Bart Pfankuch

BISON, S.D. – Obtaining quality medical care is difficult for the roughly 350 residents of Bison and studies show that they and others living in remote rural areas of America have a higher mortality rate as a result. The northwestern South Dakota town lies about 30 miles from the North

A debate is raging in Pierre this legislative session over how – and some say even if – taxpayers will see a reduction in the sales tax rate now that South Dakota has begun to collect new money from online retailers. When it comes to legislative intrigue, the contentious wrangling over the

RAPID CITY, S.D. – More than 40,000 South Dakota children, from infants to teenagers, live in families with incomes low enough to qualify for the federal food stamp program, creating challenges for a fruitful childhood and a prosperous adult life. The number of children in South Dakota families receiving

Every year, about 30 percent of South Dakota high school graduates who enroll in a state university must take remedial courses in math or English because they don’t test high enough in those topics. Those courses cost the students about $1,000 per class and provide them with no

Jobs are plentiful in South Dakota, but most positions pay far below the national average and lower than neighboring states. In fact, South Dakota has the third-lowest average wage for employed people in the country behind only Arkansas and Mississippi. A News Watch analysis shows that the lowest-paying jobs — in

WAGNER, S.D. – The pending closure of ShopKo department stores may have devastating effects on six South Dakota small towns that will suffer job losses, decreased access to basic necessities and reductions in sales-tax collections that could limit municipal services. The announcement that the retail chain will close several stores