Latest News
Candidates diverge on school plans in third Republican governor debate
Josh Haiar-SD Searchlight The frontrunner for South Dakota’s Republican nomination for governor said his plan to improve student performance will not include mandatory public preschool, as differing ideas about education highlighted the candidates’ third and [Read More…]
Some local governments waiting to spend $9.6 million in opioid dollars
Molly Wetsch/South Dakota News Watch WATERTOWN, S.D. – South Dakota counties and cities that received the first $9.6 million of national opioid settlement money have spent less than half of it, according to Department of [Read More…]
1,213 South Dakotans could lose Medicaid as federal work requirements take effect, department says
Makenzie Huber/South Dakota Searchlight The South Dakota Department of Social Services estimates 1,213 people on expanded Medicaid, about 4% of the group, could be disenrolled after federal work requirements are implemented in 2027. Medicaid is [Read More…]
South Dakotans to remember those killed or injured on the job
South Dakotans killed or injured on the job will be remembered Tuesday during a Workers’ Memorial Day event in Sioux Falls. The recognition is part of National Workers’ Memorial Day which honors those affected by [Read More…]
Lost season for some winter sports leads to adaptation in Black Hills visitor industry
Dry, dormant grass surrounded Terry Peak this winter. The ski area was a patch of artificial white amid miles of brown. The Black Hills experienced one of its driest, warmest winters on record, according to [Read More…]
SDDOT Reminder: Election Signs Not Allowed in State Right of Way
PIERRE, S.D. –The South Dakota Department of Transportation (SDDOT) reminds the public that political campaign and ballot-issue signs cannot be placed on state highway rights of way. “This time of year, it is common to [Read More…]
State constitution allows shielding of officer names in police shootings, SD Supreme Court rules
John Hult/South Dakota Searchlight Officers who shoot when threatened can shield their names from public view under the victims’ rights clause of the South Dakota Constitution, the state Supreme Court has ruled. The Wednesday decision [Read More…]
State’s high court says survival bunker owners can pursue eviction for gun incident
John Hult/South Dakota Searchlight The owners of a western South Dakota survival bunker community are legally justified in pursuing the eviction of a man who brandished a firearm on the property, the South Dakota Supreme [Read More…]
Taylor White Receives Ken Prorok Traffic Safety Officer of the Year
Officer Taylor White, City of Tea Police Department, was recognized with the Ken Prorok Traffic Safety Officer of the Year for his professionalism, dedication, and proactive enforcement. The award is given out by the South [Read More…]
Dakota Wesleyan University announces Honors of Distinction candidates for 2026
Twelve Dakota Wesleyan University students are finalists for the Honors of Distinction awards, the highest honors given to students in their senior year at the university. Established in 2022, the Wesleyan Honors of Distinction are [Read More…]
Poll: Majority of South Dakotans unsatisfied with current state of democracy
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…]
Early voting begins in some South Dakota counties after delay
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…]
South Dakota one of five states without state-funded preschool, report says
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…]
Report cites 2-degree rise and urges South Dakota leaders to act on climate change, renewable energy
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…]
Cost savings and improved outcomes emphasized at men’s prison groundbreaking
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…]
Authorities release the names of people involved in a Douglas County fatal crash
The South Dakota Department of Public Safety has released the names of the two people who died in a single-vehicle crash Sunday evening six miles southwest of Corsica. Preliminary crash information indicates 52 year old [Read More…]
SD among states where Republican lawmakers want voters to alter or scrap Medicaid expansion
In three conservative states — Missouri, Oklahoma and South Dakota — residents in recent years voted to amend their state constitutions to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act. Now Republican lawmakers in all three [Read More…]
Absentee voting is underway in Davison County
Early voting in Davison County is now underway. “10 o’clock this morning we received our ballots and at 11 o’clock we are ready to go,” said Wingert. Davison County Auditor Kathy Wingert says it’s a [Read More…]
Attorney General Jackley Urges South Dakotans to Participate In Saturday’s National Drug Take Back Day
Attorney General Marty Jackley is encouraging South Dakotans with unneeded prescription medication to safely dispose of it during this Saturday’s National Drug Take Back Day. “Using expired or unneeded prescription medication can be dangerous to [Read More…]
Hofer Family Named 2026 South Dakota FFA Family of the Year
The Jason and Jennifer Hofer family of Bridgewater were recognized as the 2026 South Dakota FFA Family of the Year at the 98th South Dakota FFA State Convention on Monday, April 20 during the first [Read More…]