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Rattlesnake season leads to close calls, some bites and need for precautions

Rattlesnake season leads to close calls, some bites and need for precautions

Cooler spring temperatures, clouds and rain this year likely slowed South Dakota prairie rattlesnake activity. But as temperatures warm, they’re sure to make themselves seen — and heard. “If you are almost stepping on it, you just jump in the air and do a dance. I mean, I think you

Indigenous artists in S.D. travel new paths to prosperity

Indigenous artists in S.D. travel new paths to prosperity

WHITECLAY, NEB. – Within concrete walls that once housed a liquor store that fueled alcoholism and death among residents of the nearby Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, renowned Native American artist Evans Flammond Sr. deftly draws lines on a huge buffalo hide. Sitting at a table in the building in this small

With CRP acres dwindling nationally, Congress seeks reforms

With CRP acres dwindling nationally, Congress seeks reforms

As the September expiration date of the 2018 Farm Bill approaches, several members of Congress hope to further the program’s conservation efforts and strengthen enrollment incentives.

Native American leaders in South Dakota forge ahead with educational reforms

Native American leaders in South Dakota forge ahead with educational reforms

RAPID CITY, S.D. — Early mornings at the new Oceti Sakowin Community Academy are a joyous time for the roughly 28 kindergartners who attend and the two staff members who teach them. Before classes begin, students join in a circle and sing the “Four Directions” song in Lakota, and students

News Watch presents ‘Lifespan of a Fact’ at Black Hills Playhouse

News Watch presents ‘Lifespan of a Fact’ at Black Hills Playhouse

South Dakota News Watch is presenting the acclaimed play “Lifespan of a Fact” this month at the Black Hills Playhouse in Custer State Park, and Sunday’s performance will feature a panel discussion featuring News Watch staff. The Playhouse describes the play as a “fast-paced story exploding with blistering comedy

South Dakota population on track to top 1 million by 2030 after ‘significant’ growth

South Dakota population on track to top 1 million by 2030 after ‘significant’ growth

A trend of surging domestic migration to South Dakota that began during the COVID-19 pandemic could put the state’s total population above 1 million residents as early as 2030. That growth pattern runs counter to other Midwestern states and highlights the fact that more people are moving to South

Weekly newspapers in South Dakota bucking national news trend

Weekly newspapers in South Dakota bucking national news trend

One heartbreaking phone call in November 2021 sums up the depth of devotion Jill Meier and other weekly newspaper editors across South Dakota feel toward keeping their communities informed. Meier took the call while working at the Brandon Valley Journal and learned that her 83-year-old mother had died at a