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

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

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

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

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

Tackle football remains one of the most popular sports in America, but participation in high school football in South Dakota and across the United States is falling steadily as the risk of brain injuries from the sport becomes clearer. Participation in 11-player boys football in South Dakota fell by 5.

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem said she is disappointed in recent statewide standardized test scores indicating that just over half of students were proficient in English language and fewer than half showed proficiency in math and science. The results of the South Dakota Department of Education 2019 Report Card, based