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How climate change threatens South Dakota’s protected landscapes
Swaths of South Dakota water, grasslands and forests are under federal protection, but climate change recognizes no boundaries. Scientists say South Dakota’s protected lands are vulnerable to pest infestation, wildfire, drought, flooding and more extreme weather in the decades to come. That ranges from a wild stretch of the Missouri River to grasslands in central […]
Noem criticizes universities, issues series of ‘challenges’
Gov. Kristi Noem challenged the South Dakota Board of Regents in a letter Thursday to “improve higher education” in the state through a range of suggestions. Noem said she wants to bolster free speech, ban drag shows and the use of preferred pronouns on campuses, root out Chinese influence, require U.S. history and government classes, […]
State board considering expansion of Black Hills gold mine
A state board won’t make a final decision on the proposed expansion of South Dakota’s lone large-scale gold mine for another two months, after the board listened to two days of testimony during a hearing this week in Pierre. The expansion of the Coeur Wharf Resources mine, just north of Terry Peak and west of […]
Officials seek help for counties at first listening session on public defense costs
ABERDEEN — The caseload of defendants who can’t afford a lawyer has increased exponentially in Brown County in recent years, and public defense costs for criminal cases have more than doubled in the last decade in the county and across the state. That’s putting increased pressure on the county to cover the costs for the […]
South Dakota has a women’s health care shortage. The abortion ban may worsen it, physicians say.
EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the third story in a three-part series about the impacts of South Dakota’s abortion ban. The first story examined the number of South Dakotans leaving the state for abortions, and the second story analyzed the state’s “life of the mother” exception. Avery Olson has a choice to make. She could practice […]
Physicians feel ‘trapped’ by SD’s abortion trigger law. They’re hoping to change it.
EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the second story in a three-part series about the impacts of South Dakota’s abortion ban. The first story examined the number of South Dakotans leaving the state for abortions. The third story looks at the effects of the abortion ban on the recruitment and retention of OB-GYNs. A wave of dread […]
Before and after ban, South Dakotans seek abortions elsewhere: ‘They’re going to find a way’
EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the first story in a three-part series about the impacts of South Dakota’s abortion ban. The second story examines the effects of South Dakota’s “life of the mother” exception, which some critics believe is ill-defined. The third story analyzes effects on the availability of women’s health care. Nobody knows exactly how […]
Board approves ‘minors on campus’ policy following drag show controversy
The state Board of Regents unanimously approved a policy Tuesday responding to public concerns about minors attending a drag show on a college campus. “We threaded the needle between state statute and First Amendment issues or potential challenges,” said board president Tim Rave. “This is a good first step with the framework in place.” Drag […]
State offers portal for local governments to post public information, but few use it
Jackson County government officials don’t post public information on the internet. The rural western South Dakota county, which serves roughly 2,800 residents spread over 1,871 square miles, doesn’t have a website. And it doesn’t intend to, County Auditor Vicki Wilson said. “It takes more time than we have staff,” she said. State government offers a […]
‘Children are political targets’: A family’s struggle with SD’s trans health care ban
Joey enjoys playing basketball and baseball. He’s a sixth grader, and he wants to be an exotic animal vet when he grows up. He likes to build with Legos and he loves science, but he’s not a fan of math. He’s teaching himself how to play the guitar, he plays trombone in the school band […]
SD school districts find compromise between snow days and online learning post-COVID
Whether they sleep with a spoon under their pillow or turn their pajamas inside out – two rituals purported to bring about a snow day – South Dakota students haven’t lost the magic of a serendipitous day off from school. And if school districts across the state have anything to say about it, they’ll always […]
More precipitation, more drought: Rosebud Sioux Tribe to implement climate adaptation plan
Steam rose from snow puddles hours after melting across southwestern South Dakota over Easter weekend. Deer are changing their migration patterns because of drought; magpies have nearly disappeared from the prairie, Native American elders observe. This is the shifting landscape of the Rosebud Reservation, home of the Sicangu Lakota Oyate, or the Rosebud Sioux Tribe. […]