BROOKINGS, S.D.(KJJQ)- South Dakota State University and the other five public universities in the state are planning to resume classes in the fall with near-normal operations. However, the emergence of the Delta variant of COVID-19 and the stall in vaccinations raises concerns about a potential fall surge. SDSU President Barry Dunn says things were looking… Read more »

RAPID CITY, S.D.(WNAX)- The interim Housing Needs Study Committee held its second meeting Wednesday in Rapid City.  District 24 Representative Mike Weisgram of Fort Pierre is serving on the Committee and says infrastructure continues to surface as a concern to affordable housing. Former legislator David Lust testified about the Rapid City Strategic Housing Trust Fund… Read more »

OMAHA, N.E.(WNAX)- The impact of the northern plain’s drought is reflected in the falling levels of the Missouri River reservoirs. Mike Swenson with the Corps of Engineers in Omaha says the system water storage continues to decrease. Swenson says the big reservoirs are also forecast to continue to fall. Swenson says system releases through Gavins… Read more »

MITCHELL, S.D.(KMIT)- A new high school in Mitchell was briefly discussed at Monday’s Mitchell School Board meeting.  The item was brought up during the report from Mitchell Schools Superintendent Joe Graves. (Graves says a great deal of interest has been shown after the district advertised for architectural services for the new school) Previous projections had… Read more »

PIERRE, S.D.(Press Release) – The South Dakota Department of Social Services (DSS) in collaboration with the Department of Education (DOE) will be providing assistance with food costs to families who lost access to free or reduced-price school meals during the 2020-2021 school year due to COVID-19 related school closures. “The pandemic and complications it caused… Read more »

PIERRE, S.D. – Today, Governor Kristi Noem announced additional personnel decisions regarding the South Dakota Department of Corrections. State Penitentiary Warden Darin Young and Deputy Warden Jennifer Dreiske have been terminated following continued investigation by the South Dakota Bureau of Human Resources. As was announced on Tuesday, July 13, Deputy Secretary Doug Clark has stepped… Read more »

YANKTON, S.D.(WNAX)- Zebra mussels, an invasive clam that attaches itself to underwater structures, is becoming more of a problem at Gavins Point Dam on the Missouri River. Operations Manager Tom Curran says they continue to fight the sticky shells. Curran says the mussels find their way into their cooling system. Curran says the mussels have… Read more »

YANKTON, S.D.(WNAX)- With the legalization of medical cannabis on July first, local governments across the state are rushing to get control ordinances in place. Yankton City Manager Amy Leon says they are getting interest in the licensing process. Leon says they have been working with legislators on finalizing state rules. Leon says anyone interested in… Read more »

GROTON, S.D.(WNAX)- The South Dakota Farmers Union will be hosting their annual policy meeting July 22. District 7 Director Chad Johnson of Groton says they’ll be discussing drought impacts and cattle market competition. He says they also talk about the recent decision to allow producers who have cover crops on prevent plant acreage to chop… Read more »

FREEMAN, S.D.(WNAX)- With the start of school about a month away, the new Superintendent at the Freeman Public School has a lot of ground to cover in a short time. Jake Tietje started his new job on July first and had his first official meeting with the school board this week. Tietje says they finalized… Read more »

BROOKINGS, S.D.(KJJQ)- Brookings woman enters a guilty plea in the 2019 death of a two-year-old girl. Twenty-seven-year-old Renae Fayant on Tuesday afternoon pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the first degree. In exchange for the guilty plea, the state agreed to dismiss counts of second degree murder and abuse or cruelty to a minor. The state… Read more »

ABERDEEN, SD(Press Release) -Stencil Group, a vertically-integrated housing development company with projects across the Upper Midwest, is proud to announce two new projects in Aberdeen, SD: a72-unit addition to Dakota Estates, plus a new 100-unit community tailored to active individuals 55 years and better called Forté Living. While programming inside Forte will be tailored to… Read more »

OMAHA, N.E.(WNAX)- The economic outlook for the nine state Mid America region is still strong, but there are issues to watch. Ernie Goss, of Creighton University in Omaha, says supply issues are problems for most businesses. Goss says the growing economy could lead to rising interest rates. Goss says inflation will also become more of… Read more »

ABERDEEN, S.D.(Press Release)- The City of Aberdeen has scheduled a city-wide ground spray for mosquitoes on Thursday, July 15th between the hours of 9:00 pm and 1:00 am. The adulticiding equipment is noisy and travels at 10 mph.  The mosquito control trucks are identified and travel with a flashing yellow light. To ensure spray effectiveness… Read more »