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John Hult, South Dakota Searchlight Republican U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson and his political allies say the accusation that he’s a career politician is an empty one. His Democratic opponent in the Nov. 5 election, Sheryl [Read More…]

Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch RAPID CITY, S.D. – Elementary school teacher Sarah Gross has seen the toll that low teacher salaries and minimal pay raises can take on teachers, schools and public [Read More…]

Joshua Haiar, South Dakota Searchlight The measure on South Dakota’s Nov. 5 ballot that addresses carbon dioxide pipelines is either a bill of rights for landowners or a seizure of authority from local governments, depending [Read More…]

John Hult, South Dakota Searchlight The first thing to know about South Dakota’s recreational marijuana ballot measure is what it doesn’t do: legalize marijuana sales. That would require later legislative action. Initiated Measure 29 would lay [Read More…]

Joshua Haiar/South Dakota Searchlight Backers of a ballot measure intended to remove sales taxes on groceries say it’s about helping people with low incomes. Opponents say the measure would affect more than groceries and could [Read More…]

South Dakota Searchlight – President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris on Thursday joined the chorus of tributes for former U.S. Sen. Tim Johnson, D-South Dakota, who died Tuesday at age 77. Biden issued [Read More…]

Church members distributed Bibles near Spearfish Middle School on Tuesday, prompting concerns from some parents who felt the event might push religious or political beliefs. While the Bibles were handed out off school property, the [Read More…]

Makenzie Huber, South Dakota Searchlight Supporters of open primaries say shifting to a top-two primary system will whittle candidates down to those who represent a majority of South Dakota voters. But opponents argue it will [Read More…]

Joshua Haiar, South Dakota Searchlight The South Dakota Secretary of State’s Office is blaming the state Department of Public Safety for errors that allowed 273 non-U.S. citizens to register to vote. “These non U.S. citizens [Read More…]

John Hult, South Dakota Searchlight SIOUX FALLS — The South Dakota Board of Pardons and Paroles will hold a refresher training for its members on sex offender supervision in the coming months in light of [Read More…]

Whitney Downard, Indiana Capital Chronicle A lawsuit filed Tuesday by 20 states, including South Dakota, challenges a federal rule mandating higher staffing levels in nursing homes and alleges that facilities will be forced to close. [Read More…]

Congress has earmarked millions of dollars for housing development in South Dakota, including $3 million for Black Hills Habitat for Humanity. With Rapid City facing a housing crisis, Senator Mike Rounds, who advocated for the [Read More…]

Sturgis is facing political unrest as a group of citizens pushes to recall Mayor Angela Wilkerson, who was appointed earlier this year following the resignation of former Mayor Mark Carstensen. Critics like resident Eric Davis [Read More…]

A record first-year class and record retention moved enrollment at South Dakota State University to 12,065 students for the fall 2024 semester, the highest enrollment at SDSU since 2018. Enrollment figures were released earlier today [Read More…]

Makenzie Huber, South Dakota Searchlight Opponents of Amendment G say it’s an extreme measure that would allow unrestricted and unregulated access to abortion. Supporters say it would restore broadly supported and safe abortion rights that stood for 49 [Read More…]

John Hult, South Dakota Searchlight South Dakota’s state universities have lower tuition prices than any surrounding state, but the final price students pay is still the highest in the region on average. That’s because other [Read More…]