Native American leaders in South Dakota forge ahead with educational reforms
RAPID CITY, S.D. — Early mornings at the new Oceti Sakowin Community Academy are a joyous time for the roughly 28 kindergartners who attend and the two staff members who teach them.
Before classes begin, students join in a circle and sing the “Four Directions” song in Lakota, and students
News Watch presents ‘Lifespan of a Fact’ at Black Hills Playhouse
South Dakota News Watch is presenting the acclaimed play “Lifespan of a Fact” this month at the Black Hills Playhouse in Custer State Park, and Sunday’s performance will feature a panel discussion featuring News Watch staff.
The Playhouse describes the play as a “fast-paced story exploding with blistering comedy
South Dakota population on track to top 1 million by 2030 after ‘significant’ growth
A trend of surging domestic migration to South Dakota that began during the COVID-19 pandemic could put the state’s total population above 1 million residents as early as 2030.
That growth pattern runs counter to other Midwestern states and highlights the fact that more people are moving to South
Weekly newspapers in South Dakota bucking national news trend
One heartbreaking phone call in November 2021 sums up the depth of devotion Jill Meier and other weekly newspaper editors across South Dakota feel toward keeping their communities informed.
Meier took the call while working at the Brandon Valley Journal and learned that her 83-year-old mother had died at a
Weekly papers: How these South Dakota communities are keeping local news alive
As South Dakota News Watch prepares to host a panel discussion on recent trends in journalism and the importance of factual reporting at the Black Hills Playhouse in Custer State Park on Sunday, June 25, here are three stories of the people behind the pages who are keeping the tradition
Two federal judge seats remain open in South Dakota despite busy caseload
For the past 20 months, South Dakota’s U.S. District Court has had a judicial vacancy waiting to be filled by President Joe Biden’s administration, prompting political scrutiny of the process and a shuffling of workloads for other federal judges.
Now the situation enters a new realm of
Is proposed abortion amendment ‘far more extreme’ than Roe v. Wade?
Editor’s note: This is the third in a series of South Dakota News Watch stories providing analysis of potential South Dakota ballot initiatives for the 2024 election.
It’s no coincidence that South Dakotans are well-versed in direct democracy. The state was the first in the nation to adopt