South Dakota Searchlight • 20th April 2026

State wildfire division celebrates $4 million investment in new facilities amid busy season • South Dakota Searchlight

RAPID CITY — Firefighters who’ve been busy battling wildfires in South Dakota’s Black Hills celebrated the opening Monday of two state-funded buildings to house their trucks, equipment and training.
Jay Wickham, the director of South Dakota Wildland Fire, has advocated for new facilities for many of the 28 years he’s worked with the division.
He used the word “grateful” to describe his feelings Monday.
“Just a huge gratitude so that our people have a place they can call home, that they can be pr...

South Dakota Searchlight • 14th April 2026

Three candidates pledge changes on Medicaid, ag, taxes and education while governor touts results • South Dakota Searchlight

SIOUX FALLS — Three men who want to be governor of South Dakota vowed to do things differently than the current administration on topics including Medicaid, agriculture, taxes and education, while the governor said his results justify keeping him in the job.
The four candidates for the Republican nomination met in their second televised debate Monday evening, aired by South Dakota Public Broadcasting in partnership with South Dakota News Watch. Early voting is scheduled to begin Friday for the J...

South Dakota Searchlight • 14th April 2026

$4 million for gunsmithing program is latest economic development grant from governor amid campaign • South Dakota Searchlight

RAPID CITY — South Dakota’s governor, who’s in the midst of an election campaign, awarded another grant Tuesday from an economic development fund he controls.
Republican Gov. Larry Rhoden announced a $4 million Future Fund award for Western Dakota Technical College in Rapid City. The college will use the money to move a gunsmithing school from Colorado and incorporate it into Western Dakota’s offerings for students.
Rhoden, who attended Western Dakota decades ago but didn’t graduate, made the an...

South Dakota Searchlight • 8th April 2026

State providing $6 million to grow national security jobs, governor announces • South Dakota Searchlight

BOX ELDER — South Dakota’s governor took the next step Wednesday in his effort to make national security the state’s “next big industry” by announcing the creation of the South Dakota Defense Institute.
Republican Gov. Larry Rhoden, who formerly served in the National Guard, identified national security as a primary economic development focus in his State of the State address three months ago. He made Wednesday’s announcement at the Black Hills Defense & Industry Symposium.
“The federal governme...

South Dakota Searchlight • 7th April 2026

Governor candidates clash over inmate rehabilitation as state builds new prisons • South Dakota Searchlight

Two Republican candidates for governor of South Dakota spotlighted dueling plans Tuesday to prevent repeat crime.
As Gov. Larry Rhoden announced new efforts by his prison rehabilitation task force, U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson pledged to create his own task force while slamming the lack of progress on the issue during the recently concluded legislative session as “unacceptable.”
Their concern about recidivism is rooted partly in recent decisions by Rhoden, his predecessor Kristi Noem and the Legislat...

South Dakota Searchlight • 24th March 2026

Governor’s approval opens South Dakota housing loan fund to big-city airport projects • South Dakota Searchlight

A state loan fund intended to incentivize housing construction will soon be available for airport improvement and maintenance projects in Sioux Falls and Rapid City.
The change is in legislation that lawmakers approved earlier this month and South Dakota Republican Gov. Larry Rhoden signed into law Tuesday while visiting the Rapid City Regional Airport.
“More gates, more flights and more destinations means more visitors, more business and more opportunity,” Rhoden said.
The money for the loans...

South Dakota Searchlight • 15th March 2026

Wildfire near Custer damages 10 properties, authorities say • South Dakota Searchlight

A wildfire that’s grown to more than 11 square miles near the city of Custer in South Dakota’s Black Hills had not caused any injuries as of Saturday night but had damaged about 10 properties, the Custer County Sheriff’s Office said.
The damage ranges from sheds and garages “all the way up to some homes being lost,” said Sgt. Derrick Reifenrath in a video update on Facebook about the Qury Fire.
He said local road closures remained in effect and asked for patience as firefighting continued and ha...

South Dakota Searchlight • 11th March 2026

Higher sales taxes for lower property taxes: Final plan takes shape at South Dakota Legislature • South Dakota Searchlight

PIERRE — After dozens of bills and months of debate about options for reducing homeowner property taxes, South Dakota lawmakers settled Wednesday on plans to use revenue from new and increased sales taxes.
State senators voted 20-13 on Wednesday in favor of the last major part of a multi-bill approach. Senate Bill 245 would capture $114 million in ongoing annual revenue from next year’s scheduled increase of the statewide sales tax rate from 4.2% to 4.5%, and would use that money to reduce local...

South Dakota Searchlight • 9th March 2026

New South Dakota law allows voters to challenge other voters' citizenship • South Dakota Searchlight

Voters in South Dakota will soon be able to challenge other voters’ citizenship.
Republican Gov. Larry Rhoden signed legislation into law last week that authorizes challenges by individuals and election officials.
“We do a lot of things right in South Dakota, and our election integrity is something to be admired and emulated by other states,” Rhoden said in a news release.
The new law will not affect the June 2 primary election, because it won’t take effect until July 1, which is the regular eff...

South Dakota Searchlight • 28th February 2026

Whatever lawmakers do about property taxes, it’s too late to save us from the price of ‘Freedom’ • South Dakota Searchlight

A state senator recently offered an insightful opinion on South Dakota’s property tax conundrum.
He was arguing, unsuccessfully, for a bill incentivizing data center construction. But his comments made a broader point.
“What’s happened in South Dakota is we get people moving here for freedom, and that’s great,” said Sen. Steve Kolbeck, R-Sioux Falls. “But then they work from home. And there is no large commercial building paying property tax.”
In other words, people need public services such as...