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Halt to abortions in South Dakota during pandemic led women to get procedure in other states

A temporary halt to abortions in 2020 at the only clinic in South Dakota where the procedures take place led to a big drop in abortions performed in the state last year, but it did not prevent women who wanted to terminate their pregnancies from doing so elsewhere. During the

For now, masks and vaccines optional in South Dakota back-to-school plans

Back-to-school plans for this fall are taking shape in South Dakota and — so far, at least — it looks like most teaching will take place in person and masks and COVID-19 vaccinations will be optional for students, teachers and staff. But safety protocols could change quickly as public school officials keep

South Dakota struggles to provide summer teaching to help students catch up after COVID-19

South Dakota public school systems are trying to provide additional education to thousands of students who lost ground in learning during the COVID-19 pandemic, but educators and parents face major challenges in trying to keep students on track. Almost half of South Dakota School districts, many in rural areas, do

Spike in suicides in South Dakota causing fears of emerging mental-health crisis

A significant spike in the number of suicides in South Dakota in the first three months of 2021 has put the state on pace for a record year for suicide deaths and has prevention experts worried that a long-range mental-health crisis may be emerging. New data from the state Department

Successful opioid addiction treatment slow to catch on in South Dakota

South Dakotans battling addiction to opioids are increasingly relying on medication-assisted treatments to overcome their cravings for the dangerous drugs and to avoid potentially deadly overdoses. However, access to the life-saving medications is limited in South Dakota and some physicians in the state are reluctant to prescribe the drugs that

Daycare limits putting financial and logistical hardships on South Dakota families

A major decline in the availability of affordable child-care options in South Dakota has prevented some parents from entering the workforce and created financial and emotional hardships for low-income families and single parents trying to balance work and daycare needs. Thousands of available daycare slots for children in South Dakota

Worker shortage in South Dakota could raise wages but deter economic growth

South Dakota businesses in the midst of a vigorous post-pandemic economic recovery are scrambling to attract new employees from what has become a limited pool of potential workers. The vast number of open positions and reduced available workforce are the latest wrinkles in the state economy caused by the COVID-19