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Man Arrested Following Assault on Train Operator
RAPID CITY, S.D. — An 18-year-old Rapid City man was arrested Tuesday morning following an assault on a train operator near the LaCrosse Street railroad crossing. According to The Rapid City Post, Rapid City Police responded around 8:20 a.m. on May 14 after receiving a report of a man who had climbed onto a stopped train and engaged in a confrontation with the operator. The operator was able to push the man off the locomotive, and the suspect fled on foot. Officers quickly located and arrested Jeremiah Olson in the 700 block of Anamosa Street, where witnesses confirmed his identity. Olson was charged with Simple Assault, First Degree Burglary, and Underage Consumption of Alcohol. He is scheduled to make his initial court appearance at 10:00 a.m. today, May 15, and is currently in custody at the Pennington County Jail.
Gunshot Investigation Leads to Arrest in Rapid City
RAPID CITY, S.D. — Police in Rapid City responded to a report of a single gunshot heard in the area of the 300 block of E. North Street early Tuesday morning. Officers searched the area and did find a single shell casing. No injuries or property damage was reported. Police did locate video captured in the area at the time of the shooting and through an investigation, identified a suspect. Wakinyan Dreamer, 26, of Rapid City was arrested in the 200 block of E. Nevada Street on Thursday.
Rapid City Fire Department May Receive $630K for Wildfire Prevention
RAPID CITY, S.D. — Rapid City’s Legal and Finance Committee has recommended authorizing the full council to accept and sign a grant agreement for the Western States Fire Management Wildland Urban Interface Grants. The more than $630,000 in grant money would help the Rapid City Fire Department address the risk of wildfires in town by assisting mitigation activities. The goal is to lower the risk of a catastrophic wildfire occurring and the negative impacts it can have on infrastructure, life, and property. The grants would cover the costs of 460 acres of prescribed burns that are in the wildland-urban interface.
Mary Hall Park Trail Upgrades Receive $433K Grant Recommendation
RAPID CITY, S.D. — The City’s Legal and Finance Committee Wednesday recommended the City’s acceptance of a $433,000 Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) grant for upgrades at Rapid City’s Mary Hall Park. The TAP grant is provided through the South Dakota Department of Transportation and would replace the existing asphalt park trail at Mary Hall Park, which includes many cracks and ruts, with a wider concrete trail. Grant funds will also be used to bring the trail into ADA compliance and install a sidewalk to the parking lot. The measure moves forward to the Rapid City Common Council meeting Monday night.
Rapid City Student Selected for Prestigious International Fellowship with American Battle Monuments Commission
RAPID CITY, S.D. — Per The Rapid City Post, Nathan Strickland of Rapid City has been chosen as one of six national fellows for the American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) International Fellowship program in 2025. A student at the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, Strickland will travel overseas to participate in Memorial Day commemorations and support the ABMC’s mission to honor U.S. service members through the preservation of military cemeteries and monuments. He and fellow participant Judy Ojewia from the University of Utah will be assigned to the Suresnes American Cemetery in France. Established in 2022, the fellowship fosters leadership and awareness of American military history among young scholars. Following the two-week program, Strickland will serve as an ABMC mission ambassador, helping connect other students to the agency’s work. The fellowship is funded by the American Battle Monuments Foundation and the Daniels Fund.
Miss South Dakota Competition Returns to Brookings with Scholarships and Statewide Talent
BROOKINGS, S.D. — Twenty young women from across South Dakota will take the stage May 29–31 to compete for scholarships, recognition, and the coveted title of Miss South Dakota during the 78th annual competition at the Oscar Larson Performing Arts Center in Brookings. Contestants, ages 19 to 26, will vie for more than $54,000 in awards, with at least $13,000 going to the winner, who will represent the state at the Miss America competition in September. Preliminary rounds begin Thursday and Friday evenings, with the final competition Saturday night. Judging includes private interviews, talent/HER Story™ presentations, health and fitness, evening gown, and on-stage conversation. Reigning Miss South Dakota Joelle Simpson will appear after a year of statewide advocacy and musical performances. Contestants bring diverse talents and community service platforms, making this year’s event a showcase of both skill and purpose. The competition will be livestreamed Saturday, with full details and candidate information available at misssd.org.
Feds Investigate Comey Instagram Post After Noem, GOP Leaders Cite Possible Threat to President Trump
WASHINGTON (AP) — Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem confirmed Thursday that federal law enforcement is investigating a now-deleted Instagram post by former FBI Director James Comey that some Republicans believe was a veiled threat against President Donald Trump. The post featured a photo of seashells arranged in a pattern resembling the numbers “86 47,” which critics claim could be interpreted as a coded call for violence—“86” being slang for “to get rid of,” and Trump being the 47th president. Comey denied any harmful intent, saying he was unaware of the numbers’ potential implications and removed the post out of caution. “I oppose violence of any kind,” he later stated. The post, made while Trump is traveling in the Middle East, has drawn sharp criticism from Republican officials, including Donald Trump Jr., and prompted coordination between the FBI and Secret Service. Comey, who served as FBI director from 2013 until Trump fired him in 2017, is currently promoting his new crime novel, “FDR Drive.”
Poland votes for a new president Sunday as worries grow about the future
WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Voters in Poland will cast ballots Sunday in a presidential election to choose a successor to conservative incumbent Andrzej Duda. There are 13 candidates and a runoff on June 1 is expected. Polls point to a showdown between the liberal mayor of Warsaw, Rafał Trzaskowski, and Karol Nawrocki, a historian backed by the national conservative Law and Justice party. The campaign has been dominated by security concerns. War continues across the border in Ukraine. There are doubts about the U.S. commitment to Europe’s security, and fears about Russian interference in a region once under Soviet control.
Putin spurns Zelenskyy meeting but lower-level Ukraine-Russia talks are still on
ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Russia and Ukraine are set to hold their first direct peace talks in three years, but hopes for a breakthrough are still dim after Russian President Vladimir Putin spurned an offer by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to meet face-to-face in Turkey. Zelenskyy said Thursday that he’s sending a team to Istanbul to meet a Russian delegation, even though Moscow’s side doesn’t include “anyone who actually makes decisions.” Few had expected Putin to show up in Turkey. His absence punctured hope for progress on ending the 3-year-old war. Peace efforts were given a push in recent months by the Trump administration and Western European leaders.
DoorDash delivery driver pleads guilty to stealing $2.5 million in deliveries scam
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A former food delivery driver has pleaded guilty to conspiring with others to steal more than $2.5 million from DoorDash by getting the company to pay for deliveries that never occurred. Federal prosecutors say that Sayee Chaitanya Reddy Devagiri pleaded guilty Tuesday in federal court in San Jose to a single count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. They say the 30-year-old Newport Beach, California, resident admitted to working with three others in 2020 and 2021 to defraud the San Francisco-based delivery company. Devagiri faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.
