The Daily Slice, your Black Hills news podcast in under 10 minutes. Delivered every morning Monday-Friday at homesliceaudio.com/dailyslice
Ellsworth Airman Pleads Not Guilty to Murder Charge
RAPID CITY, S.D. — An Ellsworth Air Force Base airman who is accused of killing a woman pleaded not guilty in a federal court appearance Friday. Quinterius Chappelle is charged in the death of Sahela Sangrait, whose remains were found south of Hill City by a hiker earlier this month. According to documents, the murder was believed to have happened in August of last year, when Sangrait was reported missing. Court documents indicate Chappelle has a previous history of domestic assault as well as a breach of a no-contact order. If convicted of first-degree murder, Chappelle faces the possibility of the death penalty or life in prison.
Rushmore Thunder Win National Championship
Irvine, CA – The Rapid City Rushmore Thunder have won the 2025 Chipotle-USA Hockey High School National Championship. The game took place Sunday, March 30th, at the Great Park Ice & Five Point Arena in Irvine, California. The Rushmore Thunder, in the High School 2A Division, defeated the Warriors Hockey Club(IL) with a final score of 6-2.
Jury Convicts Man in Deadly Rapid City Parking Lot Shooting
RAPID CITY, S.D. — A jury is convicting a man accused of shooting and killing another man in a Rapid City parking lot. Thirty-year-old Derrek Brave Heart was found guilty of first-degree manslaughter Thursday in Pennington County Court. Prosecutors say Brave Heart shot 43-year-old Jonathan Odom outside a Family Dollar store in February of 2024 when the two got into an altercation. The sentencing hearing is May 5. First-degree manslaughter is punishable by up to life in prison.
Gov. Rhoden Visits Black Hills, Signs Infrastructure and Fire Support Measures
RAPID CITY, S.D. — South Dakota Governor Larry Rhoden was in the Black Hills Friday as part of his “Open for Opportunity” tour. The Governor visited Box Elder, where he signed Senate Bill 6 at Vandenberg Elementary School. SB6 is the bill to provide infrastructure funding for the Douglas School District, in anticipation of the arrival of the B-21 Raider at Ellsworth Air Force Base. Following his visit to Vandenberg Elementary, Rhoden headed to Ellsworth Air Force Base and the South Dakota National Guard Army Aviation Center, where he signed an executive order that supports wildland fire efforts.
French far-right leader Marine Le Pen barred from seeking office for 5 years, a political earthquake
PARIS — A French court has convicted Marine Le Pen of embezzlement and barred her from seeking public office for five years. Monday’s ruling was a hammer blow to the far-right leader’s presidential hopes and an earthquake for French politics. Le Pen’s lawyer said she would appeal the verdict, but she will remain ineligible while she does. That means she could be ruled out of the 2027 presidential race. She was also sentenced to four years’ imprisonment, with two to be served under house arrest and two suspended. The court ruling was a political as well as a judicial temblor for France, hobbling one of the leading contenders to succeed President Emmanuel Macron at the end of his second and final term.
Trump Considers Ways to Serve a Third Term Despite Constitutional Barrier
MAR-A-LAGO, FLA. — President Donald Trump said Sunday he is not “joking” about trying to serve a third term, hinting at possible methods to breach the constitutional barrier that limits presidents to two terms. In an NBC News interview, Trump suggested there are ways to bypass the 22nd Amendment, which prohibits a third term, but acknowledged that it is “far too early” to consider. Any attempt would be legally dubious, and experts like constitutional law professor Jeremy Paul emphasize there are no credible legal arguments for Trump to run for a third term. Trump’s comments were met with criticism from political opponents, with Rep. Daniel Goldman accusing him of undermining democracy. Trump’s supporters, including former strategist Steve Bannon, have voiced their backing for a potential run in 2028. While Trump dismissed the possibility of his vice president, JD Vance, running and passing the baton back to him, experts argue such a scenario would violate the Constitution’s term limits.
Lithuania: M88 Armored Vehicle Retrieved After Six Days in a Swamp, Soldiers’ Condition Uncertain
PABRADĖ, Lithuania — After six days of intense efforts, the M88 Hercules armored vehicle, which had sunk into a swamp in Pabradė, was finally retrieved on the evening of March 30, the Lithuanian Ministry of Defense announced on X on Monday, March 31. The vehicle, weighing nearly 70 tons and belonging to the 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team of the U.S. 3rd Infantry Division, had been located on March 26, submerged under nearly four meters of water and two meters of mud. Although the retrieval operation was completed after 138 hours of continuous work, the condition of the four American soldiers aboard the vehicle remains uncertain. Lithuanian and American investigators are continuing their work at the site. The marshy, difficult-to-reach terrain made the operation particularly complex, requiring the use of construction equipment and U.S. Navy divers.
Trump Threatens Military Action Against Iran, Expresses Anger at Putin Over Ukraine
WASHINGTON — In a weekend interview with NBC News, former President Donald Trump expressed frustration with Russian President Vladimir Putin over his comments questioning Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s leadership, calling them counterproductive. Trump also warned that Iran would face military action if it failed to agree to new nuclear negotiations, stating, “If they don’t make a deal, there will be bombing the likes of which they have never seen before.” Trump suggested secondary tariffs on Russian oil if a ceasefire in Ukraine could not be brokered, adding that countries like China and India, major importers of Russian crude, would be affected. Trump, who withdrew the U.S. from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, reiterated that any negotiations would require Iran to limit its nuclear program. He also claimed that while his relationship with Putin remained generally good, his anger over Ukraine could subside if the Russian president made the “right decisions.”
