Bart Pfankuch

Bart Pfankuch

Title: content director; expertise: agriculture, state government, education, rural issues, Indigenous people, poverty; language spoken: English; contact: 605-937-9398 / bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org

University faculty in SD fear return to campus may lead to COVID-19 outbreaks

The plan to return to face-to-face teaching and learning at colleges in South Dakota in August is causing great concern among faculty and staff who fear that campuses across the state could become sources of major outbreaks of the potentially deadly coronavirus. Though extensive planning and preparation are underway to

Back-to-school plans in SD awash with worry over safety of children, teachers and staff

With a new school year fast approaching in South Dakota, the usual feelings of excitement, anticipation and opportunity have been replaced with angst, anxiety and worry. The COVID-19 pandemic has cast a pall of uncertainty over whether students, teachers and staff can safely return to schools for in-person teaching and

Committed to their communities: Two rural medical professionals go the extra miles

Editor’s note: This article is part of the final segment in the South Dakota News Watch series, “Small Towns, Big Challenges” and features two rural medical professionals who show a deep commitment to providing medical care to residents of remote small-towns in South Dakota. In many rural areas of

Special report: How four SD small towns are managing change — Lemmon, Webster, Edgemont and Lake Andes

Editor’s note: This article is the final piece of a three-part special report by South Dakota News Watch. The “Small Towns, Big Challenges” series was supported in part by a grant from the COVID-19 Local News Relief Fund Grant Program sponsored by Facebook. Lemmon has a new ‘fire in

Media expert: Loss of local news outlets leaves public less informed and damages democracy

The very framework of democracy in America is being weakened by the rapid, widespread demise of local news organizations, particularly small newspapers that once served as trusted providers of information and pillars of their communities, according to Margaret Sullivan, who spoke virtually to a South Dakota audience on Tuesday, June

Special report: Pandemic threatens fragile rural health care system

Editor’s note: This article is the second of three parts of a special report by South Dakota News Watch. The “Small Towns, Big Challenges” series was supported in part by a grant from the COVID-19 Local News Relief Fund Grant Program sponsored by Facebook. Part three will appear next

South Dakota News Watch live virtual town hall discussion on small towns

Small towns across South Dakota are at a crossroads, facing historic declines in population and economic activity but also seeking new ways to thrive and grow. The COVID-19 pandemic, while not significantly infecting rural populations, has indirectly affected both potential paths. While the pandemic has hurt the agricultural economy and