Latest South Dakota Headlines

All the headlines from our South Dakota Topic Page, ordered by recency.

FBI Investigating South Dakota COVID-19 Data Breach Linked to Netsential

Aug 24 2020 // The FBI is investigating a data breach that may have compromised the identity of people with the COVID-19 virus in South Dakota.Paul Niedringhaus, who directs the South Dakota Fusion Center that handles emergency calls,...

Phone Use While Driving a 1st Offence in South Dakota on July 1

Jun 30 2020 // Drivers in South Dakota who use their cellphones can be pulled over and ticketed purely for that offense starting July 1.A new state law taking effect July 1 makes it a Class 2 misdemeanor to use a cellphone while driving...

No Aid for South Dakota Residents After Sinkhole Collapse, FEMA Says

Jun 22 2020 // Several South Dakota residents who evacuated from their homes after a sinkhole collapsed, exposing an abandoned mine, in April are not eligible to receive federal aid, according to the Federal Emergency Management...

COVID-19 Keeps 100s Off the Job at South Dakota Smithfield Plant

Jun 18 2020 // Hundreds of workers are still absent from the Smithfield meatpacking plant in Sioux Falls because of the coronavirus pandemic, according to union leaders.AFL-CIO secretary treasurer BJ Motley says between 800 and 1,200 of...

South Dakota Motorcycle Rally Still On After Sturgis Council Vote

Jun 17 2020 // The roar of motorcycles will return to South Dakota’s Black Hills this summer with the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, but with some major modifications.The Sturgis City Council has voted to proceed with preparations for...

South Dakota Property Owners Sue Over Recently Exposed Mine, Sinkhole

May 29 2020 // Residents of a Black Hawk, South Dakota, neighborhood where a sinkhole has exposed an abandoned mine endangering their properties have filed a $75.5 million lawsuit claiming government entities and private developers were...

South Dakota Bull Facility Faces $122.6K in Penalties After Employee Dies

May 27 2020 // A South Dakota bull stud facility faces penalties of more than $122,000 after being cited by federal officials following a worker fatality.The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration...

Man Dies in Fall at South Dakota Construction Site

May 15 2020 // A 24-year-old man died on May 12 in a fall at a downtown Sioux Fall, South Dakota, construction site, police said.Police were called around 10:45 a.m. about a man injured at the construction site of the First Premier Bank...

Meat Workers Taking Leave, Quitting as Plants Reopen Amid Coronavirus Scare

May 6 2020 // America’s meat-processing plants are starting to reopen but not all workers are showing up. Some still fear they’ll get sick after coronavirus outbreaks shut more than a dozen facilities last month. Employees...

South Dakota’s Security Insurance Joins Midwest Insurance Agency Alliance

May 5 2020 // Security Insurance Group Inc. (SIG) of Pierre, South Dakota, has joined Midwest Insurance Agency Alliance (MIAA), a network of insurance agencies across seven states. Founded in 2012, SIG is a full-service insurance agency...

Smithfield South Dakota Plant Eyes Reopening as U.S. Issues Meatpacking Guidance

Apr 27 2020 // South Dakota’s governor on April 27 said she hopes Smithfield’s Sioux Falls pork processing plant can reopen soon, a day after U.S. labor regulators urged the meat industry to adopt certain measures to prevent...

South Dakota COVID-19 Cases at Meat Plant Top 1,000; One Worker Dies

Apr 17 2020 // The number of people testing positive for the coronavirus in South Dakota has surpassed 1,100 and more than half of those cases have some connection to the Smithfield Foods pork processing plant in Sioux Falls.Health...

Smithfield’s South Dakota Pork Plant Closed After 100s Test Positive for Virus

Apr 14 2020 // Virginia-based Smithfield Foods announced Sunday that it is closing its pork processing plant in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, until further notice after hundreds of employees tested positive for the coronavirus — a step...

South Dakota’s Noem Allows Businesses to Stay Open but Backs Limit on Group Size

Apr 8 2020 // As mayors, nurses and doctors across South Dakota urged Gov. Kristi Noem to take action to restrict daily activity, the Republican governor on April 6 dialed up the pressure on businesses and people to curb the spread of...

Company to Pay South Dakota $3.4M in 911 Call System Lawsuit

Mar 19 2020 // South Dakota officials have announced the state will receive $3.4 million in a settlement with the company that used to provide its 911 call system. After a series of alleged 911 call failures, the state decided to switch...

High Rivers, Saturated Soil in South Dakota: A Recipe for Spring Flooding

Mar 10 2020 // Southeastern South Dakota is only one heavy rain or snow storm away from major flooding this spring.While Sioux Falls got a fraction of snow during February, there’s still an elevated risk of flooding. City, county...

South Dakota Legislation Banning Cell Phone Use While Driving Sent to Governor

Mar 5 2020 // A bill passed by the South Dakota Legislature bans the use of smartphones and other electronic communication devices while driving, the American Property Casualty Insurance Association (APCIA) reported.The APCIA supports...

Parents in South Dakota Plead for Tougher Texting While Driving Penalties

Feb 24 2020 // Jacob William Dahl was a 19-year-old Northern State University student when he was killed after running into the back of a soybean truck while looking at his cellphone.Dahl, a 2013 graduate of Castlewood High School, was...

Fire Destroys 4 Businesses in Busy South Dakota Town

Feb 19 2020 // Four downtown businesses in a small southwestern South Dakota community have been lost in a fire, according to the city’s mayor.The Vault restaurant, China Buffet, the Quilt Shop and an ice cream shop were burned in...

Officials: South Dakota 2019 Traffic Deaths Possibly State’s Lowest

Jan 31 2020 // Public safety officials say South Dakota may have recorded its lowest number of traffic deaths in state history.So far, 102 traffic fatalities have been recorded for 2019, the South Dakota Department of Public Safety said....