The South Dakota Legislature is accepting applications for 22 student interns to serve during the 2026 legislative session, which begins January 13. The program offers college and university students from all majors a paid, hands-on experience in state government, including assisting lawmakers, attending committee hearings, and working in caucus meetings. Interns earn $185 per day—about $7,200 for the full session
South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley has joined 43 other Attorneys General in demanding that leading artificial intelligence companies take action to protect children from harmful content. In a letter sent to firms including Anthropic, Apple, Google, Meta, Microsoft, OpenAI, and xAI.
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
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.