Latest News

The individuals behind South Dakota’s largest fentanyl bust, Berta Gonzales and Edwin Salinas, have been sentenced to federal prison. Following their arrest in Roberts County last November, authorities discovered over three pounds of fentanyl powder [Read More…]

Timothy Thorburn, a 43-year-old Sioux Falls man and U.S. Air Force veteran, has been charged with three counts of possession of child pornography, with court records indicating the possession of “up to 17,000 images” depicting [Read More…]

A tragic hunting accident in western South Dakota resulted in the death of 30-year-old Dylan Evans of Piedmont. The incident occurred Sunday afternoon near Red Owl while Evans was walking in a field with a [Read More…]

Mitchell Tech is addressing the growing need for healthcare workers, particularly in rural areas, through a partnership with Avera Health. Avera’s matching funds have enabled Mitchell Tech to upgrade its radiologic technology program with a [Read More…]

Jacob Boyko/South Dakota News Watch Quiet changes made to the South Dakota Department of Health’s Community Health Services and the Women, Infants and Children program have left many counties without resident community health nurses, exacerbating [Read More…]

To resolve allegations of discrimination against Native Americans, a woman will step away at least temporarily from the operations of a Rapid City hotel and bar, and the business will also issue a public apology, [Read More…]

A recent Department of Veterans Affairs report highlights non-compliance with mental health regulations at the Sioux Falls Royal C. Johnson Veteran’s Hospital in South Dakota. The report from the VA’s inspector general details deficiencies in [Read More…]

A tragic two-vehicle accident in Hughes County on Friday afternoon resulted in the death of a 19-year-old male driver and serious injuries to a 27-year-old man. The collision between a 2023 Chevy 2500 and a [Read More…]

Joshua Haiar/South Dakota Searchlight A land trust, state university and conservation group will receive a combined total of $51 million in federal funding to incentivize “climate-smart” agriculture in South Dakota. The biggest grant went to Ducks [Read More…]

Joshua Haiar/South Dakota Searchlight SIOUX FALLS — Less precipitation means less pollution is running into the Big Sioux River, according to a 2023 water quality report. “We had a significantly less amount of rain than 2022, [Read More…]

Joshua Haiar/South Dakota Searchlight South Dakota’s congressional delegation wants the federal government to measure the environmental impact of biofuels in a way that some researchers say is unlikely to help mitigate climate change. Sen. John [Read More…]

Joshua Haiar/South Dakota Searchlight Plans to capture carbon dioxide emitted by ethanol plants, ship it via pipelines and store it underground are viewed by some as a way to fight climate change. The process is [Read More…]

PIERRE, S.D. – The South Dakota Board of Regents announced four finalists who are in the running to become the next president of Black Hills State University. The Chair of the presidential search process, Regent Jeff [Read More…]

New DNA technology has brought a major development in a 36-year-old cold case, identifying 24-year-old Jerry Mikkelson as the victim of a 1987 murder. Mikkelson’s body was discovered on a Forest Service road in Colorado, [Read More…]

The state Board of Economic Development approved two business loans this week totaling $2.38 million. The board met Wednesday and approved a $1.8 million Revolving Economic Development & Initiative (REDI) loan for Southfork Investments LLC [Read More…]

Quarterly Report: Calls for Service: 2022 – 923 2023 – 1,088 19.9% Increase Case Reports 2022 – 135 2023 – 139 3% Increase Warning Tickets 2022 – 236 2023 – 239 1.3% Increase Citations 2022 [Read More…]

Stu Whitney/South Dakota News Watch It was 2017 when Tony Gonsor, a 74-year-old Vietnam veteran and Custer, S.D., resident, took charge of the community’s veterans honor guard, presenting military honors at funerals and on holidays [Read More…]

Stu Whitney/South Dakota News Watch SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – One of the Midwest’s most prominent election deniers stood next to a pinball machine at the Military Heritage Alliance in Sioux Falls in October, outlining how [Read More…]

Makenzie Huber/South Dakota Searchlight The countdown is on. The 2024 general election is about a year out, and South Dakota’s ballot could be a long one: There are 15 potential ballot questions listed on the Secretary [Read More…]

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The American Civil Liberties Union of South Dakota announced Monday that it is suing South Dakota over a state law that restricts content on vanity plates. The ACLU said in a press [Read More…]