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RC School District Settles Lawsuit With Former Teacher for $250,000
RAPID CITY, S.D. — The Rapid City School District has released settlement details in a federal lawsuit brought by a former teacher who sued the district last year after she alleged a sexual relationship with her former principal. Jenny Griffin filed a suit accusing the district of violating her civil rights, and the settlement was entered into federal court at the end of February. Griffin resigned as assistant principal at Rapid City Central High School when the school board approved the settlement in January. The Dakota Scout began requesting the settlement under South Dakota’s open records law in early March, but the district didn’t release the agreement until Thursday night. The agreement calls for Rapid City schools to pay $250,000 to Griffin. The district did not admit fault.
Rushmore Thunder Celebrated National Hockey Championship Victory
RAPID CITY, S.D. — The Rushmore Thunder hockey team received a hero’s welcome upon their return to Rapid City on Sunday, following their 6-2 victory over the Warriors Hockey Club in the 2025 USA Hockey High School National Championship in Irvine, CA. The team’s bus was escorted by the Rapid City Police Department and the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office. The Life Flight helicopter also conducted a flyover as part of the celebratory homecoming. The championship game took place at the Great Park Ice & Five Point Arena in Irvine, California. Interviews and video footage of the team’s arrival will be available soon.
RC Police Investigate Armed Robbery at North Haines Convenience Store
RAPID CITY, S.D. — Rapid City police are investigating an armed robbery that occurred at a North Haines convenience store early Monday morning. Police were called to the Yes Way around 3:00 a.m. for a report of a man wearing a mask over his face who had brandished a handgun and demanded money. The clerk on duty complied with the man’s orders and the suspect fled with an undisclosed amount of cash. Police are attempting to recover any video from the area to aid in their ongoing investigation.
SD Senate Fails to Override Veto on Constitutional Amendment Petition Bill
PIERRE, S.D. — The South Dakota Senate failed today (Monday) to override Governor Larry Rhoden’s veto of a bill that would have changed how citizens propose constitutional amendments. House Bill 1169 would have required petition signatures from all 35 state Senate districts to put a constitutional amendment on the ballot. The House voted 50-18 to override the veto. But the Senate deadlocked 16-16, falling short of the two-thirds majority needed. Rep. Rebecca Reimer argued that the petition process often overlooks rural areas. Critics like Senator Steve Kolbeck said the bill unfairly limited voters’ rights. Governor Rhoden vetoed the bill over concerns about its constitutionality.
Three Missing U.S. Soldiers Found Dead in Lithuanian Peat Bog, Search Continues for Fourth
VILNIUS, Lithuania — Three of the four U.S. Army soldiers who went missing last week when their armored vehicle sank in a peat bog during a military drill in Lithuania have been found dead, officials confirmed Monday. Rescuers recovered the vehicle from a military training area near Pabrade, close to the Belarusian border, while the search for the fourth soldier remains ongoing. Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda expressed condolences, saying the nation mourns alongside the United States. U.S. Army Secretary Dan Driscoll thanked American and allied personnel in Lithuania and Poland for their efforts in locating the missing soldiers.
Trump Administration Reviews Harvard’s Federal Funding Over Campus Antisemitism Concerns
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration is reviewing billions in federal funding to Harvard University as part of its efforts to address antisemitism on college campuses, The Washington Post reported Monday. The newly formed Joint Task Force to Combat Antisemitism is scrutinizing more than $255 million in federal contracts and over $8.7 billion in multiyear grant commitments to ensure compliance with federal regulations. The move follows similar funding cuts at Columbia University, where officials cited inadequate protections for Jewish students amid escalating Israel-Gaza protests. Education Secretary Linda McMahon criticized Harvard’s handling of campus safety, while Harvard President Alan M. Garber warned that halting funds could jeopardize critical research. Federal officials have signaled they may take further action if the university fails to implement stronger protections against antisemitism.
HHS Begins Layoffs as Up to 10,000 Employees Face Dismissal in Major Overhaul
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Health and Human Services Department has begun issuing dismissal notices as part of a sweeping overhaul that could lay off up to 10,000 employees, officials said Tuesday. The move follows President Donald Trump’s recent decision to strip collective bargaining rights from HHS workers and other federal agencies. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced the restructuring plan last week, aiming to reshape the department, which oversees public health initiatives, medical research, food and drug safety, and health insurance programs.
Bitcoin investor buys an entire SpaceX flight for the ultimate polar adventure
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — A bitcoin investor is headed to space with three polar explorers on the first flight to carry people over the North and South poles. SpaceX launched the four Monday night from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Chinese-born entrepreneur Chun Wang bought the entire flight from Elon Musk’s SpaceX. Wang won’t say how much he paid for the 3 ½-day ultimate polar adventure. He took along three guests: a Norwegian filmmaker, a German robotics researcher and an Australian polar guide. It will take them 46 minutes to fly from pole to pole from their targeted 270-mile-high orbit.
