South Dakota News & Current Events

Federal incentives are being offered for carbon capture projects, including a multistate pipeline proposal for the Midwest involving ethanol emissions. However, skeptics said the project's designs are too big for unproven technology. (Adobe Stock)

Tuesday, January 14, 2025

Carbon pipeline and landowner rights take their seat again in SD's capitol

South Dakota lawmakers begin a new legislative session today and are already hearing from worried landowners about their rights as a private company k…

Along South Dakota's Rosebud Reservation, Sicangu Co. members Mayce Low Dog and Karen Moore harvest local plants. (Photo courtesy of Grace Hussain)

For SD tribe, food sovereignty means eating climate-friendly

By Grace Hussain for Sentient.Broadcast version by Mike Moen for Greater Dakota News Service reporting for the Sentient-Public News Service Collaborat…

With a pending rule excluding medical debt from loan applications, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau predicted an uptick of 22,000 affordable mortgages approved every year because applicants will not have old medical bills upending their loan request. (Adobe Stock)

Banks, lenders to no longer consider medical debt under new rule

South Dakota is among the states with the highest percentage of residents carrying medical debt but a new federal rule announced this week could ease …

In South Dakota, 68% of missing persons are Native Americans even though they only make up 9% of the state's population. (Adobe Stock)

Resource gaps cloud efforts on cases of missing and murdered Indigenous women

January is National Human Trafficking Prevention Month. In South Dakota, the push to secure justice for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women remains …

According to the National Council of Urban Indian Health, the average age of Indian Health Service facilities is over 37 years and the maintenance backlog was about $515 million in 2021. (Adobe Stock)

SD’s Native population sees 'double whammy' of health barriers

Funding for the Indian Health Service has increased over the past decade but the agency remains underfunded, which affects both the health and …

In a new AARP survey, 90% of South Dakotans ages 45 and older said having adequate Social Security benefits is a priority. (Adobe Stock)

SD survey: Increasing concerns about health care, prescription costs

More middle-aged and older South Dakotans had financial concerns this year, especially around health care, according to a new survey. Advocates for …

A text from USPS? It could be a 'smishing' scam

Many people are still expecting holiday packages this week and the United States Postal Service is warning customers not to fall for "smishing" scams…

In 2024, there were 1,990 successful diversions of South Dakota youth from courts and detention, according to the state's Juvenile Justice Oversight Council. Of that total, 449 attempts were considered unsuccessful. (Adobe Stock)

A year of growth for juvenile diversion programs in SD

Nearly 2,000 South Dakota juveniles were successfully diverted from the state's court system this year, according to a new report. A 2024 law has …

South Dakota farms produced more than $3.8 billion of corn in 2023, according to the National Agricultural Statistics Service. A trade war renewed by the incoming Trump administration could harm the state's agricultural producers, according to policy analysts. (Adobe Stock)

Trump tariffs could hit farmers during a rough patch

As President-elect Donald Trump is sworn in next month, the farming community wonders if he'll follow through on tariff threats. One expert says for …

More than 700 rural hospitals - roughly 30% of all hospitals across the nation - are at risk of closing because of financial problems, according to the Center for Healthcare Quality and Payment Reform. (Adobe Stock)

Pilot program to help rural hospitals stanch financial bleeding

A new federal program launching next year is designed to help hospitals struggling to stay afloat in rural places such as South Dakota. About 360 …

News deserts are places without local news outlets that create original content. According to a 2024 report from the Local News Initiative, 75% of them are located in predominantly rural counties. (Adobe Stock)

SD Public Broadcasting: Proposed budget cuts could mean insolvency

Gov. Kristi Noem wants a big budget cut for South Dakota Public Broadcasting in 2026. That could hurt its nine television stations and 11 radio …

During the June floods in eastern South Dakota this year, the river level at the Big Sioux gauge hit 44.98 feet, breaking the previous record high by 7.28 feet, according to the High Plains Regional Climate Center. (Adobe Stock)

Weak protections for SD wetlands could lead to more flood damage

Wetlands protect against floods, like those some in eastern South Dakota experienced this June and researchers warned the growing presence of factory …

According to the American Library Association, the rate of book titles targeted for censorship in public libraries spiked 92% between 2022 and 2023. In school libraries, there was an 11% increase. (Adobe Stock)

SD libraries face future of stricter policies, slashed budgets

South Dakota librarians are implementing new policies for young readers in the new year and they are expecting future challenges, with the governor's …

Research on the effects of a school voucher program in Louisiana show academic performance decreased among kids who use vouchers to attend private schools. (Adobe Stock)<br />

Gov. sets aside 2026 SD funds for new education savings accounts

In this week's 2026 budget address, Gov. Kristi Noem proposed establishing education savings accounts for K-12 students in South Dakota. Opponents …

Community Health Centers across the United States serve 3.8 million patients age 65 and older as well as 9.4 million children, according to The National Association of Community Health Centers. (Nadzeya/Adobe Stock)

SD rep joins 300 in D.C. calling for more rural health center funding

Nearly 300 Community Health Center leaders from across the U.S. and South Dakota are on Capitol Hill today, urging Congress to act before their …

When South Dakota voters passed Medicaid expansion in 2022, the constitutional amendment included this language:

A long road for Medicaid work requirements in South Dakota

South Dakotans passed Amendment F on Election Day, opening the door to impose work requirements on people who qualify for expanded Medicaid benefits…

Some 75% of LGBTQ+ youth in South Dakota in 2022 reported experiencing anxiety, according to The Trevor Project. (Adobe Stock)

Calls to LGBTQ+ helpline surge following Election Day

Members of the LGBTQ+ community in South Dakota are concerned about what a second Trump presidency could mean for their safety, rights and …

According to the Great Plains Tribal Epidemiology Center, one in 40 Native American and Alaska Native babies born in the Great Plains region in 2022 had a syphilis infection. (Adobe Stock)

Tribal leaders call syphilis outbreak 'public health emergency'

By Jazmin Orozco Rodriguez for KFF Health News.Broadcast version by Kathleen Shannon for Greater Dakota News Service reporting for the KFF Health News…

Ava Bruneau plays Ginebig: The Snake Game, a game of chance. Players roll or toss

Game time: Reviving the Ojibwe way with dice, cards

By Amy Felegy for Arts Midwest.Broadcast version by Kathleen Shannon for Greater Dakota News Service reporting for the Arts Midwest-Public News Servic…

South Dakota was the first state to rename

Wounded Knee Medal of Honor review process expected to slow under Trump

The idea of revoking military medals awarded to soldiers at the Wounded Knee Massacre has gained traction recently, but some expect that to stop …

In 2020, roughly 9.9% of all U-S adults over age 20 were, or 28.6 million people, were affected by cardiovascular disease, according to a review article from the American Heart Association. (Adobe Stock)

Advisory: Heart health plummeting in rural areas in SD and nationwide

It is National Rural Health Day and experts are flagging research showing increasing health disparities between urban and rural places, including in …

Just under 14% of South Dakota kids are American Indian or Alaska Native, but make up more than 62% of children in the state's foster care system, according to the National Indian Child Welfare Association. (Adobe Stock)

Remembering older kids in foster care on National Adoption Day

This coming Saturday is National Adoption Day and it is a good time to think about children who are older or have special needs and face more difficul…

Five of its six neighboring states have fewer restrictive laws on reproductive care than South Dakota. (Adobe Stock)

SD keeps abortion ban, but 'the landscape is changing'

A majority of South Dakotans have voted to maintain a strict abortion ban but other factors are shifting the landscape for reproductive care in the st…

According to the South Dakota Secretary of State, South Dakota's Referred Law 21 was ousted by voters 59% to 41%. (Brent Coulter)<br />

Eminent domain reform could follow ousted SD pipeline law

In last week's election, South Dakota voters defeated the carbon pipeline law by a wide margin, but pipeline companies could still gain ground in …

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem in January offered support to Texas Gov. Greg Abbott's border control initiatives, including personally delivering razor wire. (Gage Skidmore/Flickr)

Immigrants' advocates strategize as Noem could head DHS

President-elect Donald Trump is expected to confirm his choice of South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem to head the Department of Homeland Security and …

An Emmy award-winning television spot features regenerative ranching practices in grasslands on the Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation. (Ron Nichols)

SD PSA on grasslands wins regional Emmy award

Native grasslands are the most threatened ecosystem in North America. A South Dakota advocacy group hopes its educational campaign will reach a …

Sioux Falls and Pierre both scored well on AARP's 2024 Livability Index, with particularly high rankings on the

Sioux Falls, Pierre rank high in the nation for 'livability'

Two South Dakota cities scored well this year on a national ranking of livable communities. In AARP's 2024 Livability Index, Pierre ranked 15th in …

Only 32% of South Dakotans ages 18-29 voted in the 2020 general election, one of the lowest rates in the country, according to civic engagement research from Tufts University. (Adobe Stock)

SD saw biggest drop nationally in youth voter registration

A new analysis shows South Dakota's rate of youth voter registration in 2024 has plummeted from 2020. Data from the Center for Information and …

The proposed Net-Zero 1 corn-starch-to-jet-fuel plant in Lake Preston, S.D., would stem the release of over 600,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. (Adobe Stock)

Ethanol companies back SD pipeline ballot question with big bucks

A proposed corn-starch-to-jet-fuel plant in South Dakota is on track to get big federal funding, but its feasibility could hinge on election results…

Adults and youth get ready to play double ball during the first annual Indigenous Dakota Games event in Lake Traverse Reservation. (Dustina Gill)

Sharing traditional games with Dakota youth

By LaVerne Whitebear for Arts Midwest.Broadcast version by Kathleen Shannon for Greater Dakota News Service reporting for the Arts Midwest-Public News…

Amendment E would change language in South Dakota's state Constitution regarding positions including lieutenant governor, Supreme Court justices, circuit court judges and the governor, as well as terms for groups of people, including

SD’s Amendment E about 'celebrating women'

South Dakota voters will soon decide on Amendment E, which would adjust language in the state Constitution for certain officeholders. Amendment E …

According to KFF, 17.7% of South Dakota adults report having medical debt at some time between 2019 and 2021, which is more than twice the U.S. average rate of 8.6%. (Adobe Stock)

Health insurance plans offer preventive services to South Dakotans

Navigators in South Dakota are on call to help people seeking health insurance during open enrollment. Open enrollment is the time for people to sign …

More than 55% of agricultural lands in South Dakota, or 24 million acres, are dedicated to animal production, according to the Governor's Office of Economic Development. (Adobe Stock)

Sustainable meat industries could use boost from billionaires

Since 1964, per capita meat consumption has doubled and environmental advocates cautioned it is unsustainable. And there are more billionaires…

Director of the South Dakota School Safety Program, Brett Garland, says state law enforcement has reminded K-12 schools and the public that specific threats, whether made directly or on social media,

'Report, don’t repost': SD school safety expert on increase in threats

Following a Georgia high school shooting in early September, there's been a surge in school threats across the country. In South Dakota, safety …

When someone experiences a stroke, 1.9 billion brain cells are lost during every minute, according to Jefferson Health. (Adobe Stock)

'Time is brain': New program streamlines stroke care in SD

When it comes to stroke care, experts say, "time is brain." Now, a program launching in South Dakota will coordinate and strengthen stroke care …

According to projections from the South Dakota Department of Labor and Regulation, the state's economy is expected to have 39,500 more jobs in 2032 than it did in 2022, an increase of 7.7%. (Adobe Stock)<br />

SD data show wind sector to lead job growth in coming decade

Projections of South Dakota's job growth could lead to more degrees from technical colleges, which are seeing increased enrollment. Occupational …

About 6,500 South Dakotans are in state or federal prisons, local jails and other kinds of facilities, according to the Prison Policy Initiative. (Wikimedia Commons)

Advocacy group forms for people in prison amid controversies in SD prisons

Recent problems in South Dakota prisons have concerned lawmakers, corrections commission members and family members of those incarcerated, who formed …

Some 83% of registered Democrats, 73% of Republicans and 83% of Independents support having open primary elections, according to a 2024 Clark University study. (Adobe Stock)

South Dakotans to vote on nonpartisan primaries

Voters next month will be shaping how future elections operate in many states, including South Dakota, where nonpartisan primaries are on the ballot…

Connie Brushbreaker, a member of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe in South Dakota, said she had to wait four months for the Indian Health Service to pay for an MRI and surgery she needed. Begging for funding

Gaps persist in Indian Health Service 'Referred Care' program

By Arielle Zionts and Katheryn Houghton for KFF Health News.Broadcast version by Kathleen Shannon for Greater Dakota News Service reporting for the KF…

According to the newly-formed South Dakota Healthy Nutrition Collaborative, over 100,000 South Dakotans experience food insecurity, including 24,000 children. (Yakobchuk Olena/Adobe Stock)

New SD collaborative to address food insecurity

In observance of Hunger Action Month, a new statewide collaborative has launched to address food insecurity in South Dakota. Nearly 14% of U.S…

The Brookings Institution, a nonpartisan research group, gave South Dakota a

SD voting advocates hope to avoid ballot challenges seen in primary

Just a few months after some South Dakota absentee ballots were illegally challenged, officials are concerned slow mail delivery could affect …

According to a poll of 50-64-year-olds, top issues of concern are strengthening the economy (80%), defending against terrorism (76%), and making the Social Security system financially sound (73%). (Adobe Stock)

Caregiving, financial security among top concerns of older SD voters

Voters over age 50 reliably show up to the polls in large numbers but sometimes candidates overlook them. In 2020, 138,000 South Dakotans ages 45-64 …

81% of registered voters across the Midwest oppose the use of eminent domain by companies looking to transport carbon dioxide through underground pipelines, according to a poll commissioned by the Bold Alliance. (Jeffree Beall/Wikimedia Commons)

Poll: Most SD voters disapprove of local control limits on carbon pipelines

A new poll shows most South Dakotans don't approve of legislation that restricts local control on carbon pipelines. South Dakotans this November …

By federal law, tribal law enforcement officers may attend a state training program or the Indian Police Academy in New Mexico. This year is the first tribal-specific training has been included in South Dakota's program. (Adobe Stock)

SD police academy grads newly schooled on Indian Country

South Dakota's police training program included a new course this year, one specific to tribal communities. A class of 20 graduated yesterday from …

Group proposes changes, encourages use of Indigenous SD education standards

A team of educators and supporters recently proposed changes to South Dakota's framework for Indigenous education, making the lessons more accessible …

Research shows South Dakota had the fifth-highest rate of cropland abandonment between 1986 and 2018, trailing Texas, North Dakota, Kansas and Montana. (Adobe Stock)

Former croplands could be ‘sweet spot’ for renewable-energy production

Researchers mapped American croplands that have fallen out of production in hopes of inspiring new uses for them, such as renewable energy. Roughly 3…

Seventy U.S. Supreme Court decisions and 17,000 lower court decisions have relied on Chevron, a 1984 case that set precedent and that the Supreme Court overruled in June. (Michele Ursi/Adobe Stock)

U.S. Supreme Court decision could shape animal farm regulations

By Marlena Williams for Sentient.Broadcast version by Kathleen Shannon for Greater Dakota News Service reporting for the Sentient-Public News Service …

Human health risks of exposure to PFAS include growth effects on infants and children, obstacles to a person's ability to become pregnant, effects on the immune system and increased risk of certain cancers, according to the South Dakota Department of Agricultural and Natural Resources. (Adobe Stock)

Report urges 'more stringent' look at health risks of pesticides

A new report warned about adverse health, wildlife and environmental impacts of toxic chemicals known as PFAS in states such as South Dakota…

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