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South Dakota Searchlight
Republican factions fighting for control of the party in Tuesday’s primary election
Most of the action in Tuesday’s South Dakota primary election is in Republican legislative races, where a fight for control of the party has drawn in players ranging from upstart challengers to fundraising groups affiliated with members of Congress. There are 44 Republican legislative primary races across the state, and only one Democratic legislative primary. […] The post Republican factions fighting for control of the party in Tuesday’s primary election appeared first on South Dakota Searchlight.
Homicide investigation sparks rare level of state-tribal cooperation
A double stabbing that left one man dead and another hospitalized led to a rare extradition order to state custody from the Yankton Sioux Tribe this week. Mackenzie Antelope, 18, of Lake Andes, is charged with alternate counts of first- and second-degree murder and first-degree manslaughter in the death of 22-year-old Lake Andes resident Quinlan […] The post Homicide investigation sparks rare level of state-tribal cooperation appeared first on South Dakota Searchlight.
An angry Trump pledges to appeal ‘this scam’ conviction as Republicans vow resistance
WASHINGTON — Former President Donald Trump, now a convicted felon, vowed to launch an appeal based “on many things” he considered unfair during his New York trial, he said Friday in the lobby of Trump Tower in Midtown Manhattan. Meanwhile Friday, legal and political analysts predicted he will spend little if any time in jail […] The post An angry Trump pledges to appeal ‘this scam’ conviction as Republicans vow resistance appeared first on South Dakota Searchlight.
Schwan’s purchases Sioux Falls land for new food production facility
Three years after it was first announced, Schwan’s Co. is taking the next step in its investment in South Dakota after closing on 142 acres of land in northwest Sioux Falls. The company plans to construct a 700,000-square-foot Asian food production facility at Foundation Park, including a wastewater treatment facility on the manufacturing site. The […] The post Schwan’s purchases Sioux Falls land for new food production facility appeared first on South Dakota Searchlight.
Some providers will offer low-cost internet even as federal program ends, White House says
WASHINGTON — With Friday marking the official last day of the pandemic-era Affordable Connectivity Program, the Biden administration is spotlighting commitments from over a dozen internet service providers to offer plans at $30 or less to low-income households through 2024. This comes as Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel said the short-term program had to […] The post Some providers will offer low-cost internet even as federal program ends, White House says appeared first on South Dakota Searchlight.
An obscure drug discount program stifles use of federal lifeline by rural hospitals
Facing ongoing concerns about rural hospital closures, Capitol Hill lawmakers have introduced a spate of proposals to fix a federal program created to keep lifesaving services in small towns nationwide. In Anamosa, Iowa — a town of fewer than 6,000 residents located more than 900 miles from the nation’s capital — rural hospital leader Eric […] The post An obscure drug discount program stifles use of federal lifeline by rural hospitals appeared first on South Dakota Searchlight.
Bipartisanship alive with congressional delegation, not so much with governor
South Dakota Searchlight readers were recently treated to two very different views of bipartisanship and governance. First came the story about an analysis of bipartisanship in the U.S. Congress. Released by the Lugar Center and the McCourt School of Public Policy at Georgetown University, the report had good news about South Dakota’s congressional delegation’s willingness […] The post Bipartisanship alive with congressional delegation, not so much with governor appeared first on South Dakota Searchlight.
Trump found guilty on 34 felony counts in NY hush money trial
WASHINGTON — Jurors in New York state court on Thursday found Donald Trump guilty on all 34 felony counts of falsifying business records to cover up hush money payments to a porn star ultimately to influence the outcome of the 2016 presidential election. The first-ever criminal trial of a former U.S. president wrapped up in […] The post Trump found guilty on 34 felony counts in NY hush money trial appeared first on South Dakota Searchlight.
Group that sued Noem says she was ‘threatening’ while trying to avoid being served
The group that sued Governor Kristi Noem for her promotion of a Texas dental office wants the lawsuit reinstated and says Noem was “evasive” and “threatening” while she attempted to avoid being served with legal documents. Noem’s spokesman Ian Fury has since responded on social media, writing that Noem is “warm and loving to everyone […] The post Group that sued Noem says she was ‘threatening’ while trying to avoid being served appeared first on South Dakota Searchlight.
Low-wage states with cheap housing dominated the post-pandemic jobs boom
More than half of the nation’s jobs created in the past five years have come in two states: Texas and Florida. They’re at the forefront of a job creation revolution in which states with lower wages and a lower cost of living are gaining the highest share of new jobs, according to a new Stateline […] The post Low-wage states with cheap housing dominated the post-pandemic jobs boom appeared first on South Dakota Searchlight.
Activists fail to convince Board of Elections to move toward hand-counting
The state Board of Elections did not approve petitions Wednesday from activists who want to move the state toward hand-counting ballots. A Republican state Senate candidate, Rick Weible, of Elkton, petitioned the board for declaratory rulings. The petitions asked the board to take several actions, including deeming certain election tabulating software non-compliant with state law […] The post Activists fail to convince Board of Elections to move toward hand-counting appeared first on South Dakota Searchlight.
Rapid City man indicted for role in Jan. 6 insurrection
A 37-year-old Rapid City man has been indicted for two felonies and five misdemeanor offenses for his alleged role in the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection in the U.S. Capitol. William George Knight is charged in the District of Columbia with obstructing law enforcement during a civil disorder and assaulting, resisting or impeding certain officers, both […] The post Rapid City man indicted for role in Jan. 6 insurrection appeared first on South Dakota Searchlight.
A memorial’s abandonment says a lot about society. Hopefully its rescue does, too.
RAPID CITY — Volunteerism may not move mountains, but today it rescued a memorial from a mountainside. The memorial is for Alice Gossage, a pioneering journalist, businesswoman and philanthropist who was one of Rapid City’s first residents in the 1880s. She ran the Rapid City Journal and wrote a column for many years while the […] The post A memorial’s abandonment says a lot about society. Hopefully its rescue does, too. appeared first on South Dakota Searchlight.
Funds for clean school buses coming to hundreds of districts, White House says
WASHINGTON — As part of its ongoing effort to replace diesel-fueled school buses, the Biden administration on Wednesday said it will provide approximately 530 school districts across nearly all states with almost $1 billion to help them purchase clean school buses. The initiative, part of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean School Bus Program rebate […] The post Funds for clean school buses coming to hundreds of districts, White House says appeared first on South Dakota Searchlight.
The jury now will decide Trump’s fate in hush money trial, after lengthy closing arguments
WASHINGTON — Closing arguments in the first-ever criminal trial of a former U.S. president concluded Tuesday, leaving the jury to now decide if Donald Trump is guilty of faking reimbursement to his personal lawyer for hush money paid to a porn star just before the 2016 presidential election. Just outside the Lower Manhattan courthouse during […] The post The jury now will decide Trump’s fate in hush money trial, after lengthy closing arguments appeared first on South Dakota Searchlight.
Credit card swipe fees are hurting SD small businesses and consumers
Despite hopes of cooling inflation, the consumer price index climbed 3.5% in March, exemplifying the ongoing strain on American businesses and families as they grapple with elevated prices. For South Dakotans, median home listing prices adjusted for inflation are up 26% percent since 2020, much higher than the national average of 11%. Everywhere Americans look, things […] The post Credit card swipe fees are hurting SD small businesses and consumers appeared first on South Dakota Searchlight.
$32 million sales tax loss made up for with lost money, state investments, contractor taxes
Despite a $32 million dip in sales tax revenue, South Dakota has collected about $115 million more in total revenue this year than it did the previous July through April. That news was shared with the Governor’s Council of Economic Advisors Tuesday by state Bureau of Finance and Management economist Derek Johnson. The council includes […] The post $32 million sales tax loss made up for with lost money, state investments, contractor taxes appeared first on South Dakota Searchlight.
Former mayor, sheriff’s deputy charged in Centerville triple homicide
A former Centerville mayor and one-time Turner County sheriff’s deputy reportedly shot and killed three men Monday night upon learning that one of the men allegedly sexually assaulted his wife. Jay Edward Ostrem, 64, is currently in custody at the Minnehaha County Jail on a $1 million cash-only bond as he awaits an initial appearance […] The post Former mayor, sheriff’s deputy charged in Centerville triple homicide appeared first on South Dakota Searchlight.
Amid mental health crisis, new compact allows social workers to practice across state lines
Stefani Goerlich, a certified sex therapist and social worker with a private practice in Detroit, sees several dozen clients a month, most of them from underserved and minority backgrounds. She speaks to them about sensitive matters such as gender-affirming care, and building trust takes time. Those hard-won relationships often are upended when clients move away […] The post Amid mental health crisis, new compact allows social workers to practice across state lines appeared first on South Dakota Searchlight.
Medicaid unwinding deals blow to tenuous system of care for Native Americans
About a year into the process of redetermining Medicaid eligibility after the COVID-19 public health emergency, more than 20 million people have been kicked off the joint federal-state program for low-income families. A chorus of stories recount the ways the unwinding has upended people’s lives, but Native Americans are proving particularly vulnerable to losing coverage […] The post Medicaid unwinding deals blow to tenuous system of care for Native Americans 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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