Articles by J.P. Skelly

The Mitchell Area Chamber and Development is proud to announce that Mitchell has been named Community of the Year at the South Dakota Governor’s Conference on Economic Development. This prestigious honor recognizes Mitchell’s ongoing commitment [Read More…]

PIERRE — Lincoln County might not be the site of a new prison after all. But that won’t be decided until this summer. Gov. Larry Rhoden has signed an executive order to form a working [Read More…]

Thirty-one elementary and middle school students will compete March 29 in the South Dakota State Spelling Bee, with the winner advancing to the 2025 Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington where they will vie for [Read More…]

South Dakota Searchlight-Makenzie Huber In a moment of solidarity Tuesday at the Capitol in Pierre, South Dakota’s House of Representatives unanimously voted against former Gov. Kristi Noem’s proposal to eliminate funding for veteran burials in [Read More…]

Two men died and a third was injured when they fled the scene during a traffic stop and crashed on US Highway 18, eight miles east of Oelrichs Monday night. The South Dakota Department of [Read More…]

The South Dakota Department of Corrections is providing notification to law enforcement and the public about the pending release of state prison offender Dillon Harrington. The 30 year old Harrington will be released from prison [Read More…]

Dakota Wesleyan University announced today that it will launch a new Nursing program in Sioux Falls beginning in August 2025.  The expansion was recently approved by the South Dakota Board of Nursing and by the [Read More…]

Mitchell Police are investigating two separate vehicle crashes that occurred Sunday 1st and Burr accident At approximately 9:13 Sunday morning, Mitchell Police officers responded to a two-vehicle accident at the intersection of 1st and Burr.  [Read More…]

Attorney General Marty Jackley says the overall number of reported criminal offenses reported statewide in 2024 increased 1.21 percent compared to 2023. The Crime in South Dakota 2024 Report indicated that the number of reported [Read More…]

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…]