Articles by Travis Kriens

Alexander Rifaat/South Dakota News Watch PIERRE, S.D. – A majority of South Dakotans are unhappy with democracy in America but believe state lawmakers are largely being held accountable, according to a new poll sponsored by [Read More…]

Makenzie Huber/South Dakota Searchlight Early and absentee voting for the June 2 primary election is beginning in some South Dakota counties after a delayed start, though others remain in limbo awaiting ballots. Davison County, which [Read More…]

Makenzie Huber/South Dakota Searchlight South Dakota is one of five states without state-funded preschool, according to a national report released Wednesday. The Mount Rushmore State is joined by Idaho, Montana, Wyoming and New Hampshire. The [Read More…]

Makenzie Huber/South Dakota Searchlight SIOUX FALLS — South Dakota’s annual average temperatures have risen by about 2 degrees Fahrenheit since 1900, leading to more extreme and costly weather events such as flash flooding, windstorms and [Read More…]

John Hult/South Dakota Searchlight SIOUX FALLS — State and local leaders broke ground on the costliest state-funded capital project in South Dakota history on Wednesday, with a prediction to bring it in under budget and [Read More…]

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — Avera Health has received a $35 million donation to support construction of a new children’s hospital, marking the largest single gift in the system’s history. The contribution comes from philanthropist and [Read More…]

Seth Tupper/South Dakota Searchlight RAPID CITY — Firefighters who’ve been busy battling wildfires in South Dakota’s Black Hills celebrated the opening Monday of two state-funded buildings to house their trucks, equipment and training. Jay Wickham, [Read More…]

John Hult/South Dakota Searchlight Members of a Correctional Rehabilitation Task Force plan to talk through South Dakota’s options for a prison seminary program, learn more about behavioral health at a soon-to-open Rapid City women’s prison [Read More…]

South Dakota Searchlight U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson, R-South Dakota, has opened up a bigger lead in the race for the Republican nomination for governor, according to new poll results. The poll, commissioned by South Dakota News [Read More…]

Amelia Schafer/ICT ELLSWORTH AIR FORCE BASE, S.D. — Sahela Sangrait’s family, friends and community aren’t done demanding justice for her. Roughly one dozen community members gathered outside Ellsworth Air Force Base on April 17, in [Read More…]

Alex Brown/Stateline The U.S. Forest Service’s plan to close scores of research stations could threaten the nation’s wildfire readiness, many foresters fear, and erode decades of work to understand timber production, soil health, pests and [Read More…]