Articles by J.P. Skelly

Attorney General Marty Jackley says the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation is investigating a suspected drug overdose death of an inmate that occurred last Thursday, Nov. 27, at the Jameson Prison in Sioux Falls. [Read More…]

Fifty-two brightly and creatively decorated floats brought the Christmas holiday spirit to life during Mitchell’s annual Parade of Lights Tuesday evening. Mitchell Main Street and Beyond’s Liz Luczak was overjoyed. “That’s how cool we are, [Read More…]

Todd Epp-SDBA Gov. Larry Rhoden proposed his first state budget Tuesday, asking lawmakers for $51.6 million in new ongoing revenue while holding K-12 education, healthcare provider rates, and state employee pay flat during a year [Read More…]

The Mitchell Food Pantry’s annual Thanksgiving turkey giveaway was a hit once again. Karen Pooley shared the numbers during Monday’s Mitchell City Council meeting. She says they planned to give away 200 Thanksgiving meals. “So [Read More…]

The Mitchell City Council has approved a conditional use permit for on-sale Alcohol at Arnie’s and First and Foster. Part of the plan is to offer video lottery. Attorney Jim Taylor explained how the alcohol [Read More…]

The South Dakota Department of Public Safety has released the names of two men involved in a single-vehicle fatal crash last Friday morning in Scenic. Crash information indicates around 12:40 am, 37 year old Nicholas [Read More…]

Community leaders in Corsica say they are determined to keep elder care — and the jobs that depend on it — in their town, despite news that the local nursing home will close Nov. 30. [Read More…]

Makenzie Huber-SD Searchlight When 9-year-old Liz Renner visited the Gavins Point National Fish Hatchery in southeastern South Dakota with her grandfather, she was hooked. In adulthood, she devoted more than a decade of education and [Read More…]

Joshua Haiar-South Dakota Searchlight South Dakota soybean industry leaders said Monday that a new trade pledge with China is lifting prices but hasn’t erased anxiety about how much farmers depend on a single foreign buyer. [Read More…]

The South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation is investigating a Saturday night shooting incident in Iroquois that resulted in one person being injured and the other being arrested. “DCI was requested by Kingsbury County officials [Read More…]

John Hult-South Dakota Searchlight PORCUPINE — For the past few weeks, Oitancan “Oi” Zephier has labored among piles of vinyl records nearly 2 feet high. KILI-FM, the Porcupine, South Dakota-based tribal public broadcasting station Zephier [Read More…]

The fifth grade class at Ethan celebrated a special graduation Friday. The students successfully completed the DARE program. Its objective is to teach elementary students to resist peer pressure to use drugs, alcohol, tobacco other [Read More…]

Attorney General Marty Jackley says the Division of Criminal Investigation is investigating an officer involved shooting that occurred Friday night, Nov. 21, in Beresford involving a Beresford Police Department officer. “DCI will conduct a thorough, [Read More…]

Attorney General Marty Jackley is warning holiday shoppers this season to watch out for scammers as well as low prices. “Scammers never take off the holidays,” said Jackley. “Consumers need to be careful whether they [Read More…]

Newly minted South Dakota Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Ryan Budmayr presented his first 2026 legislative preview to the Mitchell Rotary Club. He believes tax increment finance districts, property tax relief and data centers [Read More…]

The High Plains Processing facility south of Mitchell has gotten an economic boost. The South Dakota Railroad Board recently approved an additional $5.7-million dollars in low interest loan funding to complete rail infrastructure for HPP, [Read More…]

Interstate 29 part of what connects several states in the central part of the United States is an integral section of the transportation system.  It also offers easy access to businesses in cities along the [Read More…]

A 36 year old man from California man has been sentenced to 12 years in prison for an online scam that cost a Chamberlain resident $472,000. Chee Yeng Wong pleaded guilty Tuesday in Brule County [Read More…]

A newly established Advisory Task Force Committee on Open Meetings Laws will hold its first meeting Tuesday, Nov. 25, in Pierre. The task force is different than the South Dakota Open Meetings Commission, consisting of [Read More…]

South Dakota Searchlight-Joshua Haiar The Lincoln County Commission violated South Dakota’s open-meetings laws when three commissioners attended a November 2023 open house for a carbon dioxide pipeline without notifying the public, the state’s Open Meetings [Read More…]