Latest News
State prison inmate’s sentence extended following a guilty plea
Attorney General Marty Jackley says a current South Dakota Penitentiary inmate has been sentenced to an additional two years in prison for assaulting a South Dakota Department of Corrections employee. 34 year old Inmate Christopher [Read More…]
DWU students recognized for their on-campus voter registration effort
Secretary of State Monae Johnson paid a visit to Dakota Wesleyan University Tuesday evening to thank a group of students who led a successful on-campus voter registration drive signing-up 28 new voters. Johnson presented the [Read More…]
North Carolina candidate’s inclusion in Sioux Falls event divides SD Republican Party
Joshua Haiar/South Dakota Searchlight SIOUX FALLS – A political fundraiser featuring a video message from a controversial Republican candidate for governor of North Carolina further divided the factions within the South Dakota Republican Party on [Read More…]
Corn Palace Director Doug Greenway announces his retirement after five years
After five years on the job, Corn Palace Director Doug Greenway is retiring. He came to the decision after discussing the future direction of the Corn Palace with Mayor Jordan Hanson. “I told him you [Read More…]
South Dakota teachers’ real wages have fallen recently, report says
South Dakota Searchlight – The typical South Dakota teacher’s pay fell by 7.6% over the past six years when adjusted for inflation, according to a new report from a nonprofit economic research and analysis organization. The [Read More…]
State defends decision to double-charge cannabis company
A Puffy’s Dispensary location is pictured on Oct. 1, 2024, on West Main Street in Rapid City. (Seth Tupper/South Dakota Searchlight) John Hult, South Dakota Searchlight VERMILLION – A Rapid City medical marijuana dispensary wants [Read More…]
Attorney General Jackley Announces Ex-Prison Employee Pleads Guilty to Sexual Contact with Inmate
PIERRE, S.D. – South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley announces that a former prison employee has pleaded guilty to one count of a Prohibited Sexual Act Between a Prison Employee and a Prisoner. Cassandra Jelsma, 36, [Read More…]
Rapid City Shooting Claims Life of 18-Year-Old Central High School Football Player
Rapid City Police confirmed the death of 18-year-old Marquise Walker following a Monday night shooting near an apartment on the 4000 block of Range Road. Walker, a senior and football player for Central High School, [Read More…]
Free college application period begins
South Dakota partners are celebrating the annual Free College Application Period, a key initiative to increase awareness of higher education opportunities across the state. Beginning Oct. 1 through Nov. 30, high school seniors can apply [Read More…]
Amid rash of school threats, authorities encourage reporting while warning of penalties for sharing
Joshua Haiar, South Dakota Searchlight Students who see a school threat on social media should report it to authorities, but those same authorities want students to know that sharing threats on social media could be [Read More…]
Home Explosion in Gary, South Dakota Leaves Two Seriously Injured
A home explosion in Gary, South Dakota, left two individuals seriously injured on the morning of September 30, 2024. Emergency crews were dispatched to the 800 block of Lac Qui Parle Street, where the two [Read More…]
FEMA disaster application deadline approaching for Davison, Lincoln, Turner and Union counties
South Dakotans in Davison, Lincoln, Turner, and Union counties impacted by this summer’s severe storms have two weeks remaining to apply for federal disaster assistance. The deadline is October 15, 2024. How Individuals can Apply [Read More…]
Wind turbine technicians top South Dakota’s list of fastest growing jobs
The fastest growing occupation through 2032 in South Dakota will be wind turbine service technicians, according to new projections from the state Department of Labor and Regulation. The department recently released its occupational employment projections for the [Read More…]
Group starts petition urging Noem to reconsider rejection of $69 million in federal energy funding
South Dakota Searchlight – A statewide advocacy group has launched a petition urging Republican Gov. Kristi Noem to reconsider her rejection of nearly $69 million in federal energy rebates for South Dakotans. The national Home Energy Rebates [Read More…]
Dakota State University’s Paulson Center Secures Second SBA Cybersecurity Grant
Dakota State University’s Paulson Cyber and Economic Development Center has been awarded a grant from the U.S. Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Cybersecurity for Small Business Pilot Program. This grant will help small businesses enhance their [Read More…]
Watertown’s Bramble Park Zoo Loses Accreditation Due to Outdated Facilities
Watertown’s Bramble Park Zoo has been denied accreditation by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), primarily due to outdated animal enclosures and holding areas that no longer meet AZA’s updated standards for size, complexity, [Read More…]
Off-Duty Officer Heroically Rescues Victims in Fiery Two-Vehicle Crash Near Larchwood, Iowa
Six people were injured in a fiery two-vehicle crash near Larchwood, Iowa. The accident occurred when Lance Haugen of Glendive, MT, failed to stop at a stop sign and struck a Chevy Traverse driven by [Read More…]
Mitchell’s “Creative Way” seeking artists
Attention artists! Mitchell Creative Way has a city-block long canvas waiting for you. It’s located in the alley between East Fourth and Fifth Avenues next to Wells Fargo Bank. Stan Sherwood is a local artist. [Read More…]
Sioux Valley Elementary kindergarten teacher Amy Verhelst named South Dakota’s top teacher.
PIERRE, S.D. – Amy Verhelst, a kindergarten teacher at Sioux Valley Elementary School in Volga, has been named the 2025 South Dakota Teacher of the Year. Secretary of Education Joseph Graves made the announcement at [Read More…]
Empowering and connecting women in agriculture
Kristi Hine/ South Dakota News Watch MITCHELL, S.D. – While reflecting on the need to build her own network within the South Dakota agriculture industry, Rebecca Blue began to wonder if other women in ag [Read More…]
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