Native American students left behind by SD education system
Editors note: This is the first of two stories in Part 1 of a two-week special report in which South Dakota News Watch will examine the historical and current educational achievement gap between Native American and white students in South Dakota.
This week: An examination of the problem and its
Rural SD schools face unique challenges that can affect learning
WOONSOCKET, S.D. – Small, rural school systems in South Dakota and across the country face sometimes daunting challenges in providing a strong education to students.
Limited funding, difficulty in hiring and retaining good teachers, remoteness and transportation challenges, high poverty rates among students and reduced access to college-preparatory courses can
Reform of agricultural land taxation could help farmers but shift burden to homeowners and businesses
As the property tax takes a larger share of their incomes — and at a time when many are hurting financially — South Dakota farmers and ranchers are pushing for reform of the state’s system of valuing and taxing their lands.
But as a decade-long process of updating the system nears
Bordewyk named executive director of South Dakota News Watch
David Bordewyk, a widely respected media leader for the past 25 years, is joining South Dakota News Watch as its executive director effective Nov. 1, 2019, the nonprofit organization announced.
Bordewyk, a Brookings resident, is the longtime executive director of the South Dakota Newspaper Association. A 1984 journalism graduate of
Contaminants common in SD drinking water but most within legal limits
State testing data show that several contaminants — all of which can be harmful to human health — are commonly found in the drinking water provided to residents of South Dakota, but whether the contaminants are present at unhealthful levels is a matter of ongoing debate.
In most cases, the tap water
SDSU study shows world’s most common pesticide a danger to deer
A groundbreaking study conducted by scientists in South Dakota has found that the world’s most widely used family of pesticides — neonicotinoids — is likely causing serious birth defects in white-tailed deer, deepening concerns over the chemical’s potential to harm large mammals, including humans.
A subsequent study by the wildlife
Severe dental diseases persist in SD due to chronic poverty and lack of access to dentists
Tooth decay, gum disease and many other oral-health illnesses are considered to be 100% preventable, yet many children and adults across South Dakota continue to suffer severe dental problems.
A lack of access to proper dental care in South Dakota is driven both by geography and income. With a relatively