Higher Ed & Workforce: Black Hills State University President Steve Elliott says enrollment is up and new programs are coming online, including criminal justice, education/early childhood degrees, a STEM education master’s, business analytics, and a certificate in American Indian Studies, plus a proposed Center for National Defense Studies with SDSU and USD. AI Governance: South Dakota’s Legislative Research Council warns that government use of AI is risky because chatbots can hallucinate on legal questions—sometimes more than half the time—urging lawmakers to be cautious. Healthcare Oversight: South Dakota-based Sanford Health can move forward on acquiring North Memorial Health after signing a 10-year oversight agreement with Minnesota’s attorney general, including long-term commitments to emergency services. Public Health & Safety Tech: CISA reports more than 100 U.S. water systems were targeted in July cyberattacks, while states—including South Dakota—push rules around license plate reader use amid privacy concerns. STEM in Action: SDSU Extension and Union County Electric finished a Prairie Roots project by transplanting native wildflowers beneath solar arrays, blending pollinator habitat with renewable energy. Space Science: NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is set to launch to hunt for “Earth twins” and study dark matter/dark energy. Agriculture & Disease Watch: Bird flu trackers resumed after a long gap, with new H5N1 detections including a South Dakota dairy outbreak. Infrastructure: The Transportation Commission awarded about $3.5M for 40 local bridge projects across the state.