News

As part of National Agriculture week, the Mitchell Chamber of Commerce Agribusiness Committee hosted its annual Ag In The Classroom for fourth grade students from Mitchell and surrounding towns. Heidi Rients of the Natural Resources [Read More…]

South Dakota’s unemployment rate stayed at 1.9 percent in January, well below the national average of 4.1 percent, according to a report released Friday by the state Department of Labor and Regulation. The state’s workforce [Read More…]

Makenzie Huber-South Dakota Searchlight Lawmakers introduced more than 50 bills during the 2025 legislation session proposing to alter South Dakota’s election laws. Almost half are “election integrity” bills, aimed at election security, technology and voter [Read More…]

Makenzie Huber-South Dakota Searchlight After some South Dakota lawmakers complained about fatigue from the number of questions on the ballot, they’re sending four of their own measures to voters. South Dakotans considered seven ballot questions [Read More…]

Teams of South Dakota high school students put their culinary and hospitality management skills to the test at the 2025 South Dakota ProStart Invitational, held March 11 in Pierre. Champion high schools include Mitchell CTE, [Read More…]

The final ballot explanation for a draft constitutional amendment, proposed by Rick Weiland of Sioux Falls, that would require legislative changes to initiatives and referendum procedures be approved by a vote of the people has [Read More…]

Attorney General Marty Jackley has confirmed the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation is investigating the discovery of the body of a deceased individual found Tuesday in Scotland. “The investigation has just begun, and it [Read More…]

Attorney General Marty Jackley and South Dakota Department of Transportation  Secretary Joel Jundt are cautioning consumers about a text message scam being reported in South Dakota where people are being ordered to pay a tax [Read More…]

BY STU WHITNEY South Dakota News Watch During his March 4 address to a joint session of Congress at the U.S. Capitol, President Donald Trump defended his use of tariffs as a core economic and [Read More…]

Attorney General Marty Jackley and the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation announced an investigation has determined 43 year old Abe Joseph Boushee died of smoke inhalation and methamphetamine toxicity Feb. 12th following a standoff [Read More…]

South Dakota Searchlight-Joshua Haiar PIERRE — Two years ago, South Dakota lawmakers were so concerned about the financial struggles of counties that they devoted a summer study to the topic. After it was completed, state [Read More…]

Avera Queen of Peace Hospital and Krohmer Plumbing have announced an arrangement that will offer major facility improvements for Avera Therapy and Avera Sports services in Mitchell. A long-term lease agreement will provide 27,615 square [Read More…]

South Dakota Searchlight A four-year controversy that has shaken South Dakota’s Republican political establishment culminated Tuesday in the Legislature’s passage of a ban on eminent domain for carbon dioxide pipelines. The state Senate voted 23-12 [Read More…]

The South Dakota Senate Education Committee rejected a bill Tuesday that would have reduced state funding for the high school dual credit program, while advancing another education measure to appropriations. House Bill 1040, which proposed [Read More…]

A Sioux Falls non-profit organization that is the target of legislation compelling it to make data about its refugee resettlement operation public says that it is willing to comply. More than that, Lutheran Social Services [Read More…]

An eighteen year old man from Lake Andes has been sentenced to 85 years in prison after earlier pleading guilty to one count of first-degree manslaughter in the stabbing death of another man in May [Read More…]

The Mitchell Area Chamber and Development is proud to announce that Mitchell has been named Community of the Year at the South Dakota Governor’s Conference on Economic Development. This prestigious honor recognizes Mitchell’s ongoing commitment [Read More…]

PIERRE — Lincoln County might not be the site of a new prison after all. But that won’t be decided until this summer. Gov. Larry Rhoden has signed an executive order to form a working [Read More…]

Thirty-one elementary and middle school students will compete March 29 in the South Dakota State Spelling Bee, with the winner advancing to the 2025 Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington where they will vie for [Read More…]

South Dakota Searchlight-Makenzie Huber In a moment of solidarity Tuesday at the Capitol in Pierre, South Dakota’s House of Representatives unanimously voted against former Gov. Kristi Noem’s proposal to eliminate funding for veteran burials in [Read More…]