Latest News

Rhoden could be ‘steady hand’ if Noem joins Trump Cabinet
Stu Whitney, South Dakota News Watch There will be lots of history made if South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem is confirmed as secretary of the Department of Homeland Security in President-elect Donald Trump’s administration, as [Read More…]

Two Winner Men Sentenced to Federal Prison for Drive-By Shooting
Arthur Black Bull, 19, and Therryn Black Horse, 22, both from Winner, South Dakota, were sentenced to federal prison for their roles in a drive-by shooting. Black Bull received a 10-year sentence, and Black Horse [Read More…]

Sioux Falls Man Arrested in Pierre for DUI and Gas Theft
Andrew Dejong, a 25-year-old from Sioux Falls, was arrested in Pierre after allegedly leaving a gas station without paying. Pierre police responded to a theft report on West Sioux Avenue around 8 p.m. Saturday, where [Read More…]

Former Watertown teacher sentenced to 10 years in prison for rape of 15-year-old student
Jordan Bakken, a former Watertown teacher and coach, has been sentenced to ten years in prison for raping a 15-year-old student during an overnight tournament in Brookings. Bakken, who has no prior criminal history, apologized [Read More…]

Pierre Women Plead Not Guilty in South Dakota Department of Revenue Fraud Case
Two women from Pierre, Lynne Hunsley, 64, and Danielle Degenstein, 51, have entered not-guilty pleas to charges related to a fraud investigation at the South Dakota Department of Revenue. During their initial court appearance before [Read More…]

Major bills responding to alleged state employee crimes may have to wait, lawmaker says
Makenzie Huber, South Dakota Searchlight After several cases of allegedly criminal state employee conduct were unearthed during the summer, a legislative committee chairman said Tuesday he doesn’t know if lawmakers will introduce bills addressing the [Read More…]

Trump picks South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem as Homeland Security secretary, CNN reports
Nov 12 (Reuters) – U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has picked South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem to serve as the next secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, CNN reported on Tuesday, citing two sources. Noem, [Read More…]

Poll sheds light on South Dakota’s 2026 election outlook
Stu Whitney, South Dakota News Watch Now that South Dakota’s 2024 general election is in the books, it’s time to take a deep breath and step away from politics for a few months to regroup, [Read More…]

Kudos to Mitchell Area Veterans
Veterans, friends and community members gathered Tuesday for Davison County’s annual Veterans Day recognition event and luncheon. Mitchell American Legion Post 18 named Rod Satrang as its Veteran of the Year. Tom Oberembt is the [Read More…]

Summit pipeline decision in Minnesota could come Dec. 12
Jeff Beach, North Dakota Monitor An administrative law judge report recommends that Minnesota approve a small segment of the massive Summit Carbon Solutions project that would pass through states including South Dakota and store millions [Read More…]

Game, Fish and Parks achieves 1.6 million acres of public access, sets 2 million acre goal
Joshua Haiar, South Dakota Searchlight The South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks Department has surpassed its goal of creating public access to 1.6 million acres of private land one year ahead of schedule. The news [Read More…]

South Dakota’s First Licensed Medical Cannabis Dispensary to Close Amid Industry Struggles
Unity Rd., South Dakota’s first licensed medical cannabis dispensary outside of tribal lands, will cease operations on December 7, 2024, due to challenges within the state’s cannabis industry. Opened in July 2022, Unity Rd. and [Read More…]

Estimated 2 Million gallons of wastewater discharged in Sioux City, some reached Missouri River
Cami Koons, Iowa Capital Dispatch The Iowa Department of Natural Resources responded to a wastewater spill in Sioux City, where an estimated 2 million gallons of untreated wastewater spilled into the Bacon Creek Channel, which [Read More…]

Democratic and Republican legislative leaders elected
House Democrats and Republicans have elected their leadership teams for the upcoming 100th Session of the South Dakota Legislature. House Republicans elected Representative Scott Odenbach of Spearfish Majority leader and Representative Marty Overweg of New [Read More…]

With Trump returning to office, is Noem poised for an administration role? Speculation swirls
South Dakota Searchlight: As the dust settles on the 2024 election and President-elect Donald Trump prepares for his second term, political observers are buzzing about the role Gov. Kristi Noem might play in the new [Read More…]

Ethan Elementary and Timberlake Elementary schools earn national recognition
Two South Dakota schools have been recognized as National ESEA Distinguished Schools. Ethan Elementary School and Timber Lake Elementary School earned the honor based on the outstanding academic achievement of their students. “Both Ethan Elementary [Read More…]

Mobridge family donates this year’s Capitol Christmas tree
While many South Dakotans were taking part in the election process on Tuesday, the state Departments of Transportation and Agriculture and Natural Resources were in Mobridge harvesting the featured tree for the 2024 Christmas at [Read More…]

Two vehicle crash near Rapid City leaves one driver dead
One person died and another was seriously injured Wednesday evening in a two-vehicle crash near Rapid City. The South Dakota Department of Public Safety reported the 44 year old driver of a Mazda 3 was [Read More…]

Rape, incest and ‘health of the mother’: Abortion reform discussion continues post-election
Makenzie Huber/South Dakota Searchlight If anything could be predicted in Tuesday’s election, it was that Amendment G’s fate would not be the end of abortion discussions in South Dakota. The measure, written to mirror Roe v. [Read More…]

Frustration mounts over wait for Minnehaha County’s election results
Joshua Haiar, South Dakota Searchlight SIOUX FALLS — Statewide scrutiny fell on the shoulders of a controversial Minnehaha County official Tuesday night and Wednesday as her office failed to timely report the county’s election results. [Read More…]
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