization of his group's efforts to bring new business, jobs and residents to the region. He also said the lawmaker's references to uncontrolled growth as seen in some areas of Colorado are not comparable to what is taking place in the Black Hills. [Half of South Dakotans now live in 2 metro areasSioux Falls and Rapid City areas are now home to 465,000 people and growing, and it’s not just the availability of jobs that’s attracting them.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-179.jpg)South Dakota News WatchMelissa Avelino![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/IMG_7519-1-1-1-2.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/metro-census-population-sioux-falls-rapid-city/) Johnson said Rapid City has seen an average growth rate of 0.3% to 1.7% annually over the past 15 years, which planning experts refer to as a healthy pace of growth. "We're not Denver and we're not going to become Denver," Johnson said. "We're not growing at some crazy rate." The USGS report noted that the population of the Black Hills grew about 39% from 2000 to 2022 but surprisingly that "no increased well withdrawal patterns corresponding to population increases were observed." State wells that monitor aquifer levels also have not shown an overall water deficiency, according to the state. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/08/2025-4-21-Pactola-shoreline-low-2-1.jpg) Water levels were low in April 2025 at Pactola Reservoir, a main source of drinking water for Rapid City. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) Johnson said enacting legislative barriers to growth could backfire by creating "artificial markets" that interfere with the free market and unwittingly block the arrival of people who aren't already wealthy. That, he said, can drive up the cost of housing and necessary goods and services and make it harder for locals to remain. "It's easy to pick on a group like Elevate because we try to work toward wealth and prosperity, not unfettered growth," Johnson said. "We try to allow kids to stay here, for the next generation of kids to have jobs." Johnson said Odenbach is taking an "anti-growth" stance that will prevent the Black Hills and its current and future residents from reaching their highest potential. "The problem with folks like Odenbach is they've got their piece of the pie, right? They've got the Black Hills that they want and they don't want your kids or your kids' kids to have a piece of that," Johnson said. "I think the real thing that the voters in Spearfish should do is try to find someone who wants to have a nuanced discussion and vote candidates out that are anti-growth and who want to hand our prosperity over to East River." ## Missouri River pipeline project in play Momentum has been growing behind a $2 billion proposal to build a 161-mile, 6-foot-diameter water pipeline from the Missouri River north of Pierre to locations across western South Dakota, including the Black Hills. Backers of the project, such as Republican state Sen. Helene Duhamel of Rapid City, have said the pipeline would provide a reliable, long-term source of water for the region. > "We're a thirsty nation and everybody is looking at every water source, so we have to secure clean, reliable water for the future of our state." – state Sen. Helene Duhamel Duhamel and others saw the USGS report as further evidence of the need for the pipeline. "I think we really demonstrated we have current water needs, and as legislators, we want to be forward thinking enough to make sure our children and grandchildren have the opportunity to make western South Dakota their home," she said. In an email to News Watch, Odenbach said he foresees the pipeline as a possible "boondoggle" and is skeptical if it should be built. He also suspects the ultimate cost will exceed $2 billion. Odenbach said he wants to begin conversations to seek alternatives that will preserve access to water but not encourage unfettered growth. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/08/2024-10-25-Oahe-Dam-2-1.jpg) A proposed $2 billion pipeline would carry water from the Missouri River just above the Oahe Dam near Pierre, S.D., shown here in 2024, to western South Dakota. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) Odenbach said he wants to gather information so the public and policymakers can understand the science behind Black Hills water supplies in order to find possible solutions without relying solely on a proposed pipeline from the Missouri River. "We're at the fact-gathering stage of this," Odenbach said. "If we are worried that the water is being mined and that we're taking it out faster than we're putting it back, and we're 20 years out from that pipeline possibly being built, then we've got to plan for the next 20 years and be thinking about smart use of these water resources." ## Water part of economic development Duhamel said banning further drilling of wells into western South Dakota aquifers is a "shortsighted" way of addressing rising water needs. "Planning for our current and future water needs is a critical piece of that puzzle to make this a great place to live and work because a lot of our best and brightest leave the state because they don't have job opportunities," Duhamel said. "To cut off this idea of smart growth is shortsighted because a lot of people need good-paying jobs that don't exist right now." [![CTA Image](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/06/SDNW-Logo-Vertical.jpg)](https://apple.news/TtkmfHohlTJiS1a5R0TuAUw?ref=sdnewswatch.org) ****Read South Dakota News Watch on Apple News** [Follow ](https://apple.news/TtkmfHohlTJiS1a5R0TuAUw?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Duhamel also said South Dakota needs to act expediently to build the pipeline before other states on the Missouri River begin to withdraw more water. "I think we would rue the day and look back and wonder why we didn't make this critical investment as we watch our Missouri River water go to downstream states," she said. "We're a thirsty nation and everybody is looking at every water source, so we have to secure clean, reliable water for the future of our state." [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact* *Bart Pfankuch* at* [*bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Fact brief: Are South Dakota public schools among the lowest-funded in the nation? URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/gigafact-fact-brief-south-dakota-education-funding/ Last updated: 2025-08-21T11:00:46.000Z ## Yes. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/WhiteFACT-BRIEF--500-x-200-px--2-1-1.png) South Dakota spends the seventh-lowest amount per student nationally in the public school system as of 2023. The state spends $12,005 per student, about $2,000 more than the lowest state on the list: Idaho ($10,247), which is followed by Utah ($10,333) and Oklahoma ($11,155). The data is collected by the U.S. Census Bureau and includes a per-student breakdown of salaries and wages, employee benefits, student support, instructional staff support, general administration and school administration. The top states for per-student funding are New York ($30,012) and Vermont ($26,345). Regionally, Minnesota spends $16,117 per student, Iowa, $13,792 and Nebraska, $15,200\. In early 2025, the South Dakota Legislature approved an increase of education funding of 1.25%, much lower than average. Budgets were strained even further when the federal government cut $25.8 million from the state’s education funding this summer. *This fact brief responds to conversations such as* [*this one.*](https://www.reddit.com/r/SouthDakota/comments/1j9m6un/how%5Fwill%5Fsouth%5Fdakota%5Fbe%5Fimpacted%5Fif%5Fthe/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) ### Sources U.S. Census Data Bureau, [2023 per-student funding (Tab 8)](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1zgfbKGiHujUkM2msYS5M5WrgSnmP6-Vh/edit?usp=drive%5Flink&ouid=103987753564616879512&rtpof=true&sd=true&ref=sdnewswatch.org) KELO-TV, [S.D. educators react to 1.25% education funding increase](https://www.keloland.com/news/local-news/s-d-educators-react-to-1-25-education-funding-increase/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) South Dakota Searchlight, [Schools left ‘scrambling’ after feds withhold $25.8 million in funding ](https://southdakotasearchlight.com/2025/07/16/south-dakota-schools-left-scrambling-after-feds-withhold-25-8-million-in-funding/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) --- [South Dakota News Watch](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/) partners with [Gigafact](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) to publish fact briefs that refute or confirm a claim with supporting information and additional evidence and context. - [Read previous fact briefs](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/tag/fact-brief/). - Read our verification standards and other [best practices policies](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/best-practices/). - Submit a question for us to answer on the [South Dakota News Watch Tipline](https://gigafact.org/tipline/south-dakota-news-watch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). - Send questions or feedback to [factbrief@sdnewswatch.org](mailto:factbrief@sdnewswatch.org). *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact Michael Klinski* at michael.klinski@sdnewswatch.org.* ### State's median household income doubles, but rising costs a challenge URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-population-changes-median-income-data/ Last updated: 2025-08-20T11:00:14.000Z *Melissa Avelino is a data journalism student at Augustana University. In this series, she looks at the changing face of South Dakota using U.S. Census data.* South Dakota's median household income more than doubled over the past two decades, from $37,618 in 2000 to an estimated $72,421 in 2023, according to U.S. Census data and analysis. "Incomes are rising in the communities that are growing, for example, the ZIP codes in Sioux Falls," said Jared McEntaffer, CEO of the Dakota Institute. "But you can also see incomes growing in smaller farming communities as well." ## ****Get South Dakota stories** An email summary on most weekdays that links to the full version. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. Incomes in rural areas can rise and fall toa greater extent than in towns and cities, where incomes are mostly driven by wages rather than farm income, he said. --- ## The data and takeaways With the state's median household nearly doubling over the past 20 years, the following map shows each median household income by ZIP Code in 2023. The following graph tracks the income growth since 2000\. The state's median household income increased from $37,618 in 2000 to $72,421 in 2023\. [![Made with Flourish](https://public.flourish.studio/resources/made_with_flourish.svg) ](https://public.flourish.studio/visualisation/24574658/?utm%5Fsource=embed&utm%5Fcampaign=visualisation/24574658) South Dakota has seen a consistent growth in the overall number of workers, with the number of employed South Dakotans over 16 years old increasing from 391,594 in 2000 to 457,450, representing nearly 50% of the state's population. South Dakotans below the poverty line have decreased to 11.8% over the years. However, 7.4% of the South Dakota families were still in poverty status in 2023\. The following graph tracks families in poverty status and civilian employment since 2000\. [![Made with Flourish](https://public.flourish.studio/resources/made_with_flourish.svg) ](https://public.flourish.studio/visualisation/24510366/?utm%5Fsource=embed&utm%5Fcampaign=visualisation/24510366) --- ## Recent grad's fair wages Though the median income is up significantly, real wages that are adjusted for inflation have been growing at around 1.5%, McEntaffer said. "They're not growing as quickly as like I'd like to see," he said. "Typically, when people have more expenses, you know, student loans, or they have those child care costs, things like that, so their earnings are lower." Lui Gabriel Pinto is part of 7% of workers in South Dakota who are in the finance and insurance industry. He graduated from college with a job opportunity already set up for him in the state. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/08/IMG_5750-1.jpg) Lui Gabriel Pinto and his father, Luiz Fernando Marques Pinto, during his graduation in May 2025 (Photo: Lui Gabriel Pinto). Pinto worked for his company as an intern during the summer of 2024, after the summer he got hired as a part-time employee while he was completing his senior year at college in South Dakota. "During my time as a part-timer, I really liked the company," he said. "So when graduation was getting close, I told them that I would like to stay and they hired me as a full-time." ****Join other South Dakotans and support statewide storytelling.** [Donate ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Pinto sees his wages to someone at your age as fair. According to him, he is just starting and does not have big expenses besides rent, groceries and gas. For Pinto, the hardest part of being a young adult and financially independent is knowing when the right time is to make some money decisions. "I feel like it's this maturity about when the right time is to buy new shoes or a new car," he said. "And also know how to plan your future financially." ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/08/51eb8e4d-1d8c-4c78-97a9-49b143647531-1.JPG) Lui Gabriel Pinto and his girlfriend, Whitley Olinger, in South Dakota 2025 (Photo: Lui Gabriel Pinto) Pinto shares this mindset when he thinks about starting a family, he believes that it also has to have the right time. "Right now would be possible, but not ideal, financially," he said. "But where I am right now is a cool place, I like my job, and I want to have more experience and opportunities, so it is a good place to start to think about the future." Pinto sees South Dakota as an excellent place to start as a financially independent young adult. "The state is growing fast with new business and is really cheaper to live here," he said. "So you can save more money, and also they pay well." ## Assistance need increasing However, many South Dakotans are having a tough time covering increased expenses, said Amy Carter, the chief operating officer of the Helpline Center in South Dakota. "We have seen some increased need for rental assistance, utility assistance," she said. "People who are struggling with food insecurity, even just basic needs such as shelter, clothing, furniture, items like that." "We did have a mom reach out not too long ago who recently got child care and she was qualified for the program that helps pay for child care," Carter said. "And she had not been able to work because she didn't have quality child care that she could afford." ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/08/IMG_5751-1.jpg) Helpline volunteers working in the Sioux Empire United Way, April 2025 (Photo: Helpline Center). The mom is now getting the pieces in place because now she is able to get a job, which is going to lead her to being able to pay her rent and other expenses, she said. "There are just a lot of barriers that come up, and we have people who are doing everything right, and they're still struggling to make ends meet," Carter said. "My hopes are more opportunities for good-paying jobs or opportunities for low-income quality housing, affordable child care, all of those things." [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email) *to get stories when they're published. *Melissa Avelino dos Santos* is a student from Rio Branco, Acre, Brazil, at Augustana University in Sioux Falls. She is a summer 2025 intern at SDNW with support from the Nonprofit Newsroom Internship Program created by The Scripps Howard Fund and the Institute for Nonprofit News. *Contact Melissa:** [*melissa.avelino@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:melissa.avelino@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Fact brief: Do some South Dakota cities have an official flag? URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-city-official-flags-rapid-city-sioux-falls/ Last updated: 2025-08-19T11:00:43.000Z ## Yes. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/WhiteFACT-BRIEF--500-x-200-px--2-1-1.png) Several South Dakota communities have official flags representing their cities. Sioux Falls, Rapid City and Aberdeen are among the communities that have official flags. The Rapid City Journal reported in 2018 that the North American Vexillological Association, which tracks flag designs, rated the city’s previous flag as 148th out of 150 in the country. The new design features Mount Rushmore. Adopted in 2018, the Sioux Falls flag features descending white lines representing Falls Park, with a pinkish-red color recalling the Sioux quartzite that was used in many historic buildings. Brandon’s flag features a sun in the corner, a blue sky and orange and blue that represent pride in the school and community. Aberdeen’s official flag is blue with the city symbol in the center, though there’s also a “community” flag with a star in the center. At least seven other South Dakota cities have flags, according to CRWFlags.com. *This fact brief responds to conversations such as* [*this one.*](https://www.reddit.com/r/SouthDakota/comments/1mosnww/i%5Fredesigned%5Ffour%5Fsouth%5Fdakota%5Fcivic%5Fflags/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) ### Sources Rapid City Journal, [Rapid City flag gets redesign after being ranked one of the nation's worst](https://rapidcityjournal.com/news/local/rapid-city-flag-gets-redesign-after-being-ranked-one-of/article%5F8b287178-7805-5b1f-ae0a-bcd2bcd41cd5.html?ref=sdnewswatch.org) CRW Flags, [County and municipal flags of South Dakota](https://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/us-sdmun.html?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Sioux Falls Argus Leader, [City Council votes unanimously to adopt official Sioux Falls flag](https://www.argusleader.com/story/news/2018/07/10/city-council-vote-sioux-falls-flag-adoption/767823002/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Dakota News Now, [Aberdeen city council adopts new community flag](https://www.dakotanewsnow.com/2020/08/05/aberdeen-city-council-adopts-new-community-flag/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Brandon Valley Journal, [Brandon's 'spirit shines' in new city flag](https://www.brandonvalleyjournal.com/content/brandons-spirit-shines-new-city-flag?ref=sdnewswatch.org) --- [South Dakota News Watch](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/) partners with [Gigafact](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) to publish fact briefs that refute or confirm a claim with supporting information and additional evidence and context. - [Read previous fact briefs](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/tag/fact-brief/). - Read our verification standards and other [best practices policies](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/best-practices/). - Submit a question for us to answer on the [South Dakota News Watch Tipline](https://gigafact.org/tipline/south-dakota-news-watch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). - Send questions or feedback to [factbrief@sdnewswatch.org](mailto:factbrief@sdnewswatch.org). [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact Michael Klinski* at michael.klinski@sdnewswatch.org.* ### 7.5 million pounds of chemicals released by SD industry in 2024 URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/epa-toxic-release-chemicals-south-dakota-smithfield-foods/ Last updated: 2025-08-19T13:48:31.000Z Newly released federal data show that South Dakota businesses and industries released nearly 7.5 million pounds of toxic chemicals in the air, water and land in 2024 but also reveal that long-time leading polluter Smithfield Foods in Sioux Falls drastically cut its releases. The numbers come from the Environmental Protection Agency's annual Toxic Release Inventory (TRI), a report listing generation and release amounts of more than a dozen different toxic chemicals by industry and government in all U.S. states and territories. The 2024 data for South Dakota reveal a few key data points, including: - The most commonly released chemicals include nitrates into water, hexane into the air and lead onto land surfaces. Nitrates are used in food production, hexane is a byproduct of feed and fuel production and lead results from mining operations. - South Dakota is in the lowest 10% of states and territories in terms of chemical release levels and is the lowest among all neighboring states. - Recycling of chemical wastes and byproducts is on the rise in South Dakota and across the country as companies work to reduce their chemical footprints. - In a major shift, gold and silver mining company Wharf Resources of Lead overtook Smithfield Foods as the state’s biggest releaser of toxic chemicals. Smithfield, a pork processor located on the Big Sioux River, installed a $45 million wastewater treatment facility in 2023 and saw a 77% reduction in nitrates and ammonia released by the plant in 2024. The purpose of the TRI is to inform the public about industrial chemical releases and to aid companies in tracking and ideally reducing wastes or being more aggressive in waste treatment and handling, EPA spokesman Jeffrey Landis wrote to News Watch in an email. The TRI is not a comprehensive list of all chemical releases because it does not include agricultural runoff or bacterial releases, the EPA said. Most of the chemicals listed in the TRI have been treated prior to release. And most releases are done within permit limits set by state and federal regulators, the agency said. [11 billion-pound mystery: The chemicals South Dakota trains carryEach year, trains carry nearly 11 billion pounds of chemicals through South Dakota cities and countryside, much of it on century-old tracks.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-176.jpg)South Dakota News WatchBart Pfankuch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/lesterville-south-dakota-2015.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-railroad-trains-derailments-chemicals/) Jay Gilbertson, manager of the East Dakota Water Development District, is a longtime advocate of pollution reduction. Lowering industrial emissions is an important goal, Gilbertson said, while acknowledging that producing goods or processing foods will create waste or byproducts. "If you want to have those economic development opportunities and the products that result, hardly any process is free of emissions of some sort, so it’s not a big surprise these companies are major emitters of chemicals,” Gilbertson said. “It is pollution. But it is pollution taking place under the watchful eye of regulators.” ## Millions of pounds but still on the low side In all, 107 South Dakota industries and businesses and five governmental entities tracked by the TRI released nearly 7.5 million pounds of chemicals in the air, water or land surfaces including landfills. The 2024 release total represents a slight increase from 2023, when 7.2 million pounds were released. ## ****Get South Dakota stories** An email summary on most weekdays that links to the full version. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. About 30% of the chemicals are released into the water, 28% into the air, 27% onto land and 14% in off-site locations or other disposal methods. Of the 340 chemical releases noted in the 2024 TRI, 95 of those included carcinogenic materials. The top South Dakota releasers in 2024, what they released and where, according to the TRI: 1. Wharf Resources gold mine at Lead: lead and other chemicals onto land 2. Smithfield Foods pork processing plant in Sioux Falls: nitrates and ammonia into the Big Sioux River 3. Novita Aurora of Brookings County, an animal nutrition company: hexane into the air 4. Workhorse Cabs/Crenlo Engineering of Watertown, which manufactures large machinery cabs: manganese/chromium to the air and off-site facilities 5. South Dakota Soybean Processors of Volga: hexane into the air South Dakota's generation of 24.3 million pounds of chemicals and release of 7.5 million pounds in 2024 were both the lowest levels among all neighboring states, likely due to the state's relatively small number of large industrial companies. The highest releases were in Montana, where 52.3 million pounds of chemicals were released. North Dakota was second in the release level at 49.3 million pounds, followed by Iowa with 34 million pounds. The highest individual chemical release in the nation in 2024 was at Red Dog Operations mine in Kotzebue, Alaska, where 380.8 million pounds of zinc were released. In the Great Plains, the single largest release of 17.5 million pounds of ammonia took place at Basin Electric Antelope Valley Station in Mercer, North Dakota. ## Wharf mine seeks to limit releases The 2024 data indicate that Wharf, a mining operation owned by Chicago-based Coeur Mining, released nearly 2.7 million pounds of eight separate chemicals in 2024. The top chemical released was 2.4 million pounds of lead and lead compounds, which were released onto the land. Other chemicals released by Wharf include nitrates, chromium, manganese, methanol, sodium nitrate and cyanide compounds, according to the TRI. Wharf’s chemical releases reached a peak in 2024 and rose by 37% compared to 2023 when less than 2 million pounds were released. EPA data show the company has increased its waste treatment efforts during the past two years but has not implemented new pollution prevention methods since 2006. ****Join other South Dakotans and support statewide storytelling.** [Donate ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Jasmine McCauley, environmental manager for Coeur Resources, said the company takes numerous steps and uses the latest technology to minimize the release of chemicals during its mining processes. She added that some chemical release amounts in the TRI could be misleading in terms of where waste products end up. For instance, the lead and lead compounds listed in the TRI are shown as being deposited in landfills, when in reality the lead is in the earth prior to mining and is put back onto the land within the mine site after valuable minerals are extracted, McCauley said. Other chemicals released by Wharf are treated prior to release, including nitrates present in effluent that is discharged into Annie Creek along the mine property. Wharf has 100 monitoring wells it checks monthly to ensure compliance with state and federal regulations, she said. The company also works to “scrub” mercury from materials released during the mining process. “We do quite a bit to manage our footprint and we have permits from several regulatory agencies, so we make sure our footprint doesn’t impact anyone downstream,” McCauley said. “It’s important that we do this responsibly.” ## Hexane released by feed and fuel producer The third highest chemical releases in South Dakota in 2024 occurred at Novita Aurora, a feed and sustainable fuel production company located in Brookings County. Don Endres, CEO of Novita LLC, said the company that employs about 70 people has found new uses for distillers grains, a byproduct of the ethanol process. ![Novita Aurora in Aurora, S.D., held a groundbreaking in 2021 of a new storage facility at its plant in Brookings County. (Photo: Courtesy Novita Aurora)](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/08/Novita-Aurora-Shed-Ground-Breaking-July-2021-1.jpg) Novita Aurora in Aurora, S.D., held a groundbreaking in 2021 of a new storage facility at its plant in Brookings County. (Photo: Courtesy Novita Aurora) The company re-purposes distillers grains by using a solvent to remove corn oil embedded within the grains as part of a process to convert the grains to livestock meal, he said. The extracted oil is then used as an additive to renewable diesel fuel. The solvent includes hexane, a volatile chemical compound that is toxic to humans. Some of the hexane is released into the air, and some of it remains in the oil used in the diesel fuel, he said. The TRI indicates Novita released 459,000 pounds of hexane in 2024, a reduction from 755,000 pounds released in 2023. Endres said the year-over-year reduction in hexane release — which came even as production levels increased — is indicative of the company’s ongoing efforts to reduce its chemical releases which come as a result of making cleaner fuels for cars and trucks. “We’re very aware of (the TRI) and are continuing to make improvements over time,” he told News Watch. “To the extent society needs fuel, we want to continue to be more efficient and have less of a carbon footprint in total.” ## Smithfield sees major decline in releases In response to new state permit requirements in 2020 that included a limit on nitrate releases, Smithfield in May 2023 opened a $45 million water treatment facility at the plant next to Falls Park in Sioux Falls. Prior to that, the company spent another $10 million on pollution reduction systems, said Jason Lindquist, director of environmental health and safety at Smithfield. Smithfield, which slaughters nearly 20,000 hogs a day and processes a daily flow of 3 million gallons of wastewater, saw its total chemical releases drop from 5.27 million pounds in 2021 to 1.13 million pounds in 2024, according to the TRI. Last year, the company released 1.1 million pounds of nitrates and 51,400 pounds of ammonia, both major reductions from 2022. ![A new wastewater treatment facility at the Smithfield Foods plant in Sioux Falls, S.D., shown here in 2022, has helped cut back on chemical releases by the plant. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch)](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/08/2022-7-Smithfield-sign-1.jpg) A new wastewater treatment facility at the Smithfield Foods plant in Sioux Falls, S.D., shown here in 2022, has helped cut back on chemical releases by the plant. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) The new treatment system takes the nitrates drawn from ammonia and uses a denitrifying system to biologically convert them to nitrogen gas, which is much less harmful. "From a wastewater perspective, going through denitrification and the addition of the new plant made us more effective at reducing nitrates and ammonia," Lindquist said. "Smithfield is committed to 100% compliance 100% of the time, and that’s not just a tagline because we work our tails off to meet those permit requirements." Environmental groups the Sierra Club and Dakota Rural Action did not respond to emails seeking comment. Gilbertson, the water manager, praised the efforts of Smithfield to reduce nitrate releases into the Big Sioux River. But he noted that the reduction is small in comparison to nutrient loads coming from agricultural operations and industrial facilities along the river and in municipal wastewater effluent dumped by Sioux Falls and other cities. “The idea that the Big Sioux River will become a crystal clear trout stream is an aspirational goal, but it’s probably unrealistic,” Gilbertson said. “And yet, we have waters in South Dakota, many lakes and rivers, where we have an excess of nutrients in them, so anything to reduce that load is a good thing.” [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact* *Bart Pfankuch* at* [*bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### SD Hall of Fame aims to expand education and modernize exhibits URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-hall-of-fame-tourism-education-chamberlain-tourism/ Last updated: 2025-08-15T11:06:01.000Z CHAMBERLAIN, S.D. – Situated just off I-90 on the banks of the Missouri River, with an unmistakable Army helicopter perched out front, is the South Dakota Hall of Fame. It sits just west of the 55-foot tall Dignity of Earth and Sky and just east of the Aktá Lakota Museum, both of which are emblems of the Chamberlain area. The Hall of Fame’s new fundraising efforts are working to make it a similarly essential stop for travelers coming through town. The Legacies of Excellence campaign, which aims to raise $4,455,000 by the end of 2026, will supplement the Hall of Fame’s initiatives through multiple avenues, including exhibits and collections and the visitor and education center. The campaign began in 2024 and has raised $2,360,422 to date. ## Education program to reach elementary-age students Laurie Becvar, CEO of the hall, said one of the most crucial goals of the fundraising campaign is expanding the Legends and Learning program, which provides free lesson plans to public school teachers who want to implement more South Dakota history into their classrooms. This year, it partnered with Dakota State University in Madison to offer a single-credit graduate course for teachers looking to implement Legends and Learning into their classrooms. ## ****Get South Dakota stories** An email summary on most weekdays that links to the full version. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. Under the fundraising campaign, $1 million would go to expanding the program, with $500,000 reserved as an endowment. Michelle Hovland, program manager, created the original lesson plans that are provided to teachers. A long-term goal of Legends and Learning is to drastically expand its reach state-wide, with a goal of support from the state Department of Education. The department’s current social studies standards state that “an important element of history and civic education is teaching students about the history and government of their state, tribe, reservation, or locality.” “If we could partner with the Department of Education, that would be fabulous because they're the ones that are really leading the charge,” Hovland told News Watch. “Getting their blessing would be a way for us to reach more people and have administrators and teachers really comfortable using our material.” The Department of Education did not return a request for comment. ****Join other South Dakotans and support statewide storytelling.** [Donate ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Becvar explained that the program especially reaches kids in rural areas by highlighting successful individuals who got their start – and stayed – in their rural hometown. Hovland echoed similar sentiments. “There used to be a kind of stigma (amongst children) like, ‘I want to leave my state. There's nobody successful in my state,’” Hovland said. “Where that's just not even remotely true. There's so many amazing people with their stories that talk about their failures, their success, how they overcame their obstacles.” ## Modernization campaign hopes to boost Hall of Fame tourism Some of the other priority projects under the fundraising campaign include replacing the furnace and air conditioner for the museum as well as fixing the foundation of the building, which has housed the Hall of Fame since 2000 when it moved to Chamberlain from Fort Pierre. There’s also a goal to support the comprehensive integration of technology into the museum’s exhibits and collections. Becvar said there's potential for hologram technology, updated digital displays and interactive materials to become part of the permanent exhibits. That could help make the museum a destination in and of itself, she said. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/08/IMG_0026_2.jpg) The Army helicopter outside the Hall of Fame in Chamberlain, S.D., on July 15, 2025\. (Photo: Molly Wetsch/ South Dakota News Watch) The hall's goal is to attract 5,000 visitors this year. That's well below its more popular neighboring attractions: the 50-foot-tall Dignity sculpture that honors the Lakota and Dakota people and the Aktá Lakota museum on Saint Joseph's Indian School that preserves Lakota culture. Becvar sees an opportunity to capitalize on those attractions’ popularity and work cooperatively, with a combination of exhibitions and marketing techniques. The use of geofencing and targeted advertising has helped Dignity visitors become aware of the additional information about the sculpture they can access at the hall and extend their stay in Chamberlain a bit longer, she said. “We had a woman come in, and that's how she found us – on her phone (through targeted ads),” Becvar said. “She was at Dignity and she wanted to learn more about it, the making and meaning of Dignity, and she wanted Dignity souvenirs.” ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/08/IMG_0011.jpg) A cast of Dignity's head hangs next to the "Making and Meaning of Dignity" exhibit in the South Dakota Hall of Fame on July 15, 2025, in Chamberlain, S.D. (Photo: Molly Wetsch/ South Dakota News Watch) The Hall of Fame offers all of those. It also hosts the original cast of Dignity’s head, which hangs imposingly over the museum as well as extensive information about its creator, artist Dale Lamphere, a 1987 Hall of Fame inductee. ## 2025 induction ceremony One of the Hall’s busiest times is during the annual induction ceremony for the new Hall of Fame honorees, which takes place in September. This year, 11 inductees will be honored Sept. 12-13 rather than the usual 10 because of the addition of Valentine McGillycuddy, the hall’s first historical figure honoree. It marks the introduction of the new historical figure category, which aims to highlight the work of South Dakotans from decades past. [2025 South Dakota Hall of Fame inductees11 people with political, health, tourism, business, agriculture and other backgrounds will be honored Sept. 12-13 in Chamberlain.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-172.jpg)South Dakota News WatchMolly Wetsch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/2025-hall-inductees.webp)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/2025-south-dakota-hall-of-fame-inductees-chamberlain-tourism/) McGillycuddy, who died in 1939, has a corner of the museum dedicated to his life story thanks to his efforts in medicine, as attending physician to Crazy Horse and in government service as Indian agent on the Pine Ridge reservation. The exhibit is still being curated to its finality but currently holds artifacts from the McGillycuddy house as well as information about his life and work. ## Updated inductee bios Becvar spoke to News Watch about ensuring that past inductees still feel connected to the Hall of Fame long after the ceremony passes. “This is not a transactional, once a year you have your honor ceremony, and then it's over,” Becvar said. “We need to deliberately and strategically foster those relationships with our inductees of the past.” Some of that relationship-building could mean ensuring the inclusion of inductees’ accomplishments after their honor ceremony through maintaining updated biographical information on the website and at the museum. That doesn’t only support inductees but the long-lasting mission of the Hall of Fame, Becvar said. [Southeast SD surges ahead of Black Hills in tourism revenueSouth Dakota saw $4.96 billion in tourism spending in 2023, with 14.7 million visitors. Increasingly, more of them are drawn to the 14 counties in and around Sioux Falls.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-171.jpg)South Dakota News WatchBart Pfankuch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/Falls-Park-tourists-photo-2.JPG)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-black-hills-sioux-falls-tourism-numbers/) The hall functions not only as an interest point but as a critical resource for historical preservation and education. With the recent closure of the state library in Pierre to the public, the Hall of Fame is in a unique position to use its resources and years of archives that not many other organizations provide. “I am amazed at the number of people across the world that tap our resources for so many different reasons: somebody writing a book, the obituaries for someone's life,” Becvar said. “It's a serious thing. The mission is huge. There's no one else that does this work in our state.” [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) This story was produced by **South Dakota News Watch**, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at [sdnewswatch.org](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) and [sign up for an email](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email) for statewide stories. Investigative reporter **Molly Wetsch** is a [Report for America](https://www.reportforamerica.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) corps member covering rural and Indigenous issues. Contact her at [molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org](mailto:molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org). ### 2025 South Dakota Hall of Fame inductees URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/2025-south-dakota-hall-of-fame-inductees-chamberlain-tourism/ Last updated: 2025-08-15T11:01:04.000Z Here are bios of the 11 people being inducted into the South Dakota Hall of Fame in 2025: ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/08/Johnny-B.-HOF-photo-1.jpeg) **Johnny Brockelsby** (also known as Johnny B) is an advocate for South Dakota tourism, especially in the Black Hills region. He is the public relations director of Reptile Gardens, which his family founded in 1935\. He co-founded the Tourism Coalition of South Dakota, previously the South Dakota Visitor Industry Alliance and has served on the Governor’s Tourism Advisory Board. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/08/Carmon-Photo-1-1.jpg) **Greg Carmon** is a philanthropist from Brandon. He founded Midwest Railcar and Repair and, in his hometown of De Smet, worked to support tourism through the Sculpture Trail. Carmon helped found the Build Dakota scholarship program, which works to fill the labor gap in South Dakota. He’s also supported philanthropic efforts for the Arc of Dreams in Sioux Falls and the Special Olympics. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/08/Mark-Harlow-1-1-1.jpg) **Dr. Mark Harlow** is the chief medical officer at Oyate Health Center on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, selected by the center and the Great Plains Tribal Health Chairmen’s Board. He formerly worked with Black Hills Spine Center as an orthopedic surgeon. Harlow is known for his far-reaching philanthropy efforts, which include a health care scholarship for Native American students and his co-founding of the Rapid City Flame Special Olympics program. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/08/Huether-Nomination-Photo-1-1-1.jpg) **Michael Huether** is the former mayor of Sioux Falls, where he served two consecutive terms. Prominent projects launched during his tenure include the Denny Sanford PREMIER Center, the Midco Aquatic Center and the Levitt Shell. Post-mayorship, Huether contributes to the community through the Huether Foundation and the Mike Huether Public Service Academy, a program within the School of American and Global Studies at South Dakota State University. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/08/Ismay-Photo-1-1.jpg) **Dr. John A. Ismay** hails from Bison and has spent his career making significant advancements in the field of veterinary science. Ismay is known for holding a patent that removes bladder stones in equine animals. Ismay now owns and operates Sturgis Veterinary Hospital and Equine Center, which he purchased in 1971\. He’s also the co-founder of Mixed Animal Veterinary Associates North America (MAVANA). ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/08/Miller--Robert-1-1-1-1-1.jpg) **Robert A. Miller** was named chief justice of South Dakota in 1990 after serving on the South Dakota Supreme Court since 1986\. During his tenure, he worked to repair relationships between state and tribal courts and opened court proceedings to the public. He retired from the court in 2001 and chaired the U.S. State Justice Institute until 2010, which works to improve the quality of justice in state courts. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/08/Schaefer-Nomination-Photo-1-1.jpg) **Walter Schaefer** from Winfred was the executive director of McCrossan Boys Ranch at Sioux Falls for 28 years. The ranch uses horse therapy to reach out to boys between the age of 11 and 20\. Schaefer, a longtime horse breeder and exhibiter, was appointed a wagon master of the South Dakota Centennial Wagon Train, which celebrated the state’s 100th anniversary with a 350-wagon train that traversed the state. He, along with McCrossan Boys Ranch, also participated in the country-wide Bicentennial Wagon Train in 1976. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/08/Snyder-Nomination-Photo-1-1.jpg) **David Wayne Snyder** co-founded D&D Farms after serving as a U.S. Army officer. He also was the executive director of the South Dakota Science and Technology Authority, which helped to create the Sanford Underground Research Facility at the former Homestake Mine in Lead. Snyder contributed to the Mickelson Trail project that spans from Deadwood to Edgemont in the 1990s via donations and a “sell the bridges” campaign. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/08/Jim-1.png) **Jim Soyer** worked in public service under four South Dakota governors and U.S. Sen. Larry Pressler as well as former Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson. His career in public service spanned 44 years. During that time, he was chief of staff, press secretary, a legislative director and, until his death in 2021, was a member of U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds' staff. Some of Soyer’s prominent work included working on the Internet Crimes Against Children program and fundraising leadership for South Dakota’s Centennial Celebration. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/08/Two-Hawk-Nomination-Photo-1-1.jpeg) **Dr. Sophie Two Hawk** was the first Indigenous person to graduate from the University of South Dakota Sanford School of Medicine in 1987\. She has since worked as a physician, clinical director and chief executive officer at Indian Health Service (IHS) clinics throughout South Dakota. She is an enrolled member of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe. All three of Two Hawk’s daughters are currently working toward medical careers of their own at USD. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/08/McGillycuddy-Photo--1--1-1.jpg) **Valentine McGillycuddy** is the first historical figure to be inducted into the South Dakota Hall of Fame as part of the new historical figure category, which will add one inductee annually. McGillycuddy was a surgeon, Indian agent for the Pine Ridge reservation and South Dakota’s first surgeon general. He was the attending physician for Crazy Horse at his death by U.S. soldiers in 1877\. McGillycuddy was often praised for his work on Native American relations, [referred to as Wasicu Wakan](https://www.sdpb.org/rural-life-and-history/valentine-mcgillycuddy-holy-white-man?ref=sdnewswatch.org) (Holy White Man) by Chief Red Cloud. ****Join other South Dakotans and support statewide storytelling.** [Donate ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) ## ****Get South Dakota stories** An email summary on most weekdays that links to the full version. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email) *for statewide stories. Investigative reporter *Molly Wetsch* is a* [*Report for America*](https://www.reportforamerica.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *corps member covering rural and Indigenous issues. Contact her at* [*molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Fact brief: Is Sioux Falls the only South Dakota team to ever reach the Little League World Series? URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/fact-brief-south-dakota-midwest-little-league-world-series-llws/ Last updated: 2025-08-18T19:47:23.000Z ## No. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/WhiteFACT-BRIEF--500-x-200-px--2-1-1.png) Three teams from Rapid City advanced to the Little League World Series before Sioux Falls’ recent dominant run. Harney Little League went 0-3 in 2011 and Canyon Lake was 0-3 in 2008 and 1-2 in 2014\. Canyon Lake beat a team from the Czech Republic 5-3 for South Dakota’s first win in the tournament. Sioux Falls Little League, which advanced to the 2025 event taking place Aug. 13-24, has qualified for the LLWS four times. The most notable effort was in 2021, when pitcher Gavin Weir threw a no-hitter and a combined no-hitter to lead Sioux Falls to fourth place. Marcus Phillips, a star on the Sioux Falls team that made its LLWS debut in 2017, was selected by the Boston Red Sox in the first round of the Major League Baseball draft in July. Sioux Falls advanced to the 2025 tournament by beating North Dakota 6-0. *This fact brief responds to conversations such as* [*this one.* ](https://www.reddit.com/r/SiouxFalls/comments/1ml3zsw/sf%5Flittle%5Fleague%5Fjust%5Fwon%5Fthe%5Fmidwest/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) ### Sources Argus Leader, [For Sioux Falls Little League, sky’s the limit](https://www.argusleader.com/story/news/columnists/stu-whitney/2017/07/27/sioux-falls-little-league-sky-limit/516085001/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Argus Leader, [A year after taking Little League World Series by storm, Gavin Weir's dominance on the diamond continues](https://www.argusleader.com/story/news/2022/08/17/little-league-world-series-llws-gavin-weir-south-dakota-pitcher/10212702002/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Little League World Series, [2021 results](https://www.littleleague.org/world-series/2021/llbws/tournaments/world-series/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Little League World Series, [2014 results](https://www.littleleague.org/history/world-series/2014-llb-results/world-series/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Dakota News Now, [Sioux Falls celebrates as Little League team heads to World Series](https://www.dakotanewsnow.com/2025/08/08/sioux-falls-celebrates-little-league-team-heads-world-series/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Dakota News Now, [Marcus Phillips ready to make jump to big leagues after MLB Draft selection](https://www.dakotanewsnow.com/2025/07/22/marcus-phillips-ready-make-jump-big-leagues-after-mlb-draft-selection/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) --- [South Dakota News Watch](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/) partners with [Gigafact](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) to publish fact briefs that refute or confirm a claim with supporting information and additional evidence and context. - [Read previous fact briefs](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/tag/fact-brief/). - Read our verification standards and other [best practices policies](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/best-practices/). - Submit a question for us to answer on the [South Dakota News Watch Tipline](https://gigafact.org/tipline/south-dakota-news-watch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). - Send questions or feedback to [factbrief@sdnewswatch.org](mailto:factbrief@sdnewswatch.org). [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact Michael Klinski* at michael.klinski@sdnewswatch.org.* ### Some South Dakota counties getting younger URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-population-age-aging-youth/ Last updated: 2025-08-13T11:51:05.000Z *Melissa Avelino is a data journalism student at Augustana University. In this series, she looks at the changing face of South Dakota using U.S. Census data.* College towns and high birth rates have increased the average number of young people in some South Dakota counties, even as 17.3% of the state's residents are 65 or older, according to U.S Census data. In 2010, the age group of 15-19 was the third most common in South Dakota and by 2024 had increased to first place. According to the latest estimates by the U.S. Census, this group now makes up 6.9% of the population. "You have higher birth rates in (Indian) reservation counties in general, and that's probably the bigger driver there," said Jared McEntaffer, CEO of the Dakota Institute. ## ****Get South Dakota stories** An email summary on most weekdays that links to the full version. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. For example, this trend is evident in Buffalo County, home to the Crow Creek reservation. In 2010, the most common age group in the county was 25-34 years old, making up 13% of the county population. In 2024, the most prevalent age group was 10-14, representing 10.9% of the population. In Oglala Lakota County, part of the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, 10.8% of the population are children 10-14 years old. Another reason for the statewide trend is the presence of colleges and universities, which attract young adults and influence state age trends, McEntaffer said. With 22.3% of its population in the age group of 20-24 years old, Clay County – home to the University of South Dakota in Vermillion – has one of the youngest average ages nationwide. Rural communities have a predominance of older age groups. For example, Fall River has 10.7% of its population in the age group of 65-69 years old. --- ## The data The latest U.S. Census data estimates indicated that the median age of South Dakotans was 38.5 in 2024\. McEntaffer explains that it is the result of the aging of the overall population. "We've got fewer young people being born, young people moving away," he said. "When people move back, they tend to be older. So all of those things combine to raise that." The following graph tracks the median age trends in the state since 1990\. [![Made with Flourish](https://public.flourish.studio/resources/made_with_flourish.svg) ](https://public.flourish.studio/visualisation/24536849/?utm%5Fsource=embed&utm%5Fcampaign=visualisation/24536849) The following county-level map shows the median age in each of South Dakota's counties in 2023, highlighting the younger populations near reservations and universities and older populations in rural areas. The following graph tracks the age groups in South Dakota in 2024\. [![Made with Flourish](https://public.flourish.studio/resources/made_with_flourish.svg) ](https://public.flourish.studio/visualisation/24541422/?utm%5Fsource=embed&utm%5Fcampaign=visualisation/24541422) --- ## Rural communities are aging While some counties are getting younger, rural communities generally have an aging population. "Kids have moved out of the state or, more likely in some cases, to other population centers in the state," McEntaffer said. ****Join other South Dakotans and support statewide storytelling.** [Donate ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Campbell and McPherson counties exemplify these trends, he said. In both counties, the most common age group is 65-69 years old, 11% in Campbell and 9% in McPherson. "These counties along the north, the kids might have moved into North Dakota and gotten into the oil industry," he said. "So the younger people are leaving the farms, moving to the towns." ## Universities are driving the young growth People aged 20-24 make up 6.7% of South Dakota's population, the third largest age group in the state, according to the U.S Census. "The presence of college students is going to influence the young age groups around the state," McEntaffer said. Jackson Dircks moved from Freeburg, Illinois, to South Dakota in 2021 to attend Augustana University. Anna Dircks, from Nampa, Idaho, was his teammate on the Augustana Swim and Dive team. ![Anna Dircks and Jackson Dircks in a swim meet 2025. (Photo: Anna Dircks)](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/08/IMG_5741-2-1.JPG) Anna Dircks and Jackson Dircks in a swim meet 2025\. (Photo: Anna Dircks) The couple began to date during Jackson's freshman year, and they got married in Sioux Falls in early summer 2025 and decided to stay in South Dakota to start their new life. ![Anna Dircks and Jackson Dircks at their wedding in May 2025 (Photo: Anna Dircks)](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/08/IMG_5737-1.JPG) Anna Dircks and Jackson Dircks at their wedding in May 2025 (Photo: Anna Dircks) One of the reasons they have decided to stay in South Dakota is because of the benefits of living in the state, with better taxes and job opportunities. "There are a lot of job opportunities. Maybe it's not always the job you want, but there are jobs here," Anna Dircks said. "Having the colleges here helps, like I said, I mean, it just makes it more age-friendly." Other reasons why the couple calls South Dakota home include the parks and recreation activities and that they are well-organized and cared for. ## Looking to the future The Dircks, like many young adults around the state, are not sure if they will stay or leave South Dakota in the future. "I could see myself living here forever and we retire here," Jackson Dircks said. "But I could also see us moving in the near future if something popped up." The couple has some hopes and goals for the following years, which include moving to a townhome and being happy with their careers. They feel South Dakota is the right place for young people to start their lives. "South Dakota is one of the best states for business friendliness. So it's nice," Anna Dircks said. "There's a lot more opportunity here than, say, where my hometown is." --- Other stories in the series: [Half of South Dakotans now live in 2 metro areasSioux Falls and Rapid City areas are now home to 465,000 people and growing, and it’s not just the availability of jobs that’s attracting them.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-165.jpg)South Dakota News WatchMelissa Avelino![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/IMG_7519-1-1-1-1.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/metro-census-population-sioux-falls-rapid-city/) [South Dakota’s rural migration cycle: Not just moving out, many are moving inWhy some South Dakotans leave rural areas and also why they return or choose to move there for the first time.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-166.jpg)South Dakota News WatchMelissa Avelino![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/Aberdeen-_South_Dakota_-2022--2.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-rural-population-rapid-city-moving-us-census/) [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email) *to get stories when they're published. *Melissa Avelino dos Santos* is a student from Rio Branco, Acre, Brazil, at Augustana University in Sioux Falls. She is a summer 2025 intern at SDNW with support from the Nonprofit Newsroom Internship Program created by The Scripps Howard Fund and the Institute for Nonprofit News. *Contact Melissa:** [*melissa.avelino@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:melissa.avelino@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Fact brief: Is gasoline more expensive in western South Dakota vs. the eastern part of the state? URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/fact-brief-sioux-falls-rapid-city-sd-gas-prices/ Last updated: 2025-08-12T16:54:53.000Z ## Yes. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/WhiteFACT-BRIEF--500-x-200-px--2-1-1.png) Rapid City and most places in western South Dakota have higher gasoline prices than Sioux Falls and other parts of the eastern part of the state. Over the past 18 months, Sioux Falls’ gas prices are typically 10 cents to 20 cents below the statewide average. On Aug. 11, average prices in Rapid City were $3.10 per gallon and in Sioux Falls, $2.89 – a difference of 21 cents. One year ago, Sioux Falls' price-per-gallon was 50 cents less on average than Rapid City. There are several reasons for the disparity. The Sioux Falls market is more competitive, there’s a major pipeline feeding Sioux Falls and the fuel comes from different regions, according to an expert from Gas Buddy. Gas prices can vary even more wildly from state to state because of the differences in state taxes. Federal and state taxes make up about 15% of the cost of a gallon. *This fact brief responds to conversations such as* [*this one.*](https://www.reddit.com/r/RapidCity/comments/1mee5zb/gas%5Fprices/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) ### Sources Dakota News Now, [Why are gas prices in Sioux Falls more expensive than in Rapid City recently?](https://www.dakotanewsnow.com/content/news/Have-you-ever-wondered-Why-are-gas-prices-in-Sioux-Falls-more-expensive-than-Rapid-City-recently-475327803.html?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Gas Buddy, [Sioux Falls-US gasoline comparison](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1PnkcmA3RzJheDMvE%5FQnMeYjcuJjWUb8T/view?usp=drive%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) Argus Leader, [South Dakota has some of the lowest gas prices in the nation. Why is that?](https://www.argusleader.com/story/business/2022/03/11/why-gas-prices-south-dakota-low-compared-us-average-price/6986568001/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) --- [South Dakota News Watch](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/) partners with [Gigafact](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) to publish fact briefs that refute or confirm a claim with supporting information and additional evidence and context. - [Read previous fact briefs](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/tag/fact-brief/). - Read our verification standards and other [best practices policies](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/best-practices/). - Submit a question for us to answer on the [South Dakota News Watch Tipline](https://gigafact.org/tipline/south-dakota-news-watch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). - Send questions or feedback to [factbrief@sdnewswatch.org](mailto:factbrief@sdnewswatch.org). [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact Michael Klinski* at michael.klinski@sdnewswatch.org.* ### Black Hills water supplies not meeting demand, study says URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/black-hills-water-study-missouri-river-pipeline/ Last updated: 2025-08-11T10:59:17.000Z PACTOLA RESERVOIR, S.D. – Water levels in this major source of drinking water for Rapid City were so low this spring that city leaders implemented water-use restrictions weeks earlier than normal and the state delayed installation of public boat docks. Lingering drought conditions and low levels of inflow from sources that feed the Pennington County reservoir were the main culprits for the water shortage. While heavy and consistent rains in July and August have bolstered water levels in Pactola, the spring shortage was a cautionary sign for officials who monitor water availability and for city residents who rely on the water. ## ****Get South Dakota stories** An email summary on most weekdays that links to the full version. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. Now, in another concerning development, a new in-depth federal hydrology study of the entire Black Hills region indicates that some of the aquifers that supply water to this growing region of western South Dakota are not keeping up with demand. The [study of water availability](https://pubs.usgs.gov/sir/2025/5067/sir20255067.pdf?ref=sdnewswatch.org) in six bedrock aquifers in the Black Hills was completed by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and published on July 30\. The report showed that water use within some of the six "sub-aquifers" in the Black Hills is outpacing the rate at which the aquifers are refilling. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/08/2025-4-21-Pactola-shoreline-low-1.jpg) Water levels in Pactola Reservoir, S.D., in the Black Hills of South Dakota -- a main source of drinking water for the Rapid City region -- were far lower than normal on April 21, 2025\. (Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) James Jones, a senior project manager with AE2S, an engineering firm that works on water issues in South Dakota, said the portions of the Madison and Minnelusa aquifers that showed water deficiencies were in the most populated and highest growth areas of the Black Hills. Those areas, Jones said, stretched roughly from Box Elder on the east through Rapid City and Summerset to Sturgis on the west. "We're going to have a much higher population and higher draw on those resources, so we have some concerns because we're already exceeding the recharge rate in those areas," Jones said. "We don't feel that this level of growth and use of the Madison (aquifer) is sustainable." ## Report bolsters argument for Missouri pipeline The new USGS report adds further fuel to ongoing efforts to build a $2 billion pipeline from the Missouri River to numerous destinations in western South Dakota. ****Join other South Dakotans and support statewide storytelling.** [Donate ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Discussions have taken place for several years on the idea of building a pipeline to bring water to the fast-growing region of western South Dakota anchored by Rapid City and the Black Hills. The concept picked up steam in late 2019 when the Western Dakota Water Development District received results of [a study](https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/rapidcityjournal.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/5/db/5db2dc13-92f3-5067-92ba-6d906a2c3c96/5dd0acb81bdb3.pdf.pdf?ref=sdnewswatch.org) it commissioned by the South Dakota School of Mines. The report showed that water availability in the Black Hills region would not meet current demand during a drought and eventually will not meed demand in an average rainfall year. The study also concluded that a pipeline from the Missouri River was a valid option. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/08/WaterStudyChart-1.png) This chart shows that the estimated water supply in western Pennington County is already insufficient to cover demand in a dry period and will eventually be unable to meet the rising need for water in an average year. (Source: Western Dakota Regional Water System) “Based on current use and water demand projections, the region’s ability to provide water during drought conditions without utilizing surface water and groundwater storage is limited and will worsen as population increases,” the study concluded. “While expensive and challenging, it is feasible to transport Missouri River water to the Rapid City region.” In response to the findings, the nonprofit Western Dakota Regional Water System (WDRWS) was formed in September 2021 to actively pursue the data, political support and funding to make the pipeline project a reality. In the spring of 2022, the WDRWS received a big boost in its efforts when the South Dakota Legislature approved $8 million in grant funding from the American Rescue Plan Act enacted by the Biden administration to develop engineering and feasibility reports. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/08/2024-10-25-Oahe-Dam-1-1.jpg) A proposed pipeline from the Missouri River to western South Dakota would draw water from just above the Oahe Dam north of Pierre, S.D., shown here on Oct. 25, 2024\. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) In each of the following years, championed by state Sen. Helene Duhamel of Rapid City, the system has received another $1 million to further pursue studies needed to support the project. Last fall, the South Dakota congressional delegation proposed measures seeking $10 million in matching funds to help pay for a full federal feasibility study required by the federal Bureau of Reclamation to get the project started. ## Pipeline would serve much of western SD Kristin Conzet, a former lawmaker from Rapid City who is now director of the WDRWS, said the current proposal is to build a 161-mile, 72-inch diameter pipeline from the Missouri River with a 2,000 foot elevation lift along the way. In all, 47 municipalities or water systems from Winner to Fort Pierre to Rapid City have signed on as partners in the project and could receive water from the system once operational, she said. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/08/2025-4-21-Pactola-sign-goose-low-1.jpg) Sand bars not normally seen on Pactola Reservoir, S.D., in the Black Hills of South Dakota were visible in April 2025 due to unusually low water levels. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) In addition, the nonprofit group is also looking at potential avenues to capture and redistribute groundwater or surface water in the northern and western Black Hills areas that tend to have surplus supplies. “This is just about proving clean, reliable water in the future” and could take two decades or more of hard work and funding, Conzet told News Watch. “We’re trying to replicate what seven water systems in eastern South Dakota are already doing,” she said of the [Lewis & Clark Regional Water System](https://lcrws.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) that launched in 1990 and will pipe Missouri River water to about 350,000 people in South Dakota, Minnesota and Iowa. “If this project was laid out A to Z, under each letter is 100 things that must be done,” she said. “I wish we could have a big shiny thing to show people right now. But in order to turn the first shovel of dirt, all these things must get done, in order and correctly.” [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact* *Bart Pfankuch* at* [*bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Half of South Dakotans now live in 2 metro areas URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/metro-census-population-sioux-falls-rapid-city/ Last updated: 2025-08-08T12:05:49.000Z *Melissa Avelino is a data journalism student at Augustana University. In this series, she looks at the changing face of South Dakota using U.S. Census Data.* --- South Dakota's only two formal metro areas are now home to roughly half the state's population, according to the latest U.S Census data. Over the past few decades, Rapid City and Sioux Falls have ballooned into burgeoning population centers drawing newcomers from around South Dakota and elsewhere who want to move there and settle down. [South Dakota’s rural migration cycle: Not just moving out, many are moving inWhy some South Dakotans leave rural areas and also why they return or choose to move there for the first time.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-162.jpg)South Dakota News WatchMelissa Avelino![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/Aberdeen-_South_Dakota_-2022--1.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-rural-population-rapid-city-moving-us-census/) As of 2025, Sioux Falls' city population was an estimated 219,588 and its metro area was 308,266 residents as of 2023, according to the Census. Rapid City just topped 85,000 residents, with a metro population of 156,227, as of 2024\. The share of the state population living in Sioux Falls and Rapid City metro areas was 47% in 2018\. That increased to 50% in 2023, an estimated 464,493 in both areas combined, about half of South Dakota's 920,000 estimated population in 2024\. ## ****Get South Dakota stories** An email summary on most weekdays that links to the full version. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. Sioux Falls Mayor Paul TenHaken said the city's growth is happening organically, and there is no number as a goal. "What we're trying to do is be really smart and intentional with that growth," he said. "Because you can also have too much growth that creates a strain on the infrastructure." TenHaken, whose two terms end in 2026, said it is important to make sure that all the right resources are in place as the city grows by 2.5% to 3% every year. Lincoln County, which comprises the south part of the Sioux Falls metro area, increased its population by 8.2% since 2020 and remains one of the fastest-growing in the state. Jason Salamun, who has been the mayor of Rapid City since 2023, measures the growth of the city as a trend that will naturally happen because the city is a place where people feel safe and can prosper. "The goal is to keep this community special," Salamun said. "I believe that more people will be attracted to the lifestyle that we enjoy here." Rapid City grew by 10,000 people since 2020\. ## The data The U.S Census Bureau estimates the Sioux Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) population increased by 7.6% since 2020\. It includes five counties: Minnehaha, Lincoln, McCook and Turner in South Dakota and Rock in Minnesota. The Rapid City metro area had an estimated population growth of 6% since 2020\. It includes Pennington and Meade counties. [![Made with Flourish](https://public.flourish.studio/resources/made_with_flourish.svg) ](https://public.flourish.studio/visualisation/23569011/?utm%5Fsource=embed&utm%5Fcampaign=visualisation/23569011) The following map explores the principal cities in the Sioux Falls metro area and tracks the population trends since 2000\. Click on the circles to see the numbers. The following map explores the principal cities in the Rapid City metro area and tracks the population trends since 2000. ## Some reasons for the growth Brianna Easton, a graphic designer who moved to Rapid City seven years ago, said its main appeal lies in its environment and proximity to the Black Hills. "People find Rapid City attractive because of the bigger-city-type feel – big enough that you don't run into the same people all the time," Easton said. Such quality of life is a big reason people move, said Kara Harders, the community vitality field specialist for South Dakota State University Extension in Brookings. She's conducting a non-scientific survey that's filled out by people when they move from one place in South Dakota to another. It indicates that 75% of those newcomers did not move because of a job. "Once I found those things, I realized I thought I wanted to move where I live now and then I started looking for a job," Harders said of the newcomer survey results. "If I had been looking just for a job, there's a pretty good chance I wouldn't have ended up here. I had to be focused on other things and then look for the job." That is what Easton's brother, Matthew Weber, found two years ago when he decided to move from his hometown of Aberdeen after college graduation to Sioux Falls. ![The Weber family poses for a photo](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/08/IMG_5640-1.jpg) Matthew Weber (right) with his family. (Photo: Courtesy Matthew Weber) "I was trying to figure out a way to move to Sioux Falls and then this job kind of lined up for me," Weber said. ## 1992 magazine article prompted a surge Money Magazine ranked Sioux Falls as the best place to live in America in 1992, which put it on the national map as an attractive place to move. One year later, Susan Schrader, a retired sociologist who has lived in Sioux Falls since 1978, was coming back from working on her doctorate in Minneapolis and first noticed that the city was growing. "Augustana now is really, in many ways, eventually going to become an inner city university, a lot of growth already," Scharader said. "Certainly, since then, the city has just exploded." ****Join other South Dakotans and support statewide storytelling.** [Donate ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Weber sees Sioux Falls as a place where people can experience that city vibe and opportunities with a smaller ratio feel. "Sioux Falls is growing and stuff like that but still small enough where it's more, maybe like, digestible for new people," Weber said. "There's a lot more like community events going on, like different events for different groups of people," he said. "And definitely some more food options here." Michael Mullin moved to Sioux Falls to teach history at Augustana University in 1988\. For him, the growth has been an opportunity to diversify the city and make things better. Part of this growth is because of young people and the city leaders' focus on keeping Sioux Falls' local identity, with a concern for neighbors and looking for improvements for everyone. "The city also has a 'young' people vibe,'" he said. "Young professionals are driving the city for the better." ## Quality of life and opportunities Mayor TenHaken said the quality of life in Sioux Falls is due to parks, low crime, affordable housing, good infrastructure and good schools. That's why people have been attracted to it, and the metro area is projected to be about 500,000 people in 25 years, he said. "If you're looking at a city where you wanted to move to, you want things to do," TenHaken said. "You want arts and culture and restaurants and activities." Rapid City draws people differently, and everything starts with the visit of 3.9 million visitors each year, Salamun said. "The great outdoors here certainly enhances our quality of life. Folks come here and they start to look around, they start to wonder what it's like to live here," he said. "Because of the lifestyle that we have here, the freedoms that we enjoy." ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/07/IMG_2944-1-1.jpeg) Brianna Easton paddles on a lake in the Black Hills. (Photo: Brianna Easton) Easton loves the idea of balance in her lifestyle, living in a bigger city in South Dakota and having the Black Hills right in her backyard. "I can go out and hike anytime and go paddleboarding whenever I want," she said. ## Infrastructure to preserve its identity TenHaken emphasizes the importance of work on the infrastructure not only to accommodate the growth but also to preserve the city's character. "The best way to preserve our identity is to bake that DNA of the community into subcultures within the community," he said. "Making it true that the things that have made us great over the years, when we were small, are still things that we continue to do. ![Sioux Falls Mayor Paul TenHaken](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/07/TenHaken-1.jpg) Sioux Falls Mayor Paul TenHaken (Photo: City Of Sioux Falls) "We luckily have been very strategic in some of our investments, and we have a water supply for the next several decades," TenHaken said. "We have to balance the assets and the resources we have with the economic impact. So we treat those resources just like any natural resource that we have to protect and preserve." To Salamun, what makes Rapid City special is not just its abundant natural beauty but also its residents. ![Rapid City Mayor Jason Salamun ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/07/JasonSalamun-1.jpg) Rapid City Mayor Jason Salamun (Photo: City Of Rapid City) "(As) long as we keep to our strong values, that we are warm and welcoming, that we try to do the right thing at all times, we will continue to be a community that is remarkable," he said. "And for me, I think that's really what it boils down to the people." [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email) *to get stories when they're published. *Melissa Avelino dos Santos* is a student from Rio Branco, Acre, Brazil, at Augustana University in Sioux Falls. She is a summer 2025 intern at SDNW with support from the Nonprofit Newsroom Internship Program created by The Scripps Howard Fund and the Institute for Nonprofit News. *Contact Melissa:** [*melissa.avelino@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:melissa.avelino@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Fact brief: Has it been 50 years since Rapid City passed a school bond? URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/fact-brief-rapid-city-area-schools-bond-vote/ Last updated: 2025-08-07T11:00:50.000Z ## Yes. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/WhiteFACT-BRIEF--500-x-200-px--2-1-1.png) Rapid City voters have not passed a school district bond since 1973, when a $6.8 million bond for a new high school passed with 63.7% of the vote (60% needed to pass). Six bond votes have happened since then, including in 2020 when voters rejected a $189.5 million bond for building improvements. The school district sent a survey to community members in late July asking for opinions on facilities and other aspects of the district in hopes of getting a new bond vote for $125 million. The funding would be used for major maintenance on buildings, updating heating and air conditioning systems, upgrading safety and security, closing Robinsdale Elementary, building a new elementary school, expanding and renovating South Park Elementary and improving safety at Rapid City Stevens High School. According to the school district, the bond would increase property taxes on a $300,000 property by $195 every year. ### Sources Rapid City Journal, [School bonds given approval (1973 article)](https://drive.google.com/file/d/124NGBG5lIJb8Aphxi5wAEOWBolC5uKtT/view?usp=drive%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) Rapid City School District, [Bond survey](https://drive.google.com/file/d/15U%5Fngux8NaYUcY%5F02oknIO-%5FM1ULzfQm/view?usp=drive%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) Rapid City Journal, [Rapid City School District hasn't passed a bond since 1973\. Can a new book help?](https://ghostarchive.org/archive/tHnzW?ref=sdnewswatch.org) NewsCenter1, [RCAS launches survey on new bond proposal for facilities](https://www.newscenter1.tv/news/local/rcas-launches-survey-on-new-bond-proposal-for-facilities?ref=sdnewswatch.org) --- [South Dakota News Watch](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/) partners with [Gigafact](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) to publish fact briefs that refute or confirm a claim with supporting information and additional evidence and context. - [Read previous fact briefs](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/tag/fact-brief/). - Read our verification standards and other [best practices policies](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/best-practices/). - Submit a question for us to answer on the [South Dakota News Watch Tipline](https://gigafact.org/tipline/south-dakota-news-watch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). - Send questions or feedback to [factbrief@sdnewswatch.org](mailto:factbrief@sdnewswatch.org). [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact Michael Klinski* at michael.klinski@sdnewswatch.org.* ### Tribal radio funding expected by early 2026: BIA URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-tribal-radio-budget-cuts-mike-rounds/ Last updated: 2025-08-06T09:35:00.000Z The Bureau of Indian Affairs plans to provide the first of the promised grants for tribal radio stations by the end of this year or early next, a department spokesperson told News Watch late Tuesday. "The Department of the Interior and U.S. Indian Affairs are working to accelerate the implementation of a grant program to support tribal radio stations, utilizing existing program structures and staffing to ensure timely execution," the statement said. Congress approved and President Donald Trump signed a bill last month canceling about $1.1 billion that had been approved for public broadcasting, including South Dakota Public Broadcasting and all non-commercial tribal radio stations. The White House said the public media system is politically biased and an unnecessary expense. Last week, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting announced that it would be winding down its operations over the next six months, with most employees leaving by Sept. 30\. ## ****Get South Dakota stories** An email summary on most weekdays that links to the full version. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. South Dakota U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds voted in support of the funding cut but made a deal with the Trump administration that will help tribal public radio providers stay in operation for the coming fiscal year. He secured $9.4 million that ensures CPB's Radio Community Service grants awarded to public tribal radio stations will be fulfilled for the 35 public tribal radio stations in 11 states. That includes the four in South Dakota that received $820,760 last year and serve five of the nine reservations: - KILI-FM, Pine Ridge Indian Reservation - KOYA-FM, Rosebud Indian Reservation - KDKO-FM, Yankton Indian Reservation - KLND-FM, Standing Rock and Cheyenne River Indian reservations South Dakota’s tribal radio stations cover some of the state’s most remote corners and communities, where cellular phone service can be spotty and radio is often the only way to receive emergency communications and warnings. “They really do provide a special kind of service that a lot of the rest of us just kind of take for granted,” Rounds told News Watch. The deal promised funding for the coming financial year, but discussions have not yet been had for future appropriations, Rounds said. The rescission also cuts CPB’s funding of Native Public Media, which provides assistance like FCC compliance guides and broadcast leadership training for Indigenous-led television and radio stations. [How nonprofits are teaming up to fight hunger in South Dakota113,000 South Dakotans in 2023 were considered food insecure, and South Dakota Healthy Nutrition Collaborative aims to fix that.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-160.jpg)South Dakota News WatchEmily DeCock![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/banner-image-1-1.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/sdhnc-feeding-south-dakota-nonprofit-food-insecurity/) Rounds said 92% of public tribal radio stations’ funding comes from the federal government, which puts them in a particularly fragile position. “When the rescission was announced, I had told our leadership team that I could support a lot of the rescissions, but we would have to make arrangements to take care of these folks that I thought were getting caught, and they weren't part of the problem. They were literally caught in the crossfire,” Rounds said. ## Crucial services to rural communities KILI Radio, which broadcasts from Porcupine on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, was the first tribal radio station in the country. To the east, KOYA-FM, the Rosebud Sioux Tribe's public radio station, broadcasts from St. Francis. John Miller manages the station that hosts regular daily news, Lakota prayer and other educational programs like National Native News and the American Indian Living Health Show. Last year, it received $199,617 from the CPB Radio Community Service grant. ![KOYA Radio's logo in its broadcast studio on the Rosebud Indian Reservation, S.D. (Photo: John Miller)](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/08/IMG_3201-1.jpeg) KOYA Radio's logo in its broadcast studio on the Rosebud Indian Reservation, S.D. (Photo: John Miller) The station was also recently awarded nearly a half-million dollars in reimbursement funding under a collaborative grant between the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the CPB to install “Next Generation Warning Systems.” That grant was intended to allow KOYA to replace and upgrade critical infrastructure like generators, antenna arrays and other station technology that ensures functionality in emergency situations, Miller told News Watch. Rounds said that, to his knowledge, those grants were not included in the $9.4 million funding package, which means it's unlikely to come through. ****Join other South Dakotans and support statewide storytelling.** [Donate ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Miller referenced back-to-back winter storms that hit the reservation in winter 2023 as one of the reasons the station applied for the grant. Those storms packing subzero temperatures caused several deaths due to blocked-off roads and power loss and impacted the radio station’s ability to transmit. In emergency situations, radio plays a critical role as one of the most reliable solutions to dispersing information. During tornadoes and hail storms on the reservation earlier this summer, KOYA kept listeners updated on the storm’s movement and damage potential. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/08/KOYA.png) A banner at KOYA-FM in St. Francis, S.D. (Photo: John Miller) “When you have almost two or three hundred users online, you know people are paying attention to what you're doing,” Miller said. “There's a ton of weather-related apps that people can turn to. But here on the Rosebud, people turn to us. They still have those apps, but they turn to us. And they expect the best.” Upgrades were scheduled to be finished by Sept. 30 of this year, but multiple issues with FEMA cuts and hesitance as to whether that grant money would be available caused delays. Now, Miller is unsure whether the upgrades will happen at all. ![KOYA Radio's broadcast tower in St. Francis, S.D. (Photo: John Miller)](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/08/IMG_7460-2-1.jpeg) KOYA Radio's broadcast tower in St. Francis, S.D. (Photo: John Miller) The funding that has been secured for tribal radio means that Miller is hopeful for KOYA’s continued operation. But he’s hesitant to start celebrating just yet. “I will believe it when I see it,” Miller said, regarding future support for tribal radio in the federal government. “It's too early to make any kind of assumptions, but we are taking a proactive role to try to find ways to raise money.” Miller said that the cuts have taken a toll on KOYA’s team of five who manage the station. “It's really disheartening when you put your 110% in and then you have to fight this other battle as well,” Miller said. “I'm hoping for the best, but I’m planning for the worst.” [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/05/donate-3.jpg)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Generally, though, Miller is positive. He’s spent nearly 40 years working and volunteering for KOYA in some capacity, and since being promoted to station manager has seen the community’s love for public tribal radio. He estimates that KOYA reaches between 7,000 and 9,000 households both on and off the reservation. “We're all a big family. There's a lot of our tribal folks here that live way out in the country. They live alone – a lot of our elders or other people in general. And we recognize them in a unique way,” Miller said. ## SDPB getting creative in funding solutions The federal cuts will cost SDPB $2.3 million in its annual budget. Ryan Howlett, CEO of Friends of SDPB, the organization’s fundraising arm, told News Watch that the CPB’s closure has contributed to growing concerns about public radio’s continued operation. The CPB provides services to public radio stations through licensing support and digital transformation guidance as well as grant programs like the Next Generation Warning System, which SDPB received. It was the largest award in the country, at $3.3 million. [Did state’s congressional delegation vote to defund public broadcasting?A fact brief that refutes or confirms a claim with supporting information and additional evidence and context.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-159.jpg)South Dakota News WatchMichael Klinski![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/SDPB.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-gigafact-sdpb-public-broadcasting-funding-thune/) “There are a bunch of questions about how we will physically operate without the CPB," Howlett said. "The public broadcasting system can continue to move forward and broadcast without the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. But it is going to be a very tumultuous 12 months while the new format of public broadcasting gets figured out." Public radio stations will need to get creative over the next few months, he said. "We're not going to leave any method off the table. We're not going to leave any revenue method unturned," Howlett said. "We still believe that we're vital to the media ecosystem of South Dakota. We are going to rely on our corporate partners for support and we're going to continue to ask for the support of our donors." [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *The Associated Press contributed to this story that was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email) *for statewide stories. Investigative reporter *Molly Wetsch* is a* [*Report for America*](https://www.reportforamerica.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *corps member covering rural and Indigenous issues. Contact her at* [*molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Fact brief: Does the Sturgis rally tally offer a statewide view of motorcycle fatalities during the event? URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/gigafact-sturgis-rally-tally-motorcycle-crash-fatalities/ Last updated: 2025-08-05T13:36:04.000Z ## No. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/WhiteFACT-BRIEF--500-x-200-px--2-1-1.png) The Sturgis rally data released by the South Dakota Department of Public Safety daily during the event does not account for fatal motorcycle crashes elsewhere in the state. The DOT reported three people died in motorcycle crashes during the Sturgis rally in 2024 from Aug. 3 to Aug. 11\. However, data from the state from late July to Aug. 12 of 2024 shows that 12 people died in motorcycle crashes across South Dakota. Statistics supplied by the DPS during the rally only account for crashes that occur in western South Dakota. Motorcycle crashes involving people heading to or coming from the rally in the eastern part of the state or other states are not included. The DPS compiles daily data such as DUI arrests, cash seized and crashes from 6 a.m. Saturday to 6 a.m. the following Sunday during the rally. That data is used by media outlets in daily recaps. *This fact brief responds to conversations such as* [*this one.*](https://www.reddit.com/r/motorcycles/comments/1mh2eq5/sturgis%5F2025%5Fsingle%5Fday%5Fcrash%5Fcount/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) ### Sources Highway Patrol Sturgis rally daily information, [2024 final rally tally](https://news.sd.gov/news?id=news%5Fkb%5Farticle%5Fview&sysparm%5Farticle=KB0042659&sys%5Fkb%5Fid=64472b0c9704d6506c7db631f053afaf&spa=1&ref=sdnewswatch.org) Black Hills Pioneer, [12 bikers killed in two-week Rally period](https://www.bhpioneer.com/local%5Fnews/12-bikers-killed-in-two-week-rally-period/article%5F4a91dccc-5c0f-11ef-9f3c-5bb250c446e7.html?ref=sdnewswatch.org) South Dakota Department of Public Safety, [Highway Patrol Divisions](https://www.sd.gov/dps?sys%5Fkb%5Fid=6978aa2b1bedea10ff55631ee54bcb08&id=kb%5Farticle%5Fview&sysparm%5Frank=1&sysparm%5FtsqueryId=6a06b7df474f6a50701588ff336d4371&ref=sdnewswatch.org) --- [South Dakota News Watch](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/) partners with [Gigafact](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) to publish fact briefs that refute or confirm a claim with supporting information and additional evidence and context. - [Read previous fact briefs](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/tag/fact-brief/). - Read our verification standards and other [best practices policies](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/best-practices/). - Submit a question for us to answer on the [South Dakota News Watch Tipline](https://gigafact.org/tipline/south-dakota-news-watch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). - Send questions or feedback to [factbrief@sdnewswatch.org](mailto:factbrief@sdnewswatch.org). *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact Michael Klinski* at michael.klinski@sdnewswatch.org.* ### How nonprofits are teaming up to fight hunger in South Dakota URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/sdhnc-feeding-south-dakota-nonprofit-food-insecurity/ Last updated: 2025-08-04T11:00:52.000Z Forty South Dakota organizations have formed a collaborative to help people who don't have enough to eat at a time of reduced government support and increased demand. A "meeting place" is how Jennifer Folliard characterizes the [South Dakota Healthy Nutrition Collaborative](https://www.sdhealthynutritioncollaborative.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). She's a steering committee member and coordinator for the SDHNC, which launched in September. It's the first organization of its kind in the state dedicated to helping the 113,500 South Dakotans who were food insecure in 2023, meaning they had limited or inconsistent access to enough food, according to the most recent data from Feeding America. The goal is to improve their health through education, sharing resources and aligning actions across the state, Folliard said. "We've sort of been a place to come together and try to figure out solutions as the crises hit," she said. "We are people coming together that want to make systems change and want to do better on programming," Folliard added. "So it's a space for people to come together to say, 'Hey, these are our priorities. We are a bunch of organizations throughout the state. We recognize food insecurity's an issue, and how do we make changes that are going to be systemic?'" [](https://ugmsiouxfalls.com/contact/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) ## Food programs expanding statewide Feeding South Dakota is one of the SDHNC partners and plays a big role because it's the state's largest food relief network. The nonprofit operates out of three distribution centers in Rapid City, Pierre and Sioux Falls. Through its programs and partnerships, it distributes food to pantries in all 66 counties, said Feeding South Dakota representative Stacey Andernacht. ## ****Get South Dakota stories** An email summary on most weekdays that links to the full version. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. In the 2024 fiscal year, Feeding South Dakota distributed 11.7 million meals and served 12,772 families through its 263 community partners, according to data from its website. Feeding South Dakota asked the South Dakota Legislature for $3 million on July 23 to help fill the gap made from the U.S. Department of Agriculture cancelling 1.5 million pounds of food normally allocated to Feeding South Dakota. Bread Break is another member of the collaborative. It is a growing Sioux Falls nonprofit that collects usable, extra food from restaurants, gas stations, grocery stores and other businesses and delivers it to more than 30 receiving partners like food banks and churches. ![Volunteers at the Faith Temple Church food giveaway in Sioux Falls, S.D., fill boxes with food and load them into cars on June 27, 2025.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/07/volunteers-1-1.jpg) Volunteers at the Faith Temple Church food giveaway in Sioux Falls, S.D., fill boxes with food and prepare to load them into cars on June 27, 2025\. (Photo: Emily DeCock / South Dakota News Watch) Executive director Pam Cole said she's seen an increase in people using community solutions during the past few years, and recently, the need has increased more rapidly. "The rate is definitely increasing exponentially at this point. It was already hard for people, and now it's just untenable for people," Cole said. "I don't know how they're making it through the day, and it's getting to a critical point." ****Join other South Dakotans and support statewide storytelling.** [Donate ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Last year, Bread Break recovered more than 300,000 pounds of food and is on track to recover at least 400,000 pounds this year, Cole said. Bread Break's goal is to help the growing need by expanding out from Sioux Falls to other towns throughout the state. Cole is in talks with people in Rapid City to try and get the program started there. "We are exclusively in Sioux Falls right now, but we have a lot of interest in taking our model to other cities," Cole said. "I've had at least three different people reach out to me in the last two months about Rapid City needing something like this." ![Boxes at the Faith Temple Food Giveaway in Sioux Falls, S.D., on June 27, 2025, to be loaded into cars. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/07/IMG_6583-1-1.jpg) Boxes at the Faith Temple Food Giveaway in Sioux Falls, S.D., on June 27, 2025, to be loaded into cars. (Photo: Emily DeCock / South Dakota News Watch) According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, 40% of food in the U.S. is lost or wasted annually. That equates to around $218 billion, or 1.3% of the country's gross domestic product. "I fully believe that our food system in the United States is broken and needs great repair. We should be studying this at the federal level. We should be making a concerted effort to really look at what's going wrong," Cole said. "That is an enormous amount of waste. Yes, I know it's a drop in the bucket. But if we can't take care of this, I'm not sure what we really can take care of." ## The insecure state of food insecurity Sioux Falls resident Traci Praul uses community solutions to combat her own food insecurity. She relies on Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, formerly called food stamps, and attends Church on the Street, which also provides food and laundry services. [Federal cuts roundup: The impact on South DakotaA developing list on the effects of federal job cuts, program reductions and hiring freezes in the state.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-155.jpg)South Dakota News WatchEmily DeCock![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/2025-3-27-Food-Bank-overview-shot-1-2.jpeg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/federal-budget-cuts-impact-south-dakota-doge-trump-musk/) When she first moved back to Sioux Falls from Arizona, she lived at the Union Gospel Mission homeless shelter. Praul feels covered by her SNAP benefits. However, she said rising costs of food because of inflation in recent years have made it harder on everyone. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/08/IMG_6547.jpg) Traci Praul in her Sioux Falls, S.D., home on June 27, 2025\. (Photo: Emily DeCock / South Dakota News Watch) "It's not knowing from one moment to the next what DSS (the Department of Social Services) or the federal government is going to do," Praul said. "I've heard a lot of people complaining, 'Wait a minute, we need this (SNAP), 'cause we're living paycheck to paycheck.'" ## The collaborative partners South Dakota has food pantries and other organizations across the state that help people who are hungry, some of which are below. ### South Dakota Healthy Nutrition Collaborative Here are the organizations that comprise the South Dakota Healthy Nutrition Collaborative, some of which have multiple locations. - [American Heart Association](https://www.heart.org/en/affiliates/south-dakota?ref=sdnewswatch.org) - [Avera Health](https://www.avera.org/news-media/news/2025/avera-clinic-food-pantries/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) - [Black Hills Area Community Foundation](https://bhacf.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) - [Bread Break,](https://www.breadbreak.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) which collects and distributes unused food in Sioux Falls and is looking to expand to Rapid City - [Center for the Prevention of Child Maltreatment](https://sdcpcm.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) - [Cheyenne River Buffalo Company](https://www.wsidemeats.com/shop?ref=sdnewswatch.org) - Clean Produce Unlimited - [Community HealthCare Association of the Dakotas](https://communityhealthcare.net/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) - [Dakota Fresh Food Hub](https://www.dakotafreshllc.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) - [Dakota Rural Action](https://www.dakotarural.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) - [Delta Dental](https://www.deltadental.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) - Farm to School Cheyenne River - [Feeding South Dakota](https://www.feedingsouthdakota.org/mobile?ref=sdnewswatch.org), which has distribution centers in Rapid City, Pierre and Sioux Falls and serves all 66 counties - [Helpline Center](https://www.helplinecenter.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org), a directory for helpline numbers for those in crisis - [Jack's Cupboard](https://www.sdstate.edu/student-life/division-student-affairs-enrollment-management/jacks-cupboard?ref=sdnewswatch.org), a food pantry at South Dakota State University - [Kids Count South Dakota](https://sdkidscount.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) - [Midwest Dairy](https://www.midwestdairy.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) - [Monument Health](https://monument.health/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) - [NAACP](https://naacp.org/about?gad%5Fsource=1&gad%5Fcampaignid=21922894473&gbraid=0AAAAA-byaYfUro4bVgLjkSva-jiowVwkc&gclid=CjwKCAjwy7HEBhBJEiwA5hQNovT1lq%5FaVp7-6AcMcCgGlE55MGRlk1X3CL6fv10a3izr7KbnnRMvHxoCCVAQAvD%5FBwE&ref=sdnewswatch.org) - [Sanford Health](https://www.sanfordhealth.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) - [South Dakota Association of Healthcare Organizations](https://sdaho.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) - [South Dakota Department of Health](https://doh.sd.gov/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) - South Dakota's Nutrition Experts - [South Dakota State University](https://www.sdstate.edu/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) - [Sioux Falls Thrive](https://siouxfallsthrive.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) - [South Dakota Urban Indian Health](https://sduih.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) - [Team Buche Cares](https://teambuchecares.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) - [The Grove Projects](https://thegroveprojects.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) - [University of South Dakota School of Health Sciences](https://www.usd.edu/Academics/Colleges-and-Schools/school-of-health-sciences?ref=sdnewswatch.org) ### Sioux Falls Hunger [Sioux Falls Hunger](https://www.siouxfallshunger.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) is another effort to coordinate programs and communicate when food is available. Here are its members: - [Bishop Dudley Hospitality House](https://www.bdhh.org/services/day-overnight-programs?ref=sdnewswatch.org), a homeless shelter that provides showers, laundry services and serves lunch - [Faith Temple Food Giveaway](https://www.faithtemplefood.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) is the largest one-day food giveaway in the state, according to lead pastor Jeff Hayes. Volunteers gather food into boxes and put them in people's cars every Friday, serving more than 4,000 every week. - [Feeding South Dakota](https://www.feedingsouthdakota.org/mobile?ref=sdnewswatch.org) - [Food to you](https://www.siouxfallshunger.com/food-to-you?ref=sdnewswatch.org) is a mobile food pantry that runs on the first four Thursdays of the month. - [Messiah New Hope](https://www.siouxfallshunger.com/messiah-new-hope?ref=sdnewswatch.org) is a food pantry that runs from 3-5 p.m. on Thursdays. - [Nightwatch](https://www.siouxfallshunger.com/nightwatch?ref=sdnewswatch.org) serves meals on Sundays, Mondays and Tuesdays. - [Red Door Church](https://www.siouxfallshunger.com/red-door-church?ref=sdnewswatch.org) serves breakfast on Sundays. - [The Banquet](https://thebanquetsf.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) serves breakfast and dinner Monday-Friday and lunch Saturday. - [The Salvation Army](https://centralusa.salvationarmy.org/siouxfalls/cure-hunger/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) - [Union Gospel Mission](https://ugmsiouxfalls.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) is a homeless shelter that offers three meals a day seven days per week. Folliard said that despite the uncertainty of federal and state government funding, organization leaders who try to ease the food insecurity problem continue to push for solutions. "I didn't grow up in South Dakota, but I have lived here for eight years now, and people in South Dakota are very resourceful," she said. "I've seen this level of resilience that's pretty inspiring." [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email) *to get stories when they're published. *Emily DeCock* is a student at South Dakota State University in Brookings. She received the 2025 Jeffrey B. Nelson Investigative Journalism Endowed Internship and Chuck Raasch and Sandy Johnson Scholarship from the SDSU Foundation. Contact her at* [*emily.decock@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:emily.decock@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Federal cuts roundup: The impact on South Dakota URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/federal-budget-cuts-impact-south-dakota-doge-trump-musk/ Last updated: 2025-08-04T01:34:41.000Z The spending and taxation bill signed in July by President Donald Trump and the spending cuts made by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and other federal departments are having a wide variety of impacts on South Dakota. The nearly 900-page bill was signed into law on Friday, July 4, and includes about $4.5 trillion in tax cuts and supports other Trump administration priorities, such as boosting defense spending and immigration enforcement. The measure also reduces Medicaid and food aid for the poor and will add $3.3 trillion to the national deficit over the next decade, according to [The Associated Press](https://apnews.com/article/what-is-republican-trump-tax-bill-f65be44e1050431a601320197322551b?ref=sdnewswatch.org). Over the past six months, South Dakota News Watch has tracked how the federal cuts will affect the Rushmore State. While timely and concrete information has at times been difficult to come by, News Watch has sought to highlight the impacts that are of greatest interest to the state. ## ****Get South Dakota stories** An email summary on most weekdays that links to the full version. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. Each area of funding is covered in its own section that can be expanded to show the details by clicking on the title or the down arrow. This article was last updated on July 8, 2025\. Send additional cuts, corrections or questions to [info@sdnewswatch.org](mailto:info@sdnewswatch.org). #### SNAP Education The tax and spending bill President Donald Trump signed into law July 4 cut funding to SNAP Education (SNAP-Ed), a federal program that offers education on nutrition and healthy lifestyles to SNAP (food stamp) participants. USDA provided $816,832 to South Dakota for the program in FY2026 that supported SNAP-Ed to South Dakota’s lower income households, according to the SDSU Extension SNAP-Ed website. "While it's called nutrition education, it's more 'How do we build public health infrastructure to support those rural and underserved communities,'" said Jennifer Folliard, steering committee member and coordinator of the South Dakota Healthy Nutrition Collaborative. South Dakota State University Extension partners with the South Dakota Department of Social Services to deliver SNAP-Ed. It's unclear how SDSU Extension will be impacted. The University of Minnesota Extension laid off 60 full-time SNAP education employees due to cuts in July. **By Emily DeCock* #### Higher education losses South Dakota is the state with the highest per student loss of research grants, the [Center for American Progress reported](https://www.americanprogress.org/article/mapping-federal-funding-cuts-to-us-colleges-and-universities/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). The largest cut was an $86 million cut to an SDSU grant. Other than that grant, the overall impacts of the Trump administration's cuts to higher education in South Dakota are relatively minimal, totaling around $1.6 in unused funds. Here are the specifics: ****South Dakota State University:** An $86 million U.S. Department of Agriculture grant that aimed to support beef and bison producers in grazing techniques to have a positive environmental impact. $68.5 million was unused. ****University of South Dakota:** A $150,000 National Endowment for the Humanities grant to use artificial intelligence to create tags for digitized cultural heritage materials at USD. Around $106,000 was unused. ****South Dakota School of Mines and Technology:** SDSMT had four grants that were terminated: One nearly $1 million National Science Foundation grant, which had $188,987 unused; a $1.25 million grant from the South Dakota Health and Human Services Center for Disease Control that had $1 million in unused funds; and two Institute of Museum and Library Services grants totaling $267,099, with more than $104,000 unused funds. ****Oglala Lakota College:** A $205,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities that would have gone to cataloging and digitizing interviews with Lakota elders from four reservations. Over $201,000 was unused. [Read more about federal research grant cuts and the status of endowments ](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-sdsu-federal-livestock-bison-research-cuts-doge/)for South Dakota's public, private and tribal four-year schools. **By Emily DeCock* #### SDSU professor: Courts have slowed down process Lisa Hager, associate professor of political science at South Dakota State University in Brookings, said the Trump administration’s approach to reducing government spending has been atypical. Federal judges have issued nationwide injunctions that have stopped or slowed actions by Trump, agency heads and Elon Musk, who served as a special government employee while leading DOGE. “What's before the courts is kind of this clawing back of money, which is typically not what we have happen,” Hager said. “And so the courts are going to have to figure out whether they think that's acceptable or not. That's not common by any means.” A poll in May sponsored by South Dakota News Watch and the Chiesman Center for Democracy at the University of South Dakota found that 73% of Republican voters in the state approved of Trump's leadership. However, the same survey of all registered voters in the state found that just 49% approve of the DOGE efforts. “I don't think anybody just wants wasteful government spending, but maybe we need to have a more thorough, thoughtful process in what we're doing rather than just having somebody go in and start hacking away at things,” Hager said about DOGE. Regardless of opinion, the funding cuts and staff reductions have hit numerous agencies and departments, including in South Dakota, she said. **By Emily DeCock* #### Job Corps program at risk The Boxelder Job Corps Civilian Conservation Center in Nemo, S.D., is [facing potential closure ](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-boxelder-job-corps-funding-doge/)due to federal budget cuts that close 124 of the job training and education centers for low-income youth and young adult across the country. The Department of Labor has called for a halt to a majority of those programs, and federal budget documents show the remaining centers are also targeted for closure. The Trump administration has said it wants to cut the program as part of a larger effort to streamline government spending, and due to a report that showed low graduation and job-placement rates at some centers. In June, a federal judge paused the closures, saying only Congress can cut the spending. Meanwhile, officials with Job Corps are worried that low-income youths in South Dakota and across the country could lose an opportunity to get a high school diploma and job skills needed to help pull them out of poverty. **By Bart Pfankuch* #### Humanities projects Trump's taxation and spending bill appropriated $40 million to the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) to build a new sculpture installation called the National Garden of American Heroes near the Mount Rushmore monument. Trump first mentioned the project in 2020 while on a visit to the Black Hills. A [story](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/humanities-projects-federal-cuts-trump-musk-doge/) reported by News Watch in May outlined how humanities projects funded through the NEH in South Dakota and throughout the region that have been affected by cuts. The South Dakota Humanities Council (SDHC) receives about $950,000 annually through the NEH, around 73% of its annual budget. All of it was cancelled due to DOGE cuts in April, said executive director Christina Oey. Around $600,000 had already been appropriated by Congress. The SDHC is currently engaged in a lawsuit against the NEH from that funding. The SDHC also cut two of seven positions, and moved another to part-time. The Norwegian American Historical Association (NAHA) received $300,000 from the NEH for a project to "preserve, digitize and share materials" from Norwegian-Americans during World War II. Those funds were cancelled by DOGE after being appropriated. Amy Boxrud, executive director of NAHA, said two months later, they are still "scrambling" to find other funding sources for the project. The board has agreed to keep the project going short term while it looks for alternative funding. So far, they've received donations and are applying for state grants. **By Emily DeCock* #### Funds for cancer screening for low-income uncertain A national program that helps low-income women get mammograms and Pap smears free of charge was late to administering federal funds to South Dakota and other states, which prompted some hospitals to stop taking appointments for breast and cervical cancer screenings. South Dakota's program is called All Women Count! (AWC). The South Dakota Department of Health (DOH), distributes the funds to AWC partners throughout the state. When no notice of award came through for the third quarter, which started July 1, officials within cancer prevention started to worry. The DOH notified AWC partners on June 23 that agreements would be terminated effective June 30, as previous funding for participating site agreements was due to lapse, said Tia Kafka, marketing and outreach director at the South Dakota DOH. The state received a notice of award on June 30, one day before the third fiscal quarter started on July 1. "Because we received the NOA, there was thankfully no gap in service provision," Kafka said. The AWC typically receives around $1 million every year from CDC. From 2018 to 2023, 6,471 women in South Dakota received a screening or diagnostic procedure funded through the NBCCEDP. Each year in South Dakota, breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer and is the fourth leading cause of cancer deaths among women. 613 women are diagnosed with breast cancer and an estimated 115 women die from breast cancer per year. An estimated 27 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer every year in South Dakota, and an estimated nine women die from cervical cancer. **By Emily DeCock* ****Join other South Dakotans and support statewide storytelling.** [Donate ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **The Associated Press* contributed to this story, which was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact* *Bart Pfankuch* at* [*bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org) ### Award-winning 'East of Wall' illustrates rural life in 'docu-fiction' URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/east-of-wall-south-dakota-film-tabatha-zimiga/ Last updated: 2025-08-01T13:24:44.000Z There is no one like Tabatha Zimiga. Tattooed, with a half-shaven shock of blonde hair and followed around like a mother duck by a group of wayward teenagers, she cuts an entirely unique figure against the dramatic landscape of western South Dakota. Kate Beecroft recognized as much when she visited Zimiga's ranch just east of the Badlands, and it made her stay a while. Beecroft’s directorial debut, “[East of Wall](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt21349688/?ref=sdnewswatch.org),” is a feature-length film based on the true story of Zimiga’s life managing a ranch amidst financial struggles after the loss of her husband. The film premiered at [Sundance Film Festival ](https://festival.sundance.org/program/film/67532d41707ccda60d08a100?ref=sdnewswatch.org)in Park City, Utah, earlier this year, where it won the prestigious Audience Award. It had its East Coast premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival in June and will premiere nationwide on Aug. 15\. Zimiga stars as herself in her acting debut. So does her daughter, Porshia, and the half-dozen or so other teens in the film. It’s reminiscent of some of the most successful films of the past few years who cast real people to act as themselves, like “Sing Sing” and “Nomadland” – which also takes place, in part, in South Dakota. Beecroft refers to "East of Wall" as "docu-fiction," in which a written script guides the film, although it's based on real events. Prominent actors Scoot McNairy and Jennifer Ehle also star in the film alongside the South Dakota natives who Beecroft spent three years teaching the ways of cinema and acting. ## 'East of Wall' took 3 years of preparation But just as compelling as the film itself is the story behind its creation. Beecroft spent five days at the Zimigas' ranch while she was traveling the United States with the film's director of photography, Austin Shelton. She recalls being told by one woman, "If you want a real story, head east of Wall." ****Join other South Dakotans and support statewide storytelling.** [Donate ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) After meeting the family and filming some content, she returned to her home in Los Angeles. Just three days later, she returned to South Dakota and ended up living with the family in their trailer for the next three years. “I looked at all this footage that I had, and I was like, 'I don't know what this is. And I don't really care what it is, but I just miss them. And I want to go back,'" Beecroft told News Watch. “I knew that I was maybe going to want to make a film, but I was so nervous because I've never done one. And who's gonna give me money and who's going to believe in me? I've never directed a thing in my life.” ## Tabatha and Porshia Zimiga: 'The New West' Beecroft now describes Zimiga – Tabby, as she fondly refers to her – as her best friend, which may seem unusual. A director from Los Angeles and a South Dakota rancher don’t necessarily come across each other every day, let alone get along like family. But Beecroft describes their friendship as “a connection that I've never had with another human being.” Beecroft frequently references being put through “cowgirl camp” while living on the ranch, and Zimiga is a cowgirl through and through. Her social media feeds are littered with videos of rodeos, her horses and Porshia atop them. Several of her TikTok videos made it into the film, layered over Shaboozey tracks and other punchy hip hop anthems. Generally, Zimiga and her family represent what Beecroft calls “the New West,” a term she said Zimiga taught her early on in their friendship. Her hardened, edgy demeanor overwrites the typical perception of the ranching community in South Dakota, where the population is predominantly male and older than 50\. Beecroft recalls being surprised at her first visit to the ranch, which is located on an old homesteading property. “It feels like you're in a museum, almost. Then all of a sudden you pull up and you see this trailer. And I saw all these kids come out of the trailer, these teenagers, and they were so modern,” Beecroft said. ![Tabatha Zimiga with a horse in an 'East of Wall' scene, 2025.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/07/1-1.jpg) Tabatha Zimiga with a horse in an 'East of Wall' scene, 2025\. (Photo: Austin Shelton) Some of those teenagers are Zimiga's children. She has four, including Porshia. But many have been taken in from all around the southwestern part of the state, including the nearby Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. They come to Zimiga’s to live, play and practice for rodeos and, in “East of Wall,”turn the farm kid narrative on its head. Even in the film’s two-minute trailer, the wild personalities of the children that Zimiga has taken in are palpable. You see handstands on top of horses, mud fights and Porshia, who's a frequent winner at rodeos, speeding alongside a car on horseback. “I don't think there's ever silence on that ranch,” Beecroft said. ## Film industry provides outlets for at-risk youth The cast members, for all their talent, also come from some of the most difficult conditions in the state. Gaps in health care, education and other social services in rural areas of South Dakota lead to high mortality, drug use and incarceration rates. Beecroft didn’t shy away from those struggles when writing the script and working with the community but acknowledged that casting the film turned out to be a difficult process. “Certain kids I had to recast because of drugs or prison or, you know, things happen,” Beecroft said. “On top of that, the mental health there is not treated as it should be. And so there's so much loss.” ## ****Get South Dakota stories** An email summary on most weekdays that links to the full version. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. One cast member was killed “in his home in front of his grandchildren” on the Pine Ridge reservation just weeks before filming began, Beecroft told News Watch. She said his killer has still not been found. It’s a sobering reality for many living in adverse conditions throughout the state. But the cast members have risen above their circumstances, partially thanks to Zimiga and Beecroft’s mentorship and the opportunities the film gave them. “Porshia, Tabatha, Jesse (Thorson), they all have managers now. They want to act,” Beecroft said. “It was also a film that paid well, so anything that was going to help them, from financial help to just building confidence with a lot of these kids. And I encourage them all. I say ‘you guys are all artists.’” ![Director of photography Austin Shelton, Tabatha Zimiga and director Kate Beecroft on set of 'East of Wall'. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/07/image3-2-1.jpeg) Director of photography Austin Shelton, Tabatha Zimiga and director Kate Beecroft on set of 'East of Wall'. (Photo: Shannon Moss) She acknowledged that, in many cases, the ‘Old West’ still dominates – certainly in Hollywood, which has seen the classic cowboy film enjoy success for decades. But Beecroft hopes that for South Dakotans, this story will feel much more grounded in reality while showing a side of the state that’s often under-covered. “There's this amazing resurgence of cowboy and Western films, right? But have you seen any of them that are told through the voices of women? No. And so that's what I wanted to change.” ## A film for and by South Dakotans The Zimigas’ compelling story and innate talent have brought in a slew of positive reviews from major entertainment outlets like Variety, Vulture and IndieWire. It has even been picked up for screening at the Academy of Motion Pictures. But Beecroft said some of the most important reviews come from those closer to the story. The film will see its South Dakotan premiere at the State Theater in Sioux Falls on Aug. 12\. Beecroft and members of the cast will be present for a Q+A session after the screening. “I was like, ‘We need to be in every theater in South Dakota.’ Because this is who this film is about,” Beecroft said of her conversations with Sony Pictures Classics, which picked up the film after its Sundance win. “You know, people write off South Dakota as, ‘Oh, they don't appreciate art.’ And I'm like, ‘Yes, they do!’” South Dakotans were involved behind the camera as much as they were in front of it. Beecroft made efforts to hire a nearly all-South Dakotan crew for the film. Tracy Mailloux, administrator of the South Dakota Film and Television Association, worked as the lead gaffer. For Mailloux, “East of Wall” represents an opportunity for the state to capitalize on the dramatic vistas and heritage that inspired stories like “[North by Northwest](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0053125/?ref=sdnewswatch.org),” “[Dances With Wolves](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0099348/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)” and “[Thunderheart](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0105585/?ref=sdnewswatch.org).” “We have the landscape, we have the beauty and we don't have a lot of the red tape that places like New York or California have (regarding film permits),” Mailloux said. “It’s a very film-friendly area.” ![Kevin Costner (left) and other actors overlooking a buffalo herd from a bluff in a 'Dances With Wolves' scene, shot in western South Dakota, 1990.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/07/DWW.jpg) Kevin Costner (left) and other actors overlooking a buffalo herd from a bluff in a 'Dances With Wolves' scene, shot in western South Dakota, 1990\. (Photo: Dean Semler) Ryan Hall, the first assistant director on the film, lives in Rapid City. “East of Wall” reminded him of the opportunities that the state and its people provide for filmmakers. “Working on ‘East of Wall’ ignited a fire in me that you could tell really great stories here in South Dakota,” Hall said. “You don’t need a big Hollywood budget. You could come out here and just make something really meaningful.” Beecroft is effusive about her love for South Dakota and its people, saying she “feels more herself” on Zimiga’s ranch than anywhere else. She also has other personal connections to the state. Her father, a production designer, worked on his own first film, “Dances With Wolves,” not far from where Beecroft shot “East of Wall.” And while she might be back living in Los Angeles, Beecroft promises to return. “South Dakota’s gonna give it to you,” she said. “I'm so deeply inspired, more than any other place I've ever been to in my life, by South Dakota.” [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email) *for statewide stories. Investigative reporter *Molly Wetsch* is a* [*Report for America*](https://www.reportforamerica.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *corps member covering rural and Indigenous issues. Contact her at* [*molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Fact brief: Is it illegal not to have headlights on in South Dakota during poor visibility? URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/fact-brief-south-dakota-headlights-law-low-visibility/ Last updated: 2025-07-31T18:13:59.000Z ## Yes. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/WhiteFACT-BRIEF--500-x-200-px--2-1-1.png) South Dakota law requires that drivers have headlights on when visibility drops below 200 feet or during time between sunset and sunrise. A violation is a Class 2 misdemeanor. The law isn’t just about drivers seeing the road in front of them. Headlights are important for drivers to see other vehicles during fog, rain or other low-visibility conditions. Law enforcement is exempt if their actions are determined as “necessary under the circumstances to investigate … a suspected criminal violation.” According to the state’s driver’s manual, parking lights are not to be used “at any time” as the sole source of headlights. In addition, vehicles that have “daytime running lights” also must use their normal headlights during low-visibility conditions. The Highway Patrol frequently posts reminders on Facebook. “When driving in fog/rain, please remember to turn your headlights on to increase visibility and turn your cruise control off to avoid hydroplaning.” *This fact brief responds to conversations such as* [*this one.*](https://www.reddit.com/r/SiouxFalls/comments/1mcu46g/turn%5Fyour%5Fcar%5Flights%5Fon/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *At 12:45 p.m. on July 31, 2025, this story was edited to correct two transposed words explaining the timeframe when not using headlights is illegal.* ### Sources South Dakota Codified Laws, 32-17-4 – [Periods during which lamps must be lighted](https://sdlegislature.gov/Statutes/32-17-4?ref=sdnewswatch.org) KELO Radio, AAA-SD: [Tips on how to prepare your vehicle for severe weather season](https://kelo.com/2022/04/12/338253/?ref=sdnewswatch.org#:~:text=If%20visibility%20is%20severely%20limited,one%20to%20remember%20and%20follow.%E2%80%9D) South Dakota Codified Laws, 32-17-4.1 – [Circumstances exempting law enforcement officers from use of motor vehicle lights](https://sdlegislature.gov/Statutes/32-17-4.1?ref=sdnewswatch.org) South Dakota Driver’s License Manual, [Letting others know you are there (Pages 51-52)](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1CBI0N2q9qwXvA731cKdmXa%5FtONJmTQ92/view?usp=sharing&ref=sdnewswatch.org) South Dakota Highway Patrol, [Facebook post](https://www.facebook.com/SDHighwayPatrol/posts/when-driving-in-fograin-please-remember-to-turn-your-headlights-on-to-increase-v/675276077974639/) --- [South Dakota News Watch](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/) partners with [Gigafact](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) to publish fact briefs that refute or confirm a claim with supporting information and additional evidence and context. - [Read previous fact briefs](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/tag/fact-brief/). - Read our verification standards and other [best practices policies](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/best-practices/). - Submit a question for us to answer on the [South Dakota News Watch Tipline](https://gigafact.org/tipline/south-dakota-news-watch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). - Send questions or feedback to [factbrief@sdnewswatch.org](mailto:factbrief@sdnewswatch.org). [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact Michael Klinski* at michael.klinski@sdnewswatch.org.* ### SDSU loses $86M in federal research funding URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-sdsu-federal-livestock-bison-research-cuts-doge/ Last updated: 2025-07-30T11:35:14.000Z BROOKINGS, S.D. – South Dakota State University lost an $86 million livestock research grant as part of recent federal spending cuts, making South Dakota the state with the highest per-student loss of research grants, the [Center for American Progress reported](https://www.americanprogress.org/article/mapping-federal-funding-cuts-to-us-colleges-and-universities/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). However, without that grant, the overall impacts of the Trump administration's cuts to higher education in South Dakota are relatively minimal. The state's high average loss can be attributed to relatively low numbers of undergraduate and graduate students in South Dakota as well as the one large grant rescinded earlier this year. The other South Dakota schools that had research funding cut include the University of South Dakota in Vermillion, South Dakota School of Mines and Technology in Rapid City and Oglala Lakota College in Kyle. Combined, they lost around $1.6 million in unused funds, according to the report. ## ****Get South Dakota stories** An email summary on most weekdays that links to the full version. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. More than $1,700 per student, which includes the SDSU grant, was "targeted for termination" by the Trump administration in South Dakota, according to the report. "Targeted for termination" means grants the administration intends to terminate, said Greta Bedekovics, co-author of the article and associate director of democracy policy at the Center for American Progress, a policy institute focused on conservation. The list of grants was compiled by cross-referencing lists of cancelled or rescinded grants from doge.gov, a spreadsheet of canceled grants from the U.S. Health and Human Services and the U.S. Treasury Department's usaspending.gov, Bedekovics said. ****Join other South Dakotans and support statewide storytelling.** [Donate ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Daniel Scholl, vice president of research and economic development at SDSU, told News Watch the research funding situation is ever-changing, and exact impacts are unknown as the federal government prepares the 2026 budget. "There are a lot of different ways it could shake out, so the pathway is not clear," he said. "The things that are going on in the federal events are how to handle changes in the current fiscal year's budget. That affects what's available to us to support students and to carry out research," Scholl said. "Secondly, what are they going to do with the FY26 budget? It all reduces to those two things." Here are the specific cuts: - **South Dakota State University:** An $86 million U.S. Department of Agriculture grant that aimed to support beef and bison producers in grazing techniques to have a positive environmental impact. Around $17.5 million was already spent but $68.5 million was unused. - **University of South Dakota:** A $150,000 National Endowment for the Humanities grant to use artificial intelligence to create tags for digitized cultural heritage materials at USD. Around $106,000 was unused. - **South Dakota School of Mines and Technology:** SDSMT had four grants that were terminated: One nearly $1 million National Science Foundation grant, which had $188,987 unused; a $1.25 million grant from the South Dakota Health and Human Services Center for Disease Control that had $1 million in unused funds; and two Institute of Museum and Library Services grants totaling $267,099, with more than $104,000 unused funds. - **Oglala Lakota College:** A $205,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities that would have gone to cataloging and digitizing interviews with Lakota elders from four reservations. Over $201,000 was unused. ## SDSU project would have supported beef, bison producers The U.S. Department of Agriculture gave $2.8 billion to fund 70 projects for the [climate-smart commodities initiative grant](https://www.sdstate.edu/news/2023/03/80-million-partnerships-climate-smart-commodities-initiative-grant-among-largest-usda?ref=sdnewswatch.org) in 2023\. The Center of Excellence in Bison Studies at SDSU's West River Research and Extension facility in Rapid City received $86 million, one of the largest sums of money that was given in the initiative. The SDSU project was intended to support beef and bison producers in grazing and land management strategies, said Kristi Cammack, director of SDSU West River Research and Extension. Much of the work from that grant has stopped, Scholl said. ![Daniel Scholl, VP for research and economic development at SDSU, is shown in his office on July 28, 2025. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/07/IMG_7312-1.jpeg) Daniel Scholl, vice president of research and economic development at SDSU, is shown in his office on July 28, 2025, in Brookings, S.D. (Photo: Emily DeCock / South Dakota News Watch) "It has impacted people's plans for their research education in one way or another. And that's important, even if someone hasn't lost their job, but they've had to experience a change," Scholl said. "Even if it was an opportunity for them to shift their direction and shift gears, it's still disruption. And I think that's the important point. It's been disruptive to some people's career preparation and career growth." Neither Scholl nor Cammack could comment on the direct impacts that losing the grant had on staffing. ## Regents: 'Difficult financial times' More than $100 million of the Board of Regent's $911 million budget comes from the federal government. At the July 17 Board of Regents (BOR) meeting at SDSU, Heather Forney, BOR vice president of finance and administration, and the six public university presidents laid out their fiscal year 2027 requests. They asked for a nearly $32 million increase of their base budget that starts in July 2026. ![The presidents of South Dakota's public universities sit at a table.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/07/IMG_6987-1.jpeg) From left: SDSMT president Brian Tande, BHSU president Steve Elliott, SDBOR VP of finance and administration Heather Forney, USD president Sheila Gestring, DSU president Jose-Marie Griffiths, NSU interim president Laurie Nichols and SDSU president Barry Dunn presenting their budget requests at the July 17, 2025, South Dakota Board of Regents meeting in Brookings, S.D. (Photo: Emily DeCock / South Dakota News Watch) "We are very aware of the fiscal restraints that the state of South Dakota will be facing in fiscal year 27 and trying to be very conscious of that," Forney said at the meeting. In anticipation of an unsure year of funding, the regental schools put together a concentrated request. No additional money for capital projects was requested for FY27. [SD Regents approves ‘seismic shift’ to allow guns on campusVote aligns policy with a state law passed this year to allow concealed carry weapons on state’s 10 universities and tech schools.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-152.jpg)South Dakota News WatchEmily DeCock![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/IMG_6976-1-1-1.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-regents-concealed-carry-weapons-guns/) The president of the South Dakota Board of Regents, Tim Rave, acknowledged the precarious state of funding in the July meeting as well. "We are going to have some difficult financial times in the state this year, and so I really appreciate the solidarity and one voice to try and push these priorities through," Rave said. "The revenue forecast for ongoing funding is not looking terribly stellar or positive," said Nathan Lukkes, executive director of the BOR. "There's a lot of great things and ideas on all of our campuses that we wish we had the ability to fund. That's just not realistic, looking at the revenue forecast for the state." ## Low endowments could be troublesome Data from The Associated Press shows the dollar amount of endowments of South Dakota's four-year public, private and tribal schools. Endowments are meant to last in perpetuity and fund scholarships, support programs or whatever cause the donor delegates the money toward. Alissa Matt, assistant vice president for marketing and university relations at USD, said universities cannot take restricted funds and spend them "even when faced with fiscal pressures." "As a fiduciary, the foundation is legally obligated to observe donor intent while administering endowments in partnership with USD," Matt said in an email. "In other words, endowments may not be repurposed, liquidated or 'tapped' in any manner inconsistent with donor intent or applicable legal requirements." Here are the most recent details available on endowment amounts for South Dakota's public, private and tribal colleges and universities, according to the AP and schools that responded to a News Watch request for updated numbers. ### Public - **University of South Dakota**, Vermillion: fall 2024 enrollment, 10,619; endowment value as of June 30, $338.6 million; endowment per student, $31,886 - **South Dakota State University**, Brookings: fall 2023 enrollment, 11,498; endowment value at start of FY2022-23, $215 million; endowment per student, $18,699 - **South Dakota School of Mines and Technology**, Rapid City: fall 2023 enrollment, 2,158; endowment value at start of FY2022-23, $108 million; endowment per student, $50,046 - **Northern State University**, Aberdeen: fall 2023 enrollment, 3,521; endowment value at start of FY2022-23, $36 million; endowment per student, $10,302 - **Black Hills State University**, Spearfish: fall 2025 enrollment, 3,475; endowment value as of FY25, $33 million; endowment per student, $9,490 - **Dakota State University**, Madison: fall 2023 enrollment, 3,508; endowment value at start of FY2022-23, $17.4 million; endowment per student, $4,972 ### Private - **Augustana University**, Sioux Falls: fall 2023 enrollment, 2,158; endowment value at start of FY2022-23, $108 million; endowment per student, $50,046 - **Dakota Wesleyan University**, Mitchell: fall 2023 enrollment, 886; endowment value at start of FY2022-23: $38.6 million; endowment per student, $43,581 - **University of Sioux Falls**, Sioux Falls: fall 2023 enrollment, 1,509; endowment value at start of FY2022-23: $32 million; endowment per student, $21,211 - **Mount Marty University**, Yankton: fall 2023 enrollment, 1,314; endowment value at start of FY2022-23, $30.8 million; endowment per student, $23,471 ### Tribal - **Oglala Lakota College**, Kyle: fall 2023 enrollment, 1,229; endowment value at start of FY2022-23, $65.6 million; endowment per student, $53,345 - **Sinte Gleska University**, Mission: fall 2023 enrollment, 683; endowment value at start of FY2022-23, $2.9 million; endowment per student, $4,276 - **Sisseton Wahpeton College**, Agency Village: fall 2023 enrollment, 215; endowment value at start of FY2022-23, $1 million; endowment per student, $5,072 Scholl said SDSU intends to continue to be a leading-edge research university by continually improving how conducts research and provides students with "superior experiential learning opportunities." "That's really what it's about. It's another way of teaching," Scholl said. "It's another way of educating and in giving students an opportunity to differentiate themselves in the job market by the kinds of experiences that they have here working with leaders in their fields." [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *The Associated Press contributed to this story produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email) *to get stories when they're published. *Emily DeCock* is a student at South Dakota State University in Brookings. She received the 2025 Jeffrey B. Nelson Investigative Journalism Endowed Internship and Chuck Raasch and Sandy Johnson Scholarship from the SDSU Foundation. Contact her at* [*emily.decock@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:emily.decock@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Fact brief: Did South Dakota’s congressional delegation vote to defund public broadcasting? URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-gigafact-sdpb-public-broadcasting-funding-thune/ Last updated: 2025-07-29T11:30:08.000Z ## Yes. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/WhiteFACT-BRIEF--500-x-200-px--2-1-1.png) South Dakota U.S. Sens. John Thune and Mike Rounds and Rep. Dusty Johnson voted to cut $1.1 billion in federal funding to public broadcasting. South Dakota Public Broadcasting expects to lose $2.2 million – 23% of its budget. That will result in cuts to programming and 15-20 positions lost, SDPB said. During a telephone town hall on July 24, Johnson praised the state’s public broadcasting network but defended the cuts due to the deficit. “I do think when you have $37 trillion in debt, you've got to get back to basics,” Johnson said. “Unfortunately, that was the place for the White House to try to start.” Rounds cited the need to take “meaningful steps to reduce wasteful spending,” but he negotiated a deal with President Trump’s administration that would secure $9.1 million for Native American radio stations. Thune said the vote was a “small but important step toward fiscal sanity.” *This fact brief responds to conversations such as* [*this one*](https://www.facebook.com/keloland/posts/pfbid02DxyATi7Hkrf8qX475tqoauhVmvf9xu1dYnzkDVxH2qRc7TnfdvZuWDapyM3kQrunl)*.* ### Sources House Clerk’s Office, [Recissions Act roll call](https://clerk.house.gov/Votes/2025168?Page=2&BillNum=4&ref=sdnewswatch.org) United States Senate, [Recissions Act roll call](https://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll%5Fcall%5Fvotes/vote1191/vote%5F119%5F1%5F00411.htm?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Dakota News Now, [SDPB expects a 23% hit to budget with cuts to public broadcasting](https://www.dakotanewsnow.com/2025/07/18/sdpb-expects-23-hit-budget-with-cuts-public-broadcasting/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) The Dakota Scout, [Rep. Johnson praises SDPB but defends overall budget cuts](https://www.thedakotascout.com/p/rep-johnson-praises-sdpb-but-defends?ref=sdnewswatch.org) TheHill.com, [Rounds, GOP holdout, says he’ll back Trump’s funding cuts package](https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/5401903-rounds-gop-trump-funding-cuts-public-media/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) FoxNews.com, [Trump signs $9B rescissions package into law, revoking funding for foreign aid, NPR](https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-signs-9b-rescissions-package-law-revoking-funding-foreign-aid-npr?ref=sdnewswatch.org) --- [South Dakota News Watch](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/) partners with [Gigafact](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) to publish fact briefs that refute or confirm a claim with supporting information and additional evidence and context. - [Read previous fact briefs](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/tag/fact-brief/). - Read our verification standards and other [best practices policies](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/best-practices/). - Submit a question for us to answer on the [South Dakota News Watch Tipline](https://gigafact.org/tipline/south-dakota-news-watch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). - Send questions or feedback to [factbrief@sdnewswatch.org](mailto:factbrief@sdnewswatch.org). [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact Michael Klinski* at michael.klinski@sdnewswatch.org.* ### Redfield rebuilds housing stock: 1 lot and 1 house at a time URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/redfield-engage-south-dakota-governor-housing-population/ Last updated: 2025-07-28T11:17:12.000Z REDFIELD, S.D. – About five years ago, the management team at S&S Rentals saw an opportunity to expand into the housing market in this small Spink County city known for agriculture, pheasant hunting and the state home for people with developmental disabilities. Even though Redfield is about 60 miles southeast of Ipswich, where S&S is headquartered, the property development and management firm felt like the stage had been set for success in the city of about 2,100 people. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/07/Engage-SD-small-logo-1.png) S&S property and risk manager Mike Hammrich said government leaders in Redfield made it easy and affordable to create new housing. The city, he said, had a regional reputation for encouraging development, made land available and paid for infrastructure to jump-start local housing growth. “The city had built some twin homes, 12 units there, and they sold those to us,” Hammrich told News Watch. “It was a really good fit for us.” That first successful purchase has led to further expansion by S&S, which has built four more duplexes in Redfield and has two more under construction. In addition to Redfield’s efforts to clear land and simplify paperwork for developers, the city — like many rural towns in South Dakota — has a shortage of housing and immense demand from buyers and renters. ![This home in Redfield, S.D., shown on April 25, 2025, is the first of several governor's houses the city obtained to boost its aging housing stock. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/07/2025-4-25-Redfield-gov-house.jpg) This home in Redfield, S.D., shown on April 25, 2025, is the first of several governor's houses the city obtained to boost its aging housing stock. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch/ South Dakota News Watch) “Looking at the demand, and the possible lots the city made available, we were impressed with them,” Hammrich said. “We had so many people calling that we had them rented before we even started digging the foundations.” Those projects by S&S and the new 42-lot Prairie Winds Estates subdivision now under construction in south Redfield are manifestations of a concerted, cooperative effort to expand housing opportunities by city government, private developers and local agencies such as Grow Spink and the Redfield Area Development Corp. But like solutions to many major problems, such as a housing shortage in an isolated rural community, the road to success was paved brick by brick, or in the case of Redfield, lot by lot and house by house. ****ABOUT ENGAGE SOUTH DAKOTA** This story is part of an ongoing South Dakota News Watch series called Engage South Dakota using storytelling, crowdsourcing and community engagement to identify and share potentially replicable housing solutions. Each story includes the community's ****response**, ****insights** to be learned, ****proof** of whether the ideas are effective and ****limitations** on the efforts. ****Key takeaway for this story:** Small towns like Redfield trying to add housing may have to tackle a small project first in order to encourage larger developments down the road. [****Read about other South Dakota housing solutions**](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/engage-south-dakota-housing-rent-own-solutions-journalism). ## Response: Start slow to build momentum As Craig Johnson drives his pickup down the streets and alleyways of Redfield, he stops frequently to point out properties that he helped get built or fixed up during his 20 years as the founder and former director of Grow Spink, the local development agency. Even as numerous people in Redfield point to Johnson as a pioneering catalyst in the rebirth of Redfield, Johnson doesn't like to take credit for successful housing development, which includes rehabilitation or rebuilding of roughly 150 dilapidated homes during his tenure. ## ****Get South Dakota stories** An email summary on most weekdays that links to the full version. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. When Johnson speaks about housing redevelopment, he sounds much like a detective who won't give up until a case is solved. If a property becomes run-down, it can infect the surrounding neighborhood, so Johnson would try to find out who owns the land and structures, determine why a home had fallen into disrepair and discover what would motivate the owner to sell. "You can get lost in these master plans that call for 40 or 50 homes in a development. But you should do one home first and see what it costs and what it takes to get it done," said Johnson, who retired from Grow Spink nine years ago. "You just keep doing it, and it doesn't make headlines when you're doing that few. But it's the continually building nature of it all that really matters." ## Insights: Partnerships needed for success Developing partnerships, communicating openly and finding new funding sources are all part of successful housing redevelopment, Johnson said. During his time with Grow Spink, Johnson obtained several hundred thousand dollars in grants, used state money to redevelop so-called brown fields and obtained a handful of houses under the state's [Governor's House Program](https://www.sdhousing.org/ready-to-buy/available-programs/governors-house-program?ref=sdnewswatch.org), which is fueled by inmate labor. A can-do attitude and a dose of toughness are also sometimes needed to push forward in housing redevelopment, Johnson said. "There's all kinds of ways of how not to get something done," he said. Providing quality housing for new and existing residents is a primary goal of housing redevelopment. But a clear spinoff benefit is making your community more attractive to new employers, he said. "We had a lot of dilapidated buildings, so if somebody wanted to come, we had nothing to show them," Johnson said. "People want economic development to come first. But you've got to be working on housing in the background all the time, and you work on the businesses as they come." ![A 'Welcome to Redfield' sign.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/06/redfield-welcome-sign.jpg) Redfield, S.D., has become known as an innovator in its efforts to develop new housing. (Photo: Courtesy city of Redfield) The approach of starting small and building on successes is a recipe for success that can be duplicated in other small cities and towns, said Kristi Wagner, director of organizational relationships for Dakota Resources, a statewide nonprofit community building organization. [Dakota Resources](https://dakotaresources.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org), which is partnering with News Watch in the Engage South Dakota effort, regularly contracts with rural communities and hosts local educational events to help them thrive. Wagner was the “community coach” who led Dakota Resource’s efforts to aid Redfield in its quest to strengthen its economy and housing stock starting in 2016\. A community idea session led by Dakota Resources drew more than 200 people, she said. ****Join other South Dakotans and support statewide storytelling.** [Donate ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Wagner said a couple key messages on housing evolved from the effort in Redfield: Cooperation between community leaders and stakeholders can create an environment that encourages innovation and development, and starting small and experiencing early success builds momentum for future growth. “Smaller rural communities can just do one property at a time,” Wagner said. “They can’t do multiples (properties) that a major developer can bring because those people are not going to come to the rural communities, so those communities have to take it one bite at a time.” Another idea championed by Dakota Resources during its “empowerment” process in Redfield was to encourage local officials to map out the community in regard to existing housing while also eyeing opportunities for potential new or revitalized housing, Wagner said. “The empowerment process raised awareness to be able to do the community mapping and look at the city street-by-street,” she said. “Are the houses new, do they need minimum repair, a lot of repair or are they beyond repair? And if they’re beyond repair, then they can look into ownership and how those can be replaced?” ## Proof: Public, private efforts important Redfield’s housing development efforts have been bolstered by the vigorous efforts of two development groups that work together to boost business and housing. Gianna Schieffer, executive director of Grow Spink, works in partnership with the Redfield Area Development Corp. (RADC) to create housing opportunities. Both organizations worked with the city to obtain, plan and prepare the land and roads for the 42-lot Prairie Winds Estates development. ![Gianna Schieffer, executive director of Grow Spink,](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/07/2025-6-12-Grow-Spink-ED-Gianna-Schieffer.jpg) Gianna Schieffer, executive director of Grow Spink, shown in her Redfield, S.D., office on June 12, 2025, is helping to lead housing efforts in the city. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch/ South Dakota News Watch) Both groups also build “spec” houses on their own, each completing about one per year, that are then offered for sale to homebuyers at cost, Schieffer said. Grow Spink takes out loans to fund construction while RADC uses its own capital to build the homes, she said. The ability to offer turn-key speculative homes to new residents or locals moving up in their housing needs provides work for local contractors while priming the pump for private housing development, Schieffer said. [How Wall is building a model to encourage growthA team effort, optimistic attitude and innovative leadership put Wall at the forefront of new efforts to develop housing and pave the way for economic and population growth in rural South Dakota.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-148.jpg)South Dakota News WatchBart Pfankuch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/2025-6-23-Wall-Drug-sign-w-tourist-1-1.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/wall-drug-badlands-south-dakota-population-housing/) Providing build-ready lots for private developers encourages rapid construction because it removes some of their up-front costs and reduces financial risk, she said. The high cost of materials, however, has made it more difficult for Grow Sprink and RADC to keep prices low for homes they build. The last Grow Spink spec home of about 1,300 square feet sold for $290,000 in 2023, but the price of any new spec homes will easily top $400,000, she said. “We want to get a stronger tax base, and houses are a great way to do it because they bring in new businesses and new families,” Schieffer said. “We want to see private development first. But we’re also here to fill in the gaps and keep development going in our area.” ## Limitations: Developer reaches limit in Redfield The move by the two development agencies to make lots available for sale at reasonable prices with streets, curbs and gutters already installed was an incentive that other small cities and towns are not offering, said Hammrich, of S&S properties. “Otherwise, we wouldn’t have gone in and developed anything there at all,” he said. “It’s a big plus for Redfield, and it works out well for us.” ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/07/2025-4-25-Redfield-spec-home.jpg) A new home is shown on April 24, 2025 in Redfield, S.D. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch/ South Dakota News Watch) Hammrich said his firm has found success in Redfield but is being cautious not to enter the market too aggressively. S&S has likely reached its maximum presence in Redfield for now, mainly due to uncertainty about the regional economy, rising construction costs and whether further housing growth will be sustainable in a small, somewhat isolated city, he said. [Engage South Dakota: Housing solutionsA list of entities and programs that can assist in developing or obtaining housing as well as links to News Watch reporting on housing solutions.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-149.jpg)South Dakota News WatchBart Pfankuch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/IMG_2326.jpeg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/engage-south-dakota-housing-rent-own-solutions-journalism/) Though S&S may slow down in Redfield, Hammrich said he hopes development will continue given the importance of housing as a basis for further economic growth. “In these small towns, you’ve got to have housing because if you don’t have housing, your economy isn’t going to make it,” he said. [What's working in your community? Share your comments and ideas.](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdSEE1F4irRiyi9MOOwQszosDlmSghlnIKbEHxeCJEjDKZRVw/viewform?usp=sharing&ouid=100426322203936282954&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact* *Bart Pfankuch* at* [*bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Fact brief: Is chislic recognized as a state symbol in South Dakota? URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/gigafact-brief-south-dakota-chislic-food-state-nosh/ Last updated: 2025-07-24T13:22:49.000Z ## Yes. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/WhiteFACT-BRIEF--500-x-200-px--2-1-1.png) South Dakota officially designated chislic, a dish of fried or grilled salted cubes of meat sometimes served on skewers, as the official state “nosh” in 2018. The bite-sized food has been a uniquely South Dakota dish since the late 1800s, when the German-Russian immigrant John Hoellwarth is credited with bringing it to the United States. The term “chislic” likely came from the Turkic “shashlyk” – a dish of skewered and grilled meat. In Russia, it consists of meat cubes grilled over an open fire. Chislic is mostly found in southeastern South Dakota, and the town of Freeman is considered the Chislic Capital of America. It also can be found in other German Russian communities. In 2018, Freeman hosted the first South Dakota Chislic Festival, and 8,000 people showed up after organizers expected 2,000\. The 2025 event will be held July 26 and will move to an every-other year format. *This fact brief responds to conversations such as* [*this one.*](https://roadfood.com/dishes/chislic/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) ### Sources Argus Leader, [Chislic as official state nosh? Legislators make it stick](https://www.argusleader.com/story/entertainment/2018/03/01/chislic-official-state-nosh-legislators-make-stick/380683002/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Argus Leader, [A history of chislic](https://www.argusleader.com/story/entertainment/2017/12/31/chislic-history-south-dakotas-iconic-dish/821229001/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Tri-State Livestock News, [South Dakota town gains fame through first annual Chislic Festival](https://www.tsln.com/news/chislic-circle/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) The Freeman Courier, [South Dakota Chislic Festival returns](https://www.freemansd.com/2025/07/21/sd-chislic-festival-returns-saturday/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) --- [South Dakota News Watch](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/) partners with [Gigafact](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) to publish fact briefs that refute or confirm a claim with supporting information and additional evidence and context. - [Read previous fact briefs](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/tag/fact-brief/). - Read our verification standards and other [best practices policies](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/best-practices/). - Submit a question for us to answer on the [South Dakota News Watch Tipline](https://gigafact.org/tipline/south-dakota-news-watch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). - Send questions or feedback to [factbrief@sdnewswatch.org](mailto:factbrief@sdnewswatch.org). [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact Michael Klinski* at michael.klinski@sdnewswatch.org.* ### South Dakota's rural migration cycle: Not just moving out, many are moving in URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-rural-population-rapid-city-moving-us-census/ Last updated: 2025-07-23T12:26:46.000Z *Melissa Avelino is a data journalism student at Augustana University. In this first of a five-part series, she looks at the changing face of South Dakota using U.S. Census Data.* --- South Dakota's rural areas have seen a net loss of population over the past three decades, though many of those people who left for cities like Sioux Falls and Rapid City also return to the small towns where they grew up, according to demographic trends. South Dakota still has more than half its population living in rural areas. However, the U.S. Census Bureau has noticed a migration cycle of South Dakotans over the years. Ben Winchester, a rural sociologist at the University of Minnesota Extension Department of Community Development, said the narrative that has been painted over the years is that most rural areas are dying. That doesn't tell the full story, Winchester said. ## ****Get South Dakota stories** An email summary on most weekdays that links to the full version. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. Rural population trends are more of a cycle, according to his research as well as work done on a South Dakota newcomer survey by Kara Harders, the community vitality field specialist for SDSU Extension in Brookings. "The motivations behind someone returning are very different than them starting all over," said Harders. "They go to college, go live life, and then get married, have kids and come back to take a slower pace of life." Winchester said it is important to understand that when the population goes down, people are moving in and out. The movers out of rural communities are not only from the 18- to 25-year-old population but also older people who need medical services at regional centers, he said. The recent decrease in the rural population is largely because the average household size has gotten smaller in those areas over the past 20 years, Winchester said. "Our population goes down because of the slow trickle of death," he said. "It literally is like you might have two older people in the household and one of them passes away, while the surviving spouse stays in that house." ****Join other South Dakotans and support statewide storytelling.** [Donate ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) A factor that also influences this population's decline in population and household size is referred to as the term "brain gain." "Rural areas have not been dying. They grew, we were flooded with people in the '90s," Winchester said. "There was a brain gain of people in the '70s, '80s and '90s that filled up almost every vacant home." The gain happens when high school kids from rural areas move out after graduation to pursue college, a job or military service in urban areas, he said. "We are not trying to keep our high school kids. We are attracted to 30-, 40- and 50-year-olds," he said. "These people have been moving in for the past 50 years, diversifying the economy and bringing leadership to positions." ## One family's journey That is what the Weber family has been going through since 2014, when the oldest sibling, Brianna Easton, moved from Aberdeen to Brookings to attend South Dakota State University. She got a job right after graduation in Sturgis but moved to Rapid City seven years ago. Easton used to commute to Sturgis every day, until she got a job in her new city. After graduating from Northern State University in Aberdeen, her younger brother, Matthew Weber, also moved and found a job in Sioux Falls. ![Siblings Matthew Weber and Brianna Easton at a restaurant in South Dakota. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/07/image2-1.jpeg) Siblings Matthew Weber and Brianna Easton at a restaurant in South Dakota. (Photo courtesy Matthew Weber) "I was like, I kind of want to live somewhere different than Aberdeen," he said. "Because at that point, I've only lived in Aberdeen." For different reasons, such as more job opportunities or trying new environments, both siblings now call Rapid City and Sioux Falls home. --- ## The data According to the most recent estimate from the U.S. Census Bureau, South Dakota's population was 924,669 in July 2024, an increase of 4.3% since 2020\. South Dakota's two defined metro areas of Sioux Falls and Rapid City demonstrate expressive growth over the years and now represent roughly half the state's population, while smaller cities and towns in non-metro areas have a slower growth pace and make up the other half of South Dakotans. To better visualize where these people are moving in or moving out, the following map tracks each ZIP code's population trends based on the U.S. Census Bureau data since 2000. To search and better visualize the trends in your ZIP code, city or county, the following searchable table represents the numbers in charts. [![Made with Flourish](https://public.flourish.studio/resources/made_with_flourish.svg) ](https://public.flourish.studio/visualisation/23732816/?utm%5Fsource=embed&utm%5Fcampaign=visualisation/23732816) The following graph compares population trends across South Dakota since 2000. [![Made with Flourish](https://public.flourish.studio/resources/made_with_flourish.svg) ](https://public.flourish.studio/visualisation/24270443/?utm%5Fsource=embed&utm%5Fcampaign=visualisation/24270443) --- ## Top takeaways Here are top takeaways from the data, with analysis and quotes from Census experts and others. ### Rural areas continue aging Another major factor in South Dakota's net loss of population in rural areas is the large number of older residents, said [Weiwei Zhang](https://www.sdstate.edu/directory/weiwei-zhang?ref=sdnewswatch.org), an associate professor at SDSU expert in demographics. When compared to South Dakota's metro areas, its non-metro region features a larger share of population 65 years old and older, she said. That group increased from 16.2% of the state's population in 2013 to 19% in 2023\. At the same time, the number of people 25 and younger in those areas fell from 35.3% in 2013 to 34.5% in 2023\. Zhang said the key reasons why people are leaving rural areas can vary by case but are usually related to opportunities for jobs, education, access to services and resources. ![Brianna Easton and Matthew Weber as children at their home in Aberdeen.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/07/image3-1-1.jpeg) Brianna Easton and Matthew Weber as children at their home in Aberdeen. (Photo courtesy of Matthew Weber) For Benita Weber, she always figured that her daughter, Brianna, would move at some point, but she was not sure about Matthew until he started college, and she realized that maybe Aberdeen was not for him. ![Brianna Easton, Benita Weber and Matthew Weber at Benita's house in Aberdeen, S.D. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/07/IMG_7378-1-1.jpg) Brianna Easton, Benita Weber and Matthew Weber at Benita's house in Aberdeen, S.D. (Photo courtesy of Benita Weber) "I don't know if there are a lot of job opportunities for him here, which there weren't when he graduated," said Benita Weber. "As a mom, you just want them to go where they are going to be happy and have an opportunity to get a job out of college." ### Population trends around the Midwest Winchester has been researching rural population trends for almost 30 years. After Harders was introduced five years ago to Winchester's research in other states, she thought it was time for South Dakota to also have its own newcomers survey. The [newcomers survey](https://extension.sdstate.edu/newcomers-survey?ref=sdnewswatch.org) aims to report demographic trends to better understand what changes are necessary for the rural communities. "We just wanted to learn more about what was making people move here, who they were, why they wanted to come, were kind of the nitty gritty details of that," said Harders. The data has been analyzed and the results are expected by the end of summer. ### Sense of community Winchester and Harders agree that the main reason why people move in or go back to the rural community is the quality of life that those areas can offer. "People are not choosing to move into this one small town because they have a job there," said Winchester. "They are choosing to look at a region, and they pick out schools and parks, and then they start to look for a job." That's what Benita Weber appreciates about Aberdeen. She enjoys the opportunity to get closer to other people living in a small town, to feel safer, and the opportunity to be easier to get around. "It seems like you get to know the people here, and you get to become friends with them," she said. "I feel like in bigger cities, it is hard to get to know people." Harders said most of the movers feel welcomed in their new communities and believe they will still be living there in five years. She also said that another main reason why people choose to move back to a small town is that they want to be closer to their family. "If we were to move somewhere, I think maybe Spearfish, which is where my husband's parents live," said Easton. "But otherwise we like Rapid City, so we're happy here." [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email) *to get stories when they're published. *Melissa Avelino dos Santos* is a student from Rio Branco, Acre, Brazil, at Augustana University in Sioux Falls. She is a summer 2025 intern at SDNW with support from the Nonprofit Newsroom Internship Program created by The Scripps Howard Fund and the Institute for Nonprofit News. *Contact Melissa:** [*melissa.avelino@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:melissa.avelino@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Fact brief: Does Sioux Falls' civilian population have the third-highest rate of sex offenders in the nation? URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/fact-brief-sioux-falls-sd-sex-offender-registry/ Last updated: 2025-07-23T20:17:17.000Z ## No. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/WhiteFACT-BRIEF--500-x-200-px--2-1-1.png) An article by [security.org](https://www.security.org/blog/u-s-cities-ranked-by-the-frequency-of-registered-sex-offenders/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) that said Sioux Falls has the third-highest rate of sex offenders per capita is misleading. The 2024 article says Sioux Falls has 65.3 registered sex offenders per 10,000 people, putting the city in third behind Wilmington, Delaware (93.46) and Orlando, Florida (69.93). According to the South Dakota Sex Offender Registry, Sioux Falls has 1,285 registered sex offenders as of July 20, which would be 62 per 10,000 people. However, that data – along with that published by security.org – includes inmates currently housed in the state penitentiary. Of the 1,285 offenders, 315 are listed as inmates. Without the penitentiary and county jail, Sioux Falls’ rate is 47 per 10,000\. Other cities’ data includes inmates, if applicable, but the size and number of facilities can vary. In addition, different laws and data collection between states can make comparisons difficult. *This fact brief responds to conversations such as* [*this one.*](https://www.reddit.com/r/SouthDakota/comments/1jo4nu6/sioux%5Ffalls%5Fsd%5Franks%5F3%5Fin%5Fthe%5Fcountry%5Fin%5Fsex/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) ### **Sources** Security.org, [United States cities ranked by the frequency of registered sex offenders](https://www.security.org/blog/u-s-cities-ranked-by-the-frequency-of-registered-sex-offenders/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) State of South Dakota, [Sex offender registry](https://sor.sd.gov/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Statista, [The U.S. states with the most sex offenders per capita](https://www.statista.com/chart/18575/registered-sex-offenders-per-100000-inhabitants/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Safehome.org, Sex offender registry statistics: [2024 data for all 50 states](https://www.safehome.org/data/registered-sex-offender-stats/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) --- [***South Dakota News Watch***](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/) *partners with*[ **Gigafact**](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *to publish fact briefs that refute or confirm a claim with supporting information and additional evidence and context.*[ **Get our email with fact briefs and stories**](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/)*.* [***Read previous fact briefs***](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/tag/fact-brief/) *and our verification standards and other*[ **best practices policies**](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/best-practices/)*.* **Have a question we can answer?* Submit it at the*[ **South Dakota News Watch Tipline**](https://gigafact.org/tipline/south-dakota-news-watch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. Send questions or feedback to *factbrief@sdnewswatch.org*.* *Can you separate fact from fiction?*[ **Take the fact brief quiz to find out**](https://gigafact.org/quiz/south-dakota-news-watch/default-8765/?mc%5Fcid=50ec5ce4a2&mc%5Feid=4d5aab024f&ref=sdnewswatch.org)*.* [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact Michael Klinski* at michael.klinski@sdnewswatch.org.* ### Ranchers found guilty of animal mistreatment and illegal sales URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/leland-perry-lynda-frost-cattle-neglect-bennett-county-sd/ Last updated: 2025-07-21T16:57:29.000Z MARTIN, S.D. – Two Bennett County ranchers were taken straight from a courtroom to a jail cell in a case that involved mistreatment of cattle and the false branding and attempted sale of animals they did not own. Leland Pauly, 60, and longtime girlfriend Lynda Frost, 56, were both taken to jail on Thursday to begin serving 15-day jail sentences on charges they mistreated numerous cattle under their care on their ranch 10 miles east of Martin. The case came to light after Dan Schilling, a rancher from Wessington, contracted with Pauly and Frost to feed and care for his cattle at their ranch in Bennett County. After discovering his cattle in poor condition, Schilling filed a complaint with the sheriff in March 2024. [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/05/donate-3.jpg)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate?ref=sdnewswatch.org) That prompted investigations that have led to numerous criminal charges against Pauly and Frost, and now, criminal convictions on livestock-related fraud and neglect charges for them both in South Dakota and Nebraska. Pauly comes from a longtime ranch family in Bennett County. And he and Frost are both well known in the cattle industry in central South Dakota and northern Nebraska. ![Leland Pauly and Lynda Frost of Martin, S.D. sit on a bench in the Bennett County Courthouse. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/07/Pauly-and-Frost-in-courthouse-1.jpg) Leland Pauly and Lynda Frost of Martin, S.D., are shown on July 17, 2025, in the Bennett County Courthouse. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) The charges against them came as the pair faced major financial struggles, including a recent bankruptcy and now the possibility of Pauly losing the land his family has owned for generations, according to Pauly's attorney, Sandy Steffen of Gregory. Bennett County State's Attorney Sarah E. Harris said there is no excuse for animal mistreatment or economic fraud, and that she hopes the imposition of jail time will serve as a warning to anyone who abuses cattle or tries to defraud others. "I grew up on a ranch, and it makes me absolutely sick to think of how these cattle were treated," Harris told News Watch. "Hopefully other people will see this and think twice before entrusting their cattle or any livestock with these people." ## Couple faced multiple charges in two states After Schilling made the initial complaint, authorities in the two states took notice. In April 2024, Pauly and Frost were charged in Bennett County with 25 misdemeanor counts of animal neglect or mistreatment. That same month, the pair was charged in Keith County, Nebraska, in the illegal branding and sale of cattle owned by Schilling. Then, in September 2024, Pauly and Frost were charged in South Dakota with four felony counts of misuse or alteration of a cattle brand, a Class 5 felony. In the Nebraska case, Pauly pleaded no contest in June and was sentenced to probation on a felony charge of illegal sale/trade/disposition of livestock, according to Nebraska court records. Frost was found guilty of a misdemeanor charge of using false documents to misrepresent inspection records on livestock. In South Dakota, court documents indicate that sometime between May 2023 and March 2024, the pair intended to defraud cattle buyers by "brand(ing) calves belonging to Dan Schilling with Lynda Frost's lazy F over arrow brand." ## ****Get South Dakota stories** An email summary on most weekdays that links to the full version. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. The South Dakota brand alteration charges were dropped as part of a plea deal in which Pauly and Frost agreed to plead no contest to three misdemeanor animal neglect charges. ## Video shows weakened cattle In late March, about 265 head of cattle were seized from the Pauly ranch by the Bennett County Sheriff's Office. Some of the animals had their skeletons showing due to malnourishment. A cow and two calves died soon after being seized, according to authorities. A video that was played in the Bennett County Courthouse on Thursday showed one group of seven cattle with their spines, hips and shoulder bones clearly visible. Some appeared unsteady as they walked. ![The backbone is clearly visible on this cow, seized from the ranch of Leland Pauly and Lynda Frost in March 2024. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/07/Underweight-cow2-1.jpg) The backbone is clearly visible on this cow, seized from the ranch of Leland Pauly and Lynda Frost in March 2024\. (Photo: Courtesy Bennett County State's Attorney) Harris told the court her office had tested the feed given to the cattle at the Pauly Ranch and found it had no or very little nutritional value. "It looked like it was ground up corn stalks and sticks," Harris told News Watch. "There was no way they could gain weight on that, and it's probably why they looked so terrible." Harris told the court that in the weeks after the cattle were seized and provided good nutrition, many began to gain weight and return to good health. The cattle were ultimately returned to Schilling, the owner. ****Join other South Dakotans and support statewide storytelling.** [Donate ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Bennett County Sheriff Jason Erwin told News Watch that he has never seen a livestock neglect case like this since arriving in the area in 2013. "I'm not going to say they're bad people," said Erwin, who is a neighbor to Pauly and Frost. "But it is shocking to see that." Schilling told News Watch that Pauly and Frost committed fraud against him in numerous ways and still owe him about $300,000 in cattle and feed costs they misrepresented. "It's been terrible," he said. "And I've spent way too much time and money on this thing." Approached by News Watch in the Bennett County Courthouse prior to the hearing on Thursday, Pauly and Frost both declined comment. ## Defense sought no fine or jail time Once the couple was found guilty of neglect, the defense and prosecution made recommendations to Circuit Court Judge Bobbi Rank on sentencing. Harris, the prosecutor, argued for a 30-day jail sentence and three years of probation for each defendant, noting that two veterinarians who examined the seized cattle rated many only a 2 or 3 on a 1-9 scale of animal health. She pointed out that the cattle were confined by Pauly and Frost and unable to obtain adequate food or water on their own. ![A barn on a ranch run by Leland Pauly and Lynda Frost about 10 miles east of Martin, S.D., is shown on July 17, 2025.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/07/Pauly-ranch-sign-1.jpg) The ranch run by Leland Pauly and Lynda Frost about 10 miles east of Martin, S.D., is shown on July 17, 2025\. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) Steffen, Pauly's attorney, asked the court to require restitution payments but argued for no jail time or fines for her client and his girlfriend. She said the cows delivered to Pauly and Frost by Schilling were old and already in poor shape upon arrival, a claim that Harris and Schilling denied. Steffen also noted that despite the recent criminal charges against her client, Pauly's criminal history was "unremarkable" and does not include prior charges of animal neglect. "Mr. Pauly has his whole life been caring for cattle," she said. "But life happened and things went off the rails." Judge Rank, however, turned that argument around by noting instead that after so many years of caring for cattle, Pauly and Frost should have known better than to engage in animal neglect. [Medicaid cuts could hit rural health hard in SDRural providers expect bad news and potentially ominous outcomes. “It could lead to people being more sick and also some more people dying.”![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-145.jpg)South Dakota News WatchBart Pfankuch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/Horizon-Health-clinic-Faith--SD-1-1-1.JPG)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-medicaid-cuts-trump-big-beautiful-bill/) "This is not a situation where you have some young kid or a city slicker looking to have a hobby farm and they don't know what they're doing," the judge said. Rank said that a jail term was needed to ensure a strong message was sent regarding the importance of properly caring for livestock in South Dakota. She sentenced Pauly and Frost to 15 days in jail, a year of unsupervised probation, payment of restitution and court costs, and she ordered that they not own cattle for one year. "Crops and cattle are among the most beloved things (in the state)," she said. "You had critters here who were completely dependent on the defendants for their lives, and for whatever reason, they neglected that duty." [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact* *Bart Pfankuch* at* [*bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### SD Regents approves 'seismic shift' to allow guns on campus URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-regents-concealed-carry-weapons-guns/ Last updated: 2025-07-18T11:36:31.000Z BROOKINGS, S.D. – The South Dakota Board of Regents voted 9-0 Thursday to update its policy to comply with a new state law that allows students and others to carry concealed weapons on campus. The change, which also includes where weapons are not allowed, aligns regental policy with Senate Bill 100 (SB 100), which went into effect July 1\. It passed during this year's legislative session and was one of many topics on the agenda at the meeting Wednesday and Thursday at South Dakota State University in Brookings. "First and foremost, we want to make sure that people are safe on our campuses," said Tim Rave, Board of Regents president. "This is a seismic shift from where we had previously been, and I appreciate your dedication to putting together a policy I think that addresses the law the best when we could with what we were handed." ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/07/IMG_6992-1.jpeg) South Dakota Board of Regents members listen to a presentation on Thursday, July 17, 2025, at South Dakota State University in Brookings, S.D. (Photo: Emily DeCock / South Dakota News Watch) The six public universities the law applies to are Black Hills State University in Spearfish, Dakota State University in Madison, Northern State University in Aberdeen, South Dakota School of Mines and Technology in Rapid City, South Dakota State University in Brookings and the University of South Dakota in Vermillion. The law also applies to the state's four technical schools: Lake Area Technical College in Watertown, Mitchell Technical College in Mitchell, Southeast Technical College in Sioux Falls and Western Dakota Technical College in Rapid City. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/07/CE51A518-4E2B-42D3-8A07-36870EF65757_1_105_c-1.jpeg) Attendees at the Board of Regents meeting Thursday, July 17, 2025, at South Dakota State University in Brookings, S.D. (Photo: Emily DeCock / South Dakota News Watch) Nick Wendell, executive director of the South Dakota Board of Technical Institution, said the technical schools' boards will approve their own policies in accordance with the law rather than having a systemwide policy. SB 100 was highly debated in the House and Senate before passing. Those who opposed it cited potential risks to student safety, while supporters cited the Second Amendment and South Dakota's status as a constitutional carry state as reasons to adopt the law. [What concealed carry on campus means for South Dakota schoolsA new law that will be in effect this fall allows students and faculty to lawfully conceal carry firearms and weapons on public campuses.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-142.jpg)South Dakota News WatchEmily DeCock![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/USDaerial-1.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/concealed-carry-south-dakota-college-campuses-gun-laws/) SB 100 allows some of the widest access to concealed weapons on campus as any [state law on the issue](https://giffords.org/lawcenter/gun-laws/policy-areas/guns-in-public/guns-in-schools/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). There are certain areas, detailed below, where concealed weapons can be limited on campus. It is now up to schools to determine where those areas are. ## ****Get South Dakota stories** An email summary on most weekdays that links to the full version. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. ## Among the specifics adopted Here are specific guidelines covered in the law and affirmed by the Regents: - People 18 and over with an enhanced, restricted enhanced or a reciprocal permit issued in accordance with applicable South Dakota law can now carry concealed pistols on BOR premises. - Individuals may also carry stun guns and mace or pepper spray on BOR property. - Weapons must be stored in a locked case or safe when not being carried or in possession of the person. - Institutions will not provide cases or safes in the residences halls. - It is the weapon owner's responsibility to use an adequate storage facility. Failure to do so could result in discipline up to and including removal from a residence hall or even expulsion. - Universities can restrict concealed carry in some specific cases on campus, outlined below. ## Areas where concealed carry can be restricted Language in the [policy](https://public.onboardmeetings.com/Meeting/zLuYkXtbyNn5RXDOzWJc8xAlLnZUwLtRMTL1WF47V70A/pLI7nDiNEWjxh0mjve4PYKt57musSkMY%2FJ66LARSkVIA/rofGRBHcnOxt1%2FDRogO00FkrB5RvmFPHDlkFXwFDppQA/PywP5y2XX0OR5t1nULB7kldaNtS04icT3vMmnMnvdrwA/Agenda%20Document?ref=sdnewswatch.org) gives schools the ability to restrict concealed carry in some places. Here are those locations: - Areas of "significant quantities of hazardous materials" with large cylinders containing corrosive, reactive, flammable, toxic or oxidizer gases or of acetylene gas. - Near magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) equipment or nuclear magnetic resonance equipment. - In a room used for manufacturing or scientific research, if the concentration of airborne particles is controlled in order to maintain an environment with minimal pollutants. - In a clearly designated portion of a building or structure to which a facility clearance applies or for which a federal security clearance is required. - In a building or structure during a special event, provided metal detectors and authorized armed security personnel are present at every public entrance to restrict the possession of any dangerous weapon. Each institution will keep a registry of all areas it plans to restrict or limit the carrying of weapons, and the list will be updated annually. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/07/IMG_6998-2-1-1.jpeg) From left: South Dakota Board of Regents executive director Nathan Lukkes, president Tim Rave, vice president Jeff Partridge and secretary Randy Frederick at the Board of Regents meeting Thursday, July 17, 2025, at South Dakota State University in Brookings, S.D. (Photo: Emily DeCock / South Dakota News Watch) Jeff Partridge, vice president of the Board of Regents, said he thinks having a systemwide, consistent policy is important. "Very, very important, as we move forward not to have something going on at this university versus that one, and differing of opinion or interpretation," he said. "We're going to try to continue to avoid that, and it's going to be a work in progress." ****Join other South Dakotans and support statewide storytelling.** [Donate ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email) *to get stories when they're published. *Emily DeCock* is a student at South Dakota State University in Brookings. She received the 2025 Jeffrey B. Nelson Investigative Journalism Endowed Internship and Chuck Raasch and Sandy Johnson Scholarship from the SDSU Foundation. Contact her at* [*emily.decock@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:emily.decock@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Fact brief: Have fatalities notably increased since South Dakota raised its speed limit to 80? URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/gigafact-fact-brief-south-dakota-interstate-speed-limit-fatalities/ Last updated: 2025-07-18T21:21:18.000Z ## No. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/WhiteFACT-BRIEF--500-x-200-px--2-1-1.png) South Dakota is one of eight states that has posted speed limits of 80 mph on sections of interstates, but it hasn’t resulted in a noticeable increase in fatalities. The state increased its speed limit from 75 to 80 in 2015\. Since then, fatalities in crashes on highways and interstates have stayed relatively flat. There were 135 in 2014, the year before the speed limit change, and 134 in 2015\. In 2024, there were 140 fatalities. The state’s highway fatalities peaked at 203 in 2003. Improved technology and structural designs are a big factor in the improvement. In 1997, the occupant fatality rate per 100,000 registered vehicles was 17.81\. In 2017, it was 10.05\. Nationally, however, fatality rates on highways and interstates go up by 8.5% every time the speed limit is increased by 5 mph, according to a 2019 study. *This fact brief responds to conversations such as* [*this one*](https://www.reddit.com/r/SouthDakota/comments/1m074c7/i90%5F80mph%5Fspeed%5Flimit%5Fquestion/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*.* ## Sources IIHS, [The effects of higher speed limits on traffic fatalities in the United States, 1993-2017](https://www.iihs.org/research-areas/bibliography/ref/2188?ref=sdnewswatch.org) SDPB, [South Dakota interstate speed limit increases](https://www.sdpb.org/news/2015-03-30/sd-interstate-speed-increases-wednesday?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Hub City Radio, [Report on fatalities on South Dakota highways in 2024](https://hubcityradio.com/report-on-fatalities-on-south-dakota-highways-in-2024/?ref=sdnewswatch.org#:~:text=PIERRE%2C%20S.D.%28DRGNews%29%2D%20Updated,2021%3B%20and%20141%20in%202020.) South Dakota Department of Public Safety, [2018 South Dakota motor vehicle crash summary](https://www.safesd.gov/downloads/crash-summary/2018-South-Dakota-Motor-Vehicle-Traffic-Crash-Summary-Facts-Book.pdf?ref=sdnewswatch.org) South Dakota Department of Public Safety, [2023 South Dakota motor vehicle crash summary](https://www.safesd.gov/downloads/crash-summary/2023-South-Dakota-Motor-Vehicle-Traffic-Crash-Summary-Facts-Book.pdf?ref=sdnewswatch.org) NHTSA.gov, [Learn the facts about new cars](https://www.nhtsa.gov/sites/nhtsa.gov/files/documents/newer-cars-safer-cars%5Ffact-sheet%5F010320-tag.pdf?ref=sdnewswatch.org) --- [South Dakota News Watch](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/) partners with [Gigafact](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) to publish fact briefs that refute or confirm a claim with supporting information and additional evidence and context. - [Read previous fact briefs](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/tag/fact-brief/). - Read our verification standards and other [best practices policies](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/best-practices/). - Submit a question for us to answer on the [South Dakota News Watch Tipline](https://gigafact.org/tipline/south-dakota-news-watch?ref=sdnewswatch.org). - Send questions or feedback to [factbrief@sdnewswatch.org](mailto:factbrief@sdnewswatch.org). [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact Michael Klinski* at* [*michael.klinski@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:michael.klinski@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Medicaid cuts in federal budget could hit rural health hard in SD URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-medicaid-cuts-trump-big-beautiful-bill/ Last updated: 2025-07-16T23:06:12.000Z Wade Erickson doesn't want to seem like an alarmist. But Erickson, CEO of Horizon Health in South Dakota, has serious concerns about how the Medicaid cuts embedded in the giant taxation and budget law signed by President Donald Trump will affect the health of South Dakotans, especially in rural areas. Horizon provides medical care to people across a 28,000 square-mile area of the state. Each year, about 26,000 patients are treated in 80,000 appointments at 27 Horizon Health clinics, dental offices and mental-health centers in South Dakota. Details are still to come on the cuts to Medicaid, the health insurance program for low-income Americans. But early indications are that the law will cut federal aid to health care by $1 trillion over the next decade. ## ****Get South Dakota stories** An email summary on most weekdays that links to the full version. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimated that the law will remove 12 million Americans from enrollment in the Medicaid program, many due to new work requirements. From Erickson's standpoint, that would impact rural health in two ways. First, patients who lose Medicaid coverage and are not able to afford medical care from their own pockets will be more likely to delay preventive care or may avoid getting needed medical treatments altogether. "If people are afraid to access health care because they can't afford to pay for it, or they stop taking care of their wellness and are no longer catching chronic diseases early to where they can be managed, there’s a very good possibility that it could lead to people being more sick, and also some more people dying before they would otherwise," Erickson told News Watch. ![Wade Erickson, CEO of Horizon Health Care, sits at his desk at the office in Martin, South Dakota.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/07/Horizon-Health-CEO-Wade-Erickson-1.jpeg) Wade Erickson, CEO of Horizon Health, is shown in his system's clinic in Martin, S.D. in May 2024\. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) Secondly, health providers like Horizon, which already run on small or even negative profit margins on some procedures, will see less revenue and could be forced to reduce services. About 65% of Horizon's annual budget is funded by the federal government, with roughly 20% coming from Medicaid, which sometimes does not cover the full cost of patient treatments and procedures. Other federal funding sources include Medicare and the annual payment made as part of the Federal Qualified Health Center program. As a federally qualified center, Horizon cannot turn away any patients. If fewer people are covered by Medicaid, Horizon will have to ask them to pay on a sliding scale or simply provide unreimbursed coverage if the patients cannot afford to pay. “Just because people lose coverage doesn't mean they stop getting sick or they should stop taking care of their wellness and chronic conditions,” Erickson said. “That is super important, that we are able to continue to support that. But without insurance or without a payer source other than themselves, which honestly, people can't afford it if they're on Medicaid, so they’ll be uninsured," he added. "That will just lead to more uncompensated care and make it really difficult for us to maintain services in rural communities.” ![The medical lab at the Horizon Health Care clinic in Martin, S.D., is shown in April 2024. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/07/Horizon-Health-Martin-lab-1.JPG) The medical lab at the Horizon Health clinic in Martin, S.D., is shown in April 2024\. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) Erickson acknowledged that there are many unknowns about how the cuts to Medicaid will play out in the coming years. But he is concerned that reductions in coverage may put rural providers and patients into untenable positions. "We already have patients who choose whether to get groceries or get their prescriptions, so it’s going to land on the most vulnerable people out there," he said. "And we have to figure out, how are we going to serve all these new patients who are uninsured?" ## Law's goal is to cut fraud and waste President Trump and Republican leaders in Congress have said the health care changes in the new budget bill will reduce fraud and waste and ensure that Medicaid is serving those it initially intended: pregnant women, people with disabilities and children. Cuts in some programs were necessary in order to fund some of Trump's other priorities, such as increasing immigration enforcement, boosting defense and providing tax cuts. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/07/Alan-Morgan-quote.png) The bill includes a $50 billion new fund to help rural hospitals offset revenue losses. But the nonpartisan KFF research institute estimates Medicaid spending in rural areas will fall by $155 billion under the new legislation. “It’s very clear that Medicaid cuts will result in rural hospital closures,” Alan Morgan, CEO of the National Rural Health Association, a nonprofit advocacy and research organization, told KFF in July. ## A $1.65 billion program in SD Medicaid in South Dakota provides medical, dental, vision and pharmaceutical insurance coverage for qualifying low-income adults and children. The cost of the Medicaid program in South Dakota in calendar year 2024 was about $1.65 billion, according to data from the Department of Social Services, which administers the program. DSS officials did not respond to an interview request from News Watch. Medicaid enrollment and costs in South Dakota rose significantly in July 2023, when voter-approved expanded guidelines kicked in, and both metrics have continued to rise since then. In June, about 144,300 people were enrolled in Medicaid in South Dakota, with 78,500 children and 65,800 adults covered by the insurance plan. The cost of the program was $155.5 million that month, with the state paying about 40% and the federal government paying around 60%. While cuts to Medicaid will affect all health care providers across the state, including large health groups in bigger cities, rural providers and patients have fewer options to adapt to changes and as a result may see more acute impacts. ## Long-term care industry worries but 1 positive Providers in the long-term care industry in South Dakota are also trying to determine how the recent budget law will affect their ability to provide care or even remain financially viable, said Mark Deak, executive director of the South Dakota Health Care Association. The association represents about 170 nursing homes, assisted-living and senior-care homes as well as about 90 vendors and suppliers to the long-term care industry in the state. Many of those facilities, particularly in rural areas, have experienced financial challenges in recent years, leading 10% of nursing homes to close during the early 2020s, Deak said. While the budget bill does not contain direct cuts to long-term care funding, anticipated reductions in Medicaid funding could squeeze revenues for facilities that on average receive 54% of income from Medicaid enrollees, Deak said. As a result, care facilities could be hit with revenue challenges, especially in rural areas where workforce is limited and costs can be higher, he said. Meanwhile, potential residents with limited financial resources could find it harder to obtain long-term care. ****Join other South Dakotans and support statewide storytelling.** [Donate ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) “Given how tight the margins are, and how tight the budget could get, it just ratchets up the level of anxiety,” Deak said. “Given the overall fiscal pressures, we’re just thinking about what the impacts could be.” Another less-prominent piece of the legislation, Deak said, will shorten by a month the time period long-term care facilities have to process and be reimbursed for new residents, which also could make it less likely they will take in new low-income residents. The law did include one big win for long-term care facilities. It paused a federal staffing level requirement that Deak said would have forced facilities in South Dakota to hire 300 new nurses. That was an expensive and potentially impossible directive to meet given the lack of available workforce, he said. ## Waiting and watching in Winner Brian Williams, CEO of Winner Regional Health, said it’s too early to know how the Medicaid cuts in the federal budget bill will impact his facility and its patients. But he's staying abreast of funding developments to be prepared if bad news does arrive. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/07/Brian-Williams-1-1.png) Brian Williams, CEO of Winner Regional Health “We do not fully understand how these cuts may or not impact us. But we’re very concerned and we’re keeping a close eye on how this is going to be implemented,” Williams told News Watch. “It could have a negative impact on our ability to get reimbursement for a lot a services we provide.” The small, independent health group that includes a hospital, clinic and long-term care facility in south-central South Dakota's Tripp County has been forced to make tough choices already this year due to revenue challenges. In February, Winner Regional ended its birthing services, forcing expectant mothers to drive an hour or more to give birth with a doctor present. Erickson, of Horizon Health Care, said he plans to contact members of Congress to urge them to modify or soften the cuts to Medicaid. "That’s why we really have to tell our story of the impact of what it’s going to do to people across the country, and in our case, the people of South Dakota." [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact* *Bart Pfankuch* at* [*bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org) ### Fact brief: Does the National Weather Service record hail as snowfall? URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/gigafact-factbrief-south-dakota-national-weather-service-hail/ Last updated: 2025-07-15T14:14:33.000Z ## Yes. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/WhiteFACT-BRIEF--500-x-200-px--2-1-1.png) The National Weather Service in Sioux Falls announced a record snowfall amount had been set for the city on July 9 after pea-sized hail fell. The hail was marked as a “trace” in the snowfall column on a day when the minimum temperature reached 64 degrees. Tim Masters, a hydro-meteorological technician with the Sioux Falls NWS office, said that all frozen precipitation, such as snow, ice or hail, is counted as snowfall. “Generally with hail, the overall rule is that hail is just a trace (of snowfall), unless you get into a situation where you get a ton of hail like Denver or Cheyenne. Then you measure how deep the average depth is,” Masters said. Six record-setting days in July at Sioux Falls have received a trace of “snowfall” in the history of NWS record keeping. Rapid City has eight days of record-setting snowfall of a trace in July. *This fact brief responds to conversations such as* [*this one*](https://www.facebook.com/KeloBrianKarstens/posts/pfbid02USTTdyQRyyiqA2tgmythq11jSNa5eHPQEi4Cydp7gAbbWURuC67YaCyxLBXrPeWyl)*.* ## Sources National Weather Service, [July 2025 Climatology records for Sioux Falls](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1sicDZ0cPDder4hyZxYZgTv9-9jlr%5Fza8/view?usp=drive%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) National Weather Service, [Interview with Tim Masters audio](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1e%5FmF85zTxKZ1z08w9MxH7mFbnRRsVBuf/view?usp=drive%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) KELO-TV, [Record Sioux Falls snowfall in July?](https://www.keloland.com/keloland-com-original/record-sioux-falls-snowfall-in-july/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) National Weather Service, [Rapid City daily records](https://www.weather.gov/unr/records?ref=sdnewswatch.org) --- [South Dakota News Watch](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/) partners with [Gigafact](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) to publish fact briefs that refute or confirm a claim with supporting information and additional evidence and context. - [Read previous fact briefs](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/tag/fact-brief/). - Read our verification standards and other [best practices policies](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/best-practices/). - Submit a question for us to answer on the [South Dakota News Watch Tipline](https://gigafact.org/tipline/south-dakota-news-watch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). - Send questions or feedback to [factbrief@sdnewswatch.org](mailto:factbrief@sdnewswatch.org). [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact Michael Klinski* at michael.klinski@sdnewswatch.org.* ### How Wall is building a model to encourage housing growth URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/wall-drug-badlands-south-dakota-population-housing/ Last updated: 2025-07-14T11:29:12.000Z WALL, S.D. – This small western South Dakota town known internationally for Wall Drug and its proximity to Badlands National Park seemed like the perfect place for Ana Komar to fulfill her dream of running a scenic flight business. Komar, 30, has been a licensed pilot for five years and owns a four-seat Cessna. She was looking for a spot to use her skills and feed her adventurous spirit and love of natural beauty by launching a business flying tourists over dramatic terrain. In many ways, Wall was perfect. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/07/Engage-SD-small-logo.png) The local airport is a few miles from the Badlands, its airstrip had just been extended and local leaders were welcoming and helpful, Komar said. “I called city hall with my idea and they’re like, ‘Come on down, we’ll set up a meeting with the mayor tomorrow,'" said Komar, who ultimately launched the Fly Badlands aerial tour business this spring. “It’s been amazing, just the enthusiasm and the support of people checking in, coming over here to help me. It’s been a real feat of kindness.” ![Ana Komar and the Cessna she pilots to take tourists over the South Dakota Badlands while parked at the Wall, S.D., airport on June 23, 2025.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/07/2026-6-23-Wall-pilot-at-plane.jpg) Ana Komar and the Cessna she pilots to take tourists over the South Dakota Badlands while parked at the Wall, S.D., airport on June 23, 2025\. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) But for all the positives, there’s been one major drawback — a challenge to growth in Wall that is negatively affecting rural towns and small cities across the entire state. Komar simply could not find housing anywhere in the city of 700 people or in communities nearby. ## ****Get South Dakota stories** An email summary on most weekdays that links to the full version. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. “I’m forced to live in Rapid City and drive in every day, which is kind of a bummer and a little draining,” Komar said while speaking from her makeshift office in a storage container at the Wall Municipal Airport, 50 miles east of Rapid City. “That drive every day is time you can’t get back,” she said. “I want to live in a community, to live in a house, to be able to walk downtown to a coffee shop and get to know people.” For Komar, who's single, commuting two hours a day hasn't been a deal-breaker, and she has a van parked at the airport where she can sleep to prepare for a morning tour or to stay after a sunset flight. Yet she wonders if the lack of housing is holding Wall back from reaching its full potential. “If I had a young family and was making a decision whether to start a business in Wall, it would raise real questions." ![Ana Komar, owner and operator of Fly Badlands scenic flight tours, poses for a photo at her business](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/07/2025-6-23-Wall-pilot-at-office-1.jpg) Ana Komar, owner and operator of Fly Badlands scenic flight tours, shown on June 23, 2025, was unable to find housing in Wall, S.D., and sometimes sleeps in the van she keeps at the airport. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) A shortage of affordable or even available housing is one of the big three challenges to population stability and economic growth in rural South Dakota. A lack of workers and day care are other top reasons new businesses and families find it hard to locate in small cities and towns. This story is part of a series that South Dakota News Watch will be reporting as part of Engage South Dakota, which uses storytelling, crowdsourcing and community engagement to identify and share solutions in the works or yet to be developed. Each story will include the community's **response**, **insights** to be learned, **evidence** of whether the ideas are effective and **limitations** on the efforts. ## Response: Teamwork drives housing development Wall leaders aren't just hoping new housing suddenly appears. Through a coordinated effort that includes local government officials, business leaders, residents and some state funding, the city is setting the stage for development of new housing and the potential growth it can bring. ![Wall, S.D., finance director Carolynn Anderson, shown on June 23, 2025, shows where lots are ready for development in the Wall Industrial Park on the north side of the city. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/06/2025-6-23-Wall-finance-director-at-industrial-park.jpg) Wall, S.D., finance director Carolynn Anderson, shown on June 23, 2025, shows where lots are ready for development in the Wall Industrial Park on the north side of the city. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) The city received money from the Federal Aviation Administration to extend its local airstrip, allowing for greater access by planes and jets. It has developed an 85-acre, business-ready industrial park north of the airport, though no business has located there yet. ****Join other South Dakotans and support statewide storytelling.** [Donate ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) The city has cleared land for new housing and installed infrastructure that will encourage developers to build homes or apartments, said Mayor Mary Williams. It tore down an old gas station and used the lot to install three homes through the [Governor’s House Program](https://www.sdhousing.org/ready-to-buy/available-programs/governors-house-program?ref=sdnewswatch.org). Wall also received a $1.2 million loan from [South Dakota Housing](https://www.sdhousing.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) – a state-funded nonprofit lending agency – to build infrastructure for the proposed Echo Valley subdivision on open land south of Interstate 90\. [Resident-driven ideas at heart of Engage South DakotaPilot project uses storytelling and civic engagement to identify and share solutions to challenges impacting communities across the state.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-140.jpg)South Dakota News WatchBart Pfankuch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/2024-10-7-Kelly-Cape-in-group-1.JPG)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/resident-driven-ideas-at-heart-of-engage-south-dakota/) That land, now offered for construction by private developers, can accommodate 24 new homes, 15 of which will be considered affordable, Williams said. Nearby, the city used other money borrowed from South Dakota Housing to extend a street and connect it to another, creating new buildable lots in the Hansen subdivision that now contain four occupied governor’s homes and two privately-built homes, she said. “Those homes all went to young couples who have come back home to participate in their family businesses, so that was very successful,” Williams said of the expanded area. ## Evidence: Builder shifts to housing Wall has a stable employment base due to its tourism industry led by Wall Drug and by employers such as local schools and city, county and federal government as well as Golden West Telecommunications and West River Electric Association. Williams said the positive, welcoming approach to growth has also prompted a few other new businesses to recently locate to Wall, including Dahl Chainsaw Art and Dakota Sky Stone, a manufacturer of Native American influenced jewelry. ![Residential lots for sale signs outside of Wall, South Dakota.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/06/2025-6-23-Wall-subdivision-signage-1.jpg) The city of Wall, S.D., obtained a loan from the South Dakota Housing Development Authority to help pay for infrastructure needed to encourage housing construction in the Echo Valley subdivision south of town. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) John Diedrichs is one of the people seizing on the opportunity to build new housing, partly due to the high demand but also to support the continued growth and stability in his adopted hometown. Diedrichs owns Cornerstone Industries and Construction Services, with a main focus on building grain bins and other agricultural structures. He recently moved into the homebuilding space, completing his own family home. He's planning to build six, two-unit townhomes and a 12-unit apartment building, all in the Echo Valley subdivision south of Interstate 90 where sewer, water and streets are already in place. He poured the foundation on one townhome in late June and already has one side leased and the second side spoken for by a prospective tenant. Diedrichs said the city has been “extremely proactive” in helping developers prepare land and in making it easier for builders to get projects started. Generating new housing opportunities is critical for businesses like his to grow or for new businesses to come to town, he said. “We don’t hire a lot of people from Wall, and most of them come from other cities or states,” Diedrichs said. Diedrichs said he can feel the momentum in the town where he has lived since 2010\. While it costs more to build housing in a remote small town, and rents are typically lower than in a larger city, Diedrichs said he is committed to helping Wall build a strong future. “Financially it makes a lot more sense to build in Rapid City, but we want to build in Wall because we’re so entrenched in the community,” he said. ## Limitations: Loss of housing and slow growth Though the efforts so far make the city poised for growth, Wall's housing offerings remain tight, and a 2022 study commissioned by the city reveals some of the challenges. It found a slow growth rate, with 20 new single-family homes built from 2010 to 2022\. The city lost 56 housing units over that time, a 13% decline attributed to demolitions, loss of rental properties and conversion of some homes and apartments to seasonal rentals. Meanwhile, the overall housing stock is aging, with a quarter of all units built before 1960. The city has avoided the significant population declines seen by other similar-sized South Dakota cities, but it has still seen a slow drawdown. The U.S. Census reports the city had 834 residents in 1990, 807 in 2000, 774 in 2010 and 688 in 2023. ## Insight: Wall Drug boss says city support is key Despite those challenges, Wall – like many other small towns – is fortunate to have at least one major employer that provides a foundation on which to build. Wall Drug – made famous worldwide through "miles to" road signs – actively plays a role in making sure its employees have a place to live. Rick Hustead, the third-generation president of Wall Drug and a member of the Wall City Council, knows firsthand about the housing challenges facing both residents and employers. ![Rick Hustead, shown in his office in Wall, S.D., on June 23, 2025, is the third-generation president of Wall Drug. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/06/2025-6-23-Wall-Drug-owner-in-office.jpg) Rick Hustead, shown in his office in Wall, S.D., on June 23, 2025, is the third-generation president of Wall Drug. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) He and his team at Wall Drug have developed a system for providing housing for the 185 employees who work during summers at the restaurant/retail/leisure complex that takes up a large section of Main Street. Hustead owns a mobile home park and other housing sites for employees, including the 95 foreign workers who are in Wall on temporary visas this summer and 20 other seasonal employees. Wall Drug has about 70 full-time, non-seasonal staff who mostly reside in Wall, he said. Hustead, 75, said the city has done a good job of being forward-thinking by aiding developers of new housing and must maintain those efforts to provide buildable land and look for funding sources to aid construction projects. "The city has been pretty proactive in supplementing new development," he said. "There’s lots available, but you have to put some money in to help developers." [Solving South Dakota’s housing problem one idea at a timeHow an Aberdeen nonprofit called Homes Are Possible Inc., or HAPI, shares what it has learned to help ease the state’s housing crunch.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-136.jpg)South Dakota News WatchBart Pfankuch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/Aberdeen-home-construction-1-1.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/aberdeen-mitchell-south-dakota-hapi-housing-solution/) Besides trying to attract new businesses and the residents they bring, Rochan Burrell, executive director of the Wall Economic Development Corp., is looking 40 miles west. She's promoting the city's housing potential with Ellsworth Air Force Base officials as they prepare for an influx of military and civilian personnel as part of the expansion for the new B-21 bomber program. “We’ve kind of been the best-kept secret and I’m trying to change that so people know we’re here and that we’re a great community, with great schools and a great place to raise your family,” she said. “I’ve made those relationships and those connections to let them know we’re prepped for growth.” [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact* *Bart Pfankuch* at* [*bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Fact brief: Are officer-involved shootings in South Dakota increasing? URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/fact-brief-officer-involved-shootings-south-dakota-gigafact/ Last updated: 2025-07-10T11:41:57.000Z ## Yes. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/WhiteFACT-BRIEF--500-x-200-px--2-1-1.png) South Dakota law enforcement officers have fired their weapons more times in the past five years than any five-year stretch in the past 25 years. From 2021 to July 9, there have been 32 officer involved shootings. In the previous five-year span (2016-2020), there were 21\. In 2022, there were 13, and there have been five in 2025 as of July 7, when a 24-year-old man was shot by Sioux Falls Police multiple times after the man fired a handgun at three officers, according to the Division of Criminal Investigations. The data does not include shootings on tribal land. The Washington Post reported that 1,175 people were killed by law enforcement in 2024 – a record. That number has been steadily rising since 2016, when 959 were killed. More people with access to guns and the increase in mental health calls and violent crime are cited as factors. **This fact brief responds to conversations such as* [**this one*](https://www.facebook.com/keloland/posts/pfbid02hfW7hC7h93VK2rs1jgmeqBYLKDuEdEhg3kWC2FPqKTg7BJ5JzR7kjGtaxaAwrE1l)**.* ### Sources South Dakota Attorney General’s Office, [Officer involved shootings](https://atg.sd.gov/OurOffice/Media/Publications/officerinvolvedshootings.aspx?ref=sdnewswatch.org#gsc.tab=0) Washington Post, [Fatal force database](https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/investigations/police-shootings-database/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) The Argus Leader, [DCI investigating July 7 officer-involved shooting in Sioux Falls](https://www.argusleader.com/story/news/crime/2025/07/08/dci-investigating-july-7-officer-involved-shooting-in-sioux-falls/84505662007/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Dakota News Now, [Police chief, sheriff say violent crime spike has many reasons](https://www.dakotanewsnow.com/2022/08/11/police-chief-sheriff-say-violent-crime-spike-has-many-reasons/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Social Science of Medicine, [Social and policy characteristics associated with injurious shootings by police in US counties](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0277953624009146?via%3Dihub&ref=sdnewswatch.org) South Dakota Attorney General’s Office, [Statement on officer-involved shootings](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1nOof4SSwL0gxkIlc9RG%5F5ahXDrVkuJmX/view?usp=drive%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) --- [**South Dakota News Watch**](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/) partners with [**Gigafact**](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) to publish fact briefs that refute or confirm a claim with supporting information and additional evidence and context. - [](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/tag/fact-brief/)[Read previous fact briefs](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/tag/fact-brief/). - Read our verification standards and other [best practices policies](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/best-practices/). - Submit a question for us answer on the [South Dakota News Watch Tipline](https://gigafact.org/tipline/south-dakota-news-watch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). - Send questions or feedback to [factbrief@sdnewswatch.org](mailto:factbrief@sdnewswatch.org). ## ****Get South Dakota stories** An email summary on most weekdays that links to the full version. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. ****Join other South Dakotans and support statewide storytelling.** [Donate ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact Michael Klinski* at* [*michael.klinski@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto: Michael.Klinski@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Pause of after-school funding part of larger education freeze URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-education-school-funding-cuts-doge-president-trump/ Last updated: 2025-07-09T17:31:25.000Z Thousands of South Dakota children – many from low-income working families – could lose the opportunity to attend after-school or summer education programs under the latest funding freeze enacted by the Trump administration. The $6.5 million in federal grants for community learning centers across South Dakota is part of a larger set of possible grant reductions that would eliminate $25.8 million in federal spending on five education programs in the state. [Federal cuts roundup: The impact on South DakotaA developing list on the effects of federal job cuts, program reductions and hiring freezes in the state.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-138.jpg)South Dakota News WatchEmily DeCock![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/2025-3-27-Food-Bank-overview-shot-1-1.jpeg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/federal-budget-cuts-impact-south-dakota-doge-trump-musk/) Nationally, the administration has frozen $6 billion in grants for the five education initiatives, including after-school and summer education, adult literacy, migrant education, school instructional assistance and English language instruction. Money that was allocated and expected to be received by states on July 1 is on hold, as are any future grant allocations, The Associated Press reported. ## ****Get South Dakota stories** An email summary on most weekdays that links to the full version. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. The administration has frozen the grants as it reviews all spending to ensure it aligns with the goals of President Donald Trump, according to the AP. Beyond the current grant freeze, the president has not included funding for the five programs in his proposed 2026 spending plan. South Dakota Secretary of Education Joseph Graves told News Watch that he has alerted all school superintendents across the state that the grants are on "pause." "They're under review, but that doesn’t mean they’re being eliminated," Graves said. "For reasons they haven't talked about, they're being reviewed." ****Join other South Dakotans and support statewide storytelling.** [Donate ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Graves said he urged school officials to prepare to adapt if the grant funding is eliminated. "At this point, what we’ve said to people is that we don’t know when the final decision will be made. And if I was a school superintendent, I’d be trying to figure out how I can be flexible if the money doesn’t come," he said. ## 11% of federal education funding for SD The $25.8 million attached to the five grant programs would amount to a loss of nearly 11% of the total federal funding provided for education in the state, according to the U.S. Department of Education. The grants include $10.8 million for instructional assistance in schools, $6.7 million to support student achievement, $6.5 million for after-school and summer learning as well as cuts to migrant and English language learning programs. If the grant freeze becomes permanent, South Dakota would lose grants that serve an estimated 6,800 children in 84 communities through after-school or summer learning programs, according to the Afterschool Alliance, a national nonprofit advocacy organization. Many of the programs are run by school districts or through the Boys and Girls Club and other community organizations. This article is the latest in an ongoing effort by South Dakota News Watch to document the changes in spending by the Trump administration. News Watch is also examining other programs, including Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, though details on those and other program impacts are only slowly becoming available. ## Children and families aided in Kadoka About 40 children in the rural community of Kadoka, located 100 miles east of Rapid City, attend the Kadoka Academy and Rural Connections program, which provides after-school education and activities during the school year and every day for eight weeks during the summer. But the fate of the program is now uncertain due to the grant freeze. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/07/Education-grants.png) For Nikki Bonenberger, who runs the Kadoka academy program, the grant freeze has caused uncertainty and raised concerns that children in her community who need educational help after school and during the summer could miss out on critical services. The programs, she said, help prevent children from falling behind in school or being left alone while their parents work. “We provide a safe place, but we also provide the education piece that supports the schools on a daily basis,” Bonenberger told News Watch. “We’re in rural South Dakota, so it would affect us and create a really big deficit here.” Bonenberger was unsure how much federal grant money the program receives. But federal guidelines for the 21st Century Community Learning Centers Grant allows for funding of $50,000 to $300,000 a year for up to five years for qualified programs. Graves said the learning center grants are doled out after a competitive process among school districts and other community service providers. ![The Youth & Family Services complex in Rapid City, S.D., shown on July 8, 2025, hosts one of the supplemental learning programs being paused by the Trump administration.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/07/2025-7-8-YFS-Rapid-City-1-1.jpg) The Youth & Family Services complex in Rapid City, S.D., shown on July 8, 2025, hosts one of the supplemental learning programs being paused by the Trump administration. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) Programs run outside the traditional school day have long-range benefits for many children, especially those with working parents or from low-income families, the Afterschool Alliance reports. Children who attend after-school programs are less likely to get into trouble, do better in school and have the potential for greater educational and financial success later in life. ## Preparing to adapt in Belle Fourche Orion Thompson, superintendent of the Belle Fourche School District, said he is keeping an eye on the grant pause because his district uses federal funding for after-school and summer school programming and as a supplement to the salaries of some district employees. “My hope is that it’s just short-term posturing and not a permanent situation,” Thompson told News Watch. Thompson said he is considering options to adapt if the freeze becomes permanent. “This has the potential to create restrictions or a re-evaluation of services,” he said. “If we can’t do these things anymore, it really just falls back on the parents.” ## Low-income families rely on programs Sandra Waltman, spokeswoman for the South Dakota Education Association, said the program cuts will hurt students and their families, especially those with lower incomes. “It will really affect low-income families whose parents might not have the ability to provide after-school or summer care while they’re at work,” Waltman said. “These are vital programs to help students reach their full potential and not fall through the cracks.” Waltman said the timing of the grant freeze — coming a month or so before the school year — is causing deep uncertainty for school districts and families. “With school just around the corner, it could leave a lot of families scrambling and trying to figure out what to do now,” she said. [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact* *Bart Pfankuch* at* [*bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Fact brief: Does South Dakota have some of the highest rates of DUI arrests in the nation? URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/gigafact-fact-brief-south-dakota-dui-arrests/ Last updated: 2025-07-08T11:28:59.000Z ## **Yes.** ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/WhiteFACT-BRIEF--500-x-200-px--2-1-1.png) South Dakota ranks at or near the top nationwide for driving under the influence arrests per capita, according to multiple sources from the past few years. A report compiled by Forbes ranked the state second for DUI risks, citing the highest number of DUI arrests per licensed driver (879 per 100,000) and a high rate of traffic fatalities being caused by drunken drivers (35.14%). Montana ranks No. 1 in the report and Texas No. 3. Because each source uses different formulas to determine the rankings, South Dakota’s placement varies, but it’s generally high. Alcohol.org ranks South Dakota as No. 1 by citing data of 938.8 DUI arrests per 100,000 people, over 100 more than North Dakota. Factors in South Dakota’s consistently high ranking include the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, frequent sobriety checkpoints, and drivers getting behind the wheel in rural areas and small towns after drinking. *This fact brief responds to conversations such as* [*this one*](https://www.reddit.com/r/SiouxFalls/comments/1kr1bjl/sf%5Fdrivers%5Fsome%5Fof%5Fthe%5Fworst/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Sources Forbes, [Worst states for drunk driving 2025](https://www.forbes.com/advisor/car-insurance/worst-states-for-drunk-driving/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) SDPB, Study: [South Dakota has highest per capita DUI arrest rate in nation ](https://www.sdpb.org/crime-courts/2025-01-08/study-south-dakota-has-highest-per-capita-dui-arrest-rate-in-nation?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Alcohol.org, [DUIs arrests and fatalities across the US](https://alcohol.org/guides/dui-arrests-fatalities-across-us/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Kinney Law, [South Dakota is one of the worst states for drunk driving](https://www.kinney-law.com/blog/2024/03/south-dakota-is-one-of-the-worst-states-for-drunk-driving/?ref=sdnewswatch.org#:~:text=Sturgis%20bike%20rally,related%20accidents%20during%20this%20event.) Addiction Group, [Updated Drug and Alcohol Statistics for South Dakota](https://www.addictiongroup.org/south-dakota/drug-statistics/?ref=sdnewswatch.org#:~:text=From%202002%20to%202022%2C%20South,Dakota's%20unique%20alcohol%20usage%20profile.) --- [**South Dakota News Watch**](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/) partners with [**Gigafact**](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) to publish fact briefs that refute or confirm a claim with supporting information and additional evidence and context. - [Get an email most weekdays with fact briefs and stories](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/). - [Read previous fact briefs](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/tag/fact-brief/). - Read our verification standards and other [best practices policies](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/best-practices/). - Submit a question for us answer on the [South Dakota News Watch Tipline](https://gigafact.org/tipline/south-dakota-news-watch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). - Send questions or feedback to [factbrief@sdnewswatch.org](mailto:factbrief@sdnewswatch.org). ****Join other South Dakotans and support statewide storytelling.** [Donate ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact Michael Klinski* at michael.klinski@sdnewswatch.org.* ### SD attorneys vote in favor of mandatory ongoing education URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-lawyers-attorneys-continuing-education-law-cle/ Last updated: 2025-07-07T10:00:42.000Z South Dakota attorneys have voted to impose a first-ever requirement on themselves to undergo regular continuing legal education, taking a big step toward joining 46 other states that have similar mandates for lawyers. A majority of the membership of the State Bar of South Dakota, the professional group for lawyers, voted on June 20 to support a proposal that would require attorneys to receive at least 20 hours of training every two years starting in 2027. Unlike numerous other professions in South Dakota, there is no requirement for attorneys to receive ongoing training in order to maintain their licenses. There's also no way to know if working lawyers are staying up to date or improving their knowledge of the law. [Do all inmates in SD get released into the community where the prison is located?A fact brief that refutes or confirms a claim with supporting information and additional evidence and context.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-131.jpg)South Dakota News WatchMichael Klinski![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/SouthDakotaPenitentiary.png)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/inmates-south-dakota-mens-prison-penitentiary-release/) Seamus Culhane, a Watertown lawyer who supports mandatory continuing legal education, said some attorneys work hard to stay current on the law and legal techniques while others might need a requirement to do so. "It’s always frustrating when you have to force people to do things," said Culhane, a partner at Turbak Law Office in Watertown. "But given what’s at stake here, with people's lives, possible imprisonment or financial well being and everything else, it’s pretty important for lawyers to get some continuing education." ![A lawyer walks through the Pennington County Courthouse in Rapid City](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/05/2025-5-12-Lawyer-walking-rear-1.jpg) A lawyer walks through the Pennington County Courthouse in Rapid City, S.D., on May 12, 2025\. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) Culhane said the law and legal landscape are constantly changing, so attorneys need to stay current in order to represent their clients as best they can. “I’m looking forward to improving my own continuing education and creating an environment for other people to do the same," he said. “The constant approach to learning has suited our family and firm very well over the years.” ## After 'divisive' discussion, an affirmative vote According to South Dakota laws and regulations, numerous other professions require ongoing education in order to maintain a license or certification in the field. Medical and counseling providers certified with the Department of Social Services must complete 40 hours of training every two years. Training hours are required every year or two years to maintain licensure in real estate, electrical, insurance, accounting, engineering, education, plumbing and even for cosmetology instructors. Attorney Robert J. Rohl attended the June 20 bar association business meeting in Rapid City where the CLE proposal was considered and said the discussion was somewhat “divisive.” [Wounded Knee: Tribe asked to allow search for missing manRay Robinson left his Alabama home to take part in 1973 South Dakota uprising, but he never returned. He is likely buried on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-132.jpg)South Dakota News WatchCarson Walker![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/Ray-Robinson-writing-1.jpeg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/ray-robinson-wounded-knee-aim-aquash-pine-ridge/) Rohl said the bar committee that studied the matter and ultimately supported imposition of mandatory CLE gave a presentation before a debate took place. “There were certainly some people who were pretty sternly against it,” said Rohl, a Rapid City attorney who is president of the South Dakota Trial Lawyers Association. Opposition largely came from rural attorneys who often work alone and were concerned about time and financial constraints that could make compliance a challenge, Rohl said. “Some others seemed to think we’re already doing a good enough job of policing ourselves and that this was unnecessary,” he said. Rohl said he favors mandatory continuing education as a way for lawyers to remain updated on new laws, legal issues and techniques that can help them constantly improve. “I’m strongly in favor of it because I think the reasons to have it greatly outweigh the reasons not to,” he said. ## ****Get South Dakota stories** Sign up for an email summary on most weekdays that links to the full story. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. He also pointed out that the current proposal calls for online training that should not create an undue travel or time barrier to completion. Rohl said the vote of about 200 bar members present revealed that about 65% of attendees — a “clear majority” — voted in favor of the mandatory CLE requirement. Any plan to implement mandatory CLE would still require approval from the South Dakota Supreme Court, which regulates the legal profession. Alisa Bousa, spokeswoman for the South Dakota Unified Judicial System, said the Supreme Court will consider any education requirement only after the bar association provides the justices with a draft rule proposal. At that point, she said, the high court will likely hold a public hearing and accept public comment on the proposed rules before making a decision on implementation. There is no deadline for that process to occur, she said. ## Bar committee studied issue and gave support In 2023, the bar created a committee to study whether the state should join the 46 other states that require ongoing training. In February 2024, the bar sent a survey to its roughly 2,600 members, about 2,000 of whom are actively practicing in the state. More than 1,100 members responded, with 47% opposed to mandatory CLE and 53% in favor or neutral on the topic, according to a summary of the committee's work. ****Join other South Dakotans and support statewide storytelling.** [Donate ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) The committee report notes that "the lack of mandatory continuing education requirements for South Dakota attorneys may affect public perception of our Bar (association)." The report also said mandatory education requirements align with the bar's strategic plan, which contains a goal to "foster a legal community that exemplifies professional excellence, wellbeing and civility." In February, the committee voted to recommend adoption of mandatory CLE requirements and proposed that attorneys be required to receive 20 hours of training every two years starting in 2027\. The training could be taken online, and the bar association would offer free seminars in order to keep participant costs low. Attorneys would be responsible for tracking compliance with the training requirements. ![An attorney exits the Pennington County Courthouse in Rapid City, S.D.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/06/2025-5-12-Pennington-County-courthouse-front-1-1.jpg) An attorney exits the Pennington County Courthouse in Rapid City, S.D., on May 12, 2025\. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) Neil Fulton, dean of the University of South Dakota Knudson School of Law in Vermillion, said he supports mandatory CLE training. Fulton pointed out that he spoke with News Watch as a licensed attorney in South Dakota and not as a representative of USD or the Board of Regents. Fulton served on the bar's CLE committee. "I just don't think you can practice without continuing to grow, be updated and know about legal developments," Fulton said. ![South Dakota attorney Neil Fulton speaks at a podium](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/05/Fulton-TIAG-Hero.png) South Dakota attorney Neil Fulton, shown in 2022, said he supports mandatory ongoing education for lawyers in South Dakota because the law is always changing. ((Photo: Courtesy University of South Dakota) Fulton said requiring some level of continuing education will help lawyers in South Dakota, their clients and the profession as a whole. "I mean, you don't graduate law school knowing everything you need to know to sustain you in a career over decades," he said. [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact* *Bart Pfankuch* at* [*bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Fact brief: Is the number of annual tornadoes in South Dakota decreasing? URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-sd-tornado-alley-gigafact-factbrief/ Last updated: 2025-07-03T11:01:21.000Z ## **Yes.** ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/WhiteFACT-BRIEF--500-x-200-px--2-1-1.png) South Dakota’s average annual number of reported tornadoes has decreased in the past 35 years. The state ranks 20th in the country for tornadoes annually, according to data from 2002-2022. It’s hit by an average of 28 per year, much lower than all the states in the top 10\. Texas is first with 124, followed by Kansas (87). Iowa receives 53 per year and Minnesota 46. Tornadoes have decreased in South Dakota compared to 1991-2010, when the state saw an average of 36 annually. South Dakota has historically been included in “Tornado Alley,” a geographic area that extends from Texas into South Dakota and includes states most at risk for tornadoes. Scientific American reported that the parts of Tornado Alley have shifted east, especially in the central part of the country, where Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi and Alabama are much more likely to receive outbreaks than they were 30 years ago. *This fact brief responds to conversations such as* [*this one*](https://www.reddit.com/r/SouthDakota/comments/1dufhlt/do%5Fi%5Fneed%5Fto%5Fworry%5Fabout%5Ftornados%5Fwhen%5Fcamping%5Fin/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*.* --- ### Sources The Weather Channel, [Here's how many tornadoes your state sees in a typical year](https://weather.com/safety/tornado/news/2024-04-25-average-tornadoes-by-state-per-year?ref=sdnewswatch.org) The Weather Channel, [Tornado data from 1991-2010](https://weather.com/safety/tornado/news/2020-03-26-average-number-of-tornadoes-by-state-each-year-united-states?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Scientific American, [Tornado alley is migrating eastward](https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/watch-out-tornado-alley-is-migrating-eastward/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) National Weather Service, [Is tornado frequency increasing in parts of the U.S.?](https://www.weather.gov/lmk/niu%5Ftornado%5Ffrequency%5Fstudy?ref=sdnewswatch.org) --- [**South Dakota News Watch**](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/) partners with [**Gigafact**](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) to publish fact briefs that refute or confirm a claim with supporting information and additional evidence and context. - [Get an email most weekdays with fact briefs and stories](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/). - [](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/tag/fact-brief/)[Read previous fact briefs](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/tag/fact-brief/). - Read our verification standards and other [best practices policies](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/best-practices/). - Submit a question for us answer on the [South Dakota News Watch Tipline](https://gigafact.org/tipline/south-dakota-news-watch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). - Send questions or feedback to [factbrief@sdnewswatch.org](mailto:factbrief@sdnewswatch.org). [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *story summary on most weekdays that links to the full version.* **Contact Michael Klinski* at* [*michael.klinski@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:michael.klinski@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### South Dakota Job Corps under threat of closure URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-boxelder-job-corps-funding-doge/ Last updated: 2025-07-02T19:34:31.000Z NEMO, S.D. – As a teenager 25 years ago, David Goodwin's future appeared bleak. Goodwin was smart, but for some reason he couldn't find his footing in the Rapid City public school system and had been held back two straight years as a high school freshman. "I spent my days ditching school and smoking cigarettes with friends at Canyon Lake Park," he recalls. "That's the route I was taking." Goodwin needed a change, a new path forward, and he found it in 2001 after enrolling in the Boxelder Job Corps Civilian Conservation Center. The residential education and job training program for low-income youths and young adults is located on a wooded site in the Black Hills near Nemo. The center is one of about 125 Job Corps facilities across the country that are under threat of closure as part of spending reductions proposed by the Trump administration. ## ****Get South Dakota stories** An email summary on most weekdays that links to the full version. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. After arriving at Boxelder Job Corps, Goodman thrived amid the hands-on, self-paced classroom and trades training programs, rising to become student body president and leaving two years later with a high school diploma and work-ready skills in facility maintenance and computers. "It completely changed my life," said Goodwin. "There’s no question that Job Corps got me to where I am today." Goodwin went into the Army and has spent more than 20 years as a computer specialist with the South Dakota National Guard, where he manages the customer support office at Camp Rapid in Rapid City. Now 42, he is married with three children and owns rental properties. ## Feds order phaseout of Job Corps sites On May 29, the U.S. Department of Labor announced that it was pausing operations at 99 contractor-operated Job Corps centers across the country starting June 30. In the May 29 [news release](https://www.dol.gov/newsroom/releases/osec/osec20250529?ref=sdnewswatch.org), Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer said a recent government report showed that the contractor-run programs operated at a $140 million deficit in 2024, did not meet participant graduation or job goals and had seen nearly 15,000 reports of sexual, violent or drug-related incidents on its campuses. The department said its decision aligned with President Trump’s Fiscal Year 2026 budget guidelines to ensure wise use of taxpayer dollars. [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/05/donate-3.jpg)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate?ref=sdnewswatch.org) “Job Corps was created to help young adults build a pathway to a better life through education, training, and community,” Chavez-DeRemer said in the news release. “However, a startling number of serious incident reports and our in-depth fiscal analysis reveal the program is no longer achieving the intended outcomes that students deserve.” The Boxelder Job Corps center in Nemo and the similar Pine Ridge Job Corps facility in Chadron, Nebraska, just south of the South Dakota state line, are two of 24 Job Corps sites that are run by the U.S. Forest Service within the U.S. Department of Agriculture. ## Nemo, Chadron sites also in jeopardy While those 24 locations are not part of the closures ordered by the Labor Department, the latest budget documents from the Labor Department show the Forest Service sites are included in the cuts to program funding. According to the updated Fiscal Year 2026 Labor Department [budget](https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/general/budget/2026/CBJ-2026-V1-04.pdf?ref=sdnewswatch.org), roughly $1.58 billion of the Job Corps program's $1.76 billion budget will be eliminated, allowing some funding to enact an orderly shutdown of the program. The documents do not separate the funding for contractor-operated programs and those run by the Forest Service. The remaining funding "supports the managed cessation of services currently delivered through 123 Job Corps centers nationwide, including residential education, career technical training, counseling, career transition services (CTS), and outreach and admissions (OA)," according to the budget document. [![CTA Image](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/06/SDNW-Logo-Vertical.jpg)](https://apple.news/TtkmfHohlTJiS1a5R0TuAUw?ref=sdnewswatch.org) ****Read South Dakota News Watch on Apple News** [Follow ](https://apple.news/TtkmfHohlTJiS1a5R0TuAUw?ref=sdnewswatch.org) The National Job Corps Association trade group is fighting any Job Corps closures and has [pushed back](https://njcaweb.org/corrections-to-false-statement-about-job-corps-in-recent-media-articles/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) on the claims that contractor-run programs are not meeting graduation, workforce or spending goals. It also said data used to evaluate success were from the COVID-19 era when Job Corps programs across the country faced upheaval. As with many of the program and position cuts imposed or proposed by the Trump administration, including those made by the Department of Government Efficiency, obtaining complete information has been difficult for the press and public. A USDA spokesperson who works on the Job Corp program responded to News Watch requests for information and updates in late June with a brief emailed statement. "The 24 Forest Service Job Corps Civilian Conservation Centers (CCC) remain operational," the USDA spokesperson wrote to News Watch. "We’ll share any updates if this changes." ![Students from the Boxelder Job Corps center in Nemo, S.D., helped clear trails and replace damaged footbridges after a bad storm in the Black Hills National Forest in 2017.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/06/job-corps-creek-bridge-1.jpg) Students from the Boxelder Job Corps center in Nemo, S.D., helped clear trails and replace damaged footbridges after a bad storm in the Black Hills National Forest in 2017\. (Photo: Courtesy USDA) According to The Associated Press, any Job Corps closures are on hold for now. In early June, after the National Job Corps Association filed a lawsuit, a federal judge imposed a temporary restraining order to cease removing Job Corps students from housing, terminating jobs or otherwise suspending the nationwide program without congressional approval. On June 26, the judge strengthened that decision by granting a preliminary injunction to stop the Labor Department from shuttering the contractor-run Job Corps sites, according to the AP. “Once Congress has passed legislation stating that a program like the Job Corps must exist, and set aside funding for that program, the DOL is not free to do as it pleases; it is required to enforce the law as intended by Congress,” Judge Andrew Carter Carter wrote in the ruling. A Labor Department spokesman told AP, however, that it believes the closures are within the law and that it expects to prevail in any legal challenges to the cuts. ## Decades aiding low-income youth and adults Launched in 1964, Job Corps is designed to provide education and job training to income-qualified youths and young adults who struggled in traditional schools. The taxpayer-funded program offers tuition-free housing, classroom education, job training, meals and health care for enrollees. The program enrolls about 60,000 students a year and has an annual total cost around $1.8 billion, according to federal budget documents. According to the USDA, the Boxelder Job Corps facility currently has 79 enrollees aged 16-24, about half of whom are Native American. USDA documents from 2021 showed the facility had an average annual budget ranging from $4.5 million to $6 million in recent years. The current staff consists of roughly 40 employees. In addition to offering a path toward a high school diploma or GED, the Nemo facility offers training in multiple disciplines, including certified nursing assistant, culinary arts, carpentry, painting, welding, office administration and maintenance. ![Students from the Boxelder Job Corps facility in Nemo, S.D., participated in wildfire training held by the U.S. Forest Service in 2025. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/06/job-corps-fire-training-1-1.jpg) Students from the Boxelder Job Corps facility in Nemo, S.D., participated in wildfire training held by the U.S. Forest Service in 2025\. (Photo: Courtesy USDA) Due to its location in the Black Hills and connection to the U.S. Forest Service, a major focus is also placed on preparing students for a job as first responders, particularly in the wildfire realm. In 2024, 24 students earned certification in firefighting and 22 others were certified in wildfire dispatch and camp support. Last year, students provided more than 11,000 hours of wildland fire support on more than 50 locations, according to the USDA. ## Construction, catering and other skills Volunteering and working for pay are also a big part of the Boxelder program as Job Corps seeks to send graduates out with at least $2,000 in savings, according to facility director Bonnie Fuller. According to the facility's most recent quarterly newsletter, Boxelder Job Corps students in the past three months did construction work at a new gun range outside Rapid City, catering for a Rapid City Elks Club banquet, aided in remodeling at a building at the Black Hills Raptor Center and toted concrete down a rocky path on a project to strengthen a safety gate at a cave near Horse Thief Lake in the national forest. The facility also maintains partnerships with numerous governmental and business entities. Students can obtain their high school diploma through the Lead-Deadwood School District Career and Technical Campus, which is located on the Boxelder Job Corps site. "The mission is to take someone from poverty and give them an education and a training in a trade that can lead to a good job and career," Fuller said. "We get the kids that fall through the cracks ... the kids who had a hard home life or had a disability or weren’t successful in a public school setting, and we fill in that gap and give them an education and job skills." Fuller said Job Corps graduates have gone on to a wide range of successful careers, working in numerous industries across the state, including as an assistant U.S. attorney in South Dakota. She added that one of the Air Force pilots who flew over the July 4, 2020, fireworks celebration attended by President Donald Trump at the Mount Rushmore National Memorial was a Boxelder Job Corps graduate. Goodwin said the program provided him with education and job training as well as the emotional support and personal accountability he needed to "find who I truly was and excel." Goodwin said he hopes all Job Corps facilities across the country, including in Nemo and Chadron, will be funded and allowed to continue operating. "When they identify a kid like me in high school that is not excelling, this should absolutely be offered as an alternative," he said. "For kids who aren’t reaching their potential, they should have this other option." [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact* *Bart Pfankuch* at* [*bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Does South Dakota set its state minimum wage by the federal standard? URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-minimum-wage-federal-rate-gigafact/ Last updated: 2025-07-01T10:06:05.000Z ## No. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/WhiteFACT-BRIEF--500-x-200-px--2-1-1.png) South Dakota is one of 34 states and territories that have a minimum wage higher than the federal rate. The state’s minimum wage of $11.50 an hour increased from $11.30 on Jan. 1, 2025, compared to the federal minimum wage of $7.25\. It had not been changed since 2009\. That sets South Dakota apart from several regional states. North Dakota, Wyoming and Iowa all have minimum wages set to the federal rate. Only Nebraska ($13.50) has a rate higher than South Dakota. Minnesota’s is $11.13 as of June 2025. South Dakota’s minimum wage changes annually, increasing at the same rate as the cost of living set by the Consumer Price Index. The federal rate is lower than the poverty level of $15,650 a year, set by the Department of Health and Human Services guidelines. A worker earning the federal minimum makes $15,080\. *This fact brief responds to conversations such as* [*this one.*](https://www.reddit.com/r/SouthDakota/comments/xqmpfj/minimum%5Fwage%5Fto%5Fincrease%5F85%5F1080%5Ffor%5Fnontipped/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) --- ### Sources National Conference of State Legislatures, [State minimum wages summary](https://www.ncsl.org/labor-and-employment/state-minimum-wages?ref=sdnewswatch.org) KELO-TV, [How South Dakota’s minimum wage increase stacks up](https://www.keloland.com/keloland-com-original/how-south-dakotas-minimum-wage-increase-stacks-up/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) South Dakota Department of Labor, [South Dakota Minimum Wage](https://dlr.sd.gov/employment%5Flaws/minimum%5Fwage.aspx?ref=sdnewswatch.org) U.S. Department of Labor, [State minimum wage laws](https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/minimum-wage/state?ref=sdnewswatch.org#sd) Economic Policy Institute, [The federal minimum wage is officially a poverty wage in 2025](https://www.epi.org/blog/the-federal-minimum-wage-is-officially-a-poverty-wage-in-2025/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) --- [**South Dakota News Watch**](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/) partners with [**Gigafact**](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) to publish fact briefs that refute or confirm a claim with supporting information and additional evidence and context. - [Get an email most weekdays with fact briefs and stories](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/). - [](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/tag/fact-brief/)[Read previous fact briefs](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/tag/fact-brief/). - Read our verification standards and other [best practices policies](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/best-practices/). - Submit a question for us answer on the [South Dakota News Watch Tipline](https://gigafact.org/tipline/south-dakota-news-watch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). - Send questions or feedback to [factbrief@sdnewswatch.org](mailto:factbrief@sdnewswatch.org). [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *story summary on most weekdays that links to the full version.* **Contact Michael Klinski* at* [*michael.klinski@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:michael.klinski@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Dusty Johnson, now a SD gov candidate, shares his priorities URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/dusty-johnson-republican-governor-announcement/ Last updated: 2025-07-01T00:29:28.000Z RAPID CITY, S.D. – U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson formally entered the 2026 race for South Dakota governor Monday, promising to bring a positive leadership style to efforts to strengthen families, better educate children and drive new economic growth. The 48-year-old Republican, who grew up in Pierre, has served in Congress since 2019\. He announced at an event in Sioux Falls and repeatED the announcement in front of about 100 supporters in Rapid City later in the day. "I love this state and I think the next 20 years for South Dakota could be the best years in our history. But I don't think it’s inevitable," Johnson told News Watch in an interview prior to the announcement. "To realize that future, we’ve got to have a real plan, we need real leadership, and I’m excited to build that plan and that team." ![Dusty Johnson fact box](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/06/DustyJohnson.png) The general election is Nov. 3, 2026, but the Republican primary on June 2 is where Johnson will encounter the stiffest challenge. Two GOP candidates have already announced – state Speaker of the House Jon Hansen and Aberdeen businessman Toby Doeden – and it's possible that incumbent Gov. Larry Rhoden might also seek to keep his job. Rhoden became governor in January when former Gov. Kristi Noem left to become U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security. Robert Arnold, a 19-year-old college student at Dakota State University, is the only Democrat to announce his candidacy so far. Johnson said he won't be surprised if the primary campaign becomes a bitter affair. [South Dakota News Watch polls: See all results, demographicsNews Watch and USD’s Chiesman Center for Democracy polled 500 South Dakotans on the gubernatorial election, Kristi Noem, Donald Trump and more.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-133.jpg)South Dakota News WatchMichael Klinski![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/Collage-poll2.png)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/news-watch-poll-results-kristi-noem-john-thune-trump/) "We’re in a pretty ugly political era, I think we all know that, and it’s not too hard to imagine that we’ve got campaigns that will trade off fear and anger," Johnson said. "Those aren’t my politics, which are about addition and multiplication, not division and subtraction, because I don’t think the politics of division or anger are going to give South Dakota what it needs over the next 20 years." ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/07/2025-6-30-Dusty-Johnson-arrives-in-RC-1.jpg) U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson, R-South Dakota, center, is welcomed by Pennington County Sheriff Brian Mueller, left, and state Rep. Steve Duffy, right, during an event in Rapid City, S.D., on June 30, 2025 where Johnson announced he is running for governor. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) Prior to his announcement, Johnson provided written answers to questions posed by News Watch about what his administration would look like. Here are his responses: ## If elected governor, what will be your top priorities? 1. Putting students first. I intend to be laser-focused on improving student achievement, supporting our public schools, and will also work to empower parents to make the best decisions about their children’s education. We should make college and tech schools affordable for South Dakota families, giving every hardworking student a chance to build their life here in South Dakota. 2. Building safer communities. Our towns are safer by the brave men and women who serve as police officers, deputies, and sheriffs. They deserve our unwavering support. I’ll work with law enforcement to get fentanyl and methamphetamine off our streets. 3. Supporting agriculture’s next generation. We need an ag economy that is focused on the future and that supports landowner decisions. It’s imperative we protect private property rights, including the private property right to build on your own land. The success of South Dakota’s ag producers today will be the strength of rural America for decades to come. 4. Rooting out waste and maintaining limited government. Our state government should be efficient, effective, responsive, and transparent. Government should be constrained to a few key areas, and one of them is building and maintaining infrastructure. South Dakotans deserve safe roads and bridges, and deserve efficient processes that allow them to get driver’s licenses and camping reservations. 5. Lifting up families. Being a father to my three sons is the greatest job title I’ve ever had, and South Dakota should be doing more to support families. I believe we can make South Dakota the best state in the nation to raise kids. ## ****Get South Dakota stories** An email summary on most weekdays that links to the full version. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. ## What do you see as the biggest challenges facing the state right now? 1. We all know South Dakota is a great place to live and we can’t afford to take that for granted. Now is not the time to take our foot off the gas – in fact, it’s the opposite. We need a leader with the energy, and an actual plan, to drive our commonsense values forward. 2. We need to make sure our students are graduating from high school prepared and confident to take on the challenges ahead. 3. We need to make sure our farmers and ranchers are able to pass down their operations to the next generation – or to an entity with similar values so that ownership of our land stays local. 4. When we say that South Dakota is a great place to start your business, it needs to be true. It’s not about saying yes to every company, but it’s about saying yes to the right ones that propel our state forward. Economic growth is a rising tide that can lift all boats when harnessed correctly. [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/05/donate-3.jpg)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate?ref=sdnewswatch.org) ## If elected, what are fundamental issues on which you hope or believe you can make lasting change? 1. Our state has experienced success because of key decisions that helped transform our economy – from our banking industry, the founding of world-class hospital systems, to biofuels. It’s time to go out and find the next big thing. 2. Taxpayers want to know how their money is being spent. I’m committed to leading a transparent state government that works lean and efficiently to deliver essential services to all South Dakotans. I believe we can transform how state government works. 3. I hope that if I have the opportunity to continue serving the people of South Dakota as their next governor, that I would leave that office knowing that I served with integrity. I might not always see eye-to-eye with someone, but there’s no doubt I will have treated him or her with respect—and there’s something to be said about that. [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact* *Bart Pfankuch* at* [*bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Is South Dakota the only state that doesn’t sanction high school baseball? URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-sanction-high-school-baseball/ Last updated: 2025-06-26T10:32:51.000Z ## No. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/WhiteFACT-BRIEF--500-x-200-px--2-1-1.png) South Dakota and Wyoming are the only states that don’t sanction baseball at the high school level. The South Dakota High School Activities Association voted on June 18, 2025, not to add the sport to its list of sanctioned activities, which means the sport would be governed by the SDHSAA. Instead, baseball is run by the South Dakota High School Baseball Association. SDHSAA executive director Dan Swartos said the association polled 100 superintendents and activities directors, and a majority said not to sanction the sport because of financial and Title IX reasons. “Let’s keep looking at this,” Swartos said. “Now is not the right time.” The SDHSAA told superintendents that startup costs for adding the sport could be between $10,000-$15,000 plus travel expenses. When a sport isn’t sanctioned, athletes pay more of the costs for participating. In Sioux Falls, the 2025 fee for baseball players was $650. *This fact brief responds to conversations such as* [*this one*](https://www.facebook.com/keloland/posts/pfbid0xYJSpLpDT5jAWgPwPdfjycVCZ4h9UxWCDfcdLJfanrMDt5QScBYyPFQaPeSNfLgtl)*.* ### Sources Watertown Public Opinion, [S.D. High School Activities Association board decides not to act on sanctioning baseball](https://www.thepublicopinion.com/story/sports/2025/06/19/s-d-high-school-activities-association-board-puts-baseball-on-hold/84268741007/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) 605 Sports, [SDHSAA delays decision on sanctioning baseball, will continue to explore opportunities in the future](https://605sports.com/SDHSAA-delays-decision-on-sanctioning-baseball-will-continue-to-explore-opportunities-in-the-future-?ref=sdnewswatch.org) KELO-TV, [Baseball sanctioning set aside for now](https://www.keloland.com/sports/baseball-sanctioning-discussed-set-aside-for-now/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Sioux Empire Baseball Association, [2025 high school baseball information sheet](https://cdn1.sportngin.com/attachments/document/c66d-3297626/2025%5FHigh%5FSchool%5FBaseball%5FInformation%5FSheet.pdf?%5Fgl=1%2Azkdsar%2A%5Fga%2AMjA5NzcwNzk5NC4xNzUwODczMzgz%2A%5Fga%5FPQ25JN9PJ8%2AczE3NTA4NzMzODIkbzEkZzEkdDE3NTA4NzMzOTckajQ1JGwwJGgw&ref=sdnewswatch.org) --- [**South Dakota News Watch**](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/) partners with[ **Gigafact**](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) to publish fact briefs that refute or confirm a claim with supporting information and additional evidence and context.[ **Get our email with fact briefs and stories**](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/). [**Read previous fact briefs**](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/tag/fact-brief/) and our verification standards and other[ **best practices policies**](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/best-practices/). **Have a question we can answer?** Submit it at the[ **South Dakota News Watch Tipline**](https://gigafact.org/tipline/south-dakota-news-watch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). Send questions or feedback to **factbrief@sdnewswatch.org**. Can you separate fact from fiction?[ **Take the fact brief quiz to find out**](https://gigafact.org/quiz/south-dakota-news-watch/default-8765/?mc%5Fcid=50ec5ce4a2&mc%5Feid=4d5aab024f&ref=sdnewswatch.org). [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact Michael Klinski* at michael.klinski@sdnewswatch.org.* ### Rapid City diving into the sports complex game URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/rapid-city-new-sports-complex-soccer-football-lien-family/ Last updated: 2025-06-27T13:38:23.000Z Rapid City, South Dakota, leaders plan to build a new indoor sports complex that will cost around $50 million and provide South Dakota athletes with a venue on the west end of the state like they currently have in Sioux Falls. Rapid City Mayor Jason Salamun announced the effort this week, dubbing it "Project Catalyst." It has been in talks for years, said Domico Rodriguez, executive director of the Rapid City Sports Commission. An exact timeline for the project is not set. Factors such as how quickly funds can be raised, availability of labor and weather will affect the project, Salamun said. "Of course, it's going to take time," he said. "We'll have a more concrete timeline as things go on, but obviously it's something I'd like to see during my time as mayor." Rapid City has a strong tourist presence in the summer, but Salamun hopes the complex expands the tourism season into colder months. "Rapid City enjoys 3.9 million visitors each year," he said. "The idea of expanding on our strength and being a destination for this region is one of the big reasons to have a sports complex." The Rapid City Sports Commission worked with Sports Facilities Companies, a company based out of Florida, to conduct a study on Rapid City's needs in February 2023\. Sports Facilities Companies came back with a [feasibility report](https://assets.simpleviewinc.com/simpleview/image/upload/v1/clients/rapidcitysd/Rapid%5FCity%5FSD%5FFinancial%5FFeasibility%5FReport%5F240308%5F3aa16a3e-132d-48dc-ad1e-81048341c791.pdf?ref=sdnewswatch.org) detailing a sports complex consisting of an indoor and outdoor facility that would cost an estimated $75.9 million to $91.6 million and cover almost 47 acres. ![Wes Ashton of Black Hills Energy, Domico Rodriguez of the Rapid City Sports Commission, Pete Lien of Pete Lien & Sons Inc. and Mayor Jason Salamun announce land donation of 22.78 acres for indoor sports facility and other development on Monday, June 26, 2025, at the intersection of Seger Drive and 143rd Ave. in Rapid City, S.D. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/06/IMG_3940.jpg) From left: Wes Ashton of Black Hills Energy, Domico Rodriguez of the Rapid City Sports Commission, Pete Lien of Pete Lien & Sons Inc. and Mayor Jason Salamun announce land donation of 22.78 acres for indoor sports facility and other development on Monday, June 26, 2025, at the intersection of Seger Drive and 143rd Ave. in Rapid City, S.D. (Photo: Darrell Shoemaker / Rapid City Communications Division) Rodriguez said that for now, Rapid City will focus on developing the indoor facility on about 12 acres. As planned, it will include court space, an indoor turf field and a sports performance area. "Hopefully down the road we can expand to attack the outdoor portion," he said. The sports commission has been working with the city to find a location, finalize a funding plan and determine how to get the project done, said Rodriguez. ## Sports complex location and funding Salamun said Pete Lien & Sons Inc. donated 22.78 acres to the city, some of which will be used for the complex. The news conference announcing the project was held at the intersection of Seger Drive and 143rd Ave. on the northeast side of Rapid City, overlooking a portion of the donated land that's north of Fleet Farm. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/06/IMG_3953.jpg) Domico Rodriguez and Mayor Jason Salamun listen to Pete Lien Monday, June 23, 2025, at the intersection of Seger Drive and 143rd Ave. in Rapid City, S.D., at the announcement of an indoor sports complex. (Photo: Darrell Shoemaker / Rapid City Communications Division) An exact funding plan is also still being finalized for the project. The city hopes to leverage funding that includes creating a tax increment financing district, public/private partnerships, donations and a hotel tax, Salamun said. He's also seeking $5 million of unused [Vision Fund](https://www.rcgov.org/public-meetings/city-committees/vision-fund-501.html?ref=sdnewswatch.org) resources from the Rapid City Common Council. The TIF district would help fund various projects, including the sports complex, in its roughly 5-mile boundary. TIF is a public financing method commonly used by cities to help develop or maintain public projects. Rapid City’s Planning and Zoning Commission will consider the creation of the TIF district on Thursday, June 25, according to the press release. [Wounded Knee: Tribe asked to allow search for missing manRay Robinson left his Alabama home to take part in 1973 South Dakota uprising, but he never returned. He is likely buried on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-130.jpg)South Dakota News WatchCarson Walker![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/Ray-Robinson-writing.jpeg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/ray-robinson-wounded-knee-aim-aquash-pine-ridge/) Another funding method being considered for the project is a hotel tax. Rapid City hotels currently impose a $2 occupancy tax on every hotel room. A secondary $2 tax will generate around $1.5 million annually, Rodriguez said. This tax would go towards initial construction costs and also would help finance the ongoing operations of the facility, Salamun said. ## What the complex would include The proposed indoor facility would sit on 3.36 acres and include three primary sections: - Eight basketball courts that can be converted into 16 volleyball courts - A hybrid indoor turf facility that can be converted into one youth multi-purpose field, three small-sided multi-purpose fields, one baseball/softball infield or four batting cages/pitching tunnels - The sports performance area, which will include turf, sprinting track, a training area and four batting cages/pitching tunnels The facility will also have flex space and 5,000 square feet of medical leased space. Another 8.62 acres will be used for site development with 678 parking spaces. ## The current state of sports in Rapid City Finding space to be active, hold practices or host tournaments can be challenging in Rapid City, according to those involved in sports. Rapid City's population grew by 10,000 from 2020 to 2024 and is just shy of 85,000. "That does not include Rapid Valley, Box Elder, Black Hawk, Summerset, Hill City, these communities that are nearby to us," Salamun said. "There are a lot of folks moving into this area." The Monument in Rapid City has the capacity to host large sporting events, such as the Lakota Nation Invitational basketball tournament. However, the demand has been too great and The Monument has had to turn some events away, Salamun said. [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/05/donate-3.jpg)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate?ref=sdnewswatch.org) The need for indoor space is community-wide, Rodriguez said. Due to a lack of space, his son's basketball team has held team practices in people's gyms attached to their houses. "We couldn't find a space over the past few years," Rodriguez said. "So this has been happening. But this is something that's not just been me, but the community has been vocalizing for several years." Rodriguez said the new complex can provide community members, youth sports teams and individuals the opportunity to have gym space in the winter. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/06/IMG_2857-1.jpg) Lane Kaiser (right) playing in the Nerdy Nut's Expo Hall on the Central States Fairgrounds in Rapid City, S.D. The fairgrounds was awarded $980,000 to remodel the building and convert it into a multi-sport facility. (Photo: John Kaiser) Rapid City sports parent John Kaiser said he's been lucky he hasn't had to battle for gym space because of his extensive involvement in youth sports. "I've gotten access to facilities that maybe parents who don't have the time or resources to be involved haven't, and that's where I think the discrepancy is," Kaiser said. "It's kind of who you know. ... It's very relationship-driven, as far as what you're going to get access to." ## Economic impact of sports complexes The economic impact the complex will bring to Rapid City will be significant, Salamun said. Sports tourism is a growing industry nationwide. Some families travel hundreds of miles and across states for competitions, tournaments and games. Kaiser's family travels extensively for his kids' teams. He's traveled or will travel to Denver (twice), Billings, Montana, and Gillette, Wyoming, for sports this year. The Rapid City Sliders, the travel baseball team his son plays for, will be traveling to the Youth World Series at the Sanford Diamonds in Sioux Falls in July. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/06/IMG_7076-1.jpg) Lane's team, the Rapid City Sliders. The Sliders program has teams ranging from 8-19 years old. (Photo: John Kaiser) "That's 11 kids and their families, five, six days in Sioux Falls, spending money," he said. "We're eating out every night, we're staying in hotels, it's pretty significant." A complex in Rapid City would put one such facility on both the east and west sides of the state. Sanford Sports has been a hub for regional, statewide and interstate sports tourism since breaking ground in northwest Sioux Falls in 2011. More than 2.7 million people visit the Sanford Sports Complex annually, said Steve Young, president of Sanford Sports. "It was pretty much just fields and a couple of buildings several years ago, about a decade ago," Young said. "Now we are multiple complexes, multiple facilities." ![Inside the Sanford Fieldhouse in Sioux Falls, S.D., at a youth flag football practice. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/06/View-recent-photos-1.JPEG) A youth flag football practice at the Sanford Fieldhouse. (Photo: Brooke Dunn) The complex's expansion over the years includes not only sports facilities as well as food options and two hotels. Among the features: junior football fields; Sanford Fieldhouse for hosting soccer, baseball, softball and football; the Sanford Pentagon with basketball and volleyball courts; the IcePlex for skating and hockey; Huether Family Match Pointe for tennis; Power and Grace Gymnastics; Sanford Crossing for soccer, football and lacrosse; and the Sanford Diamonds for baseball and softball. ## ****Get South Dakota stories** Sign up for an email summary on most weekdays that links to the full story. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. Sports tourism is a growing economic driver, especially in cities that have the ability to host large competitions and tournaments. "When we're running tournaments and we're running high programming or special events, the hotels are full, the parking lots and the restaurants and the entertainment spaces are full. All those people need places to stay and we can't fit them on roughly 160 rooms on this (Sanford's) campus," Young said. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/06/SanfordCrossing.jpg) A rainbow looms over a soccer field at the Sanford Crossing complex in 2023\. The facility has eight full-length soccer fields. (Photo: Michael Klinski / South Dakota News Watch) "So they're staying throughout the town. They're spending money in the restaurants and the retail spaces for something to do outside of their games they're playing," Young said. "I'd imagine the impact is fairly significant." ## Potential opposition As with any major project, Salamun said he expects some opposition to the project. He thinks finalizing a funding plan will help ease some worries. "I think as you start to educate the community about how this is going to be funded, they want to make sure that it's not hurting them but it's helping them," he said. "You don't go after big visionary projects like this without some wind in your face," the mayor added. "But I do believe it's in the best interest of this community and really sets us up for the long term, especially as we grow." [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email) *to get stories when they're published. Emily DeCock is a student at South Dakota State University in Brookings. She received the 2025 *Jeffrey B. Nelson Investigative Journalism Endowed Internship and Chuck Raasch and Sandy Johnson Scholarship* from the SDSU Foundation. *Contact Emily:** [*emily.decock@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:emily.decock@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Do all inmates in South Dakota get released into the community where the prison is located? URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/inmates-south-dakota-mens-prison-penitentiary-release/ Last updated: 2025-06-24T12:07:10.000Z ## **No.** ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/05/FactBriefLogo-1.jpg) Inmates who are released from the South Dakota prison system are released in the community where they were sentenced or the city of their choice. According to South Dakota law, released inmates receive transportation to the place "where the inmate received sentence or an equivalent distance." Department of Corrections spokesperson Michael Winder said many offenders choose to be released in the county that has the best support system. “The short answer is that offenders can choose what community they are released to,” he said. The issue has become controversial as the state considers where to build a new men’s prison to replace the 140-year-old state penitentiary in Sioux Falls. Proponents have cited released inmates in their community as a major factor against a prison. South Dakota has four prison facilities: the penitentiary and Jameson Annex in Sioux Falls, the women’s prison in Pierre and Mike Durfee State Prison in Springfield. *This fact brief responds to conversations such as* [*this one*](https://www.reddit.com/r/SiouxFalls/comments/1ixjyt5/legislature%5Fdumps%5Fnew%5Fprison%5Ffunding/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Sources DOC spokesman Michael Winder, [Email on inmate releases](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1NtnwHwqWkExHg1tm8D-1tWt3KOGUjR1m/view?usp=sharing&ref=sdnewswatch.org) Mitchell Republic, [Prison project leaders take Mitchell residents' questions on state proposal](https://www.mitchellrepublic.com/news/local/prison-project-leaders-take-mitchell-residents-questions-on-state-proposal?ref=sdnewswatch.org) South Dakota laws, [CL 24-5-3 ](https://sdlegislature.gov/Statutes/24-5-3?ref=sdnewswatch.org) South Dakota Department of Corrections, [Facilities](https://www.doc.sd.gov/adult-corrections/facilities?ref=sdnewswatch.org) --- [**South Dakota News Watch**](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/) partners with[ **Gigafact**](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) to publish fact briefs that refute or confirm a claim with supporting information and additional evidence and context.[ **Get our email with fact briefs and stories**](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/). [**Read previous fact briefs**](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/tag/fact-brief/) and our verification standards and other[ **best practices policies**](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/best-practices/). **Have a question we can answer?** Submit it at the[ **South Dakota News Watch Tipline**](https://gigafact.org/tipline/south-dakota-news-watch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). Send questions or feedback to **factbrief@sdnewswatch.org**. Can you separate fact from fiction?[ **Take the fact brief quiz to find out**](https://gigafact.org/quiz/south-dakota-news-watch/default-8765/?mc%5Fcid=50ec5ce4a2&mc%5Feid=4d5aab024f&ref=sdnewswatch.org). [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact Michael Klinski* at michael.klinski@sdnewswatch.org.* ### Tribe asked to allow search for civil rights activist at Wounded Knee URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/ray-robinson-wounded-knee-aim-aquash-pine-ridge/ Last updated: 2025-06-23T11:44:23.000Z The Oglala Sioux Tribal Council will be asked to approve a search for the remains of a Black civil rights activist who disappeared during the 1973 Wounded Knee standoff. He is likely buried on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. Perry Ray Robinson Jr. was 35 years old when he left his home in Bogue Chitto, Alabama, in April 1973 to answer a call for help from the American Indian Movement. For 71 days, AIM members and supporters occupied the village and exchanged gunfire with federal agents gathered around its perimeter. Robinson never returned, was later declared dead without his body being found, and no one was ever charged. ![Civil rights activist Ray Robinson (center) looks forward while sitting in a room full of people](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/06/Ray-Robinson-listening-1.jpeg) Civil rights activist Ray Robinson (center). (Photo: Courtesy Cheryl Buswell-Robinson) His name came to light after two men were indicted in 2003 on charges they killed Canadian Annie Mae Aquash in December 1975 in South Dakota's badlands. Arlo Looking Cloud was arrested in Denver. A federal jury in Rapid City convicted him in 2004 of murder. He was sentenced to life in federal prison, but that was later reduced to 20 years because of his cooperation and acceptance of responsibility. He was released in 2019\. The other man, John Graham, fought extradition from his native Canada. A state jury in Rapid City convicted him of murder in 2010 and he is serving a life prison sentence at the South Dakota State Penitentiary in Sioux Falls. ## Hulu documentary about Aquash Justin Baker, 40, who lives in Mission on South Dakota's Rosebud Indian Reservation, started the latest effort to search for Robinson's body. He has been following the Aquash and Robinson cases since Looking Cloud and Graham were indicted. That included reading media accounts and documents released as part of a Freedom of Information Act request. Baker said he also spent considerable time with Leonard Crow Dog, a Sicangu Lakota medicine man and AIM's spiritual leader who died in 2021\. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/06/Image-1.jpeg) Logo of "Vow of Silence: The Assassination of Annie Mae." (Photo: Hulu) Baker said he was prompted to action after watching a recent documentary about Aquash on the streaming service Hulu entitled "[Vow of Silence: The Assassination of Annie Mae](https://www.hulu.com/series/afce5118-e361-4041-ace9-9ac52bafefa7?ref=sdnewswatch.org)." Witnesses testified that Aquash, who also responded to AIM's request for help and rose to prominence in the organization, was killed because she was suspected of being an informant. "I started thinking, 'Why can't they do something for this man, Ray Robinson?'" Baker said. He called Paul DeMain of Hayward, Wisconsin, the former editor of the *News From Indian Country* newspaper who extensively investigated the Aquash and Robinson cases. ![Civil rights activist Ray Robinson with daughter Desiree (left) and son Deeter in 1971](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/06/Ray-Robinson-with-kids.jpeg) Civil rights activist Ray Robinson with daughter Desiree (left) and son Deeter in 1971 (right). (Photo: Courtesy Cheryl Buswell-Robinson) Among the people DeMain put Baker in touch with was Robinson's widow, Cheryl Buswell-Robinson, and their son, Deeter Robinson. "I asked Deeter, I said, 'What would you like me to tell people?' And he said what it was like growing up without a dad, not having somebody at my sporting events, not having a man's guidance, not having a father to lean on, and it caused a lot of hardships in my life," Baker said of the conversation. "This is somebody's family that was destroyed and is still hurting 52 years later, and there are still people remaining silent." ## Concerns about 1890 massacre site DeMain had already done extensive work trying to identify Robinson's likely resting place. Baker took up the cause using tribal channels. "I wanted to create a grassroots effort because I think everything else has been tried already," he said. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/06/Justin-Baker-1.jpeg) Justin Baker of Mission, S.D., who is leading the effort to find the body of Ray Robinson on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. (Photo: Courtesy Justin Baker) Baker presented a resolution to and received unanimous support for it in May from the Sicangu Lakota Treaty Council. That group in the Great Sioux Nation advocates for Native treaty rights and inherent sovereignty. The document's purpose was to start building support for a culturally sensitive search for Robinson's remains on the Pine Ridge reservation. [Sicangu Lakota Treaty Council ResolutionDownload a PDF of the resolution supporting the search for Ray RobinsonSicangu Lakota Treaty Council Resolution.pdf398 KBdownload-circle](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/content/files/2025/06/Sicangu-Lakota-Treaty-Council-Resolution.pdf "Download") Baker then went to the Oglala Sioux Tribe's land committee on Pine Ridge, which rejected the request for a search, saying it could unearth remains or artifacts from the [1890 Wounded Knee massacre](https://www.loc.gov/classroom-materials/immigration/native-american/disaster-at-wounded-knee/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). Baker said the search would only involve a cadaver dog or ground-penetrating radar that would not disrupt the land. And the area already has been disturbed, he said. "Wherever Ray is laying was already disturbed through the form of buildings, construction within the downtown Wounded Knee area, or it was disturbed in 1973 from digging bunkers," Baker said. ![Civil rights activist Ray Robinson.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/06/Ray-Robinson-side-1.jpeg) Civil rights activist Ray Robinson. (Photo: Courtesy Cheryl Buswell-Robinson) Baker has drawn up a resolution he plans to present to the Oglala Sioux Tribal Council, which includes the Sicangu Lakota Treaty Council resolution and letters of support from elders, descendants of the 1890 massacre and others. The document, viewed by South Dakota News Watch, calls for all Lakota tribes, in collaboration with Buswell-Robinson and cultural experts, to create a working group to oversee a non-invasive search for the remains of Robinson. The effort would include historic preservation officers, spiritual leaders and elders, the Robinson family, Indigenous archaeologists and forensic scientists and independent advisers. [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/05/donate-3.jpg)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate?ref=sdnewswatch.org) "This resolution does not seek the removal or exhumation of any remains but seeks only to locate, document and honor the possible resting place of Perry Ray Robinson Jr.," it states. The document also calls for transparency and respect of those who died in 1890 and might have been killed on the site in 1973\. “We’re asking to search the ground that already has been disturbed and is a long way from the burial of the 1890 massacre victims," Buswell-Robinson said. Tribal leaders did not respond to a request for comment. ## Widow hopes for Robinson's return Besides a son, who has children, the Robinsons have two adult daughters in Detroit, Desiree Marks and Tamara Fant, who have their own children and grandchildren. "I’m 80 and doing fine. I’d like to get Ray back here before I’m dead," Buswell-Robinson said. "I’m excited about it because Justin (Baker) is so excited. "He’s been wonderful to follow and has a strategy." ![Cheryl Buswell-Robinson and granddaughter Sarah Kamara at her 2025 8th grade formal dance.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/06/Cheryl-Buswell-Robinson-and-granddaughter-1-1.jpeg) Cheryl Buswell-Robinson and granddaughter Sarah Kamara in 2025 in Detroit. (Photo: Courtesy Cheryl Buswell-Robinson) Buswell-Robinson said that because she's in Detroit, she doesn't have the connections or know the local structures or politics like Baker does. Based on her recollections and letters she wrote in the years after her husband's disappearance, she believes he probably was killed because he naively thought he could turn an unorganized situation into a focused demonstration. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/06/Wounded-Knee-Infobox.png) His nonviolent approach probably was not well received at what was a violent situation, Buswell-Robinson said. And it's possible AIM members suspected he was a federal informant, which he was not, she said. ## FBI documents include references to fresh graves Two American Indians were confirmed to have died during the 1973 siege, and rumors of other deaths persist. FBI documents that are now public suggest the possibility of other people buried at Wounded Knee during the occupation. A May 1973 memo says the FBI talked to a man who reported grave sites just outside of Wounded Knee. Another, a few days later, states that an Interior Department official "observed several fresh graves" at Wounded Knee. One of the graves belonged to one of the two Native Americans killed, the memo states. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/06/Ray-Robinson-arrest.jpeg) Civil rights activist Ray Robinson being arrested in Washington, D.C. (Photo: Courtesy Cheryl Buswell-Robinson; original by Dennis Brack/ Black Star) There's no mention of Ray Robinson in the FBI correspondence, but two documents reveal the presence of two Black people toward the end of the standoff. A May 5, 1973, transcript of an interview with a man who claimed to be at Wounded Knee the week prior stated "he heard that one black man and one black woman had recently arrived." A May 21, 1973, FBI memo reported that a Native woman who left the village a month earlier counted 200 Indians, 11 whites and two Blacks. Buswell-Robinson said those two were most likely Ray Robinson and a woman from Alabama who went with him. She returned after the standoff. He didn't. [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact Carson Walker* at* [*carson.walker@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:carson.walker@sdnewswatch.org). ### Is zipper merging more efficient for traffic than early merging? URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/zipper-merge-study-south-dakota-construction-zones-gigafact/ Last updated: 2025-06-19T16:21:54.000Z ## **Yes.** ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/05/FactBriefLogo-1.jpg) Zipper merging in construction zones can save drivers time and reduce traffic congestion. A zipper merge occurs when drivers use both lanes of traffic until reaching a merging point, where motorists then take turns moving into a single lane. Early merging is when motorists move to the open lane as soon as possible before a lane closure. The Minnesota Department of Transportation said zipper merging can reduce the length of backups by 40% and limit crashes. Another study said congestion can be reduced by up to 50%. Several states have encouraged zipper merging by using signage and public awareness campaigns. In Sioux Falls, Mayor Paul TenHaken held a news conference June 11, 2025, while wearing a shirt saying, “I feel the urge to zipper merge.” “For some reason (in South Dakota), it’s considered rude (to zipper merge),” TenHaken said. “And it’s not rude, it’s very effective,” TenHaken said. **This fact brief responds to conversations such as* [**this one*](https://www.reddit.com/r/SiouxFalls/comments/1l92rdn/tenhaken%5Fwants%5Fdrivers%5Fto%5Ffeel%5Fthe%5Furge%5Fto%5Fzipper/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)**.* ### Sources Minnesota DOT, [What is a zipper merge?](https://www.dot.state.mn.us/zippermerge/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Dakota News Now, [TenHaken wants Sioux Falls to ‘feel the urge to zipper merge’](https://www.dakotanewsnow.com/2025/06/12/tenhaken-wants-sioux-falls-feel-urge-zipper-merge/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Institute for Transportation Research and Education, [ITRE studying how zipper merges reduce congestion at sites across North Carolina](https://itre.ncsu.edu/itre-studying-how-zipper-merges-reduce-congestion-at-sites-across-north-carolina/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) --- [**South Dakota News Watch**](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/) partners with[ **Gigafact**](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) to publish fact briefs that refute or confirm a claim with supporting information and additional evidence and context.[ **Get our email with fact briefs and stories**](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/). [**Read previous fact briefs**](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/tag/fact-brief/) and our verification standards and other[ **best practices policies**](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/best-practices/). **Have a question we can answer?** Submit it at the[ **South Dakota News Watch Tipline**](https://gigafact.org/tipline/south-dakota-news-watch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). Send questions or feedback to **factbrief@sdnewswatch.org**. Can you separate fact from fiction?[ **Take the fact brief quiz to find out**](https://gigafact.org/quiz/south-dakota-news-watch/default-8765/?mc%5Fcid=50ec5ce4a2&mc%5Feid=4d5aab024f&ref=sdnewswatch.org). [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/05/donate-3.jpg)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate?ref=sdnewswatch.org) [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact Michael Klinski* at michael.klinski@sdnewswatch.org.* ### Residents stand ready to help plan the future of Watertown URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/watertown-engage-south-dakota-h2o-50-meeting/ Last updated: 2025-06-27T13:38:24.000Z WATERTOWN, S.D. – Lindsey Schwinger isn't sure how she can help chart a positive future for the city of Watertown, but she is certain she wants to try. Schwinger, 38, grew up here and is now a stay-at-home mother who engages in charity work through the roller derby team she competes with. "Being involved in the community and helping shape the future for our family and our children, that's super important," she said. Schwinger explored opportunities to get further involved in her community at a June 12 event that marked the next stage of an ongoing, resident-driven planning process known as H2O-50, or Watertown 2050. In many respects, Schwinger is exactly the type of person that organizers of the "visioning" effort hope will get engaged and make her voice and ideas heard on how this northeastern South Dakota city should change and grow over the next 25 years. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/05/Engage-SD-small-logo-1-1-1.png) She's a homeowner, she's raising a family, she knows the city well and she's committed to seeing the community prosper. A major component of the H2O-50 process is encouraging residents like Schwinger to participate and share their knowledge, hopes and expectations for how life can be even better than it is now in the city of 23,000 people. Given the optimism that permeated the community event, and based on her interest level, it appears organizers were successful in attracting Schwinger to participate. ![Lindsey Schwinger, left, speaks about the civic planning process with Anjelica Uthe, executive director of Visit Watertown, during a community meeting](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/06/2025-6-12-Watertown-residents-talking-1.jpg) Lindsey Schwinger, left, speaks about the civic planning process with Anjelica Uthe, executive director of Visit Watertown, during a community meeting in Watertown, S.D., on June 12, 2025\. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) "I'm big into recreation, so I'd like to see us improve access to activities for medium- and low-income residents," she said. "I like being a part of my community, and this seems like a great way to be active in that." Schwinger was among about 135 people, including a dozen or so children, who attended the gathering at the Goss Opera House in downtown Watertown to usher in the third and final phase of the H2O-50 planning process. It had a festive vibe, with a live band, drinks and many discussions on how Watertown can evolve. The opera house was a fitting site for the event, as its restoration was one of the significant outcomes of the first planning process undertaken in Watertown, known as H2O-20. ## ****Get South Dakota stories** Sign up for an email summary on most weekdays that links to the full story. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. The plan to restore the historic structure, and to find the money to do so, was one of a handful of successful capital improvement projects achieved by the initial planning effort. Those efforts included construction of the $21 million Prairie Lakes Wellness Center in 2017, the $5 million restoration of the 130-year-old opera house in 2023 and the construction of the $36.5 million Prairie Lakes Ice Arena that opened last year. South Dakota News Watch is monitoring and reporting about the planning process in Watertown as part of the news organization's “Engage South Dakota,” effort, which seeks to use storytelling and civic engagement as a way to identify and share solutions to problems in cities and towns across the state. News Watch [previously reported](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/watertown-south-dakota-sd-codington-county-growth/) on the H2O-50 process in September. ## Planning process moves along in phases The first phase of the H2O-50 process was to gather resident input into how the community could be improved. Over roughly the past year, organizers interviewed about two dozen community leaders, held two community meetings and seven focus groups and sent out a community survey. Just as they did during H2O-20, many residents responded, with nearly 3,100 surveys completed, representing ideas from more than 10% of the city population. The surveys included a couple dozen responses in Spanish, which organizers said helps ensure the city's Hispanic residents are being heard. ![About 130 people attended a June 12, 2025, gathering at the Goss Opera House in Watertown](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/06/2025-6-12-Watertown-event-crowd-1.jpg) About 130 people attended a June 12, 2025, gathering at the Goss Opera House in Watertown, S.D., to prepare for the next steps in the H20-50 community planning process. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) In the second phase, organizers used the resident input combined with analyses of a handful of similar-sized cities in the region to identify Watertown's strengths and its needs. Based on those findings, organizers identified four key "pillars" upon which further planning efforts will focus: housing supply, activities and recreation, workforce capacity and community building. The surveys revealed that many residents feel great about living in Watertown. But it also revealed some big needs, including a lack of affordable housing and a shortage of amenities that could attract more young people to the city. Now, committees and subcommittees consisting of residents and local officials will begin to tackle challenges in those four categories, according to local attorney Liam Culhane, who is chairing the H2O-50 effort along with his wife, Amanda. Some committees will examine issues of a large scope, while others, such as one focused specifically on the future of Lake Kampeska, will drill in on highly specific topics, Liam Culhane said. ![Watertown, S.D., residents Liam Culhane and his wife, Amanda Culhane, pose for a photo at the H20-50 event.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/06/2025-6-12-Watertown-organizer-family2-1.jpg) Watertown, S.D., residents Liam Culhane and his wife, Amanda Culhane, shown at a community meeting on June 12, 2025, with daughter Wren, are the co-chairs of the H20-50 planning process. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) "The lake is a hot issue and a sometimes contentious issue," Culhane said. "What do we do in terms of development there, in term of recreational opportunities, and what should the city's role be in that?" Culhane said he doesn't think the desire for large capital projects is as high as it was during H2O-20 and instead expects the final report to identify solutions to challenges that can hamper quality of life or restrict growth, such as expanding access to housing and child care while creating new recreational and social opportunities. [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/06/Donate-today-News-Watch--1--1.png)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?%5Fgl=1%2A1b0ep3i%2A%5Fga%2AMTM3NDcyODMyNS4xNzAyMTQ0MTg3%2A%5Fga%5FH98KVPR32J%2AMTcyNzIyNjUwOS40MzMuMS4xNzI3MjI3NzQ1LjAuMC4w&ref=sdnewswatch.org) Culhane said a major strength of the planning process is that residents play a big role in determining what to tackle and how to do so. "We've known about a lot of these challenges for years now, and we know we can't wait on the state or federal government to bail us out," Culhane said. "We're going to have to get creative on the local level." Culhane said the high survey response rate and strong attendance at the June 12 event give him confidence positive changes will result. "I'm really energized and refreshed to see that in the end, we're all on the same page on many issues in Watertown," Culhane said. "We might have different ideas on how to get there, and that's OK. But generally the community really wants to see the same things get done." ## Mayor: Process 'making my job easier' Watertown Mayor Ried Holien, a former state lawmaker, told News Watch he is eager to hear from residents about their wants and needs, and he sees great value in the resident-driven approach to the H2O-50 planning process. "I've been in politics a long time and I know there are people in elected positions or in government staff who have some hesitancy to accept when citizens take a leadership position or push an agenda of what they want to see in their community," Holien said at the event. "I've always thought that was odd because in my mind they're making my job easier because they're all just trying to make Watertown better." Holien said the H2O-50 process will undoubtedly lead to tangible results for the community. "We'll get way more done than just a lone voice trying to lead a community can because these people all care deeply about their community." ## Generating ideas from the ground up Local real estate agent Nash Colberg is working with the committee that will examine ways to improve the housing situation in Watertown. Colberg said he's already well aware that providing opportunities for affordable housing – both for renters and potential owners – is critical to the future growth and success of the community. "It's a challenge almost every growing community in South Dakota is facing, and we have really high demand for housing here in Watertown right now," he said. ![Nash Colberg, a real estate agent, poses for a photo in front of the H20-50 sign.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/06/2025-6-12-Watertown-realtor-1.jpg) Nash Colberg, a real estate agent, is helping lead discussions on housing as part of the community planning process in Watertown, S.D. Colberg attended the community planning meeting in Watertown on June 12, 2025\. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) Colberg came to the June 12 event to answer questions from the public about the planning process and to generate interest among residents in possibly joining the committee focused on housing. He said a couple ideas have already bubbled up in the community survey and from discussions with other residents and community leaders. Among them: finding resources to rehabilitate older properties that may be in disrepair, developing public-private partnerships and rezoning some areas of the city to make it easier and faster to develop new housing. "If we had more housing, especially affordable housing, that would make it easier for people to move here and keep the community growing." [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact* *Bart Pfankuch* at* [*bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Is it legal to hunt prairie dogs in South Dakota? URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/legal-hunt-prairie-dogs-south-dakota-fact-brief/ Last updated: 2025-06-17T11:25:26.000Z ## Yes. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/05/FactBriefLogo-1.jpg) Prairie dog hunting is allowed year-round in South Dakota, with no restrictions on hours or bag limits. Residents and non-residents need a small game and predator/varmint license to hunt prairie dogs, and they can be hunted in national grassland areas in western South Dakota that are managed by the U.S. Forest Service. Native American tribal land also offers plentiful opportunities to hunt them, though a state license is not applicable. Prairie dogs, which are prevalent in the western two-thirds of the state, are closely related to squirrels and chipmunks. They are commonly between 14 to 17 inches in length. Because prairie dogs burrow into land and leave large mounds with a big hole in the middle, some private property owners consider the animal a pest and let people hunt them. It’s a misdemeanor in South Dakota to hunt on a private property owner’s land without their permission. **This fact brief responds to conversations such as*[ *this one.*](https://www.reddit.com/r/SouthDakota/comments/1kxjodb/prairie%5Fdog%5Fhunting%5Ffort%5Fpierre%5Farea/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) ### Sources South Dakota Game, Fish & Parks, [Prairie Dog Hunting](https://gfp.sd.gov/prairie-dog/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) South Dakota Game, Fish & Parks, [Hunting licenses](https://gfp.sd.gov/license-types/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) South Dakota Game, Fish & Parks, [Where can I shoot prairie dogs?](https://gfp.sd.gov/faq/detail/86/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) SDSU Extension, [Prairie Dog Management in South Dakota](https://extension.sdstate.edu/sites/default/files/2021-01/P-00193.pdf?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *South Dakota laws,* [*Fishing, hunting and trapping on private land and public rights-of-way*](https://sdlegislature.gov/Statutes/41-9?ref=sdnewswatch.org) --- [***South Dakota News Watch***](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/) *partners with*[ **Gigafact**](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *to publish fact briefs that refute or confirm a claim with supporting information and additional evidence and context.*[ **Get our email with fact briefs and stories**](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/)*.* [***Read previous fact briefs***](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/tag/fact-brief/) *and our verification standards and other*[ **best practices policies**](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/best-practices/)*.* **Have a question we can answer?* Submit it at the*[ **South Dakota News Watch Tipline**](https://gigafact.org/tipline/south-dakota-news-watch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. Send questions or feedback to *factbrief@sdnewswatch.org*.* *Can you separate fact from fiction?*[ **Take the fact brief quiz to find out**](https://gigafact.org/quiz/south-dakota-news-watch/default-8765/?mc%5Fcid=50ec5ce4a2&mc%5Feid=4d5aab024f&ref=sdnewswatch.org)*.* [*Share your thoughts on this story*](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact Michael Klinski* at michael.klinski@sdnewswatch.org.* ### SD Supreme Court will consider legality of Igloo bunker leases URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-igloo-bunker-community-supreme-court/ Last updated: 2025-06-27T13:19:57.000Z The South Dakota Supreme Court will decide the legality of a disputed lease signed by dozens of people who live in former military munitions bunkers located near Edgemont in southwestern South Dakota. The high court will consider an appeal by the owners of the residential community who lost a recent circuit court case, brought by a former tenant, in which a judge ruled the lease to be legally unenforceable. The community, known as Vivos xPoint, includes hundreds of above-ground, earth-covered concrete bunkers that were used by the U.S. military from 1942 to 1967 to store conventional and chemical munitions in a town once known as Igloo. A large portion of the former Black Hills Army Depot munitions facility was purchased and developed in 2016 by California businessman Robert Vicino. The 2,200-square-foot bunkers are now rented as residences, mostly to survivalists or “preppers,” who want to live off the grid and be positioned to survive a global catastrophe. ## Legal issues at Igloo bunker community According to [prior reporting by News Watch](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/igloo-south-dakota-prepper-bunker-vivos-xpoint/), the residential community located on windswept prairie land 8 miles south of Edgemont has been beset by conflicts between residents and employees, numerous lawsuits, several complaints to the state attorney general’s office and a near-fatal shooting of a complex employee in 2024. [SD bunker residents raise financial, safety concernsA former military munitions site with concrete bunkers now used as residences has become the source of numerous lawsuits.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-125.jpg)South Dakota News WatchBart Pfankuch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/2024-10-14-Bunker-wide-shot-with-road-1-3.JPG)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/igloo-south-dakota-prepper-bunker-vivos-xpoint/) News Watch showed that Vivos has failed to follow through on promises to outfit the community with numerous amenities and employs at least one onsite worker with a violent criminal record. In a prior interview, Vicino said those who complain are “bad apples” and that most Vivos tenants are happy with their treatment. ![Hundreds of concrete bunkers, shown in 2024, are part of the Vivos xPoint community south of Edgemont, S.D. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/05/2024-10-14-Bunker-wide-shot-with-road-1.JPG) Hundreds of concrete bunkers, shown in 2024, are part of the Vivos xPoint community south of Edgemont, S.D. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) People who live in bunkers or have them ready to occupy do not buy them outright. Instead, they pay an upfront fee of up to $55,000 and sign a 99-year lease that governs the landlord-tenant relationship. The 14-page lease has become the subject of lawsuits after it was used as the basis to evict several bunker residents, who then lose the right to occupy the bunkers despite paying the upfront fees and a monthly service fee. ## ****Get South Dakota stories** Sign up for an email summary on most weekdays that links to the full story. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. J. Scott James, an attorney in Custer who represents several former Vivos residents on a number of separate claims, said the circuit judge’s ruling in late April rejected claims by Vivos that the lease was valid and accepted his client’s claims that the lease was unenforceable by law. “The judge agreed with our argument that the lease was illegal,” he said. The attorney for Vivos, Eric Schlimgen of Spearfish, did not return calls from News Watch seeking comment. But Schlimgen has appealed the circuit judge’s ruling, which will bring the matter before the Supreme Court. ## Appeal prompted by pulled gun The high court will review an ongoing case in which former Vivos resident Daniel Sindorf, who signed a lease in 2020, was later evicted by Vivos. The eviction came after a July 2023 incident in which Sindorf pulled out a gun after he said he felt threatened by a Vivos employee’s dogs. Sindorf said he and his wife had felt threatened by the loose dogs on several occasions and pointed the gun at the ground in the area where the dogs were present. [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/05/Donate-today-News-Watch--1--2.png)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?%5Fgl=1%2A1b0ep3i%2A%5Fga%2AMTM3NDcyODMyNS4xNzAyMTQ0MTg3%2A%5Fga%5FH98KVPR32J%2AMTcyNzIyNjUwOS40MzMuMS4xNzI3MjI3NzQ1LjAuMC4w&ref=sdnewswatch.org) Vivos argues in court documents that Sindorf had pointed the gun directly at the girlfriend of a Vivos employee and was therefore in violation of the lease and subject to eviction. The legal case hinges on language within the lease, including changes made after Sindorf signed it. Vivos states that several months prior to the July 2023 confrontation, the company added an addendum to the lease making it a violation to “brandish” a weapon outside of designated shooting areas within Vivos. The company said Sindorf received a copy of the addendum, which it said was emailed to Vivos leaseholders. ![This sign just inside the entrance to the Vivos xPoint bunker complex, shown Oct. 4, 2024, near Igloo, S.D.,](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/05/2024-10-4-Vivos-coming-soon-sign-1.JPG) This sign just inside the entrance to the Vivos xPoint bunker complex, shown Oct. 4, 2024, near Igloo, S.D., indicates that most promised amenities have not been built and are still "coming soon," several years after the project launched. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) Sindorf’s attorney, however, argued in the lawsuit that the lease and therefore the eviction were both illegal because it is not lawful to make changes to a signed lease without consent of both parties or without recourse by the tenant. “Our argument essentially was that the lease wasn’t binding on Mr. Sindorf because they could change the rules at anytime they want to,” James told News Watch. “Unlike other legal contracts, there was no cancellation option, no way for him to pull out of that and no recourse." [Move into SD bunker backfires on family seeking new lifeThe problems at the residential bunker complex south of Edgemont, uncovered in a recent News Watch investigation, have landed particularly hard on one family.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-126.jpg)South Dakota News WatchBart Pfankuch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/2024-12-7-Chris-Yellow-Thunder_David-Street-outside-home.JPG)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/bunker-community-igloo-south-dakota-vivos/) In a three-page ruling, Circuit Judge Scott A. Roetzel agreed, noting that, “the 99-year lease is an illusory contract that plaintiff (Vivos) can unilaterally modify the terms of at any time with no resource for defendant (Sindorf).” ## Some claims not addressed in ruling The initial lawsuit filed by Sindorf demanded that he and his wife be refunded the majority of the $35,000 they paid up front to lease a bunker for 99 years and for the monthly fees that were supposed to go toward amenities and services the lawsuit alleges were never provided. "Plaintiff (Vivos) accepted the common area fees, but failed to complete its obligations ... specifically there was no evidence of potable water, and no trash removal was ever done as described, and no security was provided as described," Sindorf's lawsuit states. The judge's April ruling did not address those claims or others raised in the initial filing. Sindorf continues to pay monthly fees to Vivos, though that money will now be held in escrow, according to court documents. ![Attorney J. Scott James poses for a photo in his Custer, S.D., office in 2024. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/05/Attorney-J.-Scott-James.jpeg) Attorney J. Scott James in his Custer, S.D., office in 2024\. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) James and Vivos are both seeking clarification from the Supreme Court on whether the April ruling negates the entirety of the lease, which also contains controversial elements that include fines or possible eviction if tenants talk to the media and does not allow for return of any funds paid if eviction takes place. Notice of an appeal has been filed with the Supreme Court, and Vivos xPoint must file the formal appeal by June 16, according to an employee in the Supreme Court clerk’s office. Sindorf’s legal team will then have 45 days to respond. After that, the court could decide to hear oral arguments or just review the entirety of court filings made so far before making a ruling, the employee said. James said Judge Roetzel has placed a stay on several other pending eviction lawsuits filed by former tenants as the current case moves forward. Several other claims and counter claims involving Vivos are still pending in the courts. [What concealed carry on campus means for South Dakota schoolsA new law that will be in effect this fall allows students and faculty to lawfully conceal carry firearms and weapons on public campuses.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-127.jpg)South Dakota News WatchEmily DeCock![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/USDaerial.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/concealed-carry-south-dakota-college-campuses-gun-laws/) James previously told News Watch that Vivos finds ways to evict tenants and then re-leases their bunkers with a requirement that new tenants pay the upfront and monthly fees. "A lot of these people paid between $35,000 to $50,000 for what Vivos calls a 99-year lease on these bunkers. And if it's truly a 99-year lease, and you're evicting my client in year three or four, and they've prepaid 95 years of lease money, then you should have to give it back, at least a prorated amount," James said in 2024\. "They (Vivos) get to say, 'OK, we just get to keep reselling these things over and over to people,' and that seems like it's an inequitable relationship." James said a high court ruling in his client's favor could affect not only the ongoing lawsuits by former Vivos tenants but could set a precedent that it would be illegal for one party to alter contracts signed in South Dakota without the other party’s consent. [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact* *Bart Pfankuch* at* [*bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### What concealed carry on campus means for South Dakota schools URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/concealed-carry-south-dakota-college-campuses-gun-laws/ Last updated: 2025-06-27T13:38:24.000Z The boards that oversee South Dakota's 10 public colleges are drafting policies in accordance with a new state law that will allow students to carry concealed weapons on campus. Starting July 1, the four-year and technical institutions will no longer be able to restrict the lawful concealed carry of firearms and weapons on campuses. [Senate Bill 100](https://sdlegislature.gov/Session/Bill/25721?ref=sdnewswatch.org) (SB 100), which Gov. Larry Rhoden signed into law on March 31, makes South Dakota the 12th state to allow concealed carry on college campuses. It applies to students 18 and older and staff members who have an [enhanced permit](https://sdsos.gov/general-services/concealed-pistol-permits/cc-permit-types.aspx?ref=sdnewswatch.org) that requires the person to take a handgun safety course and abide by other requirements. South Dakota is a constitutional carry state as of 2019, meaning anyone over 18 who can legally possess a firearm does not needa permit to lawfully conceal carry. Prior to SB 100's passage, individual schools set their own policy regarding concealed carry on campus. No regental or technical institution permitted weapons or firearms on campus. "The safety and well-being of students, employees and guests will always be our top priority," Shuree Mortenson, director of communications for the Board of Regents, said in an email to News Watch. "We have been in communication with all our universities to navigate this change." [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/06/Donate-today-News-Watch--1-.png)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?%5Fgl=1%2A1b0ep3i%2A%5Fga%2AMTM3NDcyODMyNS4xNzAyMTQ0MTg3%2A%5Fga%5FH98KVPR32J%2AMTcyNzIyNjUwOS40MzMuMS4xNzI3MjI3NzQ1LjAuMC4w&ref=sdnewswatch.org) Campus-specific restrictions to comply with the new law are not yet in place, and a draft policy will be available at the Board of Regents meeting July 16-17. Regental campuses are currently working on identifying spaces where guns will be restricted and developing the proper notifications, Mortenson said. Those campuses are Black Hills State University in Spearfish, Dakota State University in Madison, Northern State University in Aberdeen, South Dakota School of Mines and Technology in Rapid City, South Dakota State University in Brookings and the University of South Dakota in Vermillion. ## How technical colleges are responding to the law The new law also applies to the states' four technical colleges: Lake Area Technical College in Watertown, Mitchell Technical College in Mitchell, Southeast Technical College in Sioux Falls and Western Dakota Technical College in Rapid City. Prior to this bill, all four institutions banned firearms and weapons on campus. The South Dakota Board of Technical Education, which oversees the four campuses, will implement a new system-wide policy to comply with the law. Executive Director Nick Wendell said the goal is to have a policy affirmed by July 1. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/06/Concealed-carry-fact-box.png) While the policy will be system-wide, Wendell said institutions will individually determine whether there are certain environments where they will provide secured storage. Wendell doesn't envision dramatic changes to the campus environment with this bill. "I think we have lots of folks in our communities and already on our campuses that maybe had an interest in concealed carrying," Wendell said. "This just ensures that everybody is aware of what the parameters are on concealed carry." ## Bill does not apply to private institutions SB 100 does not apply to private institutions. All private schools in South Dakota have policies against allowing concealed carry on campus, and none plans to change in response to the new law. Firearms and weapons of any kind are not permitted at [Augustana University,](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ctUEPcMoM131LUYoFgaz9Ys24Jihirkof-queYx9nhE/edit?tab=t.0&ref=sdnewswatch.org#heading=h.y6yszkcc85zr) located in Sioux Falls. The school provides secure storage for hunting weapons in the department of campus safety. At [Dakota Wesleyan University](https://www.dwu.edu/files/galleries/DWU%5FStudent%5FHandbook%5F2024.pdf?ref=sdnewswatch.org) in Mitchell, firearms and weapons are prohibited on campus. Students can have an unloaded hunting rifle or shotgun locked inside the trunk of their vehicle or in the school's locked gun safe. Ammunition cannot be stored with the firearm. [Mount Marty University](https://www.mountmarty.edu/globalassets/backend-reconstruction/campus-life/student-services/2024-2025---student-handbook-final.pdf?ref=sdnewswatch.org) in Yankton also has a policy against firearms and weapons on campus. No weapons or firearms are allowed at the [University of Sioux Falls](https://my.usiouxfalls.edu/ICS/icsfs/mm/student%5Fhandbook%5F2024-25.pdf?target=648b55dc-8a20-4698-ba45-1e53cb94222c&ref=sdnewswatch.org). Students are encouraged to find safe storage off campus. ## Student perspectives on the law Blake Gibney, a recent South Dakota State University graduate, supports SB 100\. Gibney served as a senator on SDSU's Students' Association. He voted no on a Students' Association resolution in February that opposed SB 100. Gibney enjoys South Dakota's constitutional carry law. He currently owns a gun and conceal carries without an enhanced permit. If he wasn't moving out-of-state, he would have gotten his enhanced permit to carry on campus, he said. Gibney thinks requiring an enhanced permit for on-campus carrying was important to include in the bill. ![The exterior of a building on the South Dakota State University campus](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/06/2048px-South_Dakota_State_University.jpg) (Photo: Tony Webster for South Dakota State University) "I do enjoy constitutional carry," Gibney said. "But the 18- to 21-year-old component of having that at a university, an educational-based institution, I think (the enhanced permit requirement was) appropriate." Hannah Meland, who was a junior at the University of South Dakota last school year, told USD student newspaper The Volante that she opposes the law. “Statistically, college is one of the hardest times on mental health and by allowing guns on campus, I feel we are allowing more opportunities for unsafe situations involving a firearm to occur,” Meland said. ## What the law allows Under the new law, students and staff may only conceal carry with the required restricted enhanced permit or enhanced permit. Open carry is not authorized. When an individual is not concealed carrying a firearm or in possession of a self-defense item and remains on campus, the item must be stored in a locked case or safe. ![Quote from a University of South Dakota student against concealed carry on campus](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/06/USD-student-quote.png) Institutions may impose restrictions in specific high-risk areas, including: - Hazardous material areas, such as locations with large amounts of flammable liquids, toxic chemicals or gas cylinders. - Research and manufacturing rooms, where airborne particles must be controlled. - Secure areas, including facilities requiring federal security clearance. - Special events, if security measures like metal detectors and armed personnel are in place. ## Expert concerned about increased suicides College campuses have been relatively safe compared to other settings when it comes to gun violence, said Jaclyn Schildkraut, a national expert on school and mass shootings and executive director of the Regional Gun Violence Research Consortium. "We know that they (colleges) are not immune to gun violence, whether that's random incidents of gun violence or a mass shooting or things of that nature," Schildkraut said. "Those things can happen anywhere. They happen in red states, blue states, they happen in big cities, they happen in rural areas, they happen all over the place. But by and large, our campuses are incredibly safe." The big question then, according to Schildkraut, is, "What is the benefit of allowing people to carry on campus versus what are the potential risks?" One risk is the potential loss of open expression of ideas, Schildkraut said. What happens to the academic environment when students are worried about who is carrying a gun, rather than what is being discussed in class? Another risk with increased firearms, particularly in dorms, is suicide. The part of the brain that handles impulse control is not fully developed until age 25. Individuals are at a much greater likelihood to be the victim of suicide than the victim of homicide, Schildkraut said. "When you're feeling very suicidal, you're not thinking about, 'How do I take a pause and get through this?' It's, 'Oh my God, I need to deal with it right now,'" Schildkraut said. ## Recap of legislative journey [SB 100](https://sdlegislature.gov/Session/Bill/25721?ref=sdnewswatch.org) was introduced into the Senate State Affairs Committee. The bill's prime sponsor was Sen. Mykala Voita, a Republican from Bonesteel. Proponents argued that no South Dakota law prohibits law-abiding residents from carrying onto a campus with a firearm because of constitutional carry. Voita said school policy is limiting students and staff from potentially defending themselves. ## ****Get South Dakota stories** Sign up for an email summary on most weekdays that links to the full story. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. Sheila Gestring, president of the University of South Dakota, spoke in opposition to the bill on behalf of all six Board of Regents presidents. Gestring advocated for institutions to be able to place some restrictions on where concealed carry is allowed on campuses. The bill passed through the committee to the Senate floor with a 7-2 vote. On the Senate floor, [Amendment 100E](https://mylrc.sdlegislature.gov/api/Documents/Amendment/281703.pdf?ref=sdnewswatch.org) was adopted, which provided institutions with some jurisdiction on where concealed carry can happen on campus. It also required firearms to be locked securely when not in use and made an enhanced permit necessary to carry on campus. With the amendment, the bill passed 33-2 and moved onto the House State Affairs committee. Nathan Lukkes, executive director of the Board of Regents, spoke in opposition. Lukkes was appreciative that senators and the Board of Regents came to a compromise to adopt Amendment 100E. However, Lukkes said the BOR had hoped to keep 18- to 20-year-olds from carrying on campus because "the potential consequences of an increased presence of firearms in the dorms" was a big safety concern for the regents. Jenna Severyn, lobbyist for the South Dakota Police Chiefs' Association, also spoke in opposition to the bill as amended. Severyn said individuals should not be expected or relied on to step in for law enforcement in the chance of a serious event. Another concern was that local law enforcement and campus police will not know who is carrying and who is not, should an altercation break out. SB 100 passed the committee with a vote of 10-3 and moved onto the House floor where Republican Rep. Marty Overweg, a New Holland resident, spoke in favor of the bill. He said 18-20 year olds that can drive, vote and go to war should be able to carry a gun. ![Quote from South Dakota state Rep. Marty Overweg in support of concealed carry on South Dakota college campuses](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/06/Overweg-quote.png) "I don't think taking a person's God-given right as an American citizen, because I'm worried some accident might happen ... that's not up to me," Overweg said. "That's not my job here as a legislator." "Our rights were given to us by our forefathers," Overweg added. "Think back how many people in the history of the United States have died protecting every one of those rights. They didn't die so we could sit here as a legislature and take rights away from law abiding citizens. ... The fact of the matter is, we're a concealed carry state." The South Dakota House of Representatives passed SB 100 with a vote of 55-14, Gov. Rhoden signed the measure and will go into effect July 1. *At 4:50 p.m. CT on June 13, 2025, this story was edited to correct the final vote tally and omit the dates from the legislative journey.* [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email) *to get stories when they're published. Emily DeCock is a student at South Dakota State University in Brookings. She received the 2025 Jeffrey B. Nelson Investigative Journalism Endowed Internship and Chuck Raasch and Sandy Johnson Scholarship from the SDSU Foundation. *Contact Emily:** [*emily.decock@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:emily.decock@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Was Kristi Noem against federal control of South Dakota’s National Guard during the Biden administration? URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/gigafact-fact-brief-kristi-noem-national-guard-la-protests/ Last updated: 2025-06-11T11:54:07.000Z ## Yes. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/05/FactBriefLogo-1.jpg) Former Gov. Kristi Noem said in 2024 there would be “war on our hands” if former President Biden federalized South Dakota’s National Guard and stopped them from performing duties at the U.S.-Mexico border. “If (Biden) is willing to do that, and to take away my authority as governor as commander in chief of those National Guard (troops), boy, we do have a war on our hands,” Noem said Feb. 4, 2024, on Fox News. Noem tweeted Feb. 6, 2024, that federalizing the Guard would be a “direct attack on states’ rights.” During an interview on CBS News in early June 2025, however, Noem backed President Trump’s call to federalize the California National Guard after Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations sparked protests in Los Angeles. National guards were also federalized without a governor’s permission in 1957 to [enforce school integration in Arkansas](https://www.archives.gov/milestone-documents/executive-order-10730?ref=sdnewswatch.org) and in 1965 to [protect civil rights marchers](https://www.whitehousehistory.org/we-shall-overcome-lbj-voting-rights?ref=sdnewswatch.org). *This fact brief responds to conversations such as* [*this one*](https://www.reddit.com/r/agedlikemilk/comments/1l6sm04/well%5Fthat%5Fdidnt%5Fwork%5Fdid%5Fit/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### ***Sources*** *Newsweek,* [*Republican Governor Warns Against Federalizing National Guard at Border*](https://www.newsweek.com/republican-governor-warns-against-federalizing-national-guard-border-1866703?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *X,* [*Kristi Noem interview with Fox News on Feb. 4, 2024*](https://x.com/Acyn/status/1931520233350869403?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *X,* [*Kristi Noem tweet on Feb. 6, 2024*](https://x.com/KristiNoem/status/1755003058507903249?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *CBS News,* [*Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem says "we're not going to let a repeat of 2020 happen" amid L.A. crackdown*](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/kristi-noem-trump-national-guard-los-angeles-face-the-nation-interview/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) --- [***South Dakota News Watch***](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/) *partners with*[ **Gigafact**](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *to publish fact briefs that refute or confirm a claim with supporting information and additional evidence and context.*[ **Get our email with fact briefs and stories**](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/)*.* [***Read previous fact briefs***](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/tag/fact-brief/) *and our verification standards and other*[ **best practices policies**](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/best-practices/)*.* **Have a question we can answer?* Submit it at the*[ **South Dakota News Watch Tipline**](https://gigafact.org/tipline/south-dakota-news-watch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. Send questions or feedback to *factbrief@sdnewswatch.org*.* *Can you separate fact from fiction?*[ **Take the fact brief quiz to find out**](https://gigafact.org/quiz/south-dakota-news-watch/default-8765/?mc%5Fcid=50ec5ce4a2&mc%5Feid=4d5aab024f&ref=sdnewswatch.org)*.* [*Share your thoughts on this story*](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact Michael Klinski* at michael.klinski@sdnewswatch.org.* ### Fewer eyes on the sky: NWS forecast reductions raise concerns in SD URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/national-weather-service-cuts-nws-hiring-freeze-doge-sd/ Last updated: 2025-06-27T13:19:57.000Z South Dakota's three National Weather Service (NWS) forecast offices are short of staff and sending up fewer weather balloons that gather important data in response to federal budget cuts and a hiring freeze, as tornado and thunderstorm season ramps up. The NWS, part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA), has 122 Weather Forecast Offices (WFOs) throughout the United States. Forecasting offices around the country are feeling the effects of federal cuts and hiring freezes, according to [The Associated Press](https://apnews.com/article/doge-weather-cuts-tornado-dangerous-staff-warnings-aa7db3e0d0009d99c143742ab722c40a?ref=sdnewswatch.org). South Dakota's three WFOs in Aberdeen, Rapid City and Sioux Falls cover 90 counties in five states. Fifty-five of the WFOs nationwide have a job vacancy rate of more than 20%, according to the AP data, which was accurate as of March. Vacancy rates of 20% or higher constitute "critical understaffing" according to the [AP](https://apnews.com/article/doge-weather-cuts-tornado-dangerous-staff-warnings-aa7db3e0d0009d99c143742ab722c40a?ref=sdnewswatch.org). The South Dakota offices are among those with open positions that aren't being filled: - The Rapid City WFO vacancy rate was highest in the state, at 41.7% of positions open. The Rapid City office covers 16 counties in South Dakota and three counties in Wyoming. - The Sioux Falls vacancy rate was 21%, which is around the current national average for WFOs. It covers 43 counties in South Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa and Nebraska. - Aberdeen's office had a 13% vacancy rate, a relatively low number compared to national averages. The Aberdeen WFO covers 26 counties in South Dakota and two counties in Minnesota. South Dakota state climatologist Laura Edwards said the [federal hiring freeze](https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/04/extension-of-hiring-freeze/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) is one of the contributing factors to South Dakota WFO's understaffing – and offices in the Northern Great Plains states are hit disproportionately hard. “It's those offices that are already hard to staff in Wyoming, rural Nebraska, South Dakota,” Edwards said. “Those areas often struggle to hire staff to start with, and then you compound ... the hiring freeze with all the DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency) cuts. And the offices that are already understaffed just get hit many more times.” [Is South Dakota among the most vulnerable to hail damage?A fact brief that refutes or confirms a claim with supporting information and additional evidence and context.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-123.jpg)South Dakota News WatchMichael Klinski![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/Record-hailstone-1.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/fact-brief-south-dakota-hail-damage-climate/) Some U.S. offices have started to close overnight to combat understaffing, while others have decreased the number of weather balloons they're releasing, including at the Rapid City and Aberdeen offices. "In those overnight hours, you can still see severe weather in the summer seasons," Edwards said. "So I think our best hope, crossing fingers for South Dakota, is that we don't have a lot of severe weather this year due to the low staffing levels that they have." ## ****Get South Dakota stories** Sign up for an email summary on most weekdays that links to the full story. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. All three WFOs referred calls for comment to the national office, which provided News Watch with a statement: "The National Weather Service continues to meet its core mission of providing life-saving forecasts, warnings and decision-support services to the public, our partners and stakeholders," said Kim Doster, communications director for NOAA. "In the near term, NWS has updated the service level standards for its weather forecast offices to manage impacts due to shifting personnel resources. "These revised standards reflect the transformation and prioritization of mission-essential operations, while supporting the balance of the operational workload for its workforce. NWS continues to ensure a continuity of service for mission-critical functions." ## NWS launching fewer weather balloons One way offices have responded to fewer staff is by reducing the release of weather balloons. Weather balloons are typically deployed twice daily at the same time by WFOs across the country. The data collected from weather balloons are the basis for starting forecasts, Edwards said. "I think the real issue that we're all keyed in on with the weather balloon data is that the missing data now is all kind of in the same part of the country," said Russ Schumacher, Colorado state climatologist and professor of atmospheric science at Colorado State University. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/06/1024px-Wea04187_-9669274511--1.jpg) A National Weather Service staff member launches a weather balloon in Davenport, Iowa, in 2005\. (Photo: NOAA via Wikimedia Commons) "There's this hole over the Great Plains and into the Rocky Mountains where there used to be a lot of weather balloon data and now there isn't." The Rapid City WFO suspended the regular release of weather balloons in March, according to a [March 20 public information statement](https://www.weather.gov/media/notification/pdf%5F2025/pns25-17%5FSuspension%5FRAOB%5FLaunches%5FOAX-UNR.pdf?ref=sdnewswatch.org) from the National Weather Service. [Another statement](https://www.weather.gov/media/notification/pdf%5F2025/pns25-18%5FReduction%5FRAOB%5FLaunches%5FABR%5FGJT%5FGRB%5FAPX%5FLBF%5FRIW.pdf?ref=sdnewswatch.org) released that day announced that the Aberdeen office was among six U.S. offices reducing weather balloon flights to once daily. ## Severe weather season could provide more challenges One area of concern for Edwards is losing coordination ability. The warning coordination meteorologist at the forecast offices is tasked with providing information to county emergency coordinators, schools and the general public when there are risks for severe weather. The earliest tornado in South Dakota history happened this year in February, the only recorded twister in the state so far this year. [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/05/donate-3.jpg)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate?ref=sdnewswatch.org) And several towns have been either leveled or heavily damaged in the past few decades by severe tornadoes. Recent tornadoes killed more than 20 people in the Southeast. Kentucky was hit particularly hard. "The (storm) in Kentucky was a very significant, big tornado system, or a group of tornadoes," Edwards said. "And so I don't know how much you can attribute to the staffing losses at the forecast offices. But in the North Central (Great Plains) region here, there's a lot of offices that are really hurting for staff." ![A National Guardsman walks down a street in Spencer surrounded by the devastation of the May 30, 1998, tornado.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/06/Spencer.jpg) A National Guardsman walks down a street in Spencer, S.D., surrounded by the devastation of the May 30, 1998, tornado. (Argus Leader File Photo) Residents of several South Dakota communities know firsthand the value of timely warnings: - In 1998, six were killed in an F-4 tornado in Spencer, about 45 miles west of Sioux Falls. "Most of the town's 190 buildings" were destroyed, according to the [NWS](https://www.weather.gov/media/publications/assessments/spencertornado98.pdf?ref=sdnewswatch.org). Spencer's tornado siren never went off as it lost power from the storm. - In 2014, a F-2 tornado in Wessington Springs, about 40 miles southwest of Huron, had wind speeds that reached up to 135 mph. - In 2015, a tornado touched down on Mother's Day in Delmont, about 90 miles southwest of Sioux Falls. Nine people were injured. - In 2019, three tornadoes hit Sioux Falls within minutes of each other, causing damage and closing several businesses until they could rebuild. ## AI's potential Could artificial intelligence applications fill in the forecasting gaps? AI and machine learning are evolving rapidly in the weather prediction field, according to Schumacher. The big question is, 'What's the correct balance of responsibilities for human forecasters versus automated systems,?' he said. Human forecasters don't spend much time creating numerical weather prediction models, such as predicting the high temperatures for the 10-day forecast, Schumacher said. "There's a lot of potential and a lot of new things coming down the line to improve forecasts there," he said. [Calving goes high techFrom breeding to birth: How South Dakota cattle producers use technology to lose fewer calves and get more sleep.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-122.jpg)South Dakota News WatchMegan Luther![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/wssolarpowerwell-1.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/high-tech-calving-cameras-south-dakota-agriculture/) However, AI systems can't put forecasts in context, he said. "Like any federal agency, sure, there could be some efficiencies. But I don't know at this point, anyway, that we can fully go away from humans in the forecast offices," Schumacher said. "I think that's a little bit too risky right now." Edwards also affirmed the need for that human element. "The weather service has a unique perspective where they collect a lot of data from their observers and they have a really good handle on what's going on precipitation-wise and all that for their specific region. And so, we try to do our best to fill in the gaps and try to understand what's going on there in every county of the state. But without all those eyes and ears out there, it's a little different," she said. [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *The Associated Press contributed to this story that was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email) *to get stories when they're published. Emily DeCock is a student at South Dakota State University in Brookings. She received the 2025 Jeffrey B. Nelson Investigative Journalism Endowed Internship and Chuck Raasch and Sandy Johnson Scholarship from the SDSU Foundation. *Contact Emily:** [*emily.decock@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:emily.decock@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Is Sioux Falls home to one of the closest airports to a city's downtown? URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/gigafact-fact-brief-sioux-falls-regional-airport-downtown/ Last updated: 2025-06-04T12:03:54.000Z ## Yes. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/05/FactBriefLogo-1.jpg) The Sioux Falls Regional Airport is among the closest airports to a city’s downtown in the U.S., at just over 3 miles. According to AirfareWatchdog.com, there are a handful of airports less than 5 miles from the city center. Those include Boston Logan International (3.1 miles), San Diego International (3 miles) and Phoenix Sky Harbor International (4.6 miles). Sioux Falls Regional Airport is 3.1 miles from 9th Street and Phillips Avenue to the drop-off parking area. The airport was established in 1937 and leased to the U.S. government in 1942 for use as an Army base. After World War II, the airport was returned to the city with a portion leased to the South Dakota Air National Guard. Sioux Falls Regional replaced Soo Skyways Airport, which operated from 1926-1946 in southwestern Sioux Falls south of 41st Street between Western and Kiwanis avenues. **This fact brief responds to conversations such as* [**this one*](https://www.reddit.com/r/SiouxFalls/comments/1kwfzpj/riding%5Fa%5Fbicycle%5Fto%5Fthe%5Fairport/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)**.* ### Sources *AirfareWatchdog.com,*[](https://insurify.com/car-insurance/insights/states-most-vulnerable-to-hail-damage/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)[*America’s Most Convenient Airports*](https://www.airfarewatchdog.com/blog/44251174/americas-most-convenient-airports/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *Google Maps,*[](https://www.removepaywall.com/search?url=https://rapidcityjournal.com/community/northern-hills/black-hills-a-breeding-ground-for-severe-storms/article%5F4103805f-6628-58bf-8ea4-217bfd6f5ad8.html&ref=sdnewswatch.org)[*Driving directions from downtown Sioux Falls to airport*](https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Downtown,+Sioux+Falls,+SD/43.5811851,-96.7315269/@43.5469441,-96.72811,334m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m9!4m8!1m5!1m1!1s0x878eb5a309342733:0x35247ed570570e5e!2m2!1d-96.7253164!2d43.547794!1m0!3e0?entry=ttu&g%5Fep=EgoyMDI1MDUyOC4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *Sioux Falls Regional Airport,* [*Our History*](https://www.sfairport.com/about-our-airport/history?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *Argus Leader,* [*First Sioux Falls airport took off from today's mall area*](https://www.argusleader.com/story/life/2016/07/21/first-sioux-falls-airport-took-off-todays-mall-area/87280768/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) --- [**South Dakota News Watch**](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/) partners with [**Gigafact**](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) to publish fact briefs that refute or confirm a claim with supporting information and additional evidence and context. [**Get our email with fact briefs and stories**](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/). [](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/tag/fact-brief/)[**Read previous fact briefs**](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/tag/fact-brief/) and our verification standards and other [**best practices policies**](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/best-practices/). **Have a question we can answer?** Submit it at the [**South Dakota News Watch Tipline**](https://gigafact.org/tipline/south-dakota-news-watch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). Send questions or feedback to [**factbrief@sdnewswatch.org**](mailto:factbrief@sdnewswatch.org). Can you separate fact from fiction? [**Take the fact brief quiz to find out**](https://gigafact.org/quiz/south-dakota-news-watch/default-8765/?mc%5Fcid=50ec5ce4a2&mc%5Feid=4d5aab024f&ref=sdnewswatch.org). [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact Michael Klinski* at* [*michael.klinski@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto: Michael.Klinski@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Brookings teen makes it to 3rd round of national spelling bee URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-scripps-national-spelling-bee-brookings-2025/ Last updated: 2025-06-27T13:38:24.000Z The Brookings eighth grader who represented South Dakota at this week's [Scripps National Spelling Bee](https://apnews.com/article/kids-compete-a-spelling-bee-scripps-7aadcd4d13229d830c3c1a61d34385f9?ref=sdnewswatch.org) made it to the third round of the contest that was won by a 13-year-old from Allen, Texas, who was runner-up last year. Amanuel Gemechis, a 14-year-old student at George S. Mickelson Middle School in Brookings, [earned the trip by out-spelling 27 other elementary and middle schoolers ](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/scripps-national-spelling-bee-south-dakota-2025/)in March at the state spelling bee in Mitchell. ## ****Get South Dakota stories** Sign up for an email summary on most weekdays that links to the full story. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. South Dakota News Watch, Dakota Wesleyan University and the South Dakota Humanities Council sponsored the state bee for the first time that sent Amanuel and his family to the Washington area. It was his third trip to the state bee and the first time he won it. His older brother was also a competitor, which influenced him. He practiced every day after school. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/05/Screenshot-2025-05-30-at-4.55.14---AM.png) Amanuel Gemechis' bio for the Scripps National Spelling Bee. He represented South Dakota in the competition this week in the Washington area. At the national bee, Amanuel correctly spelled "Menaia" in the first round and in the second round for vocabulary correctly defined a cavalcade as "a procession." But his score in the third round test fell just one point short, so he did not advance. The winner, [Faizan Zaki, was the favorite entering the bee](https://apnews.com/article/scripps-national-spelling-bee-2025-champion-70f6767e4f30a29b52dfc3dfc77eb553?ref=sdnewswatch.org) after his runner-up finish last year. The bee celebrated its 100th anniversary this year. After last year's bee had little drama before an abrupt move to the spell-off, Scripps [tweaked the competition rules](https://apnews.com/article/scripps-national-spelling-bee-rule-changes-tiebreaker-ff3fb9cd3451310871fa82812babd1b8?ref=sdnewswatch.org), giving judges more leeway to let the competition play out before going to the tiebreaker. The nine finalists delivered. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/05/AP25147511927852.jpg) Participants stand up as they compete during the first preliminary round of the Scripps National Spelling Bee at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center, Tuesday, May 27, 2025, in Oxon Hill, Md. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana) During one stretch, six spellers got 28 consecutive words right, and there were three perfect rounds during the finals. The last time there was a single perfect round was [the infamous 2019 bee](https://apnews.com/article/31123142c2dd4349b7e11649270dc3e6?ref=sdnewswatch.org), which ended in an eight-way tie. With the winner’s haul of $52,500 added to his second-place prize of $25,000, Faizan increased his bee earnings to $77,500\. His big splurge with his winnings last year? A $1,500 Rubik’s cube with 21 squares on each side. This time, he said he’d donate a large portion of his winnings to charity. The bee began in 1925 when the Louisville Courier-Journal invited other newspapers to host spelling bees and send their champions to Washington. For the past 14 years, Scripps has hosted the competition at a convention center just outside the nation's capital, but the bee returns downtown next year to Constitution Hall, a nearly century-old concert venue near the White House. [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/09/Donate-today-News-Watch--1-.png)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?%5Fgl=1%2A1b0ep3i%2A%5Fga%2AMTM3NDcyODMyNS4xNzAyMTQ0MTg3%2A%5Fga%5FH98KVPR32J%2AMTcyNzIyNjUwOS40MzMuMS4xNzI3MjI3NzQ1LjAuMC4w&ref=sdnewswatch.org) [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **The Associated Press* contributed to this story produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact:** [*info@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:info@sdnewswatch.org). ### Is South Dakota among the most vulnerable to hail damage? URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/fact-brief-south-dakota-hail-damage-climate/ Last updated: 2025-05-28T08:38:44.000Z ## Yes. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/05/FactBriefLogo-1.jpg) Among state populations, South Dakota’s is one of the most vulnerable to hail damage. That’s according to an analysis by the online insurance marketplace Insurify, which looked at hail-related events, the financial loss resulting from those events and the proportion of the state’s population without the insurance to cover damages from hail. South Dakota ranked seventh, with an average of 134 hail events each year causing $12.7 million in financial losses. The state’s rank would be even higher, but overall vulnerability is offset by the high number of residents with full-coverage auto insurance. Rapid City can be hit particularly hard in the summer because of the city’s proximity to the Black Hills. Winds drafting up the hills force moisture high into the air, where it freezes and falls back as hail. South Dakota holds the U.S. record for the largest hailstone, measuring 8 inches in diameter and weighing 1.93 pounds. **This fact brief responds to conversations such as* [**this one*](https://www.reddit.com/r/SouthDakota/comments/1kt2w80/where%5Fto%5Fbuy%5Fa%5Fhaildamaged%5Fcar/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)**.* ### Sources *Insurify,* [*Ten states with the most hail damage in 2025*](https://insurify.com/car-insurance/insights/states-most-vulnerable-to-hail-damage/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *Rapid City Journal,* [*Black Hills a breeding ground for severe storms*](https://www.removepaywall.com/search?url=https://rapidcityjournal.com/community/northern-hills/black-hills-a-breeding-ground-for-severe-storms/article%5F4103805f-6628-58bf-8ea4-217bfd6f5ad8.html&ref=sdnewswatch.org) --- [**South Dakota News Watch**](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/) partners with [**Gigafact**](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) to publish fact briefs that refute or confirm a claim with supporting information and additional evidence and context. [**Get our email with fact briefs and stories**](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/). [](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/tag/fact-brief/)[**Read previous fact briefs**](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/tag/fact-brief/) and our verification standards and other [**best practices policies**](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/best-practices/). **Have a question we can answer?** Submit it at the [**South Dakota News Watch Tipline**](https://gigafact.org/tipline/south-dakota-news-watch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). Send questions or feedback to [**factbrief@sdnewswatch.org**](mailto:factbrief@sdnewswatch.org). Can you separate fact from fiction? [**Take the fact brief quiz to find out**](https://gigafact.org/quiz/south-dakota-news-watch/default-8765/?mc%5Fcid=50ec5ce4a2&mc%5Feid=4d5aab024f&ref=sdnewswatch.org). [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact Michael Klinski* at* [*michael.klinski@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto: Michael.Klinski@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Seasonal workers the 'face' of major South Dakota attractions URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-tourism-national-parks-badlands-wall-drug/ Last updated: 2025-06-27T13:19:58.000Z WALL, S.D. – Despite consistent visitation in recent years and record-breaking visitor spending, critical South Dakota tourist attractions remain subject to broader concerns as the peak tourist season begins. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/05/2025-4-48-panel-guests.jpg) Sarah Hustead (left), Mike Pflaum (center) and Dan Wenk (right) discussed seasonal workforce needs at Wall Drug, Badlands National Park and Mt. Rushmore National Memorial for an upcoming episode of SDPB's "South Dakota Focus" in Wall, S.D., on April 28, 2025\. (Photo Credit: Delainey LaHood-Burns / SDPB) The most common challenge is finding adequate workforce. A panel discussion featured in an upcoming episode of SDPB's "South Dakota Focus" brought current and former leaders of three major West River attractions together to discuss the workforce needed to handle the busiest months for visitors. ## Homegrown attraction relies on international workforce Sarah Hustead is the fourth-generation leader and vice president of Wall Drug, which began with her great-grandparents in 1931\. Famous for its free ice water, 5 cent coffee, fresh donuts and roadside signs around the world, Wall Drug boasts more than 2 million visitors a year. The surrounding community of Wall is home to about 800 residents. According to Hustead, Wall Drug has about 70 year-round employees and must hire roughly 120 additional workers to manage the influx of visitors during the peak summer months. American college students used to make up most of those seasonal workers. Hustead said that changed gradually over the past couple decades. "As internships became more important, we saw less and less college students applying," she explained. ![Sarah Hustead explains Wall Drug relies on international seasonal workers during a panel discussion in Wall, S.D., on April 28, 2024. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/05/Sarah-Hustead-opt-1.jpg) Sarah Hustead explains Wall Drug relies on international seasonal workers during a panel discussion in Wall, S.D., on April 28, 2024\. (Photo Credit: Delainey LaHood-Burns / SDPB) Today, some of the seasonal workforce at Wall Drug is made up of local high schoolers and traveling work campers, like those featured in the [Academy Award-winning 2020 film "Nomadland](https://www.travelsouthdakota.com/trip-ideas/roam-south-dakotas-nomadland?ref=sdnewswatch.org)." But many seasonal workers come to Wall Drug through the H-2B work visa process. That program is set aside for foreign nationals to fill temporary, non-agricultural positions. "We really count on those workers," said Hustead. "Since it's a lottery system, it's kind of luck of the draw. It seems like we're having more trouble after they've been approved. To get those visas at the embassies – just everything is taking a little bit longer." [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/05/donate-3.jpg)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Because the H-2B visa process can be lengthy, Wall Drug begins the process of applying for seasonal workers in October. By January, Hustead typically learns the business's standing in the visa lottery system and how soon those workers will arrive for the busy summer months. "We also use the J-1 visa program, which is for students," said Hustead. "That program is much easier and has been going really well for us." The visa programs have made Wall a temporary home for workers from Thailand, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Jamaica and more. "It's really fun because you're in a tiny town and it's just a melting pot," said Hustead. "Learning so much about different cultures every year is really awesome." ## The story at Badlands and Mount Rushmore Visitors can find an entrance to Badlands National Park just a few minutes south of Wall. It's the first national park Mike Pflaum ever visited as a 6-year-old from Minnesota. "That memory of going to the first overlook and going, 'Wow!' has stuck with me for my entire life," said Pflaum. ![Mike Pflaum is former superintendent of Badlands National Park and now serves as special advisor for the Badlands Conservancy. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/05/Mike-Pflaum-opt-1.jpg) Mike Pflaum is former superintendent of Badlands National Park and now serves as special adviser for the Badlands Conservancy. He said seasonal workers are effectively the face of national parks during a panel discussion in Wall, S.D., on April 28, 2025\. (Photo Credit: Delainey LaHood-Burns / SDPB) His life went on to include a four-decade career with the National Parks Service, including time as the superintendent of Badlands National Park. Today, Pflaum serves as special adviser for the nonprofit Badlands National Park Conservancy and is president-elect of the Association for National Park Rangers. Pflaum explained most national parks like Badlands have a core group of permanent employees. "Every year we would hire as many seasonal employees as the budget allowed to do everything from fee collection to emergency services to operating the visitor center desk to doing visitor programs and maintaining facilities and much more," said Pflaum." So in many cases, it was the seasonal employees who would be the face of the park." ![Dan Wenk served as superintendent of Mt. Rushmore National Memorial from 1985 to 2001.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/05/Dan-Wenk-opt-3.jpg) Dan Wenk served as superintendent of Mount Rushmore National Memorial from 1985 to 2001\. He's now on the board of directors for the Mount Rushmore Society. He said NPS layoffs in early 2025 meant a loss of experienced seasonal workers during a panel discussion in Wall, S.D., on April 28, 2025\. (Photo Credit: Jordyn Henderson / SDPB) Dan Wenk agrees. He spent a portion of his own 40-year career with the National Parks Service as superintendent of Mount Rushmore National Memorial. Wenk is now on the board of directors for the Mount Rushmore Society, the nonprofit organization that partners with the NPS to preserve and enhance the memorial and surrounding exhibits. "We relied on people who would come back year after year," Wenk said of seasonal workers. "They would know the park. They would know the stories. They would know the educational side of what they were going to do. And they'd also understand what they needed to do and how they were going to contribute to the efficiency and the things that people have come to experience and to love about national parks." ## February layoffs mean long-term uncertainty Like Wall Drug, federally controlled attractions like Badlands National Park and Mount Rushmore start their seasonal hiring process several months in advance. When the Trump administration instituted a hiring freeze for the National Parks Service, followed by the sudden layoffs of 1,000 probationary NPS employees in mid-February, Pflaum watched with growing concern. "I would say because of the confusion over if we can hire, when we can hire – things got going a little bit late," said Pflaum. ## ****Get South Dakota stories** Sign up for an email summary on most weekdays that links to the full story. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. The initial concerns over adequately staffing the 2025 peak visitor season have lessened. Following the February layoffs, the Trump administration permitted National Park Service to fill [up to 7,700 seasonal positions nationwide](https://www.npr.org/2025/02/26/nx-s1-5307908/national-parks-layoffs-visitors-disruptions?ref=sdnewswatch.org). "I think what we know now is that we *will* have a seasonal workforce," Wenk said in late April. "What we don't know is how that's going to translate into the visitor season because many of the seasonal employees were those longtime seasonal employees who came back year after year. When the uncertainty arose in terms of if they had a job and would it last, many very highly qualified people decided to do something else." That uncertainty has extended beyond seasonal employees. "Many senior managers and others have accepted early retirements or taken a resignation," said Pflaum. "I don't think that's going to be a noticeable impact for the summer, but I think it has ramifications for the long-term management of our national parks." ## Housing workers and finding home Housing seasonal employees is another challenge federally managed and private businesses have in common. Pflaum explained the National Park Service offers housing for rent but not enough for all seasonal workers in a given location. "Housing is a perennial issue in many national parks, and I'm going to say it certainly is at Badlands," he said. "People accept positions without housing available." In the case of Badlands National Park, that leaves those employees to look for housing in rural nearby towns like Interior, Kadoka, and Wall – all with limited rentals available. In contrast, Hustead said the family-run attraction takes pains to house all of its seasonal employees. "I'm somewhat swimming in Badlands's wake where if they can't house someone, maybe I'll get the employee," Hustead explained. "We own a trailer court in town and then we've acquired quite a few houses around town, and the management that goes into housing all the employees is pretty extensive." Even for year-round employees, Hustead said providing housing is a significant recruitment tool. Personally, Hustead appreciates the sense of community across the broader tourism industry, even if there can be an element of competition. "If I have a customer coming through and they're not stopping at the Badlands, I'm like, 'You can't come here and not go through the Badlands!' And I hear that from other business owners that they're sending them my way," said Hustead. Both Pflaum and Wenk worked in various positions with the National Parks Service across the country in their careers, and both chose to retire in South Dakota to continue promoting and preserving the lands they came to love. Wenk suspects they're far from the only ones. "I think we do have in South Dakota more and more amenity migrants – people who are coming from other places to come to South Dakota because of the amenities that we have," he said. "And the public lands are part of that." --- ### How to watch 'South Dakota Focus' The season finale of "South Dakota Focus" airs on Thursday, May 29, at 8 p.m. Central time / 7 p.m. Mountain time. It can be viewed on SDPB-TV1, YouTube and SD.net. The episode includes: - How experienced National Parks Service leaders expect an uncertain hiring season will impact peak tourism months - The role housing plays in ensuring attractions have adequate seasonal staff - The relationship between federally-run attractions and private businesses in the local economy [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was written by *Jackie Hendry*, host and producer of South Dakota Public Broadcasting's "South Dakota Focus," to preview the next show. It was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact us* at info@sdnewswatch.org*. ### News Watch adds reporter for rural and Native American stories URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/rural-indigenous-beat-molly-wetsch/ Last updated: 2025-05-21T13:15:56.000Z South Dakota News Watch is adding a full-time reporter who will focus on rural and Native American communities across the state as a Report for America corps member. Molly Wetsch was born and raised in South Dakota. Her family comes from farming towns and the Cheyenne River Indian Reservation, so she understands the issues that are unique to both communities. Wetsch previously served as an editorial intern for Forbes in New York City, working on the contributor network and specializing in consumer technology. At Forbes, she also wrote breaking news and contributed to the Forbes "50 Over 50 list." ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/05/MollyWetsch-1.jpg) Molly Wetsch Wetsch began her career in journalism at Lincoln High School in Sioux Falls, where she wrote a monthly column and covered local business news as an intern and contributing writer for SiouxFalls.Business. She is a recent graduate of Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland, where she received a degree in global business. There, she served as deputy editor of the University Times, the university’s newspaper, and deputy editor of the Trinity Business Review. Wetsch starts on July 7 and will live in downtown Sioux Falls but travel the state as part of this new beat made possible through [Report for America](https://www.reportforamerica.org/2025/05/21/report-for-america-2025-2026-cm-announcement/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). She is among 107 incoming corps members who were selected from a competitive pool of more than 1,300 applicants. [Please consider donating toward rural and Native American stories](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/reportforamerica/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). Besides adding Wetsch to News Watch's reporting team, the organization is [hiring a full-time statehouse investigative reporter](https://www.linkedin.com/jobs/view/4228305520/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) who will cover state government from Pierre. Please share the link with anyone you think would be interested. [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/05/donate-3.jpg)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate?ref=sdnewswatch.org) [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact Carson Walker* at* [*carson.walker@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:carson.walker@sdnewswatch.org). ### Have South Dakota’s registered in-home day cares decreased over the past decade? URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/fact-brief-south-dakotas-registered-in-home-day-cares-child-care/ Last updated: 2025-05-21T10:13:12.000Z ## Yes. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/05/FactBriefLogo-1.jpg) Since 2015, South Dakota has lost half of its in-home day cares, with around 350 registered with the state in 2024. The lack of staff has repeatedly plagued the child care industry. With an average hourly wage of $12.67, child care providers are among the lowest wage-earners in South Dakota. The state does not require in-home day cares with fewer than 13 children to register unless they receive government funding. It’s unknown how many unregistered day cares are in the state. A 2021 study estimated there were 2,200 in-home providers. While larger licensed child care centers have grown slightly, the total number of licensed or registered child care providers is still down a third in the past decade. **This fact brief responds to conversations such as* [**this one*](https://old.reddit.com/r/SouthDakota/comments/1k8730j/well%5Fat%5Fleast%5Fwe%5Fhave%5Fsomething%5Fgoing%5Ffor%5Fus%5Fin/mp59lsn/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)**.* ### Sources South Dakota KIDS COUNT, [Data Center](https://datacenter.aecf.org/data/line/10802-licensed-or-registered-child-care-providers?loc=43&loct=2&ref=sdnewswatch.org#2/43/false/1096,2545,1095,2048,574,1729,37,871,870,573/asc/6859/20653) South Dakota News Watch,[ Child care policy proposals return to Pierre](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-child-care-proposals-daycares-legislature/) South Dakota Child Care Task Force, [Sustainable solutions for transforming childcare in South Dakota. ](http://www.earlylearnersd.org/%5Ffiles/ugd/a4a22e%5Fcf4810fced214600a44de8f4df2619d0.pdf?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Committee for Economic Development, [South Dakota home-based child care businesses](https://public.tableau.com/app/profile/tia.collier/viz/SDHome-basedChildCareBusinesses2021%5F17116523228200/Dashboard1?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Early Learner South Dakota,[ Learning environments data](https://www.earlylearnersd.org/data?ref=sdnewswatch.org) --- [**South Dakota News Watch**](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/) partners with [**Gigafact**](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) to publish fact briefs that refute or confirm a claim with supporting information and additional evidence and context. [**Get our email with fact briefs and stories**](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/). [](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/tag/fact-brief/)[**Read previous fact briefs**](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/tag/fact-brief/) and our verification standards and other [**best practices policies**](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/best-practices/). **Have a question we can answer?** Submit it at the [**South Dakota News Watch Tipline**](https://gigafact.org/tipline/south-dakota-news-watch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). Send questions or feedback to [**factbrief@sdnewswatch.org**](mailto:factbrief@sdnewswatch.org). Can you separate fact from fiction? [**Take the fact brief quiz to find out**](https://gigafact.org/quiz/south-dakota-news-watch/default-8765/?mc%5Fcid=50ec5ce4a2&mc%5Feid=4d5aab024f&ref=sdnewswatch.org). [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact Megan Luther* at* [*megan.luther@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:megan.luther@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Renewable energy industry powers new job growth in SD URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/renewable-energy-wind-power-electricity-south-dakota/ Last updated: 2026-01-23T20:07:06.000Z MITCHELL, S.D. — Matthew Pearson found a successful career in the wind energy industry purely by chance. After graduating from high school in Vermillion, Pearson knew he didn’t want to pursue a four-year degree and instead scrolled through the list of majors offered at Mitchell Tech, one of the state’s four technical colleges. “When I came to the wind energy program, I thought, ‘Well, that sounds kind of cool,'” Pearson, 28, recalled during a recent interview at Mitchell Tech, the only South Dakota college with a designated wind energy major. ****Powering Rural Futures:** Clean energy is creating new jobs in rural America, generating opportunities for people who install solar panels, build wind turbines, weatherize homes and more. [This five-part series](https://www.canarymedia.com/rural?ref=sdnewswatch.org) from the Rural News Network explores how industry, state governments and education systems are training this growing workforce. He didn’t know it at the time, but Pearson had stumbled into one of the fastest-growing, highest-paying trade fields in the state and nation. While workforce shortages plague many industries and employers in the Rushmore State, great opportunities abound for skilled workers to build, operate and maintain renewable energy facilities, including at wind farms. Meanwhile, strong partnerships between technical colleges, employers and the [Build Dakota Scholarship program ](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-build-dakota-scholarships-technical-colleges-jobs/)have forged a ready pathway to quickly and effectively fill the need for energy workers. ![Matthew Pearson, an instructor in the wind technology program at Mitchell Tech in Mitchell, S.D., shows a turbine students can work on in a lab at the school ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/05/2025-4-8-Mitchell-Tech-instructor-1.jpg) Matthew Pearson, an instructor in the wind technology program at Mitchell Tech in Mitchell, S.D., shows a turbine students can work on in a lab at the school on April 8, 2025\. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) Pearson obtained a Build Dakota Scholarship that paid all tuition for a two-year wind technology degree, then spent about $15,000 to complete another two-year major in electrical construction. After graduation, he quickly landed a job wiring wind towers at locations around the country. He was initially paid about $80,000 a year, and after six years was making $127,000 plus a daily living fee of $140. But now, with a fiancee and two children, Pearson is completing a circle by leaving field work and returning to Mitchell Tech to become its only wind energy program instructor. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/01/2025-4-7-Wind-tower-landscape-1.jpeg) Wind towers have become commonplace on the windswept prairies of South Dakota, including at this site near Kimball on April 7, 2025\. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) Pearson said that in addition to teaching the skills needed to thrive in the renewable energy field, he’ll also share the good news about their job prospects. “There's been a steady uptick in the need for workforce,” he said. “When I would get to a jobsite, there would be three or four companies there, and they’d always come over and ask, ‘Hey, you want to come work for us instead?’” ## 77% of state's power from renewable energy South Dakota is among the top three states nationally in percentage of energy generated from renewable sources, leaving it well positioned to provide both jobs in the field and trainers like Pearson who will help meet demand for workers. About 77% of the power used in the state comes from non-fossil fuel sources, largely from water and wind, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. The state has three solar farms but no plans filed for more. Since the mid-1950s, South Dakota has generated significant energy from its four hydroelectric power plants on the Missouri River. ![President John F. Kennedy made a speech at the dedication of the Oahe Dam in Pierre, S. D., on August 17, 1962, helping usher the state into the realm of renewable energy.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/05/JFK-at-dam-opening.jpg) President John F. Kennedy made a speech at the dedication of the Oahe Dam in Pierre, S.D., on Aug. 17, 1962, helping usher the state into the realm of renewable energy. (Photo: South Dakota State Historical Society) And over roughly the past 15 years, the state has seen a tenfold increase in wind energy production, according to the state Public Utilities Commission. That growth has created a healthy number of construction and maintenance jobs. In 2009, the state had 190 turbines capable of producing about 350 megawatts (MW) of electricity. At the end of 2024, South Dakota was home to 1,417 turbines able to generate about 3,600 MW of energy. The PUC also approved a 68-turbine project with a capacity of 260 MW and a $621 million price tag near Clear Lake in March. “We’ve had just a tremendous expansion of wind energy in South Dakota,” said Chris Nelson, a PUC commissioner. “Today, though, we’re in a little bit of a lull.” The expected slowdown is due to a lack of transmission lines capable of carrying more power, most of which heads east out of the state, Nelson said. Despite the infrastructure challenges, renewable energy still has a bright future, he said. Two nonprofit energy consortiums that manage the power grid in the upper Midwest plan to spend a combined $37 billion to expand transmission capacity, including in South Dakota, over roughly the next decade. ## Two majors, 100% job placement At Lake Area Technical College in Watertown, students are offered two energy-related degree tracks, said president Tiffany Sanderson. The energy technology major provides training in development and maintenance of energy systems, and the energy operations degree is aimed at managing an energy facility. “In our energy programs, those are students interested in working with their hands and solving engineering or process-oriented problems,” she said. “They’re very mechanically minded and can figure out how to make sure power is produced reliably so people don’t have delays in service.” ![Lake Area Technical College president Tiffany Sanderson smiles on April 10, 2025 while giving a tour of the energy labs at the school in Watertown, S.D. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/05/2025-4-10-Lake-Area-Tech-Sanderson-1.jpg) Lake Area Technical College president Tiffany Sanderson smiles on April 10, 2025, while giving a tour of the energy labs at the school in Watertown, S.D. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) During a recent tour of the technology labs, students used 3D printers, developed and analyzed system efficiency and worked on unique projects like a solar-powered ice fishing shanty. The two programs have about two dozen students combined, Sanderson said. In the 2023 graduating class, 100% of all graduates were employed within six months, with average salaries of $65,000 a year in the technology major and $69,000 a year in operations. “That is for their first jobs in the industry, so those are tremendous opportunities for a brand new graduate with two years of college education,” she said. ## ‘Crazy’ number of jobs available In May, Nathaniel Bekaert will become one of those new graduates from Lake Area Tech. Bekaert, 28, grew up on a farm and came to the college after six years in the U.S. Army, which paid for almost all of his tuition, fees and equipment costs. ![Lake Area Technical College students Nathan Kittleson, left and Nathaniel Bekaert discuss components of energy systems at the campus in Watertown, S.D., on April 10, 2025.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/05/2025-4-10-Lake-Area-Tech-students-1.jpg) Lake Area Technical College students Nathan Kittleson, left and Nathaniel Bekaert discuss components of energy systems at the campus in Watertown, S.D., on April 10, 2025\. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) After touring the Gavins Point Dam hydroelectric plant in Yankton on the Nebraska border and interning at the Big Stone Power Plant near the Minnesota border, Bekaert was sold on the idea of working as a mechanic in the energy field. “The more you learn, the more you want to dive into it,” he said. [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/05/donate-3.jpg)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate?ref=sdnewswatch.org) With his anticipated degree and work experience, Bekaert said he was recruited extensively by energy companies. “The amount of energy companies coming in looking for workers is crazy, and you can’t really grasp how many companies are looking for energy students,” he said. “There are a dozen or more companies within 45 minutes from here that are actively looking for technicians and operators or people with some type of energy degree.” As a native of the Watertown area, Bekaert has accepted a job close to home as a wind technician at the Crowned Ridge wind farm northeast of the city, where he will make $29 an hour plus a $5,000 signing bonus and a $200 annual stipend for work boots. Crowned Ridge is operated by NextEra Energy, a Florida-based company that runs wind farms across the country. A recent check of NextEra’s website revealed 396 job openings, with 185 related specifically to wind energy. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2026/01/2025-4-8-power-pole-workers-1.jpeg) Students at Mitchell Tech practice wiring atop power poles under the watchful eyes of instructors at the campus in Mitchell, S.D. on April 8, 2025\. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) “No matter what happens with fossil fuels, we can keep going (with renewable energy) and live off that, and it will benefit everybody in the world. And we won’t have to rely on another country,” Bekaert said of his career choice. ## A systematic approach to workforce development The South Dakota technical school system, which also includes campuses in Sioux Falls and Rapid City, has developed a close working relationship with the energy industry to ensure students learn the right skills and employers can tap into a pipeline of well-trained workers. Lake Area Tech officials go into local public schools to promote energy and other trade jobs starting in elementary grades, Sanderson said. ![Clayton Deuter, vice president for enrollment services, sits at his desk at Mitchell Tech in Mitchell, S.D., on April 8, 2025.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/05/2025-4-8-Mitchell-Tech-official-1.jpg) Clayton Deuter, vice president for enrollment services, sits at his desk at Mitchell Tech in Mitchell, S.D., on April 8, 2025\. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) At Mitchell Tech, vice president for enrollment services Clayton Deuter said the college now offers a one-year wind energy degree instead of a two-year program, a change made after energy companies said some skills taught in the longer program could be obtained on the job instead. Deuter said the energy programs at Mitchell Tech are an easy sell to students and their parents due to the low cost compared to a four-year college and the availability of Build Dakota scholarships in which students get tuition paid if they work in South Dakota for three years after graduation. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/05/Facebook-copy.png) Mitchell Tech also offers a dual-enrollment program to high school students so they can have a wind energy degree from the college in hand by the time they graduate. “You think about return on investment, and here you can take one year in the wind turbine program and you can graduate and make $80,000 to $100,000 a year,” Deuter said. “With student loan debt being so crazy, you don’t have to bankrupt yourself financially and be tethered to a student loan payment when you’re trying to buy a house and start a family.” ![Welders, such as this one shown on April 9, 2025, make up a significant portion of the workforce at Marmen Energy in Brandon, S.D., where wind towers are manufactured.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/05/2025-4-9-Marmen-welder-1.jpg) Welders, such as this one shown on April 9, 2025, make up a significant portion of the workforce at Marmen Energy in Brandon, S.D., where wind towers are manufactured. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) One of the state’s biggest renewable energy employers is Marmen Energy in Brandon. The Canadian-owned company has 285 employees who build wind towers up to 300-feet tall that are shipped to wind farms nationwide. Aimee Miritello, human resources manager, said the company’s relationships with high schools and technical colleges form a pillar of its worker recruitment strategy to overcome a nagging lack of workers in the trade fields. “Historically for us that has been one of our best ways of getting qualified employees,” she said. Marmen has expanded its South Dakota plant to accommodate what Miritello said has been a steady increase in demand for wind towers across the country. ![Human Resources officer Aimee Miritello stands next to a nearly completed wind tower at Marmen Energy in Brandon, S.D. on April 9, 2025.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/05/2025-4-9-Marmen-HR-with-turbine-1.jpg) Human Resources officer Aimee Miritello stands next to a nearly completed wind tower at Marmen Energy in Brandon, S.D. on April 9, 2025\. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) Marmen workers, who include welders, painters and other construction tradespeople, make a good wage, are offered one of the best benefit packages in the region and have strong opportunities for internal advancement, she said. “Plus, they’re a part of making huge wind towers, so their pride in that is pretty big,” she said. [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This reporting is part of* [*a collaboration*](https://www.canarymedia.com/rural?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *between the* *Institute for Nonprofit News*’ [*Rural News Network*](http://ruralnewsnetwork.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*Canary Media*](https://www.canarymedia.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*,* [*South Dakota News Watch*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/), [*Cardinal News*](https://cardinalnews.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*,* [*The Mendocino Voice*](https://mendovoice.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*The Maine Monitor*](https://themainemonitor.org/?gad%5Fsource=1&gbraid=0AAAAADsqZ8nDeSmHUqojuL-FAIULTmcLJ&gclid=Cj0KCQjw%5FJzABhC2ARIsAPe3ynrL4tCcdwmweOnqRoDA-z235%5FuKWruKzMdTUic3F5%5FZutX-MlEhQZMaAiYBEALw%5FwcB&ref=sdnewswatch.org)*. Support from Ascendium Education Group made the project possible.* **South Dakota News Watch* is an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact* *Bart Pfankuch* at* [*bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Has South Dakota set a goal for reducing water pollution in the state’s rivers and streams? URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-goal-for-reducing-water-pollution-rivers-streams/ Last updated: 2025-05-14T12:09:05.000Z ## No. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/05/FactBriefLogo.jpg) South Dakota’s Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources has not set specific targets for reducing water pollution in the state’s streams and rivers. More than three-quarters (78%) of the stream-miles tested in South Dakota were found to be unhealthy for aquatic life, swimming and other beneficial uses, according to the department’s 2024 surface water quality report. Surface water is public property in South Dakota, not the property of landowners. Major pollutants include fertilizer runoff from farm fields, soil erosion from agricultural operations and natural sources, and E. coli bacteria from livestock and wildlife feces. South Dakota requires a permit to discharge pollutants into surface waters, but issues such as declining inspections and lapsed permits due to staffing issues have contributed to frequent violations. The DANR has not responded to emails asking about statewide pollution reduction goals. Other states, including Minnesota and Iowa, have set statewide goals for pollution reduction. **This fact brief responds to conversations such as* [**this one*](https://www.sdstandardnow.com/home/south-dakota-water-quality-gets-an-f-with-no-signs-of-improvement?rq=surface%20water%20quality&ref=sdnewswatch.org)**.* ### Sources S.D. Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources, [2024 South Dakota Integrated Report for Surface Water Quality Assessment](https://danr.sd.gov/OfficeOfWater/SurfaceWaterQuality/docs/DANR%5F2024%5FIR%5Ffinal.pdf?ref=sdnewswatch.org) South Dakota law, [SDCL 46-1-3 Water as property of people–Appropriation of right to use](https://sdlegislature.gov/Statutes/46-1-3?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton, [Goal to improve water quality in Minnesota by 25% by 2025](https://www.leg.mn.gov/DOCS/2018/other/181224/governor/newsroom/index2e1c.htm?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Iowa Public Radio, [What does Iowa water quality look like after 10 years with the Nutrient Reduction Strategy?](https://www.iowapublicradio.org/ipr-news/2023-10-18/iowa-water-quality-10-years-nutrient-reduction-strategy?ref=sdnewswatch.org) South Dakota News Watch, [Decline in freshwater mussels an indicator of poor river and stream health in South Dakota](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/decline-in-freshwater-mussels-an-indicator-of-poor-river-and-stream-health-in-south-dakota/) South Dakota News Watch, [Rivers at risk: Pollution problems persist as state oversight lags](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/pollution-problems-persist-as-state-oversight-lags/) --- [**South Dakota News Watch**](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/) partners with [**Gigafact**](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) to publish fact briefs that refute or confirm a claim with supporting information and additional evidence and context. [**Get an email with fact briefs and stories**](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/). [](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/tag/fact-brief/)[**Read previous fact briefs**](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/tag/fact-brief/) and our verification standards and other [**best practices policies**](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/best-practices/). Can you separate fact from fiction? [**Take the fact brief quiz to find out**](https://gigafact.org/quiz/south-dakota-news-watch/default-8765/?mc%5Fcid=50ec5ce4a2&mc%5Feid=4d5aab024f&ref=sdnewswatch.org). **Have a question we can answer?** Submit it at the [**South Dakota News Watch Tipline**](https://gigafact.org/tipline/south-dakota-news-watch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). Send questions or feedback to [**factbrief@sdnewswatch.org**](mailto:factbrief@sdnewswatch.org). [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *to get stories when they're published. Contact usat* [*info@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:info@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Tourism leaders worried soft economy will slow revenues URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-tourism-economy-travel-visitors-recession-sturgis-rally/ Last updated: 2025-06-27T13:19:58.000Z PIEDMONT, S.D. – John Carley joined about 100 other business operators in early May for a meeting of the Black Hills & Badlands Tourism Association to preview the 2025 tourism season. The mood in the room, he said, was "a little muted" compared to recent years, when South Dakota set repeated records for visitors and tourism spending. "I wouldn't say they were jumping up and down like, 'Yeah, we're going to have a great year,'" said Carley, manager of the Elk Creek Resort and Petrified Forest in Piedmont. For the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic, tourism officials across the state are feeling cautious, and perhaps even a bit worried, that tourist numbers and revenues will be lower this year. From Sioux Falls to Rapid City, officials said stubborn inflation, the rising cost of living, cuts to federal jobs and national parks, fear of tariff impacts and a general malaise over the national economy could curtail visitor counts and spending. "Anxiety is starting to grow among American travel consumers," said James Hagen, secretary of the South Dakota Department of Tourism. "People are being very cost-conscious right now." Comments by President Donald Trump about annexing Canada is also blunting the state's typical rush of visitors from north of the border, officials said. ![John Carley, manager of the Elk Creek Resort and Petrified Forest, points to the location of attractions within the park in Piedmont, S.D.,](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/05/2025-5-6-John-Carley--resort-manager-1-1.jpg) John Carley, manager of the Elk Creek Resort and Petrified Forest, points to the location of attractions within the park in Piedmont, S.D., on May 6, 2025\. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) A recent industry survey showed that while most Americans remain excited about potential travel this year, more than half are worried about a pending national recession, Hagen said. One quarter of those respondents said their worries will cause them to travel less this year, he said. Hagen said when travel budgets were tight in the past, such as during the 2008 Great Recession and the COVID-19 pandemic, South Dakota still performed well because it is mostly a driving destination that is seen as affordable compared to its competition. "There are some things that are out of our control, national and world politics for example, so we need to keep a close pulse of what's going on," Hagen said. "But we can adjust our message in a heartbeat nine ways to Sunday to reach the right consumers at the right time to get in front of those consumers to inspire them to pull the trigger." [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/05/Donate-today-News-Watch--1--1.png)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?%5Fgl=1%2A1b0ep3i%2A%5Fga%2AMTM3NDcyODMyNS4xNzAyMTQ0MTg3%2A%5Fga%5FH98KVPR32J%2AMTcyNzIyNjUwOS40MzMuMS4xNzI3MjI3NzQ1LjAuMC4w&ref=sdnewswatch.org) Any reduction in visitors and tourism dollars will cause ripples across the economy of South Dakota, which has seen falling sales tax revenues in recent years. According to the state, tourism generated nearly $400 million in tax revenues, making up 17% of all state sales tax collections in 2024\. An estimated 14.9 million visitors spent $5.1 billion in 2024, supporting nearly 59,000 jobs, state data show. Tourism has been on a roll in South Dakota in recent years, with increases in visitors and spending in seven of the past eight years, dipping only during the pandemic in 2020\. ## Worrisome hotel data in Sioux Falls Teri Schmidt, CEO of Experience Sioux Falls, said the East River tourism outlook for 2025 “isn’t looking the worst, but it’s not looking the best either.” Signs of market weakness are showing up in Sioux Falls hotel vacancy rates. Schmidt said year-over-year occupancy was down 5.7% in March and down 11.4% in April. “I don’t ever remember that happening, so that’s a tough one to swallow,” she said. “We’re working as hard as ever, but it’s just not happening so far.” ![An aerial view of Pactola Resevoir in the Black Hills of South Dakota](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/05/2025-4-21-Pactola-Reservoir-1.jpg) Despite concerns over economic uncertainty, tourism officials in South Dakota remain hopeful that attractions such as Pactola Reservoir, S.D., in the Black Hills, shown here on April 21, 2025, will still lure tourists in 2025\. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) Schmidt said she’s hearing potential tourists indicate they might cut back on travel or reduce the length or extent of vacations this year. “Some are saying, we’re just not going to come because, 'What if we lose our Medicare or tariffs cause my groceries to increase or the cost of gas or my medications?” she said. “And it’s not just the older generations that feel this way. … There’s a lot of young people just getting established who are being a bit more careful with their money.” New data also show soft tourism bookings in locations that compete with Sioux Falls, including in Fargo, North Dakota, Madison, Wisconsin and Omaha, Nebraska, Schmidt said. A tour group of 18 people recently cancelled their trip to South Dakota over economic uncertainty, and she’s not hearing the usual travel interest from Canadians, many of whom are upset over Trump’s effort to make the country the 51st U.S. state. “Canada has always been a great visitor market for our state and we’re just not seeing it all,” she said. ## 'Booking window' tighter when money is tight Michelle Thomson, CEO of the Black Hills & Badlands Tourism Association, said she is hearing about “financial uncertainty” and worry over a possible economic recession among potential visitors, which is causing the so-called booking window to shorten. That means visitors aren’t locking in travel plans as early as usual, which adds to unease for tourism businesses that can’t be sure if people are coming, Thomson said. ## ****Get South Dakota stories** Sign up for an email summary on most weekdays that links to the full story. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. “Optimism is still very high, and people are still talking about vacations,” she said. “But ultimately, the financial concerns people are having is causing some visitors a little bit of heartache over whether they’re going to take a vacation this year.” Thomson said she expects visitors to come to western South Dakota, but they might be more frugal than in the past. “After COVID, people really feel like a vacation is something that is automatic for them,” she said. “They’re just taking another look at where they go and they may spend a little less time and a little less money.” ## Spending at Sturgis rally could fall this year Toni Woodruff, spokeswoman for the Buffalo Chip campground and event venue in Sturgis, said the annual motorcycle rallies tend to draw bigger crowds in anniversary years marked by a zero or a five, including this year’s 85th. And while bookings for the early August event are very strong so far, Woodruff said the high cost of living could reduce spending by bikers this year. ![Motorcycle riders take in the view of Bear Butte doing the 2023 Sturgis, S.D., rally. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/05/2023-Rally-Bear-Butte-1.jpg) Motorcycle riders take in the view of Bear Butte doing the 2023 Sturgis, S.D., rally. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) “The people are coming and they’re very excited,” she said. “Where we might see some of the impact (from the economy) will be more in how much disposable income they’re spending, maybe less on food and beverage and merchandise.” Any tightness in spending will hurt businesses across the Black Hills and among the nearly 900 temporary vendors that arrive for the event, she said. Woodruff said she attended the Daytona Bike Week in Florida earlier this year and spoke to vendors who were concerned about rising food costs and the tariffs placed on goods from China, where they order much of the merchandise they sell. “Food vendors are going to have to pay higher prices and those higher costs will be pushed onto tourists,” she said. “And like what we saw happened during COVID, when those prices went up, they never went back down.” ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/05/Woodruff-quote.png) Like other South Dakota tourism officials, however, Woodruff remains confident that 2025 will be a good year for the tourism industry, at least during the rally. “The rally is really an affordable vacation option, and it’s like Mecca in how people prepare for it in advance so it’s on their radar and on their calendar,” she said. “They’ll say, ‘Yes, It’s going to cost some money, but I’m going to find a way to make it happen.’” ## So far, so good at Elk Creek Resort From his vantage point, Carley said 2025 is off to a good start at Elk Creek Resort, which opened on May 1\. The sprawling recreational vehicle, camping and cabin resort with a pool and a lake sits a mile east of Interstate 90 between Rapid City and Sturgis. Early bookings are above average for the resort's two big annual events – the Black Hills Bluegrass Festival in June and the Sturgis motorcycle rally in August. "Those are both barometers for us, and so far they're looking good," he said. ![Recreational vehicles at a campground in the Black Hills](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/05/2025-5-6-Piedmont-SD-RV-park-1-1.jpg) A handful of RV campers were already enjoying the scenery at the Elk Creek Resort in Piedmont, S.D., on May 6, 2025\. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) Early season interest in the Petrified Forest has been solid, and he's hoping to attract both visitors with plans in place and those just passing through. Carley, who is a state senator from Meade County, said predictions about visitors can be gauged largely on inflation rates and gas prices. While prices for many things remain high, he said the $3.39 per-gallon unleaded gas price in Rapid City in early May is acceptable. His only concern is that the 2025 season might be soft in times when there isn't a big event scheduled in the area. "Those in-between periods, that's where I'd say we don't have the same level of bookings as we've had in the past." Schmidt said she and her team continue to promote aggressively to keep the doors open to anyone who wants to visit Sioux Falls or elsewhere in South Dakota, even if it's for a shorter or less extravagant stay. "I’m just so concerned for those businesses who live by the tourism dollar because that is their livelihood," she said. "Especially if you’re a seasonal business, and we certainly have many of those in our state, if that tourism season doesn't come through with a bang, it's pretty hard to take." [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact* *Bart Pfankuch* at* [*bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Humanities projects take hit from DOGE federal cuts URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/humanities-projects-federal-cuts-trump-musk-doge/ Last updated: 2025-06-24T19:37:18.000Z In the spring of 2024, the Norwegian American Historical Association received some encouraging news. The Minnesota-based organization was approved for a federal grant of about $300,000 to preserve, digitize and share materials documenting relief efforts of Norwegian-Americans toward their homeland during the German occupation of Norway in World War II. [Federal cuts roundup: The impact on South DakotaA developing list on the effects of federal job cuts, program reductions and hiring freezes in the state.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-114.jpg)South Dakota News WatchStu Whitney![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/2025-3-27-Food-Bank-overview-shot-1.jpeg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/federal-budget-cuts-impact-south-dakota-doge-trump-musk/) The project, “Alt for Norge: Norwegians Fighting for Two Homelands,” impressed decision-makers at the National Endowment for the Humanities as a worthwhile endeavor to highlight stories and footage that were otherwise inaccessible. “The grant process was peer-reviewed and went through four different stages,” said Kristina Warner, an archivist for the NAHA, which was founded in 1925 and is housed at St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota. “The feedback we got was that this was a very unrepresented part of World War II history that showed how one immigrant group tried to get aid to those back home. Other immigrant groups did that too, but the Norwegians were the ones who really kept all of their records.” ## Cuts characterized as 'urgent priority' The project, which began in September and involving hiring another archivist, is now shrouded in uncertainty after federal cuts ordered by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), overseen by billionaire Elon Musk, an adviser to President Donald Trump. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/05/musk.1.jpg) President Donald Trump listens as Elon Musk speaks in the Oval Office at the White House on Feb. 11, 2025, in Washington. (Alex Brandon / The Associated Press) The April 2 budget reductions were directed at the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), an independent federal agency that distributes money appropriated by Congress to state humanities councils, museums and universities for education and research. DOGE placed roughly 80% of NEH staff members on administrative leave and terminated previously awarded grant programs that were not fully paid out, according to the Federation of State Humanities Councils. [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/05/donate-3.jpg)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate?ref=sdnewswatch.org) The NAHA received an email from Michael McDonald, the general counsel who became acting chairman of the NEH after previous chair Shelly Lowe left her position in March at the direction of President Trump. Lowe, the first Native American to lead the agency, was nominated by former President Joe Biden. “Your grant’s immediate termination is necessary to safeguard the interests of the federal government, including fiscal priorities," McDonald wrote to the Norwegian historical group. "The termination of your grant represents an urgent priority for the administration, and due to the exceptional circumstances, adherence to the traditional notification process is not possible.” ## 'Scrambling to try to keep this going' The grant money had allowed the NAHA to pursue its three-year project of acquiring and curating five World War II collections, including footage of a training base for the Royal Norwegian Air Force in Toronto and images of soldiers and the Norwegian Royal Family during the Nazi occupation. German troops invaded Norway in April 1940 and remained in control of the country until the end of the war in 1945, when the royal family returned from exile. Norwegian-Americans were instrumental in collecting funds for supplies, food, and housing for those who remained in Norway during the war. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/05/norway.2.jpg) Former Olympic athlete and commissioned officer Ole Reistad (far left) is pictured with Norway's Prince Harald, Princess Astrid and Princess Ragnhild at Camp Little Norway, Toronto, Canada, during World War II. (Photo: Submitted) The project continues for now, said Amy Boxrud, NAHA's executive director. Digitized photos were made public in February from the collection of fur trader and wartime photographer Campbell Norsgaard, some of which he managed to smuggle out of the Soviet Union. But the rest of the work, and the status of the digital archivist hired with grant money, are "in limbo" following the federal cuts, with donors being asked to fill the void, Boxrud told News Watch. “We knew that the NEH was sort of in the crosshairs, but we were really hoping that grants already awarded and under way would be spared,” she said. “These are special projects that we wouldn't undertake with our normal operations budget, so we're sort of scrambling to try to keep this going." ## State humanities council feels pinch The NEH also sent letters to state humanities councils across the country saying their federal grants had been terminated. The halt in funding came during the middle of the fiscal year and has caused widespread changes in programs. Christina Oey, executive director of the South Dakota Humanities Council, which receives about $950,000 annually through NEH, called it a shock to the system. That federal money represents nearly three-fourths of the organization's budget, with the rest coming from donations. “Our funding was completely cut overnight,” Oey told News Watch. “There was no grandfathering in. There was no elimination process. It was just 100% cut. We had about $122,000 worth of grants we were about to disperse, and we've had to pause those grants because we just don't have the funding for them.” [![CTA Image](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/06/SDNW-Logo-Horizontal--1--1.jpg)](#/portal/signup/free) Get free, in-depth news every few days. Unsubscribe anytime. [Subscribe ](#/portal/signup/free) Some of the local organizations or events impacted include the Laura Ingalls Wilder Pageant in De Smet, the South Dakota State Spelling Bee, Earthlodge Gatherings in Sisseton and the South Dakota State Poetry Society. U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson told News Watch that he's "a supporter of the arts" and has been in contact with the parties involved. "I’ve been in contact with the South Dakota Humanities Council regarding the funding cuts they have been notified of and have passed their concerns along to the White House," Johnson said. U.S. Sens. John Thune and Mike Rounds did not respond to requests for comment. ## 'We know our states the best' As for programs run by the council, Oey is most concerned about the South Dakota Festival of Books, an annual event that has hosted nationally renowned authors such as Jane Smiley, Louise Erdrich, Pete Dexter and Tim O’Brien. The 2025 festival will be held as scheduled on Sept. 26-28 in Spearfish, but federal cuts have changed some of the planning. “We’re going to have to make some adjustments, whether that's scheduling or the number of authors or scaling back some of the events,” Oey said. “But it’s still going to happen, and we still want it to be one of the best ever.” ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/05/festival.books.jpg) Author Craig Johnson speaks to attendees of the South Dakota Festival of Books in Deadwood, S.D., on Oct. 4, 2019\. The event is run by the South Dakota Humanities Council. (Photo: South Dakota Humanities Council) Also impacted is the organization’s Young Readers program, through which every third-grader in South Dakota receives a free book. This year’s offering is “Wings of an Eagle: The Gold Medal Dreams of Billy Mills,” co-authored by Mills, the Pine Ridge native who won the 10,000-meter run at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. Oey said more volunteers will be needed to distribute the books, especially in rural communities. Those remote areas of the country were part of the mission behind the National Endowment for Humanities when it was formed in 1965 as a sub-agency of the National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities. Its mission was "to convey the lessons of history to all Americans” because “democracy demands wisdom," establishing 56 humanities councils in U.S. states and territories to establish grant programs and distribute funds. “The reason it was established is because we know our states the best,” said Oey. “They give funding to us at the councils because we know what goes on in Lemmon, South Dakota, and other small communities throughout the state. We know the culture of South Dakota, whereas the federal government does not.” [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **The Associated Press* contributed to this story, which was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *every few days to get stories as soon as they're published. *Contact Stu Whitney* at* [*stu.whitney@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:stu.whitney@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Can out-of-state residents register their vehicles in South Dakota? URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/out-of-state-license-register-vehicles-south-dakota/ Last updated: 2025-05-07T14:49:09.000Z ## Yes. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/04/FactBriefLogo-4.jpg) South Dakota is an “open registration” state, which means nonresidents from states with higher vehicle registration fees can save money by registering their vehicles here. Nonresidents wishing to register a vehicle in South Dakota need to take the following to the treasurer’s office in a South Dakota county: - Original out-of-state title. - Out-of-state driver’s license. - Social Security number. - A completed South Dakota Motor Vehicle/Boat Title & Registration Application form. The county treasurer’s office will tell applicants the appropriate fees for the county where they are registering their vehicles. In July 2024, South Dakota began requiring non-residents to pay an additional $100 fee to register their vehicle. Clay County and Pennington County are popular with out-of-state vehicle owners. South Dakota is one of 11 states that allow vehicle registration without an in-state license under certain situations, according to Credit Karma. **This fact brief responds to conversations such as* [**this one*](https://www.twincities.com/2020/12/07/why-this-south-dakota-county-is-a-global-license-plate-hub/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)**.* ### Sources South Dakota Department of Revenue, [https://dor.sd.gov/government/government-faqs/](https://dor.sd.gov/government/government-faqs/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) South Dakota Department of Revenue, [https://sddor.seamlessdocs.com/f/1001](https://sddor.seamlessdocs.com/f/1001?ref=sdnewswatch.org) --- [**South Dakota News Watch**](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/) partners with [**Gigafact**](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) to publish fact briefs that refute or confirm a claim with supporting information and additional evidence and context. [**Get our email with fact briefs and stories**](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/). [](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/tag/fact-brief/)[**Read previous fact briefs**](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/tag/fact-brief/) and our verification standards and other [**best practices policies**](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/best-practices/). **Have a question we can answer?** Submit it at the [**South Dakota News Watch Tipline**](https://gigafact.org/tipline/south-dakota-news-watch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). Send questions or feedback to [**factbrief@sdnewswatch.org**](mailto:factbrief@sdnewswatch.org). [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) ### Former Rapid City bishop among cardinals voting for pope URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/blase-cupich-catholic-cardinal-pope-rapid-city/ Last updated: 2025-06-27T13:19:59.000Z *By The Associated Press* One of the Catholic cardinals eligible to vote for the next pope previously served as bishop of the Rapid City, South Dakota, diocese. Blase Cupich, 76, was a [close adviser to Pope Francis](https://apnews.com/article/vatican-pope-cupich-cardinal-chicago-abuse-sex-ae387f721771aa9b66668426740af848?ref=sdnewswatch.org) and served on several Vatican committees. He's considered a moderate, having balanced upholding conservative Catholic teachings on social issues like same-sex marriage and abortion with advocacy for compassionate responses to the affected communities. Cupich, who inherited [clergy sex abuse crises](https://apnews.com/article/catholic-clergy-sexual-abuse-illinois-investigation-a298133cec9486c2e51172316bfe7b4b?ref=sdnewswatch.org) in dioceses he led, helped push reforms to combat the problem. Born in Omaha, Nebraska, he was ordained in 1975 and appointed by Pope John Paul II in 1998 as bishop of Rapid City. Benedict transferred him in 2010 to Spokane, Washington. In 2014, Francis — in his first major U.S. appointment as pope — made him [archbishop of Chicago](https://apnews.com/article/1b0728836e714eea81862cb9e5747fa3?ref=sdnewswatch.org), and then cardinal in 2016. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/05/AP25121558741013.jpg) FILE - Cardinal Blase Cupich, archbishop of Chicago, in Rome, May 25, 2023\. (AP Photo/Paolo Lucariello, File) The United States is the home country for 10 of the 133 cardinals eligible to vote for the replacement of Francis, who died April 21 at the age of 88\. That's more than any nation except Italy, home to 17 of the electors who gather Wednesday for the Vatican conclave to choose the successor to Francis. The cardinals will be locked inside the Sistine Chapel, where they vote in secret and silence, a process designed to be both contemplative and free from outside interference. The longest conclave in history lasted nearly three years, but it’s reasonable to assume that this conclave will be much, much shorter. [Live updates: The conclave to elect the next pope is set to beginCatholic cardinals will gather for a conclave in the Vatican’s Sistine Chapel to elect Pope Francis’ successor. White and black smoke will signal if a new pope has been chosen.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/apple-touch-icon-1.png)AP NewsCURTIS YEE![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/90)](https://apnews.com/live/conclave-pope-catholic-church-5-7-2025?ref=sdnewswatch.org) ## ****Get South Dakota stories** Sign up for an email summary on most weekdays that links to the full story. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/05/donate-3.jpg)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate?ref=sdnewswatch.org) [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *The Associated Press* and published by the *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact:** [*info@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:info@sdnewswatch.org). ### South Dakota News Watch polls: See all results, demographics and data URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/news-watch-poll-results-kristi-noem-john-thune-trump/ Last updated: 2025-06-27T13:19:59.000Z South Dakota News Watch and the Chiesman Center for Democracy at the University of South Dakota polled state voters on a variety of topics, including the 2026 GOP gubernatorial primary, favorability ratings on state politicians and opinions on national issues such as tariffs and President Donald Trump's first 100 days. Mason-Dixon Polling and Strategy, [ranked as one of the least biased and most factual pollsters](https://mediabiasfactcheck.com/mason-dixon-polling-bias-and-credibility/?ref=sdnewswatch.org), conducted the poll April 9-11 using random selections from a telephone-matched state voter registration list that included both landline and cellphone numbers. The margin of error was no more than 4.5 percentage points. The results were published last week here on [sdnewswatch.org](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/tag/politics/). If you missed them, scroll down to see links to those stories as well as all of the poll results along with more background on who was polled. South Dakota News Watch invests in scientific polls to let elected leaders know how constituents think they're doing and also survey people's opinions on important issues. A good poll isn't cheap, so if you value these stories, please consider helping cover the cost. Thank you! [Donate and make these polls possible ](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?%5Fgl=1%2Ab9m3w3%2A%5Fga%2AMTEzMjQ0NDQ5NC4xNzQxNjg3OTU5%2A%5Fga%5FH98KVPR32J%2AMTc0NjIxNzgwNy43MC4xLjE3NDYyMTc4MDcuMC4wLjA.&ref=sdnewswatch.org) --- ## South Dakota News Watch poll stories The poll results compiled and chronicled in four stories: [South Dakota governor poll: Johnson, Rhoden set paceSurvey of 500 Republicans shows Jackley in third place as contenders begin to emerge for 2026 primary showdown.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-110.jpg)South Dakota News WatchStu Whitney![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/dusty.dc-1.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/poll-dusty-johnson-larry-rhoden-south-dakota-john-thune-kristi-noem/) [Poll: About half of South Dakotans support Noem’s DHS effortsGov. Larry Rhoden and U.S. Senate Majority Leader John Thune received higher marks for their job performance than the former governor.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-111.jpg)South Dakota News WatchStu Whitney![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/noem.dhs.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-poll-kristi-noem-john-thune-larry-rhoden/) [Poll: South Dakota Republicans support Trump but policies mixedA survey of 500 Republican voters in South Dakota showed that nearly three-quarters approve of Trump’s presidential leadership so far in 2025.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-112.jpg)South Dakota News WatchStu Whitney![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/trump.1.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/poll-south-dakota-republican-donald-trump-gop-doge/) [Poll: South Dakotans oppose men’s prison in Lincoln CountySurvey also found mixed results on the performance of state legislators during the 2025 session.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-113.jpg)South Dakota News WatchStu Whitney![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/IMG_9561-1.JPG)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-poll-lincoln-county-mens-prison-gop/) --- ## ****Get South Dakota stories** Sign up for an email summary on most weekdays that links to the full story. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. --- ## Poll results: GOP only Part of the poll featured questions given only to registered Republicans. These questions included opinions on the 2026 GOP gubernatorial primary and questions on potential candidates. These polls are stacked below: [GOP voter poll demographicsClick to download the demographics of voters in the GOP-only poll.GOP voter poll demographics.pdf210 KBdownload-circle](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/content/files/2025/05/GOP-voter-poll-demographics.pdf "Download") --- ## Poll results: All registered voters The second part of the poll featured questions given to registered voters of all parties. These questions included opinions on the Lincoln County prison, job performance of South Dakota politicians and national political topics. [All party poll demographicsA breakdown of those polled by age, location, gender and more.All party demographics.pdf211 KBdownload-circle](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/content/files/2025/05/All-party-demographics.pdf "Download") --- [GOP voter tabsDetails of the GOP-only poll.GOP Voter Tabs.pdf173 KBdownload-circle](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/content/files/2025/05/GOP-Voter-Tabs.pdf "Download") [All voter tabsDetails of the all-South Dakota voter poll.All voter tabs.pdf188 KBdownload-circle](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/content/files/2025/05/All-voter-tabs.pdf "Download") [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/05/donate-3.jpg)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate?ref=sdnewswatch.org) [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact Michael Klinski* at* [*michael.klinski@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:michael.klinski@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### A cop with a secret URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/drug-court-addiction-south-dakota-davison-county/ Last updated: 2025-06-27T13:38:25.000Z MITCHELL, S.D. – As guests file into the meeting hall at the Davison County Fairgrounds, organizers grab more chairs. The crowd is bigger than they anticipated — more than 100 people are here for this Thursday afternoon ceremony. Outside in the 40-degree weather – warm for January – the graduates sneak in one last smoke break. Davison County jail administrator Grant Lanning walks in 30 minutes before the ceremony in full uniform, wearing his bulletproof vest, Taser and firearm. The deputy sheriff catches up with his fellow law enforcement officers and texts with friend Dexton Hicks. They met nearly 20 years ago on their way to National Guard basic training. They’ve been texting daily the past couple weeks. “Good luck brother,” Dexton writes. A few days ago, Grant marked his 12th anniversary of being sworn in as a law enforcement officer. “A lot of signs,” he replied to Dexton. ## The program Today is not about a diploma or a degree. It’s much bigger, more valuable. Today is about second chances and 18 months of hard work. The four graduates — all women — completed 860 hours of treatment all told, spent 954 hours sharing in support groups, and stayed sober from drugs and alcohol for a combined 2,228 days. Today they graduate from James Valley DUI and Drug Court. The problem-solving court, as the state calls it, was created in 2007\. Participants, who have felony driving under the influence and drug convictions, avoid prison by going through community-based, intensive outpatient treatment. They must volunteer for the program and be accepted. They have to want it. ## ****Get South Dakota stories** Sign up for an email summary on most weekdays that links to the full story. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. There are extensive requirements, including regular court appearances, substance abuse and mental health treatment, intensive supervision including random drug and alcohol testing, keeping a job and connecting with the recovery support services. If they fail on any count, a judge can send them to prison. The focus is on rehabilitation instead of punishment, which also saves taxpayer money. Completing the program is a big deal, worthy of a graduation celebration. The court holds a handful a year, each with a keynote speaker. Sometimes it’s a past graduate who’s able to relate to life after court. Other speakers have included sheriffs, judges and community members. While planning for this January graduation, administrators discussed their options and thought Grant would make a solid keynote speaker. As the jail administrator, he’s seen the graduates, sometimes multiple times in the Davison County Jail, and he’s been a supporter of the program, rarely missing a graduation. Court coordinator Sharon Kraft emailed Grant, “We generally ask that you speak 10 to 15 minutes.” No problem, he replied. He’d have a few weeks to write it. ## Familiar faces Today’s ceremony begins with Donna Bucher, the James Valley Drug and DUI Court judge, welcoming the crowd and introducing Grant. His friend Dexton wanted to be here. He’s gone through a similar experience and encouraged Grant to speak out. But Dexton, who lives in Kansas City, couldn’t make the drive. So while Judge Bucher mentions his bio in the graduation program, Grant, standing in the back, pushes record on his phone. ![Grant Lanning tells graduates about the support of law enforcement officers in the back of the room at the James Valley Drug and DUI Court graduatio](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/05/1-16-25zDUICourtGraduation-2.jpg) Grant Lanning tells graduates about the support of law enforcement officers in the back of the room at the James Valley Drug and DUI Court graduation on Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025, in Mitchell, S.D. (Photo: Adam Thury / Mitchell Republic) “Why would we invite someone like him to speak at a graduation?” Bucher asks. “He’s law enforcement through and through. He is also a wonderful human with a caring heart, and he wants to see people be successful.” The judge calls Grant to the lectern, and the audience applauds. “A lot of familiar faces here,” Grant smiles. “This is probably one of the only happy times some of you have seen me.” He’s met them in jail and even arrested some of them, and not just the graduates. The audience is full of family, friends, alumni and current court participants. Grant continues on with what you’d expect at a graduation speech, what the graduation coordinators were hoping for. Grant tells those in the audience their job is to support the graduates. He points to the nearly dozen law enforcement officers standing in the back. “They’re not here to see you fail. They’re here to support you.” ## His secret revealed What no one knows, not the coordinators or his colleagues, is that Grant walked up to that oak lectern with two speeches. One contains the message the court envisioned: That when people down on their luck make poor choices in life, it doesn’t define them. That’s the one he wrote first, the easy one. The one that gave him an out. An opportunity to delay his truth, a reprieve from revealing his secret. Because the second speech Grant wrote is more honest and life-defining. After being introduced, Grant walked up with both speeches tucked in a black notebook. When he pulled the pages out, on top was the truth, what he’d been hiding for years. Grant took it as a sign. Let’s do this. Let’s see what happens. “So who am I? Well, I’m a small-town kid that grew up with a dream to always be a cop,” Grant continues. He tells how he went to South Dakota State University to study sociology. How he joined the National Guard and during college was deployed to Afghanistan. How he returned, finished his degree and started in law enforcement. At first, he says, he wanted to put everyone in handcuffs. Now, Grant believes in finding the best solution for someone who’s struggling. “So,” Grant clears his throat. “When they asked me to speak, they’re going to get a little more than they bargained for.” Grant's face starts to redden. He gets that way when he’s nervous. “You talk about sober days, right?” he checks with the graduates, then pauses. “2,977 sober days for me.” Eight years, one month, three weeks and six days without alcohol. There it is. The secret is out. Grant Lanning is an alcoholic. The audience claps. Not what he was expecting. Grant continues over the applause. “You know what’s really hard? All those people I work with, most of them don’t know.” “I didn’t know,” Judge Bucher says from the front row. “I know you didn’t.” Maybe now she will let him go a little longer with his speech, Grant jokes. ## 'Share your story' He goes on to disclose more. How he justified his drinking with what he saw in Afghanistan, what he saw as a cop, the death he dealt with as part of his duties. How he hid bottles and was deep into his addiction when he was enforcing the law. How even when he got sober, he was a miserable person to be around, a dry drunk. What helped him, he says, was helping others. Toward the end, he tells the graduates how proud he is of them. To keep coming back to show other participants sobriety is possible. [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/09/Donate-today-News-Watch--1-.png)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?%5Fgl=1%2A1b0ep3i%2A%5Fga%2AMTM3NDcyODMyNS4xNzAyMTQ0MTg3%2A%5Fga%5FH98KVPR32J%2AMTcyNzIyNjUwOS40MzMuMS4xNzI3MjI3NzQ1LjAuMC4w&ref=sdnewswatch.org) “Don’t be afraid to share your story,” he concludes, “because you never know who you might help.” The audience gives him a standing ovation. Grant’s boss, Davison County Sheriff Steve Harr, enters from the back. While he missed Grant’s speech, the sheriff already knows. Grant told him during his job interview three years ago. Harr had no reservations hiring Grant. “I've been around the block enough doing this job to realize that people can have issues in their personal life and change.” Harr’s former boss, previous Sheriff Steve Brink, also struggled with alcohol. Like Grant, Brink publicly shared about his recovery at a James Valley Drug and DUI Court graduation. Ten minutes after Grant sat down from his speech, he texted Dexton. “Holy sh– I did it.” “F– yea you did!!!” replied Dexton, who celebrates 11 years of sobriety this month. “I’m ready for my story to start helping others,” Grant texts back, sending Dexton the recording. ## Wanting it Months after his graduation speech, Grant sits down for an interview in a Mitchell deli booth. Since the ceremony, he’s run into a few who were in the audience at graduation, arrested and back in jail. ![Grant and Sydney Lanning pose with their four children in Mitchell, S.D.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/05/Lanning-2023--1--1.jpg) Grant and Sydney Lanning pose with their four children in Mitchell, S.D. (Submitted photo by Linda McEntee) One of them told him, “You get it.” Grant replied, “I do get it, but you have to want it. You have to be able to do this.’" After years of drinking, Grant knew when he was ready. For years, he thought he was good at hiding his drinking and the bottles. That his wife, Sydney, believed he was changing his car’s oil when he went out to his garage. “I knew I had a problem for a long time, but I was not ready to look in the mirror and accept it,” Grant says. It was his wife who provided the reflection. One day, Sydney called his bluff. She grabbed Grant’s purple Powerade, ready to take a sip, knowing it was spiked with vodka. She was pregnant. “Don’t drink it,” he stopped her. “Where is it?” she asked. In the garage, back of the freezer, he acknowledges. She helped him throw it all out. Even the cooking wine. Recovery isn’t just about being sober. For Grant, it’s about working on himself, his issues and sharing his story to help others. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/05/Lanning.png) Grant feels lighter after going public. No fallout, yet. Nor does he particularly care what others think. The graduation speech wasn’t about him. This story isn’t about him. “Look at me. Look how awesome I am now because I'm sober," he mocks. “No. That's not what it's about.” "I don't care if 50 people read this story and 49 think ‘What a loser.’” Grant shares for one – that one person who may be struggling, looking for a sign to get sober. Maybe that person is even wearing a badge. The possibility of helping one person is worth telling it all. [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/05/donate-3.jpg)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate?ref=sdnewswatch.org) [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *Megan Luther is a freelance journalist based in Mitchell. She has been in recovery for five years.* *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact Megan Luther* at* [*megan.luther@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:megan.luther@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### South Dakotans oppose building prison at Lincoln County site: Poll URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-poll-lincoln-county-mens-prison-gop/ Last updated: 2025-06-27T13:38:25.000Z More than half of South Dakotans oppose building a new men’s state prison in rural Lincoln County, according to a poll co-sponsored by South Dakota News Watch, another blow to a project that failed to secure final funding during the 2025 legislative session. The statewide survey, also sponsored by the Chiesman Center for Democracy at the University of South Dakota, showed that 52% of voters are against using the Lincoln County site, while 34% are for it and 14% are not sure. The South Dakota Department of Corrections began site preparation earlier this year on state-owned farmland between Canton and Harrisburg for the estimated $825 million project. But resistance from state legislators and nearby property owners led Gov. Larry Rhoden to declare a “reset” on the issue in late February. Rhoden formed a task force chaired by Lt. Gov. Tony Venhuizen to study the issue and explore new site possibilities leading up to a special legislative session on July 22. “The Lincoln County site is not the only option – all options are on the table for the prison task force,” Venhuizen told News Watch in reaction to the poll results. “Building a prison is like going to the dentist. No one is excited about it, but it’s the responsible thing to do. I’m pretty sure that releasing inmates early because there’s nowhere to keep them would be even less popular.” [Prison site’s previous owners would be ‘rolling over in their graves’Tom Eiesland, who lives next door and worked the farm for more than 40 years, said the project will ‘absolutely destroy the community.’ The final story in a 3-part series.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-108.jpg)South Dakota News WatchStu Whitney![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/Maple-Tree-1-1-1.jpeg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/https-www-sdnewswatch-org-prison-sites-previous-owners-would-be-rolling-over-in-their-graves/) Opposition to the originally proposed site was strongest in the Sioux Falls Metro area, which includes Lincoln County, with 57% of respondents against it, followed by West River (52%), East River/North (51%) and East River/South (44%). ## Mixed results for legislators in 2025 Backlash over the prison plan was part of a broader grassroots movement to safeguard property rights that started as resistance to a planned carbon capture pipeline in South Dakota and other states. ## ****Get South Dakota stories** Sign up for an email summary on most weekdays that links to the full story. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. That populist movement within the South Dakota Republican Party led to hard-right candidates being elected to the state Legislature and thrust into leadership roles, where they spearheaded legislation prohibiting the use of eminent domain for carbon pipelines. “The property rights issue created a lot of change,” said GOP county official Jeff Hunt, who owns a ranch south of Dupree on the Cheyenne River Indian Reservation. “My daughter (Jana Hunt) is a legislator and that’s why she ran, and that’s why she won.” ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/04/IMG_9656.jpg) The NOPE banner protesting the rural Lincoln County prison site is displayed during the Fourth of July parade in Lennox, S.D., on July 4, 2024\. (Photo: Facebook) The poll showed that South Dakotans are divided on whether the 2025 Legislature was successful in tackling issues that impact the lives of state residents. Asked whether they agreed that lawmakers “addressed the needs and concerns of state residents” during the session, 45% said they disagreed with that statement, while 43% agreed. But while 22% said they strongly disagreed with the statement, only 9% said they strongly agreed. Dan Ahlers, executive director of the South Dakota Democratic Party, cited the poll results as proof of a "disconnect" between South Dakota residents and the state GOP, which holds 96 of the 105 seats in the Legislature. "While the percentages are fairly close, the number of people that strongly disagree is quite high," Ahlers told News Watch. "Take into account that most South Dakotans are either registered Republican or lean conservative, and these results should be even more alarming." Mason-Dixon Polling and Strategy conducted the poll April 9-11 using random selections from a telephone-matched state voter registration list that included both landline and cellphone numbers. ## Residents support changing vote threshold The poll showed that South Dakotans support a 2026 ballot measure initiated by legislators that would raise the percentage of statewide voters needed to pass constitutional amendments to 60%. Of those polled, 47% support the measure, which would match Florida and Illinois for the highest voting threshold among the 18 states that allow for constitutional amendments through the ballot initiative process. The measure was opposed by 40% of respondents, with 13% undecided. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/04/abort.3.jpg) Dakotans for Health co-founder Rick Weiland talks to supporters at a press conference May 1, 2024, at the downtown library in Sioux Falls, S.D. Weiland's group collected 55,000 signatures for a ballot amendment to enshrine the right to abortion in the South Dakota Constitution. (Photo: Stu Whitney / South Dakota News Watch) State Rep. John Hughes of Sioux Falls, the amendment’s Republican sponsor, said it is meant to highlight the difference between initiated measures, which impact state statutes, and initiated amendments, which change the state constitution. “I think all of us would agree that a constitution is different than a statute," Hughes said. "It's intended to be much more permanent.” Rick Weiland, whose Dakotans for Health organization has been a frequent sponsor of ballot measures, pointed out that South Dakota passed 11 laws from 2018 to 2024 to make direct democracy more difficult, the most of any state. “They’re attempting to orchestrate the death of direct democracy by a thousand cuts,” Weiland told News Watch. ## Poll: No major change with populist rise In a separate survey that polled 500 registered Republicans, voters were asked about the populist movement within the state Republican Party and how that trend has changed their perception of how the party represents residents. Nearly two-thirds (65%) of respondents said there has been no change in their view of the party, while 25% said the shift has made the party more representative of Republican voters. Only 6% said that the party has become less representative. Julia Hellwege, an associate political science professor at USD and director of the Chiesman Center, said the numbers reveal differences between the political perception of legislators and the general public, at least among Republicans. "I think the (populist) legislators who were voted in would say, 'Look, we've made such a difference. We are making the party wider and more representative,'" Hellwege said. "And the establishment politicians are saying, 'Oh my gosh, look at this crazy change that is making the party weaker because of all the infighting and not being on the same page.' And meanwhile the poll shows that the public is like, 'No, everything is fine. We don't really see a difference.'" [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/05/donate-3.jpg)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate?ref=sdnewswatch.org) [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **Correction:** On May 2 at 10:30 a.m., this story was updated to reflect proper poll results for a 2026 ballot measure initiated by legislators that would raise the percentage of statewide voters needed to pass constitutional amendments to 60%. The correct poll results were that 47% support the measure and 40% are opposed. *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *every few days to get stories as soon as they're published. *Contact Stu Whitney* at* [*stu.whitney@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:stu.whitney@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Poll: South Dakota Republicans support Trump but policies mixed URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/poll-south-dakota-republican-donald-trump-gop-doge/ Last updated: 2025-06-27T13:38:25.000Z Nearly three-quarters of Republican voters in South Dakota approve of President Donald Trump’s leadership in the first 100 days of his second White House stint, but there are pockets of discontent with some of his policies, according to a poll co-sponsored by South Dakota News Watch. The survey of 500 registered GOP voters showed that 73% approve of Trump’s presidential leadership so far in 2025, while 25% disapprove. The statewide survey was also co-sponsored by the Chiesman Center for Democracy at the University of South Dakota. ## ****Get South Dakota stories** Sign up for an email summary on most weekdays that links to the full story. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. When asked if they have a favorable or unfavorable opinion of Trump, a question about general political popularity, 68% of Republican voters said favorable, a rating higher than any South Dakota politician. "He said what he wanted to get done and he's setting out to do it," said Lee McInroy, 84, of Dell Rapids, a Trump supporter who attended Republican Jon Hansen's campaign kickoff event for governor on April 24 in Sioux Falls. "People voted for Trump to get in the White House and do these things (immigration crackdown and tariffs), and now he's doing them and the other party is going after him for it." Trump's popularity is strongest in South Dakota's rural areas, matching a national trend. Of the state’s two highest population centers, Republican voters in the Sioux Falls metro area responded with 64% approval, while West River (Rapid City) was at 62%, both below the national average for Trump’s favorability among Republicans. ## Fewer than half of voters support DOGE Mason-Dixon Polling and Strategy conducted the poll April 9-11, using random selections from a telephone-matched state voter registration list that included both landline and cellphone numbers. The poll also included a survey of South Dakota registered voters regardless of party, with a breakdown of 255 Republicans, 126 Independents and 119 Democrats. Those voters showed mixed support for Trump administration policies, including fewer than half (49%) who approve of the efforts by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to cut federal spending under the direction of billionaire Elon Musk. The poll showed that 48% of overall South Dakota voters disapprove of the efforts, which have led to cuts in programs involving the U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, tribal initiatives, nonprofit organizations and other agencies. There’s a stark party breakdown, with 70% of Republican voters supporting the DOGE spending cuts, as opposed to 45% of registered Independents and 7% of Democrats. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/04/trump.noem.jpg) Kristi Noem, South Dakota's governor at the time, introduces Donald Trump during a South Dakota Republican Party event at the Monument in Rapid City, S.D., on Sept. 8, 2023\. (Photo: Argus Leader) The poll showed that men (54%) are more supportive than women (44%), which Michael Card, emeritus professor of political science at the University of South Dakota, said could be attributable to DOGE’s potential impact on schools and public health. Musk said recently that he’ll be spending less time in Washington slashing government costs and more time running Tesla after his electric vehicle company reported a big drop in profits. ## South Dakotans lukewarm on Trump's tariffs Trump carried South Dakota with 63% of the vote in the 2024 election, consistent with his 62% showings in 2016 and 2020. But one of the president’s signature policies, tariffs, is less popular in a state whose reliance on agricultural trade makes it more susceptible to the risks of trade wars with China, Canada and Mexico. The News Watch poll showed that 50% of South Dakota voters support Trump’s tariff policies, compared to 47% who disapprove. The party breakdown of support was 73% Republican, 45% Independent and 6% Democrat. [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/05/donate-3.jpg)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Trump has imposed hundreds of billions of dollars a year in new import taxes — some of them partially suspended — while launching a trade war against China and pledging to wrap up deals with other countries that are temporarily facing tariffs of 10%. Financial markets are swinging with every twist and turn from Trump’s tariff pronouncements. "There's a balance between wanting to negotiate strong trade agreements and asking those countries to come to the table to negotiate in good faith while they're being slapped with tariffs,” DaNita Murray, executive director of South Dakota Corn, told News Watch. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/04/hyde.1.JPG) Don Zilverberg, a third-generation cattle rancher in Hyde County, returns from working the fields to bale alfalfa in Holabird, S.D., on July 24, 2023\. (Photo: Stu Whitney / South Dakota News Watch) Card said much of the unease in South Dakota likely stems from Trump’s first term, when China retaliated with a 25% tariff that greatly reduced farm exports to that country. “If you're in corn, soybeans and hogs, it's very clear because you have a memory from less than a decade ago of what happened to your market,” said Card. “And even though it's a subsidized industry, those protections are going to be gone unless they get bailed out again, and it’s not clear that’s going to happen this time around.” ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/05/Screenshot-2025-04-30-at-11.30.41-PM.png) ## Republicans: Election integrity is restored When it comes to confidence in elections, Trump’s victory over Democratic nominee Kamala Harris in 2024 appears to have changed some perspectives. The News Watch poll showed that 82% of South Dakota voters were confident in the accuracy of the 2024 election vote count, including 55% who said they were very confident. Of Republicans polled, 59% said they were very confident, compared to 56% of Independents and 46% of Democrats. It’s a sharp contrast from a November 2023 poll co-sponsored by News Watch and the Chiesman Center, which showed 56% of South Dakotans confident in the accuracy of American elections, including 20% who said they were very confident. Just 7% of Republicans in that poll said they were very confident, and nearly half (49%) said they did not accept the outcome of the 2020 presidential election, when Trump lost to Democrat Joe Biden. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/04/2024-11-5-Trump-signs.JPG) Signs and flags supporting Republican Donald Trump are displayed outside a home near Valley Springs, S.D., on Nov. 5, 2024, the day he won the presidency. (Photo: Stu Whitney / South Dakota News Watch) “There’s plenty of recent experience to show that the losing party is sort of inoculated to believe that the elections aren't fair, and vice versa,” said Card. As for general outlook of the country, 68% of overall poll respondents said they were optimistic in the future of the United States, including 22% who were very optimistic. Nearly 9 in 10 Republicans (89%) said they were optimistic, compared to 60% of Independents and 33% of Democrats. The positivity extended to “very optimistic” for 34% of Republicans, 17% of Independents and just 2% of Democrats. [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/04/Donate-today-News-Watch--1--4.png)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?%5Fgl=1%2A1b0ep3i%2A%5Fga%2AMTM3NDcyODMyNS4xNzAyMTQ0MTg3%2A%5Fga%5FH98KVPR32J%2AMTcyNzIyNjUwOS40MzMuMS4xNzI3MjI3NzQ1LjAuMC4w&ref=sdnewswatch.org) [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **The Associated Press* contributed to this story, which was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *every few days to get stories as soon as they're published. *Contact Stu Whitney* at* [*stu.whitney@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:stu.whitney@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Does South Dakota have the highest number of gaming machines per capita? URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-fact-brief-gaming-machines-per-capita/ Last updated: 2025-04-30T11:39:02.000Z ## Yes. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/04/FactBriefLogo-4.jpg) South Dakota has the highest number of gaming machines per capita, tied with Nevada, Oklahoma and Montana, according to a 2025 analysis by WalletHub. Video lottery provides the most accessible machine gaming in South Dakota, with nearly 1,400 establishments offering 11,000 machines statewide as of December. South Dakota is the second-most gambling-addicted state in the WalletHub analysis, behind Nevada, according to 20 metrics, from gambling addiction counselors per capita to commercial casino revenue per capita. The WalletHub analysis provides a full methodology, including data sources, which include the U.S. Census Bureau and American Gaming Association (AGA). Revenue from commercial casinos in Deadwood was a record $147.6 million in 2023, up 3.3% from 2022. According to the AGA, the lobbying arm of the industry, commercial and tribal casinos in South Dakota supported nearly 5,000 jobs and $623 million in annual economic impact, excluding video lottery. **This fact brief responds to conversations such as* [**this one*](https://www.reddit.com/r/SouthDakota/comments/1k61lqr/comment/momgueq/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)**.* ### Sources WalletHub,[ Most gambling-addicted states ](https://wallethub.com/edu/states-most-addicted-to-gambling/20846?ref=sdnewswatch.org) South Dakota Searchlight, [Video lottery operators plan to ask lawmakers for higher limits](https://southdakotasearchlight.com/briefs/video-lottery-operators-plan-to-ask-lawmakers-for-higher-limits-on-bets-and-machines/?ref=sdnewswatch.org#:~:text=South%20Dakota%20has%201%2C398%20licensed,yearly%20revenue%20to%20the%20state) American Gaming Commission, [South Dakota overview](https://www.americangaming.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/South-Dakota%5FOverview.pdf?ref=sdnewswatch.org) American Gaming Commission, [Gaming by the numbers: South Dakota](https://www.americangaming.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/South-Dakota%5FEconomic.pdf?ref=sdnewswatch.org) --- [**South Dakota News Watch**](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/) partners with [**Gigafact**](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) to publish fact briefs that refute or confirm a claim with supporting information and additional evidence and context. [**Get our email with fact briefs and stories**](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/). [](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/tag/fact-brief/)[**Read previous fact briefs**](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/tag/fact-brief/) and our verification standards and other [**best practices policies**](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/best-practices/). **Have a question we can answer?** Submit it at the [**South Dakota News Watch Tipline**](https://gigafact.org/tipline/south-dakota-news-watch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). Send questions or feedback to [**factbrief@sdnewswatch.org**](mailto:factbrief@sdnewswatch.org). [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact Megan Luther* at* [*megan.luther@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:megan.luther@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Poll: About half of South Dakotans support Noem's DHS efforts URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-poll-kristi-noem-john-thune-larry-rhoden/ Last updated: 2025-06-27T13:38:25.000Z Just over half of South Dakotans approve of the way Kristi Noem is running the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, according to a poll of 500 registered voters co-sponsored by South Dakota News Watch. Asked about the former South Dakota governor’s job performance in President Donald Trump’s Cabinet, 51% said they approve and 44% said they disapprove, with 5% not sure. In the same poll, 58% said they approve of how Gov. Larry Rhoden is doing since he took over the job from Noem in February. U.S. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, who assumed the chamber's top position in January, received a job approval rating of 55%. The statewide survey, also sponsored by the Chiesman Center for Democracy at the University of South Dakota, polled registered voters regardless of party, unlike the [GOP-only 2026 gubernatorial primary poll published April 28](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/poll-dusty-johnson-larry-rhoden-south-dakota-john-thune-kristi-noem/). The breakdown was 255 Republicans, 126 Independents and 119 Democrats. Of Republicans polled, 71% said they approve of Noem's job performance after more than two months in her new role, compared to 44% of Independents and 15% of Democrats. [South Dakota governor poll: Johnson, Rhoden set paceSurvey of 500 Republicans shows Jackley in third place as contenders begin to emerge for 2026 primary showdown.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-109.jpg)South Dakota News WatchStu Whitney![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/dusty.dc.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/poll-dusty-johnson-larry-rhoden-south-dakota-john-thune-kristi-noem/) Jon Schaaff, a political science professor at Northern State University in Aberdeen, called Noem's job performance numbers "tepid" compared to her time as governor, though drawing conclusions between different jobs can be tricky. Noem's high-water mark in South Dakota came during the COVID-19 pandemic in October 2020, when 57% of voters regardless of party approved of her performance as governor. ## Bulletproof vests and prison photos Noem, a 53-year-old Castlewood native who served as governor from 2019-2025, has become the face of immigration enforcement as the Trump administration carries out its policy of mass deportations. She has traveled from street raids in New York City to a high-security prison in El Salvador and meetings with Mexican president Claudia Sheinbaum. Her methods have drawn as much attention as her mission, which involves running a federal network of 22 agencies and 260,000 employees. ![Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem pilots a U.S. Coast Guard Response Boat Small with the Maritime Security Response Team](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/04/noem.plane.jpg) Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem pilots a U.S. Coast Guard Response Boat Small with the Maritime Security Response Team on March 16, 2025, in San Diego. (Photo: Alex Brandon/ The Associated Press) She donned a bulletproof vest during an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raid in late January, soon after being confirmed, posting a message about “getting the dirtbags off these streets.” Noem also posted photos of herself at the commands of a C-130 surveillance plane during a visit to U.S. Coast Guard service members in Alaska and standing in front of prisoners at a notorious mega-prison in El Salvador. “People need to see that image,” Noem told Fox News of the photos of her surrounded by rows of tattooed inmates inside their cells. “They need to see that the United States is going to use every tool that we have to make our communities safer, that that is a consequence of someone who is a terrorist." [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/05/donate-3.jpg)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate?ref=sdnewswatch.org) The Trump administration has acknowledged mistakenly deporting a man named Kilmar Abrego Garcia to that El Salvador prison in March, resulting in a federal judge's order for the U.S. government to facilitate his return, which has not happened. An Economist/YouGov poll from April 19-22 showed that Americans by a 2-to-1 margin believe that Abrego Garcia should be returned to the United States. ## Kristi Noem's strongest support among male voters Noem fared significantly better with male voters in the News Watch poll than female voters, which was also the case when she served as governor. The poll showed that 57% of male voters approve of Noem’s performance as Homeland Security Secretary, compared to 46% of female respondents. Geographically, her job approval was strongest among voters in the East River/North region, including Aberdeen, Brookings and Watertown, with 57%. That was followed by West River (53%), East River/South (49%) and Sioux Falls Metro (45%). Noem's support in the poll was above 50% in every age group except 65-plus, where respondents registered 43% approval and 52% disapproval. Mason-Dixon Polling and Strategy conducted the poll from April 9-11, using random selections from a telephone-matched state voter registration list that included both landline and cellphone numbers. The margin of error was no more than 4.5 percentage points. ## John Thune job performance at 55% approval More than half of South Dakotans support the job performance of longtime Republican statesman Thune as he settles into his new role as majority leader of the U.S. Senate, working closely with the Trump administration. The poll showed that 55% of respondents approve of the job he's doing, while 35% disapprove and 10% were not sure. Of Republicans polled, 79% said they approve of Thune's job performance, compared to 40% of Independents and 19% of Democrats. Thune, elected to the job by his GOP Senate peers last November, has navigated through a formerly fraught relationship with Trump, overseeing confirmations of all the president's Cabinet nominees, sometimes at a cost. Several of those Cabinet officials have been involved in early controversies, from discussing military plans on an unclassified Signal app chat to encouraging the Republican president to follow through with steep tariffs on trading partners. “Everybody’s got to be rolling in the same direction," Thune said of the upcoming challenge of passing the GOP's budget reconciliation package. "It takes a lot of teamwork.” ![South Dakota U.S. Sen. John Thune talks with a supporter during U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson's victory party at the Holiday Inn City Centre in Sioux Falls, S.D., on Nov. 5, 2024](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/04/thune.3-2-1-1.JPG) South Dakota U.S. Sen. John Thune talks with a supporter during U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson's victory party at the Holiday Inn City Centre in Sioux Falls, S.D., on Nov. 5, 2024\. (Photo: Stu Whitney/ South Dakota News Watch) Thune's support in South Dakota is generally consistent across geographic regions, though slightly lower in East River/South (51%), which includes Mitchell, Yankton and Vermillion. The poll found that 59% of male voters approve of his job performance, compared to 50% of female voters. ## Larry Rhoden needs to target 'not sure' voters Rhoden became the first South Dakota governor to be sworn in during a legislative session when he took the oath of office at the state Capitol in Pierre on Feb. 8. He was thrust into a leadership role tied in part to Noem's budget policies and priorities, including a planned prison project in rural Lincoln County that needed final funding in 2025 and was rejected by legislators. So far, 58% of voters approve of Rhoden's job performance, compared to just 17% who disapprove. That approval number is higher than Noem's last job performance assessment in a News Watch poll, a rating of 52% in May 2024 following an ill-fated book tour. Her disapproval rating was 46%. Still, the fact that 25% responded to the Rhoden question with "not sure" shows that many South Dakotans are reserving judgment until they see more of what the 66-year-old Union Center native stands for. “(Noem) and I kept South Dakota strong, safe, and free — and I'm continuing that mission in my administration by cutting property taxes, making targeted investments for public safety and limiting regulations," Rhoden told News Watch. ![South Dakota Gov. Larry Rhoden speaks to the media Feb. 6, 2025, soon after taking office at the State Capitol Building in Pierre, ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/04/rhoden.1-1.JPG) South Dakota Gov. Larry Rhoden speaks to the media Feb. 6, 2025, soon after taking office at the State Capitol Building in Pierre, S.D. (Photo: Stu Whitney/ South Dakota News Watch) Though he hails from West River, Sioux Falls Metro was Rhoden's strongest region with 69% approval, followed by East River/North and West River (56%) and East River/South (47%). Rhoden, without any direct ties to Washington or Trump, has more bipartisan support than Noem or Thune. The poll showed him with 80% approval from Republicans, 39% from Democrats and 38% from Independents. The governor's strongest age group was 35-49 years old with 64% approval, followed by 50-64 (60%), 65-plus (57%) and 18-34 (47%). ## ****Get South Dakota stories** Sign up for an email summary on most weekdays that links to the full story. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. Julia Hellwege, an associate political science professor at USD and director of the Chiesman Center, said that Rhoden's main challenge is to promote his political brand and policies to address the 25% of voters in the poll who were "not sure" about his performance as governor. "People will start forming an opinion," she said, noting a separate GOP-only survey where 40% had a neutral view of Rhoden and 13% hadn't heard of him. "Hopefully the number of people who don't recognize the name of the governor will be reduced, not just for his sake but also for the sake of civic education." [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *The Associated Press contributed to this story, which was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *every few days to get stories as soon as they're published. *Contact Stu Whitney* at* [*stu.whitney@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:stu.whitney@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Poll: Johnson, Rhoden set pace in South Dakota governor's race URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/poll-dusty-johnson-larry-rhoden-south-dakota-john-thune-kristi-noem/ Last updated: 2025-06-27T13:38:26.000Z Early voter support in the 2026 Republican primary race for South Dakota governor is focused on U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson and incumbent Gov. Larry Rhoden, according to a poll of 500 registered GOP voters co-sponsored by South Dakota News Watch. But an expected crowded field could complicate the path to victory in the primary, with 35% of the vote needed to avoid a runoff election. The statewide survey, also sponsored by the Chiesman Center for Democracy at the University of South Dakota, showed Johnson at 28% and Rhoden at 27%, with Attorney General Marty Jackley at 18%. Aberdeen businessman Toby Doeden polled at 4%, followed by South Dakota Speaker of the House Jon Hansen at 2%. The number of respondents who said they were undecided was 20%. That underscores the early nature of a race in which Hansen, a Dell Rapids lawyer and anti-abortion advocate, is the only one to have officially declared his candidacy. Mason-Dixon Polling and Strategy conducted the poll of registered Republican voters April 9-11, using random selections from a telephone-matched state voter registration list that included both landline and cellphone numbers. The margin of error was no more than 4.5 percentage points. Here are key takeaways as candidates begin planning their campaigns: ## Money talks for 'leading candidate' in governor's race Johnson, elected to a fourth term in Congress in 2024, has $5.9 million in his “Friends of Dusty Johnson” campaign committee as of last filing and can shift that money toward a state race. His intention to run for governor has been well-known in state political circles for some time. Combined with name recognition and decades of political experience, Johnson's campaign fund makes the 48-year-old Pierre native a major player in the governor's race, even with an incumbent in the field. "I'm grateful to be the leading candidate for governor in the early going, but my focus is on working for our country," Johnson told News Watch in reaction to the poll. "We've got a narrow window to secure conservative wins in Washington, and I plan to keep delivering. I'll worry about the next race later." ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/04/Screenshot-2025-04-27-at-7.32.18-PM.png) Mindful that other Republicans will try to portray him as too moderate or not sufficiently loyal to President Donald Trump, Johnson has aligned himself with Trump on numerous issues in 2025, including tariffs, federal spending cuts and a potential takeover of the Panama Canal. The poll showed that Trump carries a 68% favorability rating among South Dakota Republicans voters, compared to 52% for Johnson and 40% for Rhoden. At times Johnson has taken a more centrist tone, introducing a Wounded Knee Massacre site bill in Congress that would preserve a section of the land where hundreds of Lakota Indians were massacred by the U.S. Army in 1890. [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/05/donate-3.jpg)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate?ref=sdnewswatch.org) ## Larry Rhoden needs to raise money, sell vision Rhoden, a 66-year-old Meade County rancher, is a former state legislator who served as lieutenant governor to former Gov. Kristi Noem. He took the top job in late January when Noem was confirmed as Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security in the Trump administration. The latest campaign filing from his “Rhoden for Governor” campaign committee shows a balance of about $91,000\. His ability to sell donors on his vision for another term and raise cash quickly will determine his viability in the race. ![South Dakota Gov. Larry Rhoden speaks March 13, 2024, at a town hall in Mitchell, S.D., when he was still lieutenant governor. Kristi Noem is behind him](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/04/vice.6-1.jpg) South Dakota Gov. Larry Rhoden speaks March 13, 2024, at a town hall in Mitchell, S.D., when he was still lieutenant governor. A poll shows Rhoden running second in a potential Republican primary for governor in 2026\. (Photo: Stu Whitney / South Dakota News Watch) Julia Hellwege, an associate political science professor at USD and director of the Chiesman Center, said that Noem's departure and Rhoden's ascension to the top job "threw a wrench" into the race by allowing him to run as an incumbent. "It sort of changed the landscape for the other candidates," said Hellwege. The poll showed that 40% of respondents had a neutral view of Rhoden, compared to 23% for Johnson. Also, 13% didn't recognize the governor's name, more than half of those who hadn't heard of Johnson (6%). Establishing a political identity separate from Noem, a challenge when taking office in the midst of a legislative session, will be a priority for Rhoden. The governor has heralded a pro-business approach as part of his "Open for Opportunity" tour, hoping to impress top-level donors with an eye toward 2026. Like Johnson, he is widely expected to run but has not formally entered the race. "I’ve been receiving a lot of encouragement from South Dakotans to keep doing the job of governor," Rhoden told News Watch in reaction to the poll. "Sandy (his wife) and I are encouraged by this information — but campaigns are too long and a distraction from public service. South Dakota is a great state, and I’m focused on doing my job serving the people as governor." ## Rhoden draws well-balanced support The poll showed that male voters support Rhoden (31%) over Johnson (28%) and Jackley (17%), while Johnson has the early lead among female voters at 29%, followed by Rhoden at 22% and Jackley at 19%. There’s also a geographical divide. Johnson leads in the Sioux Falls Metro region (Minnehaha and Lincoln counties) with 34%, with Rhoden at 26% and Jackley at 18%. Among West River voters, Rhoden has the edge at 27%, followed by Johnson (24%) and Jackley (23%). Hellwege noted that Rhoden stayed consistent among all four quadrants of the state, with each region between 26% and 29% in his favor, a balance that she said he could build on. Johnson showed a 10-point dip the Sioux Falls Metro (34%) and West River (24%). Johnson has the highest share of young voters supporting him, with 35% of GOP respondents aged 18-34 saying they would vote for him if the election were held today, followed by Rhoden (32%) and Jackley (14%). ## Jackley surprised by third-place result Jackley told News Watch that he was surprised by his third-place standing in the poll, 10 points behind the leader. The 54-year-old Sturgis native has about $520,000 in his campaign fund and is well-established in South Dakota's political and legal communities. He previously ran for governor in 2018, losing in the Republican primary to Noem. ![South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley speaks at the Brown County Republican Party Lincoln Day Dinner in Aberdeen](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/04/jackley.4.jpg) South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley speaks at the Brown County Republican Party Lincoln Day Dinner in Aberdeen, S.D., on April 10, 2025\. A poll shows Jackley running third in a potential Republican primary for governor in 2026\. (Photo: Stu Whitney / South Dakota News Watch) Jackley, who has professional ties to U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, will work to build momentum with endorsements and support from groups such as the National Association of Attorneys General, of which he serves as vice president. He has scheduled a major fundraiser for May 5 at the Arrowhead Country Club in Rapid City. "I continue to receive encouragement to run for governor from South Dakotans who want a common sense conservative in the race," Jackley told News Watch. "But right now I’m focused on keeping our streets safe and leading the fight against government corruption.” ## ****Get South Dakota stories** Sign up for an email summary on most weekdays that links to the full story. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. Michael Card, an emeritus professor of political science at the University of South Dakota, also expressed surprise at Jackley's standing in the poll. "There's a lot of time left, but I thought he would be a lot closer to Johnson and Rhoden," said Card. "Rhoden is 5 points ahead of him West River, where he should be strong, and he's not really in consideration in Sioux Falls Metro and East River/South, where he's below the number of undecideds. It shows that crime or personal safety may not be the issue that's on people's minds right now." ## Jon Hansen, Toby Doeden unknown to most voters Hansen, who announced his candidacy along with running mate Karla Lems on April 24 in Sioux Falls, is well-known to political insiders as a force behind defeating the 2024 constitutional amendment to legalize abortion in South Dakota. The 39-year-old property rights advocate rose to the office of House speaker as part of a populist surge in Pierre stemming from the 2024 GOP primary elections. The News Watch poll showed he has a lot of work to do to translate those efforts into a viable statewide campaign. In a section of the survey used to gauge favorability, 54% of Republican voters surveyed didn't recognize Hansen's name. The poll was taken before his campaign kickoff event at the South Dakota Military Heritage Alliance, where Hansen vowed to reduce government waste and corruption in support of "grassroots patriots from all across the state." ![Republican state legislator and Speaker of the House Jon Hansen officially declared his candidacy for governor in a kickoff event at the South Dakota Military Heritage Alliance](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/04/hansen.4-1-1.jpg) Republican state legislator and Speaker of the House Jon Hansen officially declared his candidacy for governor in a kickoff event at the South Dakota Military Heritage Alliance in Sioux Falls on April 24, 2025\. (Photo: Stu Whitney / South Dakota News Watch) Name identity is also a problem for Doeden, whose Dakota First Action PAC helped boost anti-carbon pipeline efforts and send populist candidates to the state Legislature. Doeden can self-fund campaign efforts with resources from his car dealerships and real estate holdings, but his social media outreach hasn't boosted his profile to casual voters. Nearly 60% of poll respondents did not recognize his name. [Toby Doeden makes establishment nervous. So what’s next?The Aberdeen businessman boosted Republican populist candidates in last year’s legislative primaries and is exploring his own run in 2026.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-107.jpg)South Dakota News WatchStu Whitney![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/doeden.2-1.JPG)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/tony-doeden-south-dakota-governor-race-2026-election/) History has shown that hard-right candidates can make waves in South Dakota Republican primaries, such as Taffy Howard's 41% performance in the 2022 U.S. House race against Johnson. But there is typically a ceiling to such support. "Both (Hansen and Doeden) have advantages with the MAGA (Make America Great Again) branch of the Republican Party," said Card. "But that also means that they have people who won't support them because of that perspective." ## Noem, Thune lead in SD favorability The poll also shed light on the popularity and name recognition of South Dakota politicians among Republican voters. Noem, who served as governor from 2019-2025 before leaving for her Cabinet position, had a favorable rating of 61%, which puts her at the top of the list. The 53-year-old Castlewood native also had the highest unfavorable rating at 25%. Mason-Dixon polling allows for a neutral response (neither favorable or unfavorable). Only 14% of respondents had a neutral opinion of the former governor. Noem's job performance as Homeland secretary was part of a separate statewide poll that News Watch will release April 29. ![Senate Majority Leader John Thune of South Dakota talks to reporters about President Trump's tariff policies](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/04/thune.4.jpg) Senate Majority Leader John Thune of South Dakota talks to reporters about President Trump's tariff policies at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on April 1, 2025\. (Photo: J. Scott Applewhite / AP) The next highest favorability rating (56%) among GOP voters belonged to Senate Majority Leader John Thune, who has worked closely with the Trump administration since the president took office. Thune’s unfavorable rating was the lowest among those polled, at 8.6%. Thune was followed in favorability by U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (53%), who is expected to run to keep his Senate seat in 2026\. He was followed by Jackley (53%), Johnson (52%), Rhoden (40%), Hansen (12%) and Doeden (10%). The poll showed Johnson with an unfavorable rating of 19% within the party, compared to 7% for Rhoden and 10% for Jackley. "There's always the inside-the-GOP question about some voters' concerns about Dusty, which he has tried to address with symbolic support of Trump," said Hellwege. "I think there's also an inherent mistrust of Washington and members of Congress generally, which could be part of what we're seeing." [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/09/Donate-today-News-Watch--1-.png)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?%5Fgl=1%2A1b0ep3i%2A%5Fga%2AMTM3NDcyODMyNS4xNzAyMTQ0MTg3%2A%5Fga%5FH98KVPR32J%2AMTcyNzIyNjUwOS40MzMuMS4xNzI3MjI3NzQ1LjAuMC4w&ref=sdnewswatch.org) [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *every few days to get stories as soon as they're published. *Contact Stu Whitney* at* [*stu.whitney@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:stu.whitney@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Detours and delays are part of year 2 of Black Hills roadwork URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/black-hills-south-dakota-us-highway-385-roadwork-closure-detour/ Last updated: 2025-06-27T13:38:26.000Z SHERIDAN LAKE, S.D. – The typically serene setting along U.S. Highway 385 as it winds peacefully past the western shore of Sheridan Lake in the central Black Hills is now a busy work zone with a rocky roadway, construction equipment grinding on the hillside and a flagger stopping all traffic. For the second consecutive tourism season, visitors and local residents will see detours, delays and occasional road closures as they try to navigate this beautiful section of the Black Hills between Hill City and Deadwood. The second year of a three-year, $72 million effort to widen and straighten a 15-mile stretch of U.S. 385, the only north-south route through the region, is now fully underway. Most trips through the area will endure delays due to flaggers and pilot cars that allow only one-way traffic on gravel and rock surfaces. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/04/Screenshot-2025-04-23-at-7.45.58-PM.png) Timeline of US 385 construction. During three planned closures this year, drivers will be required to follow a roughly 50-mile detour that takes them back to Rapid City. A state [Department of Transportation website](https://us-385.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) provides detailed information about the project and offers a texting option to receive frequent updates. The two-lane highway provides access to Pactola Reservoir and Sheridan Lake and is the only highway connecting the gambling city of Deadwood on the north to Mount Rushmore National Memorial, Crazy Horse Memorial and Custer State Park on the south. The highway is a critical conduit for a regional tourism industry that delivers an estimated $2 billion in revenue to South Dakota each year. ![A construction worker holds a stop sign for traffic on US 385 in the Black Hills.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/04/2025-4-21-US-385-Sheridan-pilot-car-1-1.jpg) Blasting of rock walls is part of the work being done in the central Black Hills of South Dakota during the second year of a major expansion of U.S. 385, shown on April 21, 2025\. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) The project's main goal is to improve safety on the highway, which in spots has narrow or no shoulder and is flanked in spots by deep canyons or unforgiving stands of tall pines. State transportation officials said 187 crashes with four fatalities and 57 injuries were reported on the stretch of U.S. 385 from 2018 to 2022\. A third of those wrecks and most of the deaths occurred when motorists left the roadway. ## ****Get South Dakota stories** Sign up for an email summary on most weekdays that links to the full story. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. The construction will include widening road shoulders, smoothing out sharp curves and adding turn lanes to make the road safer for travel. Contractors are clearing trees and blasting rock surfaces to make extra room for the roadway. ## First full closure on US 385 in late April The first full closure of the highway is set for Monday, April 28, and will last for about six weeks on the stretch from Be Still Road to Calumet Road, the section that borders Sheridan Lake. Two other road closures are planned in 2025 – another from Sheridan Lake Road to Be Still Road from August to September and a third south of the Pactola Dam to Taylor Ranch Road from October to March 2026\. The highway will be open during the annual Sturgis motorcycle rally. "The contractor will open all lanes to unimpeded traffic and the department will not allow work on the project from July 30, 2025 to Aug. 11, 2025 due to the Sturgis motorcycle rally," the DOT said in an email to News Watch. "All driving surfaces must be existing asphalt surface or blotter surface by July 23." ![Construction crews work on US 385 in the Black Hills.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/04/2025-4-21-US-385-major-work-2-1.jpg) Tourists and locals should plan for delays as they travel on U.S. 385 through the Black Hills this summer during the second year of a 3-year road improvement project, shown here on April 21, 2025\. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) Access to some of the recreational sites in the Black Hills National Forest will be affected during the project this year, according to a news release from the U.S. Forest Service. The Pactola Visitor Center will be closed the entire summer, and the popular fishing pier on the west end of Sheridan Lake will be inaccessible when U.S. 385 is closed in that section from April 21 to June 13, the agency said. The planned road closures will also make it harder to access Pactola and Sheridan in general, the agency said. ![Crews work on US 385 in the Black Hills next to Pactola Lake](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/04/2025-4-21-US-385-Pactola-pilot-car-1.jpg) Motorists through the central Black Hills will experience delays this tourism season due to road closures but also due to extensive use of pilot cars, such as this one shown east of Pactola Reservoir, S.D., on April 21, 2025\. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) “It’s important to plan your route before you go,” said Scott Jacobson, spokesperson for the agency. “For example, if you are planning to recreate on the north side of Sheridan Lake, you must come from the north. If you are planning to recreate on the south side of Sheridan Lake, you must come from the south.” ## Access to businesses will be affected While motorists will certainly be affected, the biggest impacts will likely be felt by the dozens of business owners who will see reduced visitor access at various points during the 2025 tourism season. "We just need people to know that we're open during all this," said Angie Weaver, co-owner of Pactola Marina, located off U.S. 385\. "The road may be closed, but we aren't closed." [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/05/donate-3.jpg)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Weaver said her business, which includes a general store and rentals of boats and supplies, fared relatively well during the summer of 2024, when the construction was focused on the north end of the project, closer to her business. She said some customers grumbled about the delays but mostly kept coming even if it took longer to arrive. "We had only a handful of complaints," she said. "Some would say, 'Well, that stunk, but we made it.' And once they're on the water having fun, they realize it was all worth it." ![Angie Weaver, co-owner of the Pactola Marina, stands next to a sign outsider her business](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/04/US-385-follow-Angie-Weaver-marina-co-owner-1.jpeg) Angie Weaver, co-owner of the Pactola Marina, shown in May 2024, said she heard a little grumbling about the U.S. 385 construction last year, but did not see a significant reduction in customer interest or sales . (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) Weaver said she felt the project could have had better signage to let tourists know they could still access the marina and how to get there. She said state DOT officials, who have met with local business owners to get input, have promised to improve signage this summer. Weaver said she is keeping a positive attitude during the three-year project, and is confident the end result of a smoother, safer highway will be worth it. As she plans for her official opening on May 1, Weaver said she is more concerned about the current low water level in the reservoir than she is about construction hassles. "The road is going to be great, and the section they did last year, even though it's not fully paved yet, looks very nice," she said. ## Black Hills tourism industry thrives despite roadwork Despite all the hassles and concerns over access to businesses, the region saw a 2.8% increase in overall spending in 2024 compared to the year prior, according to Michelle Thompson, CEO of the Black Hills & Badlands Tourism Association. Thompson heard anecdotal reports from some association members that were hurt by the construction but said that overall, the region endured the first year of the U.S. 385 construction project quite well. "I did have a business (in Hill City) tell me that when the construction closure reopened, it was like turning on a faucet and people started traveling to their community again," Thompson said. "But we don't have any data showing lower revenues or reduced visits due to the project." ![A truck drives down US 385 in the Black Hills as construction equipment sits on the right-hand side of the road](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/04/2025-4-21-US-385-tight-space-2-1.jpg) Work being done to expand lanes and shoulders on U.S. 385 through the central Black Hills of South Dakota, shown on April 21, 2025, is requiring the use of pilot cars to help motorists maneuver through tight work zones. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) Thompson said her association, the DOT and the media have done a good job of informing the public and potential visitors about the construction project and how to navigate it. She said one message she is sharing with tourists is to plan ahead but also consider that there is joy in finding new ways to travel around and experience all the Black Hills region has to offer. "While it may cause delays or some rerouting, there are so many beautiful routes to get you from point A to point B through the Black Hills," she said. "We ask people to pack their patience and do some planning so they can still have a great experience." [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact* *Bart Pfankuch* at* [*bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Does Amazon pay local and state sales tax? URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/amazon-local-state-south-dakota-sales-tax/ Last updated: 2025-04-23T11:03:15.000Z ## Yes. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/04/FactBriefLogo-3.jpg) Amazon collects and remits state sales tax in every state that imposes one, including South Dakota. For years, states were hampered from collecting sales tax from internet purchases due to a 1992 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that said governments couldn’t collect sales taxes from a business that doesn’t have a physical store in the state. In 2017, Amazon voluntarily began collecting sales tax from South Dakota shoppers adding to the list of more than 30 states that were subject to sales tax. A year later, the Supreme Court overturned the 1992 ruling. Since 2019, South Dakota has collected sales tax from online retailers with more than $100,000 annual gross revenue from sales in the state. Marketplaces that host sellers with cumulative sales above $100,000 are also taxed. **This fact brief responds to conversations such as* [**this one*](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1t%5FVWrYCQI-vh-wqdsJiBw0KDxvmj1KgT/view?usp=drive%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org)**.* ### Sources Investopedia, [How does Amazon charge taxes on its products?](https://www.investopedia.com/articles/company-insights/090716/how-does-amazon-charge-taxes-its-products-amzn.asp?ref=sdnewswatch.org) CNBC,[ Why Amazon is the winner of the Supreme Court sales tax ruling](https://www.cnbc.com/2018/06/21/why-amazon-wins-with-supreme-court-sales-tax-ruling.html?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Gov. Dennis Daugaard to The Associated Press, [Amazon to begin collecting taxes in South Dakota](https://apnews.com/daugaard-amazon-to-begin-collecting-taxes-in-south-dakota-dbe3dff1e395432f8be61ecc5a49a513?ref=sdnewswatch.org) South Dakota Department of Revenue, [Remote sellers and marketplace providers](https://dor.sd.gov/businesses/taxes/sales-use-tax/?ref=sdnewswatch.org#remote) --- [**South Dakota News Watch**](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/) partners with [**Gigafact**](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) to publish fact briefs that refute or confirm a claim with supporting information and additional evidence and context. [**Get our email with fact briefs and stories**](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/). [](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/tag/fact-brief/)[**Read previous fact briefs**](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/tag/fact-brief/) and our verification standards and other [**best practices policies**](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/best-practices/). **Have a question we can answer?** Submit it at the [**South Dakota News Watch Tipline**](https://gigafact.org/tipline/south-dakota-news-watch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). Send questions or feedback to [**factbrief@sdnewswatch.org**](mailto:factbrief@sdnewswatch.org). Can you separate fact from fiction? [**Take the fact brief quiz to find out**](https://gigafact.org/quiz/south-dakota-news-watch/default-8765/?mc%5Fcid=50ec5ce4a2&mc%5Feid=4d5aab024f&ref=sdnewswatch.org). [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/05/donate-3.jpg)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate?ref=sdnewswatch.org) [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact Megan Luther* at* [*megan.luther@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:megan.luther@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Libraries evolve and thrive despite funding uncertainty URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/libraries-south-dakota-funding-cuts-kristi-noem-doge/ Last updated: 2025-06-27T13:38:26.000Z REDFIELD, S.D. – On five occasions this year, librarian Sarah Jones-Lutter has left the quiet, comfortable confines of the historic Redfield Carnegie Library and made her voice heard in the uncertain world of politics. Jones-Lutter made four trips to the Capitol in Pierre and recently flew to Washington to lobby state and federal lawmakers against proposed funding cuts that could hurt libraries in her hometown and across the state. One of her trips to the Legislature was to testify against a bill, which ultimately failed, that would have imposed criminal penalties on South Dakota librarians who allowed children to view materials deemed harmful to minors. Jones-Lutter said she's puzzled why former Gov. Kristi Noem proposed massive cuts to the state library system, which were softened somewhat by lawmakers, and why President Donald Trump signed an executive order gutting the Institute for Museum and Library Services, or IMLS. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/04/2025-4-10-Redfield--SD-librarian.jpg) Sarah Jones-Lutter, librarian at the Carnegie public library in Redfield, S.D., on April 10, 2025, has become an outspoken advocate against proposed funding and program cuts at South Dakota libraries. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) "Maybe they think it's a waste of funds, maybe they don't see the importance or they say, 'People don't use the library anymore,'" she said. "I just assume they haven't been to a library in a long time so they don't know what's actually going on here." Trump said that the order “continues the reduction in the elements of the federal bureaucracy that the President has determined are unnecessary.” The State Library Association has advised its members that the status of current grants remains unclear. If the administration follows the same playbook it has in targeting other small agencies for closure, IMLS could be shut down. The agency provides more than $200 million a year to library systems across the country, including $1.3 million to South Dakota. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/04/Jones-Lutter-quote-1.png) Jones-Lutter said the modern library in a small city like Redfield, population 2,200, has morphed from a quiet, solemn place existing mainly to check out books into what she said is more of a "community center." People of all ages and all walks of life can have a no-cost or low-cost, safe place to spend time and access materials while learning, growing and interacting with other members of their community. "We talk about the so-called third place, which is important," she said. "It's when you have a home and your work or school, but you need a third place to go and experience things. And the library can be that place." ## South Dakota library limits access as federal cuts loom The South Dakota State Library falls within the purview of the state Department of Education, and both are located in the McKay office building in Pierre. In an interview with News Watch on April 11, state Education Secretary Joseph Graves said he is monitoring the possible federal cuts to the state library, but he added that "we don't really know what's going to happen." ## ****Get South Dakota stories** Sign up for an email summary on most weekdays that links to the full story. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. On April 14, the state library closed its doors to the public, except for pre-arranged appointments, DOE spokeswoman Nancy Van Der Weide told News Watch in an email, citing state cuts, not those proposed by Trump. While lawmakers held back from enacting all of Noem's proposed cuts, they did ultimately reduce funding of the state library by about $800,000 and eliminated four staff positions. "The culling and review of collections and materials is not related to federal funding concerns, it is a result of changes made during this year’s legislative session," Van Der Weide wrote. "We are aware of no decision on IMLS funding for next year. Given that funding cuts are possible, we are holding off on approving contracts for services typically funded by IMLS dollars." Federal archival documents housed by the state library are being transferred to the University of Minnesota, which made a request to hold the materials, she said. Other materials will be held in the McKay Building, transferred to the state archives or shipped to local, school or university libraries that will accept them. ![The South Dakota State Library in Pierre, S.D. is home to numerous official books and documents.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/04/2025-4-11-State-library-stacks-in-Pierre-1.jpg) The South Dakota State Library in Pierre, S.D., shown here on April 11, 2025, is home to numerous official books and documents. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) Van Der Weide added, "The State Library will continue to provide services such as the summer reading program, Braille and talking book activities and technical assistance to public libraries and schools." Graves said his understanding was that the federal IMLS office had lost all its employees to the ongoing federal job and program cuts. And yet, despite the proposed state and federal funding cuts, Graves said he does not think libraries in South Dakota and the U.S. are being targeted by state or federal officials. [Cuts in federal funding for food will hurt pantries and producersUSDA spokesperson says cutting roughly $1 billion in federal funding for locally grown food for schools and charities signals “a return to long-term, fiscally responsible initiatives.”![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-105.jpg)South Dakota News WatchBart Pfankuch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/2025-3-27-Food-bank-overhead-shot-1.JPG)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/federal-cuts-food-feeding-south-dakota-doge/) "It's not an attack, it's just the latest challenge facing us all," Graves said. "Everything with libraries is changing, and so many resources are now online, so libraries are changing their mission and asking, 'How do we move forward in this new world?'" ## Bringing people together in Redfield Jones-Lutter, 34, has a degree in library science and is the only full-time employee at the Redfield library. The library's roughly $220,000 annual budget is funded by local taxpayers, but she said that like almost all public libraries, programs and materials in Redfield are supported by a hodgepodge of donations, in-kind services and help from the South Dakota State Library. Any cuts to the state system will hurt local libraries that rely on state offerings of information services or material sharing systems, she said. "We're talking about cuts to summer reading, inter-library loan and the databases used by libraries and schools," she said. "I mean, you can't balance the state or federal budget by cutting libraries." [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/05/donate-3.jpg)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate?ref=sdnewswatch.org) The Redfield library, located in a historic brick building, has been in operation since 1902 and is one of the few remaining South Dakota libraries first launched by industrialist Andrew Carnegie. In addition to lending out books, offering free Wi-Fi and access to public computers, the Redfield library offers a long list of programs for children and adults. More than 100 children attend preschool learning programs, summer reading programs or a Lego-based construction club to learn mechanics. "A lot of these are free activities your child can come to," she said. "How many free things are out there where your children can come on their own to read and learn and have a lot of fun?" ![Library patrons attend a monthly book club attended by a group of people sitting around a table.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/04/2025-4-10-Redfield-library-book-club-2.jpg) Library patrons attend a monthly book club on April 10, 2025, called Sweet Reads that combines love of books and homemade treats at the Redfield, S.D., library. Participant Sharon Eldeen, in pink at top right, has used the local library for more than 50 years. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) Adults can attend a book club, and homebound individuals can get materials delivered to them on a weekly basis. Jones-Lutter uses her own money to buy coffee and "blondie" bars or cookies to serve to adult patrons who attend a monthly book club called "Sweet Reads." [Reversal of US energy agenda sparks friction between statesRollback of climate regulations in Trump administration highlights policy differences between South Dakota and Minnesota.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-106.jpg)South Dakota News WatchStu Whitney![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/electric.1.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/us-energy-trump-south-dakota-minnesota-climate/) Sharon Eldeen, 81, has been a regular user of the Redfield library since she moved to town in 1968 and calls the library a "stupendous resource." She takes pride also in the fact that some of her watercolor paintings are displayed on the library walls. Eldeen and a handful of other women sat at a rectangular oak table in the library on April 10 and talked about books and other topics during the most recent "Sweet Reads" gathering. Eldeen said it would be heartbreaking if the library in Redfield or in other South Dakota cities and towns were to lose funding that helps support activities and personnel. "We'd be lost without our local library," she said. ## Library like a local 'coffee shop' On a recent weekday, Cynthia Charest, 65, used a computer in the Mitchell Public Library to gain free access to the internet to catch up on the news. Charest said she would "grieve" if her local library or others across the state underwent budget cuts that led to reduced services or limited access to books and technology. ![The children's reading and activity area in the Mitchell, S.D., public library,](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/04/2025-4-8-Mitchell-library-kids-area-1.jpg) The children's reading and activity area in the Mitchell, S.D., public library, shown here on April 8, 2025, is a popular spot for activities. (Photo; Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) Charest said she started visiting her local library as a child and has made it a part of her life wherever she has lived. "It really increased my love for reading and it got me into writing," she said. Charest said she has watched as public libraries have evolved over the years from quiet places to read and check out books to vibrant settings where people can chat, learn, expand their minds and find new friends. "It's great for parents with children. And for elderly people, we can become isolated, so this provides a place to be part of a community," she said. "Really, the library for me has become more of a coffee shop these days." ## Responding to community needs Kevin Kenkel has served as director of the Mitchell Public Library for the past five years. Patron activity has increased over that time, except during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, he said. Circulation of materials and visitor counts have surpassed pre-pandemic levels during the past two years. Library story time events that include reading aloud and a crafting session attract up to 50 people every Thursday and on alternating Saturdays. That high level of attendance, Kenkel said, is evidence that reading remains important to local families and that the library is still seen as a place where that skill can be developed. "It helps with literacy and language acquisition," he said. "It's a critical part of language development in children, and adults for that matter." ![Mitchell Public Library director Kevin Kenkel stands next to a wall of board games that patrons can play at the library](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/04/2025-4-8-Mitchell-library-director-1.jpg) Mitchell Public Library director Kevin Kenkel, shown on April 8, 2025, in Mitchell, S.D., is concerned about how federal cuts could affect his library's offerings. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) But Kenkel notes that the library in Mitchell has become more responsive to the needs of the community. After hearing from patrons, the library purchased dozens of board games that can be checked out and now lends out a telescope for home use. Some libraries have begun offering power tools to be checked out for home improvement projects, Kenkel said. Local taxpayers provide the Mitchell library with almost all of its $900,000 annual budget that supports seven full-time and six part-time employees, he said. Kenkel publishes a quarterly report called "Between the Pages" to update the community on library happenings, new arrivals and other news. In the spring 2025 edition, he informed the public about the proposed federal cuts and listed 10 ways that reductions in IMLS funding would restrict services. Dozens of online databases would no longer be available to schools and libraries, he said, and cuts could reduce offerings of inter-library lending services, summer reading program offerings and the ability to bring in speakers to share important information with the community. Kenkel also is concerned that the full state library funding cuts proposed by Noem this year could be revived during next year's legislative session. Any funding cut at the state or federal level to the state library would require local libraries to ask for more taxpayer money or to reduce offerings if local replacement money isn't available, Kenkel said. "All libraries in South Dakota benefit from the state library receiving federal funds, so we would lose out on access to those databases and other services," he said. [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *The Associated Press contributed to this story that was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact* *Bart Pfankuch* at* [*bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Toby Doeden makes the political establishment nervous. So what's his next move? URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/tony-doeden-south-dakota-governor-race-2026-election/ Last updated: 2025-06-27T13:38:27.000Z ABERDEEN, S.D. – Toby Doeden was in Sioux Falls on April 9 when the Brown County Republican Party posted on Facebook about its Lincoln Day Dinner the following night, promising a “formal candidate announcement for statewide office.” Doeden, an Aberdeen businessman whose deep pockets and conservative activism have sparked speculation about a run for South Dakota governor in 2026, was the first person who came to mind for political enthusiasts. “My phone started blowing up,” said Doeden, who was scheduled to speak at the event. “I called (Brown County GOP chair) Rich Hilgemann and asked him what was going on.” [Populists seek staying power with Republican takeover“What happened here? What changed in South Dakota politics when a Hand County farmer ends up as chair of the GOP?”![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-103.jpg)South Dakota News WatchStu Whitney![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/pipeline.1-1.JPG)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-gop-republican-democrat-voter-registration/) It turned out that the post referred to a lower office, and even that announcement was called off at the last minute, removing some luster from the Lincoln Day gathering. Still, tongues were wagging, a telling sign in South Dakota politics. The fact that a social media message sent ripples of intrigue through the state Republican establishment shows how Doeden’s influence has risen over the past 15 months amid the party’s populist turn. "He checks a lot of boxes for a candidate," said Carl Perry, a Republican state senator from Aberdeen who served as assistant majority leader in 2025 and was endorsed by Doeden. "He's an independent person who has done well financially and has a great family. I don't know if his ideas will be the ones that the people of South Dakota choose to support, but he's definitely going to get their attention." ## Political newcomer means business Some see Doeden's ascent as a sign of deteriorating public discourse, given his penchant for inflammatory rhetoric and hardball tactics. Others view his profile as proof that outsiders can make an impact in an arena traditionally controlled by career politicians. “He seems intent on being a major player,” said Jon Schaff, a political science professor at Northern State University in Aberdeen. “That could be as a candidate or behind the scenes raising money and pushing a pugnacious agenda.” ![Toby Doeden, a former football player and shot put standout at Groton High School, shows off the basketball court at his home and office complex in Aberdeen.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/04/doeden.4.JPG) Toby Doeden, a former football player and shot put standout at Groton High School, shows off the basketball court at his home and office complex in Aberdeen, S.D., on April 10, 2025\. (Photo: Stu Whitney / South Dakota News Watch) Doeden didn’t commit either way during a recent interview with News Watch at his newly remodeled house and office on the rural outskirts of Aberdeen. But he looked like a man who meant business, emboldened by the political tides in South Dakota and national tone-setting of President Donald Trump. The property has the feel of a command center, with conference rooms and an office suite for Doeden, with plenty of front-facing windows so that he can "see people coming." ## ****Get South Dakota stories** Sign up for an email summary on most weekdays that links to the full story. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. The 50-year-old Groton native also showed off a full-sized indoor court for basketball and pickleball, while a Polaris Ranger utility task vehicle sat waiting in the spacious driveway. “Believe it not, we do have recreational activity around here,” said Doeden, with a self-deprecating nod to his hulking physique, an extension of his days as a football player and shot put standout in high school. ## 'Mad and angry is not a public policy' There is a Trumpian aspect to Doeden’s methods. He made waves in the business world before coming to politics as an outsider, latching onto a populist wave after “liberal nonsense,” as he calls it, “started leaking into South Dakota.” His politics are personality-driven, not policy-focused, though he talks of lower property taxes, limited government and parental choice for schools. He uses new media to his advantage, bypassing traditional outlets with paid social media posts, video snippets and a podcast called “Unfiltered,” in which he rails against the establishment with his newfound interest in public affairs. “Up until two years ago,” Doeden told News Watch, “I was literally the least political person that you’ve ever met.” ![Lee Schoenbeck checks election results at a watch party on June 7, 2022, at the Hilton Garden Inn](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/04/schoenbeck.1.jpg) Lee Schoenbeck checks election results at a watch party on June 7, 2022, at the Hilton Garden Inn in Sioux Falls. The former state senator said of Toby Doeden that "mad and angry is not a public policy platform." (Photo: Courtesy Argus Leader) His influence so far has been channeled through the self-funded Dakota First Action political action committee, boosting Republicans viewed as "patriots" or "solid conservatives" and berating "RINOs" (Republicans in Name Only). The PAC took aim at mainstream Republicans during the 2024 primaries and helped defeat 14 incumbents, with Doeden spending more than $77,000 on targeted text messaging and mailers for 17 candidates. Those efforts helped swing legislative leadership to the party’s right flank, buoyed by grassroots opposition to carbon pipelines and the state’s plan to build a prison in rural Lincoln County. [South Dakota Democrats seek new message for voter momentumState party leaders hope for a pendulum swing in the 2026 midterms, but patience might be needed for significant gains.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-104.jpg)South Dakota News WatchStu Whitney![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/voter.1.JPG)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-democrats-state-legislature-senate-house-voting/) “He was looking for candidates who were committed, Christian and conservative, as well as upholding landowners' rights," said Perry, who defeated Katie Washnok, president of Aberdeen Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, in the primary after Doeden dumped more than $6,000 into the race. The intraparty attacks, some of them mischaracterizing legislative votes or positions, rankled party traditionalists. Others noted the irony of Doeden calling people RINOs when his first vote in a Republican primary came in 2024. “He’s a very mad and angry person,” said Lee Schoenbeck, a longtime GOP state senator who retired from office last year. “Mad and angry is not a public policy platform. It doesn’t educate our children, create jobs or make our communities safer. He will need to set forth a policy platform that is more than just being mad and angry.” ## Different kind of change agent Doeden has been open about his interest in running for statewide office in 2026 as part of a “conservative revolution” in South Dakota, if past misdeeds and establishment resistance don’t impede his path. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/04/Screenshot-2025-04-18-at-10.39.47-PM.png) He flirted briefly with a U.S. House run in 2024 before reversing course and forming Dakota First Action, using resources from his car dealerships and real estate holdings, a portfolio built without generational wealth or a college degree. The Aberdeen Chrysler owner has ruffled feathers with frequent takedowns of Republican standard-bearers, saying that U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson “acts like a liberal, talks like a liberal and, worst of all, votes like a liberal.” A campaign spokesperson for Johnson told News Watch that the congressman "has worked hard during President Trump's first 100 days to advance the Republican agenda of securing the border, getting tough on China and keeping men out of women's sports. South Dakota knows he's a conservative who gets things done. Toby peddles fear and anger. Luckily, there's a limited market for that in our state." ![Dakota First Action PAC founder Toby Doeden (left) speaks with another person](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/04/doeden.8.jpg) Dakota First Action PAC founder Toby Doeden (left) was a featured speaker at the Brown County Republican Party's Lincoln Day Dinner on April 10, 2025, in downtown Aberdeen, S.D. (Photo: Lakeside Media) In speaking with News Watch, Doeden criticized the job performance of Gov. Larry Rhoden since taking office in February, citing that as a possible reason for Doeden to enter a high-profile gubernatorial race in the coming months. Rhoden and Johnson are widely expected to be in that 2026 primary contest, possibly joined by Attorney General Marty Jackley and South Dakota Speaker of the House Jon Hansen, a fellow populist and property rights advocate. There will also be races for U.S. Senate, with Mike Rounds expected to run for re-election, and U.S. House, a seat currently occupied by Johnson. “We’re looking ahead to 2026 and trying to figure out where I can be most effective,” said Doeden, whose wife, Liz, a former Groton High School classmate, is a close confidant. The couple has two sons and two daughters ranging in ages from 22 to 28. “My family and I have been having a lot of discussions, and we’re still working through that big decision,” Doeden added. “I’ve always been a fighter, and I don’t get caught up in what everybody else is going to do.” ## Doeden 'saddened' by Rhoden stances Doeden said he would have thrown his support behind Rhoden if the governor had immediately joined the populist faction’s opposition to the prison project and the use of eminent domain for carbon pipelines. Instead, Rhoden initially championed a final funding bill for the prison and was noncommittal about the eminent domain legislation. He had to adjust his stances after hard-right legislative leaders foiled the prison funding plan and pushed through the eminent domain ban, clouding the pipeline vision. Rhoden was former Gov. Kristi Noem’s lieutenant governor and became chief executive after she was confirmed for a Cabinet position in the Trump administration. ![Gov. Larry Rhoden speaks to the media on Feb. 6, 2025, at the State Capitol Building in Pierre](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/04/rhoden.1.JPG) Gov. Larry Rhoden speaks to the media on Feb. 6, 2025, at the State Capitol Building in Pierre, S.D. He told News Watch that he would defend his record and that of former Gov. Kristi Noem from "uninformed criticism." (Photo: Stu Whitney / South Dakota News Watch) “As soon as we heard that (Noem) was going to run Homeland Security, we thought that this could be a reset for our state,” said Doeden. “Who Gov. Rhoden surrounds himself with, what he comes out for or against in the first week of his tenure, is going to tell us whether he’s an extension of the previous administration or if he’s going to stand on his own two feet. And I was very saddened to see who he surrounded himself with. And I was very saddened that he continued to want to build this Ritz-Carlton prison. You know, this isn't what the people of South Dakota want." In a statement to News Watch, Rhoden said he is "proud of everything we accomplished in the Noem-Rhoden administration to build the freest, most conservative state in the nation," pointing to cutting taxes and regulations, pro-Second Amendment policies and low unemployment. [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/05/donate-3.jpg)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate?ref=sdnewswatch.org) "I'm committed to defending this record of accomplishments from uninformed criticism," Rhoden added. "President Trump loved those accomplishments so much that he asked Kristi to join his administration." Some of the backlash to Doeden's most forceful messages is bipartisan. "There are two kinds of change agents," said South Dakota Democratic Party executive director Dan Ahlers. "A disruptor who is intentional and tries to change the status quo in a positive way, and a disrupter who throws Molotov cocktails and watches things burn to the ground. Toby is the latter." ## Family circumstances shaped outlook Doeden is quick to note that he inherited life lessons, but not wealth, from his parents. As the youngest of four children, he learned through family circumstances the value and necessity of hard work. His father, Doug, who managed a lumberyard in Groton, was diagnosed in his 30s with a degenerative bone disease that required numerous trips to the Mayo Clinic for surgeries on his neck, hips and knees. ![Toby Doden poses at the Brown County Republican Party Lincoln Day Dinner in Aberdeen, S.D., on April 10, 2025, with sons Johnny (far left) and Jackson (second from left). (Photo: Lakeside Media)](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/04/doeden.7-1.jpg) Toby Doden poses at the Brown County Republican Party Lincoln Day Dinner in Aberdeen, S.D., on April 10, 2025, with sons Johnny (far left) and Jackson (second from left). (Photo: Lakeside Media) “He was disabled and never able to work after that,” Doeden said of his father, who died in 2020\. “So my mom worked at 3M in Aberdeen and at a nursing home, in addition to teaching piano to 40 or 50 students. A lot of my fighting instinct comes from watching my mother sleep four hours a night for 20 straight years just to put food on the table.” Much of Doeden's time at Groton High School was spent envisioning future business schemes, at the expense of schoolwork. He was a standout shot put and discus thrower and played running back and linebacker on a football team that ended a long losing streak his senior year. Later, when sons Jackson and Jonathan played for the Tigers, they made sure to point out that they made the Sioux Falls Argus Leader’s annual Elite 45 all-star squad, while their father was merely an honorable mention. ## College experience 'an utter waste of time' In a household where neither parent attended college, higher education was a goal. Doeden’s three older siblings had all completed college and started careers by the time Toby graduated from high school in 1993. Feeling outside pressures, he accepted a football and track scholarship to Minot State University in North Dakota, but his heart wasn’t in it. “I remember unloading my little hatchback car, getting everything moved into my dorm room, and the very night I moved in thinking I should not be here,” Doeden said. “My feeling was, ‘This is an utter waste of time.’” He qualified for the national track meet as a freshman but had already transferred to Northern State University in Aberdeen, where he lasted about a semester before proposing to Liz and moving to nearby Groton to put business plans in motion. “I was going to be a professional house painter, but the problem was that I was terrible at painting,” said Doeden. “Then I started selling satellite dishes, and I had a snow removal business with my brother. I also bought a few rental properties and got some cash flow with that.” ## Powers of persuasion in car business A change in circumstances meant shifting priorities, similar to when his father's condition led Toby to move temporarily to the Mayo Clinic. For Toby and Liz, there were complications in 1996 when their first child, Jackson, was born, creating a bind with medical bills. Seeking a job with full benefits, Doeden landed at Aberdeen Chrysler, where his powers of persuasion served him well. ![Toby Doeden's property on April 10, 2025, on the outskirts of Aberdeen, S.D., features conference rooms and an office suite](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/04/doeden.6.jpg) Toby Doeden's property on April 10, 2025, on the outskirts of Aberdeen, S.D., features conference rooms and an office suite, as well as a full basketball court for recreation. (Photo: Stu Whitney / South Dakota News Watch) “I like connecting with people, so it was easy for me,” he said of selling cars. “I worked three summers at 3M because my mother worked there, sitting in a facility with no windows. So just having windows and being able to go outside while working was a motivator for me.” He joined Aberdeen Chrysler as a sales consultant in 1997 and worked his way up to sales manager and became general manager in 2011. Soon after that, Doeden began the process of buying the company and completed the acquisition in 2020\. He expanded his network last year by acquiring Harr’s Redfield Ford in Redfield, about 40 miles south of Aberdeen. ## Rental rate increase called 'insane' With his wife as business partner, Doeden has sought to expand his companies and community involvement in northeast South Dakota. The Doeden Investment Group includes rental properties as well as retail establishments ranging from coffee shops to sports bars and fireworks outlets. "Here's how to measure Toby's success," Hilgemann joked at the Brown County Lincoln Day Dinner. "When he buys up enough of Aberdeen that we get to name the town Aber-Doeden, that's when we knows he's successful." The Doedens started the 4J Foundation in 2020 with a personal donation of $25,000, naming the philanthropic organization after their four children – Jackson, Josephine, Jennie and Jonathan. The organization's stated focus is on the "safety and well-being" of children and domestic pets. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/04/Facebook-copy.png) At the end of 2023, its most recent available tax filing, the foundation had $14,257\. Its single charitable endeavor that year was a community Thanksgiving meal held at Scotty's Diner in Aberdeen, with a cost of $4,800. Doeden's Plaza Rentals company was the subject of public scrutiny in 2022 when Aberdeen tenants took to a local Facebook page with complaints about rental rates being significantly raised. Ashley Washagesic, a single mother, told Dakota News Now at the time that her rent for a two-bedroom house increased 48% from $775 to $1,150 a month after Plaza Rentals took over the property, which she called "insane." Doeden said at the time that his company "paid fair market value for the house and because of that were forced to adjust the rent to market value." ## Using 'hate' as a political strategy Doeden also referenced "President Biden and his administration's failed policies" in his response to rising rents, a sign of political instincts stirring. The COVID-19 pandemic, combined with racial unrest after George Floyd's murder in Minneapolis and Trump's election defeat in 2020, ignited a populist backlash in rural conservative states, a movement that Doeden embraced. “I saw all this national nonsense going on, and for the first time in my life, I started getting worried," he said. "People were frustrated. Property taxes were skyrocketing. People were making the same amount of money as they were five years ago but keeping much less of it. It was eye-opening for me. I decided to get involved so I could help people who didn't really know how to help themselves.” ![Past social media posts such as this one were spotlighted on political blogs after Toby Doeden said he was exploring a run for U.S. House in early 2024.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/04/doeden.9-1.jpg) Past social media posts such as this one were spotlighted on political blogs after Toby Doeden said he was exploring a run for U.S. House in early 2024\. Many of the posts on X (formerly Twitter) have since been deleted. (Photo: Screenshot from X) He entered the statewide political fray in January 2024 by forming an exploratory committee to challenge Johnson in the Republican primary, but the bid ended about a month later. Some of Doeden's prior posts from X (formerly Twitter) found their way onto political blogs, showing that he called for shooting immigrants in gangs "between the eyes" and referred to Biden as a “bumbling f—tard.” At the time, Doeden insinuated that Johnson's team was responsible for spotlighting the social media posts and refused to apologize for them, though they were deleted. In his interview with News Watch, Doeden said that assaults on his character are an indication of how Republican traditionalists are worried about losing influence. “Career establishment politicians fear outsiders more than anything else, because they're unpredictable and they can't be bought," Doeden said. Schoenbeck countered that browbeating South Dakota Republican officeholders is not a prudent path to gaining a foothold in the party. "I think it hurts (Doeden) that he has made it clear that he hates – strongly – many of the political figures that we South Dakotans really like and affirm that affection for at the ballot box regularly," said Schoenbeck, a Watertown lawyer. ## 'Nothing of substance to debate' One of the main drivers behind the Dakota First Action PAC was a 29-year-old political operative named Matt Hurley, whose Victory Insights firm is based in Naples, Florida. His wife, Rachael, is listed as the PAC's treasurer on campaign finance reports. Hurley, who attended the Lincoln Day Dinner in Aberdeen, told News Watch that the idea for the PAC came as Doeden was getting a lot of outside pressure to primary Johnson for the U.S. House seat in 2024. “We make a good team because Toby’s a big visionary guy and I think of myself as an operator,” Hurley said. “Finally I said, 'Why don’t we start up a political action group to provide cover and support for conservative candidates?'" ![Republican state Sen. Michael Rohl of Aberdeen testifies to the House State Affairs Committee](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/04/rohl.1.jpg) Republican state Sen. Michael Rohl of Aberdeen testifies to the House State Affairs Committee on Feb. 3, 2025, in Pierre, S.D., about his bill to close a loophole that allowed individuals to make unlimited loans to PACs. (Photo: Argus Leader) After Doeden's initial donation of $115,000 to his own PAC was flagged for exceeding the $10,000 limit, his team found a loophole and changed it to a loan, which could be forgiven under state law. That loophole was closed for future campaigns by a 2025 law spearheaded by Republican state Sen. Michael Rohl, whose measure mandated that loans cannot exceed contribution limits. Rohl, a small business manager in Aberdeen, was attacked by Doeden during the legislative process as a “RINO” and a “compromised politician.” Rohl told News Watch that he has never met Doeden but stands by the provision. “I don’t believe that PACs are supposed to be shells for private checking accounts,” said Rohl, who was first elected to office in 2020\. “I just try to do my job and create good policy. I assume when people throw out generic, inaccurate attacks, it's usually because they have nothing of substance to debate.” ## Political consultant's rocky past Legal questions surrounding Dakota First Action were familiar ground for Hurley, who has been tied to financial malfeasance in Florida and North Carolina and was arrested in 2020 for contempt of court after failing to submit financial disclosures. He has been the subject of lawsuits involving real estate development and auto racing ownership. The actions led to civil judgments that [total at least $2 million](https://www.winknews.com/wink%5Finvestigations/where-s-the-money-government-investigating-fort-myers-entrepreneur/article%5Fffc44ca9-8cc8-5b31-85fe-ebb2020716ef.html?ref=sdnewswatch.org), according to an investigation done by a television station in Fort Myers, Florida. Records show that owners of the Atrium Executive Center complex in Fort Myers were awarded nearly $450,000 after they accused Hurley of planning to redevelop the complex but then failing to pay rent. ![Florida-based political operative Matt Hurley (left) speaks with Toby Doeden at the Brown County Republican Party Lincoln Day Dinner](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/04/doeden.3.JPG) Florida-based political operative Matt Hurley (left) speaks with Toby Doeden at the Brown County Republican Party Lincoln Day Dinner on April 10, 2025, in Aberdeen, S.D. Hurley has been tied to financial malfeasance in Florida and North Carolina and was arrested in 2020 for contempt of court. (Photo: Stu Whitney / South Dakota News Watch) Hurley later founded H2 Motorsports, a NASCAR Xfinity Series racing team in North Carolina. His ownership involved borrowing $1.5 million from the family of stock car racer Shane Lee, who was the team's driver in 2019 and sued Hurley for failure to repay the loan. “We got five or six races into the season before stuff started blowing up,” said Lee. "The bills weren't getting paid.” Lee was released from the team in August 2019, a decision Hurley said was based on "performance on and off the track." The H2 Motorsports team didn't race again and was shut down before the start of the 2020 season. Contacted by News Watch, Lee said his family has reclaimed some of their race equipment based on a North Carolina court judgment but that Hurley “still owes us hundreds of thousands of dollars that we will never see.” In a statement to News Watch, Hurley said: “We believe the ongoing dispute between H2 Motorsports and Shane Lee Racing is a simple matter of a judgment being improperly granted without due process by a court that simply does not have jurisdiction over the case. When and if the opportunity arises to litigate the issue in the proper court, we would welcome the chance to do so.” ## Speaker for PAC event sparks friction Hurley was hired in September to serve as campaign manager for Mark Robinson, the North Carolina lieutenant governor at the time whose campaign for governor was in trouble. Most of Robinson’s staff had quit after a CNN investigation alleged that the Republican had left messages on a pornography website calling himself a “black Nazi," that he expressed support for reinstating slavery, and that he called Martin Luther King Jr. “worse than a maggot." ![Republican North Carolina gubernatorial candidate Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson walks off the stage after speaking at an election night watch party Nov. 5, 2024](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/04/mark.robinson.jpg) Republican North Carolina gubernatorial candidate Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson walks off the stage after speaking at an election night watch party Nov. 5, 2024, in Raleigh, N.C. (Photo: Chuck Burton / The Associated Press) Robinson, who denied the allegations, was booked as keynote speaker of a Dakota First Action Victory Gala in Sioux Falls in early October. Ticketing included a $20,000 sponsorship that offered an option "to host the keynote speaker at your dinner table." Robinson ended up sending a video message to be played at the gala due to the aftermath of Hurricane Helene in North Carolina. He was defended by Doeden, who claimed that CNN had no proof of the allegations in the story, though a defamation lawsuit filed by Robinson was later dropped. “Many of the policies that Robinson championed were things that Dakota First Action agreed with – lower taxes, less government, more freedom,” said Hurley. “Dakota First Action doesn't own every single action of every single elected official that it associates itself with.” Robinson lost the gubernatorial election with 40% of the vote and declared a few months later that he would not seek office in 2026, “nor do I have plans to seek elected office in the future.” ## Courting support from Loomer, Trump As tension builds about a possible gubernatorial run, Doeden has ramped up his social media presence with paid placements on X, amplifying his message beyond his 1,800 followers. "If you have 2,000 followers, a post might get 300 impressions," said Doeden. "If you boost it for 10 or 15 bucks, it puts it in front of a few hundred more people. And if it gets in front of the right eight or 10 activists around the state, you might get 40,000 impressions for a very small amount of money. It's almost like how you get a fire started – you've got to put the kindling in and then you get a huge flame." Doeden’s message has also been amplified by Laura Loomer, a far-right political activist and Trump confidant who has 1.6 million followers on X. She held a meeting with Trump at the White House as recently as April 2. ![Laura Loomer steps off an airplane with a phone in her hand](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/04/loomer.1.jpg) Laura Loomer, a far-right political activist and Trump confidant, has amplified some of Toby Doeden's social media posts and called him a "top contender for Governor of South Dakota." (Photo: Chris Szagola / The Associated Press) The Florida-based Loomer, who describes herself as "pro white nationalism," has called Hurley "my friend" on X and declared in an April 6 post that Doeden is "shaping up to be a top contender for Governor of South Dakota!" She has criticized Johnson for "trying to curry favor with Trump by creating legislation to take back the Panama Canal as a way to mask his anti-Trump past." > Toby Doeden is shaping up to be a top contender for Governor of South Dakota! > > Definitely a race to watch. 👀 [@TobyForSD](https://twitter.com/TobyForSD?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=sdnewswatch.org) [https://t.co/sJBkH7SZoG](https://t.co/sJBkH7SZoG?ref=sdnewswatch.org) > > — Laura Loomer (@LauraLoomer) [April 6, 2025](https://twitter.com/LauraLoomer/status/1909008516293296132?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=sdnewswatch.org) "I would say that Dusty Johnson is a prime suspect to get 'Loomered' (called out on social media by the activist)," said Hurley. "I don't know that her getting involved in South Dakota is as much about being pro-somebody as it is about her being anti-Dusty Johnson." As for Trump endorsing a candidate for South Dakota governor, Hurley said that "anyone who tells you they know how to get a Trump endorsement is a liar." But he's not ruling anything out. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/04/Matt-Hurley-quote.png) "He's a fan of people who show bold, aggressive leadership," Hurley said of the president. "It wouldn't surprise me at some point to see him endorse somebody who fits that profile in this state." ## Keeping political people on edge When Doeden and his family entered the Engels Event Center in downtown Aberdeen for the Brown County Lincoln Day Dinner on April 10, everything looked familiar to him. Not just the cocktail-hour gathering of South Dakota Republicans, including fellow speakers Jackley and Hansen, but the venue itself, which Doeden purchased a few years back when it was still known as Engel Music Supply. When he took the stage early in the program, he spoke of his mother, Arlis, who died in 2021, recalling her love for piano and his childhood days spent at the music outlet. "She didn't have much free time after my father became disabled, but when she did, she would sometimes bring me to this building," Doeden told the attendees. "Anybody that knew my mother knew how much she loved coming here. I remember standing right outside that door, on that sidewalk and her telling me, 'Don't break anything today because I don't have any money to pay for it.'" Doeden paused at this recollection and scanned the room, preferring nostalgia to political platitudes, at least for a few moments. ![Toby Doeden speaks to attendees at the Brown County Republican Party Lincoln Day Dinner ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/04/doeden.1.JPG) Toby Doeden speaks to attendees at the Brown County Republican Party Lincoln Day Dinner at Engels Event Center in downtown Aberdeen, S.D., on April 10, 2025\. (Photo: Stu Whitney / South Dakota News Watch) "I can still see the drum sets in here," he said, walking the stage. "I can see all of the instruments. I can smell Engel Music." Soon after, recalling his persona, the newly minted politician said that buying the building was "needless to say, the single worst business deal I ever made." In Toby Doeden's South Dakota, it's important to get people talking or leave them guessing, waiting for the other shoe to drop. [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/09/Donate-today-News-Watch--1-.png)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?%5Fgl=1%2A1b0ep3i%2A%5Fga%2AMTM3NDcyODMyNS4xNzAyMTQ0MTg3%2A%5Fga%5FH98KVPR32J%2AMTcyNzIyNjUwOS40MzMuMS4xNzI3MjI3NzQ1LjAuMC4w&ref=sdnewswatch.org) [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *every few days to get stories as soon as they're published. *Contact Stu Whitney* at* [*stu.whitney@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:stu.whitney@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Are most of South Dakota’s agricultural products exported? URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-agriculture-exports-tariff-gigafact/ Last updated: 2025-04-16T09:41:14.000Z ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/04/FactBriefLogo-2.jpg) ## No. While a significant share of South Dakota’s agricultural production is exported, the majority is sold domestically. In 2023, South Dakota exported 38% of its agricultural products to other countries, which were worth $5.6 billion, according to a South Dakota Trade official. Soybeans are the state’s largest agricultural export, with an estimated 60% exported as whole beans, soybean meal or oil. The figure does not include soybean meal fed to pork and poultry that ends up getting sold internationally. Over the last decade, South Dakota’s ag exports grew 40%, from $4 billion in 2014\. Canada followed by Mexico are South Dakota’s biggest trading partners. **This fact brief responds to conversations such as* [**this one*](https://www.reddit.com/r/SouthDakota/comments/1jemqmd/comment/mikrwo4/?utm%5Fsource=share&utm%5Fmedium=web3x&utm%5Fname=web3xcss&utm%5Fterm=1&utm%5Fcontent=share%5Fbutton)**.* ### Sources South Dakota Trade, [email](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1DmkDvAB8uYYqOYhudxAiniEBxKgQzecj/view?usp=drive%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) South Dakota Soybean Association, [SD soybean farmers see gain from pork exports](https://www.sdsoybean.org/news-media/south-dakota-soybean-farmers-see-gains-from-pork-exports?ref=sdnewswatch.org) South Dakota Trade, [email](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1xzg%5FKjStrlkeP7Ewo30xiF7Tu6ofY6p-/view?usp=sharing&ref=sdnewswatch.org) South Dakota News Watch,[ Is Canada South Dakota’s largest trading partner? ](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/canada-mexico-china-brazil-south-dakota-trade/) --- [**South Dakota News Watch**](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/) partners with [**Gigafact**](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) to publish fact briefs that refute or confirm a claim with supporting information and additional evidence and context. [**Get our email with fact briefs and stories**](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/). [](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/tag/fact-brief/)[**Read previous fact briefs**](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/tag/fact-brief/) and our verification standards and other [**best practices policies**](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/best-practices/). **Have a question we can answer?** Submit it at the [**South Dakota News Watch Tipline**](https://gigafact.org/tipline/south-dakota-news-watch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). Send questions or feedback to [**factbrief@sdnewswatch.org**](mailto:factbrief@sdnewswatch.org). [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/05/donate-3.jpg)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate?ref=sdnewswatch.org) [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact Megan Luther* at* [*megan.luther@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:megan.luther@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### De Smet blazing a trail along historic Highway 14 URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/desmet-biking-hiking-trail-historic-south-dakota-highway-14/ Last updated: 2025-06-27T13:38:27.000Z DE SMET, S.D. – The first leg of a new hiking and biking trail along Highway 14 will materialize just east of De Smet this summer from the edge of town to the Big Slough immortalized in the "Little House on the Prairie" series by Laura Ingalls Wilder. Organizers hope it eventually grows into a statewide byway. The project originated about six years ago from Bob Montross and wife Nancy, local beef producers and longtime residents. They were inspired by the landscape and nearby game production land maintained by South Dakota Game, Fish & Parks. ![The initial three phases for the Highway 14 trail near De Smet, S.D. (Courtesy: Rita Anderson)](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/04/Legendary-Highway-14-Tower-Trail-Map.jpg) The initial three phases for the Highway 14 trail near De Smet, S.D. (Courtesy: Rita Anderson) "It was a feature that Bob thought could be expanded to bring tourism into De Smet and, of course, increase our economy," said Nancy Montross. "So we talked about it. He talked about it. We talked to Game Fish and Parks and they had some real good ideas." With buy-in from the likes of GFP, the local economic development corporation and more, work began on developing a hiking and biking trail. It's the sort of amenity that builds on De Smet’s existing appeal. The community of 1,100 boasts around 50,000 visitors annually between its connection to Laura Ingalls Wilder and local hunting and fishing opportunities. ![Nancy Montross (left) and Rita Anderson (right) pose for a photo](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/04/Nancy-and-Rita.jpg) Nancy Montross (left) and Rita Anderson (right) are some of the original members of a working group to develop the Legendary Highway 14 Tower Trail. They shared the origins of the project on April 4, 2025, in De Smet, S.D. (Photo Credit: Jordyn Henderson / SDPB) “I think basically the people of De Smet realize that we need something like this because this is today’s world," Nancy Montross said. "The biking, hiking trails, that’s the world we’re living in today. And if you take a look around our community or our area here, we just don’t have that. So that’s something we need to add so that we can keep our tourists right in town here for us." From there the vision grew to a biking trail all along Highway 14, which runs east and west across the entire state, predating Interstate 90\. It began as part of the Black and Yellow trail, developed in the early 1900s and promoted as the shortest route from Chicago to Yellowstone National Park. The highway intersects with several South Dakota towns, from Brookings to Wall and beyond. ## ****Get South Dakota stories** Sign up for an email summary on most weekdays that links to the full story. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. "That now is one of our long-term goals: that we would like to have this trail then extend all the way from Minnesota to the western border," said Rita Anderson, former director of the De Smet Economic Development Corp. "There are not any other bike trails that cross the state. And so we feel Highway 14 is the very best route because it’s straight, it’s an original one, and there’s so many things along the way for tourists to see and for bikers.” ## Observation tower gains international attention The Legendary Highway 14 Tower Trail project is so named for the observation tower to be constructed in future phases of the project, eventually offering a view of another Little House landmark, Silver Lake. Jamie Lancaster, economic development director in De Smet, said he remembers when a member of the local working group found an example of an observation tower design that led them to an architectural company based in Paris. **"**It was this company, Buildner, that runs these international competitions," said Lancaster. "And so we reached out and told them about our project, and they accepted us in as[ one of their competitions for the year](https://architecturecompetitions.com/highwaytower14/?ref=sdnewswatch.org).” That was in 2023\. The competition yielded more than 140 designs from architects on every continent but Antarctica. A public meeting in early 2024 offered De Smet residents a chance to view the designs and vote for their favorite. ![The 1st Place winner of Buildner's International Architecture Competition for the De Smet observation tower.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/04/Buildner-first-prize.jpg) The 1st Place winner of Buildner's International Architecture Competition for the De Smet observation tower. The winning design came from U.S. architect Jordan Paul Scheuermann. (Photo Courtesy: Buildner) Lancaster said the competition brought new attention to the community. “I was in my office and I had this couple come in, and he was a retired architect from Australia. They had planned on flying over to the East Coast, driving across the country to the West Coast just to see America," Lancaster remembered. "And they changed their route just so they could come through De Smet and see what this competition and the area was all about. And he didn't even have an entry in the competition. He just wanted to see it.” That kind of experience gave Lancaster a taste of the impact creative development can have on a community. ![De Smet residents voted this design the community favorite during a public meeting in early 2024. It's by U.S. architects Isaiah Scharen and Maura Mcdaniel. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/04/community-choice-winner.jpg) De Smet residents voted this design the community favorite during a public meeting in early 2024\. It's by U.S. architects Isaiah Scharen and Maura Mcdaniel. (Photo Courtesy: Buildner) "You don't talk to every person who comes. But to get a glimpse of these people who are coming to a small town like De Smet, to a state like South Dakota, and loving what they're seeing, loving what they're discovering ... I think the whole state benefits from that type of an endeavor." ## A future with a view The ultimate goal for the area surrounding the Big Slough and eventual observation tower is a new state park, named for Laura Ingalls Wilder. That project is likely to take time, along with further development of the Legendary Highway 14 Tower Trail. “We definitely will get that first phase built this summer, which is just a small section," said Rita Anderson. "And then from there we will go on and continue to fundraise, as we have hopes to get some grants and some help from some of the programs that are out there for trails. But most require a 50% match. And so for us to raise 50% of an $8 million dollar project is quite a lot." It wouldn't be the first time De Smet residents managed to fundraise for a major development. The local event and wellness center, constructed about 10 years ago, had a similar price tag. But the Montross' vision of a trail system has expanded to something likely to have broad appeal for residents and visitors. [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/05/donate-3.jpg)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Bob Montross died in late 2023\. He’s remembered, in part, for his vision for De Smet’s future. It’s a vision Nancy shares. She sees the need to balance the momentum of a developing community with the history that attracts Little House fans. "They’re coming here for the pioneer, for Laura Ingalls Wilder, her generation, her era. So we need to still portray that. But we can’t live in yesterday. We have to live in today and tomorrow," said Nancy. "So we have to figure out where the breaking point is ... and how to bond the two of them together. And I think we have a number of people in this area that are really good at that. They still want to maintain their roots, but they know that they have to progress or else you die. I mean, that’s just the way it is, especially in a small community." To Nancy, the trail project strikes just the right balance. “I think this whole project is looking at the past to build our future. We know what we had in the past, but we have to be able to transfer it to our future. And I think it’s readily available for us by doing this project.” --- ### How to watch 'South Dakota Focus' The next episode of "South Dakota Focus" airs on Thursday, April 24, at 8 p.m. Central time / 7 p.m. Mountain time. It can be viewed on SDPB-TV1, Facebook, YouTube and SD.net. The episode includes: - How day-to-day infrastructure maintenance can improve visitor experiences - Why Hill City, S.D. is doubling its sewage system's capacity, and what that means for residents - How De Smet looks to its pioneer past to chart its future [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was written by *Jackie Hendry*, host and producer of South Dakota Public Broadcasting's "South Dakota Focus," to preview the next show. It was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact us* at info@sdnewswatch.org*. ### South Dakota Symphony pulls 'Giants in the Earth' opera out of the shadows URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-symphony-giants-in-the-earth-opera/ Last updated: 2025-06-27T13:38:27.000Z One of the first people Delta David Gier met after being named music director of the South Dakota Symphony Orchestra in 2003 was Art Husboe, founder of the Center for Western Studies at Augustana University. Husboe pulled Gier aside at a dinner party and gave him a copy of “Giants in the Earth,” Ole Rolvaag’s classic 1925 novel depicting the struggles and sacrifice of Norwegian pioneers in the Dakota Territory. “If you want to understand people here, you have to read this book,” Husboe told the new conductor, who had come to South Dakota from the New York Philharmonic. “Also,” added Husboe, “there’s an opera.” That was news to Gier, an astute follower of 20th century American classical music who was not familiar with the piece. [Delta David Gier lifts South Dakota Symphony Orchestra to national stageDelta David Gier arrived in Sioux Falls in 2004\. Since then, he’s transformed the South Dakota Symphony Orchestra and shattered stereotypes.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-101.jpg)South Dakota News WatchStu Whitney![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/2019-scaled.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/delta-david-gier-lifts-south-dakota-symphony-orchestra-national-stage/) A seed of curiosity was planted, followed by a journey to revive an obscure and largely unheard opera as part of an exploration of music depicting immigrant and Native American experiences. That journey will culminate with the South Dakota Symphony performing “Giants in the Earth” on April 26-27 at the Washington Pavilion in Sioux Falls, with much of the American opera community watching. The event will commemorate the 100th anniversary of Rolvaag’s novel with only the third known presentation of Douglas Moore’s composition, which won the Pulitzer Prize for music in 1951. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/04/Screenshot-2025-04-09-at-9.46.24-PM.png) For Gier, a world traveler who has made his home on the prairie, there is no better orchestra or setting to resurrect the opera and put it on proper display. "The story takes place right here," he said. ## 'Triumph but also human cost' Rolvaag, a 1901 graduate of Augustana Academy in Canton, set his novel in a fictitious Norwegian settlement between Flandreau and Sioux Falls. The book was based on stories he heard regarding a wagon train of pioneer families that arrived in the Dakota Territory in 1873. Those tales came not from Rolvaag’s own family but from that of his wife, Jennie Berdahl, whose grandfather arrived in the United States from Norway in 1856\. Less than two decades later, the Berdahls were part of a caravan of covered wagons that traveled from Fillmore County in southeast Minnesota and settled near what is now Garretson, about 20 miles northeast of Sioux Falls. “Jennie had two brothers that were Rolvaag’s (Augustana) classmates, and they used to take him back to the family farm up by Garretson," said Charles Berdahl, a retired Lutheran pastor in Sioux Falls whose grandfather was part of the wagon train. "That’s where he met Jennie and heard all the stories." ![A writing cabin where Ole Rolvaag wrote the best-selling book "Giants in the Earth” ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/04/giants.4.JPG) The writing cabin where Ole Rolvaag wrote the best-selling book "Giants in the Earth” is now located on the Augustana University campus near the Fryxell Humanities Center in Sioux Falls, S.D. (Photo: Stu Whitney / South Dakota News Watch) Rolvaag, who taught and studied at St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota, took a one-year leave of absence in 1923 to write “Giants in the Earth,” beginning the work from his writing cabin in northern Minnesota. He drew anecdotal research from Sioux Falls, where Jennie was staying with her father, Andrew. “Letters went back and forth from Ole to Andrew, wondering about certain events and locations and talking about snow, locusts, sod houses and Indians,” said Berdahl, a former board member of the Nordland Heritage Foundation. [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/04/Donate-today-News-Watch--1--3.png)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?%5Fgl=1%2A1b0ep3i%2A%5Fga%2AMTM3NDcyODMyNS4xNzAyMTQ0MTg3%2A%5Fga%5FH98KVPR32J%2AMTcyNzIyNjUwOS40MzMuMS4xNzI3MjI3NzQ1LjAuMC4w&ref=sdnewswatch.org) The fictional story describes how Per Hansa and his wife, Beret, respond to the challenges of forging a new life while preserving the culture of their homeland, an immigrant theme that still resonates today. The novel, first released in Norway, was translated to English and published in the United States in 1927, becoming required reading for many high school students. “The book was not about romanticizing the pioneer experience,” said Berdahl. “It revealed triumph but also human cost, and I hope that the opera does as well.” ## Seeking a unique American voice Just as Rolvaag sought inspiration to meaningfully capture the pioneer experience, Moore was looking for a breakthrough as more than just a purveyor of folk operas. Moore saw mid-20th century composers such as Leonard Bernstein and Aaron Copland in exploring distinctly American styles of symphonic expression and saw “Giants in the Earth” as ideal source material for that genre. ![Composer Douglas Moore](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/04/giants.moore.jpg) Composer Douglas Moore “Prior to that, a lot of American composers were imitating European composers,” said Gier, who conducted Bernstein’s "Overture to Candide" at his New York Philharmonic debut. “There was a lot of exploration and people saying, ‘What’s our American voice? What does that sound like?’ Moore was participating in that search.” Building on his 1939 opera "The Devil and Daniel Webster," Moore undertook an ambitious treatment of Rolvaag's influential novel more than a decade later. ## ****Get South Dakota stories** Sign up for an email summary on most weekdays that links to the full story. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. The three-act production, with a libretto (text) from Arnold Sungaard, features a “through-composed” style of continuous musical narrative to follow the text and propel the story, with less emphasis on self-contained solo pieces known as arias. The opera premiered March 28, 1951, at Columbia University in New York, where Moore chaired the music department. The New York Times review noted that “the performance was of a high level” and that staging included “dancing, a wedding chorus, a baptismal hymn, and even a fight at the end of the second act.” ## Opera claims prize with 'freshness, beauty' Praise for technical elements of the opera was more reserved, with the review criticizing Sungaard’s libretto as containing “too much talk and too much unnecessary literalism.” As for Moore’s score, the reviewer wrote, “there are moments when the orchestra takes a hand, paints a scene, as in the fine opening stages, with the horn solo and the musical implication of the distances of the boundless plain. It is in the exterior music rather than moments of emotional intensity and melodic flight that Moore does the most.” A Brooklyn Eagle theater critic lamented the show's "rough prose" and sluggish start. But the review concluded that Moore's production "when it finally gets under way, is tellingly expressive of a fine and real American theme." ![A review of the "Giants in the Earth" opera at Columbia University](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/04/giants.6-1-1.jpg) This review of the "Giants in the Earth" opera at Columbia University was published in the New York Times on March 29, 1951\. (New York Times archive) The piece was ascendant in the minds of the two-person Pulitzer Prize jury, which declared that “in no opera by an American is there music of such freshness, beauty, and distinctive character.” That assessment has drawn scrutiny from some historians due to Moore’s influence on the award from his position as chair of the Columbia University music department, to which both Pulitzer jurists had connections. A history of the music category commissioned by the Pulitzer Prizes in 2017 notes that Moore “served as a virtual silent partner and eminence grise (respected authority) in governing the award” in its early stages after the prize was established in 1943. ## 'Giants in the Earth' performed at UND Moore's most enduring work is the 1956 opera "The Ballad of Baby Doe," a rags-to-riches love story based on real events in 19th-century Colorado that eclipsed his rendering of the Norwegian pioneer saga. The fact that "Giants in the Earth" went unperformed over the ensuing decades was both cause and effect of the lack of recordings and score material that challenged Gier in his quest to revive the piece. Moore completed a revised version of “Giants in the Earth” in 1963, cutting sections of the original score to tighten up the production. He died six years later, never having seen this version performed. Sundgaard was in attendance, however, in April 1974 when the University of North Dakota Opera Co. presented “Giants in the Earth” at the Chester Fritz Auditorium in Grand Forks, an event billed as a world premiere and supported by the National Opera Institute. ![The Chester Fritz Auditorium in Grand Forks, N.D., ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/04/giants.7-1.jpg) The Chester Fritz Auditorium in Grand Forks, N.D., was the venue for a University of North Dakota Opera Company presentation of the “Giants in the Earth” opera in April 1974\. (University of North Dakota) Karl Rolvaag, son of the novel’s author and former governor of Minnesota, was scheduled to attend the premiere but had to cancel due to an illness in the family. Two New York City Opera Co. members played the leads, supported by student performers, an arrangement that was praised by Sundgaard after the show, according to the Grand Forks Herald. When someone noted that it was difficult to hear the words, the librettist (author) noted: “If you understand 80 percent of the words of any opera, you are lucky. If the action and story lines are clear, it’s not important to get it all.” ## Confronting the cultural divide For nearly 50 years after the UND performances, “Giants in the Earth” reverted to its forgotten status in the opera community. Gier’s arrival in Sioux Falls, and his early introduction to the novel, fueled a desire to learn to more about the emergence of the Great Plains, a mixture of Indigenous culture, Nordic heritage and modern immigrant awakenings. The symphony has explored these elements though an initiative called “Bridging Cultures,” boosted by a $2 million donation from Waste Management founder and South Dakota native Dean Buntrock, an arts patron and St. Olaf alumnus. Most notable among these pursuits was the Lakota Music Project, an ongoing effort dating back to 2005 that melds orchestral styles with traditional Native American songs and ceremonies. ![Cedar flute player Bryan Akipa plays with the South Dakota Symphony](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/04/symphony.4.png) Cedar flute player Bryan Akipa joined the South Dakota Symphony Orchestra for several performances as part of the Lakota Music Project. (Photo: South Dakota Symphony) But Buntrock was also moved by Gier’s description of “Giants in the Earth” as an important work to be revived on the centennial of Rolvaag’s novel, in a place most profoundly affected by its themes. Part of that meant reconciling how the story would conflict with outreach to tribal leaders whose people saw ancestral lands taken as part of the Westward expansion. The wagon train depicted in the opera occurs five years after the signing of the Fort Laramie Treaty, which established the Great Sioux Reservation, and about 20 years before the 1890 Wounded Knee massacre on what would become the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. [Opera on the prairie? University of South Dakota program raises its voice“I was sitting at one of those concerts listening to someone’s (solo), and I remember a light bulb coming on as the music continued. It was a defining moment for me.”![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-102.jpg)South Dakota News WatchStu Whitney![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/opera.4-1.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/opera-on-the-prairie-university-of-south-dakota-program-raises-voice-at-right-time/) Rolvaag was cognizant of these concerns. His protagonist, Per Hansa, plows over land containing burial mounds but also treats Indigenous people with humanity. In one encounter he calms the fears of his fellow settlers and heals a Native man’s infected hand, a favor returned with the gift of a pony. “Rolvaag knew that Norwegian settlers were making a home on land that other people have worshiped and see the spirit in," Berdahl said. "That was a challenge in writing and presenting the story." ## Search reveals recording from 1951 The logistical challenges of reviving the opera were also formidable, as Gier discovered when looking for recordings and music charts in New York starting in late 2023. He unearthed an archived recording of the 1951 production through Columbia University but found the performance lacking and the audio “honestly terrible” by today’s standards. “It was a very small orchestra,” Gier said. “It was probably made up largely of students because Douglas Moore was the head of the music department. They did have some professional singers, but the recording was all out of whack. The singers were loud but the orchestra was sort of in the background, which might have helped because they didn't sound very good.” ![Cover of “Giants in the Earth"](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/04/giants.8.jpg) “Giants in the Earth" was Ole Rolvaag’s classic 1925 novel depicting the struggles and sacrifice of Norwegian pioneers in the Dakota Territory. It was first released in Norway and translated to English. (Photo: Stu Whitney / South Dakota News Watch) Gier also acquired the full score, which was “engraved” into a readable format using music notation software. These were the building blocks of establishing the essence of what the conductor believed was a substantial composition. The Columbia recording, though flawed, offered clues about pacing. “Douglas Moore conducted it, so you get a sense of, ‘OK, this is how slow or fast he wanted this to go,’” said Gier. “That was a big takeaway for me from listening to it.” ## 'There was a collective sigh of relief' The first real test came on a Sunday afternoon last October, when the orchestra did a “read through” of the opera at the Washington Pavilion, a professional ensemble bringing Moore’s vision to life. “That was the first time people had heard the music,” said Gier. “I was the only one who had heard the recording, so up until that point it was sort of a leap of faith. When we went through it, there was a collective sigh of relief because we knew that this is a beautiful and powerful piece of music that is really well composed.” ![An orchestra conductor conducts the symphony](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/04/symphony.5.JPG) "We're doing something relevant to Sioux Falls and South Dakota, and that's pretty cool," said South Dakota Symphony music director Delta David Gier. (Photo: South Dakota Symphony Orchestra) The next validation came March 11 at Scandinavia House in New York, a community centerdedicated to preserving and promoting Nordic culture. Gier and his stage directors had earlier auditioned more than 100 singers at the American Opera House for 10 featured roles in “Giants in the Earth,” and the event was a chance to showcase soprano Meridith Lustigo, who plays Beret Hansa. Michael Hawk, who will play Per Hansa, was unavailable, so Lustigo and baritone Michael Kelly performed excerpts from the opera depicting a contrasting view of the pioneer experience, with a husband hurtling forward and a wife longing for her homeland. “One of the things I appreciated about the novel was how sensitively the two main characters are portrayed,” said Gier. “Even though they are totally different people, they love each other so much, and even in the conflicts that they encounter, those feelings come through.” ## Bringing the opera out of the shadows As Gier prepares to raise his baton for the first performance of "Giants in the Earth" in half a century, he envisions a revival in the truest sense of the word. The opera will receive its first full orchestral treatment courtesy of the South Dakota Symphony, with some of New York's finest in spotlighted vocal roles. Part of the excitement surrounding the event is that South Dakota Public Broadcasting will produce audio and video recordings, with the goal of reclaiming this uniquely American piece of music and its originator out of the shadows. "I think if there had been open recordings or video for people to experience over the past 70 years, it would have been picked up more often," said Gier. "We're doing something relevant to Sioux Falls and South Dakota, and that's pretty cool. But I'm also thrilled for the opera world and what this revival can do for 'Giants in the Earth' and maybe for the composer himself." --- ### 'Giants in the Earth' **What:** South Dakota Symphony performs opera based on Ole Rolvaag's novel **When:** Saturday, April 26, at 7:30 p.m.; Sunday, April 27, at 2:30 p.m. **Where:** Washington Pavilion, Sioux Falls **Tickets:** Order at sdsymphony.org [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/05/donate-3.jpg)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate?ref=sdnewswatch.org) [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *every few days to get stories as soon as they're published. *Contact Stu Whitney* at* [*stu.whitney@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:stu.whitney@sdnewswatch.org) ### Can you get a DUI while riding a horse in South Dakota? URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/dui-riding-horse-bicycle-south-dakota-gigafact/ Last updated: 2025-04-09T11:15:18.000Z ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/04/FactBriefLogo-1.jpg) ## No. There’s a specific South Dakota law that exempts driving under the influence charges for anyone intoxicated while riding an animal, bicycle, tricycle or any non-powered pedal mechanism. In 2006, then-Gov. Mike Rounds signed the exemption into law stating a bike or horse is a better alternative than someone drinking and driving home. Other states still consider a bicycle or horse a vehicle under DUI laws. In 2023, North Dakota reduced the penalty for riding a bike or horse while under the influence to a $200 fine. **This fact brief responds to conversations such as* [**this one*](https://ghostarchive.org/archive/EvPov?ref=sdnewswatch.org)**.* ### Sources South Dakota Codified Law, [32-23-22](https://sdlegislature.gov/Statutes/32-23-22?ref=sdnewswatch.org) National Public Radio, [South Dakota drinkers should take bikes or horses home](https://www.npr.org/2006/02/16/5219389/south-dakota-drinkers-should-take-bikes-or-horses-home?ref=sdnewswatch.org) North Dakota Legislature, [House Bill 1506](https://ndlegis.gov/assembly/68-2023/regular/documents/23-1065-04000.pdf?ref=sdnewswatch.org) --- **Test your knowledge and** [**take the fact brief quiz**](https://gigafact.org/quiz/south-dakota-news-watch/default-8765/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)**.** --- [**South Dakota News Watch**](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/) partners with [**Gigafact**](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) to publish fact briefs that refute or confirm a claim with supporting information and additional evidence and context. 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[![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/09/Donate-today-News-Watch--1-.png)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?%5Fgl=1%2A1b0ep3i%2A%5Fga%2AMTM3NDcyODMyNS4xNzAyMTQ0MTg3%2A%5Fga%5FH98KVPR32J%2AMTcyNzIyNjUwOS40MzMuMS4xNzI3MjI3NzQ1LjAuMC4w&ref=sdnewswatch.org) [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact Megan Luther* at* [*megan.luther@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:megan.luther@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Cuts in federal funding for food will hurt pantries and producers URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/federal-cuts-food-feeding-south-dakota-doge/ Last updated: 2025-06-27T13:38:28.000Z BOX ELDER, S.D. – Montana Roem is worried that a proposed $1 billion cut to federal food programs that aid schools and charities will hurt her family on two fronts. As she recently waited in a line of cars at a Feeding South Dakota mobile food bank in Box Elder, Roem said she was well aware of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's move to eliminate two programs that paid for locally grown foods to be provided to food banks and for school meals across the U.S. [Federal cuts roundup: The impact on South DakotaA developing list on the effects of federal job cuts, program reductions and hiring freezes in the state.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-98.jpg)South Dakota News WatchBart Pfankuch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/Sydney-Hansen-inside-Jewel-Cave-1.jpeg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/federal-budget-cuts-impact-south-dakota-doge-trump-musk/) Taken together, she said, the proposals will make it harder for her to get food staples for her family and make it more difficult for her son to get healthy meals at school. "It seems like cutting food banks is just the tip of the iceberg because now it's lunches at schools being cut," said Roem, 54, who lives on a low income while raising an 11-year-old boy with special needs. "I wonder what kind of country we live in because a lot of us are going to end up homeless on the streets." ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/04/Food-funding-quote.png) Eliminating the programs will also reduce federal spending at roughly 55 farms in the state, many of them smaller operations that shipped fresh foods to schools, food banks and tribal charities. "Those dollars went directly to the producers, and the food went directly to people facing hunger," said Stacey Andernacht, vice president of public affairs at Feeding South Dakota, the state's leading charitable food provider. ## USDA: Cutting COVID-era programs In mid-March, the USDA said it was eliminating 2025 funding of two pandemic-era initiatives: the Local Food Purchase Assistance (LFPA) and Local Food for Schools (LFS) programs, which operated in 40 states, including South Dakota. Taken together, the initiatives approved under former President Joe Biden would have paid U.S. farmers more than $1 billion to supply fresh, locally grown foods to food banks, pantries and schools. ## ****Get South Dakota stories** Sign up for an email summary on most weekdays that links to the full story. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. In a statement sent to News Watch, a USDA spokesperson said the agency will fund the LFPA through the end of the current funding period, adding that it is making "a return to long-term, fiscally responsible initiatives." The spokesperson said that 16 other USDA food programs remain in place, noting that "USDA is prioritizing stable, proven solutions that deliver lasting impact. The COVID era is over — USDA’s approach to nutrition programs will reflect that reality moving forward.” The cuts are part of a widespread effort by President Donald Trump's administration and its Office of Government Efficiency to reduce federal spending and identify and eliminate waste. ![Volunteers load a car with food at a Feeding South Dakota mobile food bank](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/03/2025-3-27-Food-bank-packing-trunk-2.JPG) Volunteers load a car with food at a Feeding South Dakota mobile food bank on March 27, 2025, in Box Elder, S.D. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) The funding for the LFPA was routed through the South Dakota Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources. A DANR spokesman told News Watch in an email that the funding for the local food program began in 2022 and was expanded in 2023 but will end this summer. "DANR's existing LFPA grant runs through June 2025, and we will continue to implement the program according to the grant agreement," said DARN spokesman Benjamin Koisti. ## Pandemic over but food need still rising After the COVID-19 pandemic ended, many people were able to return to work and to greater normalcy, yet the need for food among low-income families in South Dakota has continued to rise, Andernacht said. Data from Feeding South Dakota shows that the number of charitable meals provided by the agency has risen by 6% over the past year. The agency has seen attendance at mobile food pantries jump by 17% this fiscal year. And the number of food backpacks it provides to children jumped by 11%. Meals provided to school pantries also rose by 5% this year, agency data shows. ![James Lay, 67, and son Sam, 27, both of Rapid City, S.D., wait in line at a Feeding South Dakota mobile food bank on March 27, 2025, in Box Elder, S.D.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/03/2025-3-27-Food-bank-James-Lay-2-1.JPG) James Lay, 67, and son Sam, 27, both of Rapid City, S.D., wait in line at a Feeding South Dakota mobile food bank on March 27, 2025, in Box Elder, S.D. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) James Lay, 67, came to the Feeding South Dakota mobile food pantry in Box Elder with son Sam, 27, to get some extra food for the month. Like more than 100 others, he received frozen sliced turkey and french fries, baked goods at or near their sell-by date, and bagged potatoes and apples. "I always found life to be tough enough already," said Lay, who lives in Rapid City. "Costs are up, expenses are up and wages are down." Lay said he sees the federal government aiming to reduce spending, but he worries that "collateral damage" will hurt some families who need help. "It seems doable to them, but life is always hard and there's always challenges," he said. ## Millions in food funding at stake Andernacht said Feeding South Dakota will lose $1.2 million in funding it expected to receive from the LFPA program this year, which equates to about 1% of the agency's annual food budget. However, she said, the USDA also has paused funding under The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP), which could reduce Feeding South Dakota's food inventory by almost 14% moving forward, she said. "As we came out of the pandemic, there were programs in place that brought American families out of food insecurity," Andernacht said. "Our food insecurity rate as a nation really dropped off during that time, but it has risen once again, and there's nothing coming to replace those programs in order to meet the need we're seeing right now." [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/04/Donate-today-News-Watch--1--2.png)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?%5Fgl=1%2A1b0ep3i%2A%5Fga%2AMTM3NDcyODMyNS4xNzAyMTQ0MTg3%2A%5Fga%5FH98KVPR32J%2AMTcyNzIyNjUwOS40MzMuMS4xNzI3MjI3NzQ1LjAuMC4w&ref=sdnewswatch.org) Andernacht said that the federal funding is still needed to counter the effects of the overall higher cost of living and inflation that drove up food costs by at least 9% in the past couple years. Andernacht said some two-income families with children in South Dakota make too much money to qualify for food stamps or funding under the Women, Infants and Children program yet don't make enough to afford healthy food for their families. "It's fair to say the pandemic is over. But there remains financial challenges that are making it difficult for people to purchase the foods that they need," Andernacht said. "Whether that's the cost of food or the child care crisis or the cost of housing, it's forcing people to decide, can I pay my rent or can I put food on the table?" ![A sign at the Feeding South Dakota mobile food bank on March 27, 2025, in Box Elder, S.D.,](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/03/2025-3-27-Food-bank-qualifying-sign-1-1.jpeg) A sign at the Feeding South Dakota mobile food bank on March 27, 2025, in Box Elder, S.D., provided income parameters for eligibility, though no documentation is required to receive food. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) Some South Dakota school districts have seen the effects of the inability of parents to pay for school meals for their children. Several districts are running deficits as they try to keep feeding students who don't qualify for free lunches. Meade County Schools, facing an unpaid student meal balance of about $23,000, announced this month that it would match future parent payments for school lunches due to an anonymous donation of $115,000 made through the Black Hills Area Community Foundation. ## Local food banks facing cutbacks The loss of LFPA funding will place a new burden on the Mitchell Food Pantry, which used the funding to pay area farmers to provide milk to about 400 children a month, Andernacht said. Eliminating the funding will also make it harder for the group Feeding Brookings to provide low-income families with fresh meats and vegetables raised at local farms, said Bill Alsaker, an advisory committee member. “It’s something we’ve had for the last couple years and it was very helpful for us,” Alsaker said. ![Feeding South Dakota volunteer Cassie Armstrong makes a final check before closing the hatch on a client's car at the mobile food bank on March 27, 2025,](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/03/20256-3-27-Food-bank-woman-volunteer-1.JPG) Feeding South Dakota volunteer Cassie Armstrong makes a final check before closing the hatch on a client's car at the mobile food bank on March 27, 2025, in Box Elder, S.D. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) The funding helped out local farmers and allowed the pantry to provide fresh meats, onions, potatoes and greens to their clients. Instead, he said, locally grown meats will probably be replaced by hot dogs purchased from a grocery store. Alsaker said Feeding Brookings, which operates out of Ascension Lutheran Church, has seen its client list rise to 400 a week now compared to about 110 families per week prior to the pandemic. The pantry is increasingly concerned about the recent pause in federal funding for the TEFAP emergency assistance program, which makes up a significant portion of the group’s food budget. “If that happens, it will be a big hit to us,” he said. “We would need a lot of new funding and donations to pick up the slack.” ## Small farm saw big benefit The LFPA was a boost to the bottom line of dozens of South Dakota farms, many of them small specialty producers who don’t have the benefit of operating with large economies of scale. Peggy Martin, co-owner of Cedar Creek Gardens in Mellette County, said the federal program paid her business to provide fresh meats and vegetables to schools and local pantries, including on the Rosebud, Pine Ridge and Cheyenne River Indian reservations. ![Frozen meat, canned vegetables and baked goods donated by Walmart were among the goods provided to visitors to the Feeding South Dakota mobile food bank](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/03/2025-3-27-Food-bank-bread-close-up-2-1.JPG) Frozen meat, canned vegetables and baked goods donated by Walmart were among the goods provided to visitors to the Feeding South Dakota mobile food bank on March 27, 2025, in Box Elder, S.D. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) But the loss of federal funding will likely result in less fresh food being provided to low-income people throughout the central South Dakota area she serves. Under the program, Martin said her farm was able to ship foods at the height of freshness to people who otherwise can't access it. She recalled one incident where a woman in Wanblee on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation asked her if she could provide her with fresh tomatoes, which Martin later did. "That lady was there and she was just about in tears," Martin said. "We can sell to grocery stores all day long, but that (program) helped create a heartfelt gratitude by knowing you’re helping somebody deal with food insecurity." Martin said the LFPA funding also allowed for greater stability at her farm southeast of Belvidere and enabled some expansion. “It was a huge boon to the garden, and there was a lot of sustainable growth we could see from that,” she said. "It was a great avenue for many of us to ramp up production a little bit because you don’t have to have acres and acres in production to help build the resiliency of the local food chain." [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact* *Bart Pfankuch* at* [*bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Reversal of US energy agenda sparks friction between states URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/us-energy-trump-south-dakota-minnesota-climate/ Last updated: 2025-06-27T13:38:28.000Z Changes to climate policy under President Donald Trump’s administration have sharpened Upper Midwest debates about the reliability of renewable energy and the separation of state and federal interests. One point of agreement is that winning the White House means controlling the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), a federal regulatory body that maintains and enforces environmental laws. Lee Zeldin, Trump’s pick to run the EPA, has announced plans to dramatically reduce staff and reverse policies from the Joe Biden administration involving the oversight of coal-fired power plants, oil and gas development and water quality standards. [US Department of Education’s impact on South Dakota: Q&ASupporters and critics of the plan to eliminate the department weigh in on how it could affect the state of South Dakota.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-99.jpg)South Dakota News WatchStu Whitney![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1509062522246-3755977927d7)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-us-department-education-federal-funding-president-trump/) The deregulation is of keen interest to energy officials in Republican-led South Dakota and heavily Democratic Minnesota, where differences in climate policy have sparked border clashes over how pushing clean energy to reduce carbon emissions impacts the electrical grid. The Minnesota Legislature passed a law in 2023 requiring all electric utilities in the state to produce only carbon-free energy by 2040 using sources like solar, wind, hydroelectric and nuclear power. That law was an offshoot of Biden administration EPA rules requiring coal plants operating beyond 2039 to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 90% by 2032, which critics saw as shutting down the industry. ## ****Get South Dakota stories** Sign up for an email summary on most weekdays that links to the full story. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. Zeldin’s agency has rolled back those rules, inspired by Trump’s March 17 declaration on social media that he is “authorizing my Administration to immediately begin producing Energy with BEAUTIFUL, CLEAN COAL.” Chris Nelson, a Republican member of the South Dakota Public Utilities Commission, said reversing coal plant regulations is good news for South Dakota and other states focused on the sustainability of the electricity grid and avoiding blackouts. “The math didn’t add up with those greenhouse gas limitation rules,” Nelson told News Watch. “They simply could not replace all of those plants quickly enough (with other energy sources) to maintain reliability of the grid. So the Trump administration rolling back those particularly damaging rules was very helpful.” ## Xcel Energy to retire coal plants by 2030 Not everyone shares that opinion. The EPA's actions face court challenges as clean-energy groups navigate federal and state environmental laws in a changing legal landscape. The U.S. Supreme Court last year struck down the landmark 1984 Chevron "deference" doctrine, which required courts to defer to reasonable agency interpretations of ambiguous statutes. Those interpretations are now up to the courts to decide. Democratic-leaning states are forging ahead with climate-based policies regardless of EPA rollbacks, using utility regulation as a tool to keep energy companies in line. Minneapolis-based Xcel Energy, whose 3.7 million electrical customers include about 100,000 South Dakotans, is sticking with a plan to retire its coal-fired power plants by 2030 as part of an integrated resource plan approved by the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission in February in accordance with state law. The plan includes replacing coal with “wind, solar and storage solutions” while also building a new natural gas plant in 2028 as a way to address capacity needs. Natural gas, which replaced coal as the nation's largest energy source in 2016, emits about half as much carbon dioxide as coal, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. ## SD 9th in energy consumption per capita The Xcel announcement came despite criticism from the South Dakota PUC, which questioned the company's ability to pivot from fossil fuels at that pace without compromising reliability and affordability for customers. South Dakota ranks ninth among U.S. states in energy consumption per capita, with 34% of households using electricity to heat their homes during frequently harsh winters. Nearly half (48%) use natural gas, with propane at 14%. The PUC's concerns were laid out in a 2024 letter to Xcel signed by Republican commissioners Nelson, Gary Hanson and Kristie Fiegen. “Evidence is mounting that the premature closures … will elevate the risk of electricity outages particularly in tight load hours, including hours of extreme cold and extreme heat, as well as those hours when wind generation is low,” the letter stated. “These events are likely to pose a threat to life and property.” [South Dakota clashes with Minnesota on clean energy, coal plant closuresAs gas and electric companies transition away from fossil fuels, South Dakota officials stress reliability of resources in extreme weather.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-100.jpg)South Dakota News WatchStu Whitney![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1547505906-49fd5d7824bc-1)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-minnesota-clean-energy-coal-power-plant-closure/) South Dakota is part of the Southwest Power Pool, a nonprofit organization that manages electric transmission for parts of 14 states, and also the 15-state Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO). That dual membership helps ensure energy distribution whether a customer uses Xcel, MidAmerican Energy, Black Hills Energy, NorthWestern Energy, Otter Tail or another utility company. Cooperation among these and other regional transmission organizations was critical during a major winter storm in January 2024, which brought brutally cold air and blizzard conditions to much of the Midwest. “During that storm we got 7,000 megawatts of electricity from the East to help us keep the lights on,” Fiegen told News Watch in 2024. ## 'We're the tail trying the wag the dog' Xcel’s decision to close coal plants despite South Dakota PUC warnings shows the challenge of trying to influence policy involving companies under the sway of different state laws and consumer interests. “One of the difficulties we have is that South Dakota represents 5% to 6% of Xcel's entire system,” said Nelson. “We are literally the tail trying to wag the dog on some of these decisions." Some utility companies are advocating a more measured pace on clean energy. Minnesota’s PUC clashed with Otter Tail Power over its decision to amend its long-range plan to push back closures of coal plants – including Big Stone near Milbank, in northeast South Dakota – until at least 2040. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/04/nelson.1.JPG) Chris Nelson talks to supporters at the Hilton Garden Inn in Sioux Falls, S.D., after being re-elected to the South Dakota Public Utilities Commission on Nov. 8, 2022\. Nelson first entered the office in 2011\. (Photo: Argus Leader) The Minnesota PUC approved Otter Tail’s resource plan last summer after concessions that included the company no longer using its North Dakota-based Coyote Station plant for Minnesota customers beyond 2031. Otter Tail’s most recent modeling projects a retirement date of 2046 for South Dakota-based Big Stone, which started operation in 1975 and burns coal from Wyoming’s Powder River Basin. The plant received a $384 million air quality control system upgrade in 2015 following complaints from environmental groups that its lack of pollution controls violated the Clean Air Act. "We don't have any concerns about the Big Stone plant," said Nelson. "They put pollution control equipment in that plant with the anticipation that they would be able to run it for a whole lot of years yet, and that is certainly our anticipation." ## Will wind energy policy hurt South Dakota? Despite leaning on fossil fuels to keep the lights on in extreme conditions, South Dakota has harnessed the state’s wind power as an alternative energy source. In 2023, South Dakota’s wind energy production accounted for more than half (55%) of the state’s in-state net power generation, a larger share than in all other states except Iowa, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. The state's other primary power sources include hydroelectric (21%), natural gas (14%) and coal (9%). Solar was less than 1% of the power generated (0.3%). Increased wind energy production nationally runs counter to the direction of the EPA and Trump, who has criticized the efficiency of turbines and told supporters that “we’re not going to do the wind thing” at a rally shortly after taking office. So far, the administration’s actions are aimed at offshore wind development, which rely on access to federal waters. It’s not clear how the EPA’s actions will impact South Dakota’s 24 active wind farms, which provide tax revenue and job creation for local communities. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/04/wind.1.jpg) These wind turbines are part of the state's first wind farm built south of Highmore in Hyde County. South Dakota’s wind energy production now accounts for more than half of the state’s in-state net power generation (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) In fiscal year 2022, 21 school districts received a total of $4.5 million in tax revenue from wind farms in South Dakota, led by Deubrook ($662,527), Deuel ($591,319), Waverly ($467,034) and Highmore-Harrold ($421,590). “The actions that we've seen the administration take thus far as it relates to wind have been exclusively related to offshore wind projects," said Nelson. "We've not seen any indication that there's going to be any activity for turbines that might be located in South Dakota.” [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/04/Donate-today-News-Watch--1--1.png)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?%5Fgl=1%2A1b0ep3i%2A%5Fga%2AMTM3NDcyODMyNS4xNzAyMTQ0MTg3%2A%5Fga%5FH98KVPR32J%2AMTcyNzIyNjUwOS40MzMuMS4xNzI3MjI3NzQ1LjAuMC4w&ref=sdnewswatch.org) One uncertainty is whether the Department of Energy’s recent cost-cutting efforts and cancellation of clean energy grants could impact federal tax credits and other incentives meant to spur installation of renewable energy projects such as wind farms. “At this point, I think that’s probably an unanswerable question,” Nelson said. ## 'It's going to make life more difficult' Another reversal in federal climate policy involves the extent to which the government regulates lakes, rivers, streams and wetlands under the Clean Water Act, signed into law in 1972. The Trump administration, emboldened by a friendly 2023 Supreme Court ruling, is working under the philosophy that federal regulations have protected too many wetlands and improperly limited private property rights. With South Dakota's traditionally lax approach to state regulations, the lack of federal oversight has some environmental groups concerned that water quality in the Big Sioux River, for example, could go from bad to worse. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/04/smithfield.3.JPG) The Big Sioux River weaves through Sioux Falls, S.D., near Falls Park in this photo from April 5, 2024\. Testing has shown high levels of E. coli bacteria in the river, mostly from upstream agricultural operations, livestock manure and stormwater runoff. (Photo: Stu Whitney / South Dakota News Watch) Testing has shown high levels of E. coli bacteria in the tributary that weaves through eastern South Dakota, mostly from upstream agricultural operations, livestock manure and stormwater runoff. The Big Sioux's watershed encompasses about 7,280 square miles in South Dakota, Minnesota and Iowa. Also heavily scrutinized is Sioux Falls-based Smithfield Foods, a pork processing plant that ranked seventh nationally among non-poultry animal slaughtering facilities in 2022 for the amount of nitrate compounds released into the Big Sioux. Smithfield went operational with a new $45 million wastewater treatment facility in May 2023, reducing the amount of nitrate released. But that action was attributed partly to pressure from federal regulators. "If there's an environmental pollutant that isn't managed by the feds, South Dakota could set its own standard, but that's highly unlikely," said Jay Gilbertson, manager for the East Dakota Water Development District, which promotes conservation and proper management of water resources. "Basically, we do what we have to do in South Dakota from a regulatory standpoint. So if the people who decide what we have to do are saying we should do less, it's going to make life more difficult." Some of the strategy to reduce pollutants involves incentives, such as payments to landowners to build buffer strips along the river. But those programs could be in jeopardy if federal grants and staffing are reduced by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and other agencies, putting more responsibility on private organizations to urge protections. States such as neighboring Minnesota are taking notice, mindful of the axiom that pollution knows no borders. "We're at the mercy of the political will of neighbors to stop burning coal or emitting other harmful pollutants that travel into our state," Leigh Currie of the Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy told Minnesota Public Radio. "We might not have, going forward, the help from the federal government that we've had in the past." [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *The Associated Press contributed to this story, which was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *every few days to get stories as soon as they're published. *Contact Stu Whitney* at* [*stu.whitney@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:stu.whitney@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Did South Dakota's GDP shrink in 2024? URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/gross-domestic-product-gdp-south-dakota-economy-2024-fact-brief/ Last updated: 2025-04-02T11:51:42.000Z ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/04/FactBriefLogo.jpg) ## No. While South Dakota's gross domestic product was 0.6% lower in the fourth quarter of 2024 compared to the fourth quarter of 2023, it was up slightly overall for the year. GDP measures the value of all goods and services produced in a state. In South Dakota, real, or inflation-adjusted GDP rose roughly from $57.3 billion in 2023 to $57.5 billion in 2024 — a 0.4% increase. The national average GDP was up 2.8% between 2023 and 2024\. Utah saw the highest growth at 4.5% while North Dakota saw the lowest at -0.7%. South Dakota ranked 48th. Reasons for South Dakota’s sluggish growth include a workforce shortage, declining farm income, weakening consumer spending and higher interest rates. GDP is a common measure of economic health and is used to inform decisions on matters such as interest rates, trade policy, government spending and private investment. **This fact brief responds to conversations such as* [**this one*](https://x.com/JosephPolitano/status/1906089515472887842?ref=sdnewswatch.org)**.* ### Sources Bureau of Economic Analysis, [GDP by State, 2023-2024](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1JyTxycZm9YZUue3JALM1YgLxNO2Ubn5Q/view?usp=drive%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) Bureau of Economic Analysis, [Gross Domestic Product, pg. 7](https://www.bea.gov/sites/default/files/2025-03/stgdppi4q24-a2024.pdf?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, [What is GDP and why is it important?](https://www.stlouisfed.org/open-vault/2019/march/what-is-gdp-why-important?ref=sdnewswatch.org#:~:text=GDP%20as%20a%20Measure%20of,eliminate%20the%20effects%20of%20inflation.) --- [**South Dakota News Watch**](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/) partners with [**Gigafact**](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) to publish fact briefs that refute or confirm a claim with supporting information and additional evidence and context. [**Get our email with fact briefs and stories**](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/). [](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/tag/fact-brief/)[**Read previous fact briefs**](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/tag/fact-brief/) and our verification standards and other [**best practices policies**](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/best-practices/). **Have a question we can answer?** Submit it at the [**South Dakota News Watch Tipline**](https://gigafact.org/tipline/south-dakota-news-watch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). Send questions or feedback to [**factbrief@sdnewswatch.org**](mailto:factbrief@sdnewswatch.org). [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/05/donate-3.jpg)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate?ref=sdnewswatch.org) [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact Megan Luther* at* [*megan.luther@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:megan.luther@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### US Department of Education's impact on South Dakota: Q&A URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-us-department-education-federal-funding-president-trump/ Last updated: 2025-06-27T13:38:28.000Z At a White House ceremony on March 20, surrounded by schoolchildren in desks set up for the occasion, President Donald Trump signed an executive order with the stated intent of dismantling the U.S. Department of Education. "We're going to eliminate it," the president said of the Cabinet-level agency, which has a budget of $268 billion and is responsible for distributing federal education funds, enforcing civil rights laws and supporting educational research. In South Dakota, like most of the nation, the executive order was met with expressions of uncertainty among educators, parents and students who searched for concrete answers amidst the politics. [International educators help alleviate SD teacher shortageEducators from around the world are working on temporary visas and helping alleviate teacher shortage in South Dakota, including rural areas.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-97.jpg)South Dakota News WatchBart Pfankuch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/2025-2-7-Madgelie-Camba-in-classroom-1-1.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/international-teachers-program-south-dakota-education/) Would the actions reduce Title I funding, which provides resources for schools with high percentages of low-income students? What about federal dollars earmarked for special education or college student loans administered by the Department of Education? Those questions are particularly poignant in South Dakota, whose $433 million in federal education funds in 2021-22 represented 21.7% of the state’s total K-12 education budget. That percentage was the second-highest in the nation behind Mississippi (23.3%), partly due to South Dakota's significant Native American population. Coming off a state legislative session that produced a 1.25% education budget increase – lower than the current inflation rate – and several attempts to allow state funds to be used for private school vouchers, public education advocates describe themselves as being on the defensive. “There seems to be an attack on public education," said Sandra Waltman, director of public affairs for the South Dakota Education Association, an affiliate of the National Education Association, the nation’s largest teachers union. "South Dakota's public schools are where 83% of our students attend. They are the heart of our communities, so this is very concerning to us, and it should be concerning to the people of South Dakota." U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds, who proposed legislation in November to eliminate the Department of Education, countered that the action is aimed at cleaning up cumbersome federal bureaucracy as a means of improving academic outcomes. ## ****Get South Dakota stories** Sign up for an email summary on most weekdays that links to the full story. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. Gov. Larry Rhoden and South Dakota Department of Education Secretary Joe Graves have both voiced support for President Trump's "reduction of federal influence in education," as Graves expressed it in a statement to News Watch. "Closing the U.S. Department of Education does not mean cutting off funds from those who depend on them," said Graves, a former superintendent of the Mitchell School District. "K-12 students, students with special needs and others who rely on essential programs will continue to receive federal funding as they have before." ![President Trump signs an executive order to dismantle the Department of Education ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/03/The_White_House_-_54410788475.jpg) President Donald Trump signs an executive order to dismantle the Department of Education, Thursday, March 20, 2025, in the East Room of the White House. (White House / Joyce Boghosian) News Watch talked to state education officials, school administrators, teachers and politicians to provide insight on the role of the U.S. Department of Education and how proposed changes could impact South Dakota. Each question and answer below is covered in its own section that can be expanded to show the details by clicking on the title or the down arrow. #### ****What is the role of the U.S. Department of Education?** Congress established the department in 1979 and President Jimmy Carter signed into law as an effort to consolidate federal education efforts. Nationally, federal funds contribute about 10% of overall K-12 funding, with most money coming from state and local tax dollars. The agency’s 2024 fiscal year budget of $268 billion represented roughly 4% of total federal government spending. For colleges and universities, the Department of Education manages the federal student loan portfolio, which includes approximately $1.5 trillion in student loan debt for more than 40 million borrowers. It also oversees the Pell Grant, which provides aid to students below a certain income threshold. Through its Office for Civil Rights, the department conducts investigations and issues guidance on federal laws such as Title IX, which prohibits gender-based discrimination in education programs receiving federal assistance. #### ****How much federal education funding does South Dakota receive?** South Dakota’s K-12 schools received $433 million in federal funds for the 2021-22 school year, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By comparison, the schools received about $954 million from local sources (primarily property tax revenue) and $612 million in state funds that school year. That 21.7% share of federal money for total education funding was boosted by COVID-19 pandemic-related aid, contributing to a significant increase from 13.7% in 2018-19. Not all school-related federal money comes from the Department of Education. School lunch programs are funded through the Department of Agriculture and early educational programs such as Head Start are handled by the Department of Health and Human Services. Of the Department of Education money, the most significant expenditures are for Title I grants to support low-income students and Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) funds for special education and other services for disabled students. #### ****How much do South Dakota schools rely on Title I funds?** The grants are distributed to school districts based on the number of low-income students using U.S. Census Bureau data and school poverty rates such as the percentage of students receiving free and reduced-price lunch. In South Dakota, schools in larger cities or those based on Native American reservations typically receive larger allotments of Title I funds. In 2024-25, the state’s largest Title I allocations went to public school districts in Sioux Falls ($6.9 million), Rapid City ($6 million), Oglala Lakota County ($5.1 million) and Todd County ($4.6 million). The next highest was Chamberlain at $1.4 million. Rob Monson, executive director of the School Administrators of South Dakota, said educators make staffing decisions each spring for the following school year and need to factor Title I and IDEA funds into their decision-making. “I was the principal in Parkston for 15 years, and every year we would say, 'OK, here’s our Title I allocation, what can we afford this year?'" Monson said. "For us, it would typically be a couple of staff members and very limited supplies, maybe a (professional development) piece where you would send those staff people to a Title I conference. There wasn't a lot of fluff, at least in our budget. It was a very narrow margin on what you could afford.” #### ****Can a president eliminate the Department of Education?** The executive branch lacks that constitutional power. Congress established the department, and it would take congressional action to dismantle it and shift its functions to other agencies. Such action during the current administration would likely face obstacles even with a Republican-controlled Congress. In the Senate, 60 votes are needed to overcome filibusters and advance measures to final votes. As for appropriated education funding such as Title I being discontinued, that also falls under the power of Congress, not the executive branch. There has been no proposal to cut such funding for the 2025-26 school year. U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon issued the following statement on March 20, the same day President Trump signed the executive order: “Closing the department does not mean cutting off funds from those who depend on them – we will continue to support K-12 students, students with special needs, college student borrowers, and others who rely on essential programs. We’re going to follow the law and eliminate the bureaucracy responsibly by working through Congress to ensure a lawful and orderly transition." #### ****Why does President Trump want to shut it down?** Eliminating the Department of Education has been a Republican talking point essentially since its inception, with Ronald Reagan pledging to dismantle the agency during his successful presidential run against Carter in 1980. A Democratically controlled House of Representatives prevented Reagan from achieving that goal. But conservatives have continued to decry the federal government’s involvement in state and local school district decisions, with an eye toward academic outcomes. Analysis of 2024 test scores by the National Center for Education Statistics showed that America’s children have continued to lose ground on reading skills since the COVID-19 pandemic and have made little improvement in math. South Dakota reading scores dropped in 2024 compared to 2022 at both the fourth- and eighth-grade levels, while remaining at or above the national average. Math scores for eighth-graders in the state remained about the same as 2022, while fourth-grade test scores improved slightly. Trump’s current actions were presaged by Project 2025, a blueprint from the conservative Heritage Foundation, which envisioned the Department of Education's role merely as a “statistics-gathering agency that disseminates information to the states.” Trump also said during his 2016 presidential campaign: “No, I’m not cutting services, but I’m cutting spending. I may cut the Department of Education.” #### ****What sort of changes is Sen. Rounds proposing?** Under his "Returning Education to Our States Act," South Dakota's junior senator has proposed eliminating the Department of Education and redistributing "all critical federal programs under other departments." “The federal Department of Education has never educated a single student, and it’s long past time to end this bureaucratic department that causes more harm than good,” Rounds said in announcing his plan. The bill would put the Department of Health and Human Services in charge of special education and also impact aid, which compensates schools for federally connected students or residents not living on taxable property. The Department of the Interior would absorb Office of Indian Education responsibilities, while Pell Grant and federal loan administration would be shifted to the Department of the Treasury. The Department of Justice would handle Title IX complaints and other civil rights enforcement. Rounds has also proposed "returning education decisions to the states" in the form of block grants that would allow for more flexibility in how some federal education money is spent. That's a concern to public education advocates, who said putting Title I and other federal funds in the hands of state legislators or the South Dakota Department of Education could lead to that money being shifted to voucher programs encompassing private or homeschooled instruction. "The reason that the U.S. Department of Education was created was to ensure that all students have access to quality education and that poor communities had the resources to provide that education," said SDEA's Waltman. "If you turn those responsibilities over to the states, and I'm assuming the state Legislature would have a say in that, would they hold true to the purpose of (low-income) Title I grants? I'm not sure that would be a priority." #### What are other South Dakota congressional members saying? In a statement to News Watch, U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson said that the "Department of Education is not meeting the needs of America’s school children." The congressman used the word "restructuring" rather than "eliminating" or "dismantling" the agency. "Reform is needed, and I’m open to restructuring the department," Johnson said. "That being said, we have to make sure any restructuring doesn’t hurt important functions like Pell Grants, impact aid and special education.” U.S. Sen. John Thune told News Watch in a statement that the Trump administration will find a "willing partner" in Congress to make sure that education is "focused on improving outcomes for students and families, not D.C. bureaucrats." “I have long believed that education resources and decision-making would be best left to teachers and school administrators who are on the ground and closer to the students who are being served," Thune added. "While local control is best, I believe there are certain limited educational responsibilities for the federal government that should be preserved.” Troy James, principal of Beresford Elementary School, 35 miles south of Sioux Falls, met with Thune, Rounds and Johnson on March 10-12 in Washington. He was joined by other South Dakota educators as part of the National School Leaders Advocacy Conference. When the group asked Rounds about funding cuts as part of his plan to eliminate the Department of Education, James said, the senator "assured us that they would not be cutting money to the states, only sending that money through other departments." "I think we're confident in the assurances we received from Sen. Rounds and others that the money that we need to serve our kids will still be coming," James told News Watch. "It's just a matter of who's writing the check." #### How will South Dakota's colleges and universities be impacted? The most pressing concern among South Dakota higher education officials involves federal student aid programs and work study initiatives administered through the Department of Education. For the 2023-24 school year, South Dakota's six public universities had 5,283 Pell Grant recipients for $26.3 million, while 13,051 students received federal student loans totaling $122.9 million. "Our students benefit greatly from those programs and the financial resources that come with them," Nathan Lukkes, executive director and CEO of the South Dakota Board of Regents, told News Watch. "We'd hate to see anything negatively impacting their availability. Based on everything that's coming out of the White House and Washington to date, every indication is that there is no intention to alter the provision of those resources." The ability to distribute funds efficiently, a challenge in the best of times, will be watched closely now that the Department of Education's staff has been cut approximately in half since McMahon took over the agency. Also of interest to colleges and universities is the Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights, which enforces Title IX as part of the law's mandate to prevent sex-based discrimination and provide equitable opportunities for female athletes as well as other legal protections. Critics said that shifting that role to the Department of Justice could impact the rigor of anti-discrimination efforts, despite recent emphasis from Trump and other Republicans on protecting women's and girls sports. "I think we're in a solid place in South Dakota in terms of not dealing with some of the challenges or issues you might see surfacing in headlines nationally," said Lukkes. "The question that remains is similar to some of the other programs within the Department of Education at the moment. What is the plan for appropriately staffing, managing and providing oversight in that area moving forward, whether it gets kicked down to the state level or shifted over to another federal agency. That's the question that people are waiting to see the answer on." [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/03/Donate-today-News-Watch--1--5.png)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?%5Fgl=1%2A1b0ep3i%2A%5Fga%2AMTM3NDcyODMyNS4xNzAyMTQ0MTg3%2A%5Fga%5FH98KVPR32J%2AMTcyNzIyNjUwOS40MzMuMS4xNzI3MjI3NzQ1LjAuMC4w&ref=sdnewswatch.org) [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **Correction:* The original version of this story used the wrong year's federal education funding data in the graphic toward the top of this story. South Dakota received 21.7% of its education funding from the federal government during the 2021-22 school year.* *The Associated Press contributed to this story, which was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *every few days to get stories as soon as they're published. *Contact Stu Whitney* at* [*stu.whitney@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:stu.whitney@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Brookings teen to represent South Dakota in national spelling bee URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/scripps-national-spelling-bee-south-dakota-2025/ Last updated: 2025-06-27T13:38:28.000Z MITCHELL, S.D. – Amanuel Gemechis, a 14-year-old student at George S. Mickelson Middle School in Brookings, will represent South Dakota in the 2025 Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington. The eighth-grader out-spelled 27 other elementary and middle schoolers on Saturday at Dakota Wesleyan University in Mitchell. The winning word: meringue. "I love the spelling bee," Amanuel said afterward. "It helps me learn a lot. And at the national spelling bee I'll just show my skills, and I hope to do my best." ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/03/2025-3-29-top-2-spellers.jpg) Winner Amanuel Gemechis of George S. Mickelson Middle School spells a word in the final round of the state spelling bee Saturday, March 29, 2025, at Dakota Wesleyan University in Mitchell, S.D. Seated is Nina Purushottam of Saint Elizabeth Seton Central School in Rapid City, who placed second. (Photo: Carson Walker/ South Dakota News Watch) This was his third trip to the state bee and the first time he won it. His older brother was also a competitor, which influenced him. And he's been practicing every day after school. Nina Purushottam from Saint Elizabeth Seton Central School in Rapid City took second place. Lyla Vanderboom from Black Hills Christian Academy in Spearfish and Joel Reppe of Deuel School in Clear Lake tied for third. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/03/2025-3-29-state-bee-all-spellers.jpg) The 28 South Dakota elementary and middle school students who competed in the state spelling bee Saturday, March 29, 2025, at Dakota Wesleyan University in Mitchell, S.D. (Photo: Carson Walker/ South Dakota News Watch) This is the 100th anniversary year of the Scripps National Spelling Bee, America’s longest-running educational competition. ## Spelling no longer required at many schools South Dakota News Watch, Dakota Wesleyan University and the South Dakota Humanities Council sponsored this year's state bee for the first time as many schools no longer require spelling tests as part of the curriculum. That's unfortunate, said Tressa Wede, assistant professor of education at DWU, who teaches two courses related to reading and writing. "Spelling is more than just memorizing words," she said. "It helps students understand that words are made up of distinct sounds that can be blended, segmented and manipulated. "It is a key component of reading instruction that helps students decode words by applying spelling patterns and letter-sound correspondences. Through phonics, learners develop the ability to read and spell unfamiliar words, leading to greater reading fluency and comprehension." ## ****Get South Dakota stories** Sign up for an email summary on most weekdays that links to the full story. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. Spelling bees support those skills by helping students recognize spelling patterns and understand etymology and morphology, which helps them understand word structure and meaning, Wede said. While school curriculums change, the Scripps National Spelling Bee reaches millions of students globally with the classroom materials it provides to schools enrolled in the yearlong program. Participation in regional bees also provides an opportunity for students to gain experience in public speaking, develop confidence and inspire a love of learning and connection with their peers. ## Memory that lasts a lifetime Paul Lloyd-Davies fondly remembers his first and only participation in a spelling bee. The 72-year-old was in middle school at Sacred Heart Elementary in Aberdeen and entered the contest on a whim. "They started slinging the words out and it narrowed and narrowed until there was this gorgeous brainiac in the class and me. We went a few rounds and we got to a word I think was volcano," he said, recalling that he believes he added an "e" on the end. "And, boom, I was out of it." [International educators help alleviate SD teacher shortageEducators from around the world are working on temporary visas and helping alleviate teacher shortage in South Dakota, including rural areas.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-96.jpg)South Dakota News WatchBart Pfankuch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/2025-2-7-Madgelie-Camba-in-classroom-1.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/international-teachers-program-south-dakota-education/) Lloyd-Davis, who worked in several journalism jobs and for the U.S. Forest Service during his career and is retired in Great Falls, Montana, said he never did anything like it again, despite being a voracious reader and doing phonics flash cards at the direction of his mother. But the experience gave his young, introverted self a boost of confidence and helped him overcome what today would be considered a learning disability. "I got this incredible sense of skill and accomplishment and worth out of ending up in that final round with her," Lloyd-Davies said of his schoolmate. "To go against what I would consider one of the most talented girls in my class gave me a lot of positive esteem." ## Schools that sent a student to the state bee - Black Hills Christian Academy, Spearfish - Brandon Valley Intermediate School, Brandon - Calvary Christian School, Rapid City - Challenge Center Elementary School, Sioux Falls - Cornerstone School, Sioux Falls - Deuel School, Clear Lake - Estelline Junior High - Ethan School - Florence School - Garretson School - George S. Mickelson Middle School, Brookings - Good Shepherd Lutheran School, Sioux Falls - Holgate Middle School, Aberdeen - Hot Springs Elementary School - Hot Springs Middle School - Milbank Middle School - Piedmont Valley Elementary School - Platte-Geddes Elementary School - Robert Bennis Elementary School, Brandon - Saint Elizabeth Seton Central School, Rapid City - Saint Martin Lutheran School, Watertown - Saint Thomas More Middle School, Rapid City - Saints in the Making Homeschool, Rapid City - Scotland Middle Senior High School - Sharon F. Delzer Elementary School, Estelline - Stagebarn Middle School, Summerset - Sturgis Elementary School - Vermillion Middle School - Waverly South Shore School - Webster Elementary School, Yankton --- *This story was updated with the winner.* [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/05/donate-3.jpg)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate?ref=sdnewswatch.org) [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact Carson Walker* at* [*carson.walker@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:carson.walker@sdnewswatch.org). ### Is the entire state of South Dakota in a drought? URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-climate-drought-map-weather/ Last updated: 2025-03-26T08:43:05.000Z ## **Yes.** As of March 18, 100% of South Dakota is under drought conditions, with 42% of the state under severe or extreme drought. During the same time last year, 11% of the state was experiencing drought with no areas under severe or extreme drought. Each week, federal government drought experts check several variables including precipitation, temperatures, soil moisture, water levels in streams and lakes and snow cover to determine drought conditions. Experts predict that South Dakota drought conditions will persist for at least another month. With dry conditions and high wind gusts, the fire danger index has repeatedly been listed this season as very high for both eastern grasslands and the Black Hills area. While 37% of the U.S. is suffering from drought conditions, no other state is completely drought-ridden like South Dakota. Currently, 55% of North Dakota is under a drought. **This fact brief responds to conversations such as* [**this one*](https://x.com/ChetEdinger/status/1902897098590150685?ref=sdnewswatch.org)**.* ### Sources National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS), [South Dakota](https://www.drought.gov/states/south-dakota?ref=sdnewswatch.org) NIDIS, [Historical Data & Conditions](https://www.drought.gov/historical-information?state=south-dakota&dataset=0&selectedDateUSDM=20240319&ref=sdnewswatch.org) NIDIS, [U.S. Drought Monitor](https://www.drought.gov/data-maps-tools/us-drought-monitor?ref=sdnewswatch.org) NIDIS, [Drought Outlook](https://www.drought.gov/data-maps-tools/us-monthly-drought-outlook?ref=sdnewswatch.org) National Weather Service,[ Sioux Falls Fire Weather](https://www.weather.gov/fsd/fire?ref=sdnewswatch.org) USDA, [Forest Service](https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/blackhills/fire/?cid=fseprd1040075&ref=sdnewswatch.org) NIDIS, [United States](https://www.drought.gov/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) NIDIS, [North Dakota](https://www.drought.gov/states/north-dakota?ref=sdnewswatch.org) --- [**South Dakota News Watch**](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/) partners with [**Gigafact**](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) to publish fact briefs that refute or confirm a claim with supporting information and additional evidence and context. [**Get our email with fact briefs and stories**](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/). [](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/tag/fact-brief/)[**Read previous fact briefs**](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/tag/fact-brief/) and our verification standards and other [**best practices policies**](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/best-practices/). **Have a question we can answer?** Submit it at the [**South Dakota News Watch Tipline**](https://gigafact.org/tipline/south-dakota-news-watch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). Send questions or feedback to [**factbrief@sdnewswatch.org**](mailto:factbrief@sdnewswatch.org). [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/05/donate-3.jpg)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate?ref=sdnewswatch.org) [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact Megan Luther* at* [*megan.luther@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:megan.luther@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Bird flu in SD: Millions of birds dead, worry shifting to humans URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-sd-bird-flu-killing-chickens-turkeys-h5n1/ Last updated: 2025-06-27T13:38:29.000Z BRIDGEWATER, S.D. – As bird flu ravages poultry farms across the country – including in South Dakota – fears are growing that the highly contagious avian influenza virus could mutate and begin to spread widely among the world's human population. The virus already has caused devastating effects in the state, which has seen the second-highest number of outbreaks in commercial poultry flocks in the nation. The 114 commercial outbreaks in South Dakota, along with another 26 backyard flock infections, have led to the death or intentional killing of more than 6 million turkeys, chickens and other birds, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Many of the outbreaks in the state, the latest coming in January, have been at turkey farms operated by Hutterite colonies in the eastern half of the state, including at the Oaklane Hutterite Colony near Bridgewater. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/03/Bird-flu-infobox-copy.png) But in late 2023, the virus was detected in a flock of farm-raised pheasants in South Dakota, leading to the killing of about 30,000 of the birds that draw hunters from around the world each fall. As in other states, the virus has also spread to mammals in the state, causing the death of a handful of cattle and more than a dozen domestic cats. So far, no human cases have been reported in South Dakota. Nationally, however, about 70 people have been sickened by the virus, mostly farm workers or veterinarians who were exposed to infected birds or cattle. In January, an elderly resident of Louisiana with underlying medical conditions became the first person to die of bird flu in the U.S. after being exposed to sick birds. ## 166 million birds destroyed in United States The current outbreak of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza, or H5N1 virus, began in the U.S. in February 2022\. Since then, the virus has been detected in all 50 states, causing more than 1,600 individual outbreaks in commercial and backyard poultry flocks and leading to the death or euthanasia of 166 million chickens, turkeys and other birds. While the most tangible outcome of bird flu for consumers has been the rising cost of eggs and chicken breasts, a different, more ominous concern is rising among scientists and public health officials who closely monitor bird flu and study ways to prevent its spread. There has been no known human-to-human spread of bird flu so far in the U.S, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And yet, numerous scientists are becoming concerned that bird flu could become the next pandemic and potentially cause devastating consequences to human populations across the world. "We're afraid this virus could cause a human pandemic because humans have very little immunity against this particular avian flu virus," Scott Hensley, a leading bird flu researcher at the University of Pennsylvania, said in a January [video presentation](https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=Scott+Hensley+bird+flu+video&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&ref=sdnewswatch.org#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:97f4389f,vid:AWqOnLrJ5T8,st:0). "The problem is that flu viruses acquire mutations all the time. And we know that the virus is only one or two mutations away from being able to cause severe disease in humans." The current risk to humans, especially those outside the agriculture industry, remains "very low," according to the CDC. So far, the bird flu virus has not been found to bind well to human cells or take hold in the human respiratory system. ![Adults turkeys ready for harvest are shown in this 2019 image from the Oaklane Hutterite Colony](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/02/90.webp) Adults turkeys ready for harvest are shown in this 2019 image from the Oaklane Hutterite Colony west of Sioux Falls, S.D., in 2019\. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) But the virus has already shown a ready ability to mutate, not unlike how the Influenza A and B and COVID-19 viruses show slight mutations each year. Bird flu can be spread through direct contact, by breathing airborne particles or through shared water sources. The spread of infection from wild migrating birds to captive poultry flocks, and the subsequent mutations from birds to bovines and now cats is a cause for alarm, said Todd Tetrow, the director of veterinary services at Dakota Provisions, a large turkey processing company in Huron. "It can jump species, so anytime there’s virus out there, and other species can be exposed, it can sure jump," Tetrow told News Watch. "Anytime it jumps into a new species, there’s more concern and thoughts that this thing is getting to where it’s scary for humans." ## Turkey farms hit hard by bird flu South Dakota has been a hotbed for bird flu infections for two reasons. The state is along the flyway for many species of migratory birds, which are the known carriers of the virus. Also, South Dakota is a major producer of turkeys that are mainly raised indoors within concentrated animal feeding operations. The state also has smaller chicken and pheasant breeding operations that can be susceptible to bird flu outbreaks. ## ****Get South Dakota stories** Sign up for an email summary on most weekdays that links to the full story. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. The 41 Hutterite turkey producers who make up the farmer-owned Dakota Provisions cooperative have suffered so many bird flu outbreaks in the past three years that the group has purchased its own industrial firefighting foam system. Firefighting foam, which eliminates oxygen when dispensed, is the current preferred method of quickly and efficiently "depopulating" a flock of infected birds. The Oaklane Hutterite Colony west of Sioux Falls has endured two bird flu outbreaks in the past two years, which in total required the killing of about 21,000 adult turkeys and juvenile birds, said colony director John Wipf. On both occasions, Wipf said, he noticed that water consumption among his turkeys had fallen, and some birds showed signs of malaise and a few died. Both times, birds were sent to South Dakota State University for confirmation that bird flu was the cause. When any bird is infected, all birds from that barn must be destroyed, he said. The USDA sends in experts to monitor the killing, which was done by a local firefighting agency. Watching his flocks be depopulated is heart wrenching, he said. ![Farmer John Wipf, shown in 2019, oversees agricultural operations at the Oaklane Hutterite Colony in Hanson County. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/02/john-wipf-and-turkeys.jpg) Farmer John Wipf, shown in 2019, oversees agricultural operations at the Oaklane Hutterite Colony in Hanson County. The colony has suffered two outbreaks of bird flu in the past two years. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) “The smallest ones really wanted to live and they tried to climb on top of the foam, but it wouldn’t hold them up,” he said. Dead birds are then composted in a landfill onsite, and the barns must then be sanitized and approved by the USDA before reopening. The value of the lost birds was likely about $300,000, though the federal government indemnifies farms for bird flu and pays farmers an adjusted amount to cover most losses. Wipf said he takes precautions to prevent further infection, such as requiring staff to wear boots and other protective clothing\` and by keeping things clean and disinfected. He isn’t sure how his flocks became infected, but he believes migratory birds are the likely culprits. “It’s a bad luck situation for sure because it’s very difficult to diagnose where it came from and how it got in here," Wipf said. "We have no clue, but I think part of it was bird migration, geese and ducks that fly over and poop on the barn and our materials. Or it could have been brought in by wild birds that get into the barns.” ## Pheasant farmers lose major flock The bird flu outbreak that struck the Gisi Pheasant Farm near Ipswich, 30 miles west of Aberdeen, began with a single bird testing positive in December 2023, according to company general manager Loretta Omland. Ultimately, three positive tests for bird flu were confirmed, she said. To Omland and her family members that run the farm, the flu cases appeared isolated to one barn at their breeding operation at nearby Craven. No other birds appeared to be sick or dying in those barns or at other locations in Wessington Springs and Miller, Omland said. [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/05/donate-3.jpg)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Suddenly, the family found itself embroiled in a difficult, emotionally draining effort to save their other breeders and hens. Gisi Farms in 2022 provided about 480,000 ringneck pheasants to a large number of customers that mostly include South Dakota hunting resorts and preserves. In the days following the positive tests, they ran up against USDA officials who were unwilling to make exceptions to rules stating that entire flocks of birds must be destroyed quickly, even if only one or a few birds test positive for bird flu. “We told them, ‘We don’t care about indemnification,’ because those were our birds,” Omland told News Watch. “I had to call all these customers and tell them that we can’t get your birds, and that affects the restaurants, the grocery stores, the preserves and all these people in the hospitality and hunting industries.” The family sought the help of the South Dakota state veterinarian and the state congressional delegation to ask for an exception that would allow them to mitigate the loss of birds. “The USDA came back and said that if we didn’t kill those birds, we’d be in jeopardy of losing indemnification and that South Dakota could be in violation of international trade laws,” Omland said. ![yellow, red, and black bird on ground](https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1516298761027-64d49da72287?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDF8fHBoZWFzYW50c3xlbnwwfHx8fDE3NDIyOTkzMzR8MA&ixlib=rb-4.0.3&q=80&w=2000) Photo by [Michael Hoyt](https://unsplash.com/@thephotohiker?ref=sdnewswatch.org) / [Unsplash](https://unsplash.com/?utm%5Fsource=ghost&utm%5Fmedium=referral&utm%5Fcampaign=api-credit) The family relented and agreed to the killing of about 30,000 pheasants, later receiving a roughly $1 million indemnification that did not cover their full losses and cleanup costs, Omland said. “It was horrible, just horrible because those were all healthy birds,” she said. Since then, Gisi Farms has enhanced its biosecurity efforts to prevent further outbreaks, Omland said. “We test and test and test and clean and clean and clean, but you can only get so far in what you do,” she said. “You do everything you can, but at the end of the day, you just say more prayers.” ## Research and prevention steps underway News is breaking almost weekly about the impacts of bird flu and the efforts of the scientific community to slow its spread and to reduce its ability to infect humans. In mid-March, thousands of geese were found dead in and along Lake Byron in Beadle County and state game officials said they believe bird flu was the cause of the mass die-off. In January, a new strain of bird flu called H5N9 was determined to be the source of infection of a commercial duck farm in California. While that new strain is not more infectious or dangerous to birds or humans, scientists said it shows how quickly the virus is mutating. Some experts worry that if separate viruses intermingle – such as a person who has influenza A is then exposed to H5N1 – that a cross-virus mutation could occur and open the door to greater human infections or birth of a virus that can spread among humans. ![native egg lot](https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1506976785307-8732e854ad03?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDF8fGdyb2NlcnklMjBwb3VsdHJ5fGVufDB8fHx8MTc0MjI5OTE5MXww&ixlib=rb-4.0.3&q=80&w=2000) (Photo by [Erol Ahmed](https://unsplash.com/@erol?ref=sdnewswatch.org) / [Unsplash](https://unsplash.com/?utm%5Fsource=ghost&utm%5Fmedium=referral&utm%5Fcampaign=api-credit)) In December, the USDA launched its National Milk Testing Strategy, which among other things tests milk held in silos for H5N1 prior to distribution to humans. South Dakota is one of 45 states to sign up for silo testing. In March, the USDA announced it was launching a $100 million research effort into finding vaccines or possible treatments for bird flu infections. The funding is part of a proposed five-pronged, [$1 billion](https://www.usda.gov/about-usda/news/press-releases/2025/02/26/usda-invests-1-billion-combat-avian-flu-and-reduce-egg-prices?ref=sdnewswatch.org) federal plan to study, prevent and limit the spread of bird flu in commercial poultry flocks. Bird flu containment efforts were slowed when USDA employees working on bird flu issues were fired as part of government efficiency efforts, and some bird flu information was not being shared by the CDC due to position and funding cuts. The USDA bird flu workers have since been rehired. The CDC, USDA and Food and Drug Administration are all working to monitor bird flu outbreaks and spread. The USDA has created an easy-to-navigate [website](https://www.aphis.usda.gov/livestock-poultry-disease/avian/avian-influenza/hpai-detections?ref=sdnewswatch.org) where bird flu data is tracked by state and the CDC has a bird flu [information page](https://www.cdc.gov/bird-flu/situation-summary/index.html?ref=sdnewswatch.org). The farm-level response to bird flu in South Dakota has centered around close monitoring of bird health and behavior and through testing of poultry flocks prior to slaughter, Tetrow said. Some farmers in South Dakota and other states have used cannons or fireworks to scare away migratory birds or have tried to eliminate ponds where migratory birds congregate near their barns. Tetrow said he hopes the agricultural, governmental and scientific communities can work together to take more steps to evaluate the causes and effects of bird flu and take preventative methods to slow its spread. "I'd like to see us reevaluate what we're going to see if there are more approaches and tools we can add to our toolbox to fight this," he said. ## ****Get South Dakota stories** Sign up for an email summary on most weekdays that links to the full story. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. The USDA in February gave conditional approval to a bird flu vaccine for poultry, made by the firm Zoetis. But to date, the U.S. has not followed the path of other countries such as China, Mexico and some European countries where use of poultry vaccines is widespread. Tetrow, who spent more than a decade working in the South Dakota state veterinarian's office, said he supports the concept of vaccinating poultry in order to protect both bird and human populations. "It won't prevent infection, but it decreases mortality and the amount of virus that is shed," he said. "If we can find a vaccine that can do those things, I think we need to figure out how to employ that." Hensley, the University of Pennsylvania biologist, said a major goal of ongoing research is to develop a human vaccine. "We want to be able to respond if this virus acquires the mutations that are needed to effectively transmit from human to human," he said. [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact* *Bart Pfankuch* at* [*bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Sturgis military event reveals division among SD veterans URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/dusty-johnson-va-veterans-doge-president-trump-cuts/ Last updated: 2025-06-27T13:38:29.000Z STURGIS, S.D. – An event hosted by Congressman Dusty Johnson to honor Vietnam veterans in Sturgis this week unwittingly revealed the growing division among some veterans in South Dakota and beyond. As Johnson told those assembled inside he wanted to make up for poor treatment of veterans in the 1960s and 1970s, a group of people outside the Sturgis Veteran's Club protested how veterans are being treated now by the Trump administration and Congress. On the sidewalk outside the club, a dozen people carried signs and chanted slogans. The protesters, including some former military members, said widespread employee cuts in the Department of Veterans Affairs are weakening health care for veterans. At one point, a man entered into an argument with a protester and shoved the 74-year-old man to the ground. John Henry, 76, of Sturgis, was arrested for simple assault, said Sturgis Police Chief Geody VanDerwater. The protester was not seriously injured. Inside the club, a few dozen people gathered for the ceremony led by Johnson, a third-term Republican. He started the event by lamenting how poorly many Vietnam veterans were treated upon returning home after their service. ![U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson, R-South Dakota, at far left, stands among a group of Vietnam veterans and family members](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/03/Dusty-vets-group-photo-1.JPG) U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson, R-South Dakota, at far left, stands among a group of Vietnam veterans and family members at a Mach 19, 2025, ceremony at the Veteran's Center in Sturgis, S.D. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) "America is the best country in the world, but that doesn't mean that it's perfect," said Johnson. "If you needed to point to a piece of evidence of that imperfection, one place to start would be how we treated people in uniform in the 1960s and 1970s." Johnson said that has changed over time and that American military personnel and veterans are now treated with far more respect and reverence and that "they're more likely to get a round of applause than they are to get spit on." Johnson welcomed about 20 Vietnam veterans or their family members to Wednesday's event. The veterans came forward a few at a time, and each was given a commemorative coin, a certificate, a lapel pin and a handshake. ## ****Get South Dakota stories** Sign up for an email summary on most weekdays that links to the full story. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. Veterans were also handed a microphone to share their stories of service in Vietnam. And while a couple remembrances were humorous, others were deeply moving and revealed the pride they feel about their service. At least one man began to weep. One told how he was greeted in Vietnam by a commander but also by stacks of boxes containing dead soldiers waiting to be flown back to the states. The sister of one late veteran told how her brother became a journalist on the front lines in Vietnam and read aloud an eloquent letter he wrote home. She said her brother "died twice" from afflictions due to exposure to Agent Orange. "This is an opportunity for our country to do the right thing," Johnson said later. "I look every one of these veterans in the eyes, I shake their hand, and I tell them that a grateful nation honors and thanks them for their service." ## Protesters angry over VA cuts But outside the veteran's club, protesters decried efforts by President Donald Trump and his adviser, Elon Musk, to cut VA staffing and programs. They carried signs saying, "VA cuts hurt veterans," "Support vets and heroes" and "Veterans deserve better!" The group of mostly gray-haired men and women shouted "Save our veterans," "Hee hee, ho ho, Elon Musk has got to go," "Trump is not our king," and "Show me what democracy looks like." One woman then added, "This is what democracy looks like, so take a good look because it won't be here for long." ![Roseanna Renaud holds a POW-MIA flag outside the Veteran's Club in Sturgis.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/03/Sturgis-protester-Roseanna-Renaud-1.jpeg) Roseanna Renaud of Rapid City, S.D., a Vietnam-era Army veteran, was one of about a dozen protesters who decried cuts to the Department of Veterans Affairs on March 19, 2025, outside the Veteran's Club in Sturgis, S.D., where a ceremony honoring veterans was taking place. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) Roseanna Renaud, 71, said she found it "despicable" that Johnson was honoring veterans at a time veteran services are being cut and many veterans are losing their jobs, and the Republican-controlled Congress is doing nothing to stop it. "Veterans are starting to wake up and notice that they can't get that appointment that they need, that they can't get that treatment," said Renaud, who said she is a member of the Oglala Lakota Sioux Tribe, a Vietnam-era Army veteran and a retired police lieutenant. "I find it just absolutely disgusting. I mean, there's a sign over there about the Veterans Crisis Line and at the same time they have slashed mental health services for veterans. You think that's right? Hell, no." In an interview after the ceremony, Johnson said he supports the ability of the protesters to exercise their First Amendment rights to criticize the government. He said he had not spoken with the protesters but is monitoring the cuts and proposed cuts to the VA to ensure medical care and other services are not impacted. ## VA might cut thousands of jobs Actions by the Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency already have led to the firing of a few thousand VA employees and the suspension of hundreds of contracts for services, according to The Associated Press. The AP [reported on March 5](https://apnews.com/article/veterans-affairs-cuts-doge-musk-trump-f587a6bc3db6a460e9c357592e165712?ref=sdnewswatch.org) that an internal VA memo announced a major reorganization this summer that will cut 80,000 more jobs from the agency that provides health care and other services to millions of veterans. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/03/Roseanna-Renaud.png) More than a quarter of the VA’s workforce is comprised of veterans, and veterans made up nearly a third of the overall federal workforce, which has seen dramatic job cuts under the Trump administration. Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins has said the job cuts are not in mission-critical positions and that veteran care would not be affected. But during the ceremony, one Vietnam veteran who was being honored by Johnson shared his concerns that staff and funding cuts to the VA could harm the ability of sick or injured service members to receive the care and services they need. ![U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson, right, stands with veterans Robert Orr, left, and Kent Popham, ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/03/Dusty-with-veterans.JPG) U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson, right, stands with veterans Robert Orr, left, and Kent Popham, center, during a March 19, 2025, ceremony at the Sturgis, S.D., veteran's center to honor Vietnam veterans for their service. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) Robert Orr, who said he served in the Air Force Strategic Air Command from 1970-77, spoke up about VA cuts when Johnson handed him the microphone. "I'm very pleased with the care I've gotten at the VA," Orr said. "Congressman Johnson, if you can, do what you can to restore the funding and personnel to the VA." Orr added that, "I've never heard there was a surplus of staff at the VA," a comment that drew applause from ceremony attendees. [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/05/donate-3.jpg)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Orr later told News Watch that he has seen VA services slipping for some veterans he knows and is worried that any position, program or funding cuts could make it even harder for them to receive care. Orr said he felt it was a "conflict" for Johnson to lead a ceremony honoring veterans while the president and Republican leadership in Congress have or will cut the VA budget and staff. "I'd say it's a lack of critical thinking," Orr said. ## VA spokesman: Cuts won't harm medical care Pete Kasperowicz, press secretary for the VA in Washington, wrote in an email to News Watch on March 24 stating that the agency does not intend to cut positions in medical care. "We’ve put out a target number and set up a structure for beginning the planning process of reforming the department, but we haven’t made any of those personnel changes yet," Kasperowicz wrote. "We’re going to run through a deliberative process and find ways to improve care and benefits for veterans without cutting care and benefits for veterans," he wrote. "We’re not talking about reducing medical staff or claims processors,we’re talking about reducing bureaucracy and inefficiencies that are getting in the way of customer convenience and service to veterans." ## Johnson: VA seeking efficiencies Johnson said he is friends with VA secretary Collins, they have discussed how the VA is being managed and together have called out the Trump administration when the cuts "are not the right fit." Johnson said the White House has been receptive to their concerns and suggestions. "Congress hasn't and will not cut VA funding. There will certainly be some efficiencies that are found as we work together, but those efficiencies are going to be reinvested in the system," he said. "We have got to reduce these debts, and we know that no front care or provisioning staff have been cut. There have been some positions eliminated that we've got some concerns about. We're asking some tough questions to the (Trump) administration (because) we need to get this right." ![A protester stands on March 19, 2025, outside the Veteran's Center in Sturgis, S.D.,](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/03/Protester-with-signage.jpeg) A protester stands on March 19, 2025, outside the Veteran's Center in Sturgis, S.D., where a ceremony honoring Vietnam veterans was taking place. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) Johnson told News Watch he wasn't sure how many VA positions have been cut in South Dakota so far, but his understanding is that it is not a large number. The South Dakota VA health system includes hospitals in Sturgis, Hot Springs and Sioux Falls and outpatient clinics in nine cities across the state. [USD conference to focus on election integrityThe daylong program includes details about a plan to teach all public university students about civics.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-95.jpg)South Dakota News WatchSD News Watch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1540910419892-4a36d2c3266c.jpeg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/university-south-dakota-chiesman-center-democracy-conference/) Johnson said he and other members of Congress have spoken to agency heads, Cabinet secretaries and the White House to stay abreast of DOGE actions and cuts, including any related to the VA. "Every week that goes by, we're building, I think, more successes as we go," Johnson said. "Clearly, there's a lot of change coming at us very quickly. We know that nobody's going to bat 1,000 and it's part of our job representing South Dakota to make sure that when the administration has a misstep, that we do what we can to get them back on the right track." --- *This story was updated March 24 with comments from a VA spokesman.* [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *The Associated Press contributed to this story that was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact* *Bart Pfankuch* at* [*bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Short-term rentals highlight balancing act of Black Hills housing URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/deadwood-lead-airbnb-short-term-rentals-black-hills-housing/ Last updated: 2025-06-27T13:38:29.000Z DEADWOOD, S.D. – Several Black Hills communities have revisited their short-term rental ordinances since the COVID-19 pandemic spurred a surge in visitors looking for their own private space. In Rapid City alone, Airbnb listings have shot up by 75% in the past three years, according to Elevate Rapid City. That growth is likely contributing to the housing shortage. And while the short-term rental industry represents a business opportunity for local property owners, the patchwork of local policy can complicate matters. Nathan Derksen knows this firsthand. He runs Bear Property Management and oversees both long- and short-term rentals throughout the Hills. [Resident-driven ideas at heart of Engage South DakotaPilot project uses storytelling and civic engagement to identify and share solutions to challenges impacting communities across the state.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-93.jpg)South Dakota News WatchBart Pfankuch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/2024-10-7-Kelly-Cape-in-group.JPG)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/resident-driven-ideas-at-heart-of-engage-south-dakota/) "It's very, very difficult, in that Pennington County has their rules, Rapid City is in the process of rules, Custer has their rules, Custer County has different rules," he explained. "Hill City has rules. Lead has rules. Deadwood has rules. Lawrence County does not have rules. Meade County does not." Derksen added that many of those rules differ from each other. "We're a licensed, fully state-compliant company, and we're trying to comply with laws, but it feels like the target is constantly moving," he said. ![Nathan Derksen (left) and Kristin Bennett (right) sit on a couch and Nathan gestures toward the camera](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/03/Nathan-and-Kristin.jpg) Nathan Derksen (left) and Kristin Bennett (right) each own short term rental properties in the Black Hills. They shared their concerns over patchwork local policies on March 7, 2025, at one of Bennett's properties outside of Rapid City, S.D. (Photo Credit: Delainey LaHood-Burns / SDPB) Derksen would prefer a statewide approach to short-term rentals in some capacity. South Dakota law provides for licensing of short-term rental properties that comply with various health and safety requirements, but awareness and enforcement of these regulations is limited. As a Rapid City advisory committee considers municipal regulations, some are looking to other communities in the region for ideas on regulation and the true impact of short-term rentals on the local housing market. ## Local priorities drive local policy Deadwood first began regulating vacation home rentals 30 years ago. Demand has only grown since then. “Deadwood, being a National Historic Landmark, has a lot of visitors come to town. We have about 3-1/2 to 4 million visits a year. And with that, we’re a town of around 1,300 people," said Kevin Kuchenbecker, the planning and zoning administrator as well as the historic preservation officer for the City of Deadwood. "We have a large tourism industry here and, at times, it’s challenging when you have that many visitors into a small community, to balance between the housing needs of the community and the needs of our transient vacationers and our visitors that come to our community.” ## ****Get South Dakota stories** Sign up for an email summary on most weekdays that links to the full story. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. In 2023, a task force revisited Deadwood's approach to short-term rentals. The city matches its short-term rental property definitions to the state’s with three different classifications. "We have bed and breakfasts, where the owner lives on a site, provides a homestyle meal. Then we have vacation home establishments. And then there are specialty resorts. All three of those take a conditional use permit to operate in the city limits," explained Kuchenbecker. That means a planning and zoning review, action from the city commission and annual reviews where any complaints can be taken into account. Deadwood also introduced a 200-foot buffer between short-term rental properties to avoid too many in one neighborhood. “To date, we have nearly 40 short term rentals throughout the community. And, they are 100% compliant," said Kuchenbecker. "We have a software program that does third-party monitoring, so we can see when somebody leases a property or advertises it on Vrbo or Airbnb. And so we on a regular basis monitor the use of those properties as well.” ![Kevin Kuchenbecker sits at a table and gestures during an interview in a conference room](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/03/Kevin-Kuchenbecker-1.jpg) Kevin Kuchenbecker works in planning, zoning and historic preservation for the City of Deadwood. He explained the challenge of meeting some state safety regulations in historic homes used as vacation rentals on March 7, 2025, in Deadwood, S.D. (Photo Credit: Delainey LaHood-Burns / SDPB) But in a place like Deadwood, where so much of the appeal is its historic look, some standards conflict with others. The most common culprit: egress windows. State law requires every bedroom in a licensed vacation home to have either an exterior door or at least one window large enough to allow occupants to escape in the event of a fire. The state also has specific measurement requirements for egress windows. “One of the challenges we have with historic preservation and in our community, being a National Historic Landmark, is any exterior, change or alteration goes through a review process. And when a use of a property goes from primarily as a residential unit or house to a vacation home establishment, there are different rules and regulations that are set up by the Department of Health when it comes to egress," said Kuchenbecker. [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/05/donate-3.jpg)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Though windows on homes built 120 years ago or more met standards of the day, they might not meet the current egress requirements the Department of Health has put on vacation homes. "When you put in a larger opening on a historic resource, it could have an adverse effect," Kuchenbecker explained. Deadwood officials hope to compromise with the Department of Health in some capacity, such as by requiring hardwired fire alarms and clear exit paths in old houses where replacing windows would compromise its historic nature. But those discussions are still playing out. ## Home rentals highlight housing needs Vacation rentals exacerbate another challenge. Basic geography and proximity to federal forest land make additional housing development in the Black Hills a challenge. Emma Garvin, executive director of the Lead-Deadwood Economic Development Corp., said a [2022 housing study](https://static1.squarespace.com/static/63cac5281e85f96d27673c76/t/63ebf38b67a1310b143ecbb3/1676407693327/Deadwood-Lead+FINAL+2022+%282%29.pdf?ref=sdnewswatch.org) for the area anticipated up to 6% population growth. That would require up to 75 housing units for workers and up to 35 for rentals. Part of the challenge is simply finding the space to develop. "We do have some pocketed areas of land, and certainly you can blast anything," said Garvin. "But, you know, is that kind of development what we really want to do in this area? It’s also very expensive. And so, when you’re taking a look at those projects, you really have to be guaranteed that that’s right for your community.” [Solving South Dakota’s housing problem one idea at a timeHow an Aberdeen nonprofit called Homes Are Possible Inc., or HAPI, shares what it has learned to help ease the state’s housing crunch.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-94.jpg)South Dakota News WatchBart Pfankuch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/Aberdeen-home-construction-1.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/aberdeen-mitchell-south-dakota-hapi-housing-solution/) In the same way the Old West shaped Deadwood, mining shaped Lead. The Homestake Mine sustained the community for more than a century. Much of the existing housing stock originated from the mining days. "All of the expense and anything infrastructure, anything that needed to be done in the community was done by Homestake Mining Co. to keep their people happy and keep them safe and keep their kids educated so that they would stay working in the mine," said Garvin. When mining operations ended and Homestake left the area in the early aughts, Lead was at a crossroads. The Sanford Underground Research Facility meant new industry opportunities, but that hasn’t necessarily translated into new or updated housing. ![Emma Garvin talks with a reporter during an interview in Lead, South Dakota](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/03/Emma-Garvin-Opt-2.jpg) Emma Garvin, executive director of the Lead-Deadwood Economic Development Corp., discussed area housing challenges during an interview with SDPB on March 7, 2025, in Lead, S.D. (Photo Credit: Delainey LaHood-Burns / SDPB) “Rapid City deals with this a little bit because (when) you have flat land, economic growth looks like a new Best Buy or a bigger medical facility or some of these other larger housing complexes. We don’t see our economic growth quite that in-our-faces because of lot of it has been happening underground for the last 10 years," Garvin said. Lead had the most short-term rental listings of any South Dakota community five years ago, she said. Since then, many in-town units have shifted to long-term rentals or been sold to permanent residents. "We have larger short-term rentals that are being built outside the city limits. Some of them are privately owned. Some of them are investment properties that are used for short-term rentals predominantly," Garvin said. "That meant that these little short-term rental owners and littler houses in the city that could have been sold for a family housing or workforce housing just couldn’t compete with that.” Luxury housing developments like [Powder House Pass](https://powderhousepass.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) and [Deer Mountain Village](https://deermountainvillage.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) outside of town are underway, but those are less likely to meet the average resident’s needs. Garvin said hospitality is the No. 1 industry in Lead. It’s also one of the lowest paying jobs. Meanwhile, [the first million-dollar lot sale in South Dakota](https://www.keloland.com/keloland-com-original/1-acre-property-sells-for-1-million-near-lead-sd/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) was finalized in the nearby Deer Mountain development. Garvin notes a benefit to the local economy beyond housing. "Those people are coming into Lead to get their groceries, and they're coming into Lead to eat dinner, and they're coming into to Lead to, you know, shop or do whatever they need to do," Garvin said. "I think our largest issue with workforce housing is just being able to preserve the inventory that we have." Another challenge Garvin noted was appropriate housing for senior citizens. "Seniors aren't moving out of their homes that could become family homes because we don't have zero-degree entry (ground-level) apartments for them, and they don't want to leave the area," she said. "They don't want to leave their church. They don't want to leave their grocery store. They don't want to leave their bank." ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/03/Deadwood-Gulch-1.jpg) The view toward downtown Deadwood, S.D., from a residential street on March 7, 2025\. The hills that add natural beauty also limit additional housing development. (Photo Credit: Delainey LaHood-Burns / SDPB) Places like Hill City, Lead and Deadwood use local ordinances and zoning to ensure there’s some housing stock left available for residents as the short-term rental market continues to attract visitors. But both Garvin and Kuchenbecker said it doesn't solve the problem of affordability. "That's a challenge when the market is driven by people coming into the community, maybe from outside where the housing is a lot more expensive, coming here and thinking, 'Oh, this is very affordable,'" said Kuchenbecker. "Yet people working on Main Street may not be able to afford those. So it becomes a challenge for the community and it’s something that we know exists and have been working toward. But again, there are some constraints just with the environment that we have, the surrounding federal lands and the available land for development.” ## Rapid City considering short-term rental regulations According to an online survey Rapid City conducted earlier this year, most residents who responded support a basic licensing and registration requirement for short-term rentals, much like the City of Lead. It's unclear if other regulations – like Deadwood's 200-foot buffer or conditional use permits – would have the necessary support. An advisory committee is expected to make a recommendation to the city council yet this spring. Though some Rapid City residents are quick to scapegoat the short-term rental industry, property owners generally deny contributing to a lack of affordable housing stock in the region. Instead, they point to the economic benefit of short-term rentals, both thanks to visitor spending and the largely local property owner base. Plus, many properties serve other South Dakotans enjoying the region. "Most of our renters come from a 200-mile circle," said Derkson, of Bear Property Management. "And in the off-season, it's a much smaller circle." --- ### How to watch 'South Dakota Focus' The next episode of "South Dakota Focus" airs on Thursday, March 27, at 8 p.m. Central time / 7 p.m. Mountain time. It can be viewed on SDPB-TV1, Facebook, YouTube and SD.net. The episode includes. - A comparison of housing needs and policy in Hill City, Lead and Deadwood - What Rapid City residents weigh while considering a proposed short-term rental ordinance - What short-term rental owners hope full-time residents understand about their business [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/03/Donate-today-News-Watch--1--4.png)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?%5Fgl=1%2A1b0ep3i%2A%5Fga%2AMTM3NDcyODMyNS4xNzAyMTQ0MTg3%2A%5Fga%5FH98KVPR32J%2AMTcyNzIyNjUwOS40MzMuMS4xNzI3MjI3NzQ1LjAuMC4w&ref=sdnewswatch.org) [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was written by *Jackie Hendry*, host and producer of South Dakota Public Broadcasting's "South Dakota Focus," to preview the next show. It was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact us* at* [*info@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:info@sdnewswatch.org). ### Must an Amber Alert be issued within a certain amount of time? URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-amber-alert-sd-abducted-child/ Last updated: 2025-03-19T10:55:36.000Z ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/WhiteFACT-BRIEF--500-x-200-px--2-1-1.png) ## No. While it is encouraged to issue Amber Alerts as quickly as possible to maximize chances of recovering an abducted child, there is no formal requirement to do so within a certain amount of time in South Dakota. America's Missing: Broadcast Emergency Response, or AMBER, notifies the public of abducted children via TV and radio broadcasting, highway signs, cellphones and the internet. Each state determines its own criteria for issuing an alert. In South Dakota, the request must: - Come from a law enforcement agency. - Provide credible evidence that an underage child has been abducted. - Demonstrate that the child is in danger of harm or death. - Include enough descriptive information to assist in the recovery of the child. These criteria align with the minimum guidelines established by the federal government in 2003, which states can adopt voluntarily. AMBER was created after the 1996 abduction and murder of 9-year-old Amber Hagerman in Texas. **This fact brief responds to conversations such as* [**this one*](https://www.reddit.com/r/SouthDakota/comments/1jb365x/5%5Fhours%5Flatershouldnt%5Fwe%5Fdo%5Fbetter/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)**.* ### Sources U.S. Department of Justice,[Amber Alert](https://amberalert.ojp.gov/about/faqs?ref=sdnewswatch.org) State of South Dakota, [South Dakota Amber Alert](https://sd.gov/amberalert/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) --- [**South Dakota News Watch**](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/) partners with [**Gigafact**](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) to publish fact briefs that refute or confirm a claim with supporting information and additional evidence and context. [**Get our email with fact briefs and stories**](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/). [](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/tag/fact-brief/)[**Read previous fact briefs**](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/tag/fact-brief/) and our verification standards and other [**best practices policies**](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/best-practices/). **Have a question we can answer?** Submit it at the [**South Dakota News Watch Tipline**](https://gigafact.org/tipline/south-dakota-news-watch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). Send questions or feedback to [**factbrief@sdnewswatch.org**](mailto:factbrief@sdnewswatch.org). [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/05/donate-3.jpg)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate?ref=sdnewswatch.org) [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact Megan Luther* at* [*megan.luther@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:megan.luther@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### South Dakota Democrats seek new message for voter momentum URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-democrats-state-legislature-senate-house-voting/ Last updated: 2025-06-27T13:38:30.000Z Dan Ahlers recalls campaigning for a 2018 South Dakota legislative race in his hometown of Dell Rapids and calling on a household he knew was registered Republican. The woman who answered the door recognized Ahlers from his work in Pierre and said, “Dan, I like you and I appreciate what you stand for, but I can’t vote for you.” When he asked her why, she said, “I just can’t vote for a Democrat.” He lost the election by fewer than 100 votes. Part 2 of a 2-part series on South Dakota's political parties. Read part 1 at the link below. [Populists seek staying power with Republican takeover“What happened here? What changed in South Dakota politics when a Hand County farmer ends up as chair of the GOP?”![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-92.jpg)South Dakota News WatchStu Whitney![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/pipeline.1.JPG)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-gop-republican-democrat-voter-registration/) The challenge of partisan perspective hasn’t changed much now that Ahlers serves as executive director of the South Dakota Democratic Party, except maybe the situation has gotten worse. Republicans control 96 of the 105 legislative seats in Pierre (91%), which puts South Dakota in company with fellow GOP super majorities West Virginia (92%) and Wyoming (91%) as the most partisan legislatures in the nation. No South Dakota Democrat has won a statewide election since 2008, and the last Democratic governor elected in the state was Dick Kneip, who served from 1971-78. Of the 630,000 active registered voters in South Dakota, 51% are registered as Republicans, 25% as independent/no party affiliation and 23% as Democrats. For Ahlers, finding a Democratic message more patterned to the Great Plains than states such as California or New York is one of the keys to reviving party relevance. ## ****Get South Dakota stories** Sign up for an email summary on most weekdays that links to the full story. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. “We need to be able to define ourselves better so people can see who we are,” said Ahlers, who ultimately served three terms in the South Dakota Legislature and ran unsuccessfully for U.S. Senate in 2020\. “It's not necessarily a rebranding. We just have to tell people who we are and what we stand for. That’s our biggest challenge.” ## Social issues 'not nearly as important' in SD The situation is also sobering nationally. A CNN poll published March 16 showed the Democratic Party’s favorability rating at 29%, a record low in CNN polling dating back to 1992 and a drop of 20 points since January 2021, when Republican President Donald Trump exited his first term following the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. The Republican Party’s favorability rating in that national poll was 36%. The downward trend of Democratic influence is especially profound in the rural Midwest, where states such as South Dakota, North Dakota and Nebraska had farm-focused Democrats representing them in the U.S. Senate in recent decades and now have zero across the board. ![Dan Ahlers, executive director of the South Dakota Democratic Party, poses for a photo](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/03/ahlers.1.jpg) Dan Ahlers, executive director of the South Dakota Democratic Party, said "we need to be able to define ourselves better so people can see who we are." (Photo: Submitted) Trump’s rise in the Republican ranks helped accelerate that trend by elevating immigration concerns and social issues such as abortion and transgender rights to try to define Democrats as too liberal or “woke” to relate to middle America. “The national Democratic Party has become dominated by people on the coasts who care more about social issues than economic concerns,” said Drey Samuelson, a Nebraska native and Democratic operative who served as chief of staff to former South Dakota U.S. Sen. Tim Johnson. “Those social issues are not nearly as important to people who live in rural states like South Dakota.” There is, however, hope among longtime state Democrats that the time is right for a pendulum swing. With the South Dakota Republican Party under the sway of hard-right populists and Trump experiencing sinking poll numbers, the traditional midterm backlash could pay dividends for a party desperate for momentum. [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/03/Donate-today-News-Watch--1--3.png)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?%5Fgl=1%2A1b0ep3i%2A%5Fga%2AMTM3NDcyODMyNS4xNzAyMTQ0MTg3%2A%5Fga%5FH98KVPR32J%2AMTcyNzIyNjUwOS40MzMuMS4xNzI3MjI3NzQ1LjAuMC4w&ref=sdnewswatch.org) Many Democrats are disenchanted by the Elon Musk/Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) federal workforce cuts and a still-wobbly economy. The party's ability to channel that energy into voter registration spikes or election wins will be a good test of Republican staying power in Washington and Pierre. “Because South Dakota is a one-party state, Republicans have been allowed to screw up at times without paying the cost,” said Jon Schaff, a political science professor at Northern State University, noting the impeachment of former attorney general Jason Ravnsborg and scandals involving the Gear Up educational cooperative and EB-5 visa program over the past 12 years. “There’s been no electoral check or other consequences, so you wonder if that changes in terms of self-correction from within the party or (with Democratic gains) if it’s perceived that the Republicans are misgoverning.” ## South Dakota Democrats made impact in Congress It seems almost inconceivable now, but South Dakota’s congressional delegation in Washington consisted of nothing but Democrats during a brief spell two decades ago. Johnson and Tom Daschle served together in the U.S. Senate for eight years leading up until the 2004 election, when Daschle lost his majority leader status and Senate seat in a high-stakes election loss to rising Republican John Thune. In June of 2004, Democrat Stephanie Herseth Sandlin won a special election to replace Republican Bill Janklow in the U.S. House after Janklow resigned following his manslaughter conviction for killing a motorcyclist in a car crash. ![U.S. Sen. Tim Johnson waves to supporters at a Sioux Falls, S.D.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/03/vote.johnson.jpg) U.S. Sen. Tim Johnson waves to supporters at a Sioux Falls, S.D., rally after claiming victory in his 2002 Senate race against Republican John Thune. Thune defeated Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle two years later. (Photo: Argus Leader) Johnson and Herseth Sandlin were re-elected in 2008, the year Barack Obama won the White House and the Democrats took over all three branches of the federal government. It was the last year any Democrat has been elected to statewide office in South Dakota. Backlash to Obama’s presidency, with its landmark health care reform package and economic stimulus after the Great Recession, served as a galvanizing force for Republicans. Nationally, Republicans took control of the U.S. House in 2010 by gaining 63 seats with Tea Party influence while cutting into the Democratic edge in the Senate. They also flipped control of 20 state legislatures. In South Dakota, the shift was personified by a 38-year-old rancher and state legislator from Hamlin County named Kristi Noem, who knocked off Herseth Sandlin with 48% of the vote in 2010 and later became the state’s first female governor. She now serves as Homeland Security secretary in the Trump administration. “(Noem) had a strong message about less government, less regulation and advancing legislation to build people up rather than tear them down,” Suzanne Veenis, Noem’s statewide volunteer coordinator in 2010, told News Watch. “It was the message that people in South Dakota wanted to hear.” ## GOP controlled Legislature 108-2 in 1953 It marked a negative turning point for the state’s Democratic Party, which has struggled to regain its footing in crucial areas of fundraising, candidate recruitment and county committee structure over the past 15 years. Gains and losses in state politics can be exponential, as Republican super majorities in Pierre helped enable redistricting to make legislative maps even more daunting for Democrats. The blueprint looks familiar to Pete Stavrianos, a former chief of staff to Democratic U.S. Sens. George McGovern, Jim Abourezk and Daschle who studied political science at Harvard University. ![Former South Dakota U.S. Senator and 1972 Democratic presidential nominee George McGovern (left) receives the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Bill Clinton](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/03/mcgovern.2.jpg) Former South Dakota U.S. Senator and 1972 Democratic presidential nominee George McGovern (left) receives the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Bill Clinton at White House on Aug. 9, 2000\. (Photo: Argus Leader) Stavrianos pointed to the early 1950s in South Dakota, when Republicans used post-World War II backlash to the Franklin Roosevelt/Harry Truman New Deal coalition to build a 35-0 advantage in the state Senate and 73-2 in the House in 1953 for a 98% super majority, the only legislature more lopsided than 2025. McGovern became executive director of the South Dakota Democrat Party in 1953 and started rebuilding its foundation brick by brick at the county and district level, establishing political traction that later propelled himself, Abourezk, Daschle and Johnson into Congress. “In addition to farm and economy issues, pointing out the problems with one-party rule was a big part of McGovern’s (U.S. House) race in 1956,” Stavrianos told News Watch. "He told voters it was bad for South Dakota." By the time Ralph Herseth – Herseth Sandlin's grandfather – became the state’s first Democratic governor in a quarter-century in 1959, his party held a 20-15 advantage in the state Senate and was outnumbered just 43-32 in the House, a sign that the work had paid off. ## Aiming to field candidates in every election The advancement of South Dakota Democrats over the ensuing decades took on a national flavor, with strong representation in Washington but only sporadic influence in legislative or local races. In recent years, progressive causes have been pursued more through petition-led ballot initiatives than conventional Democratic Party campaigns. Lack of consistent leadership at the party's administrative level has added to the decline. “Somewhere along the way, I think the party apparatus became very dependent on the elected officials, and our success was tied to their success, rather than the other way around,” said Ahlers, who took over as executive director in 2023. The state party averages about 200 different donors a month, he said, but building a stronger network and improving the cash-on-hand total of roughly $78,000 will mean broadening the base of recurring donors. "Of course, we need to show them something in return," Ahlers said. ![Democratic U.S. House candidate Sheryl Johnson speaks with customers at Cahoy's Kitchen in Burke, S.D., ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/03/sheryl.3.JPG) Democratic U.S. House candidate Sheryl Johnson speaks with customers at Cahoy's Kitchen in Burke, S.D., during a campaign stop on Sept. 18, 2024\. She ran unsuccessfully against Republican Rep. Dusty Johnson. (Photo: Stu Whitney / South Dakota News Watch) He’s traveling the state to meet with Democratic county committee officials, helping them get organized with campaign finance reports, candidate recruitment and the role that committees play in building a party’s backbone. Getting more voters registered, and maybe pulling a few independents into the blue column, is always a priority, especially as the 2026 election approaches. Ahlers noted that Democratic voter registration increased by more than 2,000 in the final six months of 2024, another example of baby steps in the face of a large-scale mission, like filling candidate slots for legislative and statewide elections. “Ideally, I'd like to see a candidate in every district because Democrats need to have someone to vote for,” he said. “I think some of the apathy out there comes from not having anyone to vote for, and that can be true for independents too.” It’s a slow process, but staging competitive races can speed things up. Billie Sutton’s near-upset of Noem for governor in 2018 gave South Dakota Democrats hope that electoral breakthroughs are possible, with a bit of anger-fueled energy to lead the way. *Editors note: This story was updated at 9:30 a.m. Central time March 18, 2025, to clarify the percentage of the South Dakota Legislature that is comprised of Republicans.* [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *every few days to get stories as soon as they're published. *Contact Stu Whitney* at* [*stu.whitney@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:stu.whitney@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Populists seek staying power with Republican takeover URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-gop-republican-democrat-voter-registration/ Last updated: 2025-06-27T13:38:30.000Z The shifting landscape of South Dakota Republican politics went seismic on Feb. 22 in Pierre, when county leaders voted property rights advocate Jim Eschenbaum as the new chairperson of the state party’s central committee. No one sensed the moment’s gravity more than Eschenbaum, a retired farmer from Hand County whose work as a county commissioner steered him into a carbon pipeline debate that has shaped the party’s priorities and clouded its future path. Part 1 of a 2-part series. Tomorrow, read how the South Dakota Democratic Party hopes that disenchantment among independent voters and moderate Republicans can increase its influence. “A year ago, the chance of me being chair of the South Dakota GOP was zero, absolute zero,” said Eschenbaum, 62\. “Ever since then, I’ve been wondering, ‘What happened here? What changed in South Dakota politics when a Hand County farmer ends up as chair of the GOP when it has basically been run by establishment power players all these years?” ![Current South Dakota Republican Party chair Jim Eschenbaum listens to a speech about the carbon pipeline issue during a Sept. 18, 2024, meeting in Platte, S.D.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/03/sheryl.4-1.jpeg) Current South Dakota Republican Party chair Jim Eschenbaum listens to a speech about the carbon pipeline issue during a Sept. 18, 2024, meeting in Platte, S.D. (Photo: Submitted) That’s a pressing question in the hallways of the state Capitol in Pierre and corporate boardrooms in Sioux Falls and Rapid City. It has already influenced state laws and elections and could have ramifications for economic development and the role that party machinery plays in fundraising and candidate recruitment. “I don’t just care about landowners – I am a landowner,” Gov. Larry Rhoden said in signing House Bill 1052, which prohibits the use of eminent domain for pipelines that carry carbon dioxide, a major populist priority in addition to pausing a proposed $825 million men's prison in rural Lincoln County. ## ****Get South Dakota stories** Sign up for an email summary on most weekdays that links to the full story. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. Rhoden was lieutenant governor when then-Gov. Kristi Noem signed 2024 legislation viewed as pro-pipeline for ethanol production. After taking the top job when Noem left for Washington in February, he declared "failure is not an option" when it came to carrying out the prison plan. Rhoden has now called for a "reset" of the prison project after the final funding bill failed, while HB 1052 has forced pipeline company Summit Carbon Solutions to backtrack on its vision for South Dakota. [Trump’s tariffs: South Dakota farmers prepare for impactUncertainty surrounding American trade policies could rattle an already fragile agricultural outlook.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-91.jpg)South Dakota News WatchStu Whitney![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1484759288640-783b22c95d54)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/president-trump-agriculture-tarriffs-south-dakota/) The swiftness with which populist Republicans used these issues to spur a grassroots movement and seize control of legislative and party leadership has rattled pro-business moderates as positioning begins for 2026 statewide elections. With leaders such as Speaker of the House Jon Hansen and Aberdeen businessman Toby Doeden, whose Dakota First Action Political Action Committee helped sink establishment incumbents in 2024 legislative primaries, the changing tides have Rhoden and other formerly entrenched Republicans playing defense. “It’s not clear to me that there is a strong consensus movement on what the pro-business wing ought to be doing,” said Sioux Falls lawyer Dave Knudson, who served as a South Dakota Republican senator from 2003-11, including four years as majority leader. “I think there is a fair amount of disorganization and searching for some direction that isn't apparent at the moment.” ## State GOP committee faces money woes Part of the establishment strategy involves waiting to see if the populist movement becomes the dog that caught the car, losing steam and direction with many of its aims achieved and party institutions weakened. Eschenbaum took the reins of a state central committee that raised literally zero dollars in January and has about $57,000 in its account, roughly $20,000 less than the much-maligned South Dakota Democratic Party. ![Republican Speaker of the House Jon Hansen speaks at a rally against the proposed carbon pipeline project at the South Dakota State Capitol in Pierre](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/03/hansen.2.jpg) Republican Speaker of the House Jon Hansen speaks at a rally against the proposed carbon pipeline project at the South Dakota State Capitol in Pierre on Jan. 13, 2025\. (Photo: Submitted) The state GOP’s executive director, Reggie Rhoden, announced he is leaving that administrative role. It could be filled by volunteers or with more involvement from county officials, said Eschenbaum, who replaced former state Sen. John Wiik as party chair after months of discontent at the precinct levels. South Dakota’s congressional leaders in Washington are not reliant on state party financial support – U.S. Sen. John Thune has $16 million in his campaign coffers and is not up for re-election until 2028 – but are mindful of action in the political trenches. One of Thune’s aides met with Eschenbaum recently to get his thoughts on state politics, and U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson is watching closely as part of an expected run for governor in 2026\. Johnson has more than $5 million in his campaign war chest and is weighing a race that also could include Rhoden, Attorney General Marty Jackley and a populist contender, most likely Doeden or Hansen. “The proof is in the pudding,” Johnson told News Watch when asked about state party leadership changes. “Obviously, South Dakota is stronger when we've got a strong Republican Party. (Eschenbaum) and his team have some big challenges ahead of them. But I think we're going to know in the next three to six months if they’re in position to pull it together and start to make good things happen, or if they won't get that done.” ## Politics 'more combative' since Trump At first glance, Eschenbaum seems an unlikely choice to lead a movement fueled in part by the ascendance of President Donald Trump in the Republican Party. He comes from a large Catholic family that farmed south of Miller, 40 miles northwest of Huron, and was part of what used to be a strong coalition of rural Democrats in South Dakota. Eschenbaum voted for Barack Obama in 2008 because he thought electing the first Black president would help address racial tensions. He was ready to vote Republican in 2012, upset with runaway spending following the Great Recession but was unimpressed with GOP candidate Mitt Romney's campaign and supported Obama again. It was Trump’s resonance in rural America, combined with the leftward drift of the national Democratic Party, that thrust Eschenbaum into the Republican ranks. After being appointed in 2019 to fill a spot on the Hand County Commission, he ran successfully as a Republican to keep the job in 2020 and 2024. ![U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson speaks at a pinning ceremony for veterans at the Military Heritage Alliance in Sioux Falls, S.D.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/03/dusty.vet.2.jpg) U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson speaks at a pinning ceremony for veterans at the Military Heritage Alliance in Sioux Falls, S.D., on Sept. 16, 2024\. (Photo: Stu Whitney / South Dakota News Watch) After Trump's loss in 2020, Eschenbaum resisted the call from election skeptics to challenge voting results, defending the use of machine tabulators to count ballots amid cries of systemic fraud from groups such as South Dakota Canvassing. The issue of property rights held more sway with him, particularly when Summit Carbon Solutions applied in 2022 for a permit in South Dakota to build an $8.9 billion pipeline that would carry liquified carbon dioxide gas from more than 50 ethanol plants in Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota to be stored deep underground in North Dakota. [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/03/Donate-today-News-Watch--1--2.png)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?%5Fgl=1%2A1b0ep3i%2A%5Fga%2AMTM3NDcyODMyNS4xNzAyMTQ0MTg3%2A%5Fga%5FH98KVPR32J%2AMTcyNzIyNjUwOS40MzMuMS4xNzI3MjI3NzQ1LjAuMC4w&ref=sdnewswatch.org) In addition to voluntary easements, the process involved using eminent domain to get a court order to force landowners to allow access to the property in return for just compensation, often in conflict with county ordinances or setbacks. The fight against Summit, which was denied a permit by the Public Utilities Commission in 2023, found life in town halls, Facebook groups and precinct committee elections, the sort of roll-up-your-shirtsleeves political activism that caught some traditionalists off guard. “The Trumpian, populist style of politics had downstream effects, and so you have people in local politics who are aping that same style,” said Jon Schaff, a political science professor at Northern State University in Aberdeen. “That has altered the Republican Party in South Dakota to some extent, not just ideologically but stylistically. It’s become more combative, and the pipeline issue served as a galvanizing force.” ## Pipeline stance serves as litmus test When the 2023 state Legislature passed Senate Bill 201 and called it the “Landowner Bill of Rights,” boasting a series of property protections for pipeline negotiations, Eschenbaum wasn’t sold. He and other opponents said the legislation paved the way for PUC approval of the pipeline by usurping the regulatory authority of counties. "I feel like they just stuck a title on there to make it smell all rosy and pretty," he told News Watch at the time. "I don't think it's intended to be for the landowners in any way, shape or form.” He formed the South Dakota Property Rights and Local Control Alliance along with Rapid City legislator Tina Mulally, who is now treasurer of the South Dakota GOP. Fueled by volunteer energy and small-dollar donations, the group gathered enough signatures to place Referred Law 21 on the November ballot, giving voters a chance to either keep or kill Senate Bill 201. ![A sign protesting the potential use of eminent domain to access land for carbon pipelines appears July 20, 2024, in Lincoln County](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/03/pipeline.2.JPG) A sign protesting the potential use of eminent domain to access land for carbon pipelines appears July 20, 2024, in Lincoln County south of Sioux Falls, S.D. (Photo: Stu Whitney / South Dakota News Watch) The results spoke loudly: Nearly 60% voted to strike down the legislation, making "No on 21" the only successful citizen-generated measure in the 2024 election. That came after Doeden and others using pipeline votes as a litmus test for the 2024 Republican primaries. Those elections saw the removal of 14 sitting GOP legislators, laying the groundwork for populists to gain leadership roles in Pierre and more influence with the state central committee. Joel Rosenthal, who served six terms as GOP party chair before stepping down in 2003, said the advent of digital media and political action committees has changed how state parties operate down to the county and precinct level. “The Republican Party is the voters, the people who go and register and say, ‘I’m a Republican,’” said Rosenthal. “(The state party) is just the organizing committee. And our job, once a person wins a primary, is to get that person elected. We aren’t judgmental about what their views are. That’s up the voters. But now you’ve got more people going to the state convention, and interest groups can recruit these (precinct) candidates, and you’ve got a lot of activists pushing a platform. So there really isn’t much need for the party, but they’ve taken over the party apparatus.” ## Reform advocate: System skews results Joe Kirby, a Sioux Falls businessman and government reform advocate, resists the notion that property rights spawned a significant political movement in South Dakota. He sees the shift as a symptom of one-party rule, illustrated by the Republicans' 96-9 advantage over Democrats in the Legislature and the fact that no Democrat has won a statewide election in South Dakota since 2008. Kirby was a driving force behind Amendment H on the 2024 ballot, which would have established “top-two” primaries for governor, Congress and state legislative and county races, with all registered voters eligible to participate. The idea was that open primaries produce officeholders more reflective of the general electorate, rather than incentivizing candidates to take extreme positions to win a partisan primary. The measure was defeated, receiving just 34% of the vote. ![Joe Kirby of Sioux Falls, S.D., (second from left) and other South Dakota Open Primaries supporters pose at the South Dakota Capitol in Pierre, S.D.,](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/03/primary.open.jpg) Joe Kirby of Sioux Falls, S.D., (second from left) and other South Dakota Open Primaries supporters pose at the South Dakota Capitol in Pierre, S.D., on May 6, 2024, while turning in signatures for their amendment. (Photo: South Dakota Open Primaries) Currently in South Dakota, a voter registered with a political party can only vote in that party's primary. Those registered as independent or non-affiliated can participate in Democratic primaries but not Republican contests. There are 320,285 registered Republicans in South Dakota, according to the latest tally, compared to 145,654 Democrats and 159,970 listed as independent or no party affiliation. Turnout for 2024 primary elections was historically low, with 101,062 ballots cast out of 591,153 registered voters for a percentage of 17%. That was below the state's primary turnout in presidential cycles of 2020 (28%), 2016 (22%) and 2012 (21%). "We've got a system that's designed to work well within a competitive two-party system," said Kirby. "But it's not going to work when you've got a single party in control. What we're seeing is that our flawed election system allows single-issue and special interest groups to have an outsized influence on state politics." Eschenbaum said he has heard this "squeaky wheel" theory before. He regards it as an attempt to dismiss groundswell efforts as amateurish and not representative of the larger electorate. His message is simple: Dismiss the populist movement at your peril. "Politics are alive and well in South Dakota right now," said Eschenbaum. "People are not satisfied with just casting a vote and assuming that everything's going to be OK. That doesn't work anymore. You've got people that run for office that have every intention of listening to the voice of South Dakotans, and you've got people that run for office with the intention of doing business. That second group is going to have an awful hard time getting reelected." [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *every few days to get stories as soon as they're published. *Contact Stu Whitney* at* [*stu.whitney@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:stu.whitney@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### USD conference to focus on election integrity URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/university-south-dakota-chiesman-center-democracy-conference/ Last updated: 2025-06-27T13:38:30.000Z VERMILLION, S.D. – A free one-day conference at the University of South Dakota will delve into confidence in voting and political polarization and its impact on election workers. It will also include details on a plan to start teaching civics to all public university students in the state. The [Chiesman Center for Democracy Conference](https://sites.google.com/usd.edu/chiesman/chiesman-center-for-democracy-conference?authuser=0&ref=sdnewswatch.org) will be held 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Central time on Thursday, March 27, in USD's Al Neuharth Center. ## ****Get South Dakota stories** Sign up for an email summary on most weekdays that links to the full story. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. "It’s a chance to bring academics, students, politicians and community members together to talk about democracy, which is so important," said Julia Hellwege, director of the [Chiesman Center](https://www.usd.edu/Academics/Colleges-and-Schools/college-of-arts-sciences/Chiesman-Center-for-Democracy?ref=sdnewswatch.org). "Democracy only happens when people are involved." This is her first year organizing the conference, which is in its fourth year of trying to improve democratic governance and civic education in South Dakota. "The reality is politics is happening to you regardless, so you should be involved," she said. "It’s really hard to be heard if you’re not speaking." [Political friction adds stress to SD election processDespite recent controversies with voter rolls, News Watch poll shows South Dakotans have confidence in accuracy of local elections.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-90.jpg)South Dakota News WatchStu Whitney![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/primary.5.JPG)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-election-poll-confidence-voting/) The keynote speaker will be [Lisa Bryant, professor and chair](https://socialsciences.fresnostate.edu/polisci/fac-staff/full-time/bryant.html?ref=sdnewswatch.org) of political science at California State University, Fresno and an Andrew Carnegie fellow. She'll discuss how political polarization is affecting the workload, safety and attitudes about the profession of state and local election officials, how it's impacting trust and confidence among voters and how election officials could help rebuild that trust. The session topics, which run 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.: - Report on the state of democracy in South Dakota - Chiesman-supported faculty research - Question hour with South Dakota legislators - Lisa Bryant's presentation, "Skepticism, Trust and Confidence in Elections" - Civics and democracy through different lenses, which includes presentations from a student, a member of a civic organization, a journalist and a member of the South Dakota Board of Regents, who will discuss [a new civics proficiency graduation requirement](https://sdbor.edu/news/new-civic-graduation-requirement-12-12-24/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) The conference is free, but [registration is required](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSclbkQExYi%5Fbt7Q7mFxGCYX2GiN6QCeXWphztwbM3z7YLC5ig/viewform?ref=sdnewswatch.org). More information on elections and democracy are available on the [Dakota Dialogs podcast series](https://www.sdpb.org/podcast/dakotadialogues?ref=sdnewswatch.org) produced by Chiesman and SDPB. [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/05/donate-3.jpg)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate?ref=sdnewswatch.org) [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact:** [*info@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:info@sdnewswatch.org). ### Does the state of South Dakota penalize women for taking an abortion pill? URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-abortion-pill-penalty-women-fact-brief/ Last updated: 2025-03-20T12:03:32.000Z ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/WhiteFACT-BRIEF--500-x-200-px--2-1-1.png) ## No. While abortion is illegal in South Dakota, the state penalizes those who provide medical and surgical abortions rather than those who receive them. The abortion pill is two medications, mifepristone and misoprostol, and is generally taken no later than 12 weeks into a pregnancy. It’s a Class 6 felony in South Dakota for anyone to prescribe abortion pills or administer an abortion, except to save the life of the mother. Offenders can receive a $4,000 fine and/or two years in prison. However, state law says that a woman who obtains an unlawful abortion will not be criminally charged. South Dakota’s abortion ban went into effect in June 2022 after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. In a 2024 ballot measure to restore abortion rights, 59% of South Dakota voters declined to enshrine the right to an abortion in the South Dakota Constitution. **This fact brief responds to conversations such as* [**this one*](https://x.com/mathryn%5Fm/status/1850962036152549808?ref=sdnewswatch.org)**.* ### Sources South Dakota Codified Law, [22-17-5.2](https://sdlegislature.gov/Statutes/22-17-5.2?ref=sdnewswatch.org) South Dakota Codified Law, [22-6-1](https://sdlegislature.gov/Statutes/22-6-1?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Medical News Today, [What does the abortion pill do?](https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/what-does-the-abortion-pill-do?ref=sdnewswatch.org#summary) South Dakota Codified Law, [22-17-5.1](https://sdlegislature.gov/Statutes/22-17-5.1?ref=sdnewswatch.org) South Dakota Public Broadcasting, [With Roe v Wade decision and trigger law, most abortions now illegal in South Dakota ](https://www.sdpb.org/politics/2022-06-24/with-roe-v-wade-decision-and-trigger-law-most-abortions-now-illegal-in-south-dakota?ref=sdnewswatch.org) South Dakota News Watch, [2024 South Dakota election results](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/2024-south-dakota-election-results/) --- [**South Dakota News Watch**](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/) partners with [**Gigafact**](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) to publish fact briefs that refute or confirm a claim with supporting information and additional evidence and context. [**Get our email with fact briefs and stories**](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/). [](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/tag/fact-brief/)[**Read previous fact briefs**](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/tag/fact-brief/) and our verification standards and other [**best practices policies**](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/best-practices/). **Have a question we can answer?** Submit it at the [**South Dakota News Watch Tipline**](https://gigafact.org/tipline/south-dakota-news-watch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). Send questions or feedback to [**factbrief@sdnewswatch.org**](mailto:factbrief@sdnewswatch.org). [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/05/donate-3.jpg)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate?ref=sdnewswatch.org) [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact Megan Luther* at* [*megan.luther@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:megan.luther@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Free training for reporting on U.S. courts in South Dakota URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/journalism-training-reporting-federal-courts-south-dakota/ Last updated: 2025-03-19T10:55:46.000Z South Dakota journalists, students and anyone interested in learning more about the justice system are invited to free training on March 28 that will be held online and in person at Sioux Falls and Rapid City. Chief U.S. District Judge Roberto Lange and Senior U.S. District Judge Karen Schreier will lead the session designed to help journalists cover all aspects of federal courts. High school and college students studying journalism, government, political science and law also would benefit from it. Matthew Thelen and Summer Wakefield from South Dakota’s U.S. District Clerk of Courts office will explain how to access court documents and track hearings. Maureen Watz Gornik from the Eighth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals will take part remotely and walk through the appeals process. Attendees will also get access to the South Dakota Crime Reporting Guide, a resource for covering state and federal courts in South Dakota. The session will be held 9-11 a.m. Central time Friday, March 28, online at [sd.net](https://www.sd.net/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) and in person at the SDPB studios at Sioux Falls (601 N. Phillips Ave.) and Rapid City (415 Main St.). Please RSVP at [https://sdpb.ticketbud.com/sioux-falls-us-courts-training-for-journalists](https://sdpb.ticketbud.com/sioux-falls-us-courts-training-for-journalists?ref=sdnewswatch.org). Registration for the in-person sessions begins at 8 a.m. with coffee and pastries. The session will be archived at [https://sdpb.org/youtube](https://sdpb.org/youtube?ref=sdnewswatch.org). South Dakota Public Broadcasting, the South Dakota Bar Foundation and South Dakota News Watch are sponsoring the training. ### Trump's tariffs: South Dakota farmers prepare for impact URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/president-trump-agriculture-tarriffs-south-dakota/ Last updated: 2025-06-27T13:38:31.000Z During his March 4 address to a joint session of Congress at the U.S. Capitol, President Donald Trump defended his use of tariffs as a core economic and political strategy, adding a message to the agricultural community. "Our farmers are going to have a field day right now," Trump said during the speech. "So to our farmers, have a lot of fun. I love you too." In South Dakota, a state whose reliance on agricultural trade makes it more susceptible to the risks of tariffs and trade wars, the president's words were viewed as hopeful but not entirely reassuring. Farmers have sturdy memories. They recall the volatility of commodity prices and exports during Trump’s first White House stint, when much of the state's soybean flow to China was halted due to tariff retaliation and has struggled to recover. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/03/LocalFarmer.webp) South Dakota is 12th in the United States for agricultural exports. (Photo: Argus Leader) "(Tariffs) will hurt our pocketbooks, obviously," said Rodney Koch, who grows soybeans and other crops north of Garretson, about 20 miles northeast of Sioux Falls. "But will we come out of it better in the long run? That's the hope." U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds echoed that sentiment in a statement to News Watch, saying that "there needs to be an end game, and I believe the president is working with that same goal in mind." So far, the only certainty is uncertainty. On March 4, Trump slapped 25% tariffs on almost all imports from Canada and Mexico and an additional 10% on imports from China, rattling stock markets and triggering retaliatory actions from the countries involved. Two days later, the president announced that he was postponing 25% tariffs on many imports from Mexico and some imports from Canada for a month amid widespread fears of the economic fallout. Corn, wheat and soybean prices dropped in the days following the trade shakeup, and farmers weighed the impact of more expensive machinery and fertilizer coming down from Canada. "One thing the market doesn't like is uncertainty because uncertainty means risk," said Jared McEntaffer, CEO of the Dakota Institute, an economic research and analysis organization in Sioux Falls. "If farmers are concerned that they're going to see lower commodity prices in the future, then naturally, they're going to start pulling back on their spending. And it becomes a ripple effect." ## ****Get South Dakota stories** Sign up for an email summary on most weekdays that links to the full story. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. News Watch talked to farmers, business leaders, economists and politicians to try to clear up some misconceptions about tariffs and examine how South Dakota's farm economy could be impacted in the coming months and years. Each question and answer below is covered in its own section that can be expanded to show the details by clicking on the title or the down arrow. #### What are tariffs exactly? Tariffs are a tax on imports, in which the buyer pays a foreign seller an established tax rate based on what is being sold. Percentages are generally lower for countries with which the United States has a favorable trade agreement. The money is collected by Customs and Border Protection agents at 328 ports of entry across the country. Because companies are paying more for the goods, that extra cost frequently gets passed on to consumers in the form of higher prices. "There's a narrative out there that we're going to be imposing these taxes on Canada and Mexico," said McEntaffer. "That's not the case. The tax will be paid by American companies and consumers." Before the federal income tax was established in 1913, tariffs were a major revenue source for the United States. That changed as global trade grew after World War II and the government needed larger revenue streams to support its operations. In the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30, the government collected about $80 billion in tariffs and fees. That pales in comparison to the $2.5 trillion from individual income taxes and the $1.7 trillion from Social Security and Medicare taxes. #### ****How do tariff policies impact South Dakota?** Farming helps drive the state economy, with agricultural production and processing accounting for about 14% of South Dakota’s gross domestic product (the total value of all goods and services produced). The wholesaling of corn, wheat and soybeans brought in $10 billion in overall revenue in 2024, second among South Dakota industries to credit card issuing ($18 billion). Though many of these farm goods are sold domestically, a large percentage (including 60% of soybeans) are sold to international buyers. South Dakota is the country’s 12th largest agricultural exporting state, shipping $5.4 billion in farm goods abroad in 2022, led by soybeans, corn, feed grains, beef, veal and wheat. The largest international markets for these exports are, in order, Canada, Mexico and China, which are the three countries that Trump’s administration has placed tariffs upon. #### ****Don’t tariffs impact U.S. imports, not exports?** The thing about tariffs is that there is almost always retaliation, as we’ve seen with Canada, Mexico and China. That’s what is meant by trade wars. In 2018, when Trump imposed a 25% tariff on goods from China, the Chinese government responded in kind. That greatly reduced the exporting of soybeans into China as that country looked to Brazil to fill the void. As of November, China accounted for 44% of total U.S. soybean sales, down from 62% in 2016\. From 2019-2023, an average of 73% of Brazil’s exported soybeans went to China. Following Trump's 2025 tariff announcement, Beijing retaliated with levies of up to 15% on various U.S. agricultural exports, including soybeans, wheat, meat and cotton. Mexico's response will be watched closely, since that country is the top destination for United States corn exports. "They're our No. 1 customer, and we value our customers," said DaNita Murray, executive director of South Dakota Corn, which represents the interests of corn producers across the state. "There's a balance between wanting to negotiate strong trade agreements and asking those countries to come to the table to negotiate in good faith while they're being slapped with tariffs." #### ****What is President Trump's reasoning for the tariffs?** The economic reasoning revolves around boosting revenue and addressing trade deficits as well as trying to incentivize American companies such as automakers to shift manufacturing back to the United States. But Trump has also talked of using tariffs as a bargaining tool to strengthen border security. During his March 4 address, he said that Mexico and Canada have "allowed fentanyl to come into our country at levels never seen before, killing hundreds of thousands of our citizens.” The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that there were 87,000 fentanyl-related U.S. deaths between October 2023 and September 2024, down from 114,000 the previous year. Critics have questioned equating the northern border with the southern border on the subject of drug smuggling. U.S. customs agents seized 43 pounds of fentanyl at the Canadian border during the last fiscal year, compared to 21,100 pounds at the Mexican border. "We understand that the president is using (tariffs) as a negotiating lever to stop the flow of fentanyl into the country," said Scott VanderWal, president of the South Dakota Farm Bureau. "Usually he gets what he wants by doing things like that." But VanderWal, a third-generation family farmer from Volga, just west of Brookings, is also concerned about the fragile state of South Dakota's farm economy so soon after the COVID-19 pandemic, droughts and flooding as well as uncertainty about a new farm bill and federal spending cuts. Nationally, net farm income decreased 4% in 2024, following a 19% drop the year before. VanderWal met with South Dakota Republican and U.S. Senate Majority Leader John Thune on March 4 in Washington to urge caution on trade policies as Trump acknowledged in his speech to Congress that there could be a "little disturbance" in the markets before the strategy bears fruit. "What we hear from our members is that they can handle some temporary pain as long as there's some benefit on the other end," VanderWal said. "But we've been careful to help the administration understand that with the current ag economy, we would prefer that the president uses the tariffs sparingly." #### ****What are South Dakota politicians saying?** Tariffs present a political quandary for South Dakota’s congressional delegation, which is caught between Trump’s enduring popularity (he carried the state with 63% of the vote in 2024) and the economic needs of their ag-based constituents. So far, Thune, Rounds and U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson have publicly backed Trump's aggressive trade strategy while also calling for reasonable time limits and parameters. "Unlike former President Biden, who didn’t negotiate any new trade agreements which led to lower commodity prices, President Trump is a businessman and uses tariffs as leverage in negotiating important issues such as border protection," Rounds told News Watch. "He’s pretty clearly expressed his desire for us to be patient as he works through those issues. Naturally, those of us that have always promoted free trade continue to look for progress." Johnson told News Watch in February that fair trading relationships and stopping the flow of fentanyl across the border are important priorities and "it seems to me that the president has been very clear that these are areas where he wants to have leverage in conversations with these countries.” Kristi Noem, former South Dakota governor and U.S. representative who's now secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, has ardently supported the trade measures as a means of securing the border. Thune told CNN that Trump's actions are "an attempt to use (tariffs) in a targeted way to achieve and accomplish something that I think a lot of the Americans expect him to address.” Those statements illustrate a much different political climate than South Dakota Republican leaders operated under in 2018, when Trump levied tariffs against China during his first term in office. At that time, Thune, Rounds and Noem sent a public letter to the president expressing “serious concern” over the tariffs and other trade policies that they said could push “an alarming number” of South Dakota farmers and ranchers “to the brink of economic collapse.” “Please keep in mind that U.S. export market share is diminishing daily at an alarming rate, and history has proven that once lost, export markets can take years, even decades to recapture,” read the July 2018 letter. #### How will tariffs impact current trade agreements? One of the concerns is that igniting a tariff battle will reverse recent gains in the trade relationship with Mexico under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), which was signed during Trump’s first term. Mexico repealed its ban on importing genetically modified (biotech) corn from the U.S. in February after a favorable ruling in an arbitration case brought by American trade representatives. “We had some ups and downs with the previous Mexican administration, but things seem to be headed in the right direction," said Murray of South Dakota Corn, which monitors policy for a state ranked sixth in overall corn exports. "I know that the current administration (in Mexico) is interested in looking at USMCA and possibly making some improvements, and it could be a tough conversation with tariffs in the picture." On March 6, Trump announced that imports from Mexico that comply with USMCA would be excluded from the 25% tariffs for a month. He also stated that potash (fertilizer) that U.S. farmers import from Canada would be tariffed at 10%, the same rate at which Trump wants to tariff Canadian energy products. As for changing the dynamic and exploring global markets for corn exports, Murray noted India as a possibility and also various countries in Africa. “You have mature corn markets like Mexico and Japan,” she said. “And then you have new emerging possibilities, like India and, frankly, the continent of Africa. What are their protein needs? And can U.S. corn compete on a quality basis, as well as price, to make sure that it's U.S. corn that's feeding those chickens and pigs.” #### Will there be a farm bailout coming this time? The “temporary pain” of U.S. farmers during the first go-round of Trump tariffs in 2018-19 was addressed by authorizing payments to U.S. farmers of $28 billion to offset their losses from Chinese trade retaliation. That was more than the $21.8 billion that the Department of Defense spent in fiscal year 2019 for “nuclear delivery systems and weapons,” including ballistic missile submarines, intercontinental ballistic missiles and bombers, according to Forbes. “Taxpayers are going to be asked to initial checks to farmers in lieu of having a trade policy that actually opens and expands more markets," Thune said at the time. "There isn’t anything about this that anybody should like." Given the state of the federal deficit and the administration's focus on cutting government spending, it seems unlikely that a similar round of farm bailouts will be offered this time around. That could make the sting felt by farmers more long-lasting if trade wars linger and tariffs become the norm, said Doug Sombke, president of the South Dakota Farmers Union. “We haven't gained markets back from the last time, and we probably never will," said Sombke, a fourth-generation Brown County farmer. "The only reason we made it through last time was that we got substantial payments from the government, which contributed to the current budget deficit." Tariffs on Canada could make it more expensive to buy farm machinery and other equipment, Sombke said, worsening an already difficult cycle of farmers struggling to make ends meet without government support. In 2023, South Dakota received $1.23 billion in farm subsidies, which ranked fourth behind Texas, Kansas and North Dakota. “If you ask any CPA (certified public accountant) who is doing taxes for farmers, they'll tell you the same thing – farmers are making it on the payments," Sombke said. "If it wasn't for the subsidies and tax breaks and other payments they receive, they wouldn't make anything. That’s how tight things are right now." [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/05/donate-3.jpg)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate?ref=sdnewswatch.org) [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *The Associated Press contributed to this story, which was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *every few days to get stories as soon as they're published. *Contact Stu Whitney* at* [*stu.whitney@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:stu.whitney@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### South Dakota schools hit hard by infectious diseases URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-schools-flu-influenza-pneumonia-cases/ Last updated: 2025-06-27T13:38:31.000Z In what is likely to be a record year for influenza cases and hospitalizations in South Dakota, schools have been hit particularly hard by illnesses this winter. When several students fell ill and then a few teachers also became sick in late January, Menno schools superintendent Kory Foss made the decision to shut down the district for a day. During one peak period for flu cases statewide, Foss thought closing schools on a Friday would give the sick students and staff a long weekend to recover. “We cleared out the buildings to give everybody a chance to go home and get healthy,” said Foss, whose district of 45 employees and about 260 students is located in Hutchinson County, about 30 miles north of Yankton. “Our whole area around that time, there were a number of schools that were hit hard.” ## Tough year for respiratory illnesses Data from the state Department of Health confirm that the winter of 2024-25 has seen a higher-than-usual number of infectious diseases cases around the state. At the two-third mark of the annual nine-month flu season, South Dakota in 2024-25 has seen 19,600 cases, 1,079 hospitalizations and 28 deaths from influenza. The state is on pace to set a record for cases and is already at a historic high in hospitalizations from influenza. South Dakota state epidemiologist Joshua Clayton told News Watch that the state has seen a somewhat unusual mix of illnesses this year, including COVID-19, influenza, norovirus, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and pertussis, or whooping cough. "I won't say that it's kind of a perfect storm, but I just know there is a lot of respiratory disease happening in South Dakota right now," he said. Schools are often an ideal breeding ground for contagious diseases because hundreds of adults and children congregate together for long periods of time, especially when cold weather prevents them from going outside. The cold snaps in January and February were also marked by extremely dry air, which allows viruses to remain in the air longer and possibly spread more easily, Clayton said. ## ****Get South Dakota stories** Sign up for an email summary on most weekdays that links to the full story. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. As of Feb. 11, the state had tallied 2,450 cases of COVID and 56 cases of pertussis, which is more dangerous in children. The state does not report numbers of cases of RSV or norovirus on the DOH website. The measles virus has caused infections in nine states this year, led by Texas where one child has died. South Dakota has not had a measles case in 2025, Clayton said. "It appears COVID cases peaked in early January, but I can't say that we've peaked yet for influenza because we're at a very high level right now," he said. "And then on top of that you have pertussis and a lot of other respiratory viral infections." ## Vaccination rates fall in South Dakota The state population might be less prepared to fight viruses than in the past as flu vaccinations have fallen in recent years. In the flu season of 2021-22, about 283,000 doses of influenza vaccine were administered compared to 233,000 this season, an 18% decline during a time the state population rose by 3.2%. ![Students at East Middle School in Rapid City, S.D., have lunch in September 2022.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/03/east-middle-lunch-room.jpg) Students at East Middle School in Rapid City, S.D., have lunch in September 2022\. Schools can form the perfect setting for viruses and other pathogens to spread. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) Vaccination rates are typically highest among older residents and lowest among those ages 6 months to 4 years, an age range where vaccine rates have slowed the most in the past few years. The high rates of infectious diseases in South Dakota come at the same time as the appointment of U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr., who has expressed anti-vaccination views in the past. Clayton said the good news for South Dakotans is that the same tactics they can use to battle the flu also work to combat other infectious diseases. Clayton recommended that people obtain available vaccinations, stay home if they are ill, cough or sneeze into an elbow or shirt sleeve, wash hands frequently and keep hands away from the nose and mouth. "The one positive piece here is that a lot of the same actions can help prevent illness for a lot of those different pathogens," he said. ## Basketball game canceled due to illnesses Lance Witte, superintendent of the Lower Brule schools, said the district on the Lower Brule Indian Reservation in central South Dakota had so many student illnesses that a scheduled basketball game had to be canceled. “On one of our teams, we had too many kids that were out sick, and our numbers weren’t going to be enough to play the game,” he said. ![This flyer from the South Dakota Department of Health hung in the offices of Black Hills Pediatrics in Rapid City, S.D., in September 2019. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/03/immunization-poster.jpg) This flyer from the South Dakota Department of Health hung in the offices of Black Hills Pediatrics in Rapid City, S.D., in September 2019\. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) While Lower Brule schools have seen a variety of infectious disease cases this year, the primary cause of sickness has been the influenza A virus, Witte said. So far, none of the cases has been severe, he said. “It’s kind of like cold symptoms, so the kids stay home or go to the clinic for treatment,” he said. The district did extra cleaning during the high point of flu season and has since seen student illnesses subside since the winter cold snap in mid-February eased, Witte said. ## Uptick in flu cases 'caught our attention' The Chamberlain School District saw an uptick in student absences due to illness in January but has seen sicknesses taper off since then, said superintendent Justin Zajic. The district saw several cases of influenza and the typical winter colds but had not reported a case of COVID-19 or whooping cough as of late February, he said. “It caught our attention,” Zajic said. “But there’s a lot of little things we can do to stay ahead of it.” [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/03/Donate-today-News-Watch--1-.png)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?%5Fgl=1%2A1b0ep3i%2A%5Fga%2AMTM3NDcyODMyNS4xNzAyMTQ0MTg3%2A%5Fga%5FH98KVPR32J%2AMTcyNzIyNjUwOS40MzMuMS4xNzI3MjI3NzQ1LjAuMC4w&ref=sdnewswatch.org) That includes more frequent cleaning and disinfecting of surfaces in classrooms, gymnasiums and in activity rooms where students congregate, he said. The district can also adjust the air intake on its heating system to introduce more outside air into classrooms to keep the air fresh and clean, he said. Zajic said that many teachers and other staff members have children of their own, so when the flu or other diseases hit, it can force some employees to stay home to care for their own children. When a child is out sick for a short or extended time frame, the district has systems in place to ensure learning continues. Nearly every middle or high school student in the district has a laptop they can use to review lessons at home. Students can also be tutored in study halls or after school so they don’t fall behind, he said. Elementary children who miss class time meet with a specialist to determine if they fell behind and determine how they can quickly catch up, he said. "We don’t ever want to leave a child behind, and we’re willing to put in the extra work to help them," Zajic said. [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact* *Bart Pfankuch* at* [*bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Does South Dakota track whether its nest predator bounty program improves pheasant numbers? URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/fact-brief-south-dakota-nest-predator-bounty-program-pheasant/ Last updated: 2025-03-13T10:17:10.000Z ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/WhiteFACT-BRIEF--500-x-200-px--2-1-1.png) ## No. State officials acknowledge there’s no data evidence showing the bounty program is increasing the pheasant population. Implemented in 2019, the nest predator bounty program’s goal is to protect pheasant and duck nests by paying residents for killing predators such as raccoons and red foxes. Participants receive $10 for every tail they turn in. The program has cost the state $4.4 million to date. A three-year study started in 2007 showed increased nest success in both areas where predators were trapped and left alone. Mixed results suggest pheasant habitat plays a more important role than predator removal. The state previously conducted surveys of hatched pheasants and hens to gauge the population but ended the count in 2019 out of concern that low numbers deterred hunters from visiting South Dakota. In February, House Majority Leader Scott Odenbach, R-Spearfish, introduced a bill to terminate the program. It failed to pass. **This fact brief responds to conversations such as* [**this one*](https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=1036106871876700&set=a.319919470162114)**.* ### Sources South Dakota News Watch, [South Dakota predator bounty program to continue despite opposition ](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-nest-predator-bounty-program-raccoons-pheasants/) SD House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee, [HB 1262 Testimony](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1BWa5CLmPHE0Xoajkxbv8%5F3K8QwPUFM5a/view?usp=sharing&ref=sdnewswatch.org) South Dakota Searchlight, [State lacks data to prove trapping program increases the pheasant population, official says](https://southdakotasearchlight.com/2024/01/16/state-lacks-data-to-prove-trapping-program-increases-the-pheasant-population-official-says/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Ring-necked pheasant thriving in South Dakota, 2012, [pg 165](https://drive.google.com/file/d/17hs9tYlV3uIqIbG4wJYwZ3%5FJwIsqqi82/view?usp=sharing&ref=sdnewswatch.org), [pg 166](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1teom%5FFOPmelg-ykJ3zyatr-w99NAvZKh/view?usp=sharing&ref=sdnewswatch.org) South Dakota Game Fish & Parks, [Pheasant hunting and marketing workgroup and plan](https://gfp.sd.gov/userdocs/docs/ExecutiveSummary%5FPheasantHuntingMarketingWorkgroup.pdf?ref=sdnewswatch.org) South Dakota Legislature, [House Bill 1262](https://sdlegislature.gov/Session/Bill/26187?fbclid=IwY2xjawIZvV9leHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHZ2x6LBQItbiRk3YF%5Flfb33gAhEfdiXOI8sw3PDf4AO7xWgOFOZhw0wnPA%5Faem%5FAlRuP2DwlrdZWupkluBRCQ&ref=sdnewswatch.org) --- [**South Dakota News Watch**](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/) partners with [**Gigafact**](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) to publish fact briefs that refute or confirm a claim with supporting information and additional evidence and context. [**Read previous fact briefs**](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/tag/fact-brief/) and our verification standards and other [**best practices policies**](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/best-practices/). **Have a question we can answer?** Submit it at the [**South Dakota News Watch Tipline**](https://gigafact.org/tipline/south-dakota-news-watch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). Send questions or feedback to [**factbrief@sdnewswatch.org**](mailto:factbrief@sdnewswatch.org). [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact Megan Luther* at* [*megan.luther@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:megan.luther@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Former marshal: Shots fired in reservation raid 'consistent with training' URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/zander-zephier-death-certificate-yankton-sioux-tribe-shooting/ Last updated: 2025-06-27T13:38:31.000Z The death certificate of a man killed in a U.S. Marshals Service raid on his family's house on the Yankton Sioux Reservation last year sheds light on the fatal injuries he suffered, while leaving other questions unanswered. Zander Zephier, 23, died primarily of a "gunshot wound to the head" with a pistol on Nov. 27 when law enforcement entered the basement to extract him as a fugitive on federal and state warrants. Zephier also suffered gunshot wounds to the back, chest and arm, according to the death certificate issued by Charles Mix County Coroner Chad Peters and obtained by News Watch. A retired chief inspector with the U.S. Marshals Service reviewed the document for News Watch and said that the wounds "are consistent with training" for when lethal force is required. "When using lethal force we are trained 'two to the chest, one to the head,'" said Jason Wojdylo, who worked for the Marshals Service for nearly 25 years and now lives in Tampa, Florida. "In a live situation, shooting at a moving target is often difficult, so the arm or the back isn't unusual, though I wonder if the back is an exit wound." Peters, the coroner, said that his findings didn't specify whether the back wound was a direct hit or an exit wound, leaving open the possibility that Zephier had his back turned when one of the bullets struck. "Those are the type of details that go in the actual autopsy," said Peters, who is based in Wagner. "That type of detail isn't necessary to complete the death certificate." [Family seeks justice after man killed in raidZander Zephier was shot after law enforcement used pepper spray and entered the basement of his family’s home on the Yankton Sioux Reservation.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-88.jpg)South Dakota News WatchStu Whitney![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/2024-12-11-Zane-at-vigil.JPG)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/zander-zephier-family-officer-involved-shooting-wagner-south-dakota/) Peters listed the manner of death as homicide, which he said is standard in these circumstances. In using the phrase "legal intervention by U.S. Marshal with a pistol" under cause of death, he said the word "legal" refers to "law enforcement" and should not be construed as "justified." "That's not my role in the investigation," he said. ## 90-year-old great-grandmother was in house The Zephier family still has many questions about the raid, including the use of pepper spray by law enforcement and the decision to enter the house without more attempts at negotiation, possibly involving tribal police. They want to see body cam footage from inside the house to see if Zephier was armed or threatening the officers at the time he was shot. An FBI agent left behind a list of items seized from the home, including a knife, 9 mm shell casings, a bullet, spent gas grenades and clothing. "Tactically, it gives the impression of deputy marshals operating in the wild, wild West," Wojdylo told News Watch of the operation when first contacted in December. "If the fugitive is holed up in the house, our procedures were always to back out, set up a perimeter and contain the fugitive in the residence, not just lob munitions into the house." Deputy marshals attempted to force Zephier out by lobbing gas grenades into the basement while he was brushing his teeth, which can be heard on a livestreamed video he made of himself that morning. It's not clear from the video feed or security footage outside the house why marshals raided the house about 40 minutes after they arrived, with Zephier's wheelchair-bound, 90-year-old great-grandmother still in the residence. Based on text messages from neighbors and interviews with family members, the law enforcement team arrived at the residence at 8:37 a.m. the day before Thanksgiving and began using pepper gas at 9:11 a.m. ![Zane Zephier, of Harrisburg, S.D., poses Dec. 11, 2024, with portraits of his late brother, Zander](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/02/12-11-2024-Zane-Zephier-portrait.jpg) Zane Zephier, of Harrisburg, S.D., poses Dec. 11, 2024, with portraits of his late brother, Zander, in the tribal housing community just north of Wagner, S.D. (Photo: Stu Whitney / South Dakota News Watch) Shots were fired five minutes later, after at least one deputy marshal entered the basement. At 9:46 a.m., Zephier was pronounced dead at Community Memorial Hospital in Wagner. The U.S. Attorney's Office in Rapid City issued a "no comment" to News Watch inquiries about the timing of the operation and what circumstances led to Zephier being shot and killed, citing an ongoing investigation. News Watch filed a Freedom of Information Act request to the Marshals Service through the Department of Justice to obtain body cam footage from the operation. That request is still pending. ![Zane Zephier of Harrisburg, S.D., speaks about his late brother, Zander, during a candlelight vigil held Dec. 11, 2024](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/02/2024-12-11-Zane-at-vigil.JPG) Zane Zephier of Harrisburg, S.D., speaks about his late brother, Zander, during a candlelight vigil held Dec. 11, 2024, in the tribal community just north of Wagner, S.D. (Photo: Stu Whitney / South Dakota News Watch) Zane Zephier, a University of South Dakota employee and Zander's older brother, said his family is frustrated by the lack of information provided by federal authorities in the aftermath of Zander's death. The family is considering a civil lawsuit against the DOJ and U.S. Marshals Service and has retained the counsel of Nicole Griese of Griese Law Firm in Sioux Falls. [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/05/donate-3.jpg)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate?ref=sdnewswatch.org) "While we cannot comment on specific next steps of the case, we remain steadfast in the pursuit of justice for Zander and his family," Griese told News Watch in a statement. "No family should have to fight this hard for basic answers about what happened to their loved one. We will not stop until the truth is brought to light and there is justice for Zander." ## Yankton Sioux Tribe lends support to family The Zephier family does not dispute Zander's lengthy criminal record and fugitive status. At the time of his death, he was considered an escaped inmate from Charles Mix County Jail in Lake Andes because he was granted furlough in July to attend a family funeral and never returned. Zander was also on the federal sex offender registry after pleading guilty in 2023 to abusive sexual contact with a minor, for which he was sentenced to 21 months in prison. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/02/IMG_9962.jpg) Yankton Sioux Tribe chairman Robert Flying Hawk sent a letter to the family on Jan. 31, 2025, pledging tribal support in seeking accountability from law enforcement (Photo: Submitted) Despite his checkered past, family members are calling for an independent investigation into the 23-year-old's death. They said they don’t trust law enforcement to conduct an impartial inquiry, especially when it comes to operations on tribal land. Yankton Sioux Tribe chairman Robert Flying Hawk sent a letter to the family on Jan. 31 pledging tribal support in seeking accountability from law enforcement and questioning why more cooperation from tribal authorities didn't take place. ## ****Get South Dakota stories** Sign up for an email summary on most weekdays that links to the full story. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. "In addition to looking into what the U.S. Marshals Service did, we have requested with haste information as to why and how Marshals assume such authority on our lands," the letter read. "We are also looking into what can be done to hold those involved responsible and protect our Oyate (people) from such violence at the hands of (law enforcement agencies)." ## Raid caught on livestream, security video The U.S. Marshals Service, an enforcement arm of the federal judiciary, is primarily responsible for locating and arresting federal suspects and carrying out fugitive operations. The sound of canisters crashing into the basement through windows is heard on a livestreamed video that Zephier made of himself that morning in the tribal housing community just north of Wagner. Much of the law enforcement activity and conversation outside the house was also captured on motion-activated security footage that was obtained and analyzed by News Watch, shaping a basic timeline of events. In the livestreamed video, Zephier brushes his teeth as officers outside call for him to give himself up. The sound of breaking glass is heard, after which Zephier says "Oh s—!" and eventually begins coughing and holding a rag to his nose and mouth. "Come out with your hands up, Zander!" an officer calls out in the video. "We have all day. I have 10 more of these (gas grenades)." ## Autopsy results not released Minutes later, at least one deputy marshal enters the front door with a protective shield, gas mask and firearm. The remaining officers complain about how long it's taking the family to get Zephier's great-grandmother, Conceta, out of the house. Then one of the deputy marshals in the driveway says, "Shots fired!" to a fellow officer. The other officer replies, "Good guys or bad guys?" "We've got to get him out of there," an officer says later. Video footage shows Zephier being wheeled down the driveway on a gurney, shirtless and in jeans with bandages on his chest. ![A United States deputy marshal emerges from the house after Zander Zephier was shot and killed and talks with his fellow officers.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/02/2024-12-11-Marshals-outside.jpg) A United States deputy marshal emerges from the house after Zander Zephier was shot and killed and talks with his fellow officers. “Are you all good?” he is asked. “Yeah, I’m good,” he says. (Photo: Screenshot from home security footage) He was pronounced dead at the hospital by Peters, the Charles Mix coroner, who said that he transported the body to Sioux Falls for an autopsy to be performed by forensic pathologist and Minnehaha County medical examiner Kenneth Snell. That autopsy is not being released due to an active investigation. The U.S. Attorney's office in Rapid City won't respond to questions about the scope or timeline of that inquiry. "The only type of outreach I've had was from an FBI agent who wanted to get some of the (home security) videos that we had," said Zane Zephier, who declined to hand them over, citing distrust of the authorities. "I've given up on expecting anything from the law enforcement side," he added. "We're going to try to get things through the court to find out what really happened." [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *every few days to get stories as soon as they're published. *Contact Stu Whitney* at* [*stu.whitney@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:stu.whitney@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Federal money to prevent Black Hills forest fires left 'in limbo' URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/black-hills-national-forest-fires-federal-funding-president-trump/ Last updated: 2025-06-27T13:38:31.000Z PIEDMONT, S.D. – A $5 million program to help private landowners in the Black Hills manage their forest lands and prevent wildfires is on hold as part of President Donald Trump's widespread freeze of federal loan and grant programs. The forest funding for South Dakota was allocated in 2024 after getting approved by former President Joe Biden and the U.S. Congress as part of the Inflation Reduction Act. The South Dakota funding is one small part of a much larger $350 million federal program aimed at helping landowners, state and local agencies and tribal governments manage private forests, reduce fire risk and mitigate impacts of climate change across the country. Funding for the entire program appears to be on hold. ## ****Get South Dakota stories** Sign up for an email summary on most weekdays that links to the full story. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. The $5 million allocated to South Dakota is for a cost-sharing program with Black Hills landowners for "climate mitigation and/or forest resilience practices,” according to the U.S. Forest Service. In all, 37 states were approved to receive about $140 million for private landowners. The five-year grant funding is largely aimed at thinning overgrown forests on private land, which helps prevent forest fires from starting and spreading. About 60% of forest land in the U.S. is privately owned, according to the forest service, making the landowner forest management program a key part of overall wildfire mitigation efforts across the country. The funding freeze comes at a time when the Trump administration has fired or laid off thousands of workers, including in the forest service and wildland fire agencies. ## One fire reveals difference in managed forests Pennington County businessman Dean Henderson, who owns woodlands near his ranch and construction company offices north of Rapid City, saw the benefits of forest management up close in October 2021. Henderson, who owns Blue Ladder Construction, watched that fall as a fire that broke out between Haines Avenue and Deadwood Avenue torched woodlands around his business and began to threaten buildings. Several years prior to the fire, Henderson had obtained grant funding to manage his land. As the fire raged, it was clear to see which areas had been thinned of trees in the past, he said. [Prison site’s previous owners would be ‘rolling over in their graves’Tom Eiesland, who lives next door and worked the farm for more than 40 years, said the project will ‘absolutely destroy the community.’ The final story in a 3-part series.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-87.jpg)South Dakota News WatchStu Whitney![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/Maple-Tree-1-1.jpeg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/https-www-sdnewswatch-org-prison-sites-previous-owners-would-be-rolling-over-in-their-graves/) "In areas where we had thinned, it helped out immensely," Henderson said. "In areas where it was thick and overgrown, it was total devastation, totally cleared out by a very hot fire." Henderson's buildings were saved, and he remains a supporter of government grant funding to aid private landowners with forest management. "It made it so I could afford to do that because otherwise it wasn’t cost effective," he said. ![Bob Burns stands in his section of land in the Black Hills National Forest with trees in the background](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/02/2025-2-21-Bob-Burns-with-overgrowth-2-1.jpg) Bob Burns, a tree farmer from Piedmont, S.D., near a section of his land on Feb. 21, 2025, where little to no forest management has taken place. This area thick with small pines is more susceptible to fire but is kept in this condition to provide diversity and wildlife habitat within his 320-acre tree farm. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) Bob Burns of Piedmont is a landowner who also serves as co-chair of the South Dakota Family Forests Association, a nonprofit group committed to forest management and resiliency in the Black Hills. The family forests group was selected by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to administer the South Dakota forest management funding, which is provided as 80% reimbursement to landowners who mainly hire contractors to thin their forest lands. The Black Hills has been hit by several small wildfires and a few major blazes in recent years. The Jasper fire south of Custer burned 83,000 acres of timberland in 2000, and the Custer State Park fire in December 2017 torched about 53,000 acres of forest. ## Managed forests promote healthier trees, landowner says Thinning of forests also promotes growth of healthy trees and reduces the likelihood of insect infestations, including from the mountain pine beetle, which destroyed or damaged pine trees on about 450,000 acres of the northern and central Black Hills during an epidemic lasting from the late-1990s to the mid-2010s. [Q&A: Dusty talks Trump, tariffs and Panama CanalJohnson says there is great enthusiasm for the Trump presidency among members of the U.S. Congress.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-86.jpg)South Dakota News WatchBart Pfankuch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/Dusty-at-Stock-Show-two-dudes-1.JPG)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/dusty-johnson-president-trump-immigration-ice-tariffs-panama-canal/) Proper forest management allows for improved flow of moisture from rain or snow and leads to increased growth of mature trees that are suitable for logging, which can aid the struggling logging industry in the Black Hills, Burns said. Until recently, Burns said his group was operating under the assumption that since the grant program was fully approved by Congress and the former president, it could begin soliciting grant applications from qualified Black Hills landowners. After receiving about two dozen applications, however, he learned the federal money was on hold. No official notice of the funding freeze was given, but Burns said that after some investigation on his own, he figured out that, for now at least, the money is not available. "We’re in limbo right now," Burns told News Watch. "We’re not going to sign people up to do this work unless we know that these funds are going to be flowing to us to reimburse them." ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/02/2025-2-21-Tree-farm-sign-2.jpg) Private landowners control of about 60% of all U.S. forest lands, making grant programs that offset forest thinning costs critical to overall land management in the Black Hills. This tree farm in Piedmont, S.D., shown on Feb. 21, 2025, is owned by Bob Burns and Mary LaHood. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) In one of his first executive orders after taking office, Trump froze all funding within the Inflation Reduction Act. He also paused most federal loan and grant programs in late January as his administration undergoes a review to ensure spending aligns with the president's executive orders and goals and to root out potential fraud or wasteful spending. Burns said the forest resiliency programs are highly controlled and that grant funding is closely monitored. “There’s nothing approaching fraud or waste in this, and every dollar will be used to do something good for the Black Hills,” he said. "It seems odd to me that this came from an act passed and signed by the president and Congress, so how someone can come and stop it dead in its tracks, I don’t understand that." Burns said he has contacted representatives in the office of U.S. Sen. John Thune but has not received any updates on if or when the forest funding will be released. A spokesman for Thune told News Watch in an email that the senator's office has communicated with Burns but was unable to provide an update on funding. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/02/Bob-Burns-quote.png) "Our office has been in touch with Bob Burns and various other stakeholders in South Dakota assisting them as agencies have been transitioning and getting set up," the spokesman wrote. The South Dakota Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources said landowner forest management efforts help maintain and sustain healthy forests in the state. "We (DANR) work with private landowners to draft forest management plans that identify objectives for their forests and provide management options and tools to accomplish those plans," the department said in an email to News Watch."Proper forest management, whether on federal lands or private property, is important to reduce the risk of large disturbances such as wildfires or insect outbreaks while accomplishing other ecological services." ## Black Hills forest program 'really benefits everyone' Forested lands in the Black Hills are naturally regenerating, meaning that seeds living in the soil do not require planting of new trees. Fire has historically served as nature’s way of thinning the forest and leading to growth of new, stronger trees, but in the modern world, with intermingling of homes and businesses in the national forest, “we can’t have wildfires thinning the forests, we just can’t,” Burns said. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/02/2025-2-21-Tree-core-image.jpg) The annual rings in this section of a pine tree from the Black Hills, held on Feb. 21, 2025 by Bob Burns of Piedmont, S.D., shows how the tree grew slowly from 1898 to 1979 but then saw rapid growth and wide rings after the forest around it was thinned in 1979\. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) While controlled burning can help, the most effective method of reducing fire fuels is through forest management that includes regular thinning of trees that are small or too close together. The program will benefit the forests that need management and also create jobs and revenues for professional loggers and foresters, Burns said. “This money really benefits everyone,” he said. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/02/2025-2-21-Bob-Burns-and-Mary-LaHood.jpg) Bob Burns and his wife, Mary LaHood, shown on their land in Piedmont, S.D., on Feb. 21, 2025, are stewards of their own tree farm and supporters of efforts by others to manage privately owned land in the Black Hills. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) About 800,000 acres of forest in the Black Hills are suitable for logging, and about 290,000 of those acres are privately owned, Burns said. To participate in the grant program, landowners must have more than 10 acres and be members of the family forests association, which means they must pay for a state-approved forest stewardship plan that guides how the land should be managed. Grant participants must obtain three separate bids from foresters and submit the low bid for approval. Once approved, the landowner then qualifies for an 80% reimbursement of the contract costs, paying the final 20% from their own pocket. The cost of thinning trees by a professional forester can range from less than $1,000 an acre up to more than $3,000 an acre, so managing tracts of land averaging about 40 acres in size can get expensive, Burns said. To date, the family forests association has about 160 members who own about 46,000 acres, Burns said. Unless the funding is unfrozen soon, forest thinning efforts could be stalled until fall because forest management efforts stop during summer [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/02/Donate-today-News-Watch--1--3.png)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?%5Fgl=1%2A1b0ep3i%2A%5Fga%2AMTM3NDcyODMyNS4xNzAyMTQ0MTg3%2A%5Fga%5FH98KVPR32J%2AMTcyNzIyNjUwOS40MzMuMS4xNzI3MjI3NzQ1LjAuMC4w&ref=sdnewswatch.org) Burns and his wife, Mary LaHood, are both active not only in managing their own tree farm located west of Interstate 90 near Piedmont but also in promoting forest management among other landowners. For their longstanding leadership and land management efforts, the couple in 2021 was named National Outstanding Tree Farmers of the Year by the American Forest Foundation. As a team, now married more than 40 years and managing their forest together that entire time, they're committed to maintaining the quality and beauty of the Black Hills region that they and their adult children call home. "People don't realize it, but when they drive through the Black Hills, they're driving past thousands of acres of private lands that are beautiful and well preserved," Burns said. "I understand that everyone wants to make sure that tax dollars are being spent wisely, but this is such a wonderful way to increase forest resiliency and protect the Black Hills." [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact* *Bart Pfankuch* at* [*bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Is Canada South Dakota's biggest trading partner? URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/canada-mexico-china-brazil-south-dakota-trade/ Last updated: 2025-03-06T12:43:34.000Z ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/WhiteFACT-BRIEF--500-x-200-px--2-1-1.png) ## Yes. Like most northern states, South Dakota’s biggest trading partner is Canada. In 2023, South Dakota exported $1.9 billion worth of goods to Canada and $1.4 billion to its No. 2 trading partner, Mexico. It also imported the most goods from Canada, followed by China and Brazil. The top export was soybeans and the biggest import was machinery. The state’s export numbers mirror the U.S. as a whole, with Canada being the top importer of U.S. goods for several years. Canada is also the top importer in 23 states, supplying the largest amount of grain, livestock, meat and poultry to the U.S., according to Visual Capitalist. Canada’s proximity along with its complementary agricultural interests and favorable trade agreements explain its status as the nation’s top trading partner. **This fact brief responds to conversations such as* [**this one*](https://www.reddit.com/r/SouthDakota/comments/1ifp0vx/south%5Fdakotas%5Ftop%5Ftrade%5Fpartners/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)**.* ### Sources Visual Capitalist, [Mapped: The top import partner of every U.S. state](https://www.visualcapitalist.com/mapped-top-import-partner-every-u-s-state/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) South Dakota Trade, [2023 trading statistics](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1O20rCjq1q78Zk2%5F90PCF1EXWcWuuIKtH/view?usp=sharing&ref=sdnewswatch.org) U.S. International Trade Commission,[ U.S. trade by industry sectors and selected trading partners ](https://www.usitc.gov/research%5Fand%5Fanalysis/tradeshifts/2023/us%5Ftrade%5Findustry%5Fsectors%5Fand%5Fselected%5Ftrading?ref=sdnewswatch.org) U.S. Department of Agriculture, [Canada:Trade](https://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/international-markets-us-trade/countries-regions/usmca-canada-mexico/canada-trade-fdi?ref=sdnewswatch.org#:~:text=The%20United%20States%20is%20Canada's,exports%20and%20imports%20are%20combined) --- [**South Dakota News Watch**](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/) partners with [**Gigafact**](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org), a nonprofit network of nonpartisan newsrooms, to verify claims through fact briefs. [**Read previous fact briefs**](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/tag/fact-brief/) and our verification standards and other [**best practices policies**](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/best-practices/). **Have a question we can answer?** Submit it at the [**South Dakota News Watch Tipline**](https://gigafact.org/tipline/south-dakota-news-watch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). Send questions or feedback to [**factbrief@sdnewswatch.org**](mailto:factbrief@sdnewswatch.org). [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact Megan Luther* at* [*megan.luther@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:megan.luther@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Small businesses tap South Dakota tourism growth URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-tourism-numbers-small-businesses/ Last updated: 2025-06-27T13:38:32.000Z SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – As South Dakota's visitation rates and related spending keep rising, local small business owners see an opportunity to find their niche in the state's second-largest industry. Visitor spending driven by tourism broke $5 billion for the first time last year, according to the latest numbers from the Department of Tourism. The industry also continues to grow, supporting 58,824 jobs – [nearly 9% of all jobs in the state](https://sdvisit.com/sites/default/files/2025-01/24EcoImp-Tourism-Economics.pdf?ref=sdnewswatch.org). The tourism industry's success depends on a high-class workforce. The annual Governor's Conference on Tourism welcomes hospitality workers, artists, economic development experts and more for a chance to network and learn the latest best-practices for a few days in Pierre each January. The conference concludes with an awards ceremony to celebrate some of the tourism industry's most passionate professionals. But that passion extends beyond the award winners to other small businesses throughout the state. ## Sioux Falls sees people to and from Black Hills The Ruth Ziolkowski Outstanding Hospitality & Customer Service Awards recognize hospitality workers, business owners and others from each of the four tourism regions of South Dakota. The 2025 recipient from the southeast region is Phil Zea, the front desk manager of the Hotel on Phillips in Sioux Falls. ![A hotel employee points to a photo of downtown Sioux Falls in the hotel's lobby.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/02/Phil-Zea-tour-CROP-1.jpg) Hotel on Phillips front desk manager Phil Zea explains the historic photograph of downtown Sioux Falls featured, S.D., on the wall of one of the rooms during a tour for SDPB on Jan. 31, 2025\. (Photo Credit: Jordyn Henderson / SDPB) During his acceptance speech, Zea emphasized the relationship between Sioux Falls and other destinations across the state. "We're kind of the first step when people are coming west," he told the crowd during the awards gala in January. "It's a chance for me to pump up all the places along the way (guests) are gonna be seeing." Of the dozens of hotels in Sioux Falls, Zea believes the Hotel on Phillips sets itself apart thanks to its boutique feel and freedom from corporate ownership. "We have the ability to do things that maybe other hotels don't," he said. "We have a romance package, a champagne package and things that people can get extra that are in their room when they arrive." [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/05/donate-3.jpg)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Zea believes the building's history also adds to the appeal. The hundred-year-old building used to be the Sioux Falls National Bank. The original 16-ton bank vault door now serves as an entrance to an on-site bar and lounge called The Treasury. The vault door plays a role in a story that illustrates Zea's use of humor to diffuse situations with guests, which Department of Tourism Secretary Jim Hagen referenced in his introduction before presenting the Outstanding Hospitality Award. Shortly after the Hotel on Phillips opened in 2019, Zea heard giggling from across the lobby. [SD Native Tourism Alliance to support entrepreneurs“I believe that it is an act of sovereignty for a tribe to take control of their cultural history by telling their own story.”![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-84.jpg)South Dakota News WatchJackie Hendry![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/TamaraJackie-1-1.png)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-native-american-tourism-alliance-pine-ridge/) "There were two guys over there. One's 6-4, the other one 5-6\. I'm 5-9, I have no business talking to them," Zea recalled. "I could tell they've been drinking in the bar. How am I going to stop them from pushing the vault door?" Zea picked up the front desk phone and yelled over to the two guests by the vault door. "I said, 'I've got your mom on the phone! She said stop touching stuff!' They pushed the vault door back and ran into the bar like a couple of third-graders," Zea laughed. "I thought, 'This is my go-to.'" ![The original 16-ton bank vault door now serves as the entrance to The Treasury Bar](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/02/vault.jpg) The original 16-ton bank vault door now serves as the entrance to The Treasury Bar inside the lobby of the Hotel on Phillips in Sioux Falls, S.D., on Feb. 20, 2024\. (Photo Credit: Jackie Hendry / SDPB) Zea appreciates the opportunity to joke with guests, but he also values hearing about their experiences in South Dakota on both ends of their trip. "I've been extremely fortunate to have families that stopped here on their way from the East Coast, never seen Mount Rushmore," said Zea. "But then (I) get fortunate enough that that same family is returning, they've gone to the Black Hills, they went out to Wyoming, and now they're on their way back. The trip is over. To ask how their experience was, how were the Badlands. It's just amazing to see their faces light up." ## 'The dream was always the campground' Across the state, two other hosts share a similar enthusiasm for sharing the state with visitors. Thad Weiss grew up in Hill City, a town bolstered by the tourism industry. "There was a campground outside of Hill City that I worked at in high school," said Weiss. "I just always knew that was something that I wanted to do: to own a campground, or something in that business." Thad and his wife, Nicole, took the leap into the tourism industry a few years ago, selling their house in order to purchase the motel and cabins. That was in the spring of 2020, the earliest days of the COVID-19 pandemic. "Those first few months, every phone call was basically a cancellation," said Thad. "You didn't want to answer the phone at that point." ## ****Get South Dakota stories** Sign up for an email summary on most weekdays that links to the full story. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. Former Gov. Kristi Noem administration's decision to remain "open for business" and highlight the state's outdoor attractions helped stabilize a key industry in a very unstable time, though many communities and businesses still [took a hit](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/cancellation-of-festivals-deprives-s-d-communities-of-revenue-and-revelry/) from decreased visitor revenue. Weiss said visitors started showing up at his motel around mid-June of 2020\. "Still a quiet year," he said, "At least we made it through the initial part." The tourism economy bounced back faster than others, and the Hill City motel stayed afloat. That's when the KOA Campground in Hot Springs caught Thad Weiss's attention. ![Nicole Weiss (right) and her husband Thad Weiss (left) sit at the firepit at the KOA Campground they run in Hot Springs, S.D, ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/02/Weiss-Interview.jpg) Nicole Weiss and her husband, Thad Weiss, sit at the firepit at the KOA Campground they run in Hot Springs, S.D, on July 17, 2024\. Thad said running a campground is a dream he's had since high school. (Photo Credit: Krystal Schoenbauer / SDPB) "The dream was always the campground," he said. "And so I never stopped looking. I was always keeping my eye out." It's an hour drive from Hill City to Hot Springs, but the family has managed the logistics. Nicole Weiss recently left her job as an early childhood educator with the YMCA of Rapid City to focus on their businesses full time. It's a move that took courage, especially after a first season that demonstrated the many variables that can impact a tourism-based business. "It's definitely more workable between the two places, but obviously that was a huge step," said Nicole. "I was in my career for 21 years and with the organization I left for 13\. And having that solid paycheck, you know, every two weeks was a hard thing to change up. It seems to be working out, but it's still a little scary!" Despite the initial challenges, the Weiss family has adapted with enthusiasm. All three of Thad and Nicole's children help with the two businesses, including checking in guests and offering suggestions for site seeing. All five take care to give guests the best experience possible. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/02/Facebook-copy-2.png) "It's just so much more than working the desk when it's a small ma-and-pa hotel," said Nicole. "You have to put your heart and soul into meeting all the guests and making it more than just a one night come-and-go. They can get that anywhere. A mom-and-pop place is going to be a little more dated and it's gonna have things we're constantly working on, so we have to really step up the customer service." For his part, Thad still relishes the chance to get tourists off the beaten path. "I actually really enjoy getting people to see the full experience of the Black Hills, and not just things that they think they know, like Mount Rushmore and Crazy Horse, but the back-road drives and the loops and things like that," he said. "It's kind of our backyard, and we're proud to be here and show them." ## 'There's something magical about the Hills' While many in the tourism workforce are born-and-raised South Dakotans, others found their passion for the state over time. Jason Reuter owns Against the Grain, a custom woodworking business he runs out of his home in Rapid City. "A weird string of circumstances led me to going to the University of South Dakota to study theater, and to be honest with you, for the first three years I was trying to plot my escape," said Reuter, who's originally from New Jersey. ![Josh Reuter explains his woodworking process in his workshop in Rapid City, S.D. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/02/Reuter-opt-2.jpg) Jason Reuter explains his woodworking process in his workshop in Rapid City, S.D. on Feb. 3, 2025\. (Photo Credit: Delainey LaHood-Burns / SDPB) That plot was foiled when he joined some classmates on a trip to see the Black Hills Playhouse. "I describe (the Black Hills) as the grandeur of the Rockies but the size of the Appalachians. There's something magical about the Hills out here," he said. That trip gave Reuter a new appreciation for other South Dakota landscapes, from the river bluffs in Vermillion to the expansive prairies of the center of the state where he and his wife visit family. [SD tourist attractions combine sightseeing and scienceSome sites are capitalizing and partnering on an increased interest in learning in hopes of inspiring the next generation of South Dakota’s STEM workforce.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-85.jpg)South Dakota News WatchJackie Hendry![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/mammoth-site-onlookers.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-tourist-attractions-science-hot-springs-mammoth-site/) After 25 years in theater, including time as the operations manager for the Black Hills Playhouse, Reuter decided on a career change to more easily care for his two sons. He currently works on large custom pieces through Against the Grain, but he hopes to break into the tourism industry by supplying pieces for gift shops. Many of these pieces feature South Dakota landscapes and iconography like pheasants, bison and pasqueflowers. "It needs to be small. It needs to be affordable. But for me, it also needs to have artistic integrity," he said. ![Woodworking art is displayed at the annual governor's conference.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/02/Reuter-products.jpg) Jason Reuter promoted his woodworking business at the annual Governor's Conference on Tourism in Pierre, S.D. He displayed a selection of potential giftshop souvenirs on Jan. 22, 2025\. (Photo Credit: Delainey LaHood-Burns / SDPB) Reuter was among dozens of vendors at the tourism conference in Pierre last month hoping to network with potential business partners. He said he won't know how successful he was until later this spring, when most businesses start making orders ahead of the peak summer tourist season. In the meantime, adapting vast South Dakota landscapes to travel-sized pieces has presented an interesting challenge. By trying to anticipate what a tourist will love about South Dakota, Reuter has rediscovered his own appreciation for the place he now calls home. "It's kind of a fun exercise because you try to get back to the first times you were here in the Hills. What did *you* feel? What did *you* experience? What took *your* breath away the first time?" --- ### How to watch 'South Dakota Focus' The next episode of "South Dakota Focus" airs Thursday, Feb. 27, at 8 p.m. Central time / 7 p.m. Mountain time. It can be viewed on SDPB-TV1, Facebook, YouTube and SD.net. The episode includes: - An award-winning front desk manager at a boutique Sioux Falls hotel - A husband-and-wife team managing a motel and campground in the southern Black Hills - A Rapid City artist adapting his passion for South Dakota landscapes into travel-sized souvenirs [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was written by *Jackie Hendry*, host and producer of South Dakota Public Broadcasting's "South Dakota Focus," to preview the next show. It was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact us* at* [*info@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:info@sdnewswatch.org). ### Prison site's previous owners would be 'rolling over in their graves' URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/https-www-sdnewswatch-org-prison-sites-previous-owners-would-be-rolling-over-in-their-graves/ Last updated: 2025-06-27T13:38:32.000Z CANTON, S.D. – It was early October of 2023 when Tom Eiesland learned that the land he farmed for more than four decades was slated to become a prison. Located at the corner of 278th Street and 477th Avenue in rural Lincoln County, adjacent to where Eiesland lives, the farmhouse and cropland were owned by Alfred and Ethilda "Tillie" Haug and managed by a caretaker and family friend named Earl Helgeson. Eiesland started working the land when Helgeson retired in 1982, living on the property for about a decade with his wife, JoAnn. Their son and daughter were born there and later had weddings under the towering maple tree near the main driveway. ![A family photo shows the barn and other buildings along with cows roaming the pasture](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/02/IMG_3846-1.JPEG) A family photo shows the barn and other buildings on the state property formerly owned by Alfred and Ethilda "Tilly" Haug in rural Canton, S.D. The buildings were torn down recently to prepare for planned construction of a new prison on the site. (Photo: Courtesy of the Eiesland family) Eiesland continued to care for the land even after Tillie Haug died in 1990\. Her husband had already passed. Two years later, because the couple had no heirs and no will, the 320 acres were acquired by the state’s Office of School and Public Lands. The Eieslands moved into a nearby house previously owned by Tom's uncle, and they leased the former Haug farmland from the state. “(The Haugs) and Earl (Helgeson) knew that if they didn’t do something with the will that the land would probably revert to the state,” said Eiesland, 75\. “They didn’t view that as such a bad thing.” But the way the prison project has played out has tarnished any goodwill that existed, said Eiesland, replaced by grave concerns about how a prison project described as a “small city within a city” will alter the rural community. --- *This is the final story in a three-part series seeking different perspectives on South Dakota's plan to build a new men's penitentiary on 160 acres of farmland in rural Lincoln County. Here are links to Part 1 and 2:* [SD prison project draws strong views, harsh criticismPerspectives from neighbors, policy analysts and law enforcement show division surrounding plan to build prison in rural Lincoln County.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-78.jpg)South Dakota News WatchStu Whitney![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/IMG_9559-1.JPG)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-department-corrections-lincoln-county-prison-project/) [SD prison project faces legislative, legal hurdles“A prison, like a jail, is a necessary government function, and it must be located somewhere,” a state circuit judge ruled. Part 2 of a three-part series.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-81.jpg)South Dakota News WatchStu Whitney![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/LincolnCountyCorrectionalFacilityRendering-2-1-2.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-lincoln-county-prison-project-state-legislature-budget/) --- Asked what the previous owners would think of the Department of Corrections putting a 500,000-square-foot complex on land previously reserved for corn, beans and cattle, Eiesland was blunt in his assessment. “They’d be rolling over in their graves, I guarantee you," he said. "And they’re not the only ones. Certainly my family has a close connection because everything I have built and own is right next to (the planned site). But it's the destruction of this community that's the big thing because it will just absolutely destroy it.” ## Community centered around church Tom Eiesland was one of three children born to Alden and Wava Eiesland, who were married in 1940 and lived and farmed north of Canton. For young Tom, growing up in the 1950s and '60s fostered a sense of belonging not just to one's immediate environs, but the broader community. They were the proud inhabitants of Beaver Creek, named for the spring-fed stream that flows through Canton before joining up with the Big Sioux River. ## ****Get South Dakota stories** Sign up for an email summary on most weekdays that links to the full story. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. "Everybody up and down the road was either related to me or were good friends of my parents," said Eiesland, who recalled riding his horse up to the area where he now lives to work and spend time with his cousins. Neighbors gathered for worship and ice cream socials at Beaver Creek Lutheran Church, a white wood-framed structure built in 1892 near Canton. It was closed for services in 1978\. ![Construction crews prepare Beaver Creek Lutheran Church to be moved from the campus of Augustana University](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/02/IMG_9697-1.jpg) Construction crews prepare Beaver Creek Lutheran Church to be moved from the campus of Augustana University in Sioux Falls, S.D., to nearby Harrisburg. The church was an integral part of rural Lincoln County life for many residents until closing in 1978\. (Photo: Argus Leader) "People would come with their lawn mowers every other Wednesday night and they would mow the lawn in the church cemetery," Eiesland said. In another sign of the times, the church was relocated to Heritage Park at Augustana University in Sioux Falls for historical purposes, then moved again in 2022 to Harrisburg to make room for the school's new hockey arena. ## 'We never felt like it was our own' In 1968, Tom's parents bought 80 acres on 278th Street between Canton and Harrisburg off Highway 11, near where state prison construction would be planned 60 years later. Property along the rugged gravel road, dotted with silos and grazing cattle, became home for much of the extended Eiesland clan. Tom has not lived anywhere else since returning from attending the University of South Dakota in 1969. His feelings about the timeless nature of the place are captured in a memory that involves him taking a team of horses and wagon down his driveway to meet up with like-minded neighbors. ![Tom Eiesland sits at the kitchen table of his home in rural Canton, S.D., ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/02/IMG_9472-2-1-1.JPG) Tom Eiesland sits at the kitchen table of his home in rural Canton, S.D., on Feb. 8, 2025\. "It's always been a close community," he said of the area surrounding the proposed prison site. (Photo: Stu Whitney / South Dakota News Watch) "I came out with my team and wagon and I looked down the road, and there was Uncle Alex, who had his team out, and another neighbor, and I thought, 'How long has it been since there were three teams of horses on the road around here?'" The Haugs' farm on the north side of 278th Street featured a bright red barn with a white roof, fields of corn and alfalfa, and roaming cattle. Those sights became part of Eiesland's daily routine when Helgeson retired in 1982 and Tom started leasing the land, soon after marrying JoAnn. "It was a privilege to manage and take care of it, but we never felt like it was our own," said Eiesland. "It belongs to the state. It's their land, and we've never felt any different. The problem we have is with how they went through with the process." ## 'How would you feel? What would you do?' Sam Eiesland, Tom's son, serves on the board of Neighbors Opposed to Prison Expansion, or NOPE, a group of Lincoln County landowners that has fought the state’s effort and sued to prevent the project from moving forward. On Oct. 23, a circuit judge granted the state’s motion to dismiss the lawsuit and determined that several of the plaintiffs, including Tom Eiesland, didn't have standing to sue. In Eiesland's case, the judge wrote, "a wish to not have a prison located by one's property is not an injury in fact." The remaining plaintiffs have appealed the ruling to the South Dakota Supreme Court. It's not known when that decision will be handed down. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/02/IMG_9498-1-1.JPG) Tom Eiesland (right) and his son, Sam, discuss the state's proposed prison project from the kitchen of Tom's home in rural Canton, S.D., on Feb. 8, 2025\. The Eieslands are part of a group that oppose the state's plans to put the prison in rural Lincoln County, near their home. (Photo: Stu Whitney / South Dakota News Watch) Much of the neighbors' frustration is aimed not at the fact that Lincoln County was chosen but that more suitable plots of land could have been targeted for such major development. “The original premise of our county’s comprehensive plan, requested by the state, was to keep commercial and light industrial along the corridors where it’s beneficial and desirable,” said Sam Eiesland, a superintendent of Canton Township. “The state helped us write that original plan, and now they’re saying that they don't have to follow it." His father, through letters and appearances at public meetings, has criticized what he sees as a lack of transparency from state officials and a lack of gumption from Lincoln County commissioners, some of whom he believes have not sufficiently engaged in zoning and sovereignty debates. "As far as we're concerned, the county commission should have brought the lawsuit instead of us," Tom Eiesland said. "When people rise up and do something like that, it's usually because other people aren't doing their jobs." ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/02/EislandQuote-1.png) As Lincoln County's population surges in southern Sioux Falls, Harrisburg and Tea, it gets harder to bridge the divide between economic development and the county's agricultural core. In many ways, the struggle involves varying explanations of how to best define progress. "I've driven through that area many times to see where people live and where the prison will be," said Jim Schmidt, who has served on the county commission for 27 years. "It's helpful to do that just for your own edification and to ask, if you were one of these people, 'What would you do? How would you feel?' It's important to ask those questions." ## For new and old residents, 'the dream is gone' On a recent Saturday morning, Tom Eiesland sat in his kitchen with his dogs, going through photos of the red barn and white farmhouse that used to be part of the scenery along 278th Street looking west. The buildings were razed by state-hired crews in January along with other buildings, even though the actual prison construction will take place on an adjacent lot. [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/02/Donate-today-News-Watch--1--2.png)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?%5Fgl=1%2A1b0ep3i%2A%5Fga%2AMTM3NDcyODMyNS4xNzAyMTQ0MTg3%2A%5Fga%5FH98KVPR32J%2AMTcyNzIyNjUwOS40MzMuMS4xNzI3MjI3NzQ1LjAuMC4w&ref=sdnewswatch.org) Tom and Sam then hopped in a Jeep and drove down to the entrance of the former Haug farmstead. A layer of snow covered the roads and familiar fields. The maple tree under which wedding celebrations occurred was one of the few landmarks still standing on the property. There were orange pylons near the driveway and a sign that said, "No Trespassing. Violators Will be Prosecuted." Construction equipment sat idle in the distance, awaiting the results of legislative fights over final funding for the prison. ![Tom Eiesland stands in a field filled with snow next to the proposed men's prison site.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/02/IMG_9550-1.JPG) Tom Eiesland, shown on Feb. 8, 2025, criticized the state's decision to tear down buildings next to the proposed prison site in rural Canton, S.D. "The only reason to come in there and knock all that down was to say, 'We'll show you,'" he said. (Photo: Stu Whitney / South Dakota News Watch) "I used to go in there every day when they first started working, and then I was told that if I entered, I'd be arrested," said gray-bearded Tom Eiesland, braving the cold with a weathered hat and red bandanna around his neck. "The decision to (tear down buildings) was nothing but spite and vindictiveness, in my opinion," he added. "They had no reason to do it. When they start building, they're not building in that spot. They're building on the other side. The only reason to come in there and knock all that down was to say, 'We'll show you.'" The state also owns 160 acres on the south side of 278th Street, with no current plans for that land. The South Dakota Department of Transportation has outlined plans to build new roads to service the 1,500-bed prison, where Eiesland used to run his team of horses. For Tom, seeing the barn and farmhouse destroyed by work crews was distressing. But buildings come and go, he said. His primary concern is more pastoral – like the onset of daily traffic that will drown out the serenity of his surroundings and that of future generations. "It's always been a close community," he said. "We weren't all best friends, but we were always neighbors who were there for each other. It's still that way. You have young families who moved here looking for a quiet, peaceful existence, and they're the ones that I really feel bad about. If this thing gets built, that dream is gone." [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *every few days to get stories as soon as they're published. *Contact Stu Whitney* at* [*stu.whitney@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:stu.whitney@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Do South Dakotans have the highest rate of medical debt in the nation? URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-medical-debt-gigafact-brief-credit-report/ Last updated: 2025-02-28T10:47:55.000Z ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/WhiteFACT-BRIEF--500-x-200-px--2-1-1.png) ## Yes. Nearly 18% of South Dakota adults have medical debt, the highest percentage in the nation, according to the health nonprofit organization KFF, which analyzed Census data between 2019 to 2021. Contributing factors include South Dakota’s high rates of poverty and health care expenses. South Dakota ranks second in the nation for medical costs. The average medical debt on 15 million Americans’ credit reports is more than $3,100, an increase from $2,000 in 2022\. The average rose after the three credit agencies – Equifax, Experian and TransUnion – voluntarily removed medical debt below $500 from peoples’ credit reports. Two bills were introduced to the South Dakota Legislature in February by Rep. Brian Mulder, (R-Sioux Falls). One would prohibit medical debt from being reported to credit agencies. The other would require hospitals to follow certain policies, such as providing an itemized bill before sending to collections. Neither bill passed. **This fact brief responds to conversations such as* [**this one*](https://www.instagram.com/p/DF6Jg4mTfvH/?ref=sdnewswatch.org)**.* ### Sources KFF, [The burden of medical debt in the United States](https://www.healthsystemtracker.org/brief/the-burden-of-medical-debt-in-the-united-states/?ref=sdnewswatch.org#Share%20of%20adults%20who%20have%20medical%20debt,%20by%20health%20status%20and%20disability%20status,%202021) South Dakota News Watch, [South Dakota’s high health care costs causing many to skip treatments](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-health-costs-united-states-data-kff/) Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, [CFPB finds 15 million Americans have medical bills on their credit reports](https://www.consumerfinance.gov/about-us/newsroom/cfpb-finds-15-million-americans-have-medical-bills-on-their-credit-reports/?ref=sdnewswatch.org#:~:text=The%20average%20medical%20balance%20on,balances%20remain%20on%20credit%20reports.) South Dakota Searchlight,[ Legislative committee endorses ban on medical debt reporting to credit scoring agencies](https://southdakotasearchlight.com/2025/02/11/sd-legislature-committee-endorses-ban-medical-debt-reporting-credit-agencies/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) South Dakota Legislative Research Council, [House Bill 10](https://sdlegislature.gov/Session/Bill/25526?ref=sdnewswatch.org)[58](https://sdlegislature.gov/Session/Bill/25526?ref=sdnewswatch.org) South Dakota Legislative Research Council,[ House Bill 1210](https://sdlegislature.gov/Session/Bill/26171?ref=sdnewswatch.org) --- [**South Dakota News Watch**](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/) partners with [**Gigafact**](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org), a nonprofit network of nonpartisan newsrooms, to verify claims through fact briefs. [**Read previous fact briefs**](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/tag/fact-brief/) and our verification standards and other [**best practices policies**](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/best-practices/). **Have a question we can answer?** Submit it at the [**South Dakota News Watch Tipline**](https://gigafact.org/tipline/south-dakota-news-watch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). Send questions or feedback to [**factbrief@sdnewswatch.org**](mailto:factbrief@sdnewswatch.org). [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/05/donate-3.jpg)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate?ref=sdnewswatch.org) [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact Megan Luther* at* [*megan.luther@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:megan.luther@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Prison project faces legislative, legal hurdles URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-lincoln-county-prison-project-state-legislature-budget/ Last updated: 2025-02-27T11:44:18.000Z South Dakota's plan to build an $825 million men's prison complex in rural Lincoln County has sparked clashes of opinion not just among nearby property owners but within different branches and levels of government. A major legislative showdown is evolving in Pierre as state lawmakers and Gov. Larry Rhoden debate whether to pass the final funding piece to begin construction on the prison on farmland between Harrisburg and Canton. Members of Lincoln County's Board of County Commissioners have been swept into the controversy, either fighting for county zoning authority or taking heat from residents for not speaking out more forcefully. Arguments also reached the legal system due to the efforts of Neighbors Opposed to Prison Expansion (NOPE), a group of landowners that fought the state’s effort and sued to prevent the project from moving forward. ![A sign protesting the site of the proposed prison in Lincoln County, South Dakota](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/02/IMG_9575.JPG) A sign protesting the site of the proposed prison in Lincoln County is seen along 278th Street in rural Canton, S.D., on Feb. 8, 2025\. Neighbors Opposed to Prison Expansion, or NOPE, is a group of landowners that filed suit against the state. (Photo: Stu Whitney / South Dakota News Watch) To help sort it all out, News Watch sought different perspectives of some of the key people involved. Their stories are being told this week in a three-part series: - Part 1 delved into the reasons [for and against the prison](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-department-corrections-lincoln-county-prison-project/) in the first place. The current Corrections secretary is resolved it's the right project in the right place, but a former warden isn't so sure and said there's another more pressing need. - Part 2, this story, features a judge, county commissioner and politicians: Why the site was chosen, why an opposition group couldn't legally stop it and the continuing debate in Pierre. - Part 3, on Thursday, features the family on whose land the prison would be built and how the original owners would react if they knew their farm was slated to be a prison. ## Judge: Prison 'must be located somewhere' Of all the opinions surrounding the decision to build a new prison on Lincoln County farmland, the most consequential was delivered Oct. 23. It came in the form of a court decision from the Second Judicial Circuit, where Judge Jennifer Mammenga granted the state’s motion to dismiss a lawsuit from opponents of the project, including members of NOPE. The ruling, since appealed to the South Dakota Supreme Court, was a blow to organized efforts to stop or delay construction. Those efforts were re-channeled to the legislative and public relations arena after Mammenga’s decision came down, nearly a year after the lawsuit was filed. ![Circuit Court Judge Jennifer Mammenga](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/02/IMG_9595-1-1.jpg) Circuit Court Judge Jennifer Mammenga granted the state’s motion to dismiss a lawsuit from opponents of the project, including members of NOPE. "A prison, like a jail, is a necessary government function, and it must be located somewhere," her ruling said. (Photo: Submitted) The crux of the complaint was that the state’s prison plans violated Lincoln County zoning laws and clashed with the county’s comprehensive plan. The state argued that the landowners bringing the lawsuit lacked standing and the state was protected by the legal doctrine of sovereign immunity, which puts limits on when the government can be sued. That doctrine in state law, according to judicial precedent, dictates that sovereign immunity exists when a state agent’s duty is discretionary (allowing for flexibility of action) rather than ministerial (rigidly following orders). [SD prison project draws strong views, harsh criticismPerspectives from neighbors, policy analysts and law enforcement show division surrounding plan to build prison in rural Lincoln County.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-76.jpg)South Dakota News WatchStu Whitney![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/IMG_9559.JPG)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-department-corrections-lincoln-county-prison-project/) Mammenga characterized House Bill 1017 from the 2023 legislative session as allowing the DOC to purchase property for the prison but not mandating where or when to do it, calling the duties conferred by the law “discretionary and properly delegated." As for the question of state authority versus county ordinances, the judge stated that “a county by its very nature is a legislative creation, and therefore seemingly lacks the authority to preempt state law.” Mammenga, whose career as a prosecutor included a stint as Assistant U.S. Attorney in South Dakota, also addressed the imperfect process of any government entity seeking to find a suitable place to build a correctional facility. Fair or not, she concluded, "not in my backyard" is not a legal strategy. “Even if a balancing of interests is undertaken,” she wrote, “this Court finds that the likely result will be that the necessity of the construction of a new prison outweighs the interests of the surrounding landowners. A prison, like a jail, is a necessary government function, and it must be located somewhere.” ## Lawmakers: 'It's not looking good right now' On Feb. 5, moments after the House of Representatives adjourned for the day at the Capitol in Pierre, legislators Will Mortenson and Aaron Aylward walked down the hallway stride for stride. Anyone who expected the Republican colleagues to be in lockstep regarding the state prison project, however, hasn’t been paying attention to party politics in South Dakota. Mortenson, a Fort Pierre lawyer and former House majority leader, is viewed as part of the GOP establishment, with connections to U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson. He supports House Bill 1025, which would provide the final funding piece to green-light construction on the chosen site. ![Legislators sit at desks at the South Dakota state legislature](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/02/IMG_9394-1.JPG) South Dakota's House of Representatives in Pierre, S.D.,, pictured on Feb. 6, 2025, will be a key battleground for legislation aimed at providing the final funding piece for construction of a new men's prison. (Photo: Stu Whitney / South Dakota News Watch) Previous legislation has funneled $567 million into an incarceration construction fund (an estimated $643 million with interest), which means the commitment in one-time dollars from 2025 would need to be $182 million to reach $825 million. "This has been four years coming, and if it's four more years, it's going to cost a billion dollars or more," said Mortenson. "If you think it's expensive now, just wait." Aylward, a job recruiter from Harrisburg who represents Lincoln County, serves as vice chair of the South Dakota Freedom Caucus, which touts limited government and landowner rights as part of the party’s recent populist wave. He staunchly opposes the funding bill, which would authorize the DOC to spend $763 million on prison construction on top of the $62 million appropriated last year to prepare the site and arrange for electric, sewer and water utilities. "It's not looking good right now," said Aylward when asked about HB 1025 getting the two-thirds vote it will require from both houses to reach the governor's desk. "Things are so tight budget-wise right now that people can't justify going forward with this." ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/02/Aaron-Aylward-quote-prison.png) The bill suffered a setback on Feb. 12, when the House State Affairs Committee sent it to House Appropriations without an affirmative "do pass" recommendation, with ongoing operational costs one of the key concerns. The legislative clash underscores challenges faced by Rhoden and GOP moderates as the party's populist wing flexes its muscles in leadership positions. Two of those leaders, Rep. Karla Lems and Sen. Kevin Jensen, represent District 16, which includes Canton, and are strident opponents of the prison plan. Jensen introduced Senate Bill 124, which would establish an incarceration task force that, among its responsibilities, could "examine best approaches and potential alternative sites" for new and existing correctional facilities. ![The site of the Lincoln County Prison in a field south of Sioux Falls](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/02/IMG_9562-1-1.JPG) The proposed site of a new men's prison in rural Canton, S.D., near the corner of 278th Street and 477th Avenue. The project has sparked clashes of opinion not just among property owners but within different levels of government. (Photo: Stu Whitney / South Dakota News Watch) Supporters of the prison project said this research has already been done. They point to previous facility plans, task forces and summer studies that correlated prison expansion and modern efficiencies with aiding rehabilitative services. "I've started to hear more from police chiefs and sheriffs and prosecutors who know that we need adequate facilities for incarceration and we need to do better on the corrections side, the rehabilitation side, keeping people out of prison," said Mortenson. "It's not money that anybody likes to spend, but it's our responsibility to get this done." ## Gov. Rhoden: Finding prison site was 'gift from God' The push for new prison facilities gained urgency during Gov. Kristi Noem's time as governor and is linked in many ways to her legacy, for better or worse. The Legislature has already committed $87 million to build a new women's prison in Rapid City, with a likely completion date of early 2026. In her final budget address Dec. 3, Noem spoke of the state men's penitentiary “falling down” and being older than the state itself, urging legislators to pass a final funding package so that construction on a new facility can begin. Enter Rhoden, sworn in as the state’s 34th governor on Jan. 27, two days after Noem was confirmed as secretary of the Department of Homeland Security. ![South Dakota Gov. Larry Rhoden stands behind a podium and speaks to the media in a conference room](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/02/IMG_9425-1.JPG) Gov. Larry Rhoden speaks to the media about the prison project on Feb. 6, 2025, at the State Capitol Building in Pierre, S.D. “I'm not prepared to discuss it not happening,” Rhoden said of legislation that would secure final funding. “I believe that it will.” (Photo: Stu Whitney / South Dakota News Watch) The Meade County rancher and legislative veteran faces a tough political scenario, especially with a likely run for re-election looming in 2026. Populist groups touting landowner rights have become a rising political force in South Dakota, with the massive rural prison project one of their top concerns. Rhoden must balance those objections with the fact that he was Noem's lieutenant governor and inherited the role as “chief wrangler” to push the final funding through the Legislature. Any inkling that Rhoden would waver in this role was answered during his introductory press conference Feb. 6, when News Watch asked him about his approach to getting the bill passed and what happens if the effort falls short. [Ballot measure battle could curtail SD’s direct democracySince 1898, state voters have had the power to propose a law or amendment at elections. Some Republican legislators want to make the process harder.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-77.jpg)South Dakota News WatchStu Whitney![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/ballot.1-2.JPG)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-ballot-measure-battle-legislature-election/) “I'm not prepared to discuss it not happening,” Rhoden said. “I believe that it will.” He then encouraged any legislators who have doubts about the project to take a tour of the prison and outlined the “outdated and impractical” workings that he observed on a recent visit. “We need to resolve that, and it needs to be this year,” said Rhoden. “I would say that failure is not an option. We have our backs against the wall. It's a miracle that we haven't been sued as a state to this point, and so we're going to get this fixed.” ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/02/Rhoden-quote.png) He doubled down on those comments when meeting with the media Feb. 13, repeating DOC claims that it will cost the state $100 million to reverse course now due to inflationary impacts and money already invested in the site. "Do we expect different results if we move to find a different area?" he asked. "There's always going to be opposition, regardless of where we site this. I thought it was a gift from God to find the site that we did that was appropriate for this prison relative to where it is now. And so that's what just kind of makes me sick to my stomach to think about starting over." ## Policy analyst: No perfect science for site search Before joining Noem’s staff as a policy adviser in 2022, Ryan Brunner served as commissioner of School and Public Lands, an elected position he held for eight years. That experience came in handy when Brunner was called upon to help with a site search for a new 1,500-bed men’s prison on 160 acres within 20 miles of Sioux Falls, following the recommendation of a report from Omaha, Nebraska-based DLR Group. The document provided a road map to what became a priority for the Noem administration to address the state’s correctional capacity needs. The 18-month process included a request for information (RFI) directed at real estate agents and property owners, a callout for agricultural or industrial park sites that would satisfy the space requirements and be appropriate for what would become a sprawling correctional complex. ![Ryan Brunner speaks to the county commission board](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/02/IMG_9594-1.jpg) Ryan Brunner, a policy adviser in the governor's office, met with the Lincoln County Board of County Commissioners on Jan. 7\. He was instrumental in the prison site search for 160 acres within 20 miles of Sioux Falls, following a consultant's report. (Photo: Submitted) Brunner describes himself as a numbers guy, but he also knows his way around an acreage. His agricultural economics degree from South Dakota State University was enhanced by his experience growing up on a family farm and feedlot in Butte County. He knew that trying to get a landowner to sell generational farmland so the state could build a prison was a longshot. "You're looking for 160 acres, so you're not looking at commercial or residential," Brunner said of the state's 2023 property search. "You're looking at either industrial park land or you're looking at ag land. And a lot of farmers live next to where they farm, so they'd be selling land for a prison located close to where they're farming other property." [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/02/Donate-today-News-Watch--1--1.png)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?%5Fgl=1%2A1b0ep3i%2A%5Fga%2AMTM3NDcyODMyNS4xNzAyMTQ0MTg3%2A%5Fga%5FH98KVPR32J%2AMTcyNzIyNjUwOS40MzMuMS4xNzI3MjI3NzQ1LjAuMC4w&ref=sdnewswatch.org) He noted that there was farm property west of Sioux Falls near Hartford "that we tried to buy for $70,000 an acre, and they thought we were buying it for the Minnehaha County Fairgrounds. And when I said, 'No, it's for the prison,' they weren't interested." After months of seeking leads, Brunner helped identify a pair of 160-acre parcels between Canton and Harrisburg as land already owned by the Office of School and Public Lands through a 1992 property transfer by court order. A previous prison-related land transfer served as precedent for acquiring the land. In 1984, Gov. Bill Janklow and the Legislature moved to close the University of South Dakota campus at Springfield and convert it into a minimum-security correctional facility, now known as Mike Durfee State Prison. ![The exterior of the South Dakota State Penitentiary in Sioux Falls](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/02/IMG_9613-2.JPG) The Department of Corrections is seeking to replace the South Dakota State Penitentiary in northern Sioux Falls, S.D., which was originally built in 1881\. (Photo: Stu Whitney / South Dakota News Watch) The resulting flurry of lawsuits against the state included one (Kanaly v. State by and Through Janklow, 1985) in which the South Dakota Supreme Court concluded that the transfer was constitutional if the Board of Regents trust fund was reimbursed for the full market value of the property. That paved the way for the Department of Corrections to acquire the 320 acres in Lincoln County for the assessed value of $7.9 million in early 2024, using the spending authority granted by the Legislature a year earlier. Half of that land, the 160 acres located south of 278th Street, is not planned for development as part of the prison project. DOC can use it at a later date. At a Jan. 7 meeting with the Lincoln County Board of Commissioners, neighbors near the site accused the state of not adequately seeking other options closer to the interstate or in corridors that fit with the county's plan for land use and development. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/02/Facebook-copy-1.png) Brunner disputed that assertion, saying the reason for doing the RFI was that "any real estate agent in the state could have found a location, signed up that owner, and then sold it to the state for a commission." As for accusations that the state ignored leads pointing to landowners elsewhere in Lincoln County with plots for sale, Brunner told News Watch: "I've never had somebody reach out and say, 'Go talk to this farmer about this 160 acres.'" The state did consider industrial park property in Lincoln County, he said, but it would have been more expensive and not immune to the same types of objections that the current site has inflamed. When the DOC announced plans to build what is now the Rapid City Community Work Center in an industrial neighborhood in 2009, the state was sued by neighbors of the site who attempted to block the sale. That effort was unsuccessful. ## County commissioner: 'Plant the flag and move on' Jim Schmidt doesn’t see “establishment” as a dirty word. The 83-year-old Lennox native has spent 27 years on the Lincoln County Board of Commissioners, making him the state’s longest-serving county commissioner. He still occasionally farms the land he grew up on. Schmidt lives in Sioux Falls, where he attended Augustana University, served as president of Killian Community College and worked for the American Cancer Society of South Dakota. He served on the board of the city's chamber of commerce and is married to Teri Ellis Schmidt, longtime CEO of Experience Sioux Falls, formerly the Sioux Falls Convention & Visitors Bureau. Those city credentials haven’t always ingratiated Schmidt with Lincoln County residents touting populist movements such as election skepticism and pipeline and prison site opposition. ![Two men, including Jim Schmidt (right), have a conversation together.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/02/IMG_9458-1.jpg) Jim Schmidt (right) has spent 27 years on the Lincoln County Board of Commissioners, making him the state’s longest-serving county commissioner. He has been criticized by prison site opponents for not speaking up against the project. (Photo: Submitted) His lack of public engagement regarding the state's prison project has angered members of NOPE and contrasted with county commissioners such as Joel Arends, who accused the state of running afoul of county zoning ordinances. The commission voted in December 2023 to submit an amicus brief through the Lincoln County state's attorney in support of the landowners' lawsuit. But Schmidt and fellow commissioner Tiffani Landeen have otherwise stayed publicly neutral on the prison, and there has been no official county action. "I haven't seen a single citizen walk up here in favor of this, but you guys just sit there and don't do a damn thing," county resident and NOPE member Jeff Spyksma told commissioners during public comment at their Jan. 7 meeting. "This is our lives. It's about time that you guys stand up for the county and not fold to the state." Schmidt calls prison site opponents "good people" and said he empathizes with their cause. The fact that fast-growing Lincoln County includes the southern edge of Sioux Falls and communities such as Tea and Lennox also needs to be considered, he added, as developing and rural constituencies collide. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/02/Jeff-Spyksma-quote.png) "You've got people up in Sioux Falls that I've talked to, and it's not that they're insensitive, but they think we need a new prison, so why not build it there? It's a good spot," Schmidt said. "And the people that live there, of course, say, well, of course they'll say that because they don't have to live next door to a prison. So you can understand how it seesaws back and forth." Schmidt has had conversations with Toby Brown, the county's planning director, on establishing parameters for development if the prison is built, with increased vehicle traffic from employees and visitors leading to demand for convenience stores or hotels. "We've discussed forming a development district if and when the prison is built to be able to regulate what kind of businesses crop up around a prison," Schmidt said. "We haven't formalized that yet, but it's one way in which you get ahead of the game rather than just reacting." ![the NOPE banner is shown being pulled by a truck](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/02/IMG_9656.jpg) The NOPE banner protesting the rural Lincoln County prison site is displayed during the Fourth of July parade in Lennox, S.D., on July, 4, 2024\. (Photo: Facebook) The irony is not lost on him that such forward thinking and communication is just what prison site opponents felt was lacking in the state's approach to Lincoln County. But he also sees the potential damage in tearing it all up and starting from scratch. "No one wants a prison near them," said Schmidt. "But it's going to go somewhere, and someone is going to make that hard-nosed decision and say, 'Enough is enough, it's going to be here,' and they're going to plant the flag and move on." [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *every few days to get stories as soon as they're published. *Contact Stu Whitney* at* [*stu.whitney@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:stu.whitney@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### State prison project draws strong views, harsh criticism URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-department-corrections-lincoln-county-prison-project/ Last updated: 2025-06-27T13:38:32.000Z South Dakota's four-year process to address the state's correctional needs evolved into a plan to build a new men's prison on 160 acres of farmland in Lincoln County between Harrisburg and Canton, with a price tag of $825 million. That's when the drama really began. Landowners near the Lincoln County site railed against the Department of Corrections for a lack of transparency during the search process. Some lawmakers questioned the project's rising cost compared to comparable facilities in other states, urging more study for such a significant investment. Supporters of the plan, including Gov. Larry Rhoden and his predecessor, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, insisted that the nearly 150-year-old South Dakota State Penitentiary in Sioux Falls needs to be replaced, and waiting longer will just make the project more costly. [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/05/donate-3.jpg)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate?ref=sdnewswatch.org) It's a volatile issue, as might be expected for the most expensive publicly funded project in state history. Opinions on when, where and how to build a new prison depend on whom you ask. To help sort it all out, News Watch sought different perspectives of some of the key people involved and let their views and experiences. Their stories will be told in a three-part series this week: - This first part delves into the reasons for and against the prison in the first place. The current Corrections secretary is resolved it's the right project in terms of right place, but a former warden isn't so sure and said there's another more pressing need. - Part 2, on Tuesday, features a judge, county commissioner and politicians. - Part 3, on Thursday, features a family that worked the land at the planned prison site and their concerns on how the rural community will be altered. ## Corrections secretary: 'My job is to deliver' Kellie Wasko knew what she was getting into when Noem appointed her as South Dakota Secretary of Corrections in February 2022. Her predecessor, Mike Leidhol, had retired in August 2020 after being placed on administrative leave as part of an investigation into allegations of sexual abuse and nepotism at the state penitentiary. The Department of Corrections, which operates eight state facilities with about 3,800 inmates, was short on staffing and credibility. It was also running out of prison space, according to a consultant hired to prepare a statewide facility plan. That report from Omaha, Nebraska-based DLR Group was released publicly about a month before Wasko took office, providing a road map to what became a priority for the Noem administration to address the state’s correctional capacity needs. Wasko, who began her career as a correctional nurse in Idaho and served as deputy executive director of corrections in Colorado, serves as the point person for the executive branch mission – now under Rhoden – to bring the $825 million prison project to fruition. ![South Dakota Corrections Secretary Kellie Wasko stands in the gallery of the House of Representatives at the South Dakota State Capitol](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/02/IMG_9418-1.JPG) South Dakota Corrections Secretary Kellie Wasko stands in the gallery of the House of Representatives at the South Dakota State Capitol on Feb. 6, 2025\. She acknowledged that her role in the new prison project is a "heavy lift." (Photo: Stu Whitney / South Dakota News Watch) In a one-on-one interview with News Watch at the South Dakota State Capitol in Pierre on Feb. 6, Wasko acknowledged that her role in the process is a "heavy lift." “It’s an emotional subject,” said Wasko, 53, sitting in the House of Representatives gallery after testifying at a committee hearing. “Building a penitentiary of this magnitude is something that South Dakota has not done in any of our lifetimes. We’re building something that’s meant to last another hundred years.” Staffing issues and clashes with prison industry employers have marred Wasko’s tenure at DOC. Critics such as Doug Weber, the former warden of the state penitentiary appointed by Gov. Bill Janklow in 1996, have questioned her grasp of the state’s correctional landscape. But Wasko's background in correctional health services and focus on reducing recidivism has steeled her resolve in seeking change. She noted that the modern efficiencies of a 1,500-bed medium-to-maximum security complex would provide increased safety for staff but also expanded space for classrooms and counseling for inmates. ![A rendering of the designed layout of the campus for the new men's correctional facility in Lincoln County](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/02/LincolnCountyCorrectionalFacilityRendering-1.jpg) A rendering of the designed layout of the campus for the new men's correctional facility in Lincoln County, which includes seven housing units. (South Dakota Department of Corrections) “It’s about building an appropriate facility that eases overcrowding, but it's also about putting that focus on rehabilitation while they're incarcerated,” said Wasko, who previously served as CEO of Denver-based Correctional Health Partners, a for-profit company that provides health care to prison facilities. She pointed to South Dakota's rising incarceration rate and lack of commitment to justice reforms meant to help non-violent offenders receive alcohol and drug counseling and parole rather than prison time. "There's been some give and take," said Wasko, whose department is now using prison capacity models that fit the national standard of the American Correctional Association rather than the previously cited operational capacity of DOC. Critics such as an opposition group called NOPE said her department has had blinders on since targeting the Lincoln County site, ignoring concerns about the remote location and ballooning costs. Wasko spoke at a meeting of the Lincoln County Board of Commissioners on Jan. 7, citing the authority granted her by House Bill 1017 in 2023 to purchase land and Senate Bill 49 in 2024 to begin site preparation and utility upgrades. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/02/IMG_9615.JPG) The old warden's house at the south entrance of the South Dakota State Penitentiary in northern Sioux Falls is pictured on Feb. 13, 2025\. The prison was originally built before statehood in 1881\. (Photo: Stu Whitney / South Dakota News Watch) Her position was bolstered by a circuit court judge's ruling in October that granted the state's motion to dismiss a lawsuit from NOPE and individual landowners. That decision has been appealed to the South Dakota Supreme Court. Wasko said that legislative appropriations for prison money were not tied specifically to the Lincoln County location, but that's where the site search led them. “The authorization in statute allowed me as secretary of Corrections to buy the land,” she said. “I don’t think I've ever seen a situation where you would be (pigeonholed) into only purchasing land on a certain site. It was more like, 'You're able to purchase land, and make sure you do your due diligence.'” “Due diligence” has become a buzz phrase for DOC as it moves forward with utility work and road planning at the site, preparing for construction that will come if legislators in Pierre approve the final funding piece. ## ****Get South Dakota stories** Sign up for an email summary on most weekdays that links to the full story. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. Wasko acknowledged the consternation of those who live in the area. “I appreciate it. I can appreciate where they live, that they lived in a community that was rural and had rolling fields and now there's a prison coming in. I can appreciate what they're envisioning. And my job is to deliver. I know what a prison looks like in a rural area, and so my job is to make this as informed as possible. It's a little difficult with a lawsuit in between us, so I'm looking forward to being able to get past that," she said. ## Police chief: Sioux Falls services play a role Long before he became chief of police in Sioux Falls, Jon Thum recalls touring the state penitentiary as a child around 1990 with his father, who served as prison chaplain on the hill. “We would go to his office and be able to see into these different sections of the prison, and I remember thinking, ‘Man, this place looks old,’” said Thum of the quartzite-walled facility in northern Sioux Falls, which was built before statehood in 1881. Thirty years later, Thum toured the prison as a police lieutenant preparing to provide logistical support for an execution. He saw crowded cells and crumbling walls as not just signs of an aging facility but as impediments to the aim of rehabilitating inmates so those released don’t resume a life of crime. ![Sioux Falls Police Chief Jon Thum poses for a photo](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/02/IMG_9459-1.jpg) Sioux Falls Police Chief Jon Thum said he doesn't see the proposed location of a new prison in rural Lincoln County as too remote. “The reality is that it's extremely close to Sioux Falls and there's aid that can be provided through partner agencies," he said. (Photo: Sioux Falls Police Department) “Looking at it with adult eyes, you have a realization that it would be hard to get better or work on yourself in an environment where just living is a struggle,” said Thum, 45, who became police chief in 2021\. “I've been consistent in my message that if we’re not talking about how to help people conquer some of their challenges, whether it's addiction or mental health or trauma they’ve experienced, we're not likely to see a better result when they get released.” Sioux Falls, which successfully lobbied nearly 150 years ago to become the site of the Dakota Territory’s first prison, will still play a major role in the correctional process, Thum said. The new prison would be about 10 miles south of the state's largest city. The DLR Group study found that the Jameson Annex, built in 1993 adjacent to the penitentiary, “is in good physical condition and operates in a secure and relatively efficient way.” Sioux Falls also is home to halfway houses such as Glory House and Arch Residential Treatment Center as well as behavioral health services. “The reality is that the (Lincoln County site) is extremely close to Sioux Falls and there's aid that can be provided through partner agencies that have a big footprint in the city,” Thum said. “I don’t anticipate that the release plan (for inmates) is just to turn them loose into the next closest field. That’s not how it works." As for the not in my backyard (NIMBY) component to the prison site objections, Thum said, “If you put it to a statewide vote, I think most people who didn’t have it in their county would vote for it to be (at the proposed location)." ## Researcher: Rising prison rates are 'concerning trend' Gov. Dennis Daugaard, who served as South Dakota's governor from 2011-19, addressed rising incarceration rates in his 2013 State of the State address, calling for justice and sentencing reforms. “Our state faces a clear choice,” the Republican told legislators. “Down one path, we can continue to build prisons and allow corrections to consume an ever-increasing proportion of taxpayer dollars.” The other path he outlined called for “justice reinvestment,” a rehabilitative strategy of drug and alcohol courts, counseling programs and probation options that would keep many nonviolent offenders away from prison cells. ![Former South Dakota Gov. Dennis Daugaard speaks in front of a group of people](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/02/IMG_9659.jpg) Former South Dakota Gov. Dennis Daugaard was a proponent of justice reform that led to the Public Safety Improvement Act of 2013, which reduced juvenile corrections placements and temporarily slowed the increase in the state's adult prison population. (Photo: Argus Leader) The result of this effort was the Public Safety Improvement Act of 2013, or Senate Bill 70, which reduced juvenile corrections placements and temporarily slowed the increase in the state's adult prison population. Now those inmate numbers are back on the rise, according to Jacob Kang-Brown, a senior research fellow for the nonprofit Vera Institute of Justice, which focuses on criminal justice reform. South Dakota has a higher prison incarceration rate than the national average, with 660 people imprisoned for every 100,000 residents, compared to 576 nationally in the final quarter of 2023, according to the most recent data available. The state's incarceration rate increased by 9.1% from 2022-24, the second-highest rate in the Midwest behind Wisconsin (9.2%) and one of the highest rates in the country. The national average was an increase of 1.6%. “We’ve seen states reduce the number of people in prison without seeing an (accompanying) increase in crime. South Dakota is going in the opposite direction,” Kang-Brown told News Watch, noting that the state was well below the national incarceration rate as recently as the 1990s. “South Dakota now locks up more people than the national average, and that's a concerning trend.” The reforms made during Daugaard’s administration left room for judicial discretion, and recent legislative actions have closed the loop on some of the policies that were seen as alternatives to detention. The 2025 legislative session has seen Attorney General Marty Jackley push successfully to widen the list of offenses that are considered violent and result in time behind bars rather than presumptive probation. South Dakota is also the only state in the country with a felony charge for ingestion of a controlled substance. A bill to make that crime a misdemeanor narrowly passed the Senate and will be heard by the House. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/02/Jacob-Kang-Brown-quote.png) Kang-Brown sees attempts by some states to “arrest their way out of social problems” as troublesome down the road if not combined with efforts to combat recidivism. “People across the political spectrum want real public safety, and I think the 'tough on crime' rhetoric can be a dead-end," said Kang-Brown, who holds a doctorate in criminology and law from the University of California-Irvine. "Almost everybody who goes to prison comes out again and is going to be back to being a member of your community and one of your neighbors. So states should really be investing in trying to find ways to meet the needs of people getting caught up in the criminal justice system.” ## Former warden: Time for a 'pause' on prison project Weber’s career in the South Dakota correctional industry spanned 32 years, including stints as chief warden and director of adult prison operations. There are few people as knowledgeable about the state penitentiary as Weber, who retired in 2013\. He thinks the aging Sioux Falls facility still has some life in it. “My biggest concern is that they’re replacing the wrong prison,” said Weber, 70, who has been publicly critical of the Lincoln County prison project. He told News Watch that the facility he’s concerned about is Mike Durfee State Prison on the former University of South Dakota-Springfield campus, 30 miles west of Yankton. That medium-custody prison currently houses 1,200 inmates, compared to 754 at the state penitentiary. The buildings being utilized for housing inmates in Springfield were built as college dormitories and "are not conducive to a prison," according to Weber. “It's stick-built like our houses, made out of lumber and nails and shingles,” he said of the Springfield prison complex. “So it's very susceptible to all kinds of things, including natural disasters or deliberate inmate actions. I understand that the state penitentiary is old, but it will never be blown down by a natural disaster. It will never burn down.” Springfield Mayor Scott Kostal pushed back strongly on that analysis, telling News Watch that Mike Durfee inmates are "housed in brick and mortar buildings, built as college dormitories to provide safety from significant environmental events." ![Doug Weber stands outside the South Dakota State Penitentiary in northern Sioux Falls](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/02/IMG_9652-1.jpg) Doug Weber stands outside the South Dakota State Penitentiary in northern Sioux Falls, S.D., on Feb. 13, 2025\. The former chief warden has been a public opponent of building a new men's prison in rural Lincoln County. (Photo: Stu Whitney / South Dakota News Watch) DOC officials have said that building a new prison in Lincoln County will help manage the number of inmates in Springfield, where violence flared over two days in July, with several injuries reported before order was restored. Weber sees the design of Mike Durfee as a problem, not just overcrowding. "There's no way to secure inmates in those dormitories," he said. "All the staff could do (during the violence last summer) was pull back to a safe area and allow the inmates to do what they were going to do and reinforce the perimeter to make sure there were no escapes." ![The exterior of the Mike Durfee State Prison](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/02/IMG_9654.jpg) Mike Durfee State Prison, located on the former University of South Dakota campus in Springfield, S.D., is a medium-custody prison that currently houses 1,200 inmates. (Photo: Department of Corrections) Weber has called for a "pause" in the Lincoln County prison project to allow for more study on which facilities should stay or go. One of his ideas is to replace Mike Durfee with a new prison on state land in the Yankton area, relying on the Jameson Annex in Sioux Falls to provide maximum-security beds. Gov. Rhoden bristled at a press conference when told that Weber doubted some of the more lurid descriptions of the state penitentiary's deterioration. "Well, I won't disparage him," said Rhoden. "But I saw it for myself, and I know what I saw. So I guess that brings into question what his agenda is. I won't comment any further on that." ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/08/Facebook-copy.png) Asked why he waited until recently to publicly oppose DOC plans, Weber said that he realized the urgency of the 2025 legislative session as a proving ground for the project. “It became really obvious that this was it,” he said. “If there was any hope at all of pausing this and doing something much wiser, the time is now.” He has attended NOPE community meetings and traveled to Pierre to meet with Republican legislators. Asked about personal priorities, Weber told News Watch that he’s a resident of Lincoln County but lives in Sioux Falls. “I’m a long way from that cornfield,” he said. [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *every few days to get stories as soon as they're published. *Contact Stu Whitney* at* [*stu.whitney@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:stu.whitney@sdnewswatch.org) ### International educators help alleviate SD teacher shortage URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/international-teachers-program-south-dakota-education/ Last updated: 2025-06-27T13:38:33.000Z STEPHAN, S.D. – "Three, two, one. OK, in your seats." Just as she did as a teacher in her native Philippines, Madgelie Camba uses a countdown method to gain the attention of the gaggle of second-graders she now teaches at the Crow Creek Tribal School in central South Dakota. Her diminutive stature and slight Filipino accent create no barriers to effectively managing and teaching the students, who on a recent day were in their seats with pencils ready by the time Camba's countdown reached its end. "I have to be strict with my kids, very consistent, so they get used to a routine," said Camba, who has 24 years of teaching experience. "After that, they will be more motivated to learn." ## ****Get South Dakota stories** Sign up for an email summary on most weekdays that links to the full story. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. Camba is part of a growing trend in which South Dakota school districts are increasingly hiring international teachers on visa programs to fill open classroom positions. In all, 446 international teachers hold active certificates to teach in South Dakota schools, said Mary Stadick Smith, deputy secretary for the South Dakota Department of Education. The number of certificates issued to international teachers peaked in the 2023-24 school year, when 138 new certificates were issued, she said. About 50 public school districts had foreign teachers on staff in 2024, the DOE said. The top three countries of origin are the Philippines, Columbia and Spain. The DOE said the foreign instructors teach a variety of subjects and grade levels, and all must have valid visas and state certification as required by law. ## Filling gaps in the classroom South Dakota, like nearly every other U.S. state, struggles with a shortage of teachers, making international educators a hot prospect for desperate administrators. As of January, the Associated School Boards of South Dakota had 366 openings listed on its statewide education job board, though that included some non-teaching positions. In early February, the Sioux Falls School District listed 37 teacher openings, and the Rapid City Area Schools had 45 openings. An aging workforce and high level of retirements, low pay compared to other states and increased political tension in the classroom are creating the teacher shortage, according to [prior reporting by News Watch.](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/teacher-shortage-worsens-in-south-dakota-due-to-politics-low-pay-and-lack-of-respect/) [Teacher shortage worsens in South Dakota due to politics, low pay and lack of respectConcern over the future of the teaching profession in South Dakota has led to more aggressive efforts by education officials to train and inspire a new generation of classroom leaders,…![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-73.jpg)South Dakota News WatchStu Whitney![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/Teachers-2-Dashawn-Sykes-with-students-2048x1369.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/teacher-shortage-worsens-in-south-dakota-due-to-politics-low-pay-and-lack-of-respect/) Across the country in 2022, there were 36,000 teacher vacancies and about 163,000 educators teaching classes they were not certified or trained in, according to the Annenberg EdExchange at Brown University. South Dakota Education Secretary Joseph Graves said in an email to News Watch that the state supports the use of international teachers. "This has proved to be an effective strategy in remote areas of the state where schools have an especially difficult time finding qualified teachers," Graves wrote. "While DOE is not involved in local hiring decisions, we are supportive of districts' efforts to use qualified international teachers as one strategy for addressing teacher shortages." ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/02/International-teacher-fact-box--1-.png) Schools adapt to teacher vacancies in several ways, including doubling class sizes, obtaining a state waiver to employ a long-term substitute or using computers to access virtual teaching. But for Rob Coverdale, superintendent of Crow Creek Tribal School district in Stephan, those options were unacceptable because student learning could be negatively affected. ## Attracting experienced foreign teachers Instead, Coverdale has led an effort to recruit more international teachers to the district, which now employs 22 teachers from the Philippines, making up roughly half its certified teaching staff. "It's hard to get teachers anywhere, but out here in Stephan, it's even harder," he said of the tiny community that is about an hour drive from Pierre or Chamberlain. "So having 100% certified teachers on staff, it's a nice place to be." Hiring international teachers is time-consuming and expensive, costing about $5,000 to $8,000 per employee, Coverdale said. The costs, sometimes paid to companies that arrange for teacher hirings, go for documentation to clear customs, obtain a visa, complete a background check and earn state certification. Teachers come to Crow Creek either on a J-1 non-immigrant visa, which is aimed at cultural exchanges, or an H-1B non-immigrant visa that is for individuals working in specialized, high-need fields of employment. J-1 visas are easier to obtain but last only two to five years, while H-1B visas can last up to six years, Coverdale said. ![Rob Coverdale, superintendent of the Crow Creek Tribal School district in Stephan, S.D.,](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/02/2025-2-7-Rob-Coverdale-Crow-Creek-Super-1-1-1.jpg) Rob Coverdale, superintendent of the Crow Creek Tribal School district in Stephan, S.D., is shown in his office on Feb. 7, 2025\. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) The teachers who come to South Dakota and other U.S. states tend to have several years of classroom experience and advanced college degrees, Coverdale said. So far, he has been highly impressed with their prowess in teaching and ability to connect with students. "It's quite a process, but the end result is you get great, experienced teachers," he said. "From top to bottom, I've been very pleased with their attitudes and the results." Coverdale said all of his international teachers are bilingual and speak very strong English, and they bring a refreshing dose of multiculturalism to the schools, the students and their parents and the local community. [South Dakota’s teacher shortage a matter of pay and pipelineWhile the Legislature works to address teacher pay, groups like Educators Rising tap current students to consider a future career in education![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-74.jpg)South Dakota News WatchJackie Hendry![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/Classroom2-1.png)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-teacher-pay-salary-national-rankings/) The international teachers live in on-campus housing and some have brought their children to learn in local schools and a few brought spouses, including some who also work as teachers or in other positions within the school district. The Filipino teachers have created a collegial atmosphere on the campus, helping each other and often traveling together to Pierre to go shopping or to Huron, where they are able to find Asian foods. Coverdale said the international teachers are paid on the same scale as other district teachers, with a starting annual salary of $47,000 that rises with experience and education level. "It's an awesome professional and financial opportunity for them," he said. "Their earning power, especially when it comes to the money value back home, it's substantial." ## 'South Dakota is my home' Camba, 45, lives in a rental home on the Crow Creek school campus with her husband, who also teaches at the school, and their teenage daughter, who attends high school in nearby Highmore. ![Philippine native Madgelie Camba, shown at Crow Creek Tribal School in Stephan, S.D., on Feb. 7, 2025, is one of a growing number of international educators](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/02/2025-2-7-Madgelie-Camba-Philipp-teacher-at-desk-1-1.jpg) Philippine native Madgelie Camba, shown at Crow Creek Tribal School in Stephan, S.D., on Feb. 7, 2025, is one of a growing number of international educators teaching in South Dakota schools. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) Earning two salaries in the U.S. has allowed the couple to build a home and buy a farm in the Philippines, and to help support her parents and nine siblings back home. Camba said the children she teaches at Crow Creek are similar to students she taught in the Philippines and in Bahrain, though she sees less parental involvement among some American parents, especially those who struggle financially, she said. ![A sign outside the Crow Creek Tribal School system in Stephan, South Dakota.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/02/2025-2-7-Crow-Creek-school-sign-1-1.jpg) The Crow Creek Tribal School system in Stephan, S.D., shown on Feb. 7, 2025, has 22 international teachers on its staff and has eliminated its shortage of certified teachers as a result. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) Camba said she enjoys the quiet, safe and isolated nature of living in Stephan on the Crow Creek Indian Reservation, though after a couple years, she has soured on the cold weather. "At first, I was excited by snow and the winters, but now I'm tired of it," she said. However, between her love for her students and the welcoming nature of the Crow Creek school and local community, Camba said she has become more comfortable in her surroundings. "I'm starting to feel that South Dakota is my home," she said. ## Helping support family back home Ronneil Vergara is a native of the Philippines who has taught in several foreign countries, including at Crow Creek Tribal School, where he arrived last fall. Vergara teaches special education – one of the high-need fields in South Dakota schools – and works to improve reading, language and math skills for students with physical or learning disabilities. He has a master's degree and two doctoral degrees in education and curriculum. ![Ronneil Vergara sits at his desk in front of his computer](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/02/2025-2-7-Ronniel-Vergara--Philipp-teacher-1.jpg) Ronneil Vergara, shown on Feb. 7, 2025, a native of the Philippines who is teaching special education students at the Crow Creek Tribal School in Stephan, S.D. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) The transition to teaching in the U.S. is fairly easy for many Philippine teachers because the schools there are based on the principles of the American education system and English is the primary language. Vergara said his salary in the U.S., which is three or four times what he would earn as a teacher in the Philippines, allows him to send money back home, in particular to care for his brother who suffered a traumatic brain injury in an accident. "My job here sustains him," he said. [Inflation reverses gains made in South Dakota teacher payTeacher pay has risen in South Dakota, but an analysis shows educators are losing purchasing power at an even greater rate.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-75.jpg)South Dakota News WatchBart Pfankuch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/Teacher-Sarah-Gross-at-door.JPG)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-teacher-pay-inflation-salaries/) Vergara, 37, is on an H-1B work visa, which is for three years but allows for another three years if renewed. Vergara is also not a big fan of winter weather and can get depressed. But he has found enjoyment in getting his driver's license, buying a used Ford Explorer and traveling around the state and greater Midwest. So far, he has been pleased by his decision to teach in South Dakota and feels it has helped him grow as a person and as an educator. "Some of the parents of my students here have treated me like I was part of their family," Vergara said. "I have been warmly welcomed, and it has been a pleasure to be of service here in the school. And I hope they are enjoying our presence here." ## International teachers working across the state The Sioux Falls School District employs a few international teachers but only in its Spanish language immersion program, said district spokeswoman DeeAnn Konrad. “In our schools, it is for a specific skill set that they’re coming here with and that’s to speak and teach in their native language of Spanish,” Konrad said. George Shipley, superintendent of the Bison School District in remote northwestern South Dakota, first learned of the concept of recruiting foreign teachers when he was an administrator for the McLaughlin School District. When he took the job in Bison, the district already employed teachers from the Philippines, and Shipley has gladly continued the effort. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/02/George-Shipley-quote.jpg) “These are highly qualified teachers, and on average, we’re getting teachers from the Philippines with 10 years of experience and advanced degrees,” Shipley said. “They are awesome teachers who usually breeze through the certification process of the South Dakota Department of Education.” The Bison schools have integrated some of the Filipino culture into its schools as a way to educate students and staff and broaden cultural awareness in the community, Shipley said. The school cook has implemented some Filipino dishes into the student menu along with other non-traditional student meals. When a student tries a new dish, they get a sticker to wear home so their parents know they experienced something new, Shipley said. “It’s a bigger tapestry at our school that allows us to explore new ideas, and these (international) teachers are part of that,” he said. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/02/2025-2-7-Madge-in-classroom-1.jpg) Madgelie Camba prepares to teach after her second-grade students at Crow Creek Tribal School made their way into the classroom in Stephan, S.D., on Feb. 7, 2025\. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) While he continues to support the district’s foreign teachers and promotes their value inside and outside the school system, Shipley said the biggest incentive to bring them to Bison is to alleviate the ongoing teacher shortage. “The bottom line is this: 'Do you want a teacher in the classroom or do you want your kids to learn virtually through a video screen?'” he said. The Bison schools contract with a firm called Teach Quest, which works with schools across the country by handling the teacher recruitment and immigration paperwork. [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/05/donate-3.jpg)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Shipley said the Bison community has embraced the foreign teachers, with one resident making available a three-bedroom home that is rented by a small group of teachers who live together. During summers, some Filipino teachers have toured Yellowstone National Park or visited relatives in New Jersey or other states, Shipley said. A couple of Filipino teachers have obtained a driver’s license and a car, which they can sell to new Filipino teachers who come to Bison to teach, he said. Shipley said he has great respect and a deep appreciation for the guts it takes for Filipino teachers to come to Bison. “I’m very honored and appreciative of what these folks are doing because it’s a huge culture shock for them,” he said. “You leave a tropical island, you’ve never seen snow in your life, and now you live in northern South Dakota in December? My goodness.” [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact* *Bart Pfankuch* at* [*bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Are more elderly South Dakotans working? URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/senior-citizen-elderly-working-labor-jobs/ Last updated: 2025-02-20T12:09:21.000Z ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/WhiteFACT-BRIEF--500-x-200-px--2-1-1.png) ## Yes. A growing number of South Dakotans continue to work past retirement age. In 2018, a quarter of South Dakotans 65 and older were in the labor force. Five years later, that number climbed to 29%, above the national rate of 19%. As of July 2024, 18% of South Dakotans were 65 and older. That's up from 14% in 2010\. From 2000-2020 the nationwide share of workers 60 and older doubled, due in part to the aging population and falling birth rates. Other contributing factors include employers shifting away from pension-type retirement plans, which encourage workers to retire at a specific age, and the Social Security system raising the age for when workers can receive full benefits from 65 to 67. *This fact brief responds to conversations such as*[ *this one*](https://www.reddit.com/r/SiouxFalls/comments/1hamloi/elderly%5Fworkforce%5Fin%5Fsioux%5Ffalls/?rdt=32815&ref=sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Sources South Dakota Department of Labor,[ 2018 Workforce Report](https://dlr.sd.gov/lmic/publications/labor%5Fmarket%5Freports/workforce%5Freport%5F2018.pdf?ref=sdnewswatch.org) South Dakota Department of Labor,[ 2023 Workforce Report](https://dlr.sd.gov/lmic/publications/labor%5Fmarket%5Freports/workforce%5Freport%5F2023.pdf?ref=sdnewswatch.org) United States Census,[ Population 65 and Older 2024](https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/SD?ref=sdnewswatch.org) United States Census,[ Population 65 and Older 2010](https://data.census.gov/table/ACSST1Y2010.S0103?q=South%20Dakota%20age&ref=sdnewswatch.org) National Academies,[ Understanding the Aging Workforce](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK588545/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Pew Research Center,[ The growth of the older workforce](https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2023/12/14/the-growth-of-the-older-workforce/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) --- [**South Dakota News Watch**](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/) partners with [**Gigafact**](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org), a nonprofit network of nonpartisan newsrooms, to verify trending claims through fact briefs. [**Read previous fact briefs**](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/tag/fact-brief/) and our verification standards and other [**best practices policies**](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/best-practices/). **Have a question we can answer?** Submit it at the [**South Dakota News Watch Tipline**](https://gigafact.org/tipline/south-dakota-news-watch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). Send questions or feedback to [**factbrief@sdnewswatch.org**](mailto:factbrief@sdnewswatch.org). [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/05/donate-3.jpg)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate?ref=sdnewswatch.org) [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact Megan Luther* at* [*megan.luther@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:megan.luther@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Q&A: Dusty Johnson talks Trump, tariffs and the Panama Canal URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/dusty-johnson-president-trump-immigration-ice-tariffs-panama-canal/ Last updated: 2025-06-27T13:38:33.000Z South Dakota U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson has a front-row seat in Congress to all the changes accompanying the new White House resident down the street on Pennsylvania Avenue. And he [posted a photo on](https://x.com/RepDustyJohnson?ref=sdnewswatch.org) social media Sunday thanking President Donald Trump for inviting him to the Super Bowl. During a visit to the Black Hills Stock Show in Rapid City a week earlier, the Republican weighed in on the top issue constituents want to talk about, why he sponsored a bill to buy back the Panama Canal, his thoughts on the presidential pardons of Capitol rioters and other issues. Here, in his own words, are Johnson's answers, which have been edited for length. ### Question: What are you hearing from your constituents in Rapid City today? Answer: "It's still a lot about the border. I mean, really, in the last two years, that has been the dominant policy topic. People have seen how quickly things have changed. They saw that in the House. We passed the [Laken Riley Act](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/5?ref=sdnewswatch.org) (that requires detainment of illegal immigrants who commit crimes) and then we got it signed into law by President Trump. They have seen that border crossings are fallen by two-thirds in a relatively short span of time. So I think there's some optimism around the idea that we can actually solve some of these public policy problems that were, really, the referendum that the November election turned on." ### Q: What are your top priorities in the current session of the U.S. House of Representatives? A: "I'm a big believer in work requirements. We, of course, we need to have programs that help people out when they're in trouble, when they're down and out. If you're able-bodied, you should work. ... I would tell you, also, the Chinese Communist Party is also a much bigger threat than most Americans realize. And so my bill to prohibit the Chinese Communist Party from buying American farmland, that is a real crowd-pleaser because I think everyone understands food security is national security. And there is no reason we should give an adversary control over our food supply. ... And then the border, of course." ## ****Get South Dakota stories** Sign up for an email summary on most weekdays that links to the full story. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. ### Q: Are you concerned at all about immigration crackdowns affecting South Dakota agriculture or businesses? A: "To the extent that there are South Dakota businesses who may be relying on the illegal labor, on labor that's not allowed to be here, they are. They are going to be impacted. Americans here illegally understand they're here illegally. I've talked to a number of folks. I mean, every day I'm talking to people who were not born in America, and those people were here legally. Overwhelmingly, the sense I get from them is that they know they don't have anything to fear." ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/02/Dusty-Johnson-quote.png) ### Q: Why did you sponsor the bill to allow the U.S. to take over control of the Panama Canal? A: "I think the president should be given the flexibility to go have the conversation. I get it, a lot of folks on the left don't like Donald Trump. I do get a little frustrated at all of the pearl clutching, the idea that it's dangerous to even have a conversation. ... It seems like some on the left are more comfortable with Chinese Communist Party influence in the Panama region than they are with American influence. ... It is an asset that is uniquely important to our country. I don't know whether buying back the canal is possible. I don't know whether it's prudent. But I don't know why we wouldn't at least evaluate whether or not there's a willing buyer, willing seller situation." ![a large cargo ship in a body of water](https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1641176716788-d4816a66dc6d?crop=entropy&cs=tinysrgb&fit=max&fm=jpg&ixid=M3wxMTc3M3wwfDF8c2VhcmNofDJ8fFBhbmFtYSUyMENhbmFsfGVufDB8fHx8MTczOTEyNDg5Nnww&ixlib=rb-4.0.3&q=80&w=2000) The Panama Canal. (Photo by [Rikin Katyal](https://unsplash.com/@sirvar?ref=sdnewswatch.org) / [Unsplash](https://unsplash.com/?utm%5Fsource=ghost&utm%5Fmedium=referral&utm%5Fcampaign=api-credit)) ### Q: How would you describe the mood in Congress now that a new president has taken office? A: "Donald Trump said throughout the campaign that when he came to office, he was going to roll back a lot of the executive orders that Joe Biden put into place. And of course, I've grown increasingly uncomfortable with all of these executive orders that these presidents put out there because I think Congress should be making the laws. And so I think it's refreshing to see the president roll back some of these Biden executive orders, in essence undoing a wrong. ... I think that the mood in Congress is one of enthusiasm and excitement. I think we know that there is a real possibility that Congress will be able to pass legislation that secures the border and is bipartisan, and to roll back regulations. I think we will have a number of bills that roll back regulations, that will pass on a bipartisan basis, overwhelmingly. ... You get a certain amount of outrage around Donald Trump. That is indeed for political purposes rather than for legitimate policy concerns." [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/05/donate-3.jpg)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate?ref=sdnewswatch.org) ### Q: What impact do you expect to see from Trump's plan to impose new tariffs on imports from Canada, Mexico and China? A: "One thing that the Trump administration said, even in the information they've released to the public, they use the word 'leverage.' I think they are interested in making sure that we have, No. 1, a fair trading relationship with other countries, and, No. 2, that those countries are doing what they can to stop the flow of poison, fentanyl and (methamphetamine), into this country. And so it seems to me that the president has been very clear that these are areas where he wants to have leverage in conversations with these countries. And I do think there are ways in which targeted tariffs can be helpful in building some domestic industry. Clearly, you can overdo tariffs too. I mean, this is a policy tool that I think Donald Trump understands can be used for leverage can be used in a targeted way. Those would be the most effective ways to make sure that we make America stronger. I mean, how much did the Trump tariffs contribute to inflation in his first term? It was the lowest rate of inflation in modern economic history. The real wages were growing at twice the rate of inflation, which is remarkable. Wage growth was growing at twice the rate of inflation, and Trump certainly used tariffs in targeted ways in his first term, in ways that did not contribute to widespread inflation. Again, I think it's not to look at a tool as inherently good or inherently bad. We want to look at it like a lot of tools, which is, 'OK, how do you use this tool in the most productive way?'" ### Q: How do you feel about Trump's pardon for almost all the Jan. 6, 2021, rioters who stormed the Capitol in Washington? A: "We shouldn't be condoning violence. Clearly, I think I would view people who trespass differently than people who attack police officers. One thing we know is that the Constitution gives the president unilateral power in that way. And I was, of course, disappointed when President Biden gave a blanket and probably the most sweeping pardon in American history to his son. And so I understand why people wonder if this pardon power that we give the president and the Constitution is perhaps too broad. ... Of course, we should not condone those who commit violence against police officers. And I think Americans are right to wonder whether or not the power, the pardon power, as it exists in the Constitution, if that's a little too broad. I think what Joe Biden did with his son was concerning, and I can understand why others feel that way about the Jan. 6 pardons." [Dusty Johnson went from SD Republican boy wonder to the US House. Is he tough enough to be the next governor?Dusty Johnson has risen from a fresh face on the PUC and chief of staff for Gov. Dennis Daugaard to South Dakota’s U.S. House Representative. Could a run for governor be next?![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-71.jpg)South Dakota News WatchStu Whitney![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/Johnson2022-3.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/dusty-johnson-south-dakota-us-house-representative-profile/) ### Q: What's the next step for you in your career? A: "Let's go get the reconciliation package we're working on the House done. I mean, let's make sure we don't increase taxes on American families by $5 trillion, and let's make sure we secure the border and let's make sure we roll back regulations. There will always be time to play politics. There will be time for me to play politics down the road. I've just got to be focused on getting our job done. I mean, we are 12 days into Donald Trump's term. I think South Dakotans could rightfully be a little irritated if I was already looking toward the next election." [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact* *Bart Pfankuch* at* [*bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Immigration crackdown comes to South Dakota URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/illegal-immigration-ice-president-trump-south-dakota-impact/ Last updated: 2025-06-27T13:38:33.000Z In his first few weeks in office, President Donald Trump has upheld his campaign promise to crack down on illegal immigration in the United States, and that includes South Dakota. Here is a snapshot of some of the ways the immigration issue is playing out in the Rushmore State, with details below: - The Minnehaha County sheriff confirms that more federal immigration detainees from South Dakota are showing up in the Sioux Falls jail. - Misinformation about immigration enforcement is rampant, and many immigrants in Sioux Falls are worried for their freedom, one advocate said. - U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson said that people from other countries who are here legally should have nothing to worry about amid the increase in federal immigration enforcement. - The Sioux Falls School District, the most diverse school system in the state, is trying to assure parents and students that education will continue as normal. - A Rapid City Mexican restaurant is fighting back against false rumors that the eatery was raided by federal immigration officers. ## Milstead: Immigration enforcement on rise in SD Efforts to apprehend illegal immigrants with criminal warrants have stepped up in South Dakota since Trump took office, and it's likely that some illegal immigrants without criminal charges are also being detained, said Minnehaha County Sheriff Michael Milstead. In a two-day period in the last week of January, six people on U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainers were brought to the Minnehaha County Jail for processing and holding for up to 48 hours, he said. Of those six detained locally, at least two were known to have active local warrants, Milstead said. Even though he has no hard data, Milstead said he expects that many more illegal immigrants have been detained in recent weeks in South Dakota, either those held at the Minnehaha County Jail or some who were immediately sent to ICE facilities outside the state. [LSS calls Musk’s illegal claims ‘completely baseless’Tech billionaire Elon Musk accused refugee resettlement programs of receiving federal funds illegally, even though Congress approved the spending.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-70.jpg)South Dakota News WatchStu Whitney![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/lss.2-3.JPG)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/lutheran-social-services-lss-south-dakota-elon-musk-doge/) Milstead said that as federal authorities apprehend immigrants with criminal warrants, they are also arresting anyone they encounter who is not in the country legally. Milstead said his department has had two immigration-related federal partnerships in place for years. In one cooperative effort, information on foreign arrestees is shared with federal authorities and in the other, fingerprints of those individuals are shared with ICE. “There has been no sweeping change in what we do, but in fact, we’ve seen a significant increase in those ICE holds and it’s obviously because of the change in the priorities of the new (Trump) administration,” he said. “If you work for the federal government in any Homeland Security division, you’ve been really busy the last few weeks because there’s been a 180-degree change in priorities. And the priority now is to apprehend those individuals who pose a danger to our community.” Milstead, who chairs the drug enforcement committee of the National Sheriff’s Association, said he recently met with top immigration and drug enforcement officials from the federal government. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/02/Milstead-quote.png) One goal of stronger immigration enforcement is to reduce the flow of drugs, particularly fentanyl, into the country at international borders in the southwestern U.S., to the north with Canada and on the Florida coast, he said. “While they’re two different issues, immigration enforcement and drug enforcement, we know they are related,” Milstead said. “We know (drug cartels) are targeting migrants coming across the border to carry these drugs, and targeting them for human trafficking, child exploitation and labor trafficking, or anything else they’re doing to try to build their cartel infrastructure.” Milstead said local and county law enforcement officers are not empowered to conduct immigration investigations on their own, but his agency will continue to assist federal authorities in their efforts. Milstead said he is working with community leaders in Minnehaha County to share what he knows about the ongoing immigration enforcement efforts. [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/05/donate-3.jpg)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate?ref=sdnewswatch.org) An [extensive video](https://www.facebook.com/100064563645123/videos/961272735990305) he released on social media recently to answer questions about local immigration enforcement has tens of thousands of views, he said. “There was a lot of misinformation out there,” he said. “We were hearing stories that the police and sheriffs offices were swooping in and dragging women and children out of homes, and that just isn’t the truth." ## Advocate: Immigrants worried across the state Sioux Falls immigration attorney and civic leader Taneeza Islam said that even though she has not heard of any major immigration raids or sweeps in South Dakota, many immigrants are fearful they might be somehow caught up in the immigration crackdown. “People are terrified,” she said. “They’re not going to work, they’re not sending their kids to school, they’re not getting medical services, they’re not going to social events such as soccer practice or other events.” Islam is the CEO of South Dakota Voices for Peace and also is an organizer of the South Dakota Dream Coalition, a consortium of groups that advocate for underserved populations, including immigrants. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/02/untitled-design-33.png) Taneeza Islam is a Sioux Falls, S.D., immigration attorney and advocate who says the recent immigration enforcement crackdown is causing stress for immigrants in South Dakota. (Photo: Courtesy South Dakota Voices for Peace) Islam said she has heard from many immigrants who are worried they might be targeted by federal authorities. Most concerns have come from Sioux Falls but also in other areas of the state, including from employees of hotels and construction firms in particular, she said. Misinformation being spread on social media about the severity of the crackdown is leading to greater anxiety, Islam said. “There’s a lot of fear but also an exponential amount of disinformation and misinformation that everyone is seeing on social media. And that is exacerbating the fears,” she said. ## ****Get South Dakota stories** Sign up for an email summary on most weekdays that links to the full story. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. Islam and her advocacy colleagues have posted some online videos, in both English and Spanish, to provide accurate information to the community. One video was the sit-down with Sheriff Milstead that has received significant audience engagement. The biggest message Islam wants to send right now is for immigrants to know their rights under the law, including to demand a warrant from a federal agent trying to enter a property and to know they can remain silent and request an attorney. “Our position is that we can’t outpace misinformation, but what we can do is provide true and accurate information,” she said. “(And) if we can make ICE follow the rules and laws, then everyone will be within their rights.” ## Sioux Falls schools tempering concerns The Sioux Falls School District has taken steps to alleviate concerns or fears that students or parents might have amid the heightened focus on immigration enforcement in the state and nation. District spokeswoman DeeAnn Konrad told News Watch that the school district wants everyone to know that the district has a commitment to teach all students regardless of any outside forces or messaging. "We want to make sure our families know that we are here for teaching and learning and we’re going to do that regardless of everything that’s happening in the political world and with law enforcement,” Konrad said. The Sioux Falls school system, where an estimated 106 languages are spoken, is highly diverse in student population. The 2024 district demographic report indicates that 44.6% of the 24,201 students in 2024 were non-white, including Hispanic students that made up 16.5% of the overall enrollment. Konrad said the district does not survey parents or students about their legal immigration status when developing its demographic reports. “We have no need to ask that question because we’re required by law to educate all students and we will do that,” she said. “We try to make sure our (district employees) are controlling what you can control, and that is that when kids show up at school, we can love them and teach them.” ## In Huron, legal immigrants worry Diana Vianey Pineda, a 31-year-old native of Guerrero, Mexico, came to South Dakota in 2015 to work at the Dakota Provisions meat processing plant in Huron. She and her husband started their own piñata business, Piñatas La Mexicanahas, in 2021. Pineda was part of an influx that gave Beadle County the highest percentage of Hispanic residents in the state at 14.3%. She told News Watch that Hispanic residents are on edge because of recent immigration crackdowns. "Unfortunately in Huron, we are having a big problem," she said. "The Hispanic community does not go out, for fear of being detained by immigration, even if they're legal." ## Rapid City restaurant fights ICE rumors Owners of a Mexican restaurant in Rapid City took to Facebook to counter rumors that it had been raided by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. The owner of Albertano’s Mexican Restaurant [posted a message on Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story%5Ffbid=pfbid05dqUab7ZPCQYk2vADYk4Q2TjeRMqajKH2Af3WJ4nQfFfH9KNfzgAJHP1uAbM3tidl&id=100089871296656) on Jan. 28 labeled “FALSE INFORMATION” and went on to say that other social media postings about a government raid at the restaurant were not true. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/02/Albertanos-restaurant.jpg) Albertano's restaurant in Rapid City, S.D., shown on Jan. 31, 2025, was the subject of false statements on social media about an immigration raid. (Photo: Courtesy Rapid City Journal) “It has come to our attention that people are posting things that ICE took our employees and ICE has been to our premises. This information is totally false. I don't know what intention people are doing this because we've been the only Mexican restaurant mentioned in this whole thing,” Maria Santana wrote. The post also noted that “just because we are Mexican does not mean we are undocumented.” The Facebook post by Albertano’s has since drawn more than 200 likes and 50 comments, many from customers who said they support the restaurant and will continue to patronize it, perhaps with more frequency. “I have not been to your restaurant yet, but I will make a point of it in support of you,” one woman posted. “So sorry people have targeted you for misinformation.” ## Rep. Dusty Johnson: Only illegal immigrants need worry U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson told News Watch that foreigners who are in the country legally should not be worried about law enforcement actions. "Americans who are here illegally, understand they're here illegally," Johnson said Saturday in an interview with News Watch in Rapid City. "Every day I'm talking to people who were not born in America, and those people were here legally. Overwhelmingly, the sense I get from them is that they know they don't have anything to fear." The Republican said that ICE has focused its deportation efforts on illegal immigrants with criminal backgrounds. "A substantial proportion of the people they have picked up have been folks with criminal records," he said. "I think ICE has done a good job of getting in and understanding who has been here has been adjudicated, who has been found guilty and who has not been deported because of the policies of this (former President Joe Biden's) administration. So I do think they've been trying to do some pretty good work in targeting." ## 'Sanctuary city' bill moves forward quickly Lawmakers from both chambers of the South Dakota Legislature have passed a bill that would prevent the state or any municipality from enacting laws or ordinances that prevent law enforcement agents or residents from cooperating with federal immigration officials or that grants an illegal immigrant legal status. [Senate Bill 7 ](https://sdlegislature.gov/Session/Bill/25627/272393?ref=sdnewswatch.org)was passed 35-0 by the Senate on Jan. 24 and carried 62-6 in the House of Representatives on Feb. 3\. The measure seeks to prevent the creation of so-called sanctuary cities, which in some other states have become local safe havens for undocumented immigrants. As of Feb. 4, the measure awaited only the governor's signature before becoming law. [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *Investigative reporter Stu Whitney contributed to this story, which was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact* *Bart Pfankuch* at* [*bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Is South Dakota required to provide ambulances to 911 callers? URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/gigafact-fact-brief-south-dakota-911-ambulances-medical-services/ Last updated: 2025-02-17T13:18:30.000Z ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/WhiteFACT-BRIEF--500-x-200-px--2-1-1.png) ## No. South Dakota hasn't declared emergency medical services, or EMS, to be an “essential service,” meaning the state and county governments aren’t required to provide them. For example, residents in rural areas may call 911 for an ambulance, but it may not arrive due to distance, high demand or other reasons. South Dakota is among the majority of states that don't require emergency medical services, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures, a bipartisan organization that serves legislators and staff. In January 2025, South Dakota state Rep. Eric Emery, a Democrat from Rosebud, introduced a bill co-sponsored by Republican legislators that would have required cities and counties to provide EMS, but it failed to make it out of committee. In 2020, Nebraska declared emergency medical services to be an essential service and is one of at least 15 states to do so. *This fact brief responds to conversations such as* [*this one*](https://x.com/cullywilliams/status/1877555406156771570?ref=sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### **Sources** South Dakota Searchlight, [You might need an ambulance, but your state might not see it as ‘essential’](https://southdakotasearchlight.com/2023/09/11/you-might-need-an-ambulance-but-your-state-might-not-see-it-as-essential/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) National Conference of State Legislatures, [State Policies Defining EMS as Essentia](https://www.ncsl.org/health/state-policies-defining-ems-as-essential?ref=sdnewswatch.org)l South Dakota Legislative Research Council, [House Bill 1043](https://sdlegislature.gov/Session/Bill/25606?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Nebraska's [Emergency Medical Service Act](https://dhhs.ne.gov/licensure/Documents/EmergencyMedicalServicesAct.pdf?ref=sdnewswatch.org) --- [**South Dakota News Watch**](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/) partners with [**Gigafact**](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org), a nonprofit network of nonpartisan newsrooms, to verify trending claims through fact briefs. [**Read previous fact briefs**](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/tag/fact-brief/) and our verification standards and other [**best practices policies**](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/best-practices/). **Have a question we can answer?** Submit it at the [**South Dakota News Watch Tipline**](https://gigafact.org/tipline/south-dakota-news-watch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). Send questions or feedback to [**factbrief@sdnewswatch.org**](mailto:factbrief@sdnewswatch.org). [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/05/donate-3.jpg)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate?ref=sdnewswatch.org) [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact Megan Luther* at* [*megan.luther@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:megan.luther@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Lutheran Social Services calls Musk's illegal payment claims 'completely baseless' URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/lutheran-social-services-lss-south-dakota-elon-musk-doge/ Last updated: 2025-06-27T13:38:34.000Z The leader of South Dakota’s primary refugee resettlement program has condemned online attacks by tech billionaire Elon Musk regarding the legality of the organization’s federal funding. Rebecca Kiesow-Knudsen, president and CEO of Lutheran Social Services of South Dakota, said her group became aware of social media messages from Musk and former U.S. national security adviser Michael Flynn this past weekend “falsely claiming that Lutheran organizations, including ours, have illegally received federal payments and engaged in money laundering.” Kiesow-Knudsen added in her statement to News Watch that the messages “indicated an intention to defund our organization as a result. These accusations are completely baseless and inaccurate.” "Our work is carried out through legally awarded contracts and grants with local, state, and federal agencies that have entrusted us with these essential services," she wrote. "We are deeply concerned by any effort to misrepresent our work and jeopardize the funding that enables us to fulfill our mission." ![A letter from the Lutheran Social Services President](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/02/lss.1.jpg) Statement from Lutheran Social Services of South Dakota on Feb. 3, 2025, in reaction to online attacks by tech billionaire Elon Musk regarding the legality of the organization’s federal funding. LSS helps resettle immigrants and refugees through its Center for New Americans. It’s an affiliate of Global Refuge, a nonprofit organization formerly known as Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service. The organization said it helped resettle 206 refugees in South Dakota in fiscal year 2023, many from war-torn countries such as the Congo, Ethiopia and Sudan. ## LSS became a DOGE target LSS was among many South Dakota nonprofits on the defensive last week when Trump’s administration unveiled a plan to halt federal grants and loans and issued a temporary freeze on payments. That executive action is currently being litigated in federal court, with a judge Monday extending a temporary block on the funding freeze. Musk, meanwhile, has kept organizations on edge with his stated intent to cut billions of dollars in federal spending through his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). ## ****Get South Dakota stories** Sign up for an email summary on most weekdays that links to the full story. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. Musk and his team gained access to sensitive Department of Treasury data payment systems on Saturday. On Sunday, Flynn posted a screenshot on the X social media site listing payments to Lutheran-based nonprofits involved in immigrant and refugee resettlement, characterizing the process without evidence as “money laundering.” The screenshot showed LSS of South Dakota receiving payments of $934,073 on Dec. 26 and $487,769 on Jan. 16 from the Department of Health and Human Services. > The [@DOGE](https://twitter.com/DOGE?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=sdnewswatch.org) team is rapidly shutting down these illegal payments [https://t.co/GabhBL7gxf](https://t.co/GabhBL7gxf?ref=sdnewswatch.org) > > — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) [February 2, 2025](https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1885964969335808217?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=sdnewswatch.org) Elon Musk, who owns X, reposted Michael Flynn’s message to his 216 million followers and added that “the DOGE team is rapidly shutting down these illegal payments.” Flynn resigned from the first Trump administration in 2017 and later pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about his contacts with the Russian ambassador to the United States. He received a pardon from Trump in 2020. Musk, who owns X, reposted Flynn’s message to his 216 million followers and added that “the DOGE team is rapidly shutting down these illegal payments.” [Ballot measure battle could curtail SD’s direct democracySince 1898, state voters have had the power to propose a law or amendment at elections. Some Republican legislators want to make the process harder.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-69.jpg)South Dakota News WatchStu Whitney![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/ballot.1-1.JPG)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-ballot-measure-battle-legislature-election/) Kiesow-Knudsen told News Watch that Congress appropriated the money. She added that "defunding legal, government-awarded grants and contracts will have significant consequences, limiting our ability to provide vital services to those in need." LSS of South Dakota's most recent financial reports show it with net assets of $21 million following fiscal year 2023, of which $14.9 million was listed as property and equipment. The organization spent $26.1 million on program expenses in fiscal year 2023 and received $19.3 million in fees and public grants that year. Krish O'Mara Vignarajah, president and CEO of Global Refuge, the Baltimore-based organization that oversees Lutheran-based refugee resettlement programs, condemned “the false accusations lodged against our humanitarian work.” ![An Hispanic immigrant receives his Level One English certification at Caminando Juntos, a Sioux Falls, S.D.-based ministry sponsored by the Aberdeen Presentation Sisters. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/02/hispanic.1.jpg) An Hispanic immigrant receives his Level One English certification at Caminando Juntos, a Sioux Falls, S.D.-based ministry sponsored by the Aberdeen Presentation Sisters. (Photo: Courtesy of Caminando Juntos) LSS of South Dakota assumed oversight of state refugee resettlement in 2000 and has offices in Sioux Falls, Huron, Rapid City and Yankton. It also provides services such as behavioral health care, financial counseling, mentoring, psychiatric residential treatment for youth, shelter care and disaster response. Also shown on the Flynn/Musk screenshot was Lutheran Family Services of Nebraska, an Omaha-based organization that provided News Watch with a statement that read in part: "To allegations that we are somehow 'money laundering,' please know that we are highly audited, accredited, and endorsed by the Better Business Bureau and Charity Navigator. Our financial reports are available on our website. We were founded by Lutheran pastors, but we are not an evangelical organization. We are not a church. We do not proselytize. We simply serve." ## Small but growing foreign-born population According to previous News Watch reporting, South Dakota's increase of foreign-born population over the past 12 years exceeded the national average by 3 times, based on U.S. Census Bureau data. The state's population of people born overseas grew by 45.5% between 2010 and 2022, or 10,000 people, compared to 15.6% across the entire United States. Despite those increases, South Dakota still has the fifth-lowest share of foreign-born residents in the country. Out of South Dakota's estimated 910,000 residents, nearly 32,000, or 3.5%, are from outside of the United States. [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/02/Donate-today-News-Watch--1-.png)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?%5Fgl=1%2A1b0ep3i%2A%5Fga%2AMTM3NDcyODMyNS4xNzAyMTQ0MTg3%2A%5Fga%5FH98KVPR32J%2AMTcyNzIyNjUwOS40MzMuMS4xNzI3MjI3NzQ1LjAuMC4w&ref=sdnewswatch.org) Before 2000, the largest number of people came to South Dakota from Latin America, which was closely followed by Asia and then Europe. Since 2000, more people have been moving to South Dakota from Asia and Africa, moving Latin America to third place. In 2018, according to an American Immigration Council, most foreign-born residents in South Dakota were from Guatemala, the Philippines, Mexico, Sudan and Ethiopia. Households led by foreign-born residents paid $137.7 million in federal, state and local taxes in 2018, the same report said. [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) [*Mariia Novoselia*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/author/mariia/) *contributed to this story, which was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *every few days to get stories as soon as they're published. Contact *Stu Whitney* at* [*stu.whitney@sdnewswatch.or*](mailto:stu.whitney@sdnewswatch.org)*g.* ### Ballot measure battle could curtail South Dakota's direct democracy URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-ballot-measure-battle-legislature-election/ Last updated: 2025-06-27T13:38:34.000Z Has South Dakota soured on direct democracy? The answer to that question will be partly answered during the 2025 legislative session, as Republican lawmakers continue a recent trend of trying to restrict the state’s first-in-the-nation initiative and referendum process. In the spirit of such laws, the people will ultimately determine the fate of a South Dakota system that dates to 1898 and has led to progressive reforms such as increased minimum wage and Medicaid expansion in a deeply conservative state. The power of residents to amend the state constitution through the petition process was added in 1972. [Main theme for South Dakota politics in 2025? Buckle up.Noem, Thune prepare for new roles in Washington as South Dakota awaits a new governor and early 2026 election intrigue.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-67.jpg)South Dakota News WatchStu Whitney![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/NoemTrumpArgus-2.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-politics-kristi-noem-john-thune-dusty-johnson/) Michael Card, emeritus professor of political science at the University of South Dakota in Vermillion, calls this power “the gun behind the door,” allowing a given percentage of state residents to propose a law or amendment that must be approved at the polls by a majority vote. The guiding principle is that “direct democracy” – which also allows existing laws to be challenged through referendum, as seen with the carbon pipeline debate in 2024 – provides a check on the "representative democracy" power of state legislators. The Republican super majority in Pierre has frequently pushed back, passing laws to make it harder to get initiated measures and constitutional amendments on the ballot and raising the voting threshold for measures to pass. ## 'Death by a thousand cuts' Most prominent among the 2025 proposals is House Joint Resolution 5003, which would raise the percentage of voters needed to pass constitutional amendments in a statewide election to 60%. That would match Florida and Illinois for the highest voting threshold among the 18 states that allow for constitutional amendments through the initiative process. The resolution passed the House by a 61-5 vote on Jan. 22 and appears headed to the 2026 ballot, where a simple majority of voters can pass or reject it. Similar attempts to raise the voting threshold failed at the polls in 2018 and 2022. Legislators have been more successful curtailing the process with statutory changes in Pierre. From 2018 to 2024, South Dakota passed 11 laws to make direct democracy more difficult, the most of any state, according to Ballotpedia. These restrictions include petition deadlines, circulation requirements and allowing for the revocation of signatures. Another joint resolution proposed this year would increase the number of signatures required to make the ballot, from 5% to 10% of the general electorate for initiated measures and from 10% to 15% for constitutional amendments. ![Dakotans for Health co-founder Rick Weiland speaks at a press conference May 1, 2024, in Sioux Falls, S.D. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/abort.1.JPG) Dakotans for Health co-founder Rick Weiland speaks at a press conference May 1, 2024, in Sioux Falls, S.D. Weiland's group sponsored a ballot amendment to enshrine the right to abortion in the South Dakota Constitution. The measure was voted down. (Photo: Stu Whitney / South Dakota News Watch) “They’re attempting to orchestrate the death of direct democracy by a thousand cuts,” said Rick Weiland, whose Dakotans for Health organization has been a frequent sponsor of ballot measures, including unsuccessful abortion rights and grocery tax repeal efforts in 2024\. “They keep trying and trying because when people organize and use their voice, they become a threat to the political establishment.” Federal courts have rolled back some of the restrictions as First Amendment violations, recognizing petition circulation as core political speech. ## Holding amendments to higher standard Rep. John Hughes of Sioux Falls, the Republican sponsor of House Joint Resolution 5003, said his proposal is meant to highlight the difference between initiated measures, which impact state statutes, and initiated amendments, which change the state constitution. “I think all of us would agree that a constitution is different than a statute," Hughes told House State Affairs committee members at a Jan. 17 hearing. "It's intended to be much more permanent. It's meant to be a fundamental expression of the near universal agreement of the people of South Dakota as to the rights, duties and values that we hold to.” Republicans have criticized the use of initiated amendments for policy provisions such as Medicaid expansion, which passed in 2022, and legalization of recreational marijuana, which passed in 2020 but was overturned by the South Dakota Supreme Court for violating the state's single-subject rule. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/petition.1.JPG) Registered voters sign a petition for a constitutional amendment to expand abortion rights in South Dakota at the Minnehaha County Administration Building on May 26, 2023, in Sioux Falls, S.D. The amendment made the ballot and was defeated. (Photo: Stu Whitney / South Dakota News Watch) Nathan Sanderson, executive director of the South Dakota Retailers Association, said his group supports the joint resolution because policy programs that involve budget fluctuations are best handled within state statutes. "(Our association) has always believed that the constitution should be reserved for a philosophy of governance, not for specific policies and programs," Sanderson said. "Amending the constitution can only be done every two years and is not a very good way of handling nuanced policy." ## Do voters have ballot measure fatigue? Card, who has authored several studies on direct democracy, told News Watch that the arguments from Hughes and Sanderson don't fully explain the reasoning behind the latest attempt to restrict the process in South Dakota. “I think it’s being cast as something other than what it really is,” Card said of the joint resolution. “What it's really about is that the Democrats with a small minority (23% of registered voters) are doing what is popular with the citizenry in terms of proposing initiatives. The real intent is to limit the ability to pass some of these laws.” But Hughes alluded to "fatigue" among voters toward ballot measures, with an average of nearly six measures on the ballot every two years since 2000\. The highest during that period were 11 in 2006 and 10 in 2016. Of the 122 measures that made the South Dakota ballot since 1985, 52 were successful, for a winning percentage of 43%. Three of the most liberal measures on the 2024 ballot – abortion rights, grocery tax repeal and recreational marijuana legalization – all failed with less than 45% of the vote. The only successful measures were populist (property rights groups rallying to refer a bill they saw as pro-pipeline) and staunchly conservative (allowing work requirements for Medicaid expansion, stemming from the Legislature). ## ****Get South Dakota stories** Sign up for an email summary on most weekdays that links to the full story. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. But Card pointed out that even residents who don't agree with many of the issues being put forth "aren't going to give up a right that they have." Voters in 2022 strongly rejected Amendment C, which was placed on the primary ballot and would have required a 60% vote for ballot measures that raise taxes or spend $10 million in general funds in their first five years. That amendment, viewed as a preemptive strike against Medicaid expansion, managed only 33% of the vote. Four years earlier was Amendment X, which came out of a legislative task force and would have required a 55% vote to approve constitutional amendments. That effort failed with just 47% support. ## South Dakota blazes new ballot trail It's hard to assess the future of direct democracy in South Dakota without understanding the past, including the decision by voters in 1898 – nine years after statehood – to adopt the system of initiated ballot measures and referendums. Several days after that election, the Omaha (Nebraska) Bee newspaper noted that South Dakota rejected women’s suffrage on the same ballot, observing that the state’s voters “were of the opinion that one experiment at a time was enough.” The newspaper also noted that South Dakota’s system was partly based on the Switzerland model of allowing citizens to vote on how the country is run. ![A woman prepares to fill out her ballot at a voting precinct inside the American Legion building in Valley Springs, S.D.,](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/2024-11-5-Female-voter.JPG) A woman prepares to fill out her ballot at a voting precinct inside the American Legion building in Valley Springs, S.D., on Nov. 5, 2024\. (Photo: Stu Whitney / South Dakota News Watch) “That it has been at least fairly successful in the little country where it originated is true,” wrote the Omaha Bee in an editorial. “But (in America), the process has been looked upon by practical men as a pretty but impracticable theory. Other states will be satisfied to let South Dakota stand the cost of the experiment.” The Chicago Record newspaper was more supportive of the direct democracy principle, framing it as a way for rural voters to have more say in their state’s legislative affairs, especially at a time when monied interests were gaining power as part of the rise of corporations and corruption in the Gilded Age. “Of late there has been a growing tendency on the part of legislatures to submit to popular vote measures of importance relating especially to larger cities,” the editors wrote in an editorial. “The people of South Dakota, however, have put into operation a plan whereby the popular will can be given expression in law regardless of the indifference of the legislative body.” ## 'No interference' with people's rights This power of the people was elevated in 1972 with Amendment E, which expanded the resident petition process to include constitutional amendments in South Dakota. In the House State Affairs hearing, Hughes incorrectly stated that this occurred in 1988 and that it “passed by a slim margin of our voters.” Actually, the change was approved by 67% of the vote when introduced in 1972. The amendment, which also included provisions for calling constitutional conventions, was initiated by the Legislature and a constitutional revision commission. It was approved 67-2 by the House and 34-0 by the Senate before going on the general ballot. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/02/Facebook-copy.png) Hughes told News Watch that he was referring to Amendment A from 1988\. But that was a procedural change that removed the requirement that the Legislature enact a measure proposed by voters before it could be placed on the ballot. Lawmakers had no choice but to “vote” for the measure under this formality, which ruffled feathers politically. “It eliminates a bit of red tape,” then-Legislative Research Director Terry Anderson told the Argus Leader at the time of that amendment. “It also makes it abundantly clear that there can be no interference with the people’s right to initiate laws.” The amendment passed with 52% of the vote. ## Progressive causes take hold As the makeup of the South Dakota Legislature trended heavily Republican over the past 15 years (GOP legislators currently outnumber Democrats 95-9), direct democracy became a way to circumvent Pierre and take progressive issues to the polls. One successful campaign was Weiland's push to raise the state's minimum wage from $7.25 per hour to $8.50 per hour in 2014, with future raises for inflation. Initiated Measure 18 passed with 55% of the vote. When the Legislature voted in 2015 to exempt workers under age 18 from the required wage, Democrats gathered petitions to refer the law and more than 7 of 10 voters supported the referral, upholding the minimum wage. "The message from the people was simple: Hands off," said Weiland, who ran an unsuccessful campaign for U.S. Senate in 2014. ![Voters line up to receive their ballots at a precinct inside the American Legion building](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/2024-11-5-Valley-Springs-voters.JPG) Voters line up to receive their ballots at a precinct inside the American Legion building in Valley Springs, S.D., on Nov. 5, 2024\. (Photo: Stu Whitney / South Dakota News Watch) South Dakota's minimum wage is currently $11.50 per hour, higher than neighboring Minnesota ($11.13). Two years later came Initiated Measure 21, a bipartisan effort that targeted payday loan outlets and other predatory lenders by establishing a maximum interest rate of 36% on their loans. The group faced aggressive opposition from the Atlanta-based owner of North American Title Loans and other payday and car title lenders, who were accused of luring low-income customers into high-interest loans. Veteran political strategist Steve Hildebrand, who served as former President Barack Obama's deputy campaign manager in 2008, was one of the key organizers behind IM 21, which passed with 76% of the vote. "I've never been more proud of anything in my 30 years of political experience than trying to cap the interest on payday lending," Hildebrand said during the campaign. "It's time to stop treating our low-income families like dirt." ## Out-of-staters fueled Marsy's Law Those seeking to dial back direct democracy point to cautionary tales such as Marsy's Law, a 2016 victims' rights measure passed in South Dakota as a constitutional amendment as part of a nationally coordinated campaign. The law was marred by unintended consequences. In some cases, law enforcement was unable to share information with the public in order to assist in solving crimes. There were also instances of alleged offenders being held longer behind bars because victims weren't available to be notified of a bond hearing. A legislatively referred constitutional amendment was placed on the ballot two years later to fix some of the problems and passed with 80% of the vote. The original measure was funded by California tech billionaire Henry Nicholas, who took up the cause of victims' rights after his sister, Marsy, was shot to death by an ex-boyfriend in 1983\. He spent $2 million to orchestrate the campaign in South Dakota, including ads featuring TV personality Kelsey Grammar, whose sister was murdered in 1975\. ![Mark Mickelson sits at a table and poses for a photo](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/mickelson.1.jpg) Former Republican state legislator Mark Mickelson helped orchestrate Amendment Z, a 2018 measure requiring that constitutional amendments involve only one subject. (Photo: Argus Leader) “They made some mistakes,” said former Republican state legislator Mark Mickelson, who helped spearhead the follow-up amendment. “They didn’t consult stakeholders and they had some language issues. No one on the ground was comfortable with what was being proposed or how it would be implemented.” Mickelson also helped orchestrate Amendment Z, a 2018 measure requiring that constitutional amendments involve only one subject "and that multiple proposed amendments to the constitution be voted on separately." That amendment passed with 62% of the vote and became the basis for the South Dakota Supreme Court overturning the passage of legalized recreational pot two years later. The ruling found that Amendment A, the 2020 marijuana measure, "contains provisions embracing at least three separate subjects, each with distinct objects or purposes," referring to recreational marijuana, medical marijuana and hemp. ## South Dakota used as 'laboratory' Hughes mentioned out-of-state influence as a key factor in his quest to make it harder to pass constitutional amendments. The state's simple majority provision and affordable advertising rates are cited as reasons that national advocacy groups view South Dakota as fertile ground for ballot efforts. "My experience going door to door is that there is a weariness over (advertising) paid for by millions of out-of-state dollars to reshape and remold our state constitution," Hughes testified at the Jan. 17 hearing. "It's only because we have the 50-plus-one majority that we're a target for being used as a laboratory for the emergence of new values and new ideas that many South Dakotans do not share." ![A group of politicians and their family look at a computer that shows election results](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/2024-11-5-Life-Defense-Fund-1.JPG) Life Defense Fund co-founders Leslee Unruh (second from left) and Jon Hansen (second from right) check on election results at the Best Western Ramkota Hotel in Sioux Falls, S.D. on Nov. 5, 2024\. Life Defense Fund opposed the abortion rights measure, which was defeated. (Photo: Stu Whitney / South Dakota News Watch) He pointed to Amendment G, the abortion rights measure placed on the 2024 ballot by Dakotas for Health. The campaign received a late influx of donations totaling $750,000 from Think Big America, a progressive advocacy group funded by Democratic Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker. Not mentioned at the hearing was the fact that the anti-abortion campaign, led by groups such as Life Defense Fund and No G for SD, received a $500,000 donation from The Concord Fund, a Virginia-based nonprofit connected to conservative judicial activist Leonard Leo, as part of its effort to defeat the amendment. Chase Jensen of Dakota Rural Action, which helped spur a grassroots petition effort that led to anti-pipeline forces rejecting Referred Law 21, said higher voting thresholds could lead to less involvement from everyday residents and more influence from wealthy political action groups, the opposite of Hughes' intent. "With the unprecedented concentration of wealth in society and politics today, we believe that raising the threshold of votes wouldn't deter out-of-state money," said Jensen. "It would only open the tap even further." ## 'What about your politicians?' Weiland, who served as an aide to former Democratic U.S. Senate Leader Tom Daschle, has become closely linked to direct democracy through his work with progressive organizations such as Dakotans for Health and Take it Back. He finds the argument against out-of-state money ironic given the story behind Initiated Measure 22, a successful 2016 ballot effort that revised lobbying and campaign finance laws while establishing a state ethics commission after several state scandals. Republican legislators, decrying sloppy and confusing language in the law, sought a preliminary injunction and later repealed the measure with an emergency clause that ensured it could not be sent back to voters. ![Dakotans for Health founder Rick Weiland (second from right) talks with family and supporters at the ICON Lounge in Sioux Falls, S.D., ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/weiland.3.JPG) Dakotans for Health founder Rick Weiland (second from right) talks with family and supporters at the ICON Lounge in Sioux Falls, S.D., on Nov. 5, 2024\. The group sponsored abortion rights and grocery repeal ballot measures that were voted down in South Dakota. (Photo: Stu Whitney / South Dakota News Watch) That experience spawned another reason for petitioners to prefer constitutional amendments over initiated measures – they're impossible for the Legislature to overturn without getting the permission of voters. As for the out-of-state money argument, Weiland called it hypocritical. "You don't like ballot measures getting funded by out-of-state interests?" he said. "Well, what about your politicians? All of our federal politicians have millions of dollars in their campaign accounts, and I can tell you that all of that money didn't come from South Dakota." [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/09/Donate-today-News-Watch--1-.png)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?%5Fgl=1%2A1b0ep3i%2A%5Fga%2AMTM3NDcyODMyNS4xNzAyMTQ0MTg3%2A%5Fga%5FH98KVPR32J%2AMTcyNzIyNjUwOS40MzMuMS4xNzI3MjI3NzQ1LjAuMC4w&ref=sdnewswatch.org) Weiland and Rapid City lawyer Jim Leach, who represents Dakotans for Health, have submitted wording for potential 2026 ballot measures to counteract what's happening in Pierre. One would prevent legislators from amending or repealing a resident-enacted ballot measure for seven years after it becomes effective, except by a three-fourths vote of both the House and Senate, followed by a vote in the general election. The other would require that changes to a law that impacts the state's initiative and referendum process would have to be approved by voters on a general election ballot. As the push-and-pull battle over direct democracy in South Dakota continues, Leach said "we plan to keep fighting to preserve the rights of citizens to propose and vote on the laws they're going to be subject to." [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *every few days to get stories as soon as they're published. *Contact Stu Whitney* at* [*stu.whitney@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:stu.whitney@sdnewswatch.org) ### SD birthing risks rise as another hospital ends service URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-maternity-care-hospitals-infant-mortality/ Last updated: 2025-06-27T13:38:34.000Z The elimination of birthing services at Winner Regional Health hospital on Saturday will force dozens of expectant mothers in a wide swath of south-central South Dakota to drive one to two hours on rural highways to give birth under the care of a doctor. Ending the hospital's labor and delivery services on Feb. 1, 2025, came only after "a lot of tears and sleepless nights," but the difficult decision was ultimately the correct one, said hospital CEO Brian Williams. The high cost of the service and a lack of qualified providers were leading factors in the decision to end birthing services at the small, independent hospital that delivered 107 babies in 2024\. For maternity care, traveling long distances on country highways requires more planning and more time, two things that can be hard to find during the uncertain hours surrounding a delivery. An hourlong drive or more also creates greater risk to both mother and child if any complications arise. "Anytime someone has to travel in pre-labor or active labor, it could cause a negative outcome," Williams said. "Obviously the closer you are (to a birthing hospital) the better off you'll be." ## 'Maternity deserts' expanding in SD, US Health experts across the country are increasingly concerned that the reduction in birthing sites, especially in rural areas, will lead to more health complications and even deaths among mothers and children. "Access to quality maternity care is a critical component of maternal health and positive birth outcomes, especially in light of the high rates of maternal mortality and severe maternal morbidity in the U.S.," according to an exhaustive report by the [March of Dimes](https://www.marchofdimes.org/sites/default/files/2022-10/2022%5FMaternity%5FCare%5FReport.pdf?ref=sdnewswatch.org). ![Maternity care deserts in the United States](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/Maternity-care-deserts.png) Above: Graphic shows maternity care deserts in the United States (red) Ending birthing services in Winner, which Williams hopes will be temporary, adds to a growing "maternity desert" in South Dakota. The state ranks second-worst in the nation for percentage of counties without delivery services or obstetric care. North Dakota has the highest number nationally, with 74% of counties without birthing services, and South Dakota has 56% of counties without the service, according to the March of Dimes. Winner also becomes the latest rural hospital in the U.S. to end delivery services, joining more than 200 others that have ended the service over the past decade, including the hospital in Sisseton, in northeast South Dakota, as [reported previously by News Watch](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/health-care-access-limited-in-south-dakota-rural-reservation-areas/). According to the March of Dimes report, more than 9% of South Dakota women live more than an hour from the nearest birthing hospital, compared to 1% nationally. Furthermore, 16% of new mothers in South Dakota did not receive adequate prenatal care, according to the report. ![A vehicle is shown in the parking lot of Coteau des Prairies ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/Coteau-des-Prairies-Hosp-entrance.JPG) The small Coteau des Prairies hospital shown on April 29, 2024, in Sisseton, S.D. The regional hospital ended its birthing program in March 2024, meaning women now have to drive an hour to have a hospital delivery. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) The shortage of women's health care providers is expected to worsen in coming years. According to [a report](https://bhw.hrsa.gov/sites/default/files/bureau-health-workforce/data-research/projections-supply-demand-2018-2030.pdf?ref=sdnewswatch.org) from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the U.S. will face a shortage of about 5,200 obstetrician-gynecologists by 2030 and South Dakota will see a shortage of 30 providers, roughly 25% fewer than what is needed. ## Costs, personnel are barriers at rural hospitals The hospital in Winner faces many of the same challenges as other rural hospitals across the country. Williams said he has had great difficulty recruiting and retaining doctors in the city of fewer than 3,000 people, especially those who specialize in obstetrics and gynecology or family physicians who are certified to perform deliveries. ![Photo of Brian Williams, CEO of Winner Regional Hospital](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/Brian-Williams-1.png) Brian Williams, CEO of Winner Regional Health hospital The greatest barrier to continue offering delivery services was a lack of qualified personnel, as delivering a baby requires a trained OB-GYN or family doctor and two nurses. That staffing level can be difficult to reach, especially when a birth occurs overnight or on weekends, Williams said. The costs of delivery are also a major hurdle to providing birthing services, he said. With a high percentage of expectant mothers at Winner Regional Health hospital on Medicaid or other government insurance plans that typically do not cover the full costs, the hospital loses thousands of dollars on almost every birth, Williams said. On average, it costs $65,000 a day to operate the hospital, and the ongoing nursing and physician shortage forced the hospital to spend about $1.2 million a year on temporary traveling practitioners, many in the OB-GYN field, he said. The region of South Dakota served by Winner is an especially bad place for a new maternity desert, according to the U.S. Census. The six counties surrounding the hospital all have birth rates above the state average, with Todd County, home to the Rosebud Indian Reservation, among the highest. ## ****Get South Dakota stories** Sign up for an email summary on most weekdays that links to the full story. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. South Dakota also has a high rate of maternity complications and challenges compared to other states and the nation. The state infant mortality rate of 7.8% in 2023 was 44% higher than the national average of 5.4%. According to a recent [South Dakota Department of Health report](https://doh.sd.gov/media/x2katkvm/2022-vital-statistics-report.pdf?ref=sdnewswatch.org), 7.1% of babies born in 2022 were low birth weight, 2% of mothers had no prenatal care and 30% of mothers were on Medicaid or other government insurance programs, including the Indian Health Service. About 13% of babies suffered from abnormalities and 10% of infants required care in a neonatal intensive care unit in 2022, the report said. South Dakota only has three NICUs, two in Sioux Falls and one in Rapid City, according to neonatal0gysolutions.com. ## Abortion ban a disincentive to practice in SD South Dakota's abortion law also makes it more difficult to recruit and retain physicians, said Amy Kelley, M.D., an OB-GYN at Sanford Health in Sioux Falls. The strict abortion ban – which allows for medically necessary abortions only to save the life of a mother – is turning away some delivery doctors, she said. Many worry that ambiguity in the law about exactly what constitutes a threat to the life of a mother could put them at risk of a criminal charge if they conduct an abortion during an emergency, Kelley said. [‘Getting sicker and dying younger:’ The cost of high health pricesThe high cost of health care has caused nearly 1 in 10 South Dakota residents to skip necessary medical care, according to KFF.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-66.jpg)South Dakota News WatchBart Pfankuch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/shutterstock_2051634257.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-health-costs-united-states-data-kff/) "We shouldn't have to risk our license or our freedom when conducting a medically necessary procedure," she said. Kelley, who works on state affairs for the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and also attends national conferences, said she's heard numerous delivery doctors across the country say they won't practice in states where abortion bans could put them in legal jeopardy. "It is not hyperbole," she said. "People in this field are repeatedly saying, 'Why would I come there with the laws the way they are?'" Avery Olson, 30, is a Rapid City native who graduated from medical school at the University of South Dakota. Olson is nearing the end of her medical residency as an OB-GYN in Hawaii. Olson, who delivered her first baby as a medical student at Winner Regional Health a few years ago, said she hasn’t decided where to practice, and added that her partner’s ongoing job search will also play a role in where they decide to live and work. Olson really wants to return to her home state but is concerned about the less-than-supportive environment for women’s health and the ambiguity in the current laws surrounding maternity in South Dakota. “I miss home a lot because I’m a South Dakota girl through and through,” she said. “But it (the current legal and political environment) would make it easier for me to accept that I would go to a different place.” ## Worsening climate for women's health care After more than 30 years of providing women’s health care in western South Dakota, and delivering more than 9,000 babies along the way, OB-GYN Marvin Buehner, M.D., of Rapid City decided to retire in late 2024. Buehner, 67, had hoped to sell his practice, where he built a reputation for kindness, quality care and a devotion to helping women in underserved populations, including Native Americans. ![A doctor sits at his desk in his office](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/Screenshot-2025-01-29-at-9.25.56-PM.png) Marvin Buehner, M.D., at his desk Black Hills Obstetrics and Gynecology in Rapid City, S.D. Buehner could not find an OB-GYN to buy the practice, so he closed it when he retired in 2024\. (Photo: Courtesy Marvin Buehner) While the need for birthing and other services remains extremely high, and his practice was highly profitable, Buehner tried to sell his practice but was ultimately forced to close Black Hills Obstetrics and Gynecology for good. “We had a great reputation and more patients than we could see,” Buehner told News Watch. “But nobody wants to come to South Dakota, and you can’t really blame them.” [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/05/donate-3.jpg)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Serving as an OG-GYN is a tough job, he said, given the long hours, being on call 24/7 for several days in a row and caring for patients who often lack insurance or are on Medicaid. But things have worsened in recent years due to what Buehner said increasingly feels like a hostile political and cultural environment toward women and women’s health care in the state and country. “It’s a cultural problem that is trickling down into the mechanics of health care, and women’s health care is not only a low priority, it’s also a target,” he said. The current law surrounding medically necessary abortions does not jibe with established medical reasons for terminating a pregnancy in a crisis situation, Buehner said, which makes practicing in states with a near-complete ban more stressful and mentally draining. ![A doctor holds a newborn right after birth](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/OBGYN-Buehner-with-baby-1.jpg) Marvin Buehner, M.D., holds a newborn after providing delivery care in Rapid City, S.D. Buehner retired in late 2024 and closed his practice. (Photo: Courtesy Marvin Buehner) Buehner is a co-chair of the group Doctors for Freedom, which formed in 2024 to support a statewide ballot measure to legalize first-trimester abortions. The measure failed in November. “An abortion is a tragedy every time,” he said. “But the reasons a woman or a doctor would choose to end a pregnancy are multifactorial and can’t be easily simplified.” Buehner said he is pained to leave the medical field at such a devastating time for women’s health. The shortage of OB-GYNs has led to reduced rates of prenatal health care, especially in rural areas and among lower-income populations, including those on reservations, he said. “That is increasing the maternal mortality rate, which is already abysmal in South Dakota,” he said. [Access to health care limited in SD rural and reservation areasA weekslong investigation revealed numerous barriers to health care in rural and reservation areas of South Dakota that are leading to increased illness and higher mortality rates. This is the first of a two-part series.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-65.jpg)South Dakota News WatchBart Pfankuch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/IHS-Hosp-Fort-Thompson-open-hours.JPG)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/health-care-access-limited-in-south-dakota-rural-reservation-areas/) Buehner said he sees little hope that women’s health care will improve anytime soon in South Dakota. And yet, he believes the hard work of individual providers, and a potential grassroots return to greater support for women’s health care, will someday reshape the landscape into a positive future. “It’s the dark of night right now,” he said. “But at some point, there will be a dawn or a movement and a realization that this isn’t working and that we need to change.” [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact* *Bart Pfankuch* at* [*bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Greg Sands overcame addiction and prison to find success. Now he's seeking a final chapter. URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/greg-sands-wall-systems-addiction-presidential-pardon/ Last updated: 2025-06-27T13:38:35.000Z TEA, S.D. – Greg Sands spent the longest night of his life at a federal prison in Oklahoma, running out of chances as the darkness rolled in. He was 31 years old and facing a 10-year sentence for cocaine distribution in South Dakota after years of reckless behavior and a rock-bottom sense of self-worth. Sands, these days a major player in the Sioux Falls construction trade and a member of the South Dakota Hall of Fame, was a newly arrived inmate at the crowded El Reno correctional facility that night in 1989. Placed on a cot on the fringes of the cell block, he listened to the slamming of steel doors and wailing of inmates as he lay weeping, snowflakes fluttering from broken windows above. “I was terrified,” said Sands, 66, who later appealed his sentence and was released after two years to deal with drug and alcohol addictions. “I had all the feelings you would expect from a man who had ruined his life.” ![Greg Sands talks with workers in the factory section of Sands Wall Systems on Dec. 12, 2024,](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/sands.14.JPG) Greg Sands (far right) talks with workers in the factory section of Sands Wall Systems on Dec. 12, 2024, in Tea, S.D. This steel stud division is where frames and joints are forged for commercial and recreational projects. (Photo: Stu Whitney / South Dakota News Watch) The story of how Sands found daylight and built Sands Wall Systems – a drywall and framing company based in Tea that has 80 employees and helped construct the Washington Pavilion and Sanford Pentagon – has the makings of a messy American dream. It’s a tale fully embraced by its hero, who on a December morning tooled around company headquarters in a red sweatshirt adorned with a Christmas tree, chatting with employees and preparing for the annual holiday party. Sands spoke of forgiveness, symbolized by the presidential pardon he received from former President Bill Clinton in 2001, a point of pride along with 33 years of sobriety. It extends to the philanthropy that Sands and his wife, Pam, embrace through organizations such as the Glory House, a halfway house for recently released inmates, and Feeding South Dakota, the state’s largest hunger relief organization. [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/05/donate-3.jpg)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Dave Johnson, now a family friend, was a Glory House counselor in 1989 when Sands was taken from the facility in shackles after violating conditions of his pretrial detention. Johnson was running the place decades later when Greg and Pam helped fund a residential treatment center for women and handed out $50 bills to Glory House residents each December to celebrate the holiday. “They were able to buy presents for their kids,” Johnson said of the residents. “Many times I heard them say that it was the best Christmas they ever had." ## Setting aside the shame Sands’ ability to understand hopelessness helps him address it. Just like forging a multi-million dollar business from the back of a pickup truck helped him navigate the upper reaches of Sioux Falls development while expanding into Rapid City and North Dakota. One thing his story needs is an ending, and he’s preparing for that as well. Sands, whose previous 290-pound frame is down to 185 after dietary changes and medication, is recovering from prostate cancer surgery in October that sapped his formerly boundless energy. He also takes medication for mild anxiety. His drywall company, which expanded to steel stud framing two decades ago, recently completed a process to shift ownership from Sands to his employees, with the transfer becoming final after 10 years. The phasing-out has already begun. ![Greg Sands talks with his wife, Pam, at Sands Wall Systems in Tea, S.D.,](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/sands.8.JPG) Greg Sands talks with his wife, Pam, at Sands Wall Systems in Tea, S.D., on Dec. 12, 2024\. They met at an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting in Sioux Falls, S.D., and were married in Las Vegas in 1995\. "We made a good team," said Greg. (Photo: Stu Whitney / South Dakota News Watch) Greg and Pam spend much of their time in Palm Springs, California, but they weren’t about to miss the Christmas party and distribution of holiday baskets to customers. There's meatloaf and mashed potatoes on the menu at headquarters in Tea, "true South Dakota cuisine" according to Sands. It’s a chance for the CEO to slow down and appreciate how far he’s come, but he can’t stop moving, low energy or not. He rarely stops talking. He shows off the factory, where workers load sheets of steel into a machine that forms frames and joints for commercial and recreational projects. ## ****Get South Dakota stories** Sign up for an email summary on most weekdays that links to the full story. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. He name-drops presidents and governors and business elites, noting that several are close friends. He says he hopes to meet Clinton to personally thank him for the pardon at the planned July 4, 2026, grand opening of the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library in Medora, North Dakota, which Sands' company is helping build. If Hollywood ever makes a movie out of his life, Sands tells people, that could make a compelling final scene. He's come a long way from that night in the prison cell block, but he hasn’t forgotten it. He still flinches when a prison door slams in a movie or TV show. He thinks often of those who have not yet escaped the swirl of addiction. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/Pam_Sands_Quote.png) How much success is enough to leave one's struggles in the past? “He still feels shame about it,” said Pam, his wife of 29 years. “He's always trying to prove himself and show that, you know, 'I'm not that guy anymore. I'm somebody.' And I tell him, 'You don't have any more to prove, Greg. You've done great. You’re awesome.' But I think that it’s always there.” ## An early start on addiction Sands' restlessness took root in a place he tried to call home. Greg and his older brother, Dunn-Barr, were raised by their mother, Phyllis, in south Minneapolis in the early 1960s. “My father abandoned us when I was a year old,” Greg said. “When I was 11, I talked to him on the phone. He was living in St. Louis Park, about a half-hour away. We set up a time for him to come over, and he never showed up. That was the last time I ever talked to him.” Greg and his mother and brother might have endured if not for a fourth presence in the household, Phyllis’ boyfriend, who was physically abusive to her and her sons. ![Greg Sands poses from a seventh-floor balcony at the Canopy by Hilton overlooking Falls Park in Sioux Falls](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/sands.1.JPG) Greg Sands poses from a seventh-floor balcony at the Canopy by Hilton in downtown Sioux Falls, S.D., on Dec. 11, 2024\. (Photo: Stu Whitney / South Dakota News Watch) By the time Greg’s grandfather came to move the family back to South Dakota in Aberdeen, near Phyllis’ hometown of Britton, the boy was 13 years old and already experimenting with booze and pot. Three years later, in 1974, he was arrested for shoplifting Pink Floyd albums and sent to the Plankinton Boys School, a juvenile correctional facility located about 25 miles west of Mitchell. The analytical skills that later helped him scan construction blueprints without formal training allowed him to meet the educational standards required to begin the next chapter of his life. “I tested out right away,” said Sands. “And I never went back to school.” ## Taking pride in hard work He talked his grandmother into helping him get a loan for a motorcycle, a mode of escape that propelled him west to Rapid City at age 17. There he forged an alliance with Benny Goldade, an established drywall contractor and the uncle of a friend from Aberdeen. The more he taught Sands the trade, Goldade figured, the less time he would spend on the job himself. “He trained me so that I could take a job from cradle to grave on my own,” Sands said of Goldade, who died in 2017\. “I was a finished drywaller within a year, which is like three times faster than normal.” ![Greg Sands (right) poses with the late Benny Goldade](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/sands.10.JPG) Greg Sands (right) poses with the late Benny Goldade, an established drywall contractor in Rapid City, S.D., who taught Sands the trade in the span of a year. (Photo: Submitted) It was painstaking work, measuring and cutting wall panels to attach to studs and preparing them to be painted. But it paid well and allowed Sands to drop everything at the end of the shift and get loaded, which became his routine. “There’s something to be said for being a tradesman,” he said. “You can go anywhere that there's work and get hired tomorrow, and there’s pride in that. No one cared what you did off the jobsite, as long as you showed up in the morning.” ## 'Most addictive drug in the world' After five years in Rapid City, Sands took his trade to the Denver area, living and working in Boulder, Breckenridge and Winter Park. It was there that he discovered cocaine, which became more widespread in the late 1970s. “It started as a love drug in California, where people thought it was nonaddictive,” said Sands. “A few years later, they saw people living in cardboard boxes and said, ‘Well, maybe we got that wrong.’” By the 1980s Sands had moved to Los Angeles, showing off drywall skills with a bazooka, a specialized tool that applies drywall tape and “mud” (joint compound) at the same time for faster finishing. ![Greg Sands mastered drywall tasks with a bazooka, a specialized tool that applies drywall tape and joint compound at the same time for faster finishing. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/sands.20.JPG) Greg Sands mastered drywall tasks with a bazooka, a specialized tool that applies drywall tape and joint compound at the same time for faster finishing. (Photo: Submitted) “I went to a 14-story high rise on Wilshire Boulevard and they put me in charge of the whole freaking job,” he said. “I had never touched a steel stud in my life, but I was able to visualize what needed to be done for this tenant buildout. All the 50-year-old carpenters hated me for being a 26-year-old in charge.” In his free time, Sands went from snorting cocaine to smoking crack, which he calls the “most addictive drug in the world.” Fueling his drug habit meant making numerous trips into some of Los Angeles’ seediest neighborhoods. “I was there every four hours, because you’re only going to do 80 bucks worth, and then you’re going to quit,” he said. “You run home, smoke that, and then run back to get another 80 bucks worth. That cycle plays out until you run out of money.” The end of his California stay came when Sands broke the cardinal rule: He didn’t show up for work in the morning. “We were doing a big downtown job at the Hope Street hospital,” he said. “There’s 50 men on the job, and I’m running it, and I'm not there. So now we’ve got 50 guys showing up to a jobsite with no direction, just spinning around, and that cost the company money. So I got fired.” ## An 'unsuccessful drug dealer' In 1987, Sands entered a Scientology-affiliated drug treatment plan called Narconon to address his cocaine problem. But the treatment didn’t hold. When he returned to Aberdeen two years later to help care for his mother, he brought his drug habit home with him. His supplier in Los Angeles, a fellow South Dakota native, began sending packages of cocaine through United Parcel Service to Sands in Aberdeen, where drywall work became secondary to using and selling drugs. [Main theme for South Dakota politics in 2025? Buckle up.Noem, Thune prepare for new roles in Washington as South Dakota awaits a new governor and early 2026 election intrigue.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-64.jpg)South Dakota News WatchStu Whitney![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/NoemTrumpArgus-1.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-politics-kristi-noem-john-thune-dusty-johnson/) “Drywalling was just a cover,” Sands said. “I would spray mud on my arms and go down to the Circus Bar and have drinks at 10 in the morning, acting like I just got off a job site.” A friend in Aberdeen was a UPS driver, ensuring that the packages weren’t inspected too closely. When asked about what later became known as a drug distribution ring in northeast South Dakota, Sands chuckled. “There was no distribution. There was consumption,” he said. “Whatever I got, I used about 60% of it myself and sold the rest to a guy who cut it (added substances to increase bulk), and later I would buy it back because I ran out of mine. It wasn’t a smooth operation. I was the most unsuccessful drug dealer I’ve ever met.” ## Missteps lead to FBI arrest The party ended with a series of missteps that could have been written as a screwball comedy if not for the grave consequences involved. Sands’ supplier in California, for some reason, used Federal Express instead of UPS and penned the delivery address in a manner that complicated shipping. “The last number in the address was supposed to be a zero, but he put a little loop in it that made it look like a six,” said Sands. “It came off as an address that didn’t exist.” ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/sands.23-1.jpg) An article in the Sioux Falls Argus Leader on May 6, 1989, laid out the federal drug charges faced by Greg Sands and two of his associates in Aberdeen, S.D. (Photo: Newspapers.com) The return address was fake, so FedEx workers opened the package and discovered the drugs. They notified law enforcement, whose investigation was aided by the fact that the package contained the phone number of one of Sands’ associates. Working with the FBI, FedEx workers called that individual and asked him to come pick up the package on April 10, 1989\. Sands followed in a car behind him, suspicious of the circumstances but still wanting to acquire the drugs. “I drove down the road a bit and came back around, and the FBI had him on the ground in front of the FedEx place,” said Sands. “I left town, got drunk and then called my lawyer, who said, ‘Greg, this is bad. You’ve got to turn yourself in tomorrow morning.’” ## 'Large-scale' drug operation The drug bust made regional headlines that summer, when Sands and two other defendants pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute 6 ounces (170 grams) of cocaine with an estimated street value of $75,000. “We disrupted a large-scale operation,” then-U.S. Attorney Philip Hogen told reporters. “We believe this was not the only incident.”’ Sands was placed in pretrial detention at the Glory House in Sioux Falls but was caught drinking at a job site. It was part of an attitude that found him “blaming everyone else for my problems, which is what addicts do,” he said. Johnson, a Glory House counselor at the time, said Sands’ actions made it clear that he was not ready to accept responsibility and receive treatment for his alcohol and drug abuse. “When the federal government says you’re in pretrial, you probably need to mind your Ps and Qs at that point,” said Johnson. “Greg was led out of the facility in shackles, and then I didn’t hear from him for quite a while.” ## Prison term 'buckled my knees' After pleading guilty, Sands and his lawyer expected him to get somewhere between 37 and 46 months, based on sentencing guidelines. At the September 1989 sentencing hearing in Aberdeen, U.S. District Judge Richard Battie characterized Sands as the “organizer” of the drug ring and observed a lack of remorse. There was also concern over Sands’ failure to reveal the identity of his supplier or the number of previous drug shipments. When Battie asked him prior to sentencing how many times he brought cocaine into South Dakota, Sands replied, “I can’t answer that.” “Do you wish not to answer, or do you know how many times?” asked the judge. “I know how many,” said Sands. “And you wish not to answer. Was it more than once?” “Yes, sir.” Moments later, Battie handed down the sentence of 10 years in a federal correctional facility, plus five years of supervised release. Sands felt the world collapsing beneath him. “It buckled my knees,” he said. “When you hear that, it feels like you’re going to prison for the rest of your life.” ## Appeal leads to shorter sentence By the time U.S. marshals took Sands to the airport a few months later to fly Con Air to federal prison, the Upper Midwest winter had arrived. “We had on our bus clothes – khaki T-shirt and thin sweatpants, a pair of socks and slippers,” he said. “They take you in a van to the tarmac and there are officers there to search you out in the cold. They give you a bologna sandwich and a piece of fruit and stale potato chips and you’re chained up as they fly all over the country, dropping off and picking up inmates.” ![The exterior of the FCI El Reno prison in Oklahoma](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/sands.21.JPG) Greg Sands' first stop in the federal prison system was at FCI El Reno in Oklahoma, where inmates were processed for their destination. He ended up in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo: Submitted) That night was Sands’ memorable encounter at the Oklahoma prison, where inmates were processed for their destination. He served most of his time at Fort Worth and Texarkana facilities in Texas, making connections and continuing to smoke pot while surviving on commissary funds sent from his mother. His lawyer filed an appeal that was ultimately successful. The Eighth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals ruled in July 1990 that the district judge erred in denying a reduced sentence based on Sands accepting responsibility for his crimes. His prison stay was reduced to 24 months, which Sands realized was not a lifetime after all. He began making plans to “get off paper” by satisfying his probation and beginning the process of putting his life back together. ## Committed to making a change Part of that meant writing a letter to Johnson at the Glory House, apologizing for his behavior and asking to be accepted as a halfway house resident upon his release from prison. It was either that or the Brown County Jail in Aberdeen. The answer was not what he expected. “I told him no,” recalled Johnson. “I think that surprised him because he was accustomed to using his charisma to get his way and manipulate people, which is not uncommon for addicts. We had a good relationship, but I told him, ‘I’m not sure if I want you back or not. What are you going to do to make changes?’” ![Dave Johnson poses with longtime board member Sheila Reding.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/sands.22.jpg) Dave Johnson worked for 32 years at the Glory House, a Sioux Falls, S.D., halfway house for recently released inmates. Here he poses with longtime board member Sheila Reding. (Photo: Courtesy of Glory House) As his release date approached, Sands was no longer using drugs and experienced more clarity about his circumstances. He acknowledged that his arrest and incarceration were the result of his own addictive behavior. “For a while I had blamed the guy in L.A., you know, like I was a victim and he was an idiot,” Sands said. “And then I had an epiphany that my life was screwed up because I was an adult involved in a criminal conspiracy, and I had an addiction that I needed to get my arms around.” He expressed some of those sentiments in a second letter to Johnson, and this time he got the response that he desired. “I pretty much knew I was going to take him back,” said Johnson, who retired as Glory House president in 2021\. “But I wanted him to really think about it and process it because I wanted him to make a commitment internally that it was time to make a change.” When his prison release came and he was shuttled to the airport for his flight to South Dakota, Sands headed straight to the airport bar and wrestled with his conscience for a few moments before ordering a Diet Coke. ## Love blossoms at AA meetings It was a few months later in 1991 that Pam Blomstrom first encountered her future husband at an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting. Pam, who grew up in Hot Springs and started drinking at age 14, moved to Sioux Falls in 1989 after seven years in the Army, an experience that fueled her alcoholism. “It was like birds of a feather,” she said of her military stint. “You found the ones who liked to drink a lot, and that’s who you hung out with.” Greg’s first impression of Pam was that he wanted to sleep with her, having recently been released from prison. Her initial observation of him was, “Who’s that dude with a mullet and his pants pulled up too high?’” ![Greg Sands sits at a desk while wearing a baseball hat in the 1990s](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/sands.9.JPG) Greg Sands helped form a Narcotics Anonymous chapter in Sioux Falls, S.D., that started with a handful of members and grew into a thriving fellowship. (Photo: Submitted) For a while, they shared flashes of eye contact at meetings. Both were still drinking occasionally, and after moving into his own apartment, Greg went on a bender that started at the Gaslight bar in Sioux Falls and ended at the Jesse James Saloon. The next day, he met with his AA sponsor at JerMel’s diner at 10th Street and Minnesota Avenue to discuss how to get back on track. Pam was their waitress. She recognized Greg and bristled when he ordered an “extra thick” milkshake because she was busy with other tables. “I told him the milkshake machine was broken,” she recalls. Still, a connection was there. So when Greg called her after leaving the restaurant and asked her on a date, she accepted. ## Life on the bright side They had dinner at Minerva’s restaurant a few nights later, and Pam learned that Greg had been in prison. When he told her it was for drugs, she knew it was serious but was relieved that he hadn’t done something worse. She liked his straightforward manner and the fact that he was motivated to make something of his life. The drinking episode that led to meeting with his sponsor turned out to be his last, kicking off more than three decades of sobriety. After years of dependency and despair, there was appeal in finding the bright side. ![Greg Sands sits in a 1973 pickup truck outside of a house](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/sands.16.jpg) Greg Sands started his drywall business with a set of tools and working out of the back of his 1973 GMC truck, pictured here. (Photo: Submitted) Part of that meant Pam getting sober herself, but progress was slow. She was still sneaking around and closet drinking eight months into their relationship, even after they moved in together. Her deceit made her feel more deflated. When Pam got a hairstyling job at Cost Cutters, Greg began insisting that she take it seriously and show up without fail. Slowly she emerged from her funk and began to appreciate the domestic routine that they built together, a manifestation of love. “Things were getting better,” said Pam. “I saw the other side. It was something I wanted.” ## 'We made a great team' Greg began sharing his addiction and prison experience with others, one of the goals he set while still behind bars. He helped form a Narcotics Anonymous chapter in Sioux Falls that started with a handful of members with sporadic sessions and grew into a thriving fellowship that now offers meetings every day. Though Phyllis Sands never got to see her son as a business owner, she did experience Greg's sobriety before she died in September 1993\. One of her final entreaties was that he should marry Pam, a request that he took to heart. ![Greg and Pam Sands wear their wedding outfits during a reception for their marriage in 1995 in las Vegas.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/sands.11.JPG) Greg and Pam Sands were married in Las Vegas in 1995 and started making plans for what would become a thriving drywall business. “We were tired of our lives sucking," said Greg. (Photo: Submitted) They tied the knot in 1995 in Las Vegas, staying at the Tropicana and sharing visions of their future. Greg had gone from folding newspapers at the Shopping News to getting back into drywall, splitting jobs 50-50 with a partner who was content to keep it that way. Greg had bigger ideas. He started working out of his 1973 GMC truck but envisioned a day when he would have a crew of five workers with “Sands Drywall” on their uniforms. Pam helped him see it as possible. “We were tired of our lives sucking, and we made a great team,” said Greg. “Things started to move pretty fast.” ## Pavilion job sparks momentum A major breakthrough came when contractor Gerald Johnson hired Sands to handle taping and drywall finishing on the $32 million Washington Pavilion renovation project in downtown Sioux Falls. “I walked out of there with 20 good tapers,” said Sands, referring to the process of bonding drywall panels with a smooth surface at the seams. “I went around to all the drywallers in town and said, ‘I’ll come in with my guys and I’ll do a whole floor in a week, instead of your three guys taking six weeks.' Jobs started adding up." One of his first full-time employees was Terry Curl, who started in 1998 and thought he had blown his chance when he was pulled over in a company truck and arrested for speeding and marijuana possession. ![Greg Sands (left) talks with longtime Sands Wall Systems employee Terry Curl,](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/sands.15.JPG) Greg Sands (left) talks with longtime Sands Wall Systems employee Terry Curl, who referred to his boss as a father figure. (Photo: Stu Whitney / South Dakota News Watch) “They pulled me over and patted us down, and I had 2 ounces of pot and alcohol in the truck,” recalled Curl. “They put everything on the hood when they arrested us, so everyone driving by on Cliff Avenue saw Sands Drywall on the truck.” Sands not only retained Curl but made sure he had a job site to go to for work release as part of his sentence. Last year, Curl celebrated his 25th year with the company, calling Sands a father figure who helped him get sober. “When it came to drugs and alcohol, I had walked the walk," said Sands. "I knew it was a disease, not a moral deficiency. So I treated it as such, and guys would get a second or third chance, as long as they weren’t at risk of hurting themselves or a co-worker, or losing us a customer. And they had to show up in the morning.” ## Looking ahead to the next job Showing up with a capable crew became a calling card for the company. It was noticed by Sioux Falls general contractor Craig Lloyd, who was in the process of turning Lloyd Companies into a regional powerhouse in real estate development. First Sands had to prove himself to Al Stone, Lloyd’s construction manager, who hired him for a restaurant project in 2001 and was considering him for other jobs. “I’d see this guy Greg Sands in my office park every two days, and Al was always beating him up about price,” recalled Lloyd. “One day I poked my head in and said, ‘Al, you've been beating up on this guy long enough. Just give him the job.’ It’s tough dealing with subcontractors, but Greg would show up on time, give us a fair price, and he would work ungodly hours to meet projections.” ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/sands.12-1.JPG) A 2015 magazine cover with the leadership team of Sands Wall Systems: (from left to right) president Ryan Rademacher; CEO and founder Greg Sands; and president of operations Jared Swenson. (Photo: Submitted) The relationship with Lloyd Companies led to Sands Drywall working on the CNA Surety building and Hilton Garden Inn in downtown Sioux Falls; the Pentagon and other projects at the Sanford Sports Complex; and the Grand Falls Casino near Larchwood, Iowa. By the time Ryan Rademacher came from Minnesota to interview with Greg in 2004 as an estimator, the company had settled into its industrial park location in Tea. In the works was the company’s steel stud and framing division, which would alleviate supply chain problems and allow Sands to expand his reach. ![Sands Wall Systems president Ryan Rademacher (left) talks with Greg Sands in Sands' office at the office complex in Tea, S.D. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/sands.4.JPG) Sands Wall Systems president Ryan Rademacher (left) talks with Greg Sands in Sands' office at the office complex in Tea, S.D. “This business grew because of relationships that Greg developed and nurtured over the years,” said Rademacher. (Photo: Stu Whitney / South Dakota News Watch) “We talked about the job, and my kids were young at the time,” said Rademacher. “It meant moving our family, so I said, ‘I’ll need to go home and talk to my wife about it.’ This was on a Friday, and Greg said, ‘OK, I’ll give you until Monday.’ He knew what he wanted.” More than two decades later, Rademacher serves as president on a leadership team that includes president of operations Jared Swenson, carrying out the tradition of always looking for the next opportunity. “This business grew because of relationships that Greg developed and nurtured over the years,” said Rademacher. “His philosophy early on was that he was always looking for the next job. It was basically, ‘Thank you for this one, but what do I need to do to get the next one?’” ## Presidential pardon comes through While Sands had made amends for his past, the felony conviction prevented him from voting or owning a firearm for hunting. It also complicated security clearances, keeping him from entering federal prisons to speak with inmates about his experiences. So in the late stages of Clinton's final White House term in 2000, Sands applied for a presidential pardon through his probation office. ![The presidential pardon that Sands received from President Bill Clinton in January 2001. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/sands.25-1-1-1.jpg) The presidential pardon that Sands received from President Bill Clinton in January 2001\. “Every day is a blessing," Sands told reporters after finding out about the clemency. (Photo: Submitted) “I filled out the forms and sent them in and we waited,” said Sands. “Six weeks before the end of (Clinton's) term, I ran into a probation officer at a coffee shop and said, ‘Could you check on my pardon?’ She checked with the Board of Pardons and they said it wasn't there, so we figured it was going to be denied.” Pam was working in the Sands Drywall office on Jan. 23, 2001, when a call arrived for Greg. It was an Associated Press reporter seeking comment on the fact that Sands was one of 140 people who had received pardons from Clinton as the president left the White House. “Every day is a blessing," Sands told the media that day. "I'm a responsible, productive member of society, and that means something." ## Taking giving to new level For Sands, receiving the government's ultimate form of forgiveness brought clarity to his mission. It made him more determined to help others. He and Pam established a foundation that played a major role in creating the Sands Freedom Center, a residential treatment facility at the Glory House for women just released from prison. They teamed with regional health systems Sanford Health, Avera Health and the Mayo Clinic to promote addiction treatment while also helping to open the Link, a mental health triage center in Sioux Falls. ![Pam and Greg Sands standout next to a Glory House Sands Freedom Center sign](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/sands.24.jpg) Greg and Pam Sands established a foundation that played a major role in creating the Sands Freedom Center, a residential treatment facility at the Glory House for women just released from prison. (Photo: Submitted) Greg and Pam also teamed with Feeding South Dakota to start a tradition of handing out Thanksgiving meals for families in need, with 3,000 turkey meals distributed each year in Sioux Falls and Rapid City. These efforts were just as instrumental as Sands' business achievements in getting him inducted into the South Dakota Hall of Fame in October of 2024, where he talked about the power of second chances. While he is not sheepish about touting such accomplishments, his wife is equally open about bringing him back to earth. One day driving around town, Greg felt compelled to say, "This side of the car is for people that got a presidential pardon." "This side," Pam responded, "is for people that didn't need one." ## Success and responsibility The day before the company Christmas party in December, Sands spent time at the newly opened Steel District development on the banks of the Big Sioux River in downtown Sioux Falls. His company had a stake in the project at the urging of Lloyd, whose company bought the land and spearheaded the effort, part of an overhaul of the downtown riverway stretching to Falls Park. Lloyd [passed away](https://siouxfalls.business/craig-lloyd-developer-who-helped-shape-modern-sioux-falls-dies-at-76/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR3KJgHNivTs7VTCJ6zz4TFCn4r74Q6dzbV8bFvfhBXCgPdV5rIL0r3rY4Q%5Faem%5FckmNNJESGy-4nG9EOTQrhA&ref=sdnewswatch.org) on Jan. 29. On the day in December, Sands and Lloyd reminisced before having lunch at the complex, which includes a hotel, residential lofts, restaurants and office space. ![Lloyd Companies founder Craig Lloyd (left) reminisces with Greg Sands at a table in an office complex](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/sands.17.jpg) Lloyd Companies founder Craig Lloyd (left) reminisces with Greg Sands on Dec. 11, 2024, at the Steel District development they helped build in downtown Sioux Falls, S.D. (Photo: Stu Whitney / South Dakota News Watch) They marveled at the growth of the city and their own fortunes, with Sands going from working out of his pickup truck to partnering on some of the city’s most high-dollar deals. “Some businesses don’t grow with scale,” said Lloyd. “Greg got into steel studs and production and finding a better way to do things, and that helped catapult us into what we do today, which are pretty large projects. This (Steel District) development is about $250 million. I didn’t know there was that much money in the world when I started.” With success, said Lloyd, comes an elevated sense of community responsibility. His example inspired Sands to lock philanthropy into his company's employee ownership deal, requiring from 2.5% to 5% of profits each year be donated to nonprofits helping with addiction, mental health and hunger. "It's in our company's DNA," said Sands. "Until the end of time." [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/09/Donate-today-News-Watch--1-.png)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?%5Fgl=1%2A1b0ep3i%2A%5Fga%2AMTM3NDcyODMyNS4xNzAyMTQ0MTg3%2A%5Fga%5FH98KVPR32J%2AMTcyNzIyNjUwOS40MzMuMS4xNzI3MjI3NzQ1LjAuMC4w&ref=sdnewswatch.org) Lloyd recalled in 2005 when he and his wife met Greg and Pam to pitch them on sponsoring a Christmas lights display at Yankton Trail Park to benefit the Heartland House, a program to assist homeless families and children. “We’re in their living room talking and showing them the different displays,” said Lloyd. “And then we start talking about the Heartland House and the homeless people and how much of a need there is, and I look up and Greg and Pam are crying. I was like, ‘Oh, no, what did I say?’ And they said, “No, it’s just that we wish you guys had been here five or 10 years ago." The clock is ticking, after all. There are only so many days to atone for past mistakes and deliver on promises made when the darkness arrived, allowing for a sliver of light. [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *every few days to get stories as soon as they're published. *Contact Stu Whitney* at* [*stu.whitney@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:stu.whitney@sdnewswatch.org) ### Noem proposes major cut to tobacco prevention in SD URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-tobacco-prevent-kristi-noem-budget/ Last updated: 2025-06-27T13:38:35.000Z If lawmakers approve Gov. Kristi Noem's proposal to cut the state tobacco prevention fund, anti-tobacco advocates said more children are likely to use tobacco and nicotine products, more adults will die early and the state will pay millions of dollars in new health care costs over the long run. Since 2007, South Dakota has allocated $5 million annually to a fund that pays for programs to help tobacco users give up the habit and to prevent children and adults from ever starting. The money pays for counseling services through the South Dakota Quitline, for medications to help people kick the addictive habit and for state and local tobacco-prevention programs. The money comes from the state tax on annual sales of tobacco products, mainly cigarettes, and was part of Initiated Measure 2 that voters passed in 2006 to raise the tax on a pack of cigarettes by $1 and increase the taxes on other tobacco products. The IM2 ballot measure also dictated that the first $30 million in tobacco taxes would go to the state general fund and the next $5 million would go to a new Tobacco Prevention and Reduction Trust Fund, which pays for the South Dakota Tobacco Control Program. Tobacco tax revenues over the $35 million level would also flow into the general fund. IM 2 passed with almost 61% of the vote. ## State: Program ready for 'right-sizing' This year, Noem has proposed cutting the funding of the tobacco control program to $2 million a year, a 60% reduction. According to [Senate Bill 54](https://sdlegislature.gov/Session/Bill/25848/274268?ref=sdnewswatch.org), the other $3 million would be sent to the state's general fund each year moving forward. Noem has not publicly stated a reason for the proposed cut, and a News Watch request to interview the governor was not granted by her spokesman, Ian Fury. But a spokeswoman for the state Department of Health, which administers the tobacco prevention program, told News Watch that the program's success at preventing tobacco use is the reason the funding can now be cut. "The program has a track record of success, and we have seen a downward trend in tobacco use," DOH spokeswoman Tia Kafka wrote in an email. "As a result, the governor’s budget proposal right-sizes funding of tobacco prevention dollars. Services offered through the Quitline and tobacco prevention efforts within schools and communities will remain priorities for the program." ![Tobacco products sit on a shelf in a store](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/1-21-25-Foms-of-tobacco-display.JPG) Tobacco products sold in South Dakota, including these displayed on Jan. 21, 2025, at BJ's Country Store in Black Hawk, S.D., range far beyond traditional cigarettes. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) The Quitline and other programming seeks to reduce use of tobacco products and those that deliver nicotine, including vaping and other smokeless nicotine delivery products. Nicotine products are also addictive and are being used by adults and high school and middle school youths in South Dakota. State records show that the state spent about $5.3 million on tobacco and nicotine prevention in fiscal year 2024, with $4.9 million in contracted services for the state program and about $382,000 on grants and subsidies to local prevention organizations. The major expenditures, according to state contracts, were $1 million to Vilas Pharmacy of Pierre for tobacco cessation medications and prescription services. James Stephens, owner of Vilas, told News Watch that his company only spends about $575,000 to $600,00o of the allocated funds annually, with the remainder returned to the state general fund. ## ****Get South Dakota stories** Sign up for an email summary on most weekdays that links to the full story. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. Another $824,000 was allocated to Avera Health Plans to provide "telephone and other tobacco cessation counseling and support services for the SD Quitline." State records also indicate that the Department of Health signed a $175,000, one-year contract in June for South Dakota State University to conduct a study of the effectiveness of the South Dakota Quitline. It does not appear the results of that study are complete, and the SDSU official listed on the contract did not return a call seeking information. Tobacco tax revenues have fallen steadily over time in South Dakota. In fiscal year 2014, the state collected $52 million in state cigarette taxes and another $7.4 million in other tobacco taxes, for a total of $59.4 million. In fiscal 2024, state cigarette tax collections were $44 million and other tobacco tax collections were $11.8 million, for a total of $55.8 million, according to the Department of Revenue. Colin Keeler of the state Bureau of Finance and Management, said the Health Department will use the remaining $2 million in tobacco tax money and about $1 million in tobacco prevention money the state already receives from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to fund tobacco programs at an annual rate of $3 million. ![Vape pens on a table](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/vaping-samples-2.jpg) These vape "pens" were confiscated from students in Pennington County schools in 2018\. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) As proposed, he said, the money will be used for grants to communities and schools for tobacco prevention and cessation activities ($980,000), for the Quitline ($1.0 million), and for prevention marketing and advertising ($840,000). But at that level of funding, South Dakota will fall even further below the CDC's recommendation of $12 million in annual spending on tobacco prevention for the state. ## Smoking, vaping rates down in SD and US Even though tobacco use is dramatically down in South Dakota, an average of 1,300 people die each year from smoking-related illnesses and the state spends an estimated $433 million annually on associated health costs, according to the American Cancer Society. The number of adult cigarette smokers in the U.S. and South Dakota has declined sharply and steadily over the past several decades. According to survey data compiled by the American Lung Association, more than 42% of all Americans smoked in 1965, a rate that fell to 11.6% in 2022, a decrease of 73% during that period. In South Dakota, 15% of adults were smokers in 2023, compared to 11% nationally, according to the lung association. Smoking rates among Native Americans have also declined but not as much, and Native Americans smoke at roughly double the rate of non-Native adults in South Dakota and the U.S. Youth tobacco use nationally has declined over the past few decades, especially when it comes to cigarette smoking, with 34.8% of high school students smoking at least once in the past 30 days in 1995 compared to 1.4% in 2024, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. However, when use of vaping devices and smokeless tobaccos are added in, 10.1% of high school students and 5.4% of middle school students reported some use of tobacco in the past month in 2024, the FDA reported. In South Dakota, according to a 2022 statewide survey, 5.5% of high school students reported smoking cigarettes in the previous 30 days and 15.8% reported using vaping devices in the past month. ## Advocates fear backslide and health problems People who work to combat tobacco and nicotine use and addiction said cutting the prevention funding is short-sighted and could reduce gains made in slowing tobacco and nicotine use in South Dakota. Jodi Radke, South Dakota representative of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, said evidence-based studies and results of the prevention program in South Dakota prove that tobacco and nicotine cessation programs are effective. ![Tobacco products on a shelf in a grocery store](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/1-21-25-Flavored-tobacco-products-1.JPG) Critics of the tobacco industry say flavored products, such as these pouches on sale Jan. 21, 2025, at BJ's Country Store in Black Hawk, S.D., are attractive to youth users. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) Radke, who has worked on tobacco prevention for two decades, said her organization estimates that cutting South Dakota prevention funding by 60% will increase youth smoking rates by 5%, lead 300 more children to become adult smokers, with 100 of those dying prematurely, and create $4.8 million in new health care costs due to smoking-related illnesses over the next few decades. "Funding tobacco control is critical to impacting youth rates, so to cut funding from that really does impact outcomes in terms of kids becoming lifelong users," Radke said. ## Battle to preserve funding in Pierre Three lawmakers contacted by News Watch early in the session declined to comment because they were unaware of the proposed funding cut. Ben Hanson, South Dakota government relations director for the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, said that makes sense because Noem never mentioned the cut during her budget address or her State of the State speech. Hanson said the funding cut is a "rob Peter to pay Paul" maneuver the governor is using in a tight revenue year to fund other projects, such as $4 million in new spending on education savings accounts. Noem also has proposed cutting funding to the state library system and to South Dakota Public Broadcasting. [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/09/Donate-today-News-Watch--1-.png)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?%5Fgl=1%2A1b0ep3i%2A%5Fga%2AMTM3NDcyODMyNS4xNzAyMTQ0MTg3%2A%5Fga%5FH98KVPR32J%2AMTcyNzIyNjUwOS40MzMuMS4xNzI3MjI3NzQ1LjAuMC4w&ref=sdnewswatch.org) A proposed reduction in funding for the smoking prevention fund comes at a time when tobacco companies spend an estimated $25 million a year to market their products in South Dakota, including flavored products popular among youth, Hanson said. "This isn't a haircut, this is gutting the fund," he said. Hanson said those in the tobacco and cancer prevention fields will make a strong lobbying effort in the 2025 legislative session to protect the tobacco prevention funding. "We're going to talk to each legislator one by one, and let them know the history of this and hopefully create a positive outcome," Hanson said. [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact* *Bart Pfankuch* at* [*bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### News Watch to investigate viral claims URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/news-watch-to-investigate-viral-claims-gigafact/ Last updated: 2025-02-06T12:36:43.000Z Credible information is increasingly difficult to find. It's one of the reasons readers trust South Dakota News Watch and why the organization's donor base includes people from across the political spectrum. News Watch will now build on that trust by partnering with Gigafact, a nonprofit network of nonpartisan newsrooms that verify influential claims circulating online. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/WhiteFACT-BRIEF--500-x-200-px--2-1-1.png) Veteran journalist [Megan Luther](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/author/megan-luther/), who already writes freelance stories for News Watch, will lead the effort, which will start Feb. 5\. She'll publish new fact briefs every Wednesday here on the website. A snippet and link will also be emailed to SDNW's reader list. News Watch is honored to join [10 other newsrooms](https://gigafact.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) in offering this content to its readers. [Read more about Gigafact's standards](https://gigafact.org/about-gigafact?ref=sdnewswatch.org) and how it's helping newsrooms like News Watch engage readers with facts, at a time when that's needed more than ever. ## News Watch verification standards Fact briefs are different than other similar approaches because they don't just cover false claims or call out people spreading misinformation. They refute or confirm statements with supporting information and additional evidence and context. The fact briefs, which are a maximum of 150 words, include a definitive yes or no on whether a claim is true and the sources used to verify it, so readers can see the information for themselves. The quick-read format complements South Dakota News Watch's in-depth stories and will also abide the organization's existing verification policy: > South Dakota News Watch commits to doing its best to publish accurate information across all of its content. > We take many steps to ensure accuracy: We investigate claims with skepticism; question assumptions; challenge conventional wisdom; confirm information with experts; and seek to corroborate what sources tell us by talking with other informed people or consulting documents. > We verify content, such as technical terms and stats, against source documents or make clear who is providing the information. We may share relevant components of a story with a primary source or an outside expert to verify them. > We stand by the information as accurate, and if it's not, we will change it as quickly as possible and be transparent with our readers about the magnitude of the error. Read it and all of our standards on the [best practices policies page](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/best-practices/). ## Questions, comments, concerns If you're a long-time reader, you know South Dakota News Watch is committed to traditional journalistic standards of accuracy and fairness. It's been the organization's practice since it started publishing in 2017\. If you're a new reader, please [sign up for the email](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) that comes with a new story every few days and check it. Then send your feedback to [carson.walker@sdnewswatch.org](mailto:carson.walker@sdnewswatch.org). **Have a question we can answer?** Submit it at the [**South Dakota News Watch Tipline**](https://gigafact.org/tipline/south-dakota-news-watch/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). Send questions or feedback to [**factbrief@sdnewswatch.org**](mailto:factbrief@sdnewswatch.org). ### Child care policy proposals return to Pierre URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-child-care-proposals-daycares-legislature/ Last updated: 2025-06-27T13:38:35.000Z BROOKINGS, S.D. – Nearly 40% of South Dakota's child care programs have fewer kids enrolled than they can handle because of a shortage of workers, the latest South Dakota Child Care Task Force report found. "The No. 1 issue why they were not able to have the desired enrollment was they just didn't have the workforce," said Republican state Sen. Tim Reed of Brookings. "So we need to be able to increase what we're paying at the child care assistance level. And I think it's gonna have to increase at other levels too. But we need to start there just to make sure we can keep these employees." The task force released its initial report on Jan. 10, days before lawmakers gaveled in for the 100th legislative session. The [60-plus-page document](https://www.earlylearnersd.org/%5Ffiles/ugd/a4a22e%5Fcf4810fced214600a44de8f4df2619d0.pdf?ref=sdnewswatch.org) includes community success stories, data about the cost of child care, and policy suggestions. ## ****Get South Dakota stories** Sign up for an email summary on most weekdays that links to the full story. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. The South Dakota Child Care Task Force includes child care providers, law makers, business leaders and others. It partnered with The Hunt Institute, which specializes in education policy. The study uses market survey results from the South Dakota Department of Social Services and other data to demonstrate that child care providers are among the lowest wage-earners in the state, yet families are paying between 10-20% of their annual income on child care. Child care revenue contributes not only to provider wages but often to other costs like rent, utilities for the space, food and other materials. If providers attempt to raise wages by increasing their prices, they risk pricing out the families they're trying to serve. But with such low wages, many providers can't hire or retain enough employees. ![South Dakota State Rep. Tim Reed sits at a table and talks to a reporter](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/Reed02.jpg) State Sen. Tim Reed is head of the South Dakota Child Care Task Force. He previewed policy suggestions during an interview for South Dakota Focus on Dec. 12, 2024, in Brookings, S.D. (Photo: Jordyn Henderson / SDPB) "The current model we have to child care is not sustainable," Reed said. "Providers are struggling, and many are closing." Reed said his legislative priority is addressing the state's contribution to the Child Care Assistance program. The federal government provides Child Care and Development Block Grant funds to help low-income families who meet certain qualifications to afford care. Those grants are then handled by a lead agency. In South Dakota's case, that's the Department of Social Services. According to a recent [brief from the Congressional Research Service](https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/R/R47312?ref=sdnewswatch.org), states have flexibility in the program outside certain federal requirements. ## 'We have made it work' Some child care employees leave because they can't afford child care for their own children. RiAnna Kolovksy left her job with Lutheran Social Services in Sioux Falls because the level of care she wanted for her kids wasn't financially feasible. "This year, I would have paid over $27,000 a year to have both of these kids in child care," she [said in 2023](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-childcare-options-home-daycare-providers/). "Granted, it's a good center, and it had accreditation outside of regular state accreditation. But what job can you work that makes that feasible?" Shortly after becoming a single-income family, the Kolovsky's moved to a small town just south of Mitchell, where RiAnna's husband's family had a house and job waiting for him. In an interview with "South Dakota Focus" just before the move, she worried about managing through the long winter with limited resources and two small kids at home. ![RiAnna Kolovsky sits down in her home to talk to a reporter](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/2024-12-11-RiAnna-Kolovsky-1.jpg) RiAnna Kolovsky left the workforce to care for her two young kids. During an interview in her home in Ethan, S.D., on Dec. 11, 2024, she explained she found community with other parents online. (Photo: Jordyn Henderson / SDPB) "We have made it work," she said in a follow up interview with SDPB in late 2024\. "I have also enrolled my eldest in a part-time preschool, which has alleviated a lot of tension in that she gets a little bit of an outlet, some peer interaction, some other interaction with other adults. And it gives me an opportunity to go to the store with only one child instead of two." In addition to caring for her children full-time, Kolovsky has built connections with other frustrated parents around the country. Through another parent's post lamenting child care costs on Reddit, she connected with the advocacy group [Mother Forward](https://motherforward.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). Kolovsky and 4-year-old joined the group for a trip to Washington in December. ![RiAnna Kolovsky and her daughter pose in front of the White House during a trip to Washington while holding a sign that says "policy comes and goes but Motherhood is here to stay"](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/2024-12-7-RiAnna-Kolovsky-in-DC.jpg) RiAnna Kolovsky and her daughter pose in front of the White House during a trip to Washington with the group Mother Forward on Dec. 7, 2024\. (Photo Courtesy: RiAnna Kolovsky) "There's nothing like walking through security at 4:45 on a Friday saying, 'Hello, I'm here to meet my senator!'" Kolovsky laughed. She was able to meeting with some of Sen. John Thune's staffers, but that wasn't the only goal of the trip. "I also hoped to strengthen bonds with the women that I've been meeting with online for the last almost two years," Kolovsky said. "And that was just so life-giving in the way that having an in-person community is." ## 'Child care not a sustainable model' Back at home, Kolovsky advocates for accessible child care however she can, from Children's Day at the Capitol in Pierre to engaging in conversations over coffee with skeptical neighbors. "You know, there was a woman who said that in her experience as a child care provider, parents might not always adjust their budgets accordingly and that might be why they feel that child care is too expensive. I met with her for coffee, and we now have a great working relationship in which we can agree on where changes need to be made." Kolovsky understands the catch-22 in which child care providers find themselves based on her experience working with Lutheran Social Services. She remembers speaking to a local National Exchange Club and being asked how her center justified their prices. "And I said at the time, 'I'm not sure it matters because that child care center is [now closed](https://www.sdpb.org/business-economics/2024-07-30/lutheran-social-services-ending-child-care-services?ref=sdnewswatch.org),'" Kolovsky remembered. "Child care is not a sustainable business model, and it never has been since its inception. And I hope that more people are recognizing that this isn't just an issue of everyone should just have a parent stay home. That's not possible for all families." ## Policy proposals yet to come In addition to adjustments to the Child Care Assistance program, the Child Care Task Force suggests scholarships for those entering the child care workforce. It also suggests making parents who join the child care workforce eligible for child care assistance themselves. Reed said the task force focused its policy proposals on improving the child care workforce. "All this really comes down to money," he said. "And if we don't have the money available, this is going to be very tough to do." [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/05/donate-3.jpg)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate?ref=sdnewswatch.org) With many lawmakers concerned about a limited budget – particularly with high price tag projects like the new men's prison already in the works – any state investment in child care is likely to be a hard sell. Not to mention the 100th legislature features a larger-than-typical number of lawmakers who are newly elected to office. But Reed believes the strain on families and additional information provided by the task force will come a long way in communicating the need for action. "We went through it when it came to skilled care facilities, right?" he said. "We were starving them and they were closing. And that's going to continue to happen here. So we have to figure this out, like we figured out (how) to increase the funding that was needed for skilled care facilities to make sure that they could stay viable, especially in a rural community. The same thing is going to happen. We're gonna lose child care in the rural communities first, and then it's really hard for those smaller towns to be able to grow." --- ### How to watch 'South Dakota Focus' The next episode of "South Dakota Focus" airs on Thursday, Jan. 23, at 8 p.m. Central time / 7 p.m. Mountain time. It can be viewed on SDPB-TV1, Facebook, YouTube and SD.net. The episode includes: - A mom who left the workforce to care for her kids and found an online community advocating for child care access - New online options working to help parents find child care that meets their needs - The South Dakota Child Care Task Force report and policy suggestions [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was written by *Jackie Hendry*, host and producer of South Dakota Public Broadcasting's "South Dakota Focus," to preview the next show. It was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact us* at* [*info@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:info@sdnewswatch.org). ### Bill to protect farms from spying could limit access to CAFO data URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-legislature-animal-feeding-operations-cafo-senate-bill-14/ Last updated: 2025-06-27T13:38:36.000Z Proposed legislation aimed at protecting South Dakota farmers from potential "agro-terrorism" activities could have a secondary effect of limiting access to some information about the state's largest animal feeding operations. [Senate Bill 14](https://sdlegislature.gov/Session/Bill/25699/273291?ref=sdnewswatch.org) seeks to strengthen a set of existing laws that make it a crime for anyone to steal farm animals, release animals, trespass on farms or interfere with farm operations. As written, the bill also would add criminal penalties for using deception to enter or gain employment at an agricultural operation or to use cameras or other surveillance methods to spy on a farm or agricultural research facility. The bill also would make it a crime to interfere with or destroy crops or structures at farms and agricultural research facilities. ## ****Get South Dakota stories** Sign up for an email summary on most weekdays that links to the full story. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. "Essentially, it's a property protection, property rights bill for farmers and ranchers," the bill's lead sponsor, Sen. Casey Crabtree (R-Madison), told News Watch. The measure, Crabtree said, is similar to laws passed over roughly the past 15 years in Iowa that sought to prevent animal-rights activists or anyone else from entering or recording activities at farms in order to find evidence of possible animal mistreatment or abuse. Dubbed "ag-gag" laws by opponents, the laws were challenged in court on First Amendment grounds. Despite some lower court rulings, the Iowa laws most similar to Crabtree's proposal were upheld as constitutional by a federal appeals court in 2024. ![South Dakota Sen. Casey Crabtree](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/Unknown-1.jpeg) Sen. Casey Crabtree Crabtree said he hasn't heard of widespread efforts to infiltrate or interfere with South Dakota farm operations, but a mink farm in Arlington has experienced problems in the past. Operators of that farm did not return a call seeking comment. The intent of the bill is to stop "bad actors" from using deception or technology to possibly paint an unfair picture of what is happening on South Dakota farms, Crabtree said. "We've got reports back about environmentalist groups that are attacking production facilities, or that they might be using drones and cameras, is really where this comes from," he said. ## Ag groups push for Senate Bill 14 The drafting of SB 14 was aided by a number of farm groups that gathered last summer to identify ways to help agricultural producers in the 2025 legislative session, said Matthew Bogue, public policy director for the South Dakota Farm Bureau Federation. South Dakota farmers deserve protection from anyone who may have "intent to cause physical or economic harm" to a farmer or farm operation, he said. State farm groups have heard concerns from producers that people could break into their farms or trespass with ill intent, Bogue said. "It’s never a bad time to be proactive," he said. "In our opinion, this modernizes the existing statutes." ## Bill would limit information on CAFOs But the bill also would add a new section to state law that would make it more difficult for the public, the press and even local governments from obtaining information about the state's largest animal operations. Concentrated animal feeding operations, or CAFOs, are large livestock operations where several hundred or even tens of thousands of cattle, hogs, chickens and turkeys are fed within a single farm, often in enclosed structures. CAFOs are heavily regulated in South Dakota, and operators must obtain a permit and undergo inspection of their operations and their records to ensure proper waste management and protection of water resources. ![Young turkeys in a CAFO.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/cafo-young-turkeys.jpg) Young turkeys, such at these shown in 2019 at the Oak Lane Colony in Hanson County, are fed in large barns for about six months until they will reach a shipping weight of about 45 to 50 pounds each. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) Section 6 in SB 14 would bar the state Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources – which oversees CAFO permitting and inspection – from releasing a list of permitted CAFOs and their locations in South Dakota to anyone unless required by federal law. The bill also would provide DANR discretion on whether to release a list of CAFOs to any "South Dakota state agency or local government for information regarding a permitted operation in the jurisdiction of the agency or local government." ## Information could be obtained in person Crabtree said an individual or government entity could still obtain a list of CAFOs and their locations by making an in-person request at the offices of DANR in Pierre. The restriction on obtaining information about CAFOs worries Jay Gilbertson, manager of the East Dakota Water Development District, which promotes conservation and management of water resources in eastern South Dakota. [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/09/Donate-today-News-Watch--1-.png)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?%5Fgl=1%2A1b0ep3i%2A%5Fga%2AMTM3NDcyODMyNS4xNzAyMTQ0MTg3%2A%5Fga%5FH98KVPR32J%2AMTcyNzIyNjUwOS40MzMuMS4xNzI3MjI3NzQ1LjAuMC4w&ref=sdnewswatch.org) The reason CAFOs are permitted in the first place is to maintain oversight of their operations and to allow for the state and others to ensure the large farms are not polluting the land and water, he said. Restricting public access to CAFO permits could make it more likely that large livestock operators would cut corners or avoid expensive waste management or water protection systems without anyone knowing, Gilbertson said. "The permits are pretty explicit and contain all sorts of things 'thou shall or shan’t do,' which makes it easy to adhere to because the operator knows exactly what is expected," he said. "At the same time, if I’m somebody who is concerned about a facility, I can look at the permit requirements and it will tell me, 'This is exactly what is supposed to be going on.' And if it is, fine. But if it isn’t, there isn’t any debate that there’s a problem." ## CAFOs expanding in South Dakota State officials said CAFOs are generally well operated and follow state laws. But problems do occur and fines have been levied against permit violators. According to [prior research](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/human-health-environmental-and-antibiotic-concerns-follow-cafo-development/) by News Watch, permitted CAFOs in South Dakota violated state regulations 217 times from October 2009 to August 2019\. The state received, on average, about two complaints about CAFOS from the public each month, and animal wastes from CAFOs leaked into state waterways on nine occasions during that time period, according to state records. ![The exterior of the National Foods egg-laying plant in Aurora County](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/national-foods-egg-farm-aurora-county.jpg) The National Foods egg-laying plant in Aurora County, shown in 2019, is the largest CAFO in the state, permitted to house about 1.98 million chickens. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) The number of animals raised and fed in CAFOs has increased steadily over the past decade. The state and lawmakers have taken steps in recent years to make it easier for development of CAFOs and harder for residents and local governments to fight them. The state also has [offered financial incentives](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/state-financial-incentive-program-for-cafos-criticized-as-bribery/) to livestock producers to expedite development of new CAFO operations. Brian Walsh, deputy secretary of DANR, wrote in an email to News Watch that the department already denies release of CAFO information to some who request it. "DANR reviews and considers each individual request for information on Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) as they are submitted. DANR has received requests for an aggregated listing of all CAFOs including specific location information (addresses, geographic coordinate systems locations, or legal locations) with the express purpose of sharing those locations online," Walsh wrote. "DANR has denied such requests in the past due to the issue of biosecurity and agro-terrorism risks. The bill as drafted would not change how DANR currently responds to requests for CAFO records requests." But Gilbertson said it seems odd that language in the bill could prevent the public or local governments from knowing where CAFOs are located. "The department (DANR) has the tools to allow people to look things up for all the permits they issue," he said. "But when it comes to animal feeding operations, if you really want to know, you have to go to Pierre, and try to get in the DANR building and dig through the paper files? That would just be silly." [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *to get stories when they're published. *Contact* *Bart Pfankuch* at* [*bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### South Dakota Legislature: Property taxes, pipelines, prisons (and more) URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-legislature-property-taxes-kristi-noem-lincoln-county-prison/ Last updated: 2025-06-27T13:38:36.000Z The 100th session of the South Dakota Legislature in Pierre will be historic not just for its centennial landmark but because of transitions in power. Gov. Kristi Noem is scheduled to give her State of the State address Jan. 14 and then head to Washington for hearings on her nomination to become secretary of the Department of Homeland Security in the administration of President-elect Donald Trump. She can't be officially confirmed until about a week later, when Lt. Gov. Larry Rhoden is expected to be sworn in as South Dakota's 34th governor, just in time for a legislative session rife with Republican power shifts and looming budget battles. Even with these developments, the 2025 session in Pierre is more about issues than eras. Lawmakers are prepared to tackle the three Ps – property taxes, pipelines and prisons – as well as school vouchers, Medicaid funding and child care programs. It's hard to keep up without a scorecard, so here's a primer on what to watch for as the South Dakota legislative session opens Tuesday. ## Raising sales tax to cut property taxes Property tax relief is a hot topic in Pierre, given that total payments have increased by nearly 60% for residential housing and nearly 50% for commercial property over the past decade in South Dakota. The problem with cutting property taxes, which help fund local school districts and city and county governments, is that typically you need to backfill that lost revenue with general fund dollars to pay for education and reduce the local effort for school districts. ## ****Get South Dakota stories** Sign up for an email summary on most weekdays that links to the full story. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. Rep. Tony Venhuizen (R- Sioux Falls) has floated a proposal to increase the sales tax rate from 4.2% to 5%, which would raise an estimated $280 million in general fund revenue. That money would be used to reduce the levy for owner-occupied homes to fund education at the local level to zero. “This is meant to start the conversation on property tax relief and to make the point that it costs a lot of money,” said Venhuizen, whose plan is co-sponsored by Sen. Randy Deibert (R-Spearfish). “I’d say that property tax relief is easily the top issue that I hear about from other legislators.” ![A South Dakota legislator poses for a photo at his desk in Pierre, South Dakota](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/tony.photo-1-1.jpg) State Rep. Tony Venhuizen, a Sioux Falls Republican, has floated a proposal to increase the sales tax rate from 4.2% to 5%, which would raise an estimated $280 million in general fund revenue for property tax relief. (Photo: Submitted) Raising the sales tax rate, which legislators temporarily lowered from 4.5% to 4.2% in 2023, would require a two-thirds majority vote in both chambers. It could encounter turbulence from limited-government leadership in Pierre, even with the property tax offsets elsewhere. The measure is also unlikely to win over Democrats, who are outnumbered by Republicans 31-4 in the Senate and 63-7 in the House of Representatives. Rep. Kadyn Wittman (D-Sioux Falls) noted that property tax relief does little to help low-income residents and non-homeowners who would be impacted by higher sales tax rates on purchases. “If you really want to impact every single South Dakotan in a tangible way, it would be better to look at removing the grocery tax,” Wittman told News Watch. “I think that would be a better utilization of our legislative powers.” Voters rejected a grocery plan repeal on the 2024 ballot, but critics mainly derided the measure’s overly broad language rather than the merits of eliminating the food tax. Venhuizen’s property tax relief plan harkens back to 1995, when Gov. Bill Janklow pushed through a 30% property tax reduction, offsetting the lost tax revenue to schools by increasing the state's education contribution. The program also updated the state’s education aid formula and established property tax caps. [Main theme for South Dakota politics in 2025? Buckle up.Noem, Thune prepare for new roles in Washington as South Dakota awaits a new governor and early 2026 election intrigue.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-62.jpg)South Dakota News WatchStu Whitney![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/NoemTrumpArgus.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-politics-kristi-noem-john-thune-dusty-johnson/) Rep. Will Mortenson of Fort Pierre, who served as Republican House majority leader the past two years, called the proposal “bold and clear-headed” amid all the property tax noise. “A lot of people have been talking about property taxes as a campaign issue, but to this point, any changes have been kind of around the periphery,” Mortenson told News Watch. “This proposal would deliver substantial, noticeable property tax relief to homeowners across the state. I wouldn't make a guess as to whether it's going to pass or not, but I applaud (Venhuizen and Deibert) for having the guts to do it.” ## Proposal sparks school voucher debate Lively debate is also expected on Noem's push for “education savings accounts” that would provide state money to help students enroll in private schools or help parents pay for homeschooling outside the traditional public school system. In her Dec. 3 budget address, the governor proposed spending $4 million in ongoing state dollars to provide about $3,000 per eligible student to offset the cost of private or alternative schools as a way to “prioritize education” in the state. In her budget explanation, Noem said the funds would initially be eligible for “South Dakota kids who need it most” but added that the program could later expand to make all families in the state eligible for payments. She said the program will create new options for parents and increase competition in the educational landscape across the state. ![Students work on English assignments at a desk at school](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/sapa.4-1.jpg) Students work on English assignments at Sapa Un Jesuit Academy on the Rosebud Indian Reservation in St. Francis, S.D. Gov. Kristi Noem has proposed a plan to provide state money to help students enroll in private schools or help parents pay for homeschooling. (Photo: Submitted) The proposal was formally introduced on Jan. 8 as House Bill 1020 by House Majority Leader Scott Odenbach (R-Spearfish) and Senate Majority Leader Jim Mehlhaff (R-Pierre). The so-called school choice bill would allow the money to be used for tuition at private schools and “micro-schools” for materials for homeschooling or for entrance exam or virtual learning fees not covered by a local school district. Critics of the proposal — including several organizations focused on improving public education — said it is a veiled attempt to begin a school voucher program. Voucher programs in other states have resulted mostly from conservative-led efforts to enable more children to attend private, religious or charter schools or to expand home-schooling. [Budget reckoning looms as Gov. Kristi Noem talks tax cutsNoem set the tone for the 2024 South Dakota Legislature not with her session-opening State of the State Address but with her budget message.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-63.jpg)South Dakota News WatchStu Whitney![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/LegislatureGallery2024.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-gov-kristi-noem-state-legislature-budget/) Noem said her program would not reduce funding to the state K-12 system, though her proposed budget includes only a 1.25% spending increase for public schools, well below the recent inflation rate. Rob Monson, executive director of the School Administrators of South Dakota, said during a Jan. 8 conference call that conservatives in the Legislature have been trying for years to create a voucher program. Monson said Noem’s proposal, as well as other proposed measures such as House Bill 1009, will ultimately siphon funding from the public education system that serves all children regardless of income, race, ethnicity or disability status. [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/05/donate-3.jpg)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Monson said backers of voucher programs try to demonize public education and claim it is failing and “indoctrinates” students, which he said is false. He and other public education backers also pointed out that private schools, alternative schools and home-schooled children do not have to undergo the same levels of transparency and accountability that public schools must meet. Monson said the new leadership in the Legislature appears to be more favorable to vouchers or Noem’s proposed education savings accounts in the upcoming session, and he expects a big battle in Pierre. “We’re going to see an attack this year, we believe, on the public school institution bigger than we have ever seen (in South Dakota)” he said. ## Anti-pipeline forces target eminent domain Republican populists are still feeling the energy from the 2024 election defeat of Referred Law 21, a “Landowner Bill of Rights” package that critics decried as more favorable to ethanol producers and carbon pipeline companies. Groups such as the Freedom Caucus and Dakota First PAC exploited the pipeline issue in GOP primaries by highlighting the votes of incumbent legislators, several of whom were defeated to set up the leadership shift. Though the fate of Summit Carbon Solutions’ $5.5 billion, 2,500-mile pipeline plan will likely play out in the courts and Public Utilities Commission hearings, expect more fireworks in Pierre. ![A sign urging landowners to stand together against eminent domain and carbon pipelines is displayed next to a corn field](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/pipeline.1.JPG) A sign urging landowners to stand together against eminent domain and carbon pipelines appears July 20, 2024, along Highway 11 in Lincoln County south of Sioux Falls, S.D. The issue has gained prominence in South Dakota as Summit Carbon Solutions seeks a permit for a network of carbon capture pipelines. (Photo: Stu Whitney / South Dakota News Watch) Jim Eschenbaum of the South Dakota Property Rights and Local Control Alliance told News Watch that the focus will be on tightening restrictions on eminent domain, which involves taking private property for public use while requiring fair compensation. “I’ve heard people say that the interstate system couldn’t have been built without eminent domain,” said Eschenbaum, who is also running for chair of the South Dakota Republican Party. “But the interstate system was literally for the use of all, and it was for the greater good. This pipeline doesn’t fit that description at all.” Whether Summit Carbon Solutions qualifies as a "common carrier" under state legal parameters for eminent domain is being litigated in court and will likely play a large role in legislative debates. Property rights supporters will rally at the state Capitol rotunda on Jan. 13, the day before session opens. Republican legislators expected to attend include Speaker of the House Jon Hansen (Dell Rapids) and House Speaker Pro Tempore Karla Lems (Canton), both of whom are strident opponents of the pipeline project. ![Jim Eschenbaum of the South Dakota Property Rights and Local Control Alliance listens to Democratic U.S. House candidate Sheryl Johnson](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/eschenbaum.1.jpeg) Jim Eschenbaum of the South Dakota Property Rights and Local Control Alliance listens to Democratic U.S. House candidate Sheryl Johnson talk about the carbon pipeline issue during a Sept. 18, 2024, meeting in Platte, S.D. (Photo: Submitted) Amanda Radke, a Mitchell rancher and ag representative who has emerged as a leader on the issue, will address the gathering. Eschenbaum said he will be on hand to emphasize the need to “clarify the limits of eminent domain.” The movement will test the remaining influence of mainstream, pro-business Republicans, who have stressed the positive impact of eminent domain for large-scale development projects that create jobs and increase tax revenue for the state. “The thing that concerns me most is this "not in my backyard" sentiment bleeding over into other areas of commerce or industry,” Mortenson said. “South Dakota has been viewed as a place where you can come and build something without the government getting in the way. I really worry that because of anger over the pipeline, some of these folks will go too far and cut off our nose to spite our face by blocking construction and development of businesses that could keep our small towns vital and allow other towns to grow.” ## Legislators take aim at Medicaid expansion South Dakota voters passed Medicaid expansion in 2022, extending health care coverage to more low-income residents under the Affordable Care Act, with the federal government covering 90 percent of the cost. That arrangement will cost South Dakota about $20 million each fiscal year if the matching rate remains the same. Venhuizen and Sen. Casey Crabtree (R-Madison) have put forth a joint resolution proposing a constitutional amendment that ties Medicaid expansion in South Dakota to the level of federal assistance. If the federal matching rate drops below 90%, as some have suggested it could as the Trump administration looks to reform spending strategies, the South Dakota Constitution would no longer require the state to continue Medicaid expansion. ![Two legislators involved in a conversation in Pierre, South Dakota](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/wittman.1.jpg) Rep. Kadyn Wittman (right), a Democrat from Sioux Falls, talks to another legislator after the State of the State address on Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024, at South Dakota State Capitol in Pierre. (Photo: Argus Leader) “As things stand now, if they cut the match rate from 90% to 80% or 70%, we would have no choice,” said Venhuizen. “We would have to come up with the money and pay it. So the point of this amendment is to say, if it drops below 90%, then it’s up to the Legislature. We don't have to get out. If they drop it to 88% or 89%, we would probably stay in. If they drop it more than that, at what point does it become so expensive that the state can’t afford it?” Medicaid is a joint federal and state program that helps cover medical costs for qualified individuals with limited income and resources. The Affordable Care Act in 2010 expanded Medicaid to include nearly all adults with incomes up to 138% of the federal poverty level, which translates to an annual gross salary of about $21,000 for an individual or $43,000 for a family of four. South Dakota was one of the Republican-led states that resisted expansion, which meant childless adults without a disability were ineligible for Medicaid coverage regardless of income level. Many also didn’t qualify for ACA subsidies to help obtain private coverage. ![The exterior of the Department of Social Services in Sioux Falls, South Dakota](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/medicaid.3.JPG) A woman walks into the South Dakota Department of Social Services office on Aug. 22, 2024, in Sioux Falls, S.D. In November, South Dakotans voted to add work requirements to Medicaid expansion in the state. (Photo: Stu Whitney / South Dakota News Watch) In 2022, South Dakota became one of 40 states to expand Medicaid when voters approved a constitutional amendment with 56% of the vote. Two years later, Venhuizen sponsored a ballot amendment that allowed work requirements to be used in connection with able-bodied adults receiving Medicaid benefits in South Dakota, subject to federal approval. That measure also passed with 56% approval. Wittman criticized the latest effort, saying that measures that could eliminate Medicaid expansion in South Dakota altogether show a lack of regard for state residents that require assistance. “I'm really tired of the South Dakota Legislature continuing to punish people who are vulnerable and marginalized and living in poverty,” Wittman told News Watch. “I really do not understand Rep. Venhuizen's vitriol towards individuals that utilize this particular government support system. If this is truly about him wanting to make smart use of taxpayer dollars, I believe there are other places in our budget where he could focus his efforts and it would not further marginalize an already vulnerable population.” ## Budget battle for South Dakota Public Broadcasting Among the belt-tightening measures proposed by Noem in her budget address, cutting South Dakota Public Broadcasting’s funding by 65% has received a lot of attention. The governor put the $3.6 million budget cut in national terms when presenting her proposal, which earmarked $1.9 million for SDPB in fiscal year 2026\. The network had requested $5.6 million. “Currently, South Dakota has the third-highest per capita funding of public broadcasting of any state in the nation,” Noem said in her budget address. “We’ve been paying more than double the national average.” ![A man stands behind a video camera in a field in South Dakota](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/sdpb.1.jpg) SDPB, which relies on state funding and private donations, provides livestreamed coverage of state legislative hearings as well as South Dakota High School Activities Association championship events, in addition to its news, weather and commentary programming. (Photo: SDPB Facebook) SDPB, which relies on state funding and private donations, provides livestreamed coverage of state legislative hearings as well as South Dakota High School Activities Association championship events, in addition to its news, weather and commentary programming, which includes National Public Radio. “A cut of this size and scale will force significant reductions to all these important services,” the network said in a statement. “This cut is likely to disproportionately affect rural service, where SDPB’s programming is most valued.” During her 2022 re-election campaign, Noem refused to participate in a debate sponsored by the public broadcasting network, with her team saying in a statement that “SDPB’s extreme leftward swing precludes the possibility of a fair debate.” While her likely exit from Pierre might shield her from political fallout from the budget cuts, some lawmakers view it differently. Pulling support from something that serves as a conduit to legislative proceedings as well as statewide sports and fine arts events has caused some angst among constituents. “It’s probably the cut that I've heard the most opposition to since the budget address,” said Venhuizen. “I know a lot of legislators are hoping that we can avoid that cut, but the reality of the budget situation this year is that it's a zero-sum game. And so unless we have cause to increase our revenue estimate in a month, we're going to have to find a dollar elsewhere for every dollar we restore.” ## Noem seeks to close prison deal South Dakota Department of Corrections officials have informed legislators that the guaranteed maximum price for a planned new men’s state prison is $825 million, higher than previous estimates. That includes $737 million in construction for the 1,500-inmate facility at the proposed site between Harrisburg and Canton in Lincoln County, making it the largest one-time capital investment in state history. The fact that the prison involves “one time” dollars puts it on a different tier of budget discussion from ongoing expenditures such as health care and education funding, but the governor is looking to close the deal. Noem's proposal includes putting $182 million in a prison fund that, combined with interest already accrued, would fully fund the project, a clear priority when it comes to shaping her executive legacy. The Legislature has already committed $87 million to build a new women's prison in Rapid City, with a likely completion date of early 2026. Some of the same lawmakers who opposed the carbon pipeline project have expressed concern about the men's prison site, which could lead to some interesting discussions in Pierre. If the project goes through as planned, the outgoing governor will be justified in chalking it up as a win for her administration, said Mortenson. "It's not a popular thing to build a prison," he told News Watch. "The public would rather spend this money on education or nursing homes or other things, but she saw a need. Our current facilities are falling short of their mission of rehabilitating people and being a Department of Corrections, not just a department of incarceration. She said, 'You know what, we've got the money, let's do something about it,' and I give her credit for that." [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) **Bart Pfankuch* contributed reporting this story, which was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *every few days to get stories as soon as they're published. *Contact Stu Whitney* at* [*stu.whitney@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:stu.whitney@sdnewswatch.org) ### Main theme for South Dakota politics in 2025? Buckle up. URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-politics-kristi-noem-john-thune-dusty-johnson/ Last updated: 2025-06-27T13:38:36.000Z Though it’s an off year in election terms, 2025 will pack a considerable punch within the scope of South Dakota politics. The drama begins in January, when Gov. Kristi Noem is scheduled to begin committee hearings in Washington after being appointed as secretary of the Department of Homeland Security by incoming President Donald Trump, whose inauguration is Jan. 20. Noem’s proposed executive branch role is just part of South Dakota’s influence in the nation’s capital. Sen. John Thune was chosen by his Republican colleagues as Senate Majority Leader in November, and Rep. Dusty Johnson has emerged as a close adviser to Speaker Mike Johnson in the House of Representatives. [Expect belt-tightening in Noem’s final budget addressFlat revenue and rising Medicaid costs will likely mean smaller funding increases for education, health care providers and state employees in the next fiscal year.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-56.jpg)South Dakota News WatchStu Whitney![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/noem.new.JPG)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-gov-kristi-noem-2025-budget-address-legislature/) In Pierre, the surging populist GOP wing assumes control of legislative leadership as Lt. Gov. Larry Rhoden prepares to take the reins from Noem in a challenging budget year, with the session starting Jan. 14. Amid this backdrop, candidates will start plotting for 2026, when South Dakota will elect a new governor as well as hold races for U.S. Senate and U.S. House and constitutional offices such as attorney general, secretary of state and state treasurer. Here’s a quick rundown of what to expect as a jam-packed political year begins: ## Noem fast-tracked as Homeland secretary Noem’s appointment to Homeland Security is considered high priority by the Trump administration as it seeks to hit the ground running on proposed immigration reforms. The South Dakota governor's confirmation timeline is right behind Trump's choices for secretary of Defense (Pete Hegseth) and secretary of State (Marco Rubio), with those national security picks expected to have committee hearings the week starting Jan. 13. Noem has met with members of the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, which is chaired by Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky and will consider her nomination. ![South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem speaks March 13, 2024, at a town hall meeting at the high school in Mitchell, S.D. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/2024-3-13-Kristi-Noem.jpg) South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem speaks March 13, 2024, at a town hall meeting at the high school in Mitchell, S.D. (Photo: Stu Whitney / South Dakota News Watch) She cannot be formally nominated until Trump is sworn in Jan. 20, and the committee can’t vote until that occurs. So the earliest that her appointment can be confirmed by the committee and sent to the full Senate is likely Jan. 21 or 22. Republicans hold a 53-47 majority in the Senate, which means they can lose three GOP votes and still pass measures or appointees, with Vice President-elect J.D. Vance breaking ties. ## ****Get South Dakota stories** Sign up for an email summary on most weekdays that links to the full story. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. If Noem survives, as most expect, Trump's team wants her to be publicly active out of the gate, which likely means a trip to the Southern border to stress a crackdown on illegal immigration. As a member of the House, Dusty Johnson is not involved in the confirmation process. But he told News Watch that he’s confident South Dakota’s governor will hold up under the “advise and consent” scrutiny of the Senate. “There are certainly some appointments that are more controversial in nature," Johnson said. "(Noem) is a pretty straightforward, traditional, conservative pick, and I would think she's in excellent shape. She knows how to make decisions and doesn't get scared at the prospect of making a tough call." As for how the 53-year-old Noem will handle a job that puts her in charge of a network of 22 agencies and 260,000 employees tasked with keeping the United States safe from outside threats, there are differences of opinion. [Noem’s Cabinet role could be ‘untenable:’ Former DHS chief“I suspect there will be many days when she wishes she were back in South Dakota,” said Jeh Johnson, who served as Homeland Security secretary under Barack Obama.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-57.jpg)South Dakota News WatchStu Whitney![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/jeh.johnson.1-1-1.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/kristi-noem-homeland-security-secretary-president-trump-dhs/) Jeh Johnson, who served as Homeland Security secretary under President Barack Obama from 2013-17, [told News Watch in November](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/kristi-noem-homeland-security-secretary-president-trump-dhs/) that he wishes Noem success “in promoting the department’s missions and its people.” But Johnson, former general counsel of the Department of Defense, added a note of caution as Noem prepares to join an administration that has vowed to carry out mass deportations of illegal immigrants in the country, facing likely legislative and legal hurdles along the way. “I fear she will be placed in the untenable position of having to publicly defend the Trump administration’s most controversial and harshest immigration enforcement policies,” Jeh Johnson said. “I suspect there will be many days when she wishes she were back in South Dakota.” ## Thune bolsters relationship with Trump Thune is settling into his role as Senate majority leader, a job he apprenticed for while serving as a right-hand man for former longtime Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, who remains in the Senate. One of Thune's biggest challenges will be managing the demands and expectations of Trump, who has called for quick action from Senate Republicans on confirming Cabinet posts and getting in step with White House prerogatives. Thune would prefer to insulate the Senate from such pressure under the constitutional balance of power. That wish was granted in December, when 38 GOP senators voted against Trump’s preferred bill to extend government funding while also suspending the debt limit for two years, which would have eased the path for White House priorities such as border spending and tax cuts. ![Workers install Sen. John Thune's nameplate on the door of the Senate Republican Leaders suite at the U.S. Capitol ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/thune.sign.jpg) Workers install Sen. John Thune's nameplate on the door of the Senate Republican Leaders suite at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Jan. 3, 2025\. Thune was chosen by his Republican colleagues as Senate Majority Leader in November. (Photo: Courtesy of Thune staff) Congress later passed a temporary funding bill that did not address the debt ceiling, despite Trump saying on social media that he would support primary challenges against Republicans who opposed his wishes. Thune's rocky relationship with Trump, dating back to the 2016 presidential campaign and inflamed by the U.S. Capitol riot of Jan. 6, 2021, has seen signs of recent repair. Thune and Trump were seen hanging out together in a private suite at the Army-Navy football game on Dec. 14, and Thune also visited the President-elect at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida recently to discuss legislative strategy. Another fragile alliance, the one involving Thune and Noem that highlights their contrasting political styles, is not necessarily under repair but is being mitigated for what both consider the greater good of Republican leadership in Washington. [South Dakota’s Thune voted Senate majority leaderThe 63-year-old Murdo native won the job in a secret ballot among GOP senators Wednesday in Washington.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-58.jpg)South Dakota News WatchStu Whitney![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/thune.1.JPG)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakotas-thune-voted-senate-majority-leader-2/) Thune met with Noem to discuss her Homeland Security appointment and the shared recognition that many of Trump’s immigration aims will run through the Senate and Noem’s office if she’s confirmed. Thune has listed border security as one of his top political priorities entering the 2025 session, along with tax relief, military strength and energy deregulation. ## Johnson rises in House stature, eyes 2026 Though the 2026 primary for South Dakota governor is still 18 months away, the race has been bubbling beneath the surface for months. Dusty Johnson has been the most active among potential contenders, building a campaign war chest of more than $5.5 million while wrangling top-level South Dakota donors in anticipation of a race that could begin as early as spring 2025\. Other likely candidates include Rhoden and South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley as well as a contender from the populist wing, with state Rep. Scott Odenbach of Spearfish mentioned frequently after recently being named House majority leader. Odenbach worked closely with Speaker of the House Jon Hansen of Dell Rapids to bolster anti-abortion and landowner rights initiatives while urging the ouster of “establishment” legislative incumbents in the 2024 election, all of which were successful efforts. ![South Dakota Rep. Dusty Johnson kisses his wife, Jacquelyn, next to his three sons after declaring victory in his U.S. House re-election race at the Holiday Inn City Centre in Sioux Falls, S.D., ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/2024-11-5-Dusty-victory.JPG) South Dakota Rep. Dusty Johnson kisses his wife, Jacquelyn, next to his three sons after declaring victory in his U.S. House re-election race at the Holiday Inn City Centre in Sioux Falls, S.D., on Nov. 5, 2024\. (Photo: Stu Whitney / South Dakota News Watch) Jackley, who saw Noem run to the right in defeating him for the 2018 gubernatorial nomination, is determined to better position himself this time. He has assembled volunteer campaign staff for whether he runs for governor or attorney general in 2026, showcasing hardline stances against illegal immigration, abortion and gun control. The 54-year-old Sturgis native has made the pilgrimage to Mar-a-Lago and has a working relationship with former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi, the U.S. attorney general nominee who is part of Trump's current inner circle. Most political observers agree that a Trump endorsement could be a game-changer in any South Dakota statewide race, and the president-elect has supported conservative state AGs before in their pursuit of higher office. Barring such a development, running for governor could be an uphill climb for Jackley, who had about $500,000 in his campaign coffers at the last reporting date and limited options for coveted in-state donors after Johnson’s early efforts. ![Attorney General Marty Jackley](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/MartyJackley.webp) Attorney General Marty Jackley is viewed as a potential candidate to make another run for governor in 2026\. (Photo: Samantha Laurey / Sioux Falls Argus Leader) “One thing I learned from high school and college athletics is that my coach would tell me, ‘Run your own race,’” Jackley told News Watch. “So it doesn't make any difference to me if somebody else is running for governor. I’m going to do what is best for me and the state, and that decision won't be affected by other individuals.” Johnson has insisted that he’s in no hurry to formally launch a gubernatorial campaign. One political insider noted that there’s no advantage to “hanging out there as a punching bag for 14 or 15 months, especially when you've got so much money and you're well known." He has hired a media consultant to help keep him well-positioned amid a temperamental Republican electorate in South Dakota, with the goal of fending off Trump-fueled challenges against him. The congressman shared with top supporters an internal poll from Axis Research that showed him at 31% among 306 “known Republican primary voters” in South Dakota from Nov. 10-12, compared to 22% for Jackley, 10% for Rhoden and 7% for former state legislator and U.S. House candidate Taffy Howard. The poll showed 31% as undecided, with a margin of error of 5.6 percentage points. [Poll sheds light on South Dakota’s 2026 election outlookVoter opinions on Noem, Thune, Johnson, Rounds and Jackley and their possible next steps.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-60.jpg)South Dakota News WatchStu Whitney![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/dusty.15-1-1-4.JPG)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/poll-sheds-light-on-south-dakotas-2026-election-outlook/) Johnson's visibility as a sitting U.S. congressman gives him an early edge, said Jon Schaff, a political science professor at Northern State University in Aberdeen. But the undecided numbers and the fact that Rhoden hasn't become governor yet means there's a long way to go. "My strong suspicion is that Dusty is way ahead of the other figures in name recognition, giving his support a bit of an artificial strength," Schaff told News Watch. "As other candidates raise money and increase their name recognition, the numbers may change." [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/05/donate-3.jpg)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate?ref=sdnewswatch.org) A Mason-Dixon poll co-sponsored by News Watch in October showed Johnson with a favorability rating of 51% among Republicans in the state, well behind Noem (76%) and Trump (72%). Those results bolstered the conventional wisdom that he needs to win over hard-right voters to secure the GOP primary. For now, Johnson is focused on his work in Congress, where he has emerged a key dealmaker as Republican leadership walks the tightrope of a razor-thin majority in the House. He has emphasized his coordination with the Trump administration as it seeks to carry out its agenda in Congress. “Right now, 99% of my time is focused on this first 100 days (of Trump's presidency)," Johnson, 48, told News Watch. "You know, shame on us if we don't secure the border, cut regulations and push back on the Chinese Communist Party. And if I take my eye off those things, our chance of success won't be as good.” ## Rhoden prepares to take reins in Pierre One of the state's biggest political stories in 2025 could be the ascension of Rhoden, who will likely become the first South Dakota governor to assume office in the middle of a legislative session in Pierre. The 65-year-old Meade County rancher is already sizing up a Legislature fraught with budgetary battles and potential Republican infighting. The 2024 election was a triumph for limited government populists, who seized leadership roles and will test the remaining influence of pro-business institutionalists when it comes to pipelines, prison projects and property tax. Rhoden, a legislative veteran who ran unsuccessfully for U.S. Senate in 2014, will have ample opportunity to prove his political dexterity in the current GOP environment, setting the tone for a potential re-election bid. ![South Dakota Lt. Gov. Larry Rhoden, speaking March 13, 2024, at a town hall meeting in Mitchell, S.D., with Kristi Noem in the background.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/vice.9.jpg) South Dakota Lt. Gov. Larry Rhoden, speaking March 13, 2024, at a town hall meeting in Mitchell, S.D., will become South Dakota's 34th governor if Gov. Kristi Noem is confirmed as secretary of the Department of Homeland Security in Donald Trump’s administration. (Photo: Stu Whitney / South Dakota News Watch) The Union Center resident has assembled a "kitchen cabinet" to prepare for his new role. That group of close advisers includes Steve Westra, former commissioner of the Governor’s Office of Economic Development; Board of Regents president and former state legislator Tim Rave; and Sioux Falls lawyer and lobbyist Matt McCaulley. The search for a lieutenant governor has focused on Sioux Falls to provide a West River/East River balance come election time. Rhoden's preferred choice is Westra, but there are concerns about whether his past GOED battles with limited-government legislators would complicate his confirmation. Christine Erickson, a former state legislator and Sioux Falls city councilor who has West River roots, has also been considered for the role. [Rhoden could be ‘steady hand’ if Noem joins Trump CabinetThe transition could be the first time a South Dakota governor hands over the reins of power during a legislative session.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-61.jpg)South Dakota News WatchStu Whitney![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/vice.6-2.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/rhoden-could-be-steady-hand-if-noem-joins-trump-cabinet-2/) From an electoral view, Rhoden has a chance to use the increased visibility of the governor's office as a launching pad for 2026\. While not a polished speaker, his status as a "true-blue cowboy from Union Center" is seen by political insiders as a potentially effective counter to Dusty Johnson's bookish zeal. Rhoden's ability to raise money and encourage allies may hinge on how he handles the upcoming legislative session. Having served in both the House and Senate, he understands the process well enough to navigate the choppy waters of a Republican party divide. He'll need to complement those efforts with the executive mettle and mature leadership that South Dakotans want to see as the face of their state moving forward. Plenty of comparisons have been made to Walter Dale Miller, another West River rancher and veteran legislator who served as lieutenant governor under Gov. George Mickelson. Miller took the reins of leadership at age 67 after Mickelson was killed in a plane crash in April 1993. Miller ran for governor as an incumbent in 1994 and was challenged by Bill Janklow, a former governor and more savvy politician who won by a margin of 54% to 46%, setting up his return to Pierre for two terms. ## Rounds aims for re-election in 2026 The general consensus is that 70-year-old U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds, who is up for re-election in 2026, will enter the fray at least one more time to seek a third term in Washington. This means that Rounds, who has publicly criticized Trump's stances at times in the past, might need to tread lightly to avoid a populist primary challenge in a state where opposing Trump too stridently can alter political fortunes. ![South Dakota U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds speaks during an event to celebrate the Lewis and Clark Regional Water System's connection to Madison, S.D., ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/01/rounds.1.jpeg) South Dakota U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds speaks during an event to celebrate the Lewis and Clark Regional Water System's connection to Madison, S.D., on Aug. 21, 2024\. (Photo: Mike Rounds Facebook) Thune, by contrast, isn't up for re-election until 2028, the final year of Trump's term. Rounds has not ruled out running for governor as a means of returning home to Pierre, where he served as a state legislator and was South Dakota governor from 2003-2011\. The gubernatorial option was viewed by some as a contingency plan for Rounds if Noem decided to run for Senate, though Trump's presidential win and Noem's administration role shifts that scenario. The names most frequently mentioned for U.S. House in 2026, assuming Dusty Johnson runs for governor, are state Sen. Casey Crabtree of Madison and state Rep. Tony Venhuizen of Sioux Falls, former chief of staff to Daugaard and Noem. Howard, who challenged Johnson from the right in the 2022 U.S. House primary and finished with 41% of the vote, is also a possibility for the 2026 race. [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit news organization. Read more in-depth stories at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *every few days to get stories as soon as they're published. Contact investigative reporter *Stu Whitney* at* [*stu.whitney@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:stu.whitney@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Move into SD bunker backfires on family seeking a new life URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/bunker-community-igloo-south-dakota-vivos/ Last updated: 2025-06-27T13:38:37.000Z IGLOO, S.D. – David Streeter thought abandoning his traditional life to relocate into a survival bunker in South Dakota would allow his family to retreat from the stresses, expenses and restrictions of the modern world. The family of three also wanted to be prepared in case an apocalypse of some kind altered the course of mankind and threatened their lives and way of life. But 18 months after leasing a former Army munitions bunker in the Vivos xPoint residential complex south of Edgemont, the Streeters have had their dreams shattered. And they now find themselves embroiled in a situation that has brought on a level of upheaval, worry and danger they specifically sought to avoid. "It's been nothing but a nightmare," said Streeter, 51\. "We just wanted to get away from the rat race and live peacefully, but obviously that hasn't happened." [SD bunker residents raise financial, safety concernsA former military munitions site with concrete bunkers now used as residences has become the source of numerous lawsuits.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-55.jpg)South Dakota News WatchBart Pfankuch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/2024-10-14-Bunker-wide-shot-with-road-1.JPG)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/igloo-south-dakota-prepper-bunker-vivos-xpoint/) In August, Streeter – an Army veteran who was injured while serving in Bosnia – shot a Vivos contract employee at close range. Streeter said the man had threatened his family and he was defending himself. No charges were filed in that case or in a fatal shooting involving Streeter in Montana in 2010\. Streeter's daughter witnessed and videotaped the Igloo shooting while his 12-year-old daughter was calling 911 for help. His younger daughter now sometimes cries in her sleep, Streeter said. Streeter and his wife, Katja, a nurse who works in Hot Springs, were evicted from their bunker and are living in cramped quarters with nine other adults and children in a home with only one shower not far from the Vivos complex. Streeter and his wife are the plaintiffs or defendants in a handful of lawsuits related to their eviction, the shooting, a protection order request against him and small claims cases. [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/11/Donate-News-Watch--3-.png)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?%5Fgl=1%2A1txxzuc%2A%5Fgcl%5Fau%2AMjAyOTY2NTc3My4xNzMwNDcxOTUz%2A%5Fga%2AMTM3NDcyODMyNS4xNzAyMTQ0MTg3%2A%5Fga%5FH98KVPR32J%2AMTczMDkzMzA3Ni40Mi4wLjE3MzA5MzMwNzYuMC4wLjA.&ref=sdnewswatch.org) For now, the Streeters have lost the money paid to lease and build out the Vivos bunker, a tab Streeter estimates is around $300,000\. They've also spent about $15,000 in legal fees to file or fight several lawsuits. Streeter said that even after moving out of Vivos, the on-site subcontractor he shot – a convicted felon known to carry guns – frequently parks outside or drives by the house where they now live. Streeter said he also has been interviewed twice by agents of the FBI, which former Vivos residents said has launched an investigation into the bunker complex and its owner. The stress of protecting his family, battling for his legal rights, maintaining financial solvency and trying to retain a sense of normalcy has led Streeter to make late-night calls to a veterans' mental health hotline on four occasions, he said. "I find myself in a situation where I have to constantly defend my family, and it should never have been that way," said Streeter, who carries a handgun at all times. ## Bunker complex a source of resident unrest Streeter is not alone in his stress and disappointment on how things have turned out at the bunker complex, but he has become a lightning rod in the effort to hold the owners accountable and push for positive change. The Vivos xPoint survivalist community was developed in 2016 on the site of the former Black Hills Army Depot munitions storage facility. More than 500 above-ground concrete bunkers are marketed for lease to those who are worried about a potential national or global disaster or who want to live mostly off-the-grid. The site is in a remote area 8 miles south of Edgemont in southwestern South Dakota. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/12/2024-10-14-Bunker-wide-shot-with-road-2-1.JPG) More than 500 above-ground concrete bunkers and 100 miles of unpaved roads are part of the Vivos xPoint residential complex, shown on Oct. 4, 2024, near Igloo, S.D. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) The concrete bunkers, which look like earthen igloos, held military conventional and chemical munitions from 1942 to 1967\. The town of Igloo grew up around the depot and was once home to Tom Brokaw, a South Dakota native and former NBC anchor. The base and town are now abandoned. A four-month [News Watch investigation](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/igloo-south-dakota-prepper-bunker-vivos-xpoint/) recently revealed that the Vivos complex has been the subject of at least 16 lawsuits or legal filings, five complaints to the South Dakota Attorney General's Office, and is now part of an inquiry by the FBI. Vivos is owned and managed by California businessman Robert K. Vicino, who told News Watch that the complex is largely peaceful, well-maintained and has been a financial success. Vicino also denied allegations of financial impropriety, breaking of contractual obligations or retaliation against people who complained in legal or state documents. He said any unrest present at Vivos is being perpetuated by a small group of disgruntled residents and "bad apples," including Streeter. In mid-2023, Streeter sold his home in Montana and leased a bunker at Vivos xPoint to get away from the modern world and test his mettle at building a home inside the bunker and successfully living off the grid. The relatively low lease cost and monthly and annual fees, when compared to the cost of a traditional home and property taxes, would also allow Streeter and his family to travel internationally, he said. ![A man holds a puppy outside of a bunker home in Igloo, South Dakota.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/12/2024-10-4-Streeter-hugging-dog.JPG) David Streeter hugs a puppy on Oct. 4, 2024, outside the front of a friend's bunker in the Vivos xPoint complex near Igloo, S.D. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) After living for a time in a camper outside, he eventually moved himself, his wife and his daughter into the bunker. Later, he built out the bunker with a sub-floor, walls, and a kitchen, bathroom and TV rooms. However, it wasn't long after that problems arose and his expectation of a peaceful life on the South Dakota prairie was shattered. ## Streeter's complaints rejected by Vivos Streeter began to contact Vivos management with complaints that his septic system at the bunker wasn't functional and that the tires on his truck had been destroyed by nails and railroad spikes mixed within the road gravel. In email communications with Vicino, Streeter asked to be compensated for the ruined tires and to have Vivos pay to get the septic system fixed. Streeter also made extensive allegations about how Vivos was being run, how resident money was being spent and warned that he would file in small claims court to be paid if a financial arrangement could not be made. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/12/David-Streeter-quote.png) In an email correspondence from March 30, reviewed by News Watch, Vicino rejected Streeter's claims that Vivos was responsible for tire or septic system damages. "So now you are threatening extortion and tort," Vicino wrote, warning that "I think you are going down the rabbit hole." In April, Streeter filed two small claims cases against Vivos xPoint, both of which are pending. ## A near-fatal shooting, but no charges filed After that, Streeter said, Vivos' on-site contract employees began to frequently drive by his home, sometimes fast and sometimes slowly, give him the middle finger or take pictures or videos of him, his bunker and his family. Streeter said Vivos contract employee Shear "J.R." Rodriguez ran him and his wife off the roadway several times within the Vivos complex. Even though Streeter complained to management and law enforcement, the dangerous behavior continued, he said. Streeter said a Fall River County Sheriff's Office lieutenant told him that officers could not respond because the Vivos complex was on private property. In August, Streeter said his concerns intensified when his adult daughter and young grandchildren moved onto his bunker property. On Aug. 23, Streeter said Rodriguez drove at high speeds past Streeter's bunker. Streeter said he tracked down Rodriguez, pulled him over and reached into his truck and grabbed him by the shirt, warning him to stay away from his family. A while later, Vivos contract employee Kelly Anderson drove up to Streeter's bunker on a Caterpillar track loader, which the manufacturer indicates weighs up to 9,000 pounds and has a top speed of 7 mph. Streeter said Anderson began to threaten Streeter, who pulled his handgun and pointed it at Anderson. At one point, Streeter said Anderson lunged toward him, and Streeter fired a single shot, striking Anderson in the chest. Five minutes later, Streeter, a former emergency medical technician, left his yard and began to provide aid to Anderson. Video captures lead-up to and shooting on Aug. 23, 2024, at Igloo, S.D., bunker complex. (Video: YouTube) Streeter and another man who arrived on the scene, Chris Yellow Thunder, loaded Anderson into a truck and drove him off the bunker property, where they were met by an ambulance and authorities. Prior to arriving at Streeter's property, Anderson sent text messages to Yellow Thunder, who is an acquaintance of both Anderson and Streeter, that he was heading to Streeter's bunker to confront him. In the text message, viewed by News Watch, Anderson stated: "I'm about to f— his ass up," and, "What he did isn't right and I'm gonna educate this mother f———." Months later, according to Fall River State's Attorney Lance Russell, a grand jury heard testimony and reviewed evidence in the case and decided not to indict Streeter with a crime related to the shooting. Streeter was charged with one count of simple assault for the earlier confrontation with Rodriguez, according to court documents. Rodriguez could not be reached for comment. Anderson did not return a message left on his voicemail. ![David Streeter stands outside the entrance to his bunker in southwestern South Dakota.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/12/2024-10-4-Streeter-at-bunker-door.JPG) David Streeter on Oct. 4, 2024, outside the front door of the bunker he once leased in the Vivos xPoint complex near Igloo, S.D. Streeter and his family have since been evicted from the bunker. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) Streeter was evicted from his bunker and is being sued in civil court for damages by Anderson. A court overturned the eviction, but Streeter is still unable to legally enter Vivos due to a separate legal filing. "Vivos promises to do all this vetting, but why do you then hire a known felon who carries guns to work down here?" Streeter said. Vicino told News Watch that he hopes the state attorney general's office, despite the grand jury ruling, will eventually charge Streeter with attempted murder. ## ****Get South Dakota stories** Sign up for an email summary on most weekdays that links to the full story. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. "There’s no vendetta here, and we had no bone to pick with this guy," Vicino said. "He has a temperament issue, and that was an egregious act." Streeter's attorney, J. Scott James of Custer, said the relationship between Streeter and Vivos, and its on-site subcontractors, has left Streeter in an almost untenable situation. "I think Mr. Streeter came here with a lot of hope about how his life would be when he got here, and I think that he’s been frustrated and disappointed by the way his interactions with Vivos have gone, and that he certainly didn’t expect to be in the middle of a shooting match with a (Vivos) employee," James said. "He didn’t expect to be fearful for his safety and his life at all times, and has to basically guard himself 24 hours a day to keep everything from being taken from him." ## Hard to back down now, Streeter says Streeter, by nature, is not one to back away from a fight. He grew up on a ranch in Montana, and his military service in Bosnia and his later work as a federal prison correctional officer, law enforcement officer and certified emergency medical technician are all roles that require some fortitude. Streeter is also no stranger to using violence to protect his loved ones. In 2010, he was called to his mother's home to break up a violent fight between her and Streeter's stepfather. When his stepfather emerged with a loaded shotgun, Streeter shot and killed him. No charges were filed in that case, according to [local press accounts](https://vp-mi.com/news/2011/feb/09/no-charges-filed-in-shooting-14/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). ![Chris Yellow Thunder and David Streeter on Dec. 7, 2024, in the home they now share in Igloo, South Dakota](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/12/2024-12-7-Yellow-Thunder_Streeter-in-kitchen-1.JPG) Chris Yellow Thunder (left) and David Streeter on Dec. 7, 2024, in the house they now share near Igloo, S.D. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) When Streeter was evicted, his friend Yellow Thunder immediately opened his house to him, his wife and daughter as well as Streeter's adult daughter and her four children. The home is one of a handful in the former town of Igloo and sits a couple miles or so from the entrance to Vivos xPoint. "I don't trust easy, but Dave and I hit it off the second we met," Yellow Thunder said. "So when they needed a place to stay, it was never a question that they would come in here, and in fact, I would have been offended if they had gone to a hotel or anywhere else to live." [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/11/Donate-News-Watch-2--1-.png)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?%5Fgl=1%2A10w9pkh%2A%5Fgcl%5Fau%2AMjAyOTY2NTc3My4xNzMwNDcxOTUz%2A%5Fga%2AMTM3NDcyODMyNS4xNzAyMTQ0MTg3%2A%5Fga%5FH98KVPR32J%2AMTczMTAxOTY1OS40NC4wLjE3MzEwMTk2NTkuMC4wLjA.&ref=sdnewswatch.org) Streeter said he is angry over how he and other Vivos residents have been treated. But he is also disappointed that formal complaints made by him and other Vivos residents to local and state authorities have not led to substantive investigations or action. "It's like they think, 'If we don't see any problems, they're not there,'" Streeter said. "All we need is for someone to take an interest and do something. All of this has happened down here, and I've reported it to every entity I can find, everybody that should have authority over it, and nothing has been done to help me or all these other people being hurt down here." Fall River County Sheriff Lyle Norton did not return calls seeking comment, and attorney general's office spokesman Tony Mangan said there is no ongoing AG investigation into Vivos. Meanwhile, Streeter said he is waiting for lawsuits he has filed or those filed against him to be resolved before making any plans for the future. "I don't like to run from things, and I'm tired of giving in to all this bulls—," Streeter said. "My wife and my daughter have asked me not to go back down there to Vivos, but what do we do? I've got $300,000 into that (bunker), and we're not a rich family. We put all of our savings into building a home there." [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit news organization. Read more in-depth stories at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *every few days to get stories as soon as they're published. Contact *Bart Pfankuch* at* [*bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:%20bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Trouble in 'prepper' paradise: Bunker residents raise financial, safety concerns at Igloo, SD site URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/igloo-south-dakota-prepper-bunker-vivos-xpoint/ Last updated: 2025-10-16T00:04:47.000Z IGLOO, S.D. – A former military munitions site with concrete bunkers now used as residences has become the source of numerous lawsuits, several complaints to the South Dakota Attorney General's Office, a near-fatal shooting and now an FBI inquiry, a News Watch investigation has found. The former Black Hills Army Depot munitions storage facility was developed in 2016 into the Vivos xPoint bunker complex that is now a residential community marketed largely to so-called preppers or survivalists. More than 500 above-ground concrete bunkers are marketed for lease to those who are worried about a potential national or global disaster or who want to live mostly off-the-grid in a remote area 8 miles south of Edgemont in southwestern South Dakota. The concrete bunkers, which look like earthen igloos, are covered with sod to maintain a constant temperature for the military's conventional and chemical munitions stored on site from 1942 to 1967\. The town of Igloo was often home to more than 5,000 people during that span, including a young Tom Brokaw, a South Dakota native and former NBC anchor. The base and town are now abandoned. [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/11/Donate-News-Watch--3-.png)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?%5Fgl=1%2A1txxzuc%2A%5Fgcl%5Fau%2AMjAyOTY2NTc3My4xNzMwNDcxOTUz%2A%5Fga%2AMTM3NDcyODMyNS4xNzAyMTQ0MTg3%2A%5Fga%5FH98KVPR32J%2AMTczMDkzMzA3Ni40Mi4wLjE3MzA5MzMwNzYuMC4wLjA.&ref=sdnewswatch.org) The owner and operator of Vivos xPoint, California businessman Robert K. Vicino, told News Watch that he has had great success in leasing more than 200 of the bunkers so far and that the project is highly successful and profitable. Vicino also said the bunker complex has evolved into a thriving community of like-minded people, most of whom are happy to live there and support one another while realizing their dream of a self-sustainable lifestyle in an area relatively safe from disasters or potential ills that could endanger society and the world. But a different version of life at Vivos xPoint has emerged in recent months, especially for some of the few dozen individuals and families who make or have made the bunker complex their permanent home. Over the past four months, News Watch has interviewed more than a dozen people, reviewed hundreds of pages of court records, examined emails and internal Vivos communications, filed three open-records requests and visited the Vivos site to understand the unrest that exists within the community. At least 16 lawsuits or legal actions have been filed either by residents or former residents against Vivos management or by Vicino, Vivos or its subcontractors against former residents and property neighbors. Five formal complaints against Vivos have been filed with the Consumer Protection Division of the South Dakota Attorney General's Office. At least two former residents said they have been interviewed by FBI agents. ## ****Get South Dakota stories** Sign up for an email summary on most weekdays that links to the full story. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. Some legal filings relate to evictions or claims of illegal eviction, a demand for return of monies paid to Vivos or requests for legal protection orders. In one complaint to the state, a resident said Vivos has broken promises to build numerous amenities and has not fulfilled contractual obligations to provide adequate security and basic services, for which they pay a separate monthly fee. All four residents interviewed by News Watch during an October visit to the site carried handguns for protection. Vicino attributed the lawsuits and complaints about himself and Vivos to "bad apples" who reside at Vivos xPoint and who may have "their own agenda." "There is a group of disgruntled (people), they call themselves the pioneers, and you know, they seem to have nothing better to do but to complain," Vicino said. He added that if residents follow the terms of the lease and the property rules and regulations, no legal action will result. "I know all the gripes. ... But you cannot respond to unreasonable gripes," he said. "I can point to hundreds of others that will say, 'Yeah, we love it. We love what you're doing and how you're doing it.'" According to records in the South Dakota Secretary of State's Office, Vicino is the owner or director of two businesses, Vivos Construction and Vivos xPoint Investment Group. A third business, Vivos xPoint, is owned by a company called Fractional Villas that lists Vicino's home address in Del Mar, California, as its physical address. News Watch conducted a nearly two-hour interview with Vicino in November, and follow-up questions posed by News Watch were answered by Vicino in writing in December through the offices of his Spearfish attorney, Eric Schlimgen. ## Resident of 'bunker' community are tenants, not property owners Vivos uses a 99-year lease agreement, so residents do not legally own their bunkers. People who take possession of a bunker pay Vivos an up-front lease fee of up to $55,000 and $3,000 for water service. They also pay monthly "common area fees" of $111 and an annual $1,124 "ground rent fee" to live in a bunker or have it ready for them when needed, according to a January 2024 Vivos memo. Lessees sign a 14-page lease and eight-page list of community rules, and those who don't pay or violate the rules can be evicted. One rule states that Vivos residents are forbidden from talking to the media about the bunker complex or the company under the threat of fines or possible eviction. Custer attorney J. Scott James, who is litigating several lawsuits related to Vivos, said evicted residents can lose the lease monies paid as well as any financial equity or the value of improvements made to their bunkers, which can then be leased again by Vivos. A lawsuit filed by James on behalf of former resident Daniel Sindorf alleges that Vivos misrepresented facts to illegally evict Sindorf. In an eviction notice, Vivos claims that Sindorf pointed a gun at a person, thereby violating his lease. Sindorf's lawsuit claims that Sindorf pulled his gun only to prepare for a possible attack by "dangerous dogs" owned by Vivos subcontractor Shear "J.R." Rodriguez and did not point it at a person. The lawsuit demands that Sindorf and his wife be refunded the majority of the $35,000 they paid up front to lease a bunker for 99 years and for the monthly fees that were supposed to go toward amenities and services the lawsuit alleges were never provided. "Plaintiff (Vivos) accepted the common area fees, but failed to complete its obligations ... specifically there was no evidence of potable water, and no trash removal was ever done as described, and no security was provided as described," Sindorf's lawsuit states. Vicino said in an email that there is no provision in the lease signed by Sindorf and others that allows for a return of prorated lease funds. Vivos is fighting the Sindorf counter-lawsuit in state court. James said a trial on the case in January will challenge the legality of some elements of the Vivos xPoint lease. ![This Oct. 4, 2024, photo shows the TV room in a finished bunker within the Vivos xPoint survivalist community at Igloo, S.D. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/12/2024-10-4-Streeter-bunker-TV-couch-1.JPG) This Oct. 4, 2024, photo shows the TV room in a finished bunker within the Vivos xPoint survivalist community at Igloo, S.D. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) Former bunker resident Brandon Elliott said he was illegally evicted by Vivos, which then leased his bunker to a new resident after he made $15,000 in improvements. "There have been many people in my situation," Elliott said. "As soon as there's a problem and they complain, they get pushed out illegally and their bunkers are resold." Vicino said that bunker residents who leave Vivos xPoint are allowed to re-lease their bunkers to someone else, and they are free to remove any improvements made prior to leaving. James is representing at least three former residents of Vivos xPoint in civil actions related to the bunker complex and actions by Vicino and his company. "A lot of these people paid between $35,000 to $50,000 for what Vivos calls a 99-year lease on these bunkers. And if it's truly a 99-year lease, and you're evicting my client in year three or four, and they've prepaid 95 years of lease money, then you should have to give it back, at least a prorated amount," James said. "They (Vivos) get to say, 'OK, we just get to keep reselling these things over and over to people,' and that seems like it's an inequitable relationship." ## Former Igloo residents: FBI investigation underway News Watch recently learned that FBI agents from the San Diego office have interviewed at least two former residents of Vivos xPoint. One former resident, Elliott, said he was interviewed by FBI agents in November related to Vicino "dealing with problems in an illegal way." Former Vivos xPoint resident David Streeter said he has been interviewed by FBI agents twice since November. Streeter said they inquired about the leases and financial dealings at the Vivos xPoint complex and were also investigating other allegations related to Vicino. Streeter, who shot a Vivos subcontractor in the chest during a confrontation at the complex in August but was not charged in the shooting, is involved in a number of lawsuits related to Vivos xPoint. He has two pending small claims lawsuits against Vivos and is fighting his eviction. Vivos has filed eviction and defamation lawsuits against Streeter, who has become a leading critic of Vivos and Vicino. A spokesperson at the San Diego FBI office said the agency would not comment on ongoing investigations nor confirm if an active investigation was underway. ![Wayne Corriea, shown outside his Igloo, S.D., bunker on Oct. 4, 2024](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/12/2024-10-14-Wayne-Corriea-bunker-resident.JPG) Wayne Corriea, shown outside his Igloo, S.D., bunker on Oct. 4, 2024, has lived at Vivos xPoint for five years and once worked for complex owner Robert Vicino. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) Bunker resident Wayne Corriea, one of the first people to lease a Vivos xPoint bunker and who formerly worked security for Vivos, said Vicino is an unethical businessman who takes questionable and possibly illegal actions against anyone who disagrees with or challenges him. "When I was head of security, there were several things I wouldn't do," Corriea said. "I won't torment, harass or intimidate people, and I won't do anything that I feel is wrong. If it's right by the law, it's good to go and if you're doing it for the right reasons. So several times I disagreed with him, and I wouldn't do stuff, and I think that caused a lot of issues with him and me because he wanted me to lie for him, but not to him." In an email response to Corriea's claims, Vicino said he "enforces the agreements that he enters and wants all parties to follow those agreements." He called Corriea "a former employee hostile to Vivos" and said he disagrees with any allegations that he acts in an unethical or retaliatory manner. Vicino said he wasn't aware of any FBI inquiry but said he welcomes any investigation by authorities. "I welcome it, good, come talk to me," Vicino said. "We love being vetted because as far as we know, we're all by the book." "We do exactly what the lease says. ... There's nothing criminal here, there's nothing under cloak, it's all right out there and it's all justified." ## Residents worry about on-site subcontractors At least three current and former Vivos residents told News Watch they are concerned about the actions of two on-site subcontract workers for Vivos who have criminal records. One worker, Kelly Anderson, lives in a Vivos bunker and does construction work on the property, Vicino said. Anderson, according to information received from a News Watch public records request, served time in prison in Colorado in 2006 after a felony armed robbery conviction. Despite the felony conviction, several residents and former residents told News Watch that Anderson routinely carries a gun while on the premises at Vivos xPoint. Anderson, 47, pleaded guilty to marijuana possession in Fall River County in May 2024 and was ticketed for driving without a license in Edgemont in January 2023, according to court records. ![David Street stands in front of his Igloo, South Dakota bunker](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/12/2024-10-4-Streeter-at-shooting-site.JPG) David Streeter, on Oct. 4, 2024, in front of his former Igloo, S.D., bunker in the Vivos xPoint complex where he shot a Vivos subcontractor he said threatened him and his family. Streeter was not criminally charged in the shooting. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) Anderson was shot in the chest during an August confrontation with Streeter, a former Vivos xPoint resident who is fighting his eviction. Streeter said he shot Anderson in self-defense after Anderson threatened Streeter and his family. Anderson, who was unarmed at the time of the confrontation, sent threatening messages about harming Streeter to an acquaintance just prior to the shooting, according to text messages records obtained by News Watch. According to that text log, Anderson wrote: "I'm about to f— his ass up," and "What he did isn't right and I'm gonna educate this mother f———." Streeter provided aid to Anderson after the shooting, and Anderson was life-flighted to Rapid City for care. After a grand jury review in Fall River County, no one was charged in the shooting, which was videotaped by Streeter's daughter. Streeter was charged with simple assault in a separate confrontation prior to the shooting. Anderson, who is now suing Streeter for damages and sought a protection order against him in civil court, did not return a News Watch call seeking comment. Records obtained from Jefferson County, Colorado, indicate that Anderson was arrested on Sept. 27, 2005, and charged with six felony counts related to the burglary of a home in which a female resident's hands and feet were bound with a telephone cord. According to an Arvada Police Department report, Anderson broke into the home with a sawed-off, 12-gauge shotgun and was in the home when the woman arrived. He bound the woman and made her lie face down with a towel over her head. Anderson stole items and fled. [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/11/Donate-News-Watch-2--1-.png)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?%5Fgl=1%2A10w9pkh%2A%5Fgcl%5Fau%2AMjAyOTY2NTc3My4xNzMwNDcxOTUz%2A%5Fga%2AMTM3NDcyODMyNS4xNzAyMTQ0MTg3%2A%5Fga%5FH98KVPR32J%2AMTczMTAxOTY1OS40NC4wLjE3MzEwMTk2NTkuMC4wLjA.&ref=sdnewswatch.org) After an investigation, Anderson pleaded guilty to aggravated robbery while menacing a victim with a deadly weapon and committing a violent crime with a deadly weapon, according to records. Vicino said Anderson is a good person and worker who, despite prior criminal convictions, deserves a chance to make a living just like anyone else. "If we were to say that in South Dakota, 'You've been arrested and been in jail, then you can't be employed by any company,' you're going to have the scarlet letter on your forehead," Vicino said. "That might wipe out, what 20%, 25% of South Dakota (from employment)." Vicino acknowledged that Anderson might be a convicted felon but said "that doesn't mean he doesn't serve society and that he's upstanding at this time." Vicino also downplayed Anderson's arrest on marijuana charges. "That wouldn't have an effect on us," he said. "As far as possession and use (of marijuana), tell me somebody up there (in South Dakota) who isn't." Vicino said he also wasn't overly concerned that Rodriguez, another on-site subcontractor for Vivos, pleaded guilty in September to a misdemeanor charge of having a dog that killed domestic animals on the Vivos xPoint site. Court records from Maryland show that Rodriguez has an active bench warrant for his arrest on a misdemeanor theft charge. Rodriguez could not be reached for comment. Several residents of Vivos xPoint said that tensions in the complex have been especially high since the August shooting. When News Watch visited the site in October, the entrance gate was open and there was no security system or personnel in place. Vicino said he recently hired a private security service to protect residents and workers within the complex. According to a Vivos memo obtained by News Watch, Vivos announced in November 2023 that it had hired a new chief of security, Mike Archer, who has a background in military and real estate. Archer's term of employment lasted only a short time, however, and Archer said he could not comment on his former employment due to signing a non-disclosure agreement. Vicino said residents, many who use satellite services for cellphone and internet connections, can call the Fall River County Sheriff's Office for assistance if needed or dial 911 in an emergency. Bunker resident Rich Roehm said he always carries a .357 handgun but that after the August shooting, he removed the "snake shot" cartridges and replaced them with hollow-point bullets with far more stopping power. Roehm called Anderson, the subcontractor who lives and works at Vivos xPoint, "dangerous." "Now I have to worry about the two-legged snakes," Roehm said. ## Amenities offered but not provided Numerous amenities offered to current and potential residents, listed on a large sign at the complex entrance and marketed in a video with computer-generated images on the Vivos website, have not been completed several years after the complex opened. Some current and former residents – in interviews, court filings and complaints to state and local authorities – said Vivos takes payment for bunker leases or bunker improvements up front and that those projects can take years to be completed, if ever. Even though amenities are not being built, residents must continue to pay the monthly common area fees. ![This sign just inside the entrance to the Vivos xPoint bunker complex, shown Oct. 4, 2024, near Igloo, S.D., indicates that most promised amenities have not been built](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/12/2024-10-4-Vivos-coming-soon-sign.JPG) This sign just inside the entrance to the Vivos xPoint bunker complex, shown Oct. 4, 2024, near Igloo, S.D., indicates that most promised amenities have not been built and are still "coming soon," several years after the project launched. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) Vicino pointed out that while community amenities such as a workout bunker, gym, general store, community theater, medical clinic, woodworking shop and restaurant are planned for Vivos, contractual language states they are not guaranteed and that a leasing decision should not be made based on expected completion of the amenities. And yet, some residents said they are frustrated at the slow pace of building common area amenities or finishing projects they have already paid for. Vicino blamed the slow pace of construction of common area amenities and bunkers build-outs on the worker shortage in South Dakota. "We have a backlog, and why do we have a backlog? A lack of laborers, not a lack of money, so we can only do it so fast," he said. But later in the interview, Vicino did point to the costs of hiring contractors as a reason for long project delays at Vivos xPoint. "You could go to Rapid (City) and bring a contractor down and do it all, but for twice the money," he said. "Our job and offer is to offer and maintain it at the lowest price possible." Also, he said, "All our contracts with these people and the work agreements say, 'Subject to available labor,' so there can be delays.'" ![Vivos xPoint bunker complex resident Rich Roehm sits on a couch in his bunker.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/12/2024-10-4-Bunker-resident-Rich-Roehm.JPG) Vivos xPoint bunker complex resident Rich Roehm, shown on Oct. 4, 2024, in his bunker near Igloo, S.D., filed a complaint with the South Dakota Attorney General's Office over improvements he said he paid for that were not completed or were completed improperly. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) Roehm, who has leased a Vivos bunker for three years, said in a three-page complaint to the South Dakota Attorney General's Office that his septic system was not installed correctly, that he paid for roof repairs that have not been completed, and that Vivos has not provided security systems or personnel as promised. "Due to all the maintenance that is not being done, and the positions that are not being filled, I have to question where our fees are going," Roehm wrote in his complaint. In an interview with News Watch, Roehm said he is disappointed that Vivos xPoint has not lived up to the claims made when he inquired about leasing, and that the company has not met his expectations that it would be a safe, well-run community for him, his wife and their son. "It's a shame because I think he (Vicino) could have done this right and still made money," Roehm said. "I mean, just treat people right." ## Vicino: We're doing things 'by the book' Vicino said his son, Dante Vicino, who manages on-site operations at Vivos xPoint, has been in "constant contact" with the state attorney general's office. Vicino said his son was told by AG officials, "You guys are doing it by the book. We're pleased with what we see, and congratulations." Tony Mangan, a spokesman for the attorney general's office, confirmed the office has received five consumer complaints about Vivos xPoint. He said the agency is not conducting any criminal investigations related to the complex at this time. Some residents also question the level of response and protection provided by the Fall River County Sheriff's Office, which has received complaints about Vivos xPoint and the behavior of its subcontractors. Fall River Sheriff Lyle Norton did not return two phone messages seeking comment. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/12/Robert-Vicino-head-shot-1-1.jpg) Robert Vicino As far as the rule restricting media communication by bunker residents, Vicino said it is a common practice that is akin to how a major corporation limits what its employees can say to the media about the business and its operations. "We want to have control of that," he said. "We don't want hundreds of different stories because, you know, they're coming at us left and right, the media. It's really for coordination or control." James, the Custer attorney, said it is unusual to see a landlord place a restriction and possible penalties on tenants who speak to the media. "You wonder about the rationale that went into drafting that, and what's the purpose?" James said. "It's because they have things that they prefer not to be scrutinized is the only rationale that you could think of." Corriea, the bunker resident who used to work for Vicino, said he expects that he will likely face consequences for speaking to News Watch. But he said the truth about Vicino and Vivos xPoint needs to be told by those who really know it. "I know that whatever happens, there's gonna be retaliation to me because there always is," Corriea said. "He (Vicino) retaliates for whatever you do against him, whether you don't go along with what he does or what he wants (you) to do." ## Work not done, or not done right Edith Horn, who retired to the Vivos xPoint complex in 2021 after a 32-year military career, said she tried for months to get Vivos workers to groom the top of her bunker as paid for. She said she also paid up-front for concrete work to be done in 2021 and that it was done improperly by Vivos contractors, forcing her to fix it herself with a grinder. "I said, 'I think I'm due a refund because your contractor poured hot concrete and it looks crappy and I need a level floor,'" Horn said. "And never once did I get any response." Horn said that Vivos raised questions about how she was paying monthly and annual fees, noting that Vivos prefers payment in a lump sum and was threatened with eviction before reaching an agreement with management. Later, she was questioned about a fence she installed, and afterward, she began to see Vivos subcontractors drive slowly by her bunker, taking pictures of the site. ![The exterior of a bunker in Igloo, South Dakota](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/12/2024-10-4-Occupied-bunker-front.JPG) Bunkers that are occupied by residents, such as this one shown on Oct. 4, 2024, at the Vivos xPoint bunker complex near Igloo, S.D., often have many belongings stored out front. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) Former bunker resident Susan Bass, who now lives in North Carolina, told News Watch that Vicino and his team use false advertising to attract people who are seeking a unique and specific lifestyle. Among other construction concerns, Bass said the floor of her bunker was not installed properly and was never fixed despite her complaints. "Stuff just doesn’t get done. And when you complain to Robert about it, he isn’t going to help you, you’re on your own," said Bass, 70\. "So people feel betrayed." Bass said she and her husband leased a bunker in 2020 and lived in a motel in Edgemont while it was being prepared. She said they wanted to be free from government intrusion in their lives and find a place where they could live safely if anything disastrous happened in the U.S. Shortly after moving into the bunker, Bass' husband died of COVID and she later sold the bunker. "We thought we would be safer there, which now seems ridiculous," she said. "These people, including myself, they’re very vulnerable, and he (Robert) is preying on their fears." In an email, Vicino said Bass violated the lease agreement in how she built a structure next to her bunker but that she was allowed to sell the lease to her bunker to a new resident. ## Lawsuits make claims of possible fraud In late November, Michelle Collins, a resident of Virginia, filed a civil lawsuit against Vivos xPoint Investment Group alleging that the company has broken numerous contractual agreements made with her. The lawsuit states that in September 2020, Collins signed both a contract to lease a Vivos bunker and to have improvements done in advance of occupancy. The lawsuit states that Collins paid Vivos $35,000 to lease the bunker, another $3,000 for a water hookup and about $94,000 for the construction work. Collins was also paying the annual land lease fee of $1,000 and about $100 a month for Vivos to provide for "common area" amenities, maintenance and security. [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/11/Donate-News-Watch--3-.png)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?%5Fgl=1%2A1txxzuc%2A%5Fgcl%5Fau%2AMjAyOTY2NTc3My4xNzMwNDcxOTUz%2A%5Fga%2AMTM3NDcyODMyNS4xNzAyMTQ0MTg3%2A%5Fga%5FH98KVPR32J%2AMTczMDkzMzA3Ni40Mi4wLjE3MzA5MzMwNzYuMC4wLjA.&ref=sdnewswatch.org) But more than four years later, the lawsuit states, the construction work has not been completed, water service is not being provided and much of the work that was done has been rendered useless. Further, the lawsuit states, Vivos locked Collins out of the bunker, used her bunker for storage and has not provided security services, road maintenance or trash removal services as contractually obligated. Vivos originally agreed not to charge Collins the monthly common area fees but later reneged on that agreement, the lawsuit claims. After Collins hired an attorney to represent her, Vivos emailed her saying: "Had you not decided to have an attorney contact us out of the blue, this may have gone very differently," according to the lawsuit. The lawsuit, filed on Collins' behalf by James, the Custer attorney, seeks a refund of the initial lease payment, the costs of unfinished construction work and attorney fees as well as any punitive damages for "Vivos' willful and malicious conduct." ![This photo, taken on Oct. 4, 2024, at the Vivos xPoint bunker complex near Igloo, S.D., shows an empty bunker before any improvements are made.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/12/2024-10-4-Empty-bunker.JPG) This photo, taken on Oct. 4, 2024, at the Vivos xPoint bunker complex near Igloo, S.D., shows an empty bunker before any improvements are made. The bunkers, where much of the nation's military munitions were stored last century, have about 2,200 square-feet of livable space with 12-foot ceilings. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) When asked about the Collins complaint, Vicino stated: "We've given full refund to those who ask for it. Michelle Collins is not paying any rent because she wanted a deferral until her bunker is done, and then she will pay up the amount of deferral." In a 2014 federal civil lawsuit filed by an Illinois family against Vicino, his wife, Barbara, and business partner Steven Wallner, the family alleged that they were defrauded of $140,000 paid to secure spots first in a bunker in Kansas and later in a "secret fortified bunker" called Vivos Indiana. In the lawsuit, plaintiffs Taiya Shevelev, Yakov Ryabov and their two children said the defendants operated a company called Fractional Villas, which the complaint said also did business as The Vivos Group. The lawsuit alleged that "defendants engaged in an elaborate fraudulent scheme to sell plaintiffs membership interests in the secret bunker while at the same time misrepresenting various facts and circumstances surrounding plaintiffs' purchase, use and the operational status of the bunker." According to court documents, the lawsuit was settled and dismissed in 2015 after "the disputes between the parties having been resolved by agreement," details of which were not reported. Vicino said in an email to News Watch that the lawsuit was thrown out. "She was in the Indiana shelter, she attempted to do a mutiny," Vicino wrote. ## North Dakotans 'frustrated' at pace of work Mike Pugh, a resident of Bismarck, North Dakota, said he and his wife have grown frustrated with the slow pace of construction on a bunker they leased at Vivos xPoint three years ago. The Pughs paid about $140,000 in advance to Vivos to lease a bunker and have it built out by Vivos contractors, Pugh told News Watch. Pugh said the couple sees the bunker as an inexpensive home in which to retire. “We were required to pay in advance because at the time I didn’t have the time or expertise to do the construction part of it,” he said. “After three years of waiting, we’re still not down there.” Pugh said he has visited the Vivos bunker and has seen some progress in construction. He also traveled to South Dakota to do his own installation of a solar system at a cost of $20,000. ![A bunker being used as a residence, in foreground, is part of the Vivos xPoint bunker ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/12/2024-10-4-Bunker-solar-wide-shot-1.JPG) A bunker being used as a residence, in foreground, is part of the Vivos xPoint bunker complex, shown Oct. 4, 2024, near Igloo, S.D. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) Pugh said he has inquired about the delays and is aware that the contract for construction states that completion time is dependent on market factors. “Robert (Vicino) is real savvy that way,” Pugh said. “But after three years, we’re not talking about building a palace, it’s a basic build-out, so it seems to me it should have been done by now.” In the meantime, Pugh said he received an email from Vivos earlier this year informing him that the monthly amenity fee and annual land use fees had increased at the bunker complex. Pugh said he and his wife have considered taking legal action over the delays but that he doesn’t see that as a good option. However, he added, “I’m starting to get concerned that it’s never going to get done, and that I may not get my full value out of it.” ## Bunker idea came in 1982 from a voice Vicino said that in the late 1970s he invented and patented the large inflatables that are now ubiquitous in advertising, creating a company that allowed him to buy a Rolls-Royce and a beachfront home in California in his mid-20s. Vicino said he first became interested in developing or selling survival bunkers in 1982\. Vicino said he heard a female voice in his head clearly tell him that, “Robert, you need to build underground bunkers or shelters for thousands of people to survive what is coming,” he said. “I attributed it to the Holy Spirit.” Vicino said after he learned of the South Dakota former munitions site, he soon signed an agreement with a local rancher who owned the land to lease the bunkers, enabling him to launch Vivos xPoint in the spring of 2017\. Later, he said the rancher approached him about buying the land and the bunkers, and Vicino did so. Fall River county property records show that Vivos xPoint Investment Group bought three parcels of land at the site for $2.5 million in May 2020. Vicino said he paid cash during that transaction. “We’ve never borrowed any money, and we’ve done pretty well for ourselves, you know, millions in the bank,” he said. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/12/2024-10-4-Vivos-entrance-gate-1.JPG) An open gate welcomes visitors to the Vivos XPoint bunker complex on Oct. 4, 2024, near Igloo, S.D. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) Vivos xPoint is promoted on the company website as "the largest survival community on earth." A video indicates that amenity bunkers will eventually include a restaurant, general store, community center, medical clinic, security station, workout facility, pool house, workshop, hydroponic and aquaponics bunker and a horse stable. Language under the video indicates that "each of these amenity bunkers will be developed as the community develops and time permits." Vicino said his hope is that Vivos xPoint will grow into a place where up to 5,000 people can work together to survive the worst possible catastrophes, such as a nuclear war, a global flood or an asteroid strike. “We want people to harmonize with respect and tolerance for one another,” he said. Current lease holders at Vivos xPoint, Vicino said, include three Los Angeles Police Department officers, a high-powered attorney and retired sheriffs and military personnel. According to the Vivos website, the company also owns a large survival bunker called Vivos Indiana and another known as Vivos Europa One in an undisclosed location. Vicino said he is developing a new survival project in Switzerland. He said Vivos operates other survival sites in locations he cannot disclose. The website also promotes the opportunity to buy into the underground Vivos Trine complex, whose location is also not revealed. That large bunker complex, the website says, can house people, a staff, munitions, supplies for a year and vaults that can "store the DNA and gamete cells for millions of people for potential restoration." Bunker leases at Vivos xPoint in South Dakota are in high demand, he said, and as a result, initial bunker lease prices have risen from $25,000 to about $55,000\. Vicino said he runs background checks on prospective tenants and turns away about 20% to 25% of lease applicants. Vicino said plans are underway by a major network to film an unscripted reality TV show in 2025 centered around the Vivos xPoint community in South Dakota, but he declined to share details. ## An unusual, surreal setting The Vivos website says the South Dakota bunker site will be safe from “the marauders during the aftermath of a large-scale cataclysm or catastrophic event.” The site has a U.S. map showing that southwestern South Dakota is outside the range of submersion areas along the coasts, known nuclear targets, the Yellowstone blast zone and “high-crime anarchy zones.” The website promotes Vivos xPoint as an 18 square-mile site with 575 steel and concrete bunkers that in total could accommodate 5,000 people. Each bunker has nearly 2,200 square-feet of internal space, a 12-foot ceiling at the apex, with a berm of protective soil on top and 400 feet of separation between each bunker. Once leased, bunkers are cleared of cattle droppings, given a specialized coat of paint inside, and according to residents, remain cool in summer and provide protection from the elements in winter. Residents are provided fresh water and often install solar systems or use diesel generators for power, Vicino said. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/12/2024-10-4-bunkers-wide-view-1.JPG) More than 500 above-ground concrete bunkers, once used to store military munitions, are now part of the Vivos xPoint residential complex, shown on Oct. 4, 2024, near Igloo, S.D. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) Driving on the one gravel road in and out of Vivos xPoint is a surreal, somewhat haunting experience, as visitors pass by the remnants of the former Army base before entering the bunker areas. A few abandoned, dilapidated structures still stand among numerous tall chimneys that used to be attached to buildings. Once on site, the rolling, wind-swept prairie lands are part of a treeless landscape where only the bunkers, resident campers and outbuildings and scores of cattle break the skyline. ## Cases 'about the little guy' James, the Custer attorney, said he understands the frustration and anger some of his clients feel about how they have been treated by the management at Vivos xPoint. "In essence, these cases are all about, you know, the rights of the little guy and a company or corporation that is trying to stifle any dissent," James said. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/12/2024-11-25-Attorney-J.-Scott-James.jpeg) Attorney J. Scott James, on Nov. 25, 2024, in his office in Custer, S.D., is representing a handful of clients who are involved in lawsuits related to the Vivos xPoint bunker complex. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) James said his clients are disappointed that they have ended up in court when all they wanted was to live a peaceful life in a setting where they could find serenity and stability. "I do think these people are making a fundamental commitment to this way of life. They are uprooting themselves from wherever they were, and they're putting all their eggs in this basket. And what's being sold to them is essentially that they have this great, sustainable community of like-minded people that they'll be able to thrive in. And I think that's what a lot of people came here for," James said. "And I think some of them still hope it can be that. But I think that they all, over time, have lost confidence in that vision of what this was supposed to be." James said is hopeful that the state attorney general's office or some other enforcement agency will take interest in what is happening at Vivos xPoint. "I believe that this is an operation that needs to see a bright light shined upon it," James told News Watch. "If a light is shone upon it, I think there will be a lot more to be seen." [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit news organization. Read more in-depth stories at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *every few days to get stories as soon as they're published. Contact *Bart Pfankuch* at* [*bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:%20bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Family seeks answers after man killed in raid URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/zander-zephier-family-officer-involved-shooting-wagner-south-dakota/ Last updated: 2025-06-27T13:38:37.000Z WAGNER, S.D. – Federal officers used pepper spray and shot and killed a young man with a criminal history moments after he livestreamed himself brushing his teeth in the basement of a tribal housing unit on the Yankton Sioux Reservation. Zander Zephier, 23, died Nov. 27 just north of this southeast South Dakota town, about 40 minutes after the U.S. Marshals Service arrived to arrest him on an outstanding warrant. What is not clear from the live video feed and additional security footage outside his family's house is why deputy marshals used force to apprehend Zephier, especially when his wheelchair-bound, 90-year-old great-grandmother was still inside. Federal officials haven't responded to News Watch inquiries about the timing of the operation and what circumstances led to Zephier being shot and killed. ![Portraits of Zander Zephier are surrounded by lit candles during a vigil held](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/12/2024-12-11-Candle-portraits.JPG) Portraits of Zander Zephier are surrounded by lit candles during a vigil held Dec. 11, 2024, by friends and family in the tribal housing community just north of Wagner, S.D. (Photo: Stu Whitney / South Dakota News Watch) A retired chief inspector with the U.S. Marshals Service interviewed by News Watch raised questions about the use of pepper spray and the decision to enter the house without more attempts at negotiation, possibly involving tribal police. "Tactically, it gives the impression of deputy marshals operating in the wild, wild West," said Jason Wojdylo, who worked for the agency for nearly 25 years and now lives in Tampa, Florida. "If the fugitive is holed up in the house, our procedures were always to back out, set up a perimeter and contain the fugitive in the residence, not just lob munitions into the house." The U.S. Marshals Service, an enforcement arm of the federal judiciary, is primarily responsible for locating and arresting federal suspects and carrying out fugitive operations. ![A United States deputy marshal emerges from the house after Zander Zephier was shot and killed Nov. 27, 2024, in Wagner, S.D., and talks with his fellow officers.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/12/2024-12-11-Marshals-outside.jpg) A United States deputy marshal emerges from the house after Zander Zephier was shot and killed Nov. 27, 2024, near Wagner, S.D., and talks with his fellow officers. “Are you all good?” he is asked. “Yeah, I’m good,” he replies. (Photo: Screenshot from Zephier home security footage) Based on text messages from neighbors and interviews with family members, the law enforcement team arrived at 8:37 a.m. the day before Thanksgiving and began lobbing gas grenades into the basement at 9:11 a.m. Shots were fired five minutes later, after at least one deputy marshal entered the house. At 9:46 a.m., Zephier was pronounced dead at Wagner Community Memorial Hospital. Zephier's great-grandmother was on the main floor of the residence when the gas grenades were tossed into the basement. The sound of canisters crashing into the basement through windows is heard on a livestreamed video that Zephier made of himself that morning. Much of the law enforcement activity and conversation outside the house was also captured on motion-activated security footage that was obtained and analyzed by News Watch, shaping a basic timeline of events. Zander Zephier livestreamed this video moments before he was shot and killed Nov. 27, 2024, near Wagner, S.D. (Credit: Facebook video verified by Zephier family) In the livestreamed video, Zephier brushes his teeth as officers call for him to give himself up. The sound of breaking glass is heard, after which Zephier says "Oh s—!" and eventually begins coughing and holding a rag to his nose and mouth. "Come out with your hands up, Zander!" an officer calls out in the video. "We have all day. I have 10 more of these (gas grenades)." ## 'Good guys or bad guys?' Minutes later, at least one deputy marshal enters the front door with a protective shield, gas mask and gun. The remaining officers complain about how long it's taking the family to get Zephier's great-grandmother, Conceta Zephier, out of the house. Then one of the deputy marshals in the driveway says, "Shots fired!" to a fellow officer. The other officer replies, "Good guys or bad guys?" "We've got to get him out of there," an officer says later. Video footage shows Zephier being wheeled down the driveway on a gurney, shirtless and in jeans with bandages on his chest. ## ****Get South Dakota stories** Sign up for an email summary on most weekdays that links to the full story. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. He was pronounced dead at the hospital by Charles Mix County coroner Chad Peters, who told News Watch that he transported the body to Sioux Falls for an autopsy to be performed by forensic pathologist and Minnehaha County medical examiner Kenneth Snell. Zane Zephier, a University of South Dakota employee and Zander's older brother, said his family wants to see the autopsy report to determine how many times Zander was shot and the location of the bullet wounds. "We will not be silenced, and we will not back down," said Zane Zephier. In interviews with News Watch, the family also accused deputy marshals of turning off their body cameras when discussing the operation, based on the home security footage. They want to see body cam footage from inside the house to see if Zephier was armed or threatening the officers at the time he was shot. An FBI agent left behind a list of items seized from the home, including a knife, 9 mm shell casings, a bullet, spent gas grenades and clothing. ![A receipt of items seized by U.S. Marshals at the Zephier household on Nov. 27, 2024, ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/12/2024-12-11-Zephier-receipt-1.JPG) A receipt of items seized by U.S. Marshals at the Zephier household on Nov. 27, 2024, near Wagner, S.D., included a knife, shell casings and spent pepper spray grenades. (Photo: Courtesy of Zephier family) Wojdylo said that the presence of an FBI agent at the scene after an operation typically means an officer-involved shooting, as opposed to self-inflicted wounds. ## Officers discussed body cams The Zephier family does not dispute Zander's lengthy criminal record and fugitive status. At the time of his death, he was considered an escaped inmate from Charles Mix County Jail in Lake Andes because he was granted furlough in July to attend a family funeral and never returned. Zander was also on the federal sex offender registry after pleading guilty in 2023 to abusive sexual contact with a minor, for which he was sentenced to 21 months in prison. Despite his checkered past, family members are calling for an independent investigation into the 23-year-old's death. They said they don’t trust law enforcement to conduct an impartial inquiry, especially when it comes to operations on tribal land. The security camera footage reviewed by News Watch shows the following: - A deputy marshal approaches the front door of the house, hears something over his radio and then appears to say, “Shoot him.” Faint shots can be heard from the house in the video. - A deputy marshal emerges from the house and says “Little spicy down there!” to another officer in the driveway, referring to pepper spray. “Who was involved?” the other officer asks, to which the deputy marshal responds, “Me.” “Are you all good?” he is asked. “Yeah, I’m good,” he replies. - Moments later, the deputy marshal involved in the shooting says, “Are you still live?” to another officer in the driveway. He then points to the man's body camera and repeats the question. - After Zander Zephier is wheeled down the driveway by medical personnel, a deputy marshal calls for his fellow officers to huddle up by saying “USM,” for U.S. Marshals. Before conversing, the officers discuss who still has their body cams active. “I’m on,” says one. This video is a compilation of clips from cameras outside the tribal housing unit where Zander Zephier was killed Nov. 27, 2024, near Wagner, S.D. Each clip is preceded by a slate that provides context and what is being said. (Video: Courtesy Zephier family) News Watch has filed a Freedom of Information Act request to the Marshals Service through the Department of Justice to obtain body cam footage from the operation, noting that officers spoke of their cameras being active. A response from the agency's general counsel in Washington indicated that "due to a substantial backlog of (FOIA) requests, it is estimated the processing of your request may be significantly delayed." U.S. Attorney Alison Ramsdell, the chief federal law enforcement officer in South Dakota, did not respond to an interview request for this story. ## Zephier sought for state, federal crimes Zander Zephier's federal 2023 conviction for abusive sexual contact with a minor stemmed from a crime two years earlier involving a 14-year-old girl when Zephier was 20. In January, he was granted a reduced sentence based on new sentencing guidelines and was released in February for time served. His sentence included supervised release for five years, which meant registering as a sex offender, checking in regularly with his probation officer, avoiding drugs and firearms and other provisions. Zephier’s sex offender status was listed as non-compliant dating back to Aug. 20, according to court documents, and his residence was listed as “unlocatable.” ![A sign on Highway 46 east of Wagner, S.D., signifies the home of the Yankton Sioux Reservation in Charles Mix County. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/12/2024-12-11-Yankton-Sioux-sign.JPG) A sign on Highway 46 east of Wagner, S.D., signifies the home of the Yankton Sioux Reservation in Charles Mix County. (Photo: Stu Whitney / South Dakota News Watch) That alone could have triggered the involvement of marshals as part of the National Sex Offender Targeting Center, which supports law enforcement in identifying, locating and apprehending noncompliant sex offenders. Wojdylo, the former chief inspector, said the operation could have been sparked by a combination of Zephier's federal probation and a bench warrant stemming from his furlough violation and failure to appear for an arraignment in Charles Mix County for simple assault against a police officer. Court documents show that Zephier was arrested June 29 after police were called for a report of a female being pulled by the hair and assaulted in Lake Andes at 4 a.m. When a sheriff's deputy arrived, Zephier attempted to run away but later returned and entered a vehicle. The deputy pulled his Taser and got Zephier out of the vehicle, but Zephier head-butted the officer after being handcuffed. He ended up pleading guilty to misdemeanor simple assault on July 12 and was held in jail. ## 'Unfortunate and tragic incident' Zephier's lawyer requested that he be allowed a one-day furlough July 15 to attend the funeral of his uncle, Charles World Turner, noting that Zephier's family would "pick him up and drop him off at the jail." He never returned, triggering a charge of second-degree escape. Zephier's absence at his Aug. 16 arraignment for the simple assault charge led Circuit Court Judge Bruce Anderson to issue a bench warrant directing law enforcement to arrest Zephier "at any time of the day or night, weekends or holidays, and bring the Defendant before this Court." ![Zane Zephier, of Harrisburg, S.D., poses with portraits of his late brother, Zander, on Dec. 11, 2024, in the tribal housing community just north of Wagner, S.D.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/12/12-11-2024-Zane-portrait.jpg) Zane Zephier, of Harrisburg, S.D., poses Dec. 11, 2024, with portraits of his late brother, Zander, in the tribal housing community just north of Wagner, S.D. (Photo: Stu Whitney / South Dakota News Watch) It's common for the U.S. Marshals Service to collaborate with local law enforcement to launch fugitive task force operations. Charles Mix County Sheriff Randy Thaler did not respond to an interview request regarding his office's involvement. Wagner Police Chief Damon Griffith said his office was not involved in the operation but "assisted after the incident occurred" by having an officer follow the ambulance to the hospital and stay there until Zephier's body was released to the coroner. Griffith said his office has been busy with phone calls from media and concerned citizens because of inaccurate "active shooter" social media reports that indicated the Wagner Police Department was involved. “This occurred within tribal jurisdiction," Griffith said of Zephier’s death, adding that it was "an unfortunate and tragic incident that shouldn’t have happened." ## 'Puddle of blood' in basement On Dec. 11, two weeks after the death of her grandson in the tribal neighborhood outside Wagner known as North Housing, Jennifer Zephier sat in the front room of the Pine Avenue house in which he was killed. There were tables set up outside the ranch-style house for a candlelight vigil that night to celebrate Zander's life and call for justice among the Dakota people of the Yankton Sioux Tribe, known internally as the Ihanktonwan Nation. Jennifer was surrounded by sewing materials and framed portraits of Zander, which were displayed at his funeral at the National Guard Armory in Wagner on Dec. 4 amid a chaotic series of events following his death. The family was relocated to the tribal-owned Fort Randall Casino in Lake Andes following the shooting so law enforcement could secure the scene, followed by cleanup and repairs by the family and Yankton Sioux Housing Authority. ![The basement stairs descended by deputy U.S. Marshals on Nov. 27, 2024, in Wagner, S.D., ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/12/2024-12-11-Zephier-basement-1.JPG) The stairs leading to the basement where Zander Zephier was killed Nov. 27, 2024, near Wagner, S.D., while being apprehended by law enforcement. (Photo: Stu Whitney / South Dakota News Watch) "There was a puddle of blood below the basement steps," said Jennifer Zephier, pointing to stairs on the east side of the house. "Basement windows were broken. They kept us up there for a week." It's not clear whether the marshals used cellphone "pings" or other information to confirm that Zander was in the house the morning of Nov. 27\. But they arrived with a sense of purpose, she said. "They had a job to do, and they were here to do it," Jennifer said. "They had an attitude since they first walked in the door." The officers quickly got her and other family members outside. But her 90-year-old mother was still in a back room in her wheelchair when Jennifer said she heard one of the deputy marshals on the front porch mention Zander in the basement. "Gas that f--—!" he told his fellow officers, according to Jennifer, who still can't comprehend why the standoff couldn't have been settled without bloodshed. "Why shoot him?" she asked. "Why can't you tase him, you know, or find some other way of getting him to where you can handcuff him and take him to jail?" ## Brother overcomes odds on reservation Zane Zephier, who lives just south of Sioux Falls in Harrisburg, returned to his tribal home in Wagner for the Dec. 11 candlelight vigil. He greeted his grandmother and then paused in the front room to observe a portrait of him and Zander as children. In the photo, Zane is holding the younger Zander in his arms with a combination of fondness and concerted effort, as if his brother could slip away at any moment. ![Zane Zephier (left) is pictured with his younger brother, Zander, in a family photo. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/12/2024-12-11-Brothers-photo.jpg) Zane Zephier (left) is pictured with his younger brother, Zander, in a family photo. Zander Zephier was killed during a law enforcement operation Nov. 27, 2024, just north of Wagner, S.D. (Photo: Courtesy of Zephier family) The boys faced challenges that are common for children raised in Native American reservation communities, which have poverty, suicide and incarceration rates much higher than the national average. Their mother left when the boys were young. Their father, Alexander Zane Zephier II, is currently incarcerated in Mike Durfee State Prison in Springfield. Zane Zephier, 29, has overcome the odds. He graduated in 2013 from Wagner High School and participated in the Upward Bound program, which supports high school students from families in which neither parent holds a bachelor's degree and prepares them for college. Zane graduated from the University of South Dakota in 2017 with degrees in criminal justice and political science. He currently works for Upward Bound, hoping to use his life experience to brighten the futures of low-income and first-generation students. ![Zander Zephier (left) is pictured with his brother, Zane, on the day of Zane's graduation from the University of South Dakota in 2017. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/12/2024-12-11-Zander-w-brother.jpg) Zander Zephier (left) is pictured with his brother, Zane, on the day of Zane's graduation from the University of South Dakota in 2017\. (Photo: Courtesy of Zephier family) Among his regrets was the inability to keep a firm grasp on his younger brother, Zander, who loved art and music and hanging out with nieces and nephews but pursued a path that his family feared would lead to a violent end. "I saw my brother's death in dreams and nightmares throughout my life," said Zane. "He had a good heart. He just got caught up with a group of people and got into crime and drinking. But anyone who knew him will tell you about his smile and how kind he could be. You can tell by the amount of support we've gotten from everywhere that he's been in his life. People are feeling the loss.” ## 'Human beings deserve dignity' As darkness arrived in North Housing and the Dec. 11 vigil began, framed photos and mementos of Zander were illuminated by candles, flickering in the frigid air. “Justice for Zander” was printed on posters that bordered the tables where soup and fry bread were later served in front of the house. A fire blazed in a steel container for warmth. When a reporter asked Zane Zephier if there was a timetable of events for the vigil, he allowed himself a grin and said, “Come on. You know how we roll around here.” ![Robin Bair (left) of the Yankton Sioux Tribe sings a calling song at a candlelight vigil held Dec. 11, 2024, for Zander Zephier ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/12/2024-12-11-Calling-song-1.JPG) Robin Bair (left) of the Yankton Sioux Tribe sings a calling song at a candlelight vigil held Dec. 11, 2024, for Zander Zephier in the tribal community just north of Wagner, S.D. (Photo: Stu Whitney / South Dakota News Watch) It didn’t take long, though, for Robin Bair of Wagner, a longtime advocate of tribal rights, to break into a calling song in honor of Zander, with several members of the tribe joining in. “We are a sovereign nation!” Bair said loudly, breaking the silence following the song. “They can't just come in and enter our homes and kill our people. We always let it go because that’s our character. We’re humane people. So we accept it, and every time we accept it, they come onto our land and enter our homes and kill our people!” Later in the vigil, it was Zane’s turn to speak. It was hard to hear him at first because his voice and presence were not as boisterous as Bair's. But his words gained strength as he spoke of his brother and the lack of accountability so far from federal law enforcement in the aftermath of Zander's death. “He deserved better than what happened to him here,” said Zane. “Our people deserve better, and I want you all to know I'm not leaving any stone unturned. We're going to find the truth, and we're looking at every option until we find it. They will come to know that we as a people stand up for our families. And they will know that we will fight against injustice when it shows itself in our home. Human beings deserve dignity in life and in death. They gave my brother none." [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/05/donate-3.jpg)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit news organization. Read more in-depth stories at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *every few days to get stories as soon as they're published. Contact investigative reporter *Stu Whitney* at* [*stu.whitney@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:stu.whitney@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Resident-driven ideas at heart of Engage South Dakota URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/resident-driven-ideas-at-heart-of-engage-south-dakota/ Last updated: 2024-12-12T13:29:50.000Z HOT SPRINGS, S.D. – A sense of optimism and opportunity filled the air as a group of residents of this southern Black Hills city gathered recently to forge a new potential path forward for their community. The roughly two dozen people brought a wide variety of backgrounds: city council member, hospital administrator, school superintendent, landlord, artist. Despite their inherent differences, they all shared one critical similarity: They were and remain committed to finding ways to make life better now and into the future in their beloved hometown of Hot Springs. Challenges were quickly identified. Housing availability and affordability. A lack of workers. A need for higher-wage jobs. Indecisiveness in how to move forward. And then the ideas spilled forth, fast and diverse, both big picture and pinpoint. [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/11/Donate-News-Watch--3-.png)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?%5Fgl=1%2A1txxzuc%2A%5Fgcl%5Fau%2AMjAyOTY2NTc3My4xNzMwNDcxOTUz%2A%5Fga%2AMTM3NDcyODMyNS4xNzAyMTQ0MTg3%2A%5Fga%5FH98KVPR32J%2AMTczMDkzMzA3Ni40Mi4wLjE3MzA5MzMwNzYuMC4wLjA.&ref=sdnewswatch.org) Can public-private partnerships attract employers and development of new housing stock? Could Hot Springs repurpose its aging Veterans Affairs hospital into a university satellite campus? Would improved marketing of natural assets drive tourism, especially among young people? Could an enhanced riverwalk use exercise stations or a series of murals to lure more people downtown? As suggestions flowed freely, no voice went unheard, and contrasting views were celebrated rather than diminished. [Hot Springs takes next steps in push for prosperityThe Southern Black Hills city is part of a pilot project to identify top problems and solutions using journalism and community engagement.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-39.jpg)South Dakota News WatchBart Pfankuch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/2024-9-9-Hot-Springs-museum-1.JPG)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/hot-springs-engage-south-dakota-cheisman-center-democracy/) That approach is a key component of a new community betterment pilot program called Engage South Dakota, which is being administered jointly by South Dakota News Watch and the Chiesman Center for Democracy at the University of South Dakota. Engage South Dakota uses community input, a citywide survey and meetings like the one held at The Space in Hot Springs in October to identify challenges and bring forward potentially replicable solutions. Findings will appear in a final report (available at the end of this story) and in news articles. The ultimate goal is to inform the community and its leaders on public opinion, identify local challenges, and bring forth potential solutions that can spread to other towns dealing with some of the same issues. ## A first step in strategic planning Engage South Dakota adds a statewide storytelling element to a successful model of community-based strategic planning used in numerous other places, including across the state in Watertown. In 2012, Watertown used responses to a community survey and other sources of resident input to drive a decade-long planning process that resulted in the development of a wellness center and ice arena and renovation of the local opera house. The city recently embarked on a second community planning effort using many of those same concepts with expectations of further growth based on the needs and wants of local residents. [Watertown taps resident input to solve problemsThe South Dakota city of 23,000 is among those crowdsourcing solutions to community challenges like housing, child care and labor.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-40.jpg)South Dakota News WatchBart Pfankuch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/Watertown-water-tower-1.JPG)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/watertown-south-dakota-sd-codington-county-growth/) The strength of those efforts, and of those intended by Engage South Dakota, is to obtain substantial resident input to guide decisions and actions of local elected and appointed officials, said Julia Hellwege, director of the Chiesman center and a co-leader of the Engage South Dakota program. "This is a set of bottom-up recommendations, a clear idea of what the community members themselves recommend," she said. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/11/10-7-24-meeting-wide-shot-1.JPG) About two dozen residents of Hot Springs, S.D., gave up part of their day on Oct. 7, 2024, to share ideas on how to improve the city during community conversation held at The Space in downtown Hot Springs. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) In Hot Springs, more than 300 of the city's 3,600 residents completed the in-depth survey, which Hellwege said created "highly reliable survey data." Based on the surveys and input from the October community meeting, Hellwege's team generated a 43-page final report summarizing the findings and making recommendations for possible action. Hellwege said the hope is that Hot Springs residents will use the report as a "lobbying document" to encourage city leaders to take the next step of engaging in a more formal strategic planning process. "It's one step toward the real strategic planning that is necessary," she said. "This is a document that interested and invested community leaders can use to invest in a broader, more comprehensive plan because that's what helps a community move forward, having a singular voice and knowing what the focus, priorities and goals should be." ## Encouraging community conversations Carson Walker, CEO of News Watch and co-leader of Engage South Dakota, said the strong survey response rate and vibrant conversation at the community meeting show there is a desire and a need for greater resident input in the evolution of cities across the state. "The information from the survey and the in-person meeting was phenomenal and really shows the value of dialogue," Walker said. The hope is that the positive reaction from residents and officials in Hot Springs will form the basis for expansion of Engage South Dakota planning efforts in other cities. "The goal of this is to go to different places and address different topics, but then tie all the pieces together to address issues but also raise up potential solutions," he said. Walker said he also sees Engage South Dakota as a way to "equalize" the planning opportunities between urban areas that have the population and spending power to do extensive, formalized planning and within smaller, more rural communities that often do not have the resources to engage in long-range planning. Many small, rural communities in South Dakota are suffering from ongoing losses of population and economic activity, he said. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/11/10-7-24-USD-student-Julia-takes-notes.JPG) University of South Dakota student Julia Stanek, left, takes notes during the Engage South Dakota community discussion on Oct. 7, 2024, at The Space in Hot Springs, S.D. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) "What we're doing is creating a blueprint for small communities to do this themselves," he said. "A lot of communities in South Dakota are coming to grips with the fact that they're 10 years away from vacant homes and other problems that come with losing population." The role of News Watch in the process, Walker said, is to help facilitate community input and get important conversations started in communities that want to grow and prosper. But moreover, News Watch can then bring those important stories and potentially replicable solutions to a statewide audience as a way to propagate similar planning efforts in other cities and towns. "We're really on the front edge of something that can jumpstart this process for the 300 communities across South Dakota," he said. ## Watertown preparing a new strategic plan On Nov. 14, some good news arrived for those in Watertown who are trying to alleviate the city's substantial shortage of day care spots that are needed to allow more parents to work. The Governor's Office of Economic Development announced that it was providing a $500,000 South Dakota Works Loan to the Mother of God Monastery in Watertown, where an effort is afoot to convert a building on the monastery campus into a day care center that could house up to 225 children. In response to a local needs assessment, city and school officials in Watertown are also working together to convert shuttered elementary schools into day care centers. Watertown leaders expect their next community survey report will be released soon, providing the next step in their ongoing planning journey. Walker said sharing those solutions to the child care problem with a statewide audience will hopefully prompt similar ideas elsewhere. ## Hot Springs survey reveals community needs The online survey completed by Hot Springs residents revealed that the city faces many of the same major issues as other South Dakota cities, notably challenges in housing and workforce. A majority of respondents listed housing (70%), business development (55%), workforce development (54%) and the labor shortage (52%) as major concerns. Responses showed that residents feel they have the ability to make a difference in their community, but they are less certain of how decisions are made and are somewhat dissatisfied with the performance of local government. Residents feel safe in their community and are happy with law enforcement, the survey showed. But the survey also showed that some residents believe opportunities for greater growth and development are being missed, and concerns arose over the city's positioning for long-term economic stability. "Community leaders and regular citizens both understand the gravity of the home shortage, price and property tax issues, and largely understand why these issues have occurred. Creating affordable child care opportunities, ensuring the VA hospital remains operational, and capitalizing on the natural beauty of the area and the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally were other major discussion points," the survey noted. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/11/10-7-24-Andrea-Powers.JPG) Andrea Powers, in red, is the director of the Southern Hills Economic Development Corp. Powers, shown at the Oct. 7, 2024, community discussion, has played a key role in facilitating the Engage South Dakota program in Hot Springs, S.D. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) Andrea Powers, executive director of the Southern Hills Development Corp., said she was pleased to see the generally positive attitude in the survey responses and is optimistic that the community can use the process to bring forth positive change. "There was an overall perception that our community has the capacity for economic growth and an increased quality of life without sacrificing the elegant Victorian character our town is renowned for," she said. Powers, whose organization has helped support the Engage South Dakota pilot program in Hot Springs, said the residents appear to support "metered growth," in which future development occurs but does not change the overall sense of place, natural offerings and positive attitude now present in the community. "In a rural community, people know and care for one another, pitch in where help is needed and hold a deep respect for the natural world, and these are all values the community wants to retain," Powers said. "Sometimes that creates hesitancy about growth, but the overall consensus is that we can have positive change and retain our character if it's done strategically." ## Community discussion mirrors survey results About 25 residents showed up to the two-hour community discussion held at The Space in downtown Hot Springs, and a lively, communal vibe permeated the discussion. Kyley Cumbow, superintendent of schools, moved to the area this summer to begin work in the fall semester. While planning her move from Pierre, Cumbow said she checked the website Zillow daily starting in April to see if any suitable housing was available in Hot Springs but with limited success. “I was in tears several times,” she said. Cumbow, whose husband still works and lives in Pierre, said she considered buying a camper to live in until she found a house in Hot Springs. She said she bought a “fixer-upper” on the culmination of a dead-end street and started by remodeling a bathroom but has a long way to go in making the house more livable. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/11/10-7-24-council-member_superintendent-1.JPG) Hot Springs City Council member Debra Johnson, left, shares her views during an Oct. 7, 2024, Engage South Dakota community meeting as Hot Springs School District superintendent Kyley Cumbow listens along. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) Attendees said one reason people might leave Hot Springs is because taxes and the cost of living are relatively high, while wages remain low. Some brought up the challenges of having a population that is much older than the state median age and that there is a lack of racial, ethnic and age diversity in the local population. At the same time, some survey respondents said Hot Springs should embrace its role as a retirement community and make life better for senior citizen residents. Resident Carl Hall said Hot Springs growth is held back by the lack of housing, especially affordable housing, and generally low wages. “People need to be able to make a living wage,” he said. Hall added that the lack of housing opportunities puts potential homebuyers or renters at the mercy of property owners who sometimes have a strict screening process. “You used to be able to quickly rent an apartment with cash and a handshake,” he said. “Now, it’s credit checks, background checks, questions about how much you make, and everything is done through contracts.” City council member Debra Johnson said some people, including elderly residents, can no longer afford to live in Hot Springs. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/11/10-7-24-wide-shot-2.JPG) Officials in the health care industry, including Jesse Naze, financial officer for the Fall River Healthcare System, left, and Anna Whetham of Monument Health, far right, participated in the.Engage South Dakota community conversation on Oct. 7, 2024, at The Space in Hot Springs, S.D. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) “People are being priced out of their homes,” she said. “We don’t want the locals being pushed out of their homes and only the tourists or rich people being able to afford to live here.” The city also has not done enough marketing of its assets, and the city for years was left off tourism maps that market the Black Hills to tourists, Johnson said. Val Crawford, a property owner and landlord, said rents she charges have doubled in the past 20 years. The city needs an influx of young people, and their spending power, so the city doesn’t eventually become a “dead building, people-waiting-to-die kind of place,” she said. One resident said the city also needs a long-term plan with specific goals in order to grow in a sensible way and that community beautification efforts need to continue. Jesse Naze, financial officer for Fall River Health Services, said the city should have more young people and a more diverse population to appeal to potential new residents and workers. Naze said he has noticed a lower number of children engaging in sports, which he attributed to a lower birth rate exacerbated by an aging population. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/11/10-7-24-Carson_Julia.JPG) Julia Hellwege, director of the Chiesman Center for Democracy at the University of South Dakota, takes notes during a community discussion on Oct. 7, 2024, at The Space in Hot Springs, S.D., as Carson Walker, CEO of South Dakota News Watch, listens in. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) The housing shortage and high costs of housing are holding back growth in the city, he said. Naze said the hospital has lost several prospective medical workers because they couldn't find or afford suitable housing. He said he has also seen the number of hospital workers who commute from Rapid City rising in recent years. Naze said Hot Springs has a committed group of people engaged in civic affairs but that “it does seem like the same people volunteering all the time.” ## Potential solutions Longtime resident Kelly Cape said that while the city has a significant number of income-subsidized houses and apartments, he hopes that more higher-end, market-priced housing units can be built to attract new residents and workers. Cape also hoped the city could attract or target for relocation a wider range of employers, both large and small. He noted how Ellendale, north of Aberdeen, was able to land a new cyber-security firm that is expected to create between 50 and 100 new jobs. Some other ideas: - Resident Gary Telkamp said one of Hot Springs’ virtues is its nice weather, both compared to the Great Plains and other parts of South Dakota, and he suggested more marketing could focus on the dry and warm conditions. “That’s kind of a big deal and people need to know that about us.” - Gail Sprentall floated an idea that the South Dakota Board of Regents could make an arrangement with the federal government to use part of the VA hospital complex into a satellite campus of the university system. The facility could have a natural resources educational focus, she said. - Sprentall added that Hot Springs should “embrace” its VA connections and opportunities. She added that the community could better market its strong waterways, including Fall River, Angostura Reservoir, and other nearby lakes and campgrounds. - Barb Hallberg, who hails from the Black Hills town of Nemo, said Hot Springs could emphasize its historic and current focus as a “center of healing.” “That could make Hot Springs more of a destination, and I don’t think we capitalize on that opportunity enough,” she said. - One resident suggested the city could do more to market the many murals around town and create a walking tour that describes the murals and the artists. Someone suggested murals could be painted on the concrete retaining wall used for flood control. - Councilor Johnson said the city already invested $3 million to have an elevated walkway along the river in the north part of downtown and another $40,000 to clean up weeds and other debris along the river corridor. - Sandra Merrow, a counselor in Hot Springs, said she thinks that for an investment of roughly $15,000 the city could build a fitness course along the riverwalk that people could use to get a good workout while enjoying the downtown scenery. “It would be nice to have because people already walk along the river every day,” she said. “It would be great for locals and tourists to put up fitness stations along the way.” ## Next steps Powers, from the Hot Springs economic development group, said she will make sure the final Hot Springs report is provided to local elected officials and community leaders for review and to create new avenues for further discussion. Cammie Mengwasser, executive director of the Watertown Area Community Foundation said earlier that the new planning group has initially identified three big challenges to address – housing, child care and workforce – but she expects the process will identify three or more other topics of focus moving forward. [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/11/Donate-News-Watch-2--1-.png)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?%5Fgl=1%2A10w9pkh%2A%5Fgcl%5Fau%2AMjAyOTY2NTc3My4xNzMwNDcxOTUz%2A%5Fga%2AMTM3NDcyODMyNS4xNzAyMTQ0MTg3%2A%5Fga%5FH98KVPR32J%2AMTczMTAxOTY1OS40NC4wLjE3MzEwMTk2NTkuMC4wLjA.&ref=sdnewswatch.org) Mengwasser said the next steps in the planning process will include a rollout of the consultant findings at a large community meeting early next year. "And that's when the work will really start," she said. From there, resident committees will form to explore and examine issues revealed in the report, and local groups will then take their suggestions and do the ground-level work to get things done, she said. "They’ll take the ideas, start researching them and then try to find funding to move toward what can ultimately come out of this," she said. --- ### Read the Hot Springs report Read the full Chiesman Center for Democracy report on Hot Springs [at this link online](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1DVB0jMG9zcBoVRVlA8Xga4pKUcQiAgbn/view?ref=sdnewswatch.org) or in the document reader below. [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit news organization. Read more in-depth stories at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *every few days to get stories as soon as they're published. Contact *Bart Pfankuch* at* [*bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:%20bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Native absenteeism challenges SD educators: 'There's no silver bullet' URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/native-american-absenteeism-south-dakota-education/ Last updated: 2025-06-27T13:38:38.000Z When Randy Pirner took the job as principal of Todd County High School on the Rosebud Indian Reservation in 2018, he was a veteran educator who thought he had seen it all. But overseeing a public school with 95% Native American enrollment opened his eyes to cultural and socioeconomic factors that make chronic absenteeism an educational barrier in South Dakota reservation communities such as Rosebud and Pine Ridge. “I'm originally from Wagner, which is technically on the (Yankton Sioux) reservation, but the problems out here are tenfold compared to the issues in that area,” said Pirner. Years after the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted American schools, nearly every state is still struggling with attendance. But the challenge is greater for Native American students – a disparity that existed before the pandemic and has since grown, according to a joint reporting effort between The Associated Press and South Dakota News Watch. Out of 34 states with data available for the 2022-23 school year, half had absenteeism rates for Native American and Alaska Native students that were at least 9 percentage points higher than the state average. In South Dakota, the chronic absenteeism rate for Indigenous students was 54% in 2022-23, significantly higher than the state average of 21%. That differential was the largest of the 34 states included in the AP data. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/12/sapa.2-1.jpg) Students line up for recess at Sapa Un Jesuit Academy in St. Francis, S.D., on the Rosebud Indian Reservation. The K-8 school has about 45 students, with the goal of preparing them to succeed in high school by emphasizing their strengths and interests. (Photo: Stu Whitney / South Dakota News Watch) Chronic absenteeism is defined as missing at least 10% of days in a school year for any reason, including excused and unexcused absences. The South Dakota Department of Education has [posted data](https://sdschoolreportcard.sd.gov/Studio/servlet/mstrWeb?ref=sdnewswatch.org) from 2023-24, which shows Native American chronic absenteeism at 51% at public schools, compared to the state average of 21%. That shows slight improvement, as Indigenous communities continue to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. But serious hurdles remain. State data shows that 68% of Native American public school students complete high school, compared to the state average of 91%. In addition, only 18% are considered college and career ready, significantly lower than the statewide average of 54%. “There’s no silver bullet,” said Josie Green, executive director of Teach for America in South Dakota, which helps reservation schools find, train and retain new teachers. “A big part of it involves building trust between schools and their communities.” ## Poverty plays role in attendance Part of that means assessing the root of the problem, said former Rosebud Sioux Tribe president Rodney Bordeaux, whose educational journey took him through Todd County High School in Mission, Augustana University in Sioux Falls and Oglala Lakota College in Pine Ridge. Bordeaux now heads the St. Francis Mission, a Catholic ministry on the Rosebud reservation in south-central South Dakota, one of America’s poorest and youngest regions. [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/05/donate-3.jpg)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate?ref=sdnewswatch.org) Todd County has a median household income of $33,800, less than half the state average of $69,500, according to U.S. Census data. Residents under the age of 18 account for 41% of the population, compared to the state average of 24%. Even with federal and tribal assistance, those factors put stress on rural and often isolated households, making it challenging for caregivers and children to be actively engaged in school. [A year after blizzard ravaged Rosebud, boy’s death raises questionsHonor Beauvais stopped breathing on the night of Dec. 15, 2022, and emergency crews couldn’t reach him through the winter storm. His family is blaming the tribe and hospital for not being prepared.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-54.jpg)South Dakota News WatchStu Whitney![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/honor.1.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/honor-beauvais-rosebud-indian-reservation-ihs-2022-storm/) The latest data shows Todd County’s chronic absenteeism rate at 71%. “There are a lot of issues underlying (attendance data), but no one really cares,” Bordeaux told News Watch. “They just see high rates of absenteeism and they blame the parents or the school. It’s a lot more complicated than that.” ## Truancy starts in younger grades Pirner came to Todd County High School after 14 years as a principal in Homer, Nebraska, just south of Sioux City, Iowa. Before that, the former South Dakota State University football standout worked at Elk Point-Jefferson. He acknowledges he had a lot to learn about the cultural complexities of a school district where many students come from single-parent homes or are being raised by relatives. In addition, just 15% of Todd County residents 25 and older have a college bachelor’s degree or higher, half the statewide average. “I truly believe that the only chance that you have to fix the truancy issue is to get to kids when they're young and stress the importance of attending school,” Pirner told News Watch. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/12/absent.3.jpg) Second grade teacher Lori Spina takes a photo of her class for her newsletter Oct. 1, 2024, at Algodones Elementary School in Algodones, N.M. (AP Photo/Roberto E. Rosales) “By the time we get them up here in ninth grade, they've developed the habits of missing school. A lot of it’s based on moms and dads not being in the picture and grandmas and grandpas or aunts or cousins raising them, and a lot of these older people don't have high school degrees. They don't appreciate the importance of it.” Cindy Young, education director of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe, agreed that lacking educational standard-setters at home makes it tougher to get young people to school regularly or inspire them in the classroom when they do attend. “We provide services to help the parents however we can,” said Young, who has also worked in education on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation and at St. Francis Indian School. “A lot of the time those parents aren’t educated themselves and they live way out in rural areas, so it’s harder to get those kids to school.” ## COVID school plan 'went haywire' Less than two years after Pirner arrived at Todd County, the COVID-19 pandemic shut down in-person schooling throughout the state in March 2020. Todd County was one of the few South Dakota schools that opted to continue remote learning for the 2020-21 school year after consultation with Rosebud tribal officials. With crowded living conditions making distancing difficult, [researchers](https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.03.13.21253515v1?ref=sdnewswatch.org#:~:text=CONCLUSIONS%20Most%20risk%20factors%20for,risk%20of%20COVID%2D19%20mortality.) found that risk factors for COVID-19 were disproportionately high among Native Americans living on reservations. Todd County, with a population of 9,200, reported nearly 4,000 COVID infections and 53 deaths during the pandemic. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/12/sapa.4.jpg) Students work on English assignments at Sapa Un Jesuit Academy on the Rosebud Indian Reservation. "We're very student-based, with small class sizes, which allows us to move kids around in spaces based on need,” said principal Stacee Valandra. (Photo: Submitted) Pirner said that was when things “really went haywire” because about 80% of the district’s students live on tribal lands and many lack internet access, making the concept of online classes logistically impractical. “It was sort of like, ‘Come on. We're not in Canton. We're not in Beresford,’” said Pirner. “Out here, there's no connection. I would say that COVID set us back 10 years because kids who aren’t going to school in kindergarten aren’t going to be going to school when we get them in high school. It’s almost like we’re starting from scratch.” State testing data shows the extent of the challenge that lies ahead. Todd County School District had proficiency scores of 11% in English and 8% in science on the latest South Dakota Department of Education report card, with an attendance rate of 35%. The state averages were 51% in English, 43% in science and 87% for attendance. ## Seeking cultural relevance in classroom Green, who oversees Teach for America’s efforts with Todd County and other predominantly Native school districts, saw the COVID-related shutdown as a chance to reassess strategy. Green is Oglala Lakota from the Pine Ridge Reservation but grew up in Wilmot, just outside the Sisseton Wahpeton Reservation. Her studies at Tiospa Zina Tribal School paved the way for her to earn her degree from Minnesota State University-Moorhead, which led to educational opportunities in Todd County. During the pandemic, she and her team reached out to students, parents and other community members with questions that got to the heart of chronic absenteeism. What is the point of school? What sort of education should it provide? Are teachers relating to students in a way that inspires them? ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/12/Josie-Headshot-1-1.jpg) Josie Green, executive director of Teach for America in South Dakota, is Oglala Lakota from the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation but grew up just outside the Sisseton Wahpeton reservation. Her group helps train teachers to better engage with Native students. (Photo: Courtesy of Teach for America) “We heard things like ‘the best education is a place that I can learn things that are relevant to my life and feel like a whole person, and people honor that,’” said Green. “They wanted the skills and emotional ability to prepare for the future that they saw for themselves, and school wasn't doing that for them.” Part of the solution was finding qualified teachers with an Indigenous background to bring role models and cultural understanding into public school classrooms. It remains a work in progress. ## ****Get South Dakota stories** Sign up for an email summary on most weekdays that links to the full story. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. This year’s Teach for America cohort of 22 teachers for South Dakota includes just three Native Americans, Green said. The goal is to boost Indigenous involvement to 50% by next year and bring more Lakota-based curricula into the fold. "If we're talking about a whole child, it means honoring every aspect of that child,” said Green. “Language, culture, understanding the homes that their students come from. Those things are all essential to be able to truly understand what students need and for the curriculum to be more culturally relevant.” ## Academy stresses parent involvement Getting families involved is crucial, said Bordeaux, the former tribal president who now oversees programs such as Sapa Un Jesuit Academy, a K-8 school with about 45 students located in St. Francis on the Rosebud reservation. Bordeaux said it was important to give reservation families a choice beyond St. Francis Indian School – which is funded by the Bureau of Indian Affairs – and nearby public school districts such as Todd County, Winner and White River. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/12/sapa.3.jpg) Students huddle up before recess at Sapa Un Jesuit Academy, part of the St. Francis Mission on the Rosebud Indian Reservation. In the background is St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church. (Photo: Stu Whitney / South Dakota News Watch) Sapa Un opened in 2013 and is funded almost entirely by private donations. It employs the Jesuit nativity model, which includes free or low-cost tuition, longer school days, an extended school year and opportunities for summer camp. “There was a need for a school setting focused on academic achievement, leadership development and culture,” said Bordeaux. “Parents are a big part of that.” With no buses, parents are expected to take their children to school each day, with flexible times to accommodate for work schedules or other commitments. Parents are also encouraged to help students with school-based community outreach, such as shoveling sidewalks for elders or reading to nursing home residents. ## Lakota school seeks connections The parent participation model is also embraced by Wakanyeja Tokeyahci Elementary School, a privately funded Lakota Immersion program on the Rosebud reservation. The school opened in fall 2020 under the direction of the Sicangu Education Initiative, with founder Sage Fast Dog stressing the need to teach Lakota language and culture in a way that inspires and challenges Indigenous youth. “It’s about being relevant and giving kids an opportunity to make a connection to the content,” said Fast Dog, who grew up on the Rosebud reservation and previously served on the Todd County School Board. “If you’re serving Lakota children, then your content should reach their background knowledge and recognize who they are.” ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/12/absent.4.jpg) An educator works with a student at Todd County Elementary School at the school's Family Engagement Night on April 25, 2024\. (Photo: Todd County School District) Parents are encouraged to participate in class and share stories of Lakota heritage and culture with faculty and students. Several of the families involved with the Rosebud elementary school had older children who went through the public system and are now trying a different approach. “Historically, family involvement is transactional,” said Fast Dog. “A parent might sign in that they went to a meeting, but there’s no follow-up or strategic planning to get insight on how they could get integrated into curriculum to improve academic output. We want to transform the experience so that school culture and classroom culture reflect the students we serve.” ## 'It comes down to engagement' Outreach to households extends to the public schools, where Todd County hosts a series of family nights in coordination with the South Dakota Statewide Family Engagement Center in Rapid City. "It's a good way to get everyone involved," Pirner said of the events, where booths are set up for activities such as food chain stacking, Morse code messaging, pingpong vowels and vocabulary bowling. [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/11/Donate-News-Watch-2--1-.png)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?%5Fgl=1%2A10w9pkh%2A%5Fgcl%5Fau%2AMjAyOTY2NTc3My4xNzMwNDcxOTUz%2A%5Fga%2AMTM3NDcyODMyNS4xNzAyMTQ0MTg3%2A%5Fga%5FH98KVPR32J%2AMTczMTAxOTY1OS40NC4wLjE3MzEwMTk2NTkuMC4wLjA.&ref=sdnewswatch.org) Pirner and his staff also have reached out to past Todd County graduates to ask about their high school experience, seeking positive messages to share about connections that develop in an educational setting. For Green, the Teach for America director, it's all about finding ways to make going to school a rewarding and memorable endeavor and listening to students to understand their concerns is paramount. "We measure how much time a teacher is talking versus how much time students are relating to each other, just to get data around actual relationships happening in the classroom," Green said. "It really comes down to engagement. If the kids aren't engaged at school, they probably won't want to come back." [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *The *Associated Press* contributed to this story, which was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit news organization. Read more in-depth stories at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *every few days to get stories as soon as they're published. Contact investigative reporter *Stu Whitney* at* [*stu.whitney@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:stu.whitney@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Solving South Dakota's housing problem through idea sharing URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/aberdeen-mitchell-south-dakota-hapi-housing-solution/ Last updated: 2025-06-27T13:38:38.000Z ABERDEEN, S.D. – A 20-year-old nonprofit that restores old homes and builds new ones to create affordable housing in Aberdeen is sharing its playbook with other South Dakota cities that also lack housing. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2025/05/Engage-SD-small-logo-1-1-1.png) Homes Are Possible Inc., or [HAPI](https://www.homesarepossible.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org), uses a mix of public grants and private donations to fuel three separate housing programs that: - Provide grants to income-qualified homeowners to fix up their houses - Buy lots and build homes to replace aging or abandoned houses that are torn down - Acquire land and develop subdivision infrastructure so HAPI and private construction companies can build homes there. Darin Beckius, executive director, said almost everything accomplished under the HAPI model has been a team effort in Aberdeen, a city of 28,000\. That includes working closely with construction contractors, home builders, lenders, property owners and local government agencies that promote residential and commercial development. "When I look at why HAPI has been so successful, it comes down to partnerships," he said. "With the folks at the city, the development corporation bringing businesses in, with HAPI providing housing, it all kind of fits together into one puzzle that makes the city sustainable and a good place to live." ![A man sits at behind his office desk and looks at the camera while smiling.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/11/Darin-Beckius-desk-smile.jpg) Darin Beckius, executive director of Homes Are Possible Inc. (HAPI), on Oct. 23, 2024, in Aberdeen, S.D. HAPI is a non-governmental nonprofit that has improved or built hundreds of new homes in the northwestern South Dakota city. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) Over the past two decades, HAPI has helped hundreds of low-income homeowners obtain grants up to $20,000 to fix up their properties. It has built more than 70 "infill" homes on lots that once held aging homes or trailers that fell into disrepair and had to be torn down. And in its crowning achievement, the group has developed two complete subdivisions and is working on a third that will result in construction of nearly 600 new homes. HAPI uses tax increment financing, or TIF, districts to develop the infrastructure in the subdivisions and has paid contractors to build about 250 of those new homes, while the rest have been built by private developers. [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/11/Donate-News-Watch--3-.png)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?%5Fgl=1%2A1txxzuc%2A%5Fgcl%5Fau%2AMjAyOTY2NTc3My4xNzMwNDcxOTUz%2A%5Fga%2AMTM3NDcyODMyNS4xNzAyMTQ0MTg3%2A%5Fga%5FH98KVPR32J%2AMTczMDkzMzA3Ni40Mi4wLjE3MzA5MzMwNzYuMC4wLjA.&ref=sdnewswatch.org) By working on numerous housing projects at once, and getting tax-deferred loans for infrastructure, HAPI can keep costs down and home prices around $260,000, compared to $400,000, he said. "The people you want to move in, the teachers, the nurses, whomever, they’re not capable of building a house on their own," Beckius said. "But that’s where we’ve been successful because we’re not only the developer, we’re also the builder. And that’s just part of the process to getting them into homes." ## Spreading knowledge on home development Over the years, Beckius said he and the former HAPI director have established a track record of helping other smaller communities learn their methods and to adopt the HAPI model, including in other northern South Dakota towns such as Herreid, Groton and Mobridge. About three years ago, HAPI took the sharing to a new level when it used some of its own staff time and financial resources to help repair or develop new homes in Mitchell, about 150 miles to the south. A group of people interested in alleviating the housing shortage in that city of 15,600 called HAPI to ask for help in developing a 20-acre site that had been gifted from a landowner. Beckius said he and the former HAPI director traveled to Mitchell monthly to share knowledge and give advice. ![Darin Beckius, executive director of Homes Are Possible Inc., points at a map of homes on a wall](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/11/Darin-Beckius-at-wall-map-1.jpg) Darin Beckius, executive director of Homes Are Possible Inc., points on Oct. 23, 2024, to maps on the wall in the HAPI offices that show areas of Aberdeen, S.D., where the nonprofit has developed subdivisions and built new homes. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) "We would go and meet with their group and listen to what they were discussing and giving them our playbook almost, giving them answers about what we did wrong so they could avoid the big mistakes we made," Beckius said. "We really wanted to try to jumpstart their efforts. And you basically took 10 years off HAPI's timeline of figuring out how things work, and they could skip all that and be a decade ahead right off the bat." The sharing of knowledge and expertise and the kickstarting of housing efforts in other communities is one example of how municipal leaders can share possibly replicable solutions that can spread from one South Dakota city to another. Highlighting such efforts is also part of the goal of the Engage South Dakota pilot program launched this year by South Dakota News Watch and the Chiesman Center for Democracy at the University of South Dakota. [Hot Springs takes next steps in push for prosperityThe Southern Black Hills city is part of a pilot project to identify top problems and solutions using journalism and community engagement.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-52.jpg)South Dakota News WatchBart Pfankuch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/2024-9-9-Hot-Springs-museum-2.JPG)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/hot-springs-engage-south-dakota-cheisman-center-democracy/) Beckius and his staff of three are an example of how an idea or program that is successful in one community can be replicated in another, helping to solve some of the biggest challenges facing municipalities across the Rushmore State. "I get phone calls all the time from communities saying, 'Will you come and talk to us about what you're doing in Aberdeen?'" Beckius said. "I always tell them, 'I can't come and do the work for you, but I can certainly show you how.'" ## Making progress on housing in Mitchell Terry Sabers has no hesitation in giving credit to HAPI when it comes to the grand plans and recent actions taken by Mitchell Area Housing Inc., or [MAHI](https://www.mitchellareahousing.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org), the organization Sabers now leads. A housing study showed that a third of existing homes in Michell needed major repairs. And the city needed additional housing to accommodate employment growth that includes ongoing construction of a $500 million grain processing plant just south of town. [Jobs and money follow new agricultural processing in SDGrow it here, process it here: South Dakota sees big financial benefits from operations like those in Aberdeen and Mitchell.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-53.jpg)South Dakota News WatchBart Pfankuch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/2024-10-17-Mitchell-plant-Gate-2-.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/mitchell-south-dakota-grain-processing-plant-corn-soybeans/) As Sabers and other local officials contemplated how to move forward, he recalled a meeting with HAPI representatives several years ago and gave them a call. "We asked if they could come down here and guide us for about six months," Sabers told News Watch. "They came down and we basically copied what they were doing." So far, the model has worked well in Mitchell. Over the past couple years, MAHI acquired grants of about $550,000 that it used as grants to help 27 homeowners fix up their homes. MAHI has bought, torn down and replaced four houses in Mitchell that were in major disrepair. And now it's using the HAPI model by partnering with the local development corporation to develop its own subdivisions. MAHI has obtained TIF financing and funds from the state agency South Dakota Housing to develop about 80 affordable homes on two parcels of land it was gifted by the local hospital and a landowner. Sabers said he hopes the organization can build about 10-12 homes a year that sell for $300,000 or less. ## ****Get South Dakota stories** Sign up for an email summary on most weekdays that links to the full story. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. The process, Sabers said, is challenging on many fronts and was made more difficult and costly when interest rates suddenly doubled over the past two years. But the efforts to improve existing housing and build new are gaining steam in Mitchell, Sabers said. "Everybody has a problem with housing in South Dakota," he said. "We're just taking a more aggressive approach to fixing that." ## Regional activity in housing picks up Just as it did in Aberdeen, the momentum to repair existing homes and build new ones in Mitchell is spreading to nearby smaller cities and towns, said David Lambert, regional development director for the Mitchell Area Chamber of Commerce. The need for more housing, especially affordable homes, is present in cities and small towns across South Dakota. And housing development is increasingly being pursued by local governments or nonprofit groups like HAPI and MAHI, Lambert said. ![A sign in an empty field indicating future homes being built in Aberdeen, South Dakota.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/11/HAPI-lot-future-park-1.jpg) The city of Aberdeen, S.D., plans to build a city park adjacent to a new housing subdivision being developed by Homes Are Possible Inc. HAPI is donating the land, shown on the city's north side on Oct. 23, 2024, to the city to make the park possible. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) "It’s critically important because workforce and housing go hand in hand," Lambert said. "For example, with 75 new jobs coming on board from the soybean plant in Mitchell, those folks have to live someplace." Lambert said new housing efforts are taking place in several municipalities surrounding Mitchell, including White Lake, Tripp, Corsica, Parkston, Plankinton and Armour. [South Dakota population: Harrisburg, Tea, Box Elder boomingEighteen South Dakota municipalities now top 5,000 residents, and all grew in 2020-23 except for Brandon, Aberdeen, Madison, Mitchell, Pierre and Sturgis: “It’s rural America at as good as it can get.”![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-43.jpg)South Dakota News WatchMariia Novoselia![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/shutterstock_2071420061-1.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakotan-population-harrisburg-tea-box-elder-sd/) "Every community is trying to tackle it in their own way," he said. "It's not just the affordability component that is important. But the reality is also trying to figure out how to have a mix of single-family homes, duplexes, apartments and workforce housing." ## More housing = more jobs Ken Hubbart, Aberdeen community development director, said HAPI's successful track record of developing subdivisions and building new homes has indirectly helped create opportunities for job creation and economic growth. “Most employers, when they’re looking at opening a new business or expanding an existing business, one of the things they look at is availability of housing for their employees,” Hubbart said. “So HAPI has allowed for a lot of commercial or industrial development to occur over the years.” [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/11/Donate-News-Watch-2--1-.png)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?%5Fgl=1%2A10w9pkh%2A%5Fgcl%5Fau%2AMjAyOTY2NTc3My4xNzMwNDcxOTUz%2A%5Fga%2AMTM3NDcyODMyNS4xNzAyMTQ0MTg3%2A%5Fga%5FH98KVPR32J%2AMTczMTAxOTY1OS40NC4wLjE3MzEwMTk2NTkuMC4wLjA.&ref=sdnewswatch.org) Hubbart said HAPI provides critical services that not only help individual families obtain homeownership but which also raise the quality of the overall housing stock in the city. “When unsalvageable housing is torn down and they put in something nice, you start to see a turnaround in that neighborhood,” he said. “It has a rebounding effect on those neighborhoods.” #### Contacts in Aberdeen and Mitchell Homes Are Possible, Inc. Darin Beckius, executive director 125 South 2nd Street, Aberdeen, SD 57401 (605) 225-4274 Mitchell Area Housing, Inc. Terry Sabers, president 601 N. Main St, Mitchell, SD 57301 (605) 630-1608 [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit news organization. Read more in-depth stories at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *every few days to get stories as soon as they're published. Contact *Bart Pfankuch* at* [*bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:%20bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Noem's final budget address? Expect belt-tightening, not bravado. URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-gov-kristi-noem-2025-budget-address-legislature/ Last updated: 2025-06-27T13:38:38.000Z Gov. Kristi Noem plans to deliver her final budget address Tuesday at the South Dakota State Capitol in Pierre, outlining her economic vision with an eye toward the next stage of her political career. It’s natural for governors to emphasize the positive in these circumstances, but legislators might not have that luxury at a time when lagging state revenue and rising expenses signal significant belt-tightening for the 2025 session, where the budget for fiscal year 2026 will take shape. “I don’t envy the governor’s position in putting out this budget,” said Rep. Will Mortenson, who served as Republican House majority leader the past two years. “If you’re someone coming into this session planning to create some big new government program or spend a bunch of money in a new way, you're going to be in for a rude awakening. We're just not going to have the money.” [Noem’s Cabinet role could be ‘untenable:’ Former DHS chief“I suspect there will be many days when she wishes she were back in South Dakota,” said Jeh Johnson, who served as Homeland Security secretary under Barack Obama.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-49.jpg)South Dakota News WatchStu Whitney![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/jeh.johnson.1-1.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/kristi-noem-homeland-security-secretary-president-trump-dhs/) That’s a marked contrast to the “foot on the gas” mantra pushed by Noem the past few years, when federal stimulus money and inflation-fueled sales tax receipts fattened state coffers. Last year's budget proposal for fiscal year 2025, largely adhered to by the Legislature, called for $7.3 billion in spending, an increase of nearly 30% from two years earlier. After budget increases to the big three – education, health care providers and state employees – ranging from 5% to 7% the past three years, a more modest hike is expected for FY 2026 due to flat overall revenue, prison construction costs and a larger state share of Medicaid payments. “You've got ongoing sales tax collections that are $22.5 million behind legislative projections, you’ve got a men’s prison with a high maximum cost of $825 million and you’ve got conversations about property tax relief coming up,” said Nathan Sanderson, executive director of the South Dakota Retailers Association. ![South Dakota Lt. Governor Larry Rhoden speaks at a news conference in a library alongside Gov. Kristi Noem.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/11/vice.6-1.jpg) South Dakota Lt. Gov. Larry Rhoden, speaking March 13, 2024, at a town hall meeting in Mitchell, S.D., will become South Dakota's 34th governor if Gov. Kristi Noem is confirmed as secretary of the Department of Homeland Security in Donald Trump’s administration. (Photo: Stu Whitney / South Dakota News Watch) “Just on those conversations alone, it’s going to be a very tight budget year, and I don't know what the answers are going to be.” With Noem nominated as Homeland Security secretary and preparing for confirmation hearings, the long-range responsibility will fall to Lt. Gov. Larry Rhoden, who could become the first South Dakotan to take the oath of office in the heat of a legislative session. The fact that the 65-year-old Meade County rancher is a veteran lawmaker is not lost on those who will work with him to try to make fiscal austerity a guiding principle again in Pierre. [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/11/Donate-News-Watch-2--1-.png)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?%5Fgl=1%2A10w9pkh%2A%5Fgcl%5Fau%2AMjAyOTY2NTc3My4xNzMwNDcxOTUz%2A%5Fga%2AMTM3NDcyODMyNS4xNzAyMTQ0MTg3%2A%5Fga%5FH98KVPR32J%2AMTczMTAxOTY1OS40NC4wLjE3MzEwMTk2NTkuMC4wLjA.&ref=sdnewswatch.org) Rhoden served in the state House of Representatives from 2001-09 and 2017-19, including a stint as majority leader from 2005-08\. He served in the state Senate from 2009-2015 and chaired the State Affairs Committee. “Changing horses in the middle of the stream (during session) is unprecedented, and I don't think any of us know what to expect,” said Mortenson. “It creates an opportunity where the budget proposed by one governor at the beginning can be adopted and defended in total, or it can be amended in partnership with the legislature. As long as we've got a healthy working relationship with both governors, but probably more importantly with the incoming governor, people shouldn't see a whole lot of disruption.” Here's a look at key factors to watch heading into Noem’s budget address and the 2025 legislative session in Pierre: ## Sales tax revenue falling short At a meeting of the Joint Committee on Appropriations on Nov. 14 in Pierre, state economists outlined revenue trends showing that sales tax collections for July through October were $22.6 million behind legislative projections, more than 4%. That trend could lead to a shortfall of nearly $80 million compared to projections for the fiscal year, which ends June 30. Overall tax receipts for fiscal year 2025 fell nearly 3% short of expectations through October. “There are areas that seem to be showing more weakness than others,” Derek Johnson, an economist with the Bureau of Finance and Management, told legislators. “Areas like building materials, hardware, garden supply, home furnishings, durable goods and communications. And then our farm equipment is down as well.” Sales taxes are the largest source of state government revenue in South Dakota, one of seven states without a state income tax. The revenue ceiling is lower because legislators voted during the 2023 session to lower the general sales tax rate from 4.5% to 4.2%. That rate sunsets, or expires, in 2027. Talk of eliminating that sunset clause and making the sales tax cut permanent might lose steam in this year’s session based on the latest state revenue projections. ![Nathan Sanderson (right), speaks at a news conference behind a podium alongside Sioux Falls Mayor Paul TenHaken.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/11/sanderson.1.jpg) Nathan Sanderson (right), executive director of the South Dakota Retailers Association, speaks at a press conference July 9, 2024, in Sioux Falls, S.D. Sanderson told News Watch that the upcoming 2025 legislative session is going to be a "very tight budget year." (Photo: Argus Leader) There are limited ways to fill the revenue void in a volatile economy, with consumers finding a new normal on the heels of federal pandemic stimulus and surging inflation rates. The current U.S. inflation rate is 2.6%, compared to 3.2% at this time last year. “People might ask, ‘Why is consumer spending sluggish?’” asked Sanderson, who served as a policy adviser to former Gov. Dennis Daugaard. “Well, we got a whole bunch of money from the feds during COVID. Those dollars have gone away. And we've seen nationally that credit card debt has increased and savings have decreased. I think people are starting to realize that their former spending habits weren't sustainable, and so they're starting to tighten the belt a little bit.” ## Problems with property tax relief When the decision was made to temporarily lower the general sales tax rate in 2023, the other two options were to repeal the state’s grocery tax, which Noem supported, and to provide property tax relief. Voters strongly rejected a grocery tax repeal in the 2024 election, at least temporarily taking that issue off the front burner. But property tax is a hot topic entering the 2025 session, given that total payments have increased by nearly 60% for homes and nearly 50% for commercial property over the past decade in South Dakota. The problem with cutting property taxes, which help fund local school districts and city and county governments, is that typically you need to backfill that lost revenue with general fund dollars to pay for education and reduce the local effort for school districts. [Poll sheds light on South Dakota’s 2026 election outlookVoter opinions on Noem, Thune, Johnson, Rounds and Jackley and their possible next steps.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-50.jpg)South Dakota News WatchStu Whitney![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/dusty.15-1-1-2.JPG)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/poll-sheds-light-on-south-dakotas-2026-election-outlook/) That was the formula when former Gov. Bill Janklow pushed through a 30% property tax reduction in 1995, offsetting the lost tax revenue to schools by increasing the state's education contribution. The program also updated the state’s education aid formula and established property tax caps. The difference this time around is that finding money to supplement the education fund will be daunting at best, leaving less aggressive options on the table such as improving the efficiency and accuracy of property tax assessments. The South Dakota Retailers Association supported property tax relief back in 2023, when legislators opted instead to cut the general sales tax rate. Sanderson said current economic conditions make it more realistic to view the higher rates as a free-market function that ebbs and flows. “The reality is that most of the property tax challenges are coming because the value of property, particularly in places like the Black Hills and Minnehaha and Lincoln Counties, has just gone up," he said. "And so it's hard to provide property tax relief when the value of the thing being taxed is increasing exponentially. This probably sounds very bureaucratic to say, but some of this is going to just work itself out naturally.” ## Prison project looms amid budget talk South Dakota Department of Corrections officials told legislators at the Nov. 14 meeting that the guaranteed maximum price for a planned new men’s state prison is $825 million, higher than previous estimates. That includes $737 million in construction for the 1,500-inmate facility at the proposed site between Harrisburg and Canton in Lincoln County, making it the largest one-time capital investment in state history. The fact that the prison involves “one time” dollars puts it on a different tier of budget discussion from ongoing expenditures such as health care and education funding. But there are still concerns about higher-than-expected costs and the assessment of operational expenses for the new facility, which would replace the current Sioux Falls penitentiary that was built in 1881. The Legislature has already committed $87 million to build a new women's prison in Rapid City, with a likely completion date of early 2026. ![State Rep. Tony Venhuizen looks at the camera as he sits behind his desk at the South Dakota Legislature.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/11/tony.photo-1.jpg) State Rep. Tony Venhuizen, a Sioux Falls Republican, said that South Dakota will face total of nearly $60 million for Medicaid-related expenditures in a budget year that was already going to be challenging. (Photo: Submitted) Corrections Secretary Kellie Wasko told appropriators that the decision to construct a men's prison “has not been made hastily,” adding that there have been six bills related to the project that “had hearings, legislative discussion and were passed by the Legislature.” That process led to $628 million being placed in a state prison fund, which, accounting for interest and money spent, would leave about $200 million left to fund and green-light the project. Noem has proposed using $80.7 million in budget surplus from FY 2024 for prison construction, underscoring her desire to get the project finalized during her second term. That surplus money was transferred to the state's budget reserves, which now total about $323 million. [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/11/Donate-News-Watch--3-.png)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?%5Fgl=1%2A1txxzuc%2A%5Fgcl%5Fau%2AMjAyOTY2NTc3My4xNzMwNDcxOTUz%2A%5Fga%2AMTM3NDcyODMyNS4xNzAyMTQ0MTg3%2A%5Fga%5FH98KVPR32J%2AMTczMDkzMzA3Ni40Mi4wLjE3MzA5MzMwNzYuMC4wLjA.&ref=sdnewswatch.org) Now that Noem could be leaving for a Cabinet position in Washington, her interest in allocating money to the prison might gain urgency. State Rep. Tony Venhuizen, a Republican member of Joint Appropriations, said he hopes the payoff target of $200 million could be reached during the 2025 session. "It's very smart to pay cash if we can, and the cost will only go up if we wait," said Venhuizen, a former chief of staff to Noem and Daugaard. Mortenson, however, is skeptical of the target being reached this session given budget realities and opposition to the proposed site from members of the Republican Party’s populist faction, some of whom have moved into leadership roles. “Even if everyone wanted to, I'd be very surprised if we could come up with the dollars to completely fund the bottom-line price for the men's prison,” Mortenson said. “That’s probably going to take another couple of years.” ## State's Medicaid payments going up South Dakota voters passed Medicaid expansion in 2022, extending health care coverage to more low-income residents under the Affordable Care Act, with the federal government covering 90 percent of the cost for the first three years. That "bonus" in federal payments ends this year, said Venhuizen, who opposed expanding Medicaid without a plan to pay for the state's share. That price tag is about $35 million for FY 2026 after the state set aside $31 million earlier to ease the cost. "The good news is that the Legislature and the governor planned for this by beginning to build in these extra costs over the past two years," said Venhuizen. "The bad news is that we have to absorb the rest of it this year, which means it will limit available ongoing revenue that much more." ## ****Get South Dakota stories** Sign up for an email summary on most weekdays that links to the full story. Sign up Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. Additionally, the Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP) for regular Medicaid has changed for South Dakota, with the state's funding responsibility increasing from 45% to 47%, which means as much as $25 million for FY 2026. That's a total of nearly $60 million for Medicaid-related expenditures in a budget already facing headwinds, making Noem's budget address not as rosy as a potentially outgoing governor would like to deliver. "With no revenue growth and $60 million that we know we have to spend on Medicaid for no additional services, you start out way behind the 8-ball," said Mortenson. "I would characterize this as going back to a more normal budget year for South Dakota, meaning a lean budget year." [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit news organization. Read more in-depth stories at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *every few days to get stories as soon as they're published. Contact investigative reporter *Stu Whitney* at* [*stu.whitney@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:stu.whitney@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Processing wild game still a challenge for South Dakota hunters URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/meat-processing-lockers-deer-wild-game-hunters/ Last updated: 2024-12-09T13:21:47.000Z PIEDMONT, S.D. – Earlier this year, well before big-game hunting season began in South Dakota, Josh Clark invested time and money into expanding his wild-game processing capabilities to take advantage of high demand for the service. As the number of commercial and self-employed meat cutters willing to process wild game in South Dakota has dwindled, Clark saw an opportunity in 2024 to profit off the trend at Cutting Edge Meat Market in Piedmont, where he is the manager. [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/11/Donate-News-Watch--3-.png)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?%5Fgl=1%2A1txxzuc%2A%5Fgcl%5Fau%2AMjAyOTY2NTc3My4xNzMwNDcxOTUz%2A%5Fga%2AMTM3NDcyODMyNS4xNzAyMTQ0MTg3%2A%5Fga%5FH98KVPR32J%2AMTczMDkzMzA3Ni40Mi4wLjE3MzA5MzMwNzYuMC4wLjA.&ref=sdnewswatch.org) Prior to hunting season, he added another skinning station, expanded capacity to hang and move animals and created more refrigeration space. He also did some summer advertising to let hunters know he is still taking in deer, elk and other large animal carcasses for full-service processing into steak, burgers and sausages. “I don’t know if it’s just the lack of processors still out there, but we're up 30% to 40% over last year in terms of animal drop-offs,” Clark told News Watch last week. “We’re slammed right now.” Clark said he recently contacted several other West River meat shops and found that no one he spoke to is taking in whole deer or other game for processing. ![Skinned deer carcasses hang in a cooler at Cutting Edge Meat Market in Piedmont, South Dakota.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2023/11/Deer-carcasses-hanging-in-cooler-2.jpg) Skinned deer carcasses hang in a cooler at Cutting Edge Meat Market in Piedmont, S.D., in November 2023, one of the few remaining butcher shops in the Black Hills that still takes whole deer and other big game for processing. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) Butchers who still take full deer carcasses said other processors who no longer take wild game or require it to be deboned first may be facing worker shortages, have higher expenses that cut into profitability or simply do not want the hassle of dealing with wild game processing that often occurs one customer with one animal at a time and creates a mad rush of business each fall. The month of November – the heart of the deer hunting season in South Dakota – is always busy for butchers who process wild game, as hunters bring in tens of thousands of deer and antelope shot with rifles or bow and arrow. In 2023, South Dakota hunters killed about 49,000 deer, roughly 2,800 antelope and 114 elk, according to the state. Clark said prior News Watch coverage of the processor shortage generated even more business for him, including from Custer State Park, where officials shipped him some buffaloes for processing after culling park animals after the annual Buffalo Roundup. ## South Dakota butchers exiting wild game market Some butcher shops have closed or shifted focus away from wild game, while others no longer take any game animals, and a few will only process wild meat that is already skinned and deboned by the customer. Whereas commercial livestock producers schedule delivery of animals to be slaughtered and butchered during normal work hours and with several animals at once, big game hunters usually arrive at butcher shops with one or two animals at whatever time of day they happen to make a kill. ![A buck is shown after being shot at a hunt in South Dakota.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2023/11/Deer-shot-in-woods-1.jpg) South Dakota big game hunters are having increasing difficulty finding butchers who will skin, debone and package meat from big game, including this buck shot in a Meade County woods in November 2023\. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) Paul Sorum, co-owner of Renner Corner Meats, about 10 miles north of Sioux Falls, said his shop usually processes about 1,000 deer and other big-game carcasses a year. Sorum said he feels a strong commitment to helping hunters have a place to take full carcasses. But he also wants to continue taking whole animals as a way to maintain the South Dakota hunting economy and to uphold conservation goals. “If it weren’t for the hunters, we’d have an overabundance of deer that are not easy on crops, not to mention the damage they do to vehicles (when struck),” he said. [Demand remains high for ‘heritage turkeys’ grown in South DakotaThe plump, big-breasted turkeys that will appear on millions of American kitchen tables this Thanksgiving are far different than the smaller, much rarer turkey breeds that once made up the…![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-45.jpg)South Dakota News WatchBart Pfankuch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/heritage-turkey-at-bear-butte.jpeg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-farmers-heritage-turkeys-thanksgiving/) The shortage of wild-game processors has been a boon to Sorum’s bottom line in the fall. He’s now taking in a lot of deer from western Minnesota and has had elk, moose, caribou, bear and antelope shipped in from other states for processing in Renner. One concern is that if hunters who lack the skills or equipment to skin, quarter and debone carcasses on their own can't find a processor willing to take a whole carcass, the animals could be dumped in the garbage or left to rot in the field. Some hunters might choose to give up hunting if they know in advance they won't be able to get a full animal carcass processed. ![A large Dumpster overflows with deer hides outside the Cutting Edge Meat Market in Piedmont, S.D.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2023/11/Deer-hides-in-Dumpster-2.jpeg) A large Dumpster overflows with deer hides outside the Cutting Edge Meat Market in November 2023 in Piedmont, S.D., one of the few remaining butcher shops that will process big game carcasses into packaged meats. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) “The deer hunters, they need a place to take their animals to be processed correctly and to know they’re going to get a great product, so we still provide that service because there’s not that many of us out there,” Sorum said. “It’s a busy time, and it’s difficult work, but I have a great staff and we get through it.” ## Hunters can donate animals to charity Hunters who want to donate the meat from a deer or antelope to charitable food pantries across the state can work with [South Dakota Sportsmen Against Hunger](https://www.feedtheneedsd.com/?ref=sdnewswatch.org). Under the program, hunters with animals can contact one of roughly two dozen butchers in South Dakota and drop off an animal carcass or deboned meat for full processing. [Warning signs found in new South Dakota economic dataFarm income, sales tax collections, job openings, unemployment, personal income and gross domestic product are among the top concerns. ‘No red flags ... (but) a return to more of the normal.’![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-51.jpg)South Dakota News WatchBart Pfankuch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/housing-pic-1-1.jpg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-economy-unemployment-rate-data/) The wild game processing industry is not overseen or regulated by the state Game, Fish & Parks Department, which manages state hunting seasons, though butcher shops are subject to regular inspection by state and federal regulators. GFP spokesman Nick Harrington sent an email to News Watch in 2023 saying the department "is currently not seeing a lack of game processors acting as a barrier to hunters participating in the sport." "Conversely, applications for many big game seasons including deer and elk are either holding steady or gradually rising each year," Harrington wrote. "There are some big-game hunters who utilize processors, while others process themselves. This is each individual hunter’s choice and personal preference." ## Home-based butchers help fill the need The commercial butcher shops that handle wild game have long been bolstered by a network of small, home-based meat processors who take animals killed in the fall. However, those processors are also dropping out of the industry or slowing down due to age, increasing volumes or burnout. But some home-based butchers continue to provide the service of processing wild game from carcass to usable meat portions wrapped in butcher paper, though they often can only be found through word-of-mouth connections. Rex Roseland and his wife, Cheryl, have processed wild game at their home north of Rapid City for decades, but they've seen demand for processing rise in recent years. “When you get swamped, it just takes time to get caught up,” Rex Roseland told News Watch in 2023\. “We get a lot of people from previous years, and they keep coming back. But every year it seems like we pick up more people.” [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/11/Donate-News-Watch-2--1-.png)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?%5Fgl=1%2A10w9pkh%2A%5Fgcl%5Fau%2AMjAyOTY2NTc3My4xNzMwNDcxOTUz%2A%5Fga%2AMTM3NDcyODMyNS4xNzAyMTQ0MTg3%2A%5Fga%5FH98KVPR32J%2AMTczMTAxOTY1OS40NC4wLjE3MzEwMTk2NTkuMC4wLjA.&ref=sdnewswatch.org) Cheryl Roseland said they enjoy the work and want to help hunters out, but it’s getting harder to handle the increasing flow of animals being brought in. “We’ve heard from people who are saying, ‘Help us because we can’t find anyplace that will take it,’” she said. “But the thing is, while we can do it, do we have room to add another animal? We will take overflow when we can, but we’re overflowing ourselves out here.” [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit news organization. Read more in-depth stories at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *every few days to get stories as soon as they're published. Contact *Bart Pfankuch* at* [*bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org*](mailto:%20bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org)*.* ### Jobs and money follow new agricultural processing in SD URL: https://www.sdnewswatch.org/mitchell-south-dakota-grain-processing-plant-corn-soybeans/ Last updated: 2024-11-25T12:55:59.000Z MITCHELL, S.D. – Several cranes tower above a busy construction site along state Highway 37 south of Mitchell where work is rapidly progressing on a $500 million grain plant that will be the latest addition to South Dakota's growing agricultural processing industry. For generations, the state has served as an agricultural production hub in the Great Plains, growing millions of bushels of corn and soybeans and raising millions of cows and hogs annually. For many years, most of the state's high-output food producers shipped their goods to be processed at plants elsewhere. As those commodities left the state, so too did the businesses and jobs needed to process agricultural products into their final form. Rural communities in South Dakota lost the potential for growth in local employment, housing and economic development generated by agricultural processing plants. "Historically, for some reason, here in South Dakota we’ve been content to raise commodities — corn, soybeans, cattle and hogs – and ship them out of state for processing," said Scott VanderWal, president of the South Dakota Farm Bureau. [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/11/Donate-News-Watch--3-.png)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?%5Fgl=1%2A1txxzuc%2A%5Fgcl%5Fau%2AMjAyOTY2NTc3My4xNzMwNDcxOTUz%2A%5Fga%2AMTM3NDcyODMyNS4xNzAyMTQ0MTg3%2A%5Fga%5FH98KVPR32J%2AMTczMDkzMzA3Ni40Mi4wLjE3MzA5MzMwNzYuMC4wLjA.&ref=sdnewswatch.org) But over the past 30 years, and with increasing frequency in recent years, the state agricultural industry has begun to take advantage of what insiders refer to as "added value." The term refers to the ability of those in the agriculture industry to generate more revenue from a single product. For instance, growing corn and then using it for food products, animal feed and in ethanol production. By processing soybeans closer to where they are grown, South Dakota farmers can grow and sell more grain, which leads to spin-off revenues for a host of businesses, including in transportation, fuel, feed and machinery. "We’re now finding out that we can make a little more money, generate local economic activity and create more jobs if we start adding value to the things we produce," VanderWal told News Watch. ## Details reveal size, scope of new plant The High Plains Processing plant, now under construction 2 miles south of Mitchell, is being built by South Dakota Soybean Processors, a farmer-owned business that has a soybean plant in Miller and another in Volga, where the company is headquartered. CEO Tom Kersting said the new plant will provide good-paying jobs now and well into the future and create new revenues for a host of businesses and farmers throughout the region. It will also generate significant new property taxes for local governments and sales taxes for state government, he said. ![A soybean plant under construction south of Mitchell, S.D., shown on Oct. 17, 2024.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/11/2024-10-17-Mitchell-plant-RR-crossing-1.jpg) The soybean plant under construction south of Mitchell, S.D., shown on Oct. 17, 2024, is well-positioned to transport products with its proximity to the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad line and Interstate 90\. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) Construction costs are estimated to be about $500 million, and the target date for operations to begin is October 2025, Kersting told News Watch. The plant will be able to process soybeans as well as sunflower seeds and other grain products if market conditions warrant, he said. Finished products will mainly include oils and animal feed. The plant will have capacity to process 100,000 bushels of soybeans a day (about 35 million bushels a year), which makes it the second-largest plant behind the AGP soybean plant in Aberdeen, which has an annual capacity of 50 million bushels. [Empowering and connecting women in agricultureSouth Dakota woman’s podcasting and networking effort wins $1.2 million grant to help emerging female leaders statewide expand their leadership potential.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-46.jpg)South Dakota News WatchKristi Hine![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/2024-8-22-Christina-Christensen-and-Rebecca-Blue.jpeg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-women-agriculture-dakotafest/) The Mitchell plant has about 300 construction workers on site now and expects to employ 75 to 85 full-time employees once operational. The expansion will create another dozen or so positions that will work at the company offices in Volga in support of the plant. Kersting said the addition of new, consistent capacity for grain products at the Mitchell plant should not only stabilize but also increase the prices paid to local soybean and sunflower farmers. “Without it, you’d be much more dependent on the export markets for pricing,” he said. “By having the demand locally, and having it year-round, there’s an opportunity for higher prices for farmers.” ![These three bags contain the other major products produced at the AGP soybean plant in Aberdeen, S.D. ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/11/2024-10-23-Soybean-products-in-bags.jpg) Other than soybean oil, these three bags contain the other major products produced at the AGP soybean plant in Aberdeen, S.D. Photographed on Oct. 23, 2024, the bags (left to right) contain soybean hulls, pelleted soybean hulls and hulls. (Photo: Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) In addition to oils, used in biofuels and in some food products, the plant will also produce seed meal that is used to feed animals, mainly hogs and poultry, he said. Kersting said that once fully processed, a 60-pound bushel of soybeans will yield about 44 pounds of meal feed, 11 pounds of oil and 4 pounds of husks, with a slight amount of moisture loss making up the final pound. The new plant will be strategically located just 2 miles from Interstate 90 and within shouting distance of the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad line, Kersting said. ## Benefit to Mitchell and well beyond The excitement over the plant's potential for economic benefits is palpable even in a brief conversation with David Lambert, regional development director for the Mitchell Area Chamber of Commerce. “We’re just tickled,” he said. “From our perspective, we feel that the impact is going to be huge.” Lambert said the plant’s economic impact will be felt most in Mitchell, where he expects many workers will live and spend money. The plant will create new revenue opportunities in several economic sectors, including housing, grocery, retail and transportation, he said. Nearby cities and towns will also see benefits, not only from increased capacity to sell grain but also in the same tangential ways Mitchell will benefit economically, he said. [Summit pipeline: Referred law puts permit quest in limboThe permit process and ballot referral highlight the emergence of carbon pipelines and landowner rights as political flashpoints in South Dakota.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-47.jpg)South Dakota News WatchStu Whitney![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/pipeline.1-1-1-1.JPG)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/summit-carbon-solutions-carbon-dioxide-pipeline/) The regional farm economy will also see a big boost, Lambert said. For instance, the new demand for soybeans created by the plant could raise the price of beans by 20 cents per bushel, which could generate $6 million a year in new income for area grain producers, he said. “We know that when farmers have money, they spend that money, and they tend to do it locally,” Lambert said. “So the regional impact is so huge, and that is even after you take into account the 75 new, well-paid employees with an annual payroll over $4 million.” Lambert said the chamber has already heard from businesses directly or indirectly related to the grain industry that are eyeing a potential move to or expansion within the regional Mitchell market. “We’ve already started to see some new opportunities from folks who want to take advantage of the economic activity that will be created by the plant,” he said. ## A value-added revolution in South Dakota The South Dakota processing expansion began in earnest roughly 35 years ago when Poet biofuels began production of ethanol from corn in Scotland in the late 1980s. Since then, ethanol production has expanded to nine companies processing 740 million bushels into roughly 1.3 billion gallons of ethanol worth about $3 billion annually. South Dakota could see a huge economic benefit from the $1 billion Net-Zero 1 plant proposed by the company Gevo for a site east of Lake Preston, where corn would be processed into sustainable biofuel for jets. Officials from Colorado-based Gevo said the proposed plant, which recently received a $1.46 billion commitment from the Department of Energy Loan Programs Office, could create thousands of jobs once operational. [South Dakota No. 1 state in nation for hemp productionSouth Dakota recently became the top producer of hemp fibers after being the third-to-last state to make it legal just three years ago.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-48.jpg)South Dakota News WatchGreta Goede![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/Screen-Shot-2024-06-04-at-8.53.57-PM-2.png)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-hemp-production-sdiha-farm-bill/) The state has also seen rapid [expansion of milk processing](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/special-report-s-d-dairy-industry-growing-fast-to-meet-needs-of-cheesemakers/), with new or expanded cheesemaking plants in Milbank (Valley Queen Cheese), Brookings (Bel Brands) and Lake Norden (Agropur). The increased processing capacity has allowed the state's population of milk cows to more than double over roughly the past decade, from 91,000 cows in 2012 to about 210,000 in 2023, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. According to the USDA, South Dakota dairy farmers produced 4.5 billion pounds of milk in 2023, up from 3.1 billion pounds in 2020 and 2 billion pounds in 2013\. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/11/2024-10-23-Aberdeen-soyubean-plant-sign-1.jpg) The AGP plant in Aberdeen, S.D., shown on Oct. 23, 2024, is the state's largest soybean processing plant with an annual capacity of 50 million bushels. (Photo: Bart P{Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch) Agricultural processing plants serve as major employers in several South Dakota cities. The Dakota Provisions pork and poultry plant in Huron has variable employment that can range from 600 to 1,000\. The state's largest soybean plant, the AGP plant in Aberdeen that opened in 2019 at a cost of $300 million, has about 60 full-time workers. In addition to jobs in the plant and an increase in production capacity for individual farmers, increased processing of commodities closer to where South Dakota farmers produce them creates jobs and revenue for local trucking companies, parts and maintenance firms, fuel providers and sellers of machinery, VanderWal said. "We're providing jobs or creating economic activity because those processing plants need supplies and parts and people to run them, and all those things that go along with that," he said. [Beef industry sees potential in new, small local meat plantsA new trend in South Dakota agriculture could fundamentally change the economic landscape for the state’s $1 billion annual beef cattle industry![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/icon/SDNW-Logo-Vertical-30.jpg)South Dakota News WatchBart Pfankuch![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/thumbnail/Wall-Meats-workers-cutting-1.jpeg)](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/local-meat-processing-plants-south-dakota-agriculture/) VanderWal said recent efforts to expand in-state processing of beef cattle, as reported by [News Watch in 2023](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/local-meat-processing-plants-south-dakota-agriculture/), would also generate new income and reduce costs for South Dakota ranchers, who raised 3.5 million cattle and calves in 2023, according to USDA data. On Nov. 13, 2024, a 30,000-square-foot beef plant proposed for a site just north of New Underwood in Pennington County was awarded a $600,000 South Dakota Works Loan from the Governor's Office of Economic Development for first-year operational funding. "In the cattle industry, especially years ago, most of our feeder cattle actually got shipped out of state for feeding even, and then further processing," he said. "We've put a lot of effort in the last few years into feeding them here. So we're using our own feed stuff, so corn, basically, and silage and things like that. So then the next step to avoid having to haul them so far when they're finished and ready for market, is to process them here." [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/cb/ab/cbabab5e-2dc6-462c-94a0-b72956c0d224/content/images/2024/11/Donate-News-Watch-2--1-.png)](https://southdakotanewswatch.fundjournalism.org/donate/?%5Fgl=1%2A10w9pkh%2A%5Fgcl%5Fau%2AMjAyOTY2NTc3My4xNzMwNDcxOTUz%2A%5Fga%2AMTM3NDcyODMyNS4xNzAyMTQ0MTg3%2A%5Fga%5FH98KVPR32J%2AMTczMTAxOTY1OS40NC4wLjE3MzEwMTk2NTkuMC4wLjA.&ref=sdnewswatch.org) [Share your thoughts on this story](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScdTmGFf24Uhwiwd%5FndSxHkv6oBGSAy1LxF9BbwRbhBK5KflA/viewform?usp=sf%5Flink&ref=sdnewswatch.org) *This story was produced by *South Dakota News Watch*, an independent, nonprofit news organization. Read more in-depth stories at* [*sdnewswatch.org*](http://sdnewswatch.org/?ref=sdnewswatch.org) *and* [*sign up for an email*](https://www.sdnewswatch.org/email/) *every few days to get stories as soon as they're published. 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