Health

Low pay complicates efforts to attract, retain nurses in South Dakota

The nursing industry is under pressure in South Dakota as an aging population, fewer nursing students and an older workforce are combining to create staffing shortages. But the state has an added challenge in filling open nursing positions – pay. National nursing studies show RNs in South Dakota earn less than

After 10 years in prison, woman vows to end meth addiction

After 10 years in prison, woman vows to end meth addiction

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – The turbulent path that led Athanasia Comer of Sioux Falls to a life of drinking, drugs and a decade behind bars can be traced to the moment when she was 11 and her stepfather appeared in her bedroom naked. Though he had been verbally and physically

At age 60, madness of meth still haunts woman

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – In addiction parlance, it’s often said that an alcoholic or drug user must “hit rock bottom” before they can finally lift themselves to sobriety. For Teresa Peratt of Sioux Falls, the trauma throughout her life was so great – and her addiction and drug use so

Meth addiction takes toll on South Dakota women

Meth addiction takes toll on South Dakota women

PIERRE, S.D. – The scourge of methamphetamine addiction continues to ravage South Dakota and thousands of its residents and families. Statistics from the state Attorney General’s Office reveal that the meth epidemic has worsened in recent years. In 2017, a total of 3,390 people were arrested on meth-related

Opioid fentanyl causing spike in overdoses in South Dakota

SPEARFISH, S.D. – Drug dealer Eric Reeder of Spearfish got word in January 2017 that one of his customers was in trouble after smoking the fentanyl that Reeder had sold him. “I told you only to take one hit every 20 minutes,” Reeder texted to the 31-year-old man. But the

South Dakota losing fight against resurgent sex diseases

Once believed to be mostly under control, sexually transmitted diseases such as chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis and HIV/AIDS are all on the rise in South Dakota and across the nation, reaching near-historic infection rates. Prevention efforts by South Dakota public health officials have not reversed a trend of increasing STD