Business & Development

Gov. Kristi Noem’s administration is seeking the help of economic development groups and top businesses across South Dakota to pay for national ads touting her “Freedom Works Here” workforce recruitment campaign. But some of these groups are still waiting for one of the key elements of the agreement – the names of thousands of prospective employees.

South Dakota’s Hispanic population more than doubled over the past 12 years and now helps keep many small towns vibrant, a trend seen in other rural areas of the U.S., according to census data and experts.

A country music star renowned for giving back and a psychologist at the forefront of improving mental health access are among this year’s 10 inductees into the South Dakota Hall of Fame. 

Even as anti-China political rhetoric increases in America, including by Gov. Kristi Noem, farmers in South Dakota continue to sell more than $1 billion of agricultural goods to the communist country each year. The delicate balance between protecting national security and maintaining a lucrative export relationship with China is putting South Dakota farmers in a tough spot.

As fairs across the state struggle with funding to keep the rides running, one event remains immune: the Turner County Fair in Parker, South Dakota. Here's how it stays relevant.

Pandemic-related construction delays and cost overrides have hampered Kristi Noem's vision of a new South Dakota State Fair expo complex after the previous building was destroyed by fire in 2020.

With the number of college-aged students predicted to dwindle and as other states roll out more college affordability programs, some South Dakota colleges plan to bolster enrollment with creative recruitment tactics and another tuition freeze. 

Attendance at the annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally has dropped by a third since the 75th in 2015 and fell by more than 9% from 2021 to 2022. This year, early attendance figures also show a 16% decline in arrivals after the first four days. Now, rally organizers are responding by trying to attract younger and more diverse riders to attend and build a strong future for the event.

For more than a decade, beekeepers in South Dakota and around the country have been fighting against historically high annual colony loss rates of more than 30%. It's affecting roughly 100 crops, which could raise food prices while decreasing food availability.

For more than a year, a highly divisive debate has raged in South Dakota over two proposed carbon dioxide pipelines. Here's News Watch's previous coverage on the controversial issue.