Andrew Rasmussen

A student government leader explains what life is like on campus, and how exciting it is to experience a more normal semester even as the pandemic continues to hover over campus life.

A long-range nursing shortage in South Dakota only got worse during the COVID-19 pandemic as more nurses than usual exited the field, left the state or retired early. Now, as the delta variant raises concern over the potential for higher COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations, healthcare experts worry patient care could be affected at South Dakota hospitals.

Only half of South Dakota school districts offer formal summer school programs, and some of those that do are seeing increased enrollments as educators and parents seek to help students who fell behind during the COVID-19 pandemic catch up or stay on track with their education. Some experts worry that students who faced upheaval in learning during the pandemic may fall further behind their peers and could be unable to catch up.

A slowdown in production of new cars during the COVID-19 pandemic has put great pressure on the used car market, leading to low used car inventories and skyrocketing prices. Meanwhile, heightened demand for cars among consumers, many flush with pandemic relief money or tax return funds, has led to a hot used car market rarely if ever seen in South Dakota.