South Dakota leaders pledge to cover Rushmore lighting during shutdown

South Dakota Gov. Larry Rhoden has pledged to pay $217 of his own money to keep Mount Rushmore lit for the next week. Rhoden’s Saturday morning announcement came in tandem with pledges from West River lawmakers to personally pay the national...

Sioux Falls tests a new art initiative using pavements as a canvas

A new art initiative that uses pavement as a canvas is being tested by the City of Sioux Falls. The Sioux Falls Intersections project put artist Cameron Abbas’ art on the crosswalks downtown. Abbas said the designs are supposed to resemble home...

How to get an annual pass to South Dakota's state parks for 2026

There are more than 60 state parks and recreation areas spread across South Dakota – and if you're planning to visit in 2026, annual passes are already available. The annual entrance licenses, valid from Oct. 1, 2025, to May 23, 2027, can be...

SDPB Presents South Dakota Symphony Orchestra’s Performance Of ‘Giants In The Earth’

VERMILLION — South Dakota Public Broadcasting (SDPB) will broadcast the South Dakota Symphony Orchestra’s landmark performance of “Giants in the Earth,” the opera inspired by Ole Edvart Rølvaag’s celebrated novel about immigrant life on the...

Sioux Falls' 8th annual Native American Day Parade

Three young girls carry the banner for the 8th annual Native American Day Parade on Monday, Oct. 13, 2025, along Phillips Avenue in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. This year’s theme was, “Pezuta Waste Aupi,” which translates to, “To Bring Good...

Sioux Falls service club introduces civil discourse theme in public Q&As

A 340-member club of business and professional leaders in South Dakota’s largest city hopes its public Q&A events will counteract what club members call a growing breakdown in communication and trust among Americans. Downtown Sioux Falls Rotary...

South Dakota Brewery Wins Gold Medal at Great American Beer Fest

2025 continues to be a good year for South Dakota beer. Bringing home the gold At the just-completed Great American Beer Festival in Denver, more than 400 medals were awarded in more than 100 categories, and a brewer is heading back to the Mount...

South Dakota Power 5 Poll for Oct. 13: Avon climbs to top spot in Class 9B

There's a new No. 1 team in Class 9A following Monday's latest edition of the South Dakota Power 5 Poll. Avon takes over as the top team in South Dakota's smallest nine-man class after last week's No. 1 team, Sully Buttes, was upset by...

Rapid City Rush season starts Friday

New mural on Sioux Falls Food Co-Op building celebrates farmers

Sioux Falls Food Co-Op Mural (Sioux Falls, SD) — South Dakota farmers are being recognized through a new mural in Sioux Falls. The Sioux Falls Food Co-op says the mural on the side of its building was painted as part of the Fairtrade America Mural...

South Dakota city encouraging growth by giving away lots in exchange for promise to build a home

The picturesque city of Chamberlain, South Dakota, on the shore of the Missouri River, is so eager to encourage development of new housing that it bought a tract of land and is giving away lots to anyone who promises to build a home. The free...

South Dakota’s First Lady seeking nominations for first ever South Dakota Rising Award

RAPID CITY, S.D. (KOTA) - South Dakota’s First Lady Sandy Rhoden is looking to recognize South Dakotans that bring a positive light to their communities. To do that she is seeking nominations for the first ever South Dakota Rising Award. There are...

Kraus-Anderson Completes $7.4M Yorkshire Medical Office Building in Brookings, South Dakota

32BROOKINGS, S.D. — Kraus-Anderson has completed the $7.4 million Yorkshire Medical Office Building for Brookings Health System at 2311 Yorkshire Drive in Brookings, a city in eastern South Dakota. Designed by TSP Inc., the 12,000-square-foot...

Sioux Falls man sentenced to life in prison for triple homicide

A Sioux Falls man was sentenced to life in prison on three counts of first-degree murder, more than a year after he shot and killed three people while attending a bonfire. Justin Rackley will serve three consecutive life sentences without the...

Sioux Falls ‘Paint The Plow’ Event Turns Winter Tools Into Art On Wheels

Kiddos across the Sioux Empire traded in their crayons for paintbrushes this past weekend, and their canvases were a bit bigger than usual. On Saturday, October 11, the annual “Paint the Plow” event took over the Great Plains Zoo parking lot in...

Rapid City Police Arrest Teen on Drug and Firearm Charges

Rapid City police arrested 18-year-old Trevor Firstintrouble on October 9 following a late-night patrol in the 300 block of E. Adams Street. Just before 11 p.m., officers encountered Firstintrouble during an extra patrol in the area. During the...

BNSF grain train derails in South Dakota, no injuries or hazmat

(Reuters) -Railroad operator BNSF said on Tuesday it had received a report of a train derailment in Scotland, South Dakota, that has disrupted operations on its main track. The derailed train was carrying grains, BNSF said in an e-mail to Reuters....

Rapid City Transit Reports Strong September Ridership, Driven by Youth Program

The Rapid City Transit System recorded more than 25,000 passenger trips in September, marking the second-highest September ridership total in the past six years. A key contributor to the increase was the ‘Youth Ride Free’ program, which accounted...

Week 8: South Dakota State at Murray State

Jackrabbits (6-0) at Racers (0-6) When: 6 p.m. Saturday Where: Roy Stewart Stadium, Murray, KY TV: No Radio: WNAX-AM 570, Jackrabbit Sports Network Streaming: ESPN+ Records last year: SDSU 12-3; MSU 1-11 Series: Jackrabbits lead 1-0 Last time: The...

South Dakota Bands Shine at Youth in Music Championships; Sioux Falls Lincoln Takes Second

MINNEAPOLIS, MN. (MITCHELLNOW) Several South Dakota high school marching bands took top honors at the 21st annual Youth in Music Championships at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. Out of 34 bands from several states, Sioux Falls Lincoln High...