Read the latest news from regional and global sources, presenting different voices and perspectives.

South Dakota Bacterial Contamination Rates in Retail Meat
Most Americans take for granted that the food they purchase at the grocery store is safe to eat. But ensuring the safety of the food supply requires a coordinated effort involving scientific monitoring, regulatory oversight, and public health...

International Women in Engineering Day
RAPID CITY, S.D. (KOTA) -June 23rd is known as International Women in Engineering Day. This day is meant to celebrate women in engineering careers and highlight their opportunities and accomplishments. “You can do whatever you want to do,” says...

Feeding SD received $305,000+ check during Prime Time Gala; Total donation from South Dakota Cattlemen's Foundation exceeds $3-million in 12 years
On Saturday night (June 21, 2025) during the 12th Annual Prime Time Gala, the South Dakota Cattlemen’s Foundation presented a donation to Feeding South Dakota, on-stage at the Denny Sanford PREMIER Center, in the amount of $306,621. This makes the...

How many H-1B petitions approved for employers classified under the Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services industry in Sioux Empire Today publication area during 2024?
Jennifer B. Higgins, Deputy Director, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services | https://medium.com/the-u-s-digital-service/meet-the-dhs-digital-service-champions-may-2018-caee7dade2bJennifer B. Higgins, Deputy Director, U.S. Citizenship and...

Free sports' physicals offered in Rapid City
RAPID CITY, S.D. — Monument Health is providing free sports physicals this year to ensure young athletes are in condition to participate in their chosen sport. Organizers said sports physicals don’t replace annual wellness visits or well child...

Research balloon draws attention of Milwaukee skywatchers
MILWAUKEE, Wis. – If you saw a lonely balloon floating through the Milwaukee sky over the weekend, you were not alone. The National Weather Service reported the balloon belonged to Aerostar, a Sioux Falls, South Dakota-based aerospace and defense...

As Temperatures Soar In Sioux Falls, Roads Start To Buckle
Crazy from the heat! Last week's heatwave here in the Sioux Empire started driving most everyone crazy. Now, don't get me wrong, I love the summer months, but even I admit all those upper 90-degree temps, combined with the gusty winds, started...
Federal cuts roundup: The impact on South Dakota
Sioux Falls, SD (South Dakota News Watch) After DOGE job cuts and an ongoing staffing shortage, former National Park Service employee Sydney Hansen isn't sure whether anyone will be available to lead popular cave tours at Jewel Cave National...

South Dakota Department of Social Services Mental Health Memos for 2025: The Power of Mindfulness
June 2025: About the author: Joyce Becker, MS, OTR-L, Life Skills Coordinator/Psych Rehab Occupational Therapist Courtesy photo The Power of Mindfulness: A Core Skill in Psychiatric Rehabilitation at HSC What Is Mindfulness? Mindfulness is “paying...
South Dakota State University offers summer grilling safety tips
Spring in the West comes with a variety of weather, from snowstorms to 70-degree days, and with the taste of warmer weather comes the itch to get out and grill. Many families’ grills have been put away since the first blizzard and have stayed cold...

South Dakota beef producers enjoying prices but face uncertainty
RAPID CITY, S.D. — Agriculture is the number one industry in South Dakota creating a $32 billion dollar impact on the state. The beef industry is one of the largest components of the state’s ag sector ranking the state in the top 10 in production...

OST Child Care & Development Program kids getting new home by the end of the year
RAPID CITY, S.D. (KOTA) - Monday, the Oglala Sioux Tribe Child Care and Development Program got to paint some of the drywalls inside the new STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Mathematics) Development Facility in Pine Ridge, marking a...

Home addresses temporarily taken off South Dakota legislative website
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (Dakota News Now) - On Saturday, a tragic shooting took place in Minnesota where a gunman pretending to be a police officer shot multiple lawmakers, killing one: Representative Melissa Hortman. In response, some states around the...

ForeverWell Games underway at Rapid City YMCA
RAPID CITY, S.D. — The YMCA’s 2025 Foreverwell Games are a celebration of active living, competition and community spirit for men and women ages 50 and older. The Senior Games take place statewide, but the Rapid City YMCA renamed the games...

SOUTH DAKOTA-IRELAND TRADE COMMISSION TO MEET
PIERRE – The South Dakota-Ireland Trade Commission will hold its first meeting of the 2025 Interim on Monday, June 23, 2025, at 10:30 a.m. (CT). The meeting is being conducted via electronic conference and at Avera Hall at the University of South...

South Dakota: Comprehensive property tax task force to meet
PIERRE – The Comprehensive Property Tax Task Force will hold its second meeting of the 2025 Interim on Wednesday, June 25, 2025, at 9:30 a.m. (CT). The meeting is being conducted via electronic conference and at Avera Hall at the University of...

Rapid City hydrant block parties bring out the crowds at Sioux Park
RAPID CITY, S.D. — Now in its third year, the first of two hydrant block parties was held Wednesday afternoon at Sioux Park in Rapid City. The Rapid City Fire Department, parks and rec, solid waste, the library, and the police department...

Strange Beam from South Dakota Aimed at Illinois?
This sounds like something out of a science fiction novel, but it's really happening right now miles under our feet. There's a project where a mountain in South Dakota is being hollowed out with the hope that it will soon be able to fire a beam at...

Jerod Ibarolle Named Among Forbes Best-in-State Wealth Advisors
Ibarolle ranked No. 18 in South Dakota. He has served area investors for the past 14 years. “I became an Edward Jones financial advisor to help the people in my community feel confident in their financial lives and secure about their future,”...

South Dakota State University releases academic list
South Dakota State University announces Kaleigh Small, Basehor, has been named to the dean’s list for the spring 2025 semester. Small is a student in SDSU’s College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences. Overall, 3,820 students from 37 states...