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

Bordewyk named executive director of South Dakota News Watch

David Bordewyk, a widely respected media leader for the past 25 years, is joining South Dakota News Watch as its executive director effective Nov. 1, 2019, the nonprofit organization announced. Bordewyk, a Brookings resident, is the longtime executive director of the South Dakota Newspaper Association. A 1984 journalism graduate of

Contaminants common in SD drinking water but most within legal limits

State testing data show that several contaminants — all of which can be harmful to human health — are commonly found in the drinking water provided to residents of South Dakota, but whether the contaminants are present at unhealthful levels is a matter of ongoing debate. In most cases, the tap water

Severe dental diseases persist in SD due to chronic poverty and lack of access to dentists

Tooth decay, gum disease and many other oral-health illnesses are considered to be 100% preventable, yet many children and adults across South Dakota continue to suffer severe dental problems. A lack of access to proper dental care in South Dakota is driven both by geography and income. With a relatively

Football participation declines in SD and US as brain injury research expands

Tackle football remains one of the most popular sports in America, but participation in high school football in South Dakota and across the United States is falling steadily as the risk of brain injuries from the sport becomes clearer. Participation in 11-player boys football in South Dakota fell by 5.

SD slow to vaccinate children against HPV, a virus that can cause cancer

South Dakota lags behind the rest of the nation in vaccinating children and youths against the Human Papillomavirus, the most common sexually transmitted disease in America that can cause a range of potentially fatal cancers. HPV can exist without symptoms and is a leading cause of throat cancer in men

Wind energy expansion in SD to bring 888 more turbines, $3.3B investment

The prairies and rolling hills of South Dakota will soon become dotted with wind turbines after the approval of eight major wind-energy projects that will bring 700 more turbines and an investment of $2.6 billion in the state by the end of 2020. Two other projects now in the

SD journalism community mourns the loss of Maricarrol Kueter, founding editor of South Dakota News Watch

Maricarrol Kueter, a South Dakota native, longtime leader in the state journalism industry and founding executive director and editor of South Dakota News Watch, died on Aug. 10 after a long battle with cancer. Throughout her fight, Maricarrol, 63, had the strong support of her close family and friends, which
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