Articles by Travis Kriens

John Hult/South Dakota Searchlight The state is investigating another death in Department of Corrections custody. Nicholas Skorka, 42, died at the South Dakota State Penitentiary on Tuesday, according to a press release. The release did [Read More…]

Makenzie Huber/South Dakota Searchlight Public safety officials are scrambling to make backup plans after Black Hills Energy announced it will develop a public safety power shut-off program this summer. A public safety power shut-off is [Read More…]

John Hult/South Dakota Searchlight The longest-serving current justice of South Dakota’s Supreme Court will step down in December, creating a vacancy to be filled by Republican Gov. Larry Rhoden. Justice Janine Kern represents the high [Read More…]

Jeff Beach/North Dakota Monitor WEST FARGO, N.D. — The demand for jet fuel is going up. The demand for gasoline is going down. That’s the simple explanation from Chris Ryan, the president and chief operating [Read More…]

John Hult/South Dakota Searchlight The South Dakota Department of Corrections will not offer a promised diesel mechanic training program in a space once occupied by a privately run metal shop that paid inmates market wages. [Read More…]

Cami Koons/Iowa Capital Dispatch  Iowa corn, soybeans, oats and hay crops all rated 80% good or excellent during the latest crop progress and condition report, even as the U.S. Drought Monitor logged most of the [Read More…]

Sheriff Steve Harr has addressed his position on the potential state prison in Davison County, acknowledging strong opinions both for and against it. Initially, many residents he spoke with supported the idea, and he signed [Read More…]

Madison McVan and Michelle Griffith/Minnesota Reformer The Minnesota Legislature was expected to pass the final bills comprising the $66 billion, 2026-27 budget in the early hours of Tuesday morning — an 8% decrease from the [Read More…]

Juan Salinas II/ Nebraska Examiner LINCOLN —  Nebraska Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Flood introduced legislation this month that would make it harder for National Weather Service employees to be fired. The bipartisan-backed bill, named the Weather [Read More…]

Mary Steurer/North Dakota Monitor North Dakota is being sued over a new law that requires drug manufacturers to sell more of their medications at a discount. House Bill 1473, signed by Gov. Kelly Armstrong in [Read More…]

Makenzie Huber/South Dakota Searchlight If Republicans in the U.S. Senate pass the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” as written, 13,000 South Dakotans would lose Medicaid and the state would lose $931 million in federal funding [Read More…]