The judge, the lawyers and the media expected a trial to begin next week in a lawsuit over South Dakota's #AbortionRights ballot measure. Then a court employee wrote that he was "not aware of any trial being scheduled," leaving the matter in limbo. southdakotasearchlight.com/2024/09/18/tri…

“Worm Regards”

On this date 49 years ago, KELOLAND News News brought you aerial coverage of a traffic jam at the Sioux Empire Mall's opening in Sioux Falls

This story isn't just about two private businesses that used to work with the DOC. It's about changes to prison industries more broadly. But details on prison jobs were hard to come by. southdakotasearchlight.com/2024/09/27/pri… 1/

The Department of Corrections tore down three sweat lodges during its weekslong lockdown and facility search. This afternoon the agency sent pics of seized ontraband, but it hasn't said what - if anything - was found in the ceremonial spaces. southdakotasearchlight.com/2024/10/07/dep…

New poll exclusive to South Dakota News Watch: Support for ballot measures on abortion rights, open primaries and repealing the state food tax has dipped since May. sdnewswatch.org/south-dakota-e…

Today is the two-year anniversary of SD Searchlight || bsky @southdakotasearchlight.com. I work remote, so I’ve likely lost a few social skills since then. But I’ve regained a sense of purpose and done the kind of work I wanted to but often couldn’t do in corporate media. 1/

A cooperative that owns four ethanol plants has made a second $400,000 contribution to support a Nov. 5 ballot question about #CarbonDioxidePipelines. southdakotasearchlight.com/2024/10/28/eth…

Facing opposition from people opposed to the location of a proposed state prison, Harrisburg rejected a deal to handle the facility's wastewater. Now Lennox is considering how a similar deal could improve the city's finances. southdakotasearchlight.com/2024/10/28/len…

The recent decline in #overdose deaths hides a tremendous disparity by race: Deaths have fallen only among white people while continuing to rise among people of color, according to a new Stateline || bsky @stateline.org analysis of federal data. southdakotasearchlight.com/2024/10/29/ove…

You've probably seen postcards saying an #OpenPrimaries ballot question would "protect veteran voters." They're from a Virginia nonprofit that hasn't disclosed its donors and has spent $889,000 on Amendment H. That's more than in-state groups have spent. southdakotasearchlight.com/2024/10/29/sou…

The U.S. Department of Justice will monitor polling places to ensure #VotingRights in South Dakota’s most-populated county (Minnehaha) and three Native American-majority counties on Election Day. southdakotasearchlight.com/briefs/justice…

In honor of Election Eve, please enjoy the best political sign I’ve seen this season

The South Dakota Senate rarely sees as many new lawmakers as it will when the 2025 legislative session starts rolling in January. Here's a look at recent history and what the large group of freshmen might mean for governance. southdakotasearchlight.com/2024/11/07/sou…

South Dakota Republican Gov. #KristiNoem is President-elect Donald Trump’s choice to run the federal Department of Homeland Security, according to reports from media outlets including CNN. southdakotasearchlight.com/2024/11/12/tru…

The most important SD news today, obviously

"There is a line where seniority and influence go from being an asset to being a liability," SD Republican #JohnThune said 20 years ago while beating then-Minority Leader Tom Daschle. Now Thune is the majority leader. Here's a look at his rise to power: southdakotasearchlight.com/2024/11/13/thu…

The Lincoln County Commission violated #OpenMeetings laws when three commissioners attended an open house for a carbon dioxide pipeline without notifying the public, the Open Meetings Commission decided. Details from that case and others considered: southdakotasearchlight.com/2024/11/18/rel…

“People are not in that situation because of disciplinary reasons. They’re in there for the convenience and management of the institution.”

“I don’t think there is much point in pretending this is not as serious as it is.” SD #PublicBroadcasting could cease to exist in as little as two years if lawmakers adopt Gov. Kristi Noem’s $3.6 million budget cut, the network’s executive director said. southdakotasearchlight.com/2024/12/06/pro…