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.
South Dakota lawmakers will meet in a special session to decide on a proposed $650 million men’s penitentiary in Sioux Falls, but members of the Freedom Caucus remain opposed. While Lieutenant Governor Tony Venhuizen, who led the prison task force, says he’s confident in the plan’s passage, caucus members fear the price tag could balloon to $1 billion. Governor Rhoden’s office maintains the project is capped at $650 million.
Sioux Falls police arrested Baruti Ndadyo after he allegedly threatened to kill his mother and brother and assaulted a worker on East 12th Street. Authorities say Ndadyo was caught going through a vehicle when confronted by an employee, then attacked the worker and threatened others with a pickaxe before fleeing. Officers located and arrested him a short time later. Ndadyo is now facing aggravated assault charges.
South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley announced that Huron contractor Julio Morales-Ortiz has been sentenced for defrauding seven customers out of more than $36,000. Morales-Ortiz pleaded guilty in Beadle County Circuit Court to theft by deception, receiving a suspended 10-year prison sentence, probation, and jail time.
South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley has officially entered the race for Congress, launching his campaign in his hometown of Sturgis. Jackley, now in his fourth term as Attorney General, joins State Senator Casey Crabtree in the Republican primary to replace Congressman Dusty Johnson, who is seeking the governor’s office. Highlighting his conservative record, Jackley says he will prioritize public safety, border security, economic growth, and accountability in Washington while continuing to serve as AG.