Sioux Falls School Board bumps up property tax opt-out by $2.1 million per year

The Sioux Falls School Board approved another round of opt-out funding this week to help avoid deep cuts in the district’s budget. The funding mechanism, used by many local school and county boards across the state, is a “critical component” of...

Northeastern South Dakota communities reeling from Saturday night tornadoes

CLEAR LAKE, S.D. (Dakota News Now) - Saturday night’s storms may be something that many in Northeastern South Dakota won’t soon forget. The communities of Clear Lake, Gary and Canby, Minnesota, all dodged tornadoes. On Sunday, those towns are...

Rapid City diving into the sports complex game

Emily DeCock investigative reporter intern emily.decock@sdnewswatch.org Rapid City, South Dakota, leaders plan to build a new indoor sports complex that will cost around $50 million and provide South Dakota athletes with a venue on the west end of...

John Baldwin

Johnny (John) Ray Baldwin was born June 10, 1954, in Hot Springs, S.D., to Lee and Margery (Brendmoen) Baldwin. He was raised in Custer, S.D., as the fourth of five siblings. From a young age, he had a strong connection to the outdoors and enjoyed...

Want to Amend South Dakota’s Constitution? Better Start by July 21!

Published 2025-06-29 by Cory Allen Heidelberger Whether or not Dakotans for Health prevails in its legal battle to stop the state from moving the initiative petition deadline from the first Tuesday in May to the first Tuesday in February, an...

US Rep. Dusty Johnson announces he’s entering race to become South Dakota governor

South Dakota State Jackrabbit FB Promotions & Kickoff Times Set

The South Dakota State Jackrabbit football program will once again give fans plenty to cheer about this Fall, and they've released a few key elements to their 2025 schedule. The Jackrabbits are very much considered to once again be in the...

South Dakota lawmakers tour McCook Lake one year after historic flooding

NORTH SIOUX CITY, S.D. (KCAU) — A year after the historic flooding, roughly a dozen lawmakers in the Rushmore State drove down North Sioux City to see for themselves the recovery efforts. After a tour of McCook Lake, South Dakota lawmakers said...

ICE Barbie Kristi Noem asks fans to vote on their favorite cowboy cosplay for her official governor's portrait

Donald Trump's border chief Kristi Noem engaged in some direct democracy, allowing fans on Instagram the chance to vote on her cowboy-themed governor's portrait. The Department of Homeland Security secretary - now known to some as 'ICE Barbie' -...

Sioux Falls Deck Becomes A Popular Home For Nesting Robins

This isn’t anything too unusual, but still kind of fun — we’ve got a robin (or maybe a whole robin family) that decided the space under our deck on the southeast side of Sioux Falls is the perfect spot for a nest. Earlier this summer, one actually...

South Dakota Plans Stunning Fireworks Display For Nations 250th Birthday

America is having a whopper of a birthday next year, and the state of South Dakota is going to be celebrating the historic event with a bang at one of the country's most storied monuments. Dakota News Now is reporting that United States Secretary...

Severe Storms Wreak Havoc Across South Dakota On Rodeo Night

Saturday night was a wild one in South Dakota! It all started out west near Rapid City, where a small but intense storm began moving southeast toward the Kadoka area. Here's the first interesting part of the evening. There was even a rodeo going...

Senate to vote on cuts to NPR and PBS. Here’s how WHYY and other Pa. stations would be impacted.

With Republicans on the verge of cutting off federal funding for NPR and PBS, one public media executive in Pennsylvania predicts local stations in rural areas will end up becoming “collateral damage” to President Donald Trump’s agenda. “We got...

Crofton Unveils New Freedom Rock, Honors Military Veterans

CROFTON, Neb. — Crofton, Nebraska, has revealed a rock-solid addition to the community’s memorial that honors its military veterans. Tucker-Brown-Everton American Legion Post 128 of Crofton celebrated the Knox County community’s new Freedom Rock...

Senator Mike Rounds seeks fall interns for Washington D.C. and South Dakota offices

Senator Mike Rounds, US Senator for South Dakota | Official U.S. Senate headshotSenator Mike Rounds, US Senator for South Dakota | Official U.S. Senate headshot U.S. Senator Mike Rounds is now accepting applications for fall 2025 internships....

South Dakota State announces kickoff times, promotional schedule

SDSU Sports Information Special events and kickoff times for South Dakota State’s seven-game home football schedule have been finalized. The 2025 season kicks off Aug. 30, when the Jackrabbits host Sacramento State in the Precision Ag Bowl....

Pride in the Park Draws Thousands for Celebration in Rapid City

RAPID CITY, S.D. — The finale to Pride Month in western South Dakota, Pride in the Park drew what organizers believe to be a record-breaking crowd to Memorial Park on Saturday. The event was organized by the Black Hills Center for Equality and is...

Toby Morton sheds light on satirical Logan Manhart website

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (Dakota News Now) - A satirical website claiming to be for Representative Logan Manhart has recently been gaining some attention online. Comedian, filmmaker, and online activist Toby Morton, known for his political satire...

South Dakota Legislature removes lawmaker addresses after killings

By Makenzie HuberSouth Dakota Searchlight PIERRE — South Dakota legislative leaders recently ordered the removal of lawmakers’ home addresses from the Legislature’s website in response to the shootings of two lawmakers and their spouses in...

South Dakota lawmakers ask, why so many inmates?

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) -- Some South Dakota lawmakers are trying to find out why so many men and women are in the state's overcrowded prisons. The Legislature's Initial Incarceration, Reentry Analysis, and Comparison of Relevant States Interim...