American Rescue Plan Act

U.S. President Joe Biden speaks to mayors from across the country during an event at the East Room of the White House on Jan. 20, 2023, in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)

U.S. mayors at the White House hear praise from Biden on rebuilding post-pandemic

BY: - January 20, 2023

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden hosted more than 200 of the nation’s mayors at the White House on Friday afternoon, highlighting economic growth and the effectiveness of their bipartisan leadership as the country moves on from the COVID-19 pandemic.  “I want to thank the mayors across the country for doing everything they can do to […]

Lt. Gov. Larry Rhoden speaks about Pivot Point, a crisis stabilization center set to open in 2023 in Rapid City. (Photo courtesy of Pennington County Sheriff's Office)

Crisis care centers to seek aid from state lawmakers in 2023

BY: - December 31, 2022

Three crisis care centers in South Dakota that got a boost from federal funding are likely to seek additional state money for ongoing operations, and that could spark debate among legislators. The centers in Rapid City, Yankton and Watertown will help locals avoid trips to the state-run Human Services Center (HSC) in Yankton, the only […]

Gov. Kristi Noem presents her fiscal year 2024 budget proposal to legislators on Dec. 6, 2022, at the Capitol in Pierre. (Makenzie Huber/South Dakota Searchlight)

Child care is a major workforce concern. Why wasn’t it in Gov. Noem’s budget address?

BY: and - December 14, 2022

Child care is one of South Dakota’s most pressing workforce issues, with cities, businesses and organizations searching for solutions to keep child care accessible and affordable across the state. Gov. Kristi Noem addressed it as such on the campaign trail, but it did not appear in her Dec. 6 budget address to the Legislature, in […]