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South Dakota News Watch
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...
Supreme Court case could impact out-of-state abortions for South Dakotans
The U.S. Supreme Court is weighing a case involving medication abortion that could change the way some South Dakota women access abortion services by crossing the border into neighboring states. Watching closely is South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley, who has joined other state AGs in saying that relaxed federal...
South Dakota’s high health care costs causing many to skip treatments
The high cost of obtaining health care in South Dakota – ranked second most expensive in the nation – is prompting some residents to forgo necessary medical care over worries they cannot afford it, according to a recent national data analysis. South Dakota is followed only by North...
Opera on the prairie? University of South Dakota program raises its voice
VERMILLION, S.D. – Tracelyn Gesteland was an ambitious opera teacher and vocalist when she arrived at the University of South Dakota in 2008, firmly aware of the irony of her entrance. If she was going to make her mark in perhaps the most metropolitan and exclusive of the cultural...
Global issues, local impacts: New SD group to push trade
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – As a former national security adviser to former Vice President Mike Pence and a woman who grew up in small-town South Dakota, Army Col. Andrea Thompson of Sioux Falls is uniquely positioned to serve on a new coalition that will put a Rushmore State focus on political and economic issues of global importance.
Painting a better picture: More funding, partnerships could boost juvenile diversion services
RAPID CITY, S.D. – Just inside the Dahl Arts Center in downtown Rapid City, a large canvas features the painting of an outdoor basketball court behind a chain link fence and barbed wire. An eagle glides in the sky above a fuchsia building. Flowers bloom in the foreground –...
Bipartisan cooperation is focus of Chiesman Democracy Conference at USD
VERMILLION, S.D. – Former members of Congress and the South Dakota Legislature will be among those taking part in a daylong conference Tuesday, March 26, at the University of South Dakota that will focus on bipartisan cooperation. The annual Chiesman Democracy Conference gives people the chance to explore research...
Who leads South Dakota if Noem runs for vice president? 'I still get to be governor' she says.
MITCHELL, S.D. – Standing next to a row of bookcases in the Mitchell High School library, South Dakota’s lieutenant governor was asked about taking the reins of state government. It’s a sensitive subject for Larry Rhoden, who has embraced his supporting role as Gov. Kristi Noem’s second-in-command since...
Sports betting delivers a new jackpot for Deadwood casinos
DEADWOOD, S.D. – If casino operators in Deadwood could conjure the ideal target audience for their sports betting operations, Lance Chapdelaine and his buddies from Colorado would be the proverbial jackpot. The 25-year-old banker and several pals made the Tin Lizzie Gaming Resort their home base on a weekend...
Hand counting vs. voting machines: Debate rages in South Dakota
Most of the county officials who administer elections in South Dakota don’t consider hand counting to be an effective or efficient method of tabulating votes. That’s the result of a South Dakota News Watch survey that saw input from 49 of the state’s 66 county auditors. Auditors are elected officials who supervise county, state and federal elections as well as maintain financial records and other duties.
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