South Dakota News & Current Events

The Gettysburg-Whitlock Bay Development Corporation, a grant recipient, will help gardeners make use of an empty lot. (Adobe Stock)

Five SD communities receive Community Challenge grants

AARP has announced its 2024 Community Challenge grant recipients this week, including several in South Dakota. Nearly $4 million is going to about 35…

More than 30 tribal nations are represented at the University of South Dakota, according to the institution. (Wikimedia Commons)

USD threats to fire staff part of larger trend

The University of South Dakota threatened to fire staff members in what some see as an ongoing attack on academic freedom, according to reporting in …

The U.S. government recognized the Black Hills as part of the Great Sioux Reservation in the 1868 Treaty of Fort Laramie. The Black Hills Forest Reserve was established in 1897 and transferred to the U.S. Forest Service in 1905. (R. Blauert, Wikimedia Commons)

Black Hills Visitor Center under new joint tribal, federal oversight

The Black Hills National Forest is one of the latest federal lands to enter a co-stewardship agreement with local tribal nations-a management model en…

Around 27% of South Dakotans who applied for the Environmental Quality Incentives Program, funded by Inflation Reduction Act dollars in 2023, were accepted. (Marc Braner/Adobe Stock)

House Farm Bill could chop climate-smart programs

The U.S. House of Representatives will likely vote this summer on a version of the Farm Bill, which passed through the committee process last month…

South Dakota loses up to 100,000 acres of grasslands annually, according to the South Dakota Grassland Coalition. Grassland bird species are declining faster than any other group on the continent. (Gregory Johnston/Adobe Stock)

Support grows for threatened SD grasslands

About 1.6 million acres of Great Plains grasslands were destroyed in 2021 alone, according to a recent report, an area the size of Delaware. One …

About 21,000 South Dakota children lived in high-poverty areas between 2018 and 2022, a decrease from the previous four years. (Adobe Stock)

Report: Plateaued data on SD kids’ economic well-being ‘concerning’

South Dakota ranks well in the country for the economic well-being of its kids, according to a new study, but a ranking does not tell the whole story…

Among teachers surveyed, 32% said digital equity and tech access is the most pressing issue faced by education today, according to a 2023 State of Technology in Education report. (Adobe Stock)

‘Teach camp’ helps SD educators utilize tech in classrooms

Teachers across South Dakota tuned into a virtual training last week to learn new ways to integrate technology in the classroom. More than 400 …

Two South Dakota drought resiliency projects will supply about 130 homes with high-quality drinking water. (Adobe Stock)

New federal funds earmarked for SD rural water projects

Some rural South Dakotans struggle to get good drinking water but the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation has awarded two local communities with grants to …

About one-in-ten 911 calls result in a nearly 30-minute wait time for emergency medical services. (Adobe Stock)

New SD program trains communities to be cardiac-ready

It's National CardioPulmonary Resuscitation and Automated External Defibrillator Awareness Week, and a new South Dakota program has helped several …

The ballot initiative to enshrine some protections to abortion in the South Dakota constitution received about 20,000 more signatures than needed to get on the November ballot. (Adobe Stock)

New group asks SD abortion petition signers to rescind

South Dakota's Secretary of State received more than enough signatures to get a decision on abortion rights on the November ballot but some signees ar…

The deadline for Congress to pass a new Farm Bill is Sept. 30, 2024, following a year-long extension of the 2018 Farm Bill. (Dusan Kostic/Adobe Stock)

SD lawmaker OK’s House Farm Bill draft, despite climate, food program cuts

After 13 hours of markups late last week, the House Committee on Agriculture passed its version of the massive piece of legislation known as the Farm …

An estimated 500 South Dakotans between ages 13 and 17, and 2,900 adults, identify as transgender, according to UCLA's Williams Institute. (Adobe Stock)

SD sends mixed messages on youth rights

A staggering 93% of transgender teens live in states that have either enacted or proposed laws that would restrict their rights - according to a new r…

Recent statewide figures look promising, but homelessness in South Dakota has risen more than 120% since 2007, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. (Adobe Stock)

Sioux Falls programs address rising homeless population

Homelessness in South Dakota may be down overall, but the state's urban areas are an exception. New programs in Sioux Falls aim to address it…

Refugees arriving via the Uniting for Ukraine program must secure support from a local sponsor to resettle in South Dakota. (Adobe Stock)

SD refugee resettlement spiked in 2023

South Dakota ranks fifth in the nation for its rate of refugee resettlements per capita and the rate increased dramatically in the last year…

A well-designed riparian buffer can prevent 80% of excess nutrients from entering rivers and streams. (Adobe Stock)

Most SD surface waters fall below state quality standards

There are nearly 150,000 miles of rivers and streams in South Dakota, but new data show many of those don't meet state standards for safe water …

In a 2018 survey by the Native American Voting Rights Coalition, 32% of respondents not registered to vote in South Dakota said long distances to travel for registration were prohibitive. (Adobe Stock)

Ballot dropbox ban a barrier in SD primary

South Dakota's June 4 primary will be the first national election here since ballot dropboxes were banned in 2023. It is one of 12 states to ban …

South Dakota ranks 40th in the country for per-student spending, at $12,549 annually. (Robert Peak/ Adobe Stock)

Despite increase, SD teacher salary among lowest in the country

It's Teacher Appreciation Week, and there's some mixed news when it comes to how well South Dakota is compensating its teachers. According to the …

Some groups see disproportionately high rates of suicide, including veterans, racial and ethnic minority groups, people with disabilities and LGBTQIA+ people. (Adobe Stock)

Experts spotlight youth mental health, suicide prevention

Rates of suicide among young people have increased by about 36% in roughly the last two decades and the surge has caught the attention of federal poli…

It is estimated the Wild Springs Solar Project in New Underwood, South Dakota, will offset 190,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions per year. (Adobe Stock)

Solar projects underway in South Dakota

The construction of more solar farms in the U.S. has been contentious but a new survey shows their size makes a difference in whether solar projects …

During what is known as the Medicaid post-pandemic

Report: SD Medicaid expansion enrollment remains low

Last year's Medicaid expansion in South Dakota increased eligibility to another 51,000 adults but a new report showed among people across the state wh…

In a 2022 South Dakota News Watch poll, 79% of South Dakota voters said they think the state tax on groceries should be lowered or repealed. (Adobe Stock)

Measure to end sales tax on groceries could go to SD voters

South Dakotans face high prices at the grocery store and some are working to ease the burden. A new report from the Federal Trade Commission finds …

In 2019, South Dakota ranked lowest in the nation for average Medicaid base payments made to nursing facilities, covering just 60% of the daily costs of care. (Adobe Stock)

Nursing homes get a boost from SD Legislature

Nursing homes across South Dakota will soon receive a boost in support, as part of the most recent legislative session. Facilities caring for …

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported one in 36 children around the U.S. has autism spectrum disorder. (Adobe Stock)

Creating a supportive classroom for students with ASD

April is Autism Acceptance Month and as rates grow, support organizations in South Dakota hope more children on the spectrum get the tools they need …

The American Heart Association recommends at least 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity aerobic activity, such as brisk walking. Officials say it can include a walk on your lunch hour, if possible. (Adobe Stock)

Go for a walk and kick workplace sluggishness aside

Tomorrow is National Walking Day in the U.S., and in states like South Dakota, health experts and business leaders are trying to convince more people …

The National Family Farm Coalition says the use of dicamba and other herbicides has been estimated to quadruple with the planting of new herbicide-resistant seeds, resulting in more toxins in the environment and in foods eaten by livestock, wildlife and humans. (Adobe Stock)

Pesticide-drift concerns still hang over ag industry

Pesticides are still common in agriculture. Organic producers who avoid them have seen ups and downs in pushing for stronger regulations, and they …

Summit Carbon Solutions had initially hoped to begin construction this year on its carbon dioxide pipeline project for several Midwestern states. However, most of the actions so far have centered around public hearings, legal arguments and regulatory setbacks. (Adobe Stock)

Controversial Midwest pipeline plan still in play

New public hearings and legal decisions are expected in the coming weeks and months about a controversial pipeline project in the upper Midwest…

South Dakota ranks 49th in the country for its contribution to indigent legal defense costs, according to a 2023 report from the Indigent Legal Services Task Force. (Adobe Stock)

SD public defense duties shift from counties to state

South Dakota is creating an Office of Indigent Legal Services after House Bill 1057 passed the Legislature with nearly unanimous support this month…

South Dakota officials say the state's new Nexus referral tool complements longstanding community assistance services, such as the 211 Helpline. (Adobe Stock)

SD hopes new platform 'connects the dots' for community wellness

South Dakota has a higher-than-national-average rate for certain health indicators, such as high blood pressure in adults. State officials hope an …

Advocates for community health centers say the extra money they're in line to receive from Congress is the first notable funding boost they've seen in more than a decade. (Adobe Stock)

Community health centers get long-awaited funding lifeline

The bipartisan spending deal approved by Congress provides a boost to community health centers in South Dakota and around the country. The package of …

Biodigester plants have become a popular option in using government incentives to help reduce livestock emissions but skeptics contended they will create more environmental problems by spurring more factory farms. (Adobe Stock)

California emissions credits clash with SD CAFO concerns

New forms of renewable energy are emerging within the agricultural sector but a California initiative, which has connections to states like South …

In 2022, South Dakota voters rejected a proposal to raise the approval threshold for ballot initiatives. (Adobe Stock)

SD lawmakers debate signature rules for ballot initiatives

South Dakota is once again at the center of a debate about the future of direct democracy. A legislative plan would shake up signature rules for …

Legislative supporters say had South Dakota taken part in a new federally funded summer meal program for low-income families, an estimated 54,000 children around the state would have benefited. (Adobe Stock)

Despite setbacks, SD coalition keeps pushing for childhood nutrition access

It's been an uphill battle for childhood nutrition advocates to advance meal access policies in the South Dakota Legislature. However, organizers say …

South Dakota's largest teacher's union said while the state has made progress in compensating educators, it still lags behind neighboring states. (Adobe Stock)

Teacher pay proposal advances in SD Legislature

South Dakota lawmakers are taking a close look at teacher pay this session. A specific plan to establish salary requirements cleared the House this …

According to the new Census of Agriculture, the total number of farms with more than $1 million in sales has gone up by 36 percent. Advocates said such growth squeezes out smaller producers. (Adobe Stock)

New data illustrates decline of thriving farm communities

The nation has seen its total number of farmers and farmland decrease over the past five years and advocates for smaller producers in South Dakota sai…

The Internal Revenue Service reported roughly 80% of tax returns in the U.S. are now filed electronically. (Adobe Stock)

SD tax filers to benefit from free IRS project

In the coming weeks, South Dakotans will be given a chance to file their taxes online directly with the Internal Revenue Service at no cost. Plans …

To date, 40 states, including South Dakota, have expanded Medicaid with help from the Affordable Care Act. (Adobe Stock)

SD's Medicaid expansion becomes ensnared with work-requirement debate

As South Dakota continues to implement a Medicaid expansion approved by voters in 2022, controversy has emerged with some lawmakers seeking approval …

The American Heart Association says 2,552 deaths from total cardiovascular disease occur each day in the United States. (Adobe Stock)

New data show disconnect in understanding heart disease risks

As American Heart Month gets underway this Thursday, experts are trying to create more awareness in South Dakota and elsewhere. But they're …

SHIFT Garage, which provides free labor costs for car repairs in two South Dakota cities, estimates it receives around 250 applications each year for help. (Adobe Stock)

SD nonprofit tries to keep poverty from stalling car engines

Winter time in South Dakota can sometimes result in car engines not starting. For people with no money for repairs, there are options in some cities…

Policy experts said as it stands right now, roughly 19 million children in the U.S. do not benefit from the federal Child Tax Credit because their families' incomes are too low. (Adobe Stock)

Congress announces Child Tax Credit deal

Congress is poised to consider renewing the expanded Child Tax Credit and policy analysts said the latest effort could help tens of thousands of South…

Economic data show while consumer prices have increased 20% since the fourth quarter of 2019, wages for a typical worker have grown by 23%. (Adobe Stock)

Analysis: Workers feel 'wage power,' but more support is needed

Workforce shortages are among the issues lawmakers might address in the new South Dakota legislative session. A new analysis of wage growth progress …

The National Low Income Housing Coalition reported South Dakota has a shortage of about 10,000 rental homes that are affordable and available for extremely low-income renters. (Adobe Stock)

SD poverty-fighting group: Affordable home builders need to step up

January is National Poverty in America Awareness Month and in South Dakota, agencies assisting low-income individuals said access to affordable …

After nearly facing extinction, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service estimates about 750 black-footed ferrets now live in various locations. (Adobe Stock)

Endangered Species Act turns 50

This Thursday, the Endangered Species Act celebrates its 50th anniversary. Wildlife experts say the policy has been a big help in such states as …

According to recent National Education Association rankings, South Dakota has consistently landed near the bottom in the area of teacher compensation. (Adobe Stock)

SD to see renewed debate over teacher pay

As they head into winter break, South Dakota school districts and their teachers are in a waiting period to find out what future state funding looks …

Cognia, a nongovernmental organization that accredits primary and secondary schools, says declining birth rates might make it harder for colleges and universities to maintain solid enrollment in the coming years. (Adobe Stock)

State universities address affordability amid concerning forecasts

States like North and South Dakota are in a fierce battle to keep college affordable as public schools navigate the ebbs and flows of enrollment trend…

For a person in a relationship with someone struggling with an addiction, experts recommend asking for help in planning any holiday gatherings, which allows you to avoid some stress while still supporting your partner. (Adobe Stock)

Navigating the holidays for families experiencing addiction

Celebrating the holiday season can be complicated for households with a loved one dealing with an addiction. A South Dakota expert said there are …

Family farm advocates say not only are they worried about so-called factory farms getting federal conservation funds, they also contend there's little oversight of the money that is awarded to them. (Adobe Stock)

Some SD farmers unhappy with industrial ag getting conservation funds

Agriculture accounts for more than 10% of greenhouse-gas emissions in the United States. Advocates for small farms in South Dakota hope the next Farm …

According to a project led by Northwestern University, the U.S. has lost almost 2,900 newspapers since 2005. All but about 100 were weeklies, which are often the sole provider of local news in small and midsized communities. (Adobe Stock)

Report: Local news harder to come by in rural states

There are some bright spots in beefing up local news coverage, but a new report says in South Dakota and elsewhere, there are still big concerns …

AARP estimates family caregivers in South Dakota provide a total of 74 million hours of unpaid care per year. (Adobe Stock)

Caregiver support in SD likely to receive legislative focus next year

South Dakota's next legislative session is right around the corner, and lawmakers are expected to take a close look at recommendations for enhancing …

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