An 18-year-old Lake Andes woman is facing two felony charges after allegedly threatening a woman and her infant during a rent dispute in Wagner. Police say Margaret Fischer struck the victim with a BB gun, pointed it at both her and the baby, and tried to push her down the stairs during the September 5 incident.
Membership rates at the Mitchell Recreation Center and Indoor Aquatic Center will rise by 3% in 2026 following approval from the Parks and Recreation Board. Annual family memberships will increase to $811.75, youth to $351, and adult memberships to $540.75, with monthly auto-renew options going up by $1–$2.
The Mitchell City Council is set to discuss a packed agenda today, highlighted by the city’s first proposed roundabout at West 23rd Avenue and North Ohlman Street.
Deanell Backlund of Mitchell, a longtime educator and community volunteer, is among 14 nominees for the 2025 Spirit of Dakota Award. The annual honor celebrates South Dakota women for leadership, service, and strength of character.
Senator Mike Rounds is inviting South Dakota high school seniors to apply for a nomination to the nation’s prestigious U.S. service academies. Applications for the Class of 2030 are due by October 10, with opportunities to attend the Air Force Academy, West Point, the Naval Academy, and the Merchant Marine Academy.
Federal prosecutors have charged 88 people in South Dakota this summer in a sweeping drug trafficking crackdown tied to cocaine, fentanyl, and methamphetamine. U.S. Attorney Alison Ramsdell says the indictments, spanning April through August, were the result of joint investigations by federal, state, tribal, and local task forces. Major cases involved large-scale conspiracies moving hundreds of pounds of meth and fentanyl through Sioux Falls, Rapid City, Pierre, and Aberdeen.
South Dakota is facing a major bird flu outbreak, with more than 135,000 turkeys destroyed at three facilities to contain the spread. North Dakota has also reported cases, losing over 60,000 turkeys in commercial flocks. Agriculture officials stress that poultry products remain safe to eat despite the outbreak.
Mitchell is moving ahead with a 20-acre west cemetery expansion to meet future burial needs, with design work scheduled for 2025 and construction planned for 2027. The Golf and Cemetery Board approved a $12,200 design contract, with an optional $8,500 east-side expansion. While the design cost runs $700 over budget, officials say the project remains on track. The west site could eventually accommodate up to 10,000 burials, with phased development ensuring long-term capacity and financial planning.
Mitchell city officials are proposing a $2.5 million fire station on the north side of town to improve emergency response times and reduce insurance costs for residents. The station would be built near the old water treatment plant on Highway 37, with design work beginning in 2026 and an opening planned for 2027. City leaders say the new location will allow firefighters to reach the north side more quickly, while housing four firefighters who will share equipment with the current Public Safety building.
Sioux Falls property owners dealing with the costly removal of Emerald Ash Borer–damaged trees will soon see relief through the city’s new CommuniTree Program. Backed by a five-year, $3 million USDA grant, the initiative will plant more than 2,500 trees along public rights-of-way. Urban Forestry Specialist Brian Peterson says the program aims to replant smarter than during the Dutch Elm Disease era, with the city covering planting and the first year of care. Qualified property owners will be contacted directly.