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

Faded pavement markings make South Dakota roads less safe

RAPID CITY, S.D. – Driving on East North Street in Rapid City can be trying. In the 100 block, the four-lane road curves up a hill into a busy commercial district. Pedestrian traffic can be heavy and cars frequently turn on and off the street from nearby homes, motels and

Wind farm surge drawing vocal opposition in South Dakota

HIGHMORE, S.D. – After years of lagging behind neighboring states, South Dakota is suddenly poised for dramatic growth in wind energy production. That means hundreds more wind towers are headed to South Dakota in a frantic pace that could triple the size of the wind industry in the state over

Messy debate: Waste piping issue pits neighbors against large farming operations

BIG STONE CITY, S.D. – Kathy Tyler drove past a section of Grant County farmland she owns in the fall of 2016 and noticed that a metal culvert had been installed under a small driveway on her land. No one had asked permission to be on her property or alerted

Payday loans gone, but need for quick cash remains

RAPID CITY, S.D. – For 15 years, South Dakota residents who needed a small amount of money in a hurry could turn to storefront lenders who made so-called payday loans at annual interest rates that could rise well over 500 percent. The industry thrived, and payday lending businesses that made

Black Hills gold mine plan ignites protests

Black Hills gold mine plan ignites protests

ROCHFORD, S.D. – One paved road leads in and out of Rochford, a remote Pennington County town that suddenly has become the center of a heated and growing debate over a proposal to mine for gold in a pristine part of the northern Black Hills. With state permits in hand,

Sales tax breaks: Consumers pay, big businesses get exemptions

You pay it when you buy a pair of jeans, a couch or a loaf of bread. Many shoppers don’t even notice the small tax assessed at the bottom of the sales receipt. But Margaret Straley does. And last month, the Sioux Falls woman’s explanation to lawmakers how

Reckless roads: Hard lessons

A range of emotions swept over Cassondra Grogan as she sat in her car on the side of a Mitchell street, a police car with its lights flashing parked behind her.