Bart Pfankuch

Bart Pfankuch

Total 301 Posts
  • Black Hawk, SD
Title: content director; expertise: agriculture, state government, education, rural issues, Indigenous people, poverty; language spoken: English; contact: 605-937-9398 / bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org

Family of victim in attorney general crash worries if investigation will be thorough; Ravnsborg makes formal statement

Two cousins of the man killed when a car driven by South Dakota Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg struck him say they worry the investigation into the incident is not being handled properly. Victor and Nick Nemec are both cousins of Joseph Boever, 55, who was killed when Ravnsborg struck him

SD election officials say vote-by-mail and voting at polls will be safe, fair and accurate

Editor’s note: This article, the first in an ongoing series on the 2020 election, was produced through a partnership between South Dakota News Watch and the Solutions Journalism Network, a national non-profit group that supports rigorous journalism about responses to problems. The people who will operate and oversee the

Many SD teachers on their own when adding safety barriers in classrooms

South Dakota public school teachers are largely on their own when it comes to building and installing protective barriers for their classrooms that may reduce the spread of the coronavirus among their students and themselves. With no statewide policy in place, and little or no guidance from individual school districts,

Smoking, and possibly vaping, can increase risks of serious health consequences from COVID-19

A growing body of medical research shows that cigarette smokers and possibly e-cigarette users face a significantly higher risk for serious complications from COVID-19 than non-users. Medical professionals across the country are also worried that smoking or vaping may increase a person’s chances of getting COVID-19 in the first

COVID-19 outbreak infects students at Northern State University in Aberdeen

Eight students of Northern State University in Aberdeen and a youth who attended a recent athletic camp on the NSU campus have tested positive for COVID-19, according to a university spokesperson. The university is working closely with the state Department of Health to undergo contact tracing of those with confirmed

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
You've successfully subscribed to South Dakota News Watch
Great! Next, complete checkout for full access to South Dakota News Watch
Welcome back! You've successfully signed in.
Unable to sign you in. Please try again.
Success! Your account is fully activated, you now have access to all content.
Error! Stripe checkout failed.
Success! Your billing info is updated.
Error! Billing info update failed.