Pennington County

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Pennington County in dispute with state over opioid settlement amounts

BY: - August 28, 2023

Pennington County is arguing in court that the state should recalculate its national opioid settlement amounts to pay the county’s litigation costs. The national opioid settlement was the product of two channels of litigation: a multidistrict lawsuit against manufacturers and distributors of opioids for their role in fueling the opioid epidemic, and state attorneys general […]

A collage of photos of Acey Morrison at a younger age. Morrison was killed on Aug. 21, 2022 by a man who claimed self defense. (Photos courtesy of Cheryse Hawkins, illustration by Josh Haiar/South Dakota Searchlight)

One year later, no decision in slaying of transgender woman in Rapid City

BY: - August 22, 2023

It’s been a year since a Rapid City man shot Acey Morrison to death in a trailer home north of town. Pennington County prosecutors have yet to decide whether to charge the shooter or close the investigation into her death. Morrison, a transgender Native American woman, was shot after meeting a man on the dating […]

A photo of Abbey Lynn Steele on display during a vigil on Dec. 6, 2022, outside the Pennington County Jail in Rapid City. (Photo by A.J. Etherington/Rapid City Journal)

Justice coalition aims to force change after death of Native American mother

BY: - January 9, 2023

A group of Native American activists and their supporters have refined their demands for Pennington County officials following the death of a young woman who’d been arrested in Rapid City, and they plan to meet weekly all winter long to push for their demands to be met. Tuesday will mark four weeks of group meetings, […]

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 […]

Photo of the Buffalo Gap National Grassland, which features long-grass prairie landscapes

SD counties to receive $15M in federal money with few strings attached

BY: - December 3, 2022

South Dakota counties will receive over $15 million in one-time funds from the U.S. Department of the Treasury over the next two years, with the ability to spend the money on nearly anything they want. The federal money is another form of COVID-19 economic relief stemming from the American Rescue Plan Act. This time, the […]