The Daily Slice, your Black Hills news podcast in under 10 minutes. Delivered every morning Monday-Friday at homesliceaudio.com/dailyslice
Murdo firefighter dies in crash Saturday night
MURDO, S.D. — The South Dakota Highway Patrol says a Murdo firefighter died enroute to a large grass fire in a single vehicle crash Saturday evening, four miles north of Draper, SD. The name of the 37-year-old firefighter has not been released pending notification of family members. Preliminary crash information indicates the driver of a 1989 Ford Fire Tender was traveling northbound on 279th Street while responding to a fire north of Draper. The vehicle left the roadway, rolled and ejected the driver, who was pronounced deceased at the scene. The South Dakota Highway Patrol is investigating the crash.
Willow Lake man dies in Buffalo County crash
FORT THOMPSON, S.D. — A 43-year-old man from Willow Lake died in a late night crash with a semi Thursday evening, 14 miles east of Ft. Thompson, SD. The names of the persons involved have not been released pending notification of family members. Preliminary crash information indicates the driver of a 2015 Peterbilt was hauling hay bales on SD Highway 34 near mile marker 284 when a strap broke causing the rear bales to fall off the trailer. In an effort to go back and clear the bales from the road, the driver attempted to turn the semi around near a gravel road intersection and the rear tires of the trailer got stuck in the south side ditch, immobilizing it. The approaching driver of a 2022 Toyota Prius collided with the trailer. The driver of the Toyota sustained fatal injuries. The driver of the Peterbilt was not injured.
Ellsworth Air Force Base Introduces New Commander
ELLSWORTH AIR FORCE BASE, S.D. — Ellsworth Air Force Base introduced their new Commander on Friday at a news conference. Col. Erick D. Lord has been selected to take command of the 28th Bomb Wing. Col. Derek Oakley, who has been commander since June 2023, has retired. Colonel Lord received his commission from the U.S. Air Force Officer Training School in 2002 and is a master navigator who has accumulated more than 2600 flight hours.
Billboards Near Sturgis Rally Push Anti-Hate Message Amid Rising Antisemitism
STURGIS, S.D. — As the 85th annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally nears, a series of bold pink-and-white billboards are sending a powerful message along highways into the Black Hills: “What’s more American than your bike? Standing up to hate. Let’s ride.” The campaign, launched by the nonprofit JewBelong, aims to combat rising antisemitism, which has surged 344 percent nationwide over the past five years. The initiative follows South Dakota’s 2024 legislation adopting the IHRA definition of antisemitism for law enforcement. Organizers hope the signs will spark awareness and dialogue at the nation’s largest motorcycle rally.
UNET Arrests Two in Ongoing Drug Trafficking Investigation
RAPID CITY, S.D. — The Unified Narcotic Enforcement Team (UNET) announces the arrest of two individuals on Wednesday, July 23, 2025, following an ongoing investigation into illegal drug trafficking in Western South Dakota. The arrests resulted in the seizure of significant quantities of cocaine, fentanyl, and MDMA. Terrell Arthur Wilkins, 41, and Leannah Raine Vitalis, 27, both of Rapid City, were taken into custody and face multiple felony and misdemeanor charges.
Pennington County Sees Decrease in Violent Crime in 2025
RAPID CITY, S.D. — Overall violent crime is down in Pennington County at the midway point of 2025. That’s according to the second-quarter update from the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office. Violent crimes are down 40 percent, which includes aggravated assault, arson, burglary, homicide, robbery, and sexual assault. Of note, there was a significant increase in the administration of Naloxone to prevent overdose deaths, pointing to continued drug use in Pennington County.
Rapid City to Host Downtown Beautification Open House
RAPID CITY, S.D. — City of Rapid City officials are hosting an open house this Wednesday on the development of a Downtown Beautification Plan. The session is being held at the Dahl Arts Center from 4-7 p.m. Event organizers indicate the open house will feature maps and infographics for community members to view and provide feedback. The open house is the initial step in the City’s work with the community to obtain feedback on how to revitalize the downtown area.
Russia scales down celebrations honoring its navy as Ukraine launches more drone attacks
Russia has scaled down its Navy Day celebrations due to security concerns from ongoing Ukrainian drone attacks. Authorities canceled warship parades in St. Petersburg, Kaliningrad and Vladivostok. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov cited security as the reason. On Sunday, Russian air defenses reportedly downed 150 Ukrainian drones, with some near St. Petersburg. President Vladimir Putin visited the city to review naval maneuvers and pledged to strengthen the navy. The reduced celebrations highlight Moscow’s concerns over Ukraine’s drone attacks, which have previously damaged Russian military assets. Meanwhile, Russia continues its own drone and missile strikes on Ukraine.
Thai and Cambodian leaders to meet in Malaysia for talks to end deadly border dispute
BANGKOK (AP) — Thai and Cambodian leaders will meet in Malaysia to discuss ending hostilities. This follows pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump to resolve a deadly border dispute. The conflict, now in its fourth day, has killed at least 35 people and displaced over 200,000. A spokesperson for acting Thai Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai says Sunday the Thai leader and his Cambodian counterpart Hun Manet are set to attend Monday’s talks. Both countries have blamed each other for the clashes, which flared after a land mine explosion on Thursday. The 500-mile frontier between Thailand and Cambodia has been disputed for decades, but past confrontations have been limited and brief.
Israel begins daily pause in fighting in 3 Gaza areas to allow ‘minimal’ aid as hunger grows
DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israel’s military has begun a limited pause in fighting in three populated areas of Gaza for 10 hours a day as part of humanitarian measures including airdrops as concerns grow over hunger. The U.N. humanitarian chief says Israel is supporting a “one-week scale-up of aid.” Israel faces international criticism over its conduct in the 21-month war as more reports emerge of starvation deaths. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Israel has to allow in “minimal” aid. U.N. officials say what’s coming in still isn’t enough. As the military had warned, combat operations continued otherwise and at least 41 Palestinians were killed.
Bubba Wallace becomes first Black driver to win a major race on Indianapolis’ oval
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Bubba Wallace became the first Black driver to win a major race on Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s 2.5-mile oval, surviving a late rain delay, two overtimes, concerns over running out of fuel and a hard-charging Kyle Larson on Sunday in the Brickyard 400. The third NASCAR Cup victory of Wallace’s career was also his most significant — his first win at one of the series’ four crown jewel races. It snapped a 100-race winless streak that dated to 2022 at Kansas. He also won at Talladega in 2021, but this milestone victory also gave him a playoff spot. No Black driver has won the Indianapolis 500, and Formula 1 raced on the track’s road course. And while the final gap was 0.222 seconds, Wallace didn’t reach victory lane without some consternation.
