The Daily Slice, your Black Hills news podcast in under 10 minutes. Delivered every morning Monday-Friday at homesliceaudio.com/dailyslice
Rapid City Man Arrested After Fleeing Multiple Crashes, Crashing Into Car Wash
RAPID CITY, S.D. – A 21-year-old Rapid City man was arrested Wednesday night after allegedly fleeing multiple crash scenes, leading police on a pursuit through the city before crashing into a business car wash. Police arrested 21-year-old Manuel Perez after fleeing a traffic stop following an accident in which he allegedly rear-ended another vehicle at the intersection of Anamosa Street and North LaCrosse Street. The pursuit ended after Perez lost control of the Ram Pickup he was driving on E. Highway 44, crashing into a car wash. He was facing multiple charges, including D-U-I, Eluding and driving without a license.
Governor Larry Rhoden Pushes for Swift Action on Property Tax Relief with 3% Cap Proposal
PIERRE, S.D. – Governor Larry Rhoden says he wants to move fast on providing property tax relief. He was flanked by legislators and staff Thursday at a news conference. They were part of the working group that is introducing a plan to cap property tax increases on owner/occupied homes. Rhoden says the proposal will cap property tax assessment increases at 3-percent for the next five years. The bill will start in the State Senate.
House Committee Rejects Stricter Regulations on Lithium Mining in South Dakota
PIRRE, S.D. — A bill placing stricter regulations on lithium mining failed in a House committee today. The Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee voted to kill the measure after state officials said current oversight is sufficient. The bill would have moved lithium mining under the same rules as gold mining, instead of gravel pit regulations. Currently, five lithium mining sites operate in South Dakota.
Senate Advances Trump’s Cabinet Picks, Confirms Kennedy for Health Post
The Senate is progressing with President Donald Trump’s Cabinet nominations, scheduling key votes for next week. On Thursday, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was confirmed as the Secretary of Health and Human Services. Kennedy has pledged not to eliminate any vaccines but emphasizes the need for further research. Trump’s allies have long viewed the confirmation of his nominees as an essential early test of his influence in Congress. Next week, the Senate is set to vote on Trump’s selections for FBI director, small business administrator, and secretary of commerce.
Drone Strike Hits Chernobyl as Zelenskyy Questions U.S. NATO Stance
CHERNOBYL NUCLEAR POWER STATION, Ukraine (AP) — A drone strike damaged the outer shell of Ukraine’s Chernobyl nuclear plant on Friday, briefly sparking a fire. Kyiv blamed Russia, but the Kremlin denied involvement. The U.N. nuclear agency reported no radiation increase and said the plant’s inner containment shell was intact. Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told the Munich Security Conference that the U.S. has never viewed Ukraine as a NATO member. He is set to meet with Vice President JD Vance, as observers hope for insight into President Donald Trump’s recent call with Vladimir Putin and possible plans for ending the war.
Middle East latest: 3 Israeli men named as latest to be freed in hostage release
The families of Israeli hostages still held by the Hamas militant group have welcomed the “joyous news” that three men, all taken from the same kibbutz on Oct. 7, 2023, are expected to be freed on Saturday. Hamas-led militants released the names of the male hostages in the latest indication that the fragile ceasefire deal that had teetered in recent days will hold. The Hostages Families Forum said Friday that Iair Horn, 46, Sagui Dekel Chen, 36, and Sasha Troufanov, 29, are set to be freed after 498 days in Hamas captivity. The news came after Hamas said Thursday it would release the next three Israeli hostages as planned this weekend in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.
TikTok Returns to US App Stores After Temporary Removal
Apple and Google have restored TikTok to their U.S. app stores following an executive action by President Donald Trump last month that delayed a ban on the popular social media platform. TikTok was briefly shut down for 14 hours in January but credited its swift return to Trump’s assurances that the app would remain operational. Despite this, its 175 million users faced issues as the app was unavailable for download on Apple and Google Play stores that weekend. Apple had previously stated it removed TikTok due to the ban, though existing users retained access.
Southern California hit by destructive debris flows caused by heavy rains
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Debris flows brought on by the strongest atmospheric river of the season swept a car off a southern California highway and into the ocean and left roads submerged in sludge. While the heavy rains from the storm hitting the region have begun to ease, the risk of rock and mudslides on wildfire-scarred hillsides continues Friday since dangerous slides can strike even after rain stops. There is particular risk in scorched areas where vegetation that helps keep soil anchored has burned away. To the north, snow and ice caused major pileups on highways in Oregon and Washington, injuring at least 10 people. The West Coast storms are just the latest in a week of bad weather across the U.S.
