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South Dakota Searchlight
Water from arsenic-laced wells could protect the Pine Ridge reservation from wildfires
With decades of experience, Reno Red Cloud knows more than anyone about water on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. As climate change makes fire season on the reservation — which covers more than 2 million acres — more dangerous, he sees a growing need for water to fight those fires. Red Cloud is […] The post Water from arsenic-laced wells could protect the Pine Ridge reservation from wildfires appeared first on South Dakota Searchlight.
Bigger field of Democratic candidates will spark healthy debate
It looks like hard work has paid off for the state’s Democratic Party as it gets ready to field its biggest slate of legislative candidates in recent memory. This may not mean the end of Republican super-majorities in the Legislature, but it’s the best shot that Democrats have had to whittle away at the GOP’s […] The post Bigger field of Democratic candidates will spark healthy debate appeared first on South Dakota Searchlight.
SD’s prison tablet provider dinged for data breach by Federal Trade Commission
The company that gave electronic tablets to South Dakota prison inmates under a contract with the state hid a 2020 data breach for nine months and then told only a fraction of affected users about it, according to a settlement filed in late February with the Federal Trade Commission. The FTC’s decision and order in […] The post SD’s prison tablet provider dinged for data breach by Federal Trade Commission appeared first on South Dakota Searchlight.
Cattlemen tell Thune: ‘More ranch’ needed in already overdue farm bill
VALLEY SPRINGS — Ranchers urged Republican U.S. Senators John Thune of South Dakota and John Boozman of Arkansas to consider grasslands and cattle – not just crop support – as they finalize federal legislation that will govern many agricultural and food programs for years to come. The feedback came as the senators fielded questions from […] The post Cattlemen tell Thune: ‘More ranch’ needed in already overdue farm bill appeared first on South Dakota Searchlight.
Trump’s repeated escapes from political damage to be tested in NYC trial
Donald Trump on Monday in a New York City courtroom will make history as the first former U.S. president to stand trial in criminal proceedings. And it raises new issues for the presumptive Republican nominee for president in November, even as he builds a political brand that so far has seemed immune from accusations of […] The post Trump’s repeated escapes from political damage to be tested in NYC trial appeared first on South Dakota Searchlight.
Trump supports U.S. House Speaker Johnson, elections agenda in joint appearance
WASHINGTON — U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson and Donald J. Trump met Friday evening in Palm Beach, Florida, to promote an unreleased bill related to noncitizens voting in federal elections. The event doubled as a show of support from the presumptive Republican presidential nominee to the embattled GOP speaker. The two men argued that strict […] The post Trump supports U.S. House Speaker Johnson, elections agenda in joint appearance appeared first on South Dakota Searchlight.
Thune, Rounds, Johnson: Don’t close Huron, Sioux Falls mail processing centers
South Dakota’s congressional delegation opposes the potential shuttering of two South Dakota mail processing facilities. Republican Senators John Thune and Mike Rounds, along with Republican Rep. Dusty Johnson, sent a letter to U.S. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy asking him to reconsider moving mail processing out of Sioux Falls and Huron. The recommendation was finalized in […] The post Thune, Rounds, Johnson: Don’t close Huron, Sioux Falls mail processing centers appeared first on South Dakota Searchlight.
Gov. Kristi Noem banned from fourth South Dakota reservation
The Rosebud Sioux Tribe in south-central South Dakota is the fourth tribal nation to ban Gov. Kristi Noem from tribal lands this year. The Oglala Sioux Tribe banished Noem in February after she spoke to the Legislature alleging Mexican drug cartels have infiltrated reservations. The Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe banned Noem earlier this month for […] The post Gov. Kristi Noem banned from fourth South Dakota reservation appeared first on South Dakota Searchlight.
Black Hills sawmill lays off workers and alleges Forest Service is to blame
The owner of a Spearfish sawmill is laying off 50 people and alleges the U.S. Forest Service is to blame for not allowing the company to cut enough timber. The Forest Service, through a spokesman, declined to comment. Neiman Enterprises announced the layoffs at Spearfish Forest Products in a Thursday evening news release. “The layoffs […] The post Black Hills sawmill lays off workers and alleges Forest Service is to blame appeared first on South Dakota Searchlight.
As an OB-GYN, I witness the harm of abortion bans firsthand. It’s broader than you think.
As a proud 21-year veteran OB-GYN practitioner based in South Dakota, I have never been more concerned about the future of reproductive health care in my state. I serve a great diversity of patients — Native Americans, Hutterites, farmers, ranchers and stay-at-home parents. What do they all have in common? They love their families. Which […] The post As an OB-GYN, I witness the harm of abortion bans firsthand. It’s broader than you think. appeared first on South Dakota Searchlight.
Noem, Jackley offer summer law enforcement course just for tribal recruits
Gov. Kristi Noem and Attorney General Marty Jackley said Thursday they aim to open an extra basic law enforcement certification course for tribal police recruits this summer, but it’s unclear how many tribal recruits will be able to meet the course’s tight deadlines. Tribes can use federal funding to operate their own law enforcement agencies […] The post Noem, Jackley offer summer law enforcement course just for tribal recruits appeared first on South Dakota Searchlight.
Thune, Rounds among U.S. Senate Republicans seeking Mayorkas impeachment trial
WASHINGTON — More than 40 U.S. Senate Republicans lobbied Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer on Thursday to hold a full impeachment trial for Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. Schumer and other Democrats have indicated they’d be open to immediately voting to dismiss the House-passed articles of impeachment rather than holding a trial in the Senate. The […] The post Thune, Rounds among U.S. Senate Republicans seeking Mayorkas impeachment trial appeared first on South Dakota Searchlight.
SD federal judge nominees get nod from U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee
Two nominees for federal judgeships in the U.S. District Court of South Dakota earned the endorsement of the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday morning in Washington, D.C. Committee members heard directly from Sioux Falls judge candidates Eric Schulte and Camela Theeler on March 6. Thursday’s meeting involved no discussion of candidate qualifications, but rather […] The post SD federal judge nominees get nod from U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee appeared first on South Dakota Searchlight.
States race to restrict deepfake porn as it becomes easier to create
After a 2014 leak of hundreds of celebrities’ intimate photos, Uldouz Wallace learned that she was among the public figures whose images had been stolen and disseminated online. Wallace, an actress, writer and social media influencer, found out the images were ones her ex had taken without her consent and had threatened to leak. Over […] The post States race to restrict deepfake porn as it becomes easier to create appeared first on South Dakota Searchlight.
New rule to close ‘gun show loophole’ finalized by Biden administration
WASHINGTON — The Biden administration on Thursday finalized a new rule that would require anyone selling a gun to obtain a federal license and conduct background checks. The rule aims to close what’s known as the “gun show loophole.” Gun merchants who sell online, by mail or at flea markets and gun shows until now […] The post New rule to close ‘gun show loophole’ finalized by Biden administration appeared first on South Dakota Searchlight.
Rapid rise in South Dakota home prices is ‘not sustainable,’ economist says
SIOUX FALLS — Average first-time homebuyers can expect to spend about two-fifths of their pre-tax income on a monthly payment for a house in South Dakota. “This situation is unheard of,” said Dakota Institute CEO Jared McEntaffer. He addressed the Governor’s Conference on Economic Development on Wednesday at the Sioux Falls Convention Center. McEntaffer called home […] The post Rapid rise in South Dakota home prices is ‘not sustainable,’ economist says appeared first on South Dakota Searchlight.
Thune and Rounds vote to repeal Biden rule tracking tailpipe emissions
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate voted Wednesday to roll back a Transportation Department rule that targeted greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles traveling on highways. The rule, issued by the Transportation Department’s Federal Highway Administration in December, established greenhouse gas reductions as one of the 18 performance measures for state transportation departments and local planning organizations […] The post Thune and Rounds vote to repeal Biden rule tracking tailpipe emissions appeared first on South Dakota Searchlight.
U.S. Senate spending panel calls for extending pay boost for Forest Service firefighters
WASHINGTON — Members of a U.S. Senate Appropriations subcommittee said at a hearing Wednesday they were focused on keeping pay for wildland firefighters at the higher level set in a 2021 law and urged Forest Service Chief Randy Moore to focus on ways to maintain a healthy timber industry. Senate Interior-Environment Subcommittee Chair Jeff Merkley, […] The post U.S. Senate spending panel calls for extending pay boost for Forest Service firefighters appeared first on South Dakota Searchlight.
Third tribal nation bans Gov. Kristi Noem from reservation
The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, headquartered in North Dakota but with reservation borders expanding into South Dakota, is the third tribal nation to ban Gov. Kristi Noem from tribal lands this year. The Wednesday announcement comes after the Standing Rock Sioux Tribal Council voted to banish Noem for “racially charged” comments she made last month […] The post Third tribal nation bans Gov. Kristi Noem from reservation appeared first on South Dakota Searchlight.
Republicans vs. uber-Republicans: Primary slugfest approaches
The 21 subjects turned in by lawmakers as potential summer study subjects made for interesting reading. The Legislature’s Executive Board hit on two subjects to study this summer. One is a study of the accuracy and consistency of property tax assessments. Don’t get too excited; your property taxes aren’t likely to go down as a […] The post Republicans vs. uber-Republicans: Primary slugfest approaches appeared first on South Dakota Searchlight.
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We use our journalistic searchlight to illuminate critical issues facing South Dakota, dissect the decisions made by state leaders, and explain the consequences of their policies and the role of politics on South Dakotans. We publish news and commentary that prioritizes accuracy, fairness, insight and civility. There is no charge to access our content, or to subscribe to our email newsletter. We invite and publish guest commentary that contributes to productive public discourse and adheres to our editorial policies. South Dakota Searchlight launched in 2022. We’re an affiliate of States Newsroom, a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit supported by grants and a coalition of donors and readers. The staff of the Searchlight retains full editorial independence.
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