Experts fear child abuse rose and was more severe in SD during COVID-19 pandemic
Child protection advocates are worried that the COVID-19 pandemic led to a spike in child-abuse cases in South Dakota and that the abuse of children was more severe than in the past.
They are also concerned that the pandemic led to an increase in child-on-child abuse that was more rare
Viability of rural ambulance services in S.D. at risk due to staffing and funding shortages
Rural ambulance services in South Dakota are having an increasingly hard time recruiting volunteers and generating revenues, putting the stability of the services at risk and making it more likely that rural residents will endure longer response times in emergencies or possibly lose ambulance service altogether.
While most larger cities
South Dakota News Watch wins national awards; Pfankuch named top agricultural writer second year in a row
South Dakota News Watch won three national agricultural journalism awards in the 2021 annual contest sponsored by the North American Agricultural Journalism Association.
In results released on April 26, News Watch won the top awards in the Technical Writing and Ongoing Coverage contest categories for work written in 2020 by
Arena operators in South Dakota hope financial losses from COVID-19 are now behind them
Civic centers and arenas across South Dakota suffered significant financial losses during the COVID-19 pandemic but are seeing indicators of the potential for a return to profitability.
Auditoriums sat empty for a few months or more in the early days of the pandemic in early 2020, and bookings remained slow
Education leaders see need for improved Native American education in South Dakota
South Dakota educators who were part of a recent statewide panel say a new initiative regarding civics and history education proposed by Gov. Kristi Noem should increase the focus on teaching of Native American history and culture in the K-12 public school system.
In a panel discussion hosted by South
Vaccine hesitancy in South Dakota could prolong pandemic and delay a return to normal
Medical experts in South Dakota and across the country are concerned that reluctance among some people to get vaccinated against COVID-19 may prolong the pandemic, delay a return to normal life and possibly lead to more deaths.
Health officials say that the U.S. and individual states are in a
South Dakota Matters: News Watch to host online panel discussion on civics and history initiative
In her State of the State speech in January, Gov. Kristi Noem proposed one-time funding to enhance and expand teaching of civics and history in public schools, and the state Legislature approved her $900,000 request during the spring session.
In response, the state education department has embarked on development