The South Dakota Highway Patrol is rolling out new technology to reduce the dangers of high-speed chases. The system, called StarChase, fires a small GPS tracker onto fleeing vehicles, allowing troopers to track suspects in real time without engaging in risky pursuits.
The Dakota Counseling Institute is expanding its services with a new 20-bedroom short-term housing facility in Mitchell. The project will renovate the former Coach Light Motel, following approval from the Mitchell Planning Commission.
A 53-year-old Sioux Falls man faces deportation more than 30 years after a teenage drug conviction. Vone Phrommany, who immigrated from Laos at age six, was detained by ICE in Arizona last month.
South Dakota’s two busiest airports are receiving more than $760,000 in state-approved funding through the Aeronautics Commission. Sioux Falls Regional Airport will receive nearly $350,000, while Rapid City Regional Airport gets about $413,000 to support its ongoing multi-million-dollar terminal expansion project.
Federal budget cuts are hitting South Dakota nonprofits hard, forcing layoffs, program reductions, and major funding losses. South Dakota Public Broadcasting, Feeding South Dakota, and the South Dakota Humanities Council are among the hardest hit, with some losing all federal support. SDPB is cutting a quarter of its staff, Feeding South Dakota is eliminating over a million meals, and the Humanities Council has already ended grant programs.
Authorities have issued an Endangered Missing Persons Advisory for 16-year-old Alyssa Marie Fortner, last seen Friday, August 22, in Fort Pierre, South Dakota. Officials say Fortner packed her belongings, turned off her phone, and left without vital medication. She is described as 5’6”, 180 pounds, with hazel eyes and brown hair, and may be traveling in a dark gray or black sedan with a broken rear taillight
Drivers in Mitchell, South Dakota, should expect road closures this week as crews complete street improvements. Foster Street is closed from 5th to 7th Avenue today and Tuesday, with access to the Avera Queen of Peace Hospital main entrance remaining open.
Governor Larry Rhoden has launched the Governor’s Resilience and Infrastructure Task Force (GRIT), which held its first meeting last week in Pierre. The group includes state officials, utility leaders, and cybersecurity experts, working together to assess risks, guide policy, and strengthen South Dakota’s critical infrastructure.
Construction has begun on Founders Crossing, a $200 million mixed-use development in southeast Sioux Falls at 57th Street and Veterans Parkway. Anchored by Good Samaritan, the project will include senior living communities, a Sanford Health clinic, and a Lewis Drug location.
Bret Michaels rocked the Corn Palace Festival Saturday night, drawing the largest crowd of the three-night concert series. Nearly 4,000 fans attended the festival, which also featured country star Justin Moore and Christian artist Micah Tyler. Michaels closed his show by teasing a return with a special guest in 2025. Organizers say ticket sales were close to last year’s totals, and this year marked the final festival with the current arena seating before renovations begin.