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Public Meetings Set to Share Results of Rapid City Railyard Relocation Study
RAPID CITY, S.D. — The Rapid City Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (RCAMPO) is hosting an in-person and online public meeting for the Rapid City Railyard Relocation and Railway Reconfiguration Study. The in-person public meeting will be held today from 4-6 p.m. at the Rapid City Council Chambers and Circle of Friends Community Room, 300 Sixth Street. The online public meeting is scheduled from January 27 through February 27. Both the in-person and online public meetings will feature the results of the study, which examines the feasibility of relocating the current RCP&E railyard to an alternate location. (Full Story)
City Says SLWA Reminder Letters Are Legitimate and Part of Ongoing Partnership
RAPID CITY, S.D. — The City of Rapid City says many homeowners will be receiving reminder letters this week from Service Line Warranties of America (SLWA), offering an optional protection plan covering interior plumbing and drainage systems, exterior sewer/septic lines and exterior water service lines. City officials remind homeowners the offer is not a scam and letters are part a long-standing partnership between the City of Rapid City and SLWA. Since the partnership was launched eight years ago, 1,785 service plans are maintained for 907 Rapid City customers, with more than $1 million in savings for the customers. This week’s correspondence serves as a reminder of the offering. (Full Story)
Highway Patrol Releases February Sobriety Checkpoint Locations
RAPID CITY, S.D. — The South Dakota Highway Patrol announces the counties where sobriety checkpoints will be conducted in February. Of the 15 counties statewide, four are in West River. They are Pennington, Jackson, Lawrence and Meade counties. The highway patrol sends out a monthly warning intended to discourage people from driving while under the influence. “Officials remind drivers not to drink and drive, regardless of whether a checkpoint is scheduled in their county,” the highway patrol said in a release. The checkpoints are staffed by state troopers with help from local law enforcement. (Full Story)
Corrections Secretary Sets New Goals to Reduce Recidivism
RAPID CITY, S.D. — South Dakota’s new head of corrections told appropriators they’re setting new goals for the department. At the Department of Corrections hearing with the Joint Appropriations Committee, new secretary Nick Lamb told appropriators the department is creating three “WIGs,” or Wildly Important Goals. He outlined them, saying the department’s goal is to reduce recidivism, or the rate at which an offender returns to prison in three years, by 5%. To be successful, that number would need to be 45% for adults and 27% for juveniles. Lamb said he thinks the department should see those numbers come down. (Full Story)
Eleven Charged in K-2 Overdose Death of State Prison Inmate
PIERRE, S.D. — Authorities say eleven people are facing charges in the overdose death of a South Dakota prison inmate. Forty-six-year-old Timothy Tyree died in November at Mike Durfree prison in Springfield from a K-2 overdose. Attorney General Marty Jackley said Monday the investigation into Tyree’s death uncovered a drug ring. Of the eleven charged, seven are inmates. Four are private citizens. One of those, Tricia Bradley, was working as a food service employee for a vendor hired by the state. Jackley said that’s how drugs got into the prison. There were eight suspected drug overdose deaths in state prisons. Jackley says charges have now been filed in half those cases. The others remain under investigation. The maximum sentences for some of the indicted defendants may be enhanced by habitual offender provisions or by state law which allows for certain criminal penalties to be doubled when committed by prisoners of a state correctional facility. (Full Story)
European Union opens investigation into Musk’s AI chatbot Grok over sexual deepfakes
LONDON (AP) — European Union regulators have opened a formal investigation into Elon Musk’s social media platform X after its AI chatbot Grok started producing nonconsensual sexualized deepfake images. The scrutiny from Brussels comes after Grok sparked backlash by using AI to undress people, including children, in images. Sme governments have banned the service or issued warnings. The EU’s executive is examining whether X has met its obligations under the Digital Services Act to contain illegal content. An X spokeswoman said the platform remains committed to safety and has zero tolerance for child sexual exploitation and non-consensual nudity. (Full Story)
Gold Prices Reach Record Highs as Investors Seek Safe Havens
NEW YORK, N.Y. (Reuters) — Gold prices climbed to record levels Monday as investors sought safe-haven assets amid heightened global political and economic uncertainty. Spot gold rose about 2% to $5,077.22 an ounce after briefly reaching $5,110, while U.S. gold futures settled more than 2% higher at $5,082.50. Silver and platinum also hit all-time highs, with analysts pointing to strong central bank buying and efforts to diversify reserves away from the U.S. dollar as key factors supporting prices. (Full Story)
Houston Energy Sector Eyes Potential Venezuela Oil Opportunities
HOUSTON, TX (Reuters) — The U.S. oil industry centered in Houston is showing renewed interest in Venezuela following recent political developments and signals from Washington that could reshape access to the country’s vast oil reserves. Energy executives and service companies have begun discussing potential investments, including refurbishing infrastructure and expanding operations, though any future activity would depend on regulatory approvals, sanctions policy and contractual frameworks. Industry analysts say conversations remain preliminary, with companies weighing risks alongside the scale of Venezuela’s untapped production potential. (Full Story)
