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South Dakota Searchlight •

‘Quiet giant’ of SD politics, Tim Johnson, dies at age 77  • South Dakota Searchlight

Tim Johnson, a former U.S. senator, U.S. representative and state legislator who never lost an election and served longer in state and federal office than any other South Dakotan, has died at age 77.
A former aide, Drey Samuelson, shared the news Wednesday morning on Facebook but did not specify a cause of death. Since 2006, Johnson had dealt with the lingering stroke-like effects of brain bleeding caused by a cerebral arteriovenous malformation.
“He died a few hours ago, surrounded by his famil...
South Dakota Searchlight •

Noem touts SD’s top income growth but doesn’t mention last year’s bottom rank • South Dakota Searchlight

Gov. Kristi Noem celebrated South Dakota’s nation-leading growth in a category of household income, but she didn’t mention a reason why the state was well positioned to improve: It ranked last during the prior year.
Noem’s office issued a news release Tuesday saying South Dakota “once again led the nation in income growth in 2023.”
“South Dakotans are thriving because we defend Freedom and advance their opportunities to pursue their dreams,” said a statement from the Republican governor, which c...
South Dakota Searchlight •

Amendment F: Sending the debate over Medicaid work requirements to voters • South Dakota Searchlight

Supporters of work requirements say they’re a reasonable modification to Medicaid expansion. Opponents say they’re an unnecessary bureaucratic burden on people who need health care.
Voters have a choice between those two perspectives as they consider Amendment F, one of seven statewide questions on South Dakota’s Nov. 5 general election ballot.
Medicaid is a federal-state health insurance program for people with low incomes. In the past, Medicaid was not available to able-bodied adults younger t...
South Dakota Searchlight •

Amendment E: Expanding the state constitution’s scope beyond men • South Dakota Searchlight

The South Dakota Constitution includes a 135-year-old assumption that everybody worth mentioning in the document is a man, but voters could choose to modernize that language.
Amendment E is one of seven statewide questions on the Nov. 5 general election ballot. It would replace male pronouns in the constitution such as “he,” “him” and “his” with neutral words and phrases such as “the governor,” “the lieutenant governor,” “the officer,” “the elector,” “the accused,” and so on.
Amendments to the...
South Dakota Searchlight •

$42,000 lawsuit settlement adds to costs of Noem-ordered border deployments • South Dakota Searchlight

South Dakota Republican Gov. Kristi Noem’s troop deployments to the nation’s southern border now have another cost: $42,000 to settle a lawsuit over a watchdog group’s document request.
The federal government recently paid the money from funds earmarked for the South Dakota National Guard, according to a National Guard spokesman.
The money went to Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, known by the acronym CREW, in Washington, D.C. The nonprofit’s work “targets government official...
South Dakota Searchlight •

Trial for abortion ballot measure in limbo as court staff 'not aware' of planned start date • South Dakota Searchlight

The trial date for a lawsuit against South Dakota’s abortion-rights ballot measure was not added to a court calendar, despite a signed order from a judge saying the trial would begin next week.
That leaves the date of the trial in limbo even as early and absentee voting will begin Friday.
Judge John Pekas signed a scheduling order on Aug. 9 saying the trial would take place during the week of Sept. 23 in Sioux Falls.
This week, Pekas emailed the parties in the case and said, without further expl...
South Dakota Searchlight •

Fears decrease but work remains to control wildfire near Rapid City • South Dakota Searchlight

RAPID CITY — A leader in the fight against a wildfire near South Dakota’s second largest city said Wednesday morning he’s less concerned, even as work to contain the fire continues.
“My comfort level is a lot higher now than it was yesterday,” said Brandon Sanchez, the U.S. Forest Service official who serves as incident commander.
The First Thunder Fire began Monday evening in a rocky and forested area cut by deep canyons in the Black Hills, several miles west of Rapid City. Since then, crews of...
South Dakota Searchlight •

Wildfire burns west of Rapid City; residents urged to stay alert • South Dakota Searchlight

RAPID CITY — Authorities are advising some residents on the western edge of Rapid City to be ready for a potential evacuation order as a wildfire burns nearby.
A pre-evacuation notice was in effect Tuesday morning.
“We’re not evacuating anybody right now,” said Lt. Jason Mitzel of the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office. “However, I would urge the public that lives in the vicinity to be prepared, and get documents, medications and animals ready to go, just in case the wind switches and the fire d...
South Dakota Searchlight •

Senator seeks updated formula for tribal law enforcement funding • South Dakota Searchlight

A week after attending a roundtable with the nation’s top law enforcement official and tribal leaders, U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds, R-South Dakota, is urging the head of a federal department to change the funding formula for tribal law enforcement.
The U.S. Interior Department includes the Bureau of Indian Affairs, which provides policing services for some tribes and funding for other tribes to run their own police departments. Federal support for tribal public safety on reservations in South Dakota i...
South Dakota Searchlight •

Justice disparities on South Dakota reservations need attention, US attorney general says • South Dakota Searchlight

U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland said Wednesday during a visit to South Dakota that national crime rates have declined, but challenges remain on tribal reservations in the state.
“We know that progress in some communities has not been the same,” Garland said. “Progress across the country is still uneven. Of course, there is no level of violent crime that’s acceptable.”
He said that since 2021, the Justice Department has allocated $19.1 million in grants to support tribal justice initiatives...
South Dakota Searchlight •

At least 12 die in motorcycle accidents before, during and after 2024 Sturgis rally • South Dakota Searchlight

Three people died in motorcycle accidents during the recently concluded Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, according to the official tally of the state Department of Public Safety, but the actual number of motorcycle-involved traffic deaths in the state from the days before, during and after the event is 12.
The department, which includes the Highway Patrol, attributes traffic deaths to the rally only if they occur in a particular area of western South Dakota during the official rally dates, up to the mo...
South Dakota Searchlight •

Black Hills groups announce $30 million in federal funding for affordable housing • South Dakota Searchlight

RAPID CITY — A $30 million funding award from the federal government will help Black Hills leaders create local trust funds to support affordable housing, officials announced Monday.
Chris Huber is the CEO of the Black Hills Area Community Foundation. He said Rapid City leaders had to scramble to manage growth during the post-World War II boom years, when the city’s population tripled between 1940 and 1960.
Now the area is experiencing growth as Ellsworth Air Force Base prepares for B-21 bomber...
South Dakota Searchlight •

South Dakota drug conviction is among the baggage RFK Jr. brings to the ballot • South Dakota Searchlight

Bill Walsh picked up a ringing phone in Deadwood during the fall of 1983 and heard Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s voice.
“Bill, I’m off the wagon,” Kennedy said, according to Walsh. “I’ve got a flight coming in tomorrow.”
The two had become friends in 1980. Kennedy campaigned in South Dakota that year for his uncle, U.S. Sen. Ted Kennedy, who ran unsuccessfully for the Democratic presidential nomination.
Walsh and RFK Jr. were fellow Irish-Catholic Democrats, and Walsh was a former priest with experien...
South Dakota Searchlight •

Pesticide labeling becomes issue in South Dakota’s U.S. House race • South Dakota Searchlight

Legislation affecting the regulation of pesticide labels has become an issue in South Dakota’s U.S. House race after a Democratic challenger leveled criticism at incumbent Republican Rep. Dusty Johnson.
The Washington Post reported in June that Rep. Johnson worked with biotech giant Bayer to insert a provision into a draft of the federal farm bill. According to legal and environmental experts interviewed by the Post, the provision could help shield Bayer from lawsuits alleging that frequent use...
South Dakota Searchlight •

Black Hills National Forest proposes higher fees for motorized trails • South Dakota Searchlight

Amid a surge in the popularity of off-highway vehicle use, the Black Hills National Forest is proposing increased fees for motorized trail permits.
Forest officials announced the proposal Monday. Prices per vehicle would rise from $20 to $30 for a weekly permit, and from $25 to $50 for an annual permit.
Businesses that rent vehicles to users currently buy commercial permits for $125 annually per vehicle; under the new proposal, the commercial permit would be eliminated and replaced with a $10 da...
South Dakota Searchlight •

State Supreme Court revives legal challenge to abortion-rights ballot measure • South Dakota Searchlight

An anti-abortion group won the latest round in a court battle over South Dakota’s abortion-rights ballot question.
The Life Defense Fund is attempting to disqualify the measure from the Nov. 5 ballot. A circuit court judge in Minnehaha County dismissed the group’s lawsuit last month. But on Friday, the state Supreme Court reversed that decision and sent the case back to the circuit court for further proceedings.
A sparsely worded order signed by Supreme Court Chief Justice Steven Jensen said “th...
South Dakota Searchlight •

Dozens of children from tribes in South Dakota died at boarding schools, report says • South Dakota Searchlight

A new report on federally supported boarding schools for Native American children says at least 33 of the students who died while attending them — and likely more — were from tribes in South Dakota.
The report also says six known burial sites have been linked to boarding schools in the state.
Each of the 33 deaths was traced to one of the nine tribes in South Dakota: the Cheyenne River, Crow Creek, Flandreau, Lower Brule, Oglala, Rosebud, Sisseton Wahpeton, Standing Rock and Yankton Sioux.
An ad...
South Dakota Searchlight •

Defense secretary orders review of Wounded Knee Massacre medals • South Dakota Searchlight

The medals awarded to soldiers who participated in the 1890 Wounded Knee Massacre will be subjected to a review, the U.S. Department of Defense announced Wednesday.
The department said the review’s purpose is “to ensure no awardees were recognized for conduct inconsistent with the nation’s highest military honor.”
The move comes after years of activism by Lakota people — including descendants of massacre survivors — who want the medals rescinded. 
Oliver “OJ” Semans, a member of the Rosebud Siou...
South Dakota Searchlight •

Trump ‘honored the Constitution,’ Noem says in convention speech • South Dakota Searchlight

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem used her Monday evening speech at the Republican National Convention to praise former President Donald Trump’s devotion to the Constitution, without mentioning that he’s criminally accused of subverting it.
“I’ve been governor under both President Trump and Joe Biden, and people ask me all the time, ‘What’s the biggest difference?’” Noem said from the stage in Milwaukee. “And I tell them that President Trump honored the Constitution.”
A pending federal indictment ag...
South Dakota Searchlight •

Federal judge declines to intervene ‘at this time’ in fight over abortion ballot measure • South Dakota Searchlight

A federal judge is declining, for now, to stop a lawsuit in state court against South Dakota’s abortion-rights ballot measure.
Judge Karen Schreier signed her order Friday. She said a state court should rule on a key issue in the lawsuit before she considers intervening.
But she added, “If the state court ruling contradicts a federal court order, this court will consider the issue at that time.”

The anti-abortion Life Defense Fund filed its lawsuit in state court last month. The group wants to...
South Dakota Searchlight •

Company applies to build 68-turbine, $261 million wind project in northeast SD • South Dakota Searchlight

An energy company has applied to construct another wind farm in northeastern South Dakota.
The company is Chicago-based Invenergy. It wants to build up to 68 turbines through its South Dakota subsidiary, Deuel Harvest Wind Energy South. The turbines would be spread across 54 square miles of privately owned land near the small town of Brandt in Deuel County. The project’s estimated cost is $621 million.
The “south” in the project’s name distinguishes it from the 109-turbine Deuel Harvest Wind Far...
South Dakota Searchlight •

Flood washes away Noem’s false veneer of leadership • South Dakota Searchlight

While the rain fell, she abandoned the state for a political conference and television interview.

When catastrophic floodwaters surged toward McCook Lake, her cursory appearance there — along with her lackluster crisis communications and departure for an out-of-state political fundraiser — left people without adequate warning about the danger they faced.

And after declining to use the National Guard for the flood preparations or response, Noem said activating the Guard would be “extremely expe
South Dakota Searchlight •

McCook Lake residents say their homes were sacrificed, and they want a new flood plan • South Dakota Searchlight

State and local authorities knew they were placing McCook Lake in the path of record high floodwaters but failed to adequately warn residents of the danger, according to some people who live in the flood-ravaged community.

Authorities rejected the criticism and said they executed a long-established flood mitigation plan that was simply overwhelmed by record amounts of water. They also defended their communications, saying they gave multiple warnings to residents before the floodwaters arrived.
South Dakota Searchlight •

Homes and roads in McCook Lake area ravaged by flooding • South Dakota Searchlight

Homes were ruined, roads were washed out, sinkholes opened up, a railroad bridge was destroyed, and rescuers worked through Sunday night into Monday morning to save people from rising floodwaters in the McCook Lake area of southeastern South Dakota.

“It looks like the Grand Canyon here, and it’s just pouring in. What a disaster,” said McCook Lake Association President Dirk Lohry while kayaking the lake and surveying the damage Monday morning. He waded through trash and navigated currents that h
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