Business
Total 184 Posts
South Dakota Matters: Child care crisis in South Dakota — on online panel discussion Dec. 16, 2021
South Dakota is experiencing a crisis in regard to a lack of access to quality, affordable child care across the state, and the situation is causing great stress and pressure on working families, daycare providers and employers who are struggling to find workers.
The COVID-19 pandemic has further restricted access
Home heating costs high and getting higher in South Dakota
Many South Dakota consumers already facing high prices for gasoline and groceries should also expect to pay far more to heat their homes this winter, with prices for propane and heating oil already far higher than last year and rising fast.
Some experts worry the high prices could push some
Investigation part 3: Lawmakers call for inquiry into Cammack COVID grants
Two South Dakota legislators are calling for further investigation into more than $700,000 in state COVID relief grants given to Chris Cammack, son of Senate Majority Leader Gary Cammack.
The calls for deeper inquiry into the grants follow an Oct. 11 South Dakota News Watch investigation that raised questions
Investigation part 4: Federal government relied largely on local lenders to vet more than $800 billion in COVID loans
Significant direct oversight of the federal Paycheck Protection Program, which provided more than $800 billion in forgivable loans to U.S. business during the pandemic, was placed in the hands of the community banks and lending institutions that issued the loans.
Jaime Wood, South Dakota director for the U.S.
Rising prices for meat and other groceries placing financial burden on South Dakota families
Rising food prices have added another financial burden on South Dakota families already facing increased costs for essential goods and services during the pandemic and amid a recent spike in inflation.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the average price of food bought for home consumption has risen at double the typical
Investigation Part 2: South Dakota outsourced management and auditing of COVID relief grants
The state Bureau of Finance and Management is not conducting its own auditing of individual grant applications or grants awarded under the Coronavirus Relief Fund, according to Colin Keeler, director of financial systems in the department.
The state hired an independent firm to manage both the application and award process
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