Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz announced he will not run for a third term in 2026, saying he wants to focus on responding to alleged fraud in federal welfare programs. Reports say Sen. Amy Klobuchar is weighing a possible run for governor.
U.S. Sen. John Thune of South Dakota says Congress has until Jan. 30 to fund the federal government and should finish remaining appropriations bills to avoid another shutdown fight.
Watertown Regional Airport recorded 14,028 passenger boardings in 2025, down 129 from 2024. December travel included 757 passengers to Denver and 648 to Minneapolis-St. Paul.
South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley says he will propose 2026 legislation allowing law enforcement to seize digital cryptocurrency accounts tied to criminal investigations, citing millions in reported losses to scams and fraud.
South Dakota Gov. Larry Rhoden’s proposed FY2027 budget holds state aid flat for K-12 education, Medicaid providers and state employee pay amid slower revenue growth. Lawmakers return to Pierre on Jan. 13 to begin shaping the final plan.
South Dakota lawmakers head into the 2026 session with a stack of property tax ideas from a summer task force, but lower-than-expected state revenue could make broad relief harder to fund. Rep. Jack Kolbeck says legislators are already sorting through nearly two dozen drafts.
South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley praised President Donald Trump and the U.S. military for an operation that captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife. The arrest has drawn international attention as Maduro faces U.S. drug trafficking charges.
Attorney General Marty Jackley says he’ll bring two bills in the 2026 South Dakota Legislature aimed at strengthening investigations into online crimes against children and protecting consumers’ genetic data. The session is scheduled to begin Jan. 13.
Sioux Falls Parks and Recreation recently earned a perfect score in its CAPRA reaccreditation review, and the department is now taking public feedback on a long-range Falls Park master plan that some council members say needs clearer cost estimates.
Creighton University’s Mid-America Business Conditions Index fell to its lowest level of 2025 in the December survey, signaling contraction in regional manufacturing, while a separate Creighton rural index edged back near growth-neutral heading into 2026.