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Analysis: 80% of Noem’s reported individual donations are from out-of-state
Around 80% of the individual donor addresses listed on Gov. Kristi Noem’s most recent campaign finance filing are out-of-state, according to an analysis of public records by South Dakota Searchlight. The tally of out-of-state addresses listed in Democratic challenger Jamie Smith’s records was 5%. The Noem campaign has a large lead in fundraising. The Republican […]
$17 million in federal funding headed to Cheyenne River telecom for rural broadband
Hundreds of people on the Cheyenne River and Standing Rock reservations will soon have high-speed internet access thanks to a $17 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The grant award to the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Telephone Authority represents the largest amount offered anywhere in South Dakota through the USDA’s ReConnect Program. The […]
Noem campaign leads statewide candidates in fundraising
Republican Gov. Kristi Noem leads her Democratic challenger Jamie Smith by a wide margin – at least in terms of cash on hand. That’s one takeaway from the release of campaign finance reports for South Dakota political candidates on Monday, the deadline for pre-election disclosures. Noem started the reporting period in May with nearly $7.8 […]
Street teams, ‘housing first’ among recommendations from Sioux Falls homeless task force
Street teams of social workers and volunteers would be the first to respond to panhandling and loitering if the Sioux Falls City Council heeds the advice of its homeless task force. The task force met Monday for one of its final meetings before pitching its suggestions to the council. The group emerged earlier this year […]
Education report card: South Dakota students above national average, on par with neighbors
South Dakota students have lost ground in math and reading since 2019, according to the 2022 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), but outperformed students in many other states. The NAEP is billed as the nation’s report card by the U.S. Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics. The 2022 report, released Monday, offered […]
Minnehaha County mulls $50 million juvenile detention center
SIOUX FALLS – Minnehaha County commissioners may soon ask property owners to foot the bill for a $50 million replacement of the Juvenile Detention Center (JDC) in South Dakota’s largest city. A new Juvenile Justice Center would supplant the 53-year-old JDC with a modern facility twice as large. The project would add 14 beds for […]
Millions in housing help on the way for abuse victims, veterans and others
Victims of domestic violence, veterans, and those who’ve struggled with housing insecurity in South Dakota will soon have more options for temporary shelter thanks to federal COVID relief money. More than $7.5 million in federal funding will be split between six nonprofits with plans to refurbish or expand living spaces in Sioux Falls, Watertown, Pierre, […]