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South Dakota News Watch
US Postal Service pauses downgrade of South Dakota mail operations
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – The U.S. Postal Service has agreed to “pause” until at least next year a controversial plan to downgrade post office operations in Sioux Falls and Huron to local processing centers, joining similar implementation delays in other states. The original Sioux Falls plan, finalized...
Hometown of Laura Ingalls Wilder set for a growth spurt
De SMET, S.D. – A rural South Dakota county known mainly as the former home of beloved author Laura Ingalls Wilder is on the precipice of rapid growth as two record-setting agricultural processing plants are proposed for the area. If the planned projects – the state's largest individual dairy...
Recreational pot campaign makes another ballot run in South Dakota
Matthew Schweich hopes that when it comes to recreational marijuana legalization in South Dakota, the third time is the charm. "Everything's on schedule," said the campaign director of South Dakotans for Better Marijuana Laws, whose group handed in 29,030 signatures for its recreational pot initiated measure to the Secretary of State's office in Pierre on Tuesday, the final day that signatures could be submitted for 2024.
South Dakota Voter Guide
The process of casting and counting votes in South Dakota and U.S. elections has become a major point of discussion. Credible information can be hard to hard to find. This guide seeks to help as a resource leading up to the June 4 primary election and then the Nov. 5 general election.
SD News Watch wins numerous awards
South Dakota News Watch's investigative reporters took home several state and national awards recently. Here's a summary with links to the winning entries. South Dakota NewsMedia Association, multi-day publications:. First place, best feature story non-profile, Remembering Honor: A year later, boy’s death raises questions. Judge's comment: "Wow, a devastating story,...
US Postal Service downgrades South Dakota mail operations
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – The U.S. Postal Service has finalized its plan to downgrade the downtown Sioux Falls post office to a local processing center, shifting non-local mail operations to a facility in Omaha, Nebraska. The reorganization, first introduced in January, has sparked concerns about slower mail delivery to...
Media folder: Monument says RC hospital ratings will rise
Monument Health leaders say they have been told that the federal quality and safety ratings for its flagship Rapid City hospital will jump after two years at the lowest rating possible. Ratings out soon: Though no new hospital ratings have been made public by the federal Centers for Medicaid and...
Monument Health: Rapid City hospital ratings have risen
RAPID CITY, S.D. – After two years with the lowest possible health and safety rating from the federal government, Monument Health's score will rise from a 1-star to a 3-star rating when the new results are released publicly in July, the Rapid City hospital said Wednesday. “These achievements demonstrate...
How SDSU put state at forefront of precision ag revolution
BROOKINGS, S.D. – South Dakota State University's new precision agriculture program has had success at persuading in-state and some other Midwestern farmers to use more technology in their operations, while other states lag in their adoption of it. SDSU was the first university in the country to create a...
SD Senate's GOP power balance at stake: 5 primary races to watch
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – In the Senate chamber of the South Dakota Legislature, a little institutional knowledge goes a long way. Extreme measures emanating from the House of Representatives are often killed in Senate committees or amended on the floor, establishing an “adult in the room” element of political perspective in Pierre.
SD hospital hit with lowest quality rating: Inside the fight for improvement
RAPID CITY, S.D. – Monument Health's flagship hospital received the lowest federal quality rating possible over the past two years, according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which helps patients evaluate hospital safety and quality of care. Monument Health leaders said they are working hard to raise...
'The kids are what you love:' 2 foster families share their stories
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – South Dakota has more children in the foster system than families to care for them. On average, there were more than 1,000 children in the system in any given month last year but just over 800 foster families licensed statewide. Children enter the system for...
South Dakota offering millions in tech grants to nursing homes
To the uninitiated, taking a sick resident of a nursing home to a hospital or emergency room might not seem like a big deal. But those trips can be brutal for elderly patients and facility staff – often requiring the hooking or unhooking of medical equipment, bundling of patients into warm clothes, helping them in their wheelchair or walker into a van and enduring wait times to see a nurse or doctor who doesn't always have access to their medical records.
South Dakota judicial nominees pass committee, head to full US Senate vote
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – Camela Theeler and Eric Schulte each took an important step Thursday in their path to becoming federal district judges and giving South Dakota’s U.S. District Court full representation for the first time since 2021. Theeler and Schulte passed through the Senate Judiciary Committee in...
Sioux Falls growth forces question: Can Smithfield and Big Sioux River co-exist?
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – Travis Entenman stood on the banks of the Big Sioux River in central Sioux Falls on an early April afternoon, watching the future flow. High winds swept through Falls Park, the city’s namesake, as he spoke of downtown development and a master plan for the park that will showcase a stretch of the 419-mile-long tributary that weaves through South Dakota’s largest city.
Solar surge: South Dakota sees new interest in solar power
NEW UNDERWOOD, S.D. – Despite being home to wide-open spaces and abundant sunshine, South Dakota ranks 47th in the nation for production of solar power and has lagged well behind other states for decades. Less than a year ago, the only utility-scale solar farm in South Dakota was a...
Free April 20 seminar explains South Dakota’s open government laws
South Dakota's attorney general, a lawyer who represents journalists and a First Amendment expert will explain how to navigate the state's open meetings and records laws during a free seminar on Saturday, April 20. The training will be held online, and a limited number of tickets will be available for...
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