South Dakota State News

What happens to TSA, the DMV, post offices, FAFSA and more during a government shutdown

Thu, 02 Oct 2025 12:58:02 +0000

(NEXSTAR) – With lawmakers unable to reach a funding agreement by the midnight deadline, a government shutdown began on Wednesday.

While the federal government is shut down, some essential services will continue. The FBI and CIA are still running investigations, air traffic controllers are still guiding planes to land, and Social Security payments still go out.

But other agencies pause operations or furlough workers, severely impacting their ability to deliver services. The Congressional Budget Office estimates 750,000 federal workers could be furloughed each day of the shutdown.

Here is how some key government operations are (or are not) impacted during the 2025 government shutdown.

USPS

Even if the shutdown drags on, you will still be getting mail as expected. The U.S. Postal Service is an independent entity funded through the sale of its products and delivery services, not by tax dollars, so it doesn't rely on Congress passing a funding bill to keep deliveries going.

DMV

DMV offices are primarily state run, so they shouldn't be impacted during a federal shutdown, LegalClarity Team explained in an interview with USA Today. That means wait times should be about as long or short as they otherwise would be.

National parks

The National Park Service plans to furlough about two-thirds of its employees while keeping parks largely open to visitors during the federal shutdown, according to a contingency plan released Tuesday night. The plan says “park roads, lookouts, trails, and open-air memorials will generally remain accessible to visitors.”

The plan also allows parks to enter into agreements with states, tribes or local governments willing to make donations to keep national park sites open. The park service has more than 400 sites, including large national parks such as Yellowstone and Grand Canyon, national battlefields and historic sites.

Sites could close if damage is being done to park resources or garbage is building up.

FAFSA and student aid

The Education Department immediately furloughed the vast majority of employees, The Hill previously reported, except those who work in the Federal Student Aid Office. In a contingency plan released ahead of the shutdown, the department said the disbursement of student aid for the first week. If funding is still paused past that point, new guidance will be issued.

FAFSA, or the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, normally goes live on Oct. 1, but launched a week early this year. Students can continue submitting aid applications and they will still be processed for the time being, according to the Education Department.

TSA, air traffic control at airports

As essential employees, the Transportation Security Administration employees who run airport security and air traffic controllers are required to keep working during a shutdown, even if their pay is delayed. (They will receive back pay for any missed paychecks once the government reopens.)

But airlines warn a prolonged shutdown could still cause delays for travelers. That's what happened in 2019, during the longest shutdown in U.S. history, when TSA and air traffic control employees started calling in sick more frequently as they weren't getting paid.

"While TSA is prepared to continue screening about 2.5M passengers a day, an extended shutdown could mean longer wait times at airports," the agency said on X. "We kindly ask for our passengers’ patience during this time."

Government shutdown; Cold case reopens; Warm weekend

Thu, 02 Oct 2025 12:28:16 +0000

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) -- Here are this morning's top stories for your KELOLAND On the Go.

From Badlands National Park to Jewel Cave National Monument, the government shutdown is having an impact on some of South Dakota’s most popular tourist attractions.

We have an update on a South Dakota cold case dating back to 2001. Pam Dunn's boyfriend was the last person to see her alive. He’s serving a life sentence for kidnapping her, but recently the case was reopened, because his attorney claims the sentence was ‘illegal.’

Students gathered at Dell Rapids High School for a presentation from Build Dakota. The presentation showed students different options instead of going to a four-year school after graduation.

Warm weather is set to continue for the rest of the week and the start of the weekend, but temperatures will start to drop on Sunday.

What's next in the Joseph Hoek case?

Thu, 02 Oct 2025 03:24:43 +0000

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) – On February 2nd, 2024, family, friends and an entire community lost Moody County Chief Deputy Sheriff Ken Prorok. He was a father, a husband and a friend to many.

Since then, his family, friends and community have been honoring his legacy as attorneys prepare for a trial.

"I don't know how it could ever be fast enough for a victim's family that went through such a tragedy," South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley said.

Prorok was killed during a high-speed chase near the I-29 and Colman exit. 42-year-old Joseph Hoek is accused of swerving and intentionally running down Prorok on the highway.

Since then, Hoek has made multiple court appearances as his case moves through the legal system. Jackley said while the process may move slowly, it is necessary.

"I think everybody in the proceedings and the public believes when you have a capital case, we need to make sure we get it right. That's what's happening right now," Jackley said.

The prosecution says it's still seeking the death penalty for multiple reasons.

"It fit several aggravating factors, including the death of a police officer and a death occurring while fleeing from law enforcement. It met the statutory criteria," Jackley said. "There have been different lawyers assigned for the defense related to handling the criminal conviction side and if necessary, ultimately, the sentencing side."

Up next in the case is a change of venue hearing scheduled for Friday, October 3rd. The request comes after the defense argued the trial might not be fair in Moody County. The court will decide whether to move the trial elsewhere.

"There can be a change of venue if there's a fairness issue, if a defendant is not able to get a fair trial because of either publicity or knowledge in the community or relationships with the parties," Jackley said.

Four attorneys have been assigned to Hoek's defense. Jackley is one of the five attorneys prosecuting the case.

"To a degree, South Dakota's always expected that of our attorneys general," Jackley said. "They feel that we elect you for those cases that are important."

But Jackley said that doesn't make the process of preparing for trial any easier for anyone.

"It weighs on me as a prosecutor to do it as well as we can within a reasonable amount of time, but to make sure that the defendant does receive due process," Jackley said. "That's important to have all of that occurring, and it's been happening in this case."

Not long after Friday's motions hearing, Jackley said he believes a trial date could be set.

Pam Dunn's kidnapper asked to have life sentence modified

Thu, 02 Oct 2025 03:20:26 +0000

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) -- We have an update on a South Dakota cold case dating back to 2001.

When police arrived at Pam Dunn's Watertown home that December, the door was locked, her purse was on the table… but Pam was nowhere to be found.

More than two decades later, authorities are still looking for her.

Pam's boyfriend was the last person to see her alive.

He's serving a life sentence for kidnapping her, but recently the case was reopened, because his attorney claims the sentence was 'illegal.'

The attorney for Dave Asmussen filed a motion to modify his client's life sentence.

According to court papers, Ryan Kolbeck is asking the court to, quote, "correct the illegal sentence currently in place."

Kolbeck claims the judge erroneously wrote in his judgment that Asmussen made a voluntary guilty plea when, in reality, he was convicted by a jury.

He also wrote that the judge only imposed one life sentence, but the judgment also notes two life sentences that were to run concurrently with each other.

This case dates back to December 2001, when investigators were sent to Pam Dunn's Watertown home after she didn't show up for work.

Police found her car and her purse.

Despite numerous searches, Dunn's body has never been found.

KELOLAND News interviewed her sister back in 2021.

"You know, 20 years is too long, you know, without answers, without closure. That's all that we want," Tarnowski, Pam Dunn's sister, said.

"Somebody out there knows and can let somebody know where she is," Tarnowski said. "That's all we want."

Police believe there's only one person who knows the answer to that question.

"You know, I would really hope Dave would step up and take ownership in this and come forward with what happened and tell exactly what happened and let the family know, let us know where Pam is at," Captain Chad Stahl, Watertown Police Department, said. "We can get a resolution for them. I don't know if he will ever do that. In domestic relationships and situations like that, it's a power and control thing and that's exactly what he's trying to do is still hold power and control over Pam."

In an email to Dunn's family obtained by KELOLAND News, Codington County State's Attorney Alison Bakken wrote, quote, 'I've made it clear to Dave and his attorney that I will not stop looking for her and investigating this case.'

As of Wednesday, no hearings are scheduled.

What to know about ACA tax credit changes next year

Thu, 02 Oct 2025 03:19:42 +0000

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) - We are now just one month away from open enrollment season for the 2026 Affordable Care Act Marketplace insurance, but Congress hasn't extended the enhanced premium tax credits, so many people will likely see higher health care costs next year.

Insurance can be a tricky thing for anyone to understand and for people who get it through the federal Marketplace, there are often a lot of factors that are up in the air when open enrollment season comes along.

"What programs are they going to nix and what programs are they going to introduce compared to my previous years," Dan Walinsky, who gets his insurance through the Marketplace, said. "So, that's my biggest anxiety is knowing what I'm going to have to pay because, you know, at a minimum, if I were to pay out-of-pocket, it would be well over a thousand dollars."

This year one of the changes is that the enhanced premium tax credits introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic are set to expire. Kate Serenbetz with Avera Health Plans says for the last few years, those credits capped premium amounts at eight and a half percent of someone's household income.

"If people are purchasing their health insurance through the Marketplace, they're likely going to see some pretty big increases in premiums next year," Serenbetz said. "And that's really going to be across the board no matter which insurance company you're with or what state you live in. It's going to be impacting everyone nationally."

Serenbetz says as we get closer to open enrollment, it's important for people to assess what their current and future health care costs are.

"Are you having a baby? Are you expecting a major surgery coming up? Those are things to consider as you look at your finances and look at what plans and benefits you need to have for the next year," Serenbetz said.

She also suggests finding a trusted insurance expert who can help you navigate the Marketplace, which is something Dan Walinsky has done in the past to help relieve his anxieties.

"It's all going to work out. Somehow it's going to work out. I will have insurance somehow and I'm not old enough to get Medicare yet," Walinsky said.

Serenbetz says Avera Health Plans has agents who help people navigate the Marketplace and they are available at no cost.

'Schumer shutdown' or 'Subsidy shutdown'?

Thu, 02 Oct 2025 01:24:36 +0000

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO/AP) — With the federal government shut down, Republican South Dakota Sen. Mike Rounds is clear about what he wants to see happen.

"Let's get government open again, end the Schumer shutdown, and we can talk about all of the other issues that might have to have compromises made on them," Rounds said Wednesday. "But we're not going to sit down and start negotiating until we open up government once again."

Health care is at the heart of the debate, with Democrats wanting Affordable Care Act subsidies extended.

"Democrats are choosing not to vote for a continuing resolution, a bill to temporarily fund the government outside of the appropriations process, because the Republicans are not acknowledging the concern about Affordable Care Act subsidies," Democratic South Dakota state Rep. Erik Muckey of Sioux Falls said Wednesday.

Muckey has a different term for the impasse, one which doesn't reference Chuck Schumer, the Democratic Senate leader of New York.

"The urgency of this matter when it comes to the shutdown is this: this is not a shutdown over politics," Muckey said. "This is a shutdown over your basic access to health care. And when people say it's the Schumer shutdown, this is actually the subsidy shutdown. This is a shutdown over subsidies for the Affordable Care Act."

Republicans enjoy a 53-47 balance-of-power advantage in the Senate, but 60 votes are required to end a filibuster. Rounds estimates that "about 10" Democrats will need to cross the aisle.

"If they do 61 or 62, then the far left can't just blame one or two of them for being the 60th vote," Rounds said. "So, my suspicion is in order to protect their own left flank, it'll probably be about 10 of them that would probably agree to come over and vote with us."

The last shutdown took place from December 2018 into January 2019.

Flyers can see Sioux Falls Airport Expansion taking shape

Wed, 01 Oct 2025 23:16:03 +0000

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) -- Flyers will notice construction on the south side of the existing terminal. It was the usual hustle and bustle at the Sioux Falls airport on Wednesday. From the first gate you get a good view of the heavy equipment.

Construction crews have broken up the 15-inch-thick concrete and are now removing the gravel and installing underground drainage and utilities. The new concourse will sit on this spot.

"We started several weeks ago, we are still in that kind of demolition phase," said Airport Executive Director Dan Letellier.

The new concourse will enable the airport to add more flights, potentially, and it will also have a direct impact on flyers waiting to board their plane, offering more seating next to their gate. Some of the larger planes coming to Sioux Falls hold around 170 people.

Dennis and Myrna Nelson are flying back to their home in California. Originally from Beresford, they were back for a birthday party slash family class reunion trip. They feel the expansion will be good for the future of the Sioux Falls airport, but they appreciate the current smaller size.

"We love it," said Myrna.

"I think it's great, easy in, easy out, we rented a car and it's out the door and back in here, and yam, compare to California you got wall to wall people," said Dennis.

During construction, the airport is losing one gate. Lettler says they have a plan to handle that, and they appreciate everyone's patience as they work to improve the flying experience out of Sioux Falls.

"Hang with us, and in 18 months, hopefully we will be in a position to start opening up some of these new gates," said Letellier.

If all goes according to plan, this phase of the project, with a price tag of approximately $70 million, is expected to be completed in March 2027.

Sex offender charged with child porn for third time

Wed, 01 Oct 2025 23:15:46 +0000

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) -- Darrell Martin is in the Minnehaha County Jail today facing ten counts of child pornography. A cyber tip from the Internet Crimes Against Children task force led to a search warrant being served Tuesday.

That's when police and crime lab vehicles were seen outside of a home on Lewis Avenue—the same address listed as Martin's residence on the sex offender registry. As you can see in the video, they appeared to take items from the home.

But this isn't the first time Martin has been accused of the same crime. In 2006, court records show he was arrested for child pornography in Davison County. He entered a guilty plea and was sentenced to ten years behind bars, with five of those years suspended.

In 2018, Martin was arrested for child pornography in Codington County. He was sentenced in 2019 to ten years. He was released in 2022 and was still on parole when he was arrested yesterday.

Court documents say Martin is also being charged with two counts of failure to accurately provide sex offender register information.

He appeared in court today. The state requested a $100,000 cash only bond, which the judge agreed with.

Government shutdown reaction at Mount Rushmore

Wed, 01 Oct 2025 22:06:07 +0000

RAPID CITY, S.D. (KELO) – From Badlands National Park to Jewel Cave National Monument, the government shutdown is having an impact on some of South Dakota's most popular tourist attractions

KELOLAND News went to Mount Rushmore Wednesday.

While tourists were still showing up at Mount Rushmore this morning, many were disappointed with how much was shut down.

"It does take away part of our experience, however we've been here for a few days already, so we've been able to see some of the sights that other folks haven't. But for those people, we feel like you know, it's too bad that they planned their schedules and so forth and aren't going to get the full experience," Iowa tourist Dick Sievers said.

"I'm not so much worried about myself, but it's a shame for the people that aren't able to come to work and provide for their families, that's the main concern for me. I think something they could've worked out beforehand," Virginia tourist Kevin Roach said

The last government shutdown lasted 35 days back during President Donald Trump's first term.

Individuals and families that choose to make a vacation out here in the Black Hills are unable to get the full experience of any place that they visit such as Mount Rushmore.

At Mount Rushmore, you can still pull up, park and walk up as close as you can to the monument. You're unable to talk to park rangers and get full detailed information, making the most of the experience.

"We were planning to participate in some of those things, maybe a guided tour, something like that. Because that's where you get background information and the details you may not know otherwise. So not being able to do that is disappointing," Sievers said

The gift shop and food services will stay open, however, the information aspect will remain closed until further notice.

Park Rangers were unable to give any comments because they too are just waiting on this situation to be resolved.

19-year-old dies from fall in Black Hills

Wed, 01 Oct 2025 21:46:53 +0000

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) -- One woman is dead after a fall in the Black Hills early Wednesday morning.

The Johnson Siding Volunteer Fire Department says someone fell over the edge at an area known as Falling Rock. Officials say the victim did not survive the fall.

Pennington County Sheriff's Office, Rapid City Fire Department, and Pennington County Search Rescue also responded.

The Pennington County Sheriff's Office identified the victim as 19-year-old Ava Christensen of Rapid City. Witness statements and on-scene evidence indicate that Christensen lost her balance and accidentally fell off the cliff, alcohol was present and believed to have factored in.

South Dakota man charged in 2013 death of girlfriend takes plea offer, avoiding murder charge

Thu, 01 Feb 2024 00:40:39 +0000

More than a decade the decomposing body of 38-year-old woman was found in the Black Hills of South Dakota, the boyfriend accused of her murder took a plea offer the day before trial. Meshell Will was reported missing in August…

Noem looking to further bolster Texas security efforts at US-Mexico border

Wed, 31 Jan 2024 23:56:46 +0000

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem says her administration is considering boosting its support for Texas’ efforts to deter immigration at the U.S.-Mexico border. In a speech to a joint session of the Legislature on Wednesday, she mentioned sending more razor…

Georgia governor signs bill that would define antisemitism in state law

Wed, 31 Jan 2024 22:39:19 +0000

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp has signed a law defining antisemitism in state law. Kemp, in a Wednesday signing ceremony, proclaimed support for Jewish residents despite concerns that the measure would hamper people opposing the actions of Israel. The measure had…

What to know about how lawmakers are addressing deepfakes like the ones that victimized Taylor Swift

Wed, 31 Jan 2024 21:33:27 +0000

The growing issue of AI-generated deepfakes has already been a hot topic in state legislatures. Then Taylor Swift was victimized with her face appearing on pornographic images. At least ten states have deepfake laws on the books, and now most…

Editorial Roundup: South Dakota - Advisory

Wed, 31 Jan 2024 20:40:08 +0000

Eds: The South Dakota editorial roundup will not move this week due to a lack of editorials of state-wide interest. We will resume the roundup at its normal time on Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2024.

Some Republican leaders are pushing back against the conservative Freedom Caucus in statehouses

Wed, 31 Jan 2024 14:18:05 +0000

Some Republican lawmakers are pushing back as the conservative Freedom Caucus Networks expands from Washington, D.C., into state capitols. The organization is attempting to push the Republican Party further to the right. But some fellow Republicans don't like the group's…

Legislative panel shoots down South Dakota bill to raise the age for marriage to 18

Tue, 30 Jan 2024 17:46:04 +0000

Sixteen- and 17-year-olds call still wed in South Dakota after a legislative committee shot down an effort to raise the age of marriage to 18. KELO-TV reports that the House State Affairs Committee on Monday voted 8-5 to reject the…

There's a wave of new bills to define antisemitism. In these 3 states, they could become law

Tue, 30 Jan 2024 13:12:42 +0000

Lawmakers in more than a half-dozen U.S. states are pushing laws to define antisemitism, triggering debates about free speech and bringing complicated world politics into statehouses. The definition lays out standards for determining in which instances criticism of Israel amounts…

Georgia lawmakers, in support of Israel, pass bill that would define antisemitism in state law

Fri, 26 Jan 2024 20:33:14 +0000

Georgia lawmakers in a show of support for Israel have given final passage to a bill to define antisemitism in state law, sending it to the governor for his expected signature. The Senate approved the measure by a 44-6 vote…

South Dakota Senate OKs measure for work requirement to voter-passed Medicaid expansion

Thu, 25 Jan 2024 22:07:23 +0000

The South Dakota Senate has approved a resolution for a 2024 ballot measure to impose work requirements for Medicaid expansion recipients. The measure now moves to the House of Representatives. South Dakota voters in 2022 approved a constitutional amendment for…

Two men convicted of kidnapping, carjacking an FBI employee in South Dakota

Thu, 25 Jan 2024 17:30:07 +0000

A federal jury in South Dakota has convicted two men on several charges related to the 2022 kidnapping of an FBI employee. The Rapid City Journal reports that 29-year-old Deyvin Morales and 25-year-old Juan Alvarez-Soto were found guilty of kidnapping,…

Montana man convicted of killing eagles is sentenced to 3 years in prison for related gun violations

Thu, 25 Jan 2024 00:32:32 +0000

A Montana felon previously convicted of killing eagles to sell their parts on the black market has been sentenced to three years in federal prison for related gun violations. U.S. District Judge Susan Watters on Wednesday sentenced Harvey Alvin Hugs…

Editorial Roundup: South Dakota

Wed, 24 Jan 2024 12:10:39 +0000

Yankton Press & Dakotan. January 22, 2024.

Kelly Armstrong, North Dakota's lone congressman, runs for governor

Tue, 23 Jan 2024 21:51:02 +0000

North Dakota's only member of the U.S. House of Representatives is running for governor of the sparsely populated state. Republican Rep. Kelly Armstrong's announcement comes a day after Gov. Doug Burgum said he won't seek a third term. Armstrong, an…

After stalling in 2023, a bill to define antisemitism in state law is advancing in Georgia

Tue, 23 Jan 2024 00:38:19 +0000

A bill to define antisemitism in Georgia law stalled in 2023 over how the measure should be worded. But now it's moving ahead, backed by a heavy Republican push to support Israel in its war with Hamas and Jewish Georgians…

'Burn, beetle, burn': Hundreds of people torch an effigy of destructive bug in South Dakota town

Sun, 21 Jan 2024 19:53:20 +0000

In what’s become an annual winter tradition, hundreds of people carrying torches set fire to a giant wooden beetle effigy in Custer, South Dakota, to raise awareness of the destructive impact of the mountain pine beetle on Black Hills forest…

South Dakota bill advances, proposing more legal representation for people who can't pay

Sat, 20 Jan 2024 00:04:40 +0000

A South Dakota bill advanced Friday that proposes a statewide commission focused on indigent defense, or legal representation for those without the ability to pay. Only three of the state’s counties – Minnehaha, Pennington and Meade – have a dedicated…

North Dakota lawmaker who insulted police in DUI stop gets unsupervised probation and $1,000 fine

Thu, 18 Jan 2024 23:16:24 +0000

A North Dakota Republican lawmaker has been sentenced to serve nearly a year of unsupervised probation to pay $1,000 in fines and fees after pleading guilty to a drunken driving charge earlier this month. The charge is connection to a…

Indiana bill defining antisemitism advances to state Senate

Thu, 18 Jan 2024 20:47:52 +0000

The Indiana state House of Representatives has unanimously passed bill that defines antisemitism as religious discrimination in education code. Opponents to the bill say it could be used to shut down support for Palestinians and criticism of Israel in classrooms…

Nevada Supreme Court panel won't reconsider ‘Dances With Wolves’ actor Nathan Chasing Horse case

Thu, 18 Jan 2024 20:44:54 +0000

A panel of Nevada Supreme Court justices won’t reconsider former “Dances With Wolves” actor Nathan Chasing Horse’s request to dismiss an indictment that accuses him of leading a cult, taking underage wives and sexually abusing Indigenous women and girls. The…

A push for a permanent sales tax cut in South Dakota is dealt a setback

Thu, 18 Jan 2024 17:49:56 +0000

Supporters of a proposed permanent sales tax cut in South Dakota have been dealt a setback. Senate budget writers Thursday tabled a bill the House overwhelmingly passed last week. The bill would make permanent a four-year sales tax cut the…

South Dakota House passes bill that would make the animal sedative xylazine a controlled substance

Wed, 17 Jan 2024 23:31:25 +0000

The South Dakota House has passed a bill that would make xylazine a controlled substance. Xylazine is a large-animal sedative that is being mixed with fentanyl and then used by some people. The measure would establish penalties of up to…

Editorial Roundup: South Dakota

Wed, 17 Jan 2024 12:10:41 +0000

Yankton Press & Dakotan. January 16, 2024.

Arctic freeze continues to blast huge swaths of the US with sub-zero temperatures

Tue, 16 Jan 2024 01:55:01 +0000

It’s another day of brutally cold temperatures and dangerous wind chills across much of the United States. Monday promised to deliver the coldest temperatures ever for Iowa’s presidential nominating contest and hold up air travelers yet again. It will also…

A weekend of ferocious winter weather could see low-temperature records set in the US heartland

Sun, 14 Jan 2024 14:08:00 +0000

Icy winter weather blanketed the U.S. on Saturday as a wave of Arctic storms threatened to break low-temperature records in the heartland, spread cold and snow from coast to coast and cast a chill over everything from football playoffs to…

States with big climate goals strip local power to block green projects

Sun, 14 Jan 2024 05:12:59 +0000

More than a dozen states have given themselves the power to override local zoning restrictions that block large-scale renewable energy projects. The decisions come as some states implement ambitious goals requiring utility providers to generate 100% carbon-free energy by 2040.…

Snow, ice, wind and bitter cold pummels the northern US in dangerous winter storm

Sat, 13 Jan 2024 02:05:01 +0000

A dangerous winter storm swept the northern U.S. on Friday, with blinding snow in some places, freezing rain in others, and bitter cold temperatures and whipping winds across several states. Authorities in Cook County, Illinois say a man died from…

South Dakota House passes permanent sales tax cut bill

Fri, 12 Jan 2024 22:03:42 +0000

South Dakota's Republican-controlled House of Representatives has passed a bill to make a temporary sales tax cut permanent. The House passed the bill in a 54-12 vote Friday. It now goes to the Senate. The bill would make permanent the…

Teenager gets life sentence, possibility of parole after North Dakota murder conviction

Fri, 12 Jan 2024 19:29:43 +0000

A North Dakota teenager was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after his murder conviction last year. Jesse Taylor Jr. was convicted of murder for the September 2022 shooting death of a South Dakota man at…

Editorial Roundup: South Dakota - Advisory

Thu, 11 Jan 2024 17:57:54 +0000

Eds: The South Dakota editorial roundup will not move this week due to a lack of editorials of state-wide interest. We will resume the roundup at its normal time on Wednesday, Jan. 17, 2023.

A North Dakota lawmaker is removed from a committee after insulting police in a DUI stop

Wed, 10 Jan 2024 22:56:52 +0000

A North Dakota Republican lawmaker has been removed from a legislative committee following a traffic stop in December. State Rep. Nico Rios, of Williston, was arrested on a drunken driving charge. Rios blasted police with vulgar, homophobic and anti-migrant language…

Tribal flags celebrated at South Dakota Capitol, but one leader sees more still to do

Wed, 10 Jan 2024 22:01:32 +0000

Two of nine tribal nations within South Dakota's boundaries presented their flags on Wednesday to display in the state Capitol rotunda in Pierre. Gov. Kristi Noem and representatives from the Standing Rock and Rosebud Sioux tribes celebrated the flags as…

Gov. Kristi Noem touts South Dakota's workforce recruitment effort

Tue, 09 Jan 2024 22:42:00 +0000

South Dakota Republican Gov. Kristi Noem is touting her state's economic strength and employment outlook for job seekers in her State of the State address to the Legislature. She highlighted her “Freedom Works Here” workforce recruitment ad campaign on Tuesday.…

Blizzard conditions bear down on central US, closing schools and highways

Tue, 09 Jan 2024 02:07:23 +0000

A “highly impactful” winter storm began delivering a punch to the country’s midsection with blizzard conditions that could dump as much as a foot or more of snow. The storm shut down schools and highways in several Midwest states Monday.…

South Dakota lawmakers see alignment with Noem as session begins

Mon, 08 Jan 2024 05:11:07 +0000

South Dakota’s Republican-controlled Legislature convenes Tuesday in Pierre for its annual session, expected to last into early March. Second-term GOP Gov. Kristi Noem gave her budget address in December. She pitched a nearly $7.3 billion budget for fiscal year 2025…

A B-1 bomber crashes while trying to land at a South Dakota Air Force base. The crew safely ejects

Fri, 05 Jan 2024 17:49:57 +0000

The Air Force says a B-1 Lancer bomber from Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota crashed while trying to land and all four crew members ejected safely. The military says the B-1 was on a training mission when the…

Pilot accused of threatening to shoot airline captain midflight calls it a misunderstanding

Fri, 05 Jan 2024 00:44:48 +0000

A co-pilot accused of threatening to shoot his captain for proposing they divert their flight to get medical attention for a passenger has appeared in federal court for the first time since his indictment. Former Delta Air Lines pilot Jonathan…

Editorial Roundup: South Dakota - Advisory

Wed, 03 Jan 2024 12:10:37 +0000

Eds: The South Dakota editorial roundup will not move this week due to a lack of editorials of state-wide interest. We will resume the roundup at its normal time on Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2023.

South Dakota Shakespeare Festival to run in Vermillion for a full week in June, will feature national Shakespeare performer

Fri, 12 May 2023 11:30:00 +0000

The free festival will feature Shakespeare events each day. June 14 will see a special performance and workshop from Devon Glover (@TheSonnetManNYC), a rapper, poet, playwright and teacher who's appeared on national TV and at worldwide Shakespeare fests.

USD to offer a new music degree

Sun, 07 May 2023 15:01:00 +0000

The University of South Dakota has introduced the Bachelor of Science in music with a specialization in industry and technology. USD is the only institution in the South Dakota Board of Regents to offer such a program.