Travis Kriens

$2.5 million teacher retention proposal moves to Legislature’s budget panel

February 4, 2026 Travis Kriens

Meghan O’Brien/South Dakota Searchlight PIERRE — The South Dakota House Education Committee advanced a proposal Wednesday to create a statewide educator retention initiative. The bill, brought by Sioux Falls Democratic Rep. Erik Muckey, asks for [Read More…]

47 complaints, 14 criminal investigations of state employees logged in six months

February 4, 2026 Travis Kriens

John Hult/South Dakota Searchlight A state Public Integrity Unit fielded 47 complaints of state employee misconduct in its first six months of operations, according to the South Dakota Attorney General’s Office. Of those complaints, 14 [Read More…]

Huron lawyer, halfway house co-founder appointed to parole board

February 4, 2026 Travis Kriens

John Hult/South Dakota Searchlight The newest member of the South Dakota Board of Pardons and Paroles is a prosecutor, former defense attorney and co-founder of a halfway house in Huron. Aaron Pilcher, whose law practice [Read More…]

As school cellphone bans gain in popularity, lawmakers say it’s time to go bell-to-bell

February 4, 2026 Travis Kriens

Robbie Sequeira/Stateline The momentum behind cellphone bans in schools has reached more than half the states, as teachers, superintendents and education experts praise these policies as a way to boost student achievement and mental health, [Read More…]

The Mitchell Kernels Roll Into Another Midseason Winning Streak

February 4, 2026 Travis Kriens

Travis Kriens/KORN News Radio Sports Director The Mitchell Kernels are right where they’ve made a habit of being lately, rolling through the heart of the season with momentum, confidence and suffocating defense. Mitchell girls basketball [Read More…]

Wednesday Sports: February 4, 2026

February 4, 2026 Travis Kriens

WEDNESDAY SPORTS, FEBRUARY 4, 2026 MITCHELL KERNELS — Mitchell Kernels girls basketball won its ninth straight game, 60-55 vs. SF Jefferson on Tuesday night. Mitchell went 8-of-10 from three and had three players in double [Read More…]

Robles Earns First Summit League Player of the Week Honor

February 4, 2026 Travis Kriens

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – South Dakota women’s basketball’s Angelina Robles earned Kwik Star Summit League Peak Performer of the Week honors for the first time this season, and in her career, with her performance against St. Thomas [Read More…]

South Dakota Hits the Road to Face Kansas City Wednesday Night

February 4, 2026 Travis Kriens

VERMILLION, S.D. — South Dakota basketball hits the road for the first time in two weeks, traveling to Kansas City, Missouri to face the Kansas City Roos Wednesday night at 7 p.m. from the Swinney Center. [Read More…]

Jackrabbit Women Travel to Twin Cities for Midweek Clash

February 4, 2026 Travis Kriens

South Dakota State at St. Thomas Game 24 at St. Thomas When Wednesday, February 4 at 8 p.m. Where St. Paul, Minn. | Lee & Penny Anderson Arena TV None Stream Summit League Network Audio [Read More…]

SDSU & St. Thomas Square Off Wednesday in Brookings

February 4, 2026 Travis Kriens

Game 24: South Dakota State (11-12, 4-4) vs. St. Thomas (18-6, 7-2) Date and Time Wednesday, Feb. 4 – 6 p.m. CT Location Brookings, S.D. Site First Bank & Trust Arena Television/Stream CBS Sports Network Audio GoJacks.com Live [Read More…]

Avery Broughton Earns 4th GPAC Defensive Player of the Week Honors of the Season

February 4, 2026 Travis Kriens

(Sioux City, Iowa) – The Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) and Hauff Mid-America Sports are proud to announce the following women’s basketball players-of-the-week for contests played January 26-February 1, 2026. Hauff Mid-America Sports is the [Read More…]

‘Bossly bill’ aimed at preventing land survey abuses wins committee approval

February 3, 2026 Travis Kriens

Joshua Haiar/South Dakota Searchlight PIERRE — Property rights advocates in South Dakota advanced their “Bossly bill” on Tuesday, aimed at limiting the ways developers can use eminent domain to enter private land when a landowner [Read More…]

Panel sends food stamp soda ban to full South Dakota House of Representatives

February 3, 2026 Travis Kriens

John Hult/South Dakota Searchlight The South Dakota House of Representatives will soon vote on a bill meant to bar the purchase of sweetened beverages with food stamps. House Bill 1056 would require the state Department of [Read More…]

States that once led in child vaccination fall as they expand exemptions

February 3, 2026 Travis Kriens

Tim Henderson/Stateline States that were leaders in childhood vaccination before the pandemic are among those losing ground as exemptions and unfounded skepticism take hold, encouraged by the Trump administration’s stance under U.S. Health and Human [Read More…]