News/Investigations
Total 121 Posts
Municipal growth and rural utility rates at stake in SD electricity squabble
A long, simmering battle between electricity providers in South Dakota is coming to a head as the 2020 legislative session winds down, and at stake is the potential for faster economic growth in some cities versus the possibility of higher electric rates for rural residents.
The debate is raging between
Land ownership question hovers over $185M Sioux Falls redevelopment plan
Questions about the ownership of a strip of land within the Sioux Steel Co. site in downtown Sioux Falls has created a new, unexpected hurdle for the proposed $185 million redevelopment of the property.
The land in question was once a channel of the Big Sioux River and has ownership
SD retailers face uphill battle for survival amid frequent market changes
The rapid and expansive transformation of the South Dakota retail marketplace has created uncertainty for many businesses and the more than 97,000 state residents employed within the industry.
Retail sales remain on the rise, but the ongoing market disruptions — dramatic changes in who buys what, how and from where
A look inside a CAFO: SD farmers share stories of a life in livestock
MILLER, S.D. – The expansion of concentrated animal feeding operations, or CAFOs, in South Dakota is without a doubt one of the most controversial topics in agriculture.
CAFOs are large livestock farms that generally house 1,000 or more animals in a confined, indoor space at any one time.
Supporters
State financial incentive program for CAFOs criticized as ‘bribery’
The state of South Dakota entered the fray over siting of new large livestock operations in the state when it created an economic development initiative in early 2019 that can provide large payments to counties that approve new concentrated animal-feeding operations.
The program, which has not yet distributed any
Human health, environmental and antibiotic concerns follow CAFO development
A growing body of research into the rising number of concentrated animal feeding operations across the United States reveals deepening concerns over impacts on human health and the environment.
The high concentration of manure and other wastes created by animals housed in confined areas — and the storage and spreading of
Expansion of large CAFO livestock farms causing division and concern across South Dakota
Editor’s note: This is the first of a four-part series on expansion of CAFOs in South Dakota.
The livestock industry in South Dakota — among the state’s largest economic engines — is undergoing a fundamental transformation that may alter farms, farmers and rural communities for generations to come.
Despite