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State will turn on tablet calls for inmates and raise daily limit from three to five
The state Department of Corrections has decided to expand the number of allowable daily phone calls for inmates when tablet-based calling resumes on Friday after a pause that contributed to unrest at the penitentiary. A memo posted Thursday to the DOC website says that starting April 5, inmates at its facilities will be allowed to […] The post State will turn on tablet calls for inmates and raise daily limit from three to five appeared first on South Dakota Searchlight.
South Dakota does well in regional college cost survey
Several years of tuition freezes have helped make South Dakota’s public universities the most affordable for undergraduates in the region, according to new data. “As a result of this past legislative session, we’re continuing to save students money,” said Nathan Lukkes, executive director and CEO of the South Dakota Board of Regents. He made the […] The post South Dakota does well in regional college cost survey appeared first on South Dakota Searchlight.
An 1873 law banned the mailing of boxing photos. Could it block abortion pills too?
WASHINGTON — An anti-obscenity law enacted in 1873 that hasn’t been enforced in decades shot to the forefront of the nation’s abortion debate in the past week thanks to two U.S. Supreme Court justices, amid expectations a future Republican president would use the law to order a nationwide ban on medication abortion. The Comstock Act, […] The post An 1873 law banned the mailing of boxing photos. Could it block abortion pills too? appeared first on South Dakota Searchlight.
Rounds to Interior Department: Bring tribal police training to South Dakota
Bureau of Indian Affairs police recruits in South Dakota need a training facility closer to home, South Dakota’s junior senator told the Department of Interior this week. Sen. Mike Rounds urged the department to find a way to train tribal law enforcement in South Dakota in a letter to Brian Newland, assistant director of the […] The post Rounds to Interior Department: Bring tribal police training to South Dakota appeared first on South Dakota Searchlight.
Missing Indigenous people cases remain high as state office tries to make a difference
Indigenous people account for roughly 60% of missing persons cases in South Dakota, which is still an undercount according to the Oglala Sioux Tribe and Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate’s tribal victims services departments. The South Dakota Attorney General’s Office appointed a Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons coordinator to address the rising number of missing Indigenous people. […] The post Missing Indigenous people cases remain high as state office tries to make a difference appeared first on South Dakota Searchlight.
Tribe worries about police staffing, not cartels, officials tell congressman
WAGNER — Yankton Sioux Tribe officials said Wednesday they know where the drugs on their tribal lands are coming from. “Not the cartels,” said Justin Song Hawk, a former tribal police officer. Other members of the Ihanktonwan Oyate — as the tribe is called in the Dakota language — chuckled in response. The comment was […] The post Tribe worries about police staffing, not cartels, officials tell congressman appeared first on South Dakota Searchlight.
Mention of agricultural causes comes too late in state’s water pollution report
When you put the fox in charge of the henhouse, it’s entertaining to see who gets blamed for the chicken parts scattered around. The fox is the South Dakota Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources (DANR), created from Gov. Kristi Noem’s 2021 merger of the Department of Agriculture with the Department of Environment and Natural […] The post Mention of agricultural causes comes too late in state’s water pollution report appeared first on South Dakota Searchlight.
Freedom Caucuses push for conservative state laws, but getting attention is their big success
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — When a Republican colleague threatened to read aloud from a 2-foot stack of books — including a biblical guide to leadership and a tome by anti-tax activist Grover Norquist — to protest inaction on his bills last week, Missouri state Sen. Rick Brattin quickly took up the cause. Seizing on a chance to […] The post Freedom Caucuses push for conservative state laws, but getting attention is their big success appeared first on South Dakota Searchlight.
80% of tested surface water in South Dakota fails to meet state standards
About 80% of the rivers, streams and lakes tested in South Dakota are too polluted for at least one of their intended uses. The state Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources recently released the final draft of its 2024 report on surface water quality. The state has criteria to ensure a body of water is […] The post 80% of tested surface water in South Dakota fails to meet state standards appeared first on South Dakota Searchlight.
Thune says immigration, debt, Ukraine war funding challenge US leadership
WATERTOWN — About 1.8 million of the estimated 9 million encounters at the southern U.S. border in the past three years are “people they call got-aways,” U.S. Sen. John Thune, R-South Dakota, told a gathering of Rotarians recently. “In other words,” he said, “they didn’t catch them.” But officials did apprehend 169 people who were […] The post Thune says immigration, debt, Ukraine war funding challenge US leadership appeared first on South Dakota Searchlight.
Law school dean, public defender, judge appointed to state public defense commission
The chief justice of the South Dakota Supreme Court has appointed a law school dean, a deputy public defender and a Winner-based circuit judge to a commission that will monitor and guide the work of the new state public defender office, leaving only one commission seat left to fill. The commission will oversee the Office […] The post Law school dean, public defender, judge appointed to state public defense commission appeared first on South Dakota Searchlight.
As drag shows go ‘mainstream,’ some red states look to restrict them
Drag performances used to be found mostly in the confines of nightlife venues such as clubs and bars. But drag has stepped into the daylight, with elaborately costumed and made-up performers appearing at library readings and kid-friendly brunches, and a newfound visibility for gender-bending entertainment and self-expression. “Drag now versus 15 years ago is like […] The post As drag shows go ‘mainstream,’ some red states look to restrict them appeared first on South Dakota Searchlight.
Biden campaign, Jan. 6 officers decry Trump use of ‘political violence’ in post of video
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden’s reelection campaign on Monday called on voters to disavow violence as a viable part of this year’s campaign cycle, including comments made by his Republican opponent and former President Donald Trump. Former U.S. Capitol Police Sergeant Aquilino Gonell, District of Columbia Metropolitan Police Officer Daniel Hodges and Biden-Harris Communications Director […] The post Biden campaign, Jan. 6 officers decry Trump use of ‘political violence’ in post of video appeared first on South Dakota Searchlight.
Prison staff memo: Tablet-based phone calls could come back, messaging remains suspended
In a Sunday staff memo, the South Dakota Department of Corrections announced that tablet-based phone calls could soon be available again for inmates and their families – albeit with time constraints. Tablet-based text and photo messaging will remain suspended indefinitely, the memo says. State officials did not respond to South Dakota Searchlight requests for verification […] The post Prison staff memo: Tablet-based phone calls could come back, messaging remains suspended appeared first on South Dakota Searchlight.
Biden to visit Port of Baltimore Friday to review federal response on Key Bridge
President Joe Biden will tour the Port of Baltimore and the site of the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse Friday as long-term efforts to reopen the port continue, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Monday. “President Biden will travel to Baltimore on Friday to visit the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge, meet with state […] The post Biden to visit Port of Baltimore Friday to review federal response on Key Bridge appeared first on South Dakota Searchlight.
Oglala Sioux Tribe calls for ceasefire in Gaza
RAPID CITY, S.D. – The Oglala Sioux Tribe is now one of a handful of Native nations in the United States to call for a ceasefire in Gaza after a resolution was presented to the council by the Oglala Lakota Chapter of the International Indigenous Youth Council. The resolution, which passed 14-to-1, calls for state […] The post Oglala Sioux Tribe calls for ceasefire in Gaza appeared first on South Dakota Searchlight.
Minnehaha tackles backlog of warrants, court cases with warrant resolution court pilot program
At any given time in a year, there are roughly 15,000 warrants on file in Minnehaha County, any of which could lead to an arrest. Those crimes behind those warrants range from unpaid traffic tickets to assault or homicide. To the criminal justice system, they’re treated the same. Some are trivial in relation to larger […] The post Minnehaha tackles backlog of warrants, court cases with warrant resolution court pilot program appeared first on South Dakota Searchlight.
Parks department skips federal funding for shooting range to avoid additional site scrutiny
The South Dakota Department of Game, Fish, and Parks wanted to use federal funding to help offset the cost of a $20 million shooting range outside Rapid City. That is, until the department learned more time was needed to analyze the site’s significance to Native Americans. Artifacts had been found, according to the state Tribal […] The post Parks department skips federal funding for shooting range to avoid additional site scrutiny appeared first on South Dakota Searchlight.
In the central U.S., an electric grid bottleneck persists
Forty-five million people live in the area managed by the Midcontinent Independent System Operator, the organization that runs a massive portion of the North American electric grid running from Manitoba, Canada, to the Gulf of Mexico. Inside that footprint are all or parts of 15 states, 75,000 miles of transmission lines and nearly 3,000 electric generating […] The post In the central U.S., an electric grid bottleneck persists appeared first on South Dakota Searchlight.
Corrections: Search for contraband follows second night of unrest at Sioux Falls prison
SIOUX FALLS – The state Department of Corrections says an ongoing search for contraband is underway after a second night of unrest at South Dakota’s largest penal institution. Tea Storm Chasers, a nonprofit media outlet based in Tea, started a livestream video of the incident shortly before midnight Thursday. As on Wednesday, the disruption centered […] The post Corrections: Search for contraband follows second night of unrest at Sioux Falls prison 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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