Author
Details scant on Guard’s border deployment as Noem visits troops
Gov. Kristi Noem confirmed Tuesday that 50 South Dakota National Guard soldiers are on a previously announced deployment to the nation’s southern border, but she didn’t say what unit they’re from, how long they’ll be there, what it’ll cost, or exactly what they’re doing. South Dakota Searchlight sent messages about those and other aspects of […]
Johnson says members who ‘love chaos’ could hurt Republicans in shutdown fight
South Dakota’s lone U.S. representative said Monday that a handful of his fellow Republicans with extreme positions could hurt the party’s position in negotiations on a potential government shutdown. Congress does not have a deal yet on a short-term spending bill to avert a partial government shutdown before the new fiscal year begins Sunday. Rep. […]
Construction begins on state’s largest soybean processing facility
MITCHELL — Construction of the largest soybean processing facility in South Dakota began Tuesday with a groundbreaking ceremony. The High Plains Processing plant, 2 miles south of Mitchell, is a project of South Dakota Soybean Processors, which already operates two processing plants in Volga and Miller. The company also announced Tuesday that a subsidiary of […]
State launches efforts to fight duck-hunting decline and protect habitat
State officials are embarking on a comprehensive plan to boost duck-hunter numbers that have been declining for two decades, and to preserve waterfowl habitat in the process. The plan focuses on providing better access for hunters. It’s a joint venture between the South Dakota Wildlife Federation, the South Dakota Waterfowl Association, and the state’s Department […]
Carbon pipeline company has not ‘taken any state off the map’ after SD permit rejection
A recently failed permit application is not necessarily the end of a carbon capture pipeline company’s goal of building in South Dakota and four other states, according to a company spokesperson. “We have not taken any state off the map,” Elizabeth Burns-Thompson, of Navigator CO2, told South Dakota Searchlight in an interview Friday. The South […]
Big gains projected in South Dakota corn and soybean production
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is projecting South Dakota’s 2023 corn harvest at 816 million bushels, up 23% from last year’s production, based on new field and survey data. South Dakota farmers will harvest corn on 5.59 million acres. That’s 12% more than last year. The department estimates farmers will harvest an average of 146 […]
Biden administration ‘making it happen’ on infrastructure, Buttigieg says in SD
CHAMBERLAIN — After the previous presidential administration talked about addressing the country’s infrastructure, “We’re actually making it happen,” said U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg on Monday in South Dakota. Buttigieg is on a two-day tour of the state to spotlight federal investments in infrastructure. His first stop was the Chamberlain Municipal Airport, which recently […]
State denies Summit permit; both carbon pipelines proposed in SD now rejected
FORT PIERRE — Some landowners who’ve been fighting against a proposed carbon dioxide pipeline shed tears of joy Monday as South Dakota utility regulators denied a permit application from Summit Carbon Solutions. The decision means both carbon pipelines currently proposed in eastern South Dakota have been rejected in their first attempts to gain permits in […]
Rapid City apartments would offset all their energy use with solar panels
In what’s being described as a rare project for South Dakota, a developer is planning a six-building apartment complex in Rapid City with enough solar panels to offset all of its energy use. The housing will be available to those earning 60% or less than the average income in the area. The project — one […]
Commission staff files motion to deny Summit’s carbon pipeline permit
The South Dakota Public Utilities Commission’s staff has filed a motion to deny Summit Carbon Solutions’ application to construct a carbon dioxide pipeline, citing non-compliance with ordinances in Brown, McPherson, Minnehaha and Spink counties. The news comes after Summit withdrew its request to have the commission overrule county ordinances. Another company trying to build a […]
Commission denies expanded hound hunting for mountain lions after hundreds of comments
WATERTOWN — After receiving hundreds of written public comments, the state Game, Fish and Parks Commission denied a proposal Thursday that would have allowed the use of dogs to hunt mountain lions in a broader area of the Black Hills. However, the commission directed the Department of Game, Fish and Parks to reassess its mountain […]
South Dakota regulators deny permit for Navigator CO2 carbon pipeline
PIERRE — In a unanimous decision, the three-member South Dakota Public Utilities Commission on Wednesday rejected Navigator CO2’s application for a permit to construct the Heartland Greenway carbon capture pipeline in South Dakota. The commission also unanimously refused the company’s request to preempt county pipeline setback ordinances. The ordinances mandate minimum distances between pipelines and […]