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Wagner teenager headed to prison for manslaughter
A 16 year old youth from Wagner, whose case had earlier been transferred to adult court, was sentenced Friday to 20 years in prison after earlier pleading guilty to one count of First Degree Manslaughter [Read More…]

Watertown Man Sentenced To Life in Prison On Rape, Sexual Contact Charges
A 35 year old man from Watertown has been sentenced to life in prison after earlier pleading guilty to two counts of First Degree Rape and one count of Sexual Contact With A Child Under [Read More…]

Rival SD school choice bills both fail in Education Committee
South Dakota Searchlight-Makenzie Huber Lawmakers in the House Education Committee shot down former South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem’s proposed $4 million education savings account program and a similar, competing proposal Wednesday morning at the Capitol [Read More…]

Governor Larry Rhoden announces his selection for Lieutenant Governor
Governor Larry Rhoden has selected his Lieutenant Governor. “Ladies and gentlemen, I am more than pleased to announce my selection to the next Lieutenant Governor of the State of South Dakota, Tony Venhuizen”, said Rhoden. [Read More…]

Ban on eminent domain for carbon pipelines passes SD House, heads to Senate
Josh Haiar-South Dakota Searchlight The South Dakota House of Representatives advanced a bill 49–19 that would ban the use of eminent domain for carbon dioxide pipelines, sending the legislation to the state Senate. Eminent domain [Read More…]

Governor Larry Rhoden announces staff changes
Gov. Larry Rhoden announced several staff changes Monday, two days after taking office when former Gov. Kristi Noem resigned to join President Donald Trump’s cabinet. Among the key changes, longtime governor’s office spokesman Ian Fury [Read More…]

Former South Dakota Department of Social Services employee pleads guilty and is sentenced
A former South Dakota Department of Social Services employee was sentenced Monday after pleading guilty to using a DSS grocery voucher, intended for families in need, for personal use. 28 year old Amalia Escalante Barrientos [Read More…]

Governor Larry Rhoden to officially take the oath of office on Monday
Governor Larry Rhoden announced his plans to be officially sworn in as the 34th Governor of South Dakota. The oath of office will be administered on Monday, January 27, 2025, at 11:00 am CT by [Read More…]

Rhoden becomes South Dakota’s 34th Governor
South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem resigned Saturday morning, minutes after being confirmed as the new Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security. Noem, the first female governor of South Dakota, wrote a letter to her [Read More…]

U.S. Senate Confirms Governor Kristi Noem as Secretary of Homeland Security
South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem has been confirmed as the next secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) following a Senate vote on Saturday morning. Noem received 59 votes in favor and 34 votes [Read More…]

South Dakota legislative committee passes bill to limit carbon capture pipeline eminent domain
South Dakota Broadcasters Association-Austin Goss A South Dakota legislative committee passed a bill Friday aimed at limiting carbon pipeline projects by stripping the power of eminent domain for carbon dioxide transportation. House Bill 1052, which [Read More…]

Bill requiring SD public schools to display and teach Ten Commandments passes committee
South Dakota Searchlight-Josh Haiar A committee of South Dakota lawmakers voted 4-3 to endorse a bill Thursday in Pierre that would require public school districts to teach the Ten Commandments and display them in every [Read More…]

Mitchell resident speaks against a proposed $12-million dollar upgrade to the Corn Palace
The vast majority of discussion during Tuesday’s Mitchell City Council meeting focused on the Corn Palace and a proposed $12-million dollar plan for upgrades. However longtime Mitchell resident Roger Musick offered a different perspective. He [Read More…]

Change is ‘eminent’: Property-rights fight transforms this year’s South Dakota Legislature
Joshua Haiar/South Dakota Searchlight When the majority leaders of South Dakota’s two legislative chambers introduced legislation last January that they described as a compromise on carbon dioxide pipelines, they predicted “a consequential year for lawmakers in Pierre.” [Read More…]

Investigation Underway After Woman Found Dead in Sioux Falls from Exposure
Authorities in Sioux Falls are investigating the death of 35-year-old Cassandra Shields, whose body was found Sunday night on Madison Street. The cause of death is believed to be exposure to extreme cold, with temperatures [Read More…]

South Dakota Medicaid officials say enrollments will decline as they cross-reference for eligibility
Makenzie Huber/South Dakota Searchlight PIERRE — South Dakota officials expect Medicaid enrollment will decrease this year as the state uses a new method to identify applicants who are no longer eligible for the state-federal health [Read More…]

U.S. Senate Republicans, including Thune, have little to say about Trump pardons of Jan. 6 defendants
Ashley Murray/States Newsroom WASHINGTON — Barring a few exceptions, Senate Republicans on Tuesday largely deflected or altogether avoided questions about President Donald Trump’s broad clemency for over 1,500 defendants who stormed the U.S. Capitol on [Read More…]

Child care policy proposals return to Pierre
Jackie Hendry/SD News Watch BROOKINGS, S.D. – Nearly 40% of South Dakota’s child care programs have fewer kids enrolled than they can handle because of a shortage of workers, the latest South Dakota Child Care [Read More…]

Trump orders pardons and dismissals for Jan. 6 defendants, including South Dakotans
Ashley Murray/States Newsroom WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Monday night issued sweeping pardons for nearly all Jan. 6 defendants, erasing accountability for those who violently tried to stop the certification of the 2020 presidential election results [Read More…]

Thune, Rounds vote yes as U.S. Senate sends immigration measure to House
Ariana Figueroa/States Newsroom WASHINGTON — On the first day of Donald Trump’s presidency, the U.S. Senate Monday passed a bill that would require the expansion of mass detention for immigrants charged or arrested for property [Read More…]
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