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South Dakota Mines Highlights Research and Mineral Industries at Capitol Today
RAPID CITY, S.D. — South Dakota Mines is showcasing hands-on science, research and student innovation today during its annual Mines Day at the Capitol from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the rotunda in Pierre. The event highlights the university’s impact on South Dakota’s workforce and economy, with a focus on its mineral industries programs housed in the Nucor Mineral Industries Building, which opened last spring following more than $20 million in state investment. University officials said the programs position South Dakota Mines to address the full lifecycle of critical minerals while supporting national security and advanced manufacturing. (Full Story)
Pennington County Administration Building Relocation Raises Transit and Voting Access Concerns
RAPID CITY, S.D. — The relocation of the Pennington County Administration Building to 900 Concourse Drive has introduced a significant transit gap for residents, potentially impacting early voting access. In November 2025, several county departments, including the Auditor’s Office and the Treasurer’s Office, completed their move from the longtime downtown facility at 130 Kansas City Street to a renovated former call center on the city’s eastern edge. While the move provided much-needed space and over 500 parking spots, the change in geography presents a new hurdle for those who do not own a vehicle or cannot drive. (Full Story)
State Lawmaker Reassigned After Dispute Over Committee Seating Arrangement
RAPID CITY, S.D. — A South Dakota state representative was reassigned to different committees recently after tempers flared over a committee’s seating arrangement, in an episode one lawmaker described as “unprofessional and juvenile behavior.” Republican leaders removed Rep. Phil Jensen, R-Rapid City, who chairs the Freedom Caucus, from the House Education Committee following his role in an upheaval stemming from a new seating arrangement created by the committee chair, Rep. Lana Greenfield, R-Doland. House Majority Leader Scott Odenbach, R-Spearfish told members of the media at a leadership press conference Thursday that Jensen and some other members of the House Education Committee planned “an effort to disrupt the committee,” which is “unacceptable behavior.” Jensen was the only lawmaker involved who was reassigned. (Full Story)
Rapid City Seeking Downtown Business Owner for Historic Sign Review Committee Vacancy
RAPID CITY, S.D. — Rapid City is seeking to fill one (1) vacancy on the Historic Sign Review Committee. The vacant Committee position is set aside for a downtown property/business owner and the term is for three years. The Historic Sign Review Committee meets on an as-need basis to review and approve sign permits located within any historic district or on property listed and regulated by the National Register of Historic Places. Citizens with knowledge and experience in historic preservation, architecture, the sign industry, and/or property owner or business owner within the historic district are encouraged to apply. Interested citizens are encouraged to apply by submitting a Citizens Interest Application online. (Full Story)
189 Million Dollar Health Care Funding Bill Advances Through Legislature
PIERRE, S.D. — The House bill to appropriate 189-million dollars for healthcare is moving to the House. Members of both chambers on the Legislature’s Joint Committee on Appropriations advanced the bill on Thursday. The specifics of where the money will be distributed could still be amended during debates on the House and Senate floors. The passing pushes the state one step closer to securing the funds through the One Big Beautiful Bill Act that requires states to allocate the money by the end of September. Another round of funding from the federal government will be announced in October. (Full Story)
Ice from winter storm leaves hundreds of thousands of customers without power across the South
Hundreds of thousands of customers across the South were without power as a massive winter storm coated tree branches and power lines with heavy ice. Tennessee and Mississippi were particularly hard hit Sunday. The ice and snowfall were expected to continue through Monday in much of the country, followed by very low temperatures. The National Weather Service says heavy snow is forecast from the Ohio Valley to the Northeast, while “catastrophic ice accumulation” threatened region encompassing the Lower Mississippi Valley as well the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast. (Full Story)
Democrats vow to oppose homeland security funding bill. That increases the chance of a shutdown
WASHINGTON (AP) — Democratic senators are vowing to oppose a funding bill for the Department of Homeland Security following the shooting death of a man in Minnesota. And that opposition increases the prospect of a partial government shutdown by week’s end. Six of the 12 annual spending bills for the current budget year have been signed into law. Six more await Senate action. If senators fail to act by midnight Friday, funding for agencies covered under those remaining six bills will lapse. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer says what’s happening in Minnesota is “appalling” and he’s pledging that Democrats will block a funding package that includes homeland security money. (Full Story)
France detains captain of suspected Russian ‘shadow fleet’ tanker seized in Mediterranean
PARIS (AP) — The captain of an oil tanker intercepted by the French navy in the Mediterranean Sea is in custody for questioning. The Marseille prosecutor’s office said the ship, suspected of shipping Russian petroleum in violation of sanctions, was diverted to the Gulf of Fos-sur-Mer. The crew, all Indian nationals, remain on board. The Grinch came from Murmansk, Russia, and is part of a suspected “shadow fleet” used to evade sanctions. France and other countries are cracking down on this fleet. (Full Story)
