July 2015

PIERRE, S.D. (AP) — South Dakota regulators want more information from a secretive polygamist group before they decide on its request to draw water more quickly at its remote Black Hills compound. The state Water Management Board voted Thursday that the group needs to come back with more details. Seth Jeffs, brother of imprisoned sect […]

FARGO, N.D. (AP) — Senior military leaders from North Dakota say Congress should resist attempts to water down a bill that sets nutrition standards in schools. Retired Gens. Michael Haugen, Keith Bjerke, Jerald Engelman and Robert Schulte say a 2010 bill that promotes healthier meals in schools is a good step toward reversing the obesity […]

PIERRE, S.D. (AP) — South Dakota regulators are taking up a polygamist group’s request for more water at a remote compound. The regulators on Thursday said they would allow questions about the group’s faith and background, despite a request from the group’s attorney that those issues be blocked during the hearing. Seth Jeffs, brother of […]

WASHINGTON (AP) — Michelle Obama on Thursday told hundreds of Native American youths that they are all precious and sacred and that “each of you was put on this earth for a reason.” “Each of you has something that you’re destined to do, whether that’s raising a beautiful family, whether that’s succeeding in a profession,” […]

Hazy conditions across the West are in part due to large wildfires raging across Canada, blazes fueled by the same hot, dry conditions that have sparked fires in the United States. The smoke has caused spectacular red sunsets in places like Seattle and prompted air quality warnings in many states. ___ FIERY CANADA Blazes are […]

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Groups opposing plans to build an oil pipeline across Iowa say organizers have submitted more than 2,600 written statements against the project. Representatives for Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement and the Bakken Pipeline Resistance Coalition gathered Thursday morning outside the offices of the Iowa Utilities Board to submit the paperwork. […]

More than 875 Native American youths from across the nation are gathering Thursday in Washington, D.C., for a first-of-its-kind summit called by the White House. The teens, who represent 230 tribes, will meet with First Lady Michelle Obama and cabinet members to discuss a range of topics, including economic opportunity, education and cultural issues. It’s […]

RAPID CITY, S.D. (AP) — It’s been through fires, a threatened closure and some much-needed repairs, but the Black Hills Playhouse keeps on going. The venerable theater will celebrate its 70th anniversary Friday through Sunday with a reunion for Playhouse alumni both old and young. Up to 200 people are expected to attend. “The alums […]

FORT PIERRE, S.D. (AP) — While emergency sirens in Pierre sounded during a severe thunderstorm in late June, the three sirens in neighboring Fort Pierre remained silent. Hughes County Emergency Manager Rob Fines tells the Capital Journal ( ) that he made the call to have the sirens sound in both cities, but a glitch […]

MITCHELL, S.D. (AP) — Researchers working at the Prehistoric Indian Village in Mitchell have uncovered corn cobs, corn kernels and sunflower kernels that are more than 1,000 years old. Officials say the discoveries show that people who lived in the region at the time had a diverse diet. The Prehistoric Indian Village is the only […]