Articles by J.P. Skelly

PIERRE — State lawmakers in the South Dakota State House believe that a measure signed into law last session dealing with graphic material in school libraries didn’t go far enough. The State House passed Rep. [Read More…]

Governor Larry Rhoden has appointed Senior Chief Jeremiah Schneider as the new Secretary of Veteran Affairs. He will assume this new position on March 6, 2025. “Senior Chief Jeremiah Schneider is a hard-working professional with [Read More…]

PIERRE, S.D. – An explanation for a draft constitutional amendment, proposed by Rick Weiland of Sioux Falls, that would require legislative changes to initiatives and referendum procedures to be approved by a vote of the people, [Read More…]

SUMTERVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Native American activist Leonard Peltier was released from a Florida prison on Tuesday, weeks after then-President Joe Biden angered law enforcement officials by commuting his life sentence to home confinement in [Read More…]

South Dakota Searchlight-John Hult PIERRE — There is “a real possibility” that South Dakota lawmakers say no to Gov. Larry Rhoden’s request for the final $182 million needed to fund a new men’s prison, a [Read More…]

State prison facilities in Sioux Falls have been placed on lockdown status as of 7:30 a.m. on February 18, 2025. The lockdown will remain in place until further notice. The lockdown is not in response [Read More…]

Attorney General Marty Jackley and the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation have confirmed 43 year old Abe Joseph Boushee has been identified as the person who was found deceased at a home in Brandon [Read More…]

Austin Goss-South Dakota Broadcasters Association The latest skirmish in South Dakota’s years long bid to build a new prison pitted opponents and supporters Wednesday, ending in a stalemate. The House State Affairs Committee voted 12-1 [Read More…]

Josh Haiar-South Dakota Searchlight State lawmakers advanced a bill 12-1 on Tuesday at the Capitol in Pierre to establish a fund for the cleanup and restoration of McCook Lake, the site of devastating flooding in [Read More…]

Dakota Wesleyan University will soon enshrine its second class of honorees into its Performing Arts Hall of Fame.  This designation acknowledges the contributions and support of performing arts by alumni and friends of the university. [Read More…]

House lawmakers narrowly rejected Senate Bill 51 on Monday, putting a halt to a measure that would have required South Dakota public schools to prominently display the Ten Commandments in classrooms. The bill had already [Read More…]

Rebecca Erickson has been appointed by First Judicial Circuit Presiding Judge Cheryle Gering as the new Davison County Clerk of Courts. Erickson is replacing Barb McKean, who is retiring after more than 16 years of [Read More…]

Austin Goss-SDBA The state of South Dakota will pay approximately $200 million more in office rental costs over the next 30 years under two leases with a Rapid City-based developer. The contracts, signed during former [Read More…]

We’re learning more regarding an attempted kidnapping Thursday afternoon. Mitchell Police were called around 3:35 to the 1700 block of North Kimball for an attempted kidnapping. Responding officers were told the suspect was no longer [Read More…]

A man from Arkansas was arrested Thursday after a standoff that occurred at a residence north of Witten in Tripp County. The Attorney General’s reported law enforcement officers had served an arrest warrant and a [Read More…]

A West River lawmaker’s proposal to defund the Huron School District has sparked widespread backlash at the South Dakota State Capitol. His one-sentence House Bill 1224 would have prohibited the state from sending general fund [Read More…]

A former state prison employee has been sentenced to 90 days in prison after earlier pleading guilty to one count of a Prohibited Sexual Act Between a Prison Employee and Prisoner. 36 year Cassandra Jelsma [Read More…]

Mitchell’s Avera Queen of Peace Hospital recently began offering robot-assisted, laparoscopic surgery. John Lyle is Director of Perioperative Services. He says it’s a boost to surgeons. “It allows them more precise visualization but also more [Read More…]

A major rural water pipeline project with the Randall Community Water District  coming to Davison County is poised to begin. Kyle Peters of A-1 Development Solutions updated county commissioners during Tuesday’s meeting. “By and large, [Read More…]