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

Sioux Falls biotech firm rushing to develop coronavirus treatment

A Sioux Falls company — with its team of scientists and a herd of genetically engineered cows — is working quickly to develop and produce an effective treatment for people infected with the coronavirus. SAb Biotherapeutics has emerged as a major player in the effort to generate a viable antidote to the

Land ownership question hovers over $185M Sioux Falls redevelopment plan

Questions about the ownership of a strip of land within the Sioux Steel Co. site in downtown Sioux Falls has created a new, unexpected hurdle for the proposed $185 million redevelopment of the property. The land in question was once a channel of the Big Sioux River and has ownership

South Dakota News Watch wins grant to report on Native American issues

South Dakota News Watch has been accepted into a national grant and educational program that will enable News Watch to expand its coverage of the Native American community in South Dakota throughout 2020. In February, News Watch was one of 12 journalism organizations selected for participation in the Solutions Journalism

SD hunter residency investigation and arrest create ‘nightmare’ for retired combat veteran

The legal language describing who qualifies as a South Dakota resident when it comes to in-state hunting privileges is laid out in state law, but the real-world definition is now murkier than ever.

Serenity still missing: One year later, SD girl’s fate unknown despite extensive search and investigation

Editor’s note: This story has been updated with a new version on April 4, 2023, headlined: 2019 mystery still causing misery. ROCKERVILLE, S.D. – The most extensive investigation in western South Dakota and one of the most exhaustive searches in state history have failed to determine what happened to

A year after Serenity disappeared, broken hearts unable to heal

The passage of nearly a year since Serenity Dennard went missing has done little to soothe the hurt felt by those who love and miss her greatly. In fact, the idea that Serenity has been gone for a year and yet nothing certain is known about her whereabouts is haunting

Surprise inspections part of oversight reforms for SD youth homes

For the first time in South Dakota, unannounced surprise inspections would be conducted at private youth treatment centers as part of a sweeping oversight reform package being pushed by Gov. Kristi Noem. Noem has proposed a major overhaul to how South Dakota oversees, inspects and updates the public about conditions