Briefs
Statewide child care task force meets, sets plan for the rest of the year
A child care task force made up of 24 South Dakota lawmakers, business leaders, parents and early childhood professionals had its first meeting last month, and the group plans to tackle the issue in meetings throughout the rest of the year. South Dakota’s lack of affordable and accessible child care has been a concern in […]
South Dakota Housing launches homebuying assistance program for recent grads
South Dakota Housing will launch its Grants for Grads program Friday, aiming to help college and technical-college graduates purchase their first home in South Dakota. The program is available “for a limited time.” The program existed under former Gov. Dennis Daugaard’s administration in an effort to attract workers to the state, but ended in 2019, […]
Noem meets with Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry’s cabinet in Baton Rouge
BATON ROUGE, Louisiana — South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, who’s in the midst of a controversy over admitting to killing her dog and goat, was in Louisiana to meet with Gov. Jeff Landry’s cabinet Thursday at the state Capitol, multiple attendees at the meeting confirmed to the Louisiana Illuminator. Noem has been in consideration to […]
Tax refund programs open to senior citizens and people with disabilities
South Dakota senior citizens and people with disabilities have until July 1 to apply for sales or property tax refunds under the state’s Tax Refund Program, according to the Department of Revenue. Eligible people may be refunded a portion of the sales or property taxes they paid from the previous year. Sales tax refund applicants […]
Searchlight reporter is a finalist for a national award
South Dakota Searchlight’s Makenzie Huber is a finalist, with Annie Todd, formerly of the Argus Leader, for a Livingston Award from the Wallace House Center for Journalists at the University of Michigan. Huber and Todd are finalists in the Local Reporting category for their November 2023 collaborative series, The Lost Children, examining the causes and […]
Noem dodges CNN questions on abortion exceptions and election certification
Gov. Kristi Noem appeared Sunday on CNN and declined to say whether she supports additional abortion-ban exceptions or whether she would have certified the results of the 2020 election. The only exception in South Dakota’s abortion ban is for the “life of the pregnant female.” CNN “State of the Union” co-host Dana Bash asked if […]
Forest Service bans prairie dog hunting in part of SD’s Conata Basin to protect endangered ferrets
The U.S. Forest Service published a final, permanent order Friday that prohibits prairie dog hunting in part of the Buffalo Gap National Grassland in southwestern South Dakota. The order covers about 125 square miles of black-footed ferret reintroduction habitat in the Conata Basin, within the grassland’s Wall Ranger District in Jackson and Pennington counties. The […]
Pipe supplier sues Summit Carbon Solutions for $15 million
An Arkansas pipe manufacturer is seeking more than $15 million from a company that wants to build a carbon dioxide pipeline system in states including South Dakota amid delays of their agreement, according to a lawsuit filed this week. The lawsuit filed by Welspun Tubular says Summit Carbon Solutions commissioned the company to produce about […]
EPA decides to allow E15 ethanol sales this summer
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency issued an emergency fuel waiver Friday that will allow E15 — gasoline blended with 15% ethanol — to be sold during the upcoming summer driving season. The EPA regulates gasoline sold during the summer to reduce evaporative emissions that contribute to ground-level ozone. That regulation currently prohibits the summer sale […]
How to vote early for the June 2024 primary election
Early voting begins today for South Dakota’s June 4 primary election. Before attempting to vote early, make sure you’re registered to vote. If you’re unsure about your status, check the state’s Voter Information Portal at https://vip.sdsos.gov/viplogin.aspx (where you can also view a sample ballot), or contact your county auditor’s office. To cast an early ballot in […]
Full jury selected in Trump’s criminal trial on hush-money charges
The New York state court trying former President Donald Trump on criminal charges empaneled a full 12-person jury on the third day of the trial Thursday, according to reports. The trial approached the end of its first phase Thursday afternoon as one of six alternate jurors was also selected. Selection of more alternates will continue […]
2024 South Dakota State Fair will start a day earlier, increasing admission costs
The South Dakota State Fair will start a day earlier this year, increasing weeklong admission prices because of the additional day. The fair, held in Huron at the end of August each year, will start on the Wednesday before Labor Day and end on Labor Day. The “necessary and beneficial” extra day will allow for […]