The Daily Slice, your Black Hills news podcast in under 10 minutes. Delivered every morning Monday-Friday at homesliceaudio.com/dailyslice
South Dakota to Receive Significant Boost in Defense Spending for Ellsworth and National Guard Facility
WASHINGTON — South Dakota stands to gain big in the latest defense bill moving through Congress. Senator Mike Rounds says the 2026 National Defense Authorization Act includes 378 million dollars for construction at Ellsworth Air Force Base to support the new B-21 bomber, and 28 million for a National Guard facility in Watertown. Rounds, who helped write the bill, says it also authorizes a three-point-eight percent pay raise for U.S. troops. The full Senate is now reviewing the measure.
Man Arrested for D.U.I. After Rapid City Rollover Crash
RAPID CITY, S.D. — Rapid City Police arrested a man for D.U.I. following a one-vehicle rollover Tuesday night. Police say they were called to the intersection of E. Saint Patrick and E. Saint Joseph Street just after 9:00 p.m. for a report of a rollover crash. Police arrived on scene and located the driver of the vehicle, identified as 37-year-old Zach Anderson of Black Hawk, near the intersection with Cambell Street and E. Saint Patrick Street. Anderson was taken into custody for second offense driving under the influence of alcohol as well as having an open container in a motor vehicle and reckless driving.
Three Injured in Single-Vehicle Crash East of Spearfish
SPEARFISH, S.D. — The highway patrol says three Rapid City individuals suffered serious, non-life-threatening injuries Wednesday morning in a single-vehicle crash east of Spearfish. Preliminary crash information indicates the driver of a 2002 Ford F-150 was traveling west on I-90 at mile marker 14 when a front tire failed. The 30-year-old male driver lost control of the vehicle and ran into a cable guard rail. The truck went airborne and rolled. One of the passengers, an 18-year-old female, was ejected from the vehicle. The driver and other passenger, a 17-year-old female, exited the vehicle before it became engulfed in fire. All three people were transported to a Spearfish hospital.
Rapid City Police Seek Public Feedback on Safety Services
RAPID CITY, S.D. — The Rapid City Police Department is looking for feedback from the community to understand their perspectives on public safety services within Rapid City and areas where the department could improve. Police say every four years, they conduct an online community-wide survey to evaluate people’s perceptions of crime in relation to public safety and how the department handles itself professionally. Rapid City Police will use the data collected from the survey to help their efforts to enhance community programming and public safety services.
Barnes & Noble Opens in Rapid City with Ribbon-Cutting and Book Signing by Sean Covel
RAPID CITY, S.D. — Barnes & Noble celebrated the grand opening of its new 20,000-square-foot store in Rapid City’s Rushmore Crossing Wednesday, marked by a ribbon-cutting and book signing by South Dakota native and bestselling children’s author Sean Covel. The event drew book lovers eager to meet Covel, known for producing Napoleon Dynamite and now a champion of children’s literacy. The opening is part of the national chain’s expansion, with seven new stores launched this month. CEO James Daunt credited passionate community advocacy for bringing the store to Rapid City, while store manager Melissa Anderson said it fulfills a long-standing local literary need.
Spearfish Police Warn Against Illegal Use of Private Dumpsters
SPEARFISH, S.D. — City officials are cracking down on illegal dumping in private dumpsters, warning that using someone else’s trash receptacle without permission is considered theft under South Dakota law. Spearfish Police Chief Collin Smith emphasized that dumpsters at construction sites, businesses, or homes are not for public use, as owners pay for their service and emptying. The offense falls under SDCL 22-30A-9, which classifies the diversion of another’s services as theft. Residents needing proper disposal options are encouraged to contact Utility Services at (605) 642-1325 or visit the Spearfish Restricted Use Site, which accepts large amounts of cardboard for free.
Feds charge 3 current or former Louisiana police chiefs in an alleged visa fraud scheme
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Federal authorities have charged three current or former Louisiana police chiefs with taking bribes in exchange for filing false police reports that would allow noncitizens to seek a visa that lets certain crime victims stay in the U.S. U.S. Attorney Alexander C. Van Hook said at a news conference Wednesday that the forged police reports would indicate that the immigrant was a victim of a crime. He said the police officials were paid $5,000 for each name they provided falsified reports for, and that there were hundreds of names. Two other people, including a marshal and a businessman from the small city of Oakdale, are also charged in the alleged scheme.
Alaska Earthquake Triggers Tsunami Warning, No Immediate Damage Reported
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Communities along a 700-mile stretch of Alaska’s southern coast ordered their residents to higher ground after a powerful earthquake, but officials quickly downgraded a tsunami warning in the area. There were no immediate reports of damage. Officials said the earthquake, with a preliminary magnitude of 7.3, struck at 12:37 p.m. local time south of Sand Point. The first waves were projected to land there, but the state’s emergency management division said an hour after the quake that it had received no reports of damage. The earthquake was reportedly felt as far away as Anchorage, almost 600 miles to the northeast.
First the shoes went back on. Now, at US airport security, more liquid in carry-ons may be at hand
WASHINGTON (AP) — Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem suggests changes to the amount of liquids travelers can carry on planes may be coming. She’s speaking of possible changes to the current 3.4-ounce liquid limit for carry-ons. This follows her recent announcement allowing travelers to keep their shoes on during airport screenings, ending a policy in place since 2006. The liquid limits were introduced after a 2006 plot involving liquid explosives was foiled. Noem envisions a streamlined airport experience where passengers quickly pass through security with minimal hassle. She says a multilayered screening process is enabling changes in screening and security that still maintain safety standards.
Healthy babies born in Britain after scientists used DNA from three people to avoid genetic disease
LONDON (AP) — Researchers report that eight healthy babies were born with the help of an experimental technique that uses DNA from three people to help mothers avoid passing rare diseases to their children. Dangerous mutations in the cell’s mitochondria can cause a range of diseases, some causing major organ failure and death. Researchers have been developing a technique that takes genetic material from the mother’s egg or embryo, which is then transferred into a donor egg or embryo that has healthy mitochondria but the rest of its key DNA removed. Scientists described their findings in the New England Journal of Medicine on Wednesday.
