PIERRE, S.D.(WNAX)- The head of the South Dakota National Guard says Governor Kristi Noem didn’t tell him she would use a private donation to help fund the deployment of the Guard to the Texas – Mexico border until after the mission was already planned. Major General Jeffery Marlette appeared before the interim Joint Committee on… Read more »

PIERRE, S.D.(WNAX)- Board of Regents officials appeared before the interim Joint Committee on Appropriations of the South Dakota legislature to answer questions about their work on diversity issues. Regents General Counsel, Nathan Lukkes, told legislators they have reconfigured their approach to on campus diversity. Lukkes says the Board made a policy change at their last… Read more »

MITCHELL, S.D.(KMIT)- The Taliban continues to flex its muscles in Afghanistan by cracking down on protests and attempting to prevent citizens from leaving.  Senator Mike Rounds says he does not agree with President Biden’s decision to withdraw U.S. troops. Rounds says America’s presence in Afghanistan for twenty years was not in vain. He says there… Read more »

BROOKINGS, S.D.(KJJQ)- The Brookings City Council held a work session Tuesday night and devoted a portion of the meeting to a discussion of COVID-19. With the surge in cases, the state Department of Health has categorized Brookings County in the “high community spread” category. Among those speaking to the council Tuesday night, epidemiologist Bonnie Specker.… Read more »

BROOKINGS, S.D.(KJJQ)- Classes begin Monday at South Dakota State University in Brookings with move-in set to start on Friday. SDSU President Barry Dunn says enrollment numbers look similar to last year. Dunn says the number of high school students involved in dual-credit courses continues to increase. After falling significantly last year, international student numbers seem… Read more »

RAPID CITY, S.D.(KOTA)- The Sturgis Rally may be finished, but the summertime fun isn’t quite through yet. Ron Jeffries, general manager of the Central States Fair, says it’s all coming together for Friday’s ribbon cutting. It’s much more than carnival fun though, with rodeo, concerts, and motorsports all on the docket. Jeffries said there are… Read more »

MITCHELL, S.D.(KMIT)- A Mitchell man charged in the stabbing death of another Mitchell man last year has pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter.  In exchange for the guilty plea, prosecutors agreed to a 25-year prison sentence for 60-year old Robert Ladenburger (LAY-den-burger). Ladenburger had been charged with first-degree murder, second-degree manslaughter, and aggravated assault.  Those charges… Read more »

PIERRE, S.D.(WNAX)- The ongoing drought has landed in record territory. South Dakota State Climatologist Laura Edwards says the dry trend accelerated in the summer months. The National Weather Service reports that the April through mid-August period is the driest on record in Yankton with five point six inches of rain, breaking the record set in… Read more »

PIERRE, S.D.(WNAX)- The infrastructure bill passed by the US Senate contains sixty-five billion dollars to expand and upgrade broadband internet across the country. Greg Dean, with the South Dakota Telecommunications Association, says that may be just a down payment on the ongoing expansion that will be needed. Dean says broadband needs constant attention and improvements.… Read more »