Latest News

PIERRE, S.D. – The South Dakota Department of Transportation (SDDOT) reminds the public and commercial snow removal operators that it is illegal to place or dump excess snow on highway right-of-way, which includes driving surfaces, shoulders, and [Read More…]

Stu Whitney/South Dakota News Watch Nearly half of registered voters support changing the way primary elections are conducted in South Dakota, but many others remain undecided, according to a statewide poll co-sponsored by South Dakota [Read More…]

Joshua Haiar/South Dakota Searchlight PIERRE — A former Noem administration employee told legislators Monday that a politically connected, out-of-state marketing firm seemed predestined for selection to carry out a state advertising campaign. “It was pretty [Read More…]

John Hult/South Dakota Searchlight PIERRE — The South Dakota Supreme Court might soon offer clarity on what it means for a lawmaker to have a conflict of interest on state contracts. Or it won’t. On [Read More…]

Joshua Haiar/South Dakota Searchlight PIERRE — About 200 landowners braved the winter weather Monday to descend on the state Capitol and demand greater property rights protection and local control in the face of a proposed [Read More…]

Joshua Haiar/South Dakota Searchlight – Teacher pay, tax relief, election processes, and tweaks to medical marijuana laws are among the topics of bills filed ahead of the annual legislative session. More than 100 bills have [Read More…]

A murder/suicide incident occurred in Lake Benton around 3:00 p.m. on Thursday, January 4, resulting in the deaths of 81-year-old Sandra Wilson Goertz and 80-year-old Edward Goertz. Sandra’s death was ruled a homicide due to [Read More…]

The Harrisburg School District sent an email to parents on Saturday informing them of a recent threat made toward the Freshmen Academy. Despite the threat being specific to the academy, the district assured parents that [Read More…]

The South Dakota Bureau of Finance Management has released a report highlighting a robust fiscal year, with Commissioner Jim Terwilliger attributing the success to the state spending less than it received. The report reveals revenues [Read More…]

The ACLU of South Dakota is challenging the City of Martin’s response to an open records request from the Oglala Sioux Tribe regarding new redistricting maps on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. The city demanded [Read More…]

The 2023 building permit report for Rapid City reveals a historic high in total permit valuations, surpassing $400 million. The building services division issued over 2,000 permits, with five of the top 12 valued permits [Read More…]

Makenzie Huber/South Dakota Searchlight – As the state Supreme Court prepares to hear arguments Monday about what constitutes a conflict of interest, the former legislator whose situation sparked the question is repaying money her business received [Read More…]

Makenzie Huber/South Dakota Searchlight – Student absenteeism is one of the biggest problems facing South Dakota public education, said state Secretary of Education Joseph Graves. Chronic absenteeism among South Dakota students jumped from 14% during [Read More…]

18-year-old Carlos Hudson from Mitchell, entered a not guilty plea this week to charges including aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, possession of meth, and drug paraphernalia. The alleged incident involved Hudson assaulting a victim, [Read More…]

Cory Cumings, the 44-year-old owner of Mitchell Roofing & Siding, was arrested in December following an ATF raid on his business. Charges include possession of a controlled substance, stalking, and making threatening calls. Despite pleading [Read More…]

Authorities in Lincoln County, Minnesota, responded to a call on Thursday afternoon on South Center Street in Lake Benton, Minnesota, discovering the body of a woman and a critically injured man at the scene. The [Read More…]

A 98-year-old man, Sylvester Korbel, is in custody following a hit-and-run incident in Watertown, where he struck an eight-year-old boy in a school zone crosswalk. After briefly stopping and leaving the scene, Korbel was apprehended [Read More…]

PIERRE, S.D. – Today, the South Dakota Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources (DANR) announced the Board of Water and Natural Resources has approved $98,188,425 in grants and loans for drinking water, wastewater, and storm [Read More…]

35-year-old Jamie Waldon from Mitchell, entered a not guilty plea this week to a Class 4 felony child abuse charge after allegedly punching a 13-year-old victim in the face during an altercation. Waldon claimed self-defense, [Read More…]