In 2016, South Dakota set a goal to put more money into the K-12 public school system after years of ranking last in the nation for teacher pay. The plan included a sales tax hike with new revenues directed to school districts to raise teacher salaries and be competitive with

Finding a safe, affordable and accessible nursing home or assisted-living center for sick or elderly South Dakotans has become more difficult in recent years but is getting harder than ever due to a shortage of facility workers and financial losses suffered amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The labor shortage affecting businesses

After a year and a half of attending college during unprecedented times, it has been welcome to return to a more normal school year at South Dakota State University. From fully in-person instruction, to full capacity events such as football games and student organization events, to unrestricted access to dining

College campuses across South Dakota have a mostly back-to-normal feel so far this academic year, but the COVID-19 pandemic remains a top concern for many students, faculty and staff. University leaders want students to experience a typical collegiate year with indoor and outdoor pep rallies, sporting events and group study

South Dakota News Watch has been chosen to receive the 2021 Community Spirit Award from the Sioux Falls Area Community Foundation, which cited News Watch for its “impact in the lives of those it serves and in the community we call home.” The annual award recognizes a non-profit organization that

A former South Dakota Game, Fish and Park leader with vast experience in wildlife management has expressed strong disagreement with current GFP leadership on whether a state predator bounty program protects young pheasants or is the right way to get youths involved in outdoor activities. In an online panel discussion

Even as COVID-19 infections and deaths are rising once again in South Dakota, resistance to getting vaccinated remains entrenched among some state residents, and the political divide over whether to get vaccinated shows no signs of narrowing. Two new sets of polling data on vaccine-hesitancy rates and reasons have raised