Travis Kriens

Friday Sports: January 16, 2026

January 16, 2026 Travis Kriens

FRIDAY SPORTS, JANUARY 16, 2025 MITCHELL KERNELS — Mitchell Kernels basketball will be at Brookings on Friday night for a doubleheader starting with the girls game at 6 pm, followed by the boys at 7:30 pm. [Read More…]

SDSU Rolls to a 90-44 Home Win Over Denver

January 16, 2026 Travis Kriens

BROOKINGS, S.D. – The South Dakota State women’s basketball team made quick work of Denver Thursday night in a 90-44 win over the Pioneers at First Bank & Trust Arena. The Jackrabbits built a double-digit lead [Read More…]

Fens’ Monster Night Leads Coyotes to 99-83 Win Over Kansas City

January 16, 2026 Travis Kriens

VERMILLION, S.D. — For the second game in a row, Cameron Fens had a dominant showing as South Dakota basketball earned its ninth win in the Sanford Coyote Sports Center 99-83 over Kansas City Thursday night. Fens broke [Read More…]

New state employee is ‘looking at the bookkeepers’ to catch and prevent problems, legislators learn

January 15, 2026 Travis Kriens

Makenzie Huber/South Dakota Searchlight Half a dozen entities comb through South Dakota’s financial records each year to ensure a balanced budget or that details are accurately recorded. South Dakota Compliance Auditor Missy Lock, who was [Read More…]

Health, public safety, foster care can improve with collaboration, tribal leader tells lawmakers

January 15, 2026 Travis Kriens

John Hult/South Dakota Searchlight PIERRE — South Dakota and the tribal nations in the state can make improvements for health care and public safety during the 2026 legislative session, Rosebud Sioux Tribe President Kathleen Wooden [Read More…]

Thursday Sports: January 15, 2026

January 15, 2026 Travis Kriens

THURSDAY SPORTS, JANUARY 15, 2025 MITCHELL KERNELS — Mitchell Kernels basketball will be at Brookings on Friday night for a doubleheader starting with the girls game at 6 pm, followed by the boys at 7:30 pm. [Read More…]

Strong First Half Lifts North Dakota State Past SDSU

January 15, 2026 Travis Kriens

FARGO, N.D. – North Dakota State held South Dakota State to 35.7% shooting in the first half, and kept the Jackrabbits at bay in the second half, en route to a 76-65 victory for the Bison [Read More…]

USD Picks up Home Win over North Dakota 62-39

January 15, 2026 Travis Kriens

VERMILLION, S.D. – A slow start for the Coyotes didn’t derail their plans, as South Dakota women’s basketball defeated North Dakota 62-39 Wednesday night inside the Sanford Coyote Sports Center in Vermillion. The Coyotes (13-5, [Read More…]

Vikings will wait and see on McCarthy as the ’26 starter, aim for ‘most talented and deep’ QB room

January 14, 2026 Travis Kriens

EAGAN, Minn. (AP) — The Minnesota Vikings haven’t wavered in their support of J.J. McCarthy, continuing to exude optimism about his potential when publicly discussing their developing quarterback. What they haven’t done is commit to him as their [Read More…]

Steele Morgan Powers DWU Past Waldorf in 83–70 GPAC Home Win

January 14, 2026 Travis Kriens

MITCHELL, S.D. — Dakota Wesleyan’s men’s basketball team turned a tight defensive battle into a conference victory, pulling away from Waldorf for an 83–70 win inside the Corn Palace. The game opened with both teams [Read More…]

Dakota Wesleyan Posts New Season-High Scoring Mark in Win Against Waldorf

January 14, 2026 Travis Kriens

MITCHELL, S.D. — No. 9 Dakota Wesleyan Women’s Basketball hosted the Waldorf Warriors in a GPAC showdown at the Corn Palace. The Tigers were able to jump out to an early advantage thanks to the efforts [Read More…]

Campaign funds can pay for child care and security in some cases, SD attorney general says

January 14, 2026 Travis Kriens

John Hult/South Dakota Searchlight South Dakota’s attorney general issued an opinion Tuesday saying that candidates for office and elected officials can use campaign funds to pay child care and security costs under some circumstances. Marty [Read More…]

Democrats in Congress seek to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem

January 14, 2026 Travis Kriens

Ariana Figueroa/States Newsroom WASHINGTON — U.S. House Democrats Wednesday introduced three articles of impeachment against Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, after a deadly shooting of a woman in Minneapolis by a federal immigration officer. The [Read More…]

Chief justice outlines roadmap to more services for drug offenders, young people and probationers

January 14, 2026 Travis Kriens

John Hult/South Dakota Searchlight PIERRE — South Dakota will expand a specialty program for people facing drug charges, a move spurred by a decision last year to lessen the penalties for drug use. The state [Read More…]

Former South Dakota State coach charged with allegedly using state resources for personal benefit

January 14, 2026 Travis Kriens

South Dakota Searchlight A former equestrian coach at South Dakota State University in Brookings has been indicted for allegedly using state resources to pay for her personal horses’ veterinarian bills and to board them for about a [Read More…]

NFL playoff weekend sets record with 12 fourth-quarter lead changes

January 14, 2026 Travis Kriens

The NFL has never experienced a playoff weekend quite like this. The first four games of the 2025 postseason featured a combined 12 lead changes in the fourth quarter, topping the record for the most in an [Read More…]

State-Tribal Relations Shifts Tone One Year After Noem Exit

January 14, 2026 Travis Kriens

Molly Wetsch/South Dakota News Watch Two years after former Gov. Kristi Noem was banned from all nine tribal nations in South Dakota and one year after her departure from office, some tribal leaders said the [Read More…]

Native American leaders in Dakotas urge use of tribal IDs, denounce ICE tactics

January 14, 2026 Travis Kriens

Mary Steurer/North Dakota Monitor Tribal leaders in the Dakotas are urging their citizens to carry tribal IDs and other forms of identification amid reports of Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents detaining Native Americans in Minnesota. [Read More…]

Registration now required for public to testify at South Dakota legislative committees

January 14, 2026 Travis Kriens

South Dakota Searchlight People planning to testify at legislative committee hearings during the 2026 South Dakota legislative session must pre-register on the Legislature’s website, according to an announcement by the Legislative Research Council. The budget committees utilized [Read More…]

Wednesday Sports: January 14, 2026

January 14, 2026 Travis Kriens

WEDNESDAY SPORTS, JANUARY 14, 2025 MITCHELL KERNELS — The Mitchell Kernel girls ran their winning streak to four straight with a 51–32 wire-to-wire win over Sioux Falls Roosevelt. Addie Siemsen led the way with 25 points [Read More…]