SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — The South Dakota Democratic Party has formally joined the fight to send two laws to the voters for their review. The party’s central committee voted Saturday to push back against a proposal that carves out a $7.50 youth minimum wage and to fight against a bundle of election law changes. […]

PIERRE, S.D. (AP) — Minor renovations at the South Dakota state capitol are underway now that this year’s legislative session is over. KGFX-AM ( ) reports that the crews are replacing the carpet in the House and Senate chambers, galleries and leadership. The carpet in the House and Senate hasn’t been replaced since it was […]

WATERTOWN, S.D. (AP) — Officials in Watertown are working quickly to prepare the eastern South Dakota city for President Barack Obama’s first visit to the state next month. Watertown Mayor Steve Thorson tells KSFY-TV ( ) the city is repainting streets, running their street sweepers 16 hours a day and synchronizing all of its emergency […]

PIERRE, S.D. (AP) — Members of the South Dakota Wing of the Civil Air Patrol are gathering Saturday in Pierre for their annual conference. State, regional and national CAP personnel will discuss several administrative and operational issues. An evening banquet will feature U.S. Rep. Kristi Noem. It will also include a presentation of the Congressional […]

PIERRE, S.D. (AP) — These South Dakota lotteries were drawn Friday:

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — For the first time in 30 years, state troopers are going to police the highways on motorcycle in an attempt to crack down on drunken driving in the state. The South Dakota Highway Patrol unveiled three new Harley Davidson motorcycles at the state capitol on Friday. The funding for the […]

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — Five commercial turkey farms in South Dakota have now been infected with a bird flu strain that’s led to the deaths of more than 250,000 turkeys in the state and over 2.5 million birds in the Midwest. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service confirmed the […]

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — A Florida man was arrested Friday on a first-degree murder charge in connection with a slaying more than 25 years ago in South Dakota. Kim Aune, a 57-year-old man from Lee County, Florida, was indicted Thursday in South Dakota and arrested in Florida early Friday. Authorities are working to bring […]

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The discovery of bird flu on an Iowa turkey farm has raised serious concerns that the poultry-killing virus could find its way into chicken barns in the nation’s top egg-producing state and rapidly decimate flocks that provide the U.S. with its breakfast staple. Iowa is home to roughly 50 million […]

BROOKINGS, S.D. (AP) — The South Dakota state climatologist says dry conditions will likely stick around in the near future, but there’s hope for more rain in the long-term outlook put out this week by the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration. Dennis Todey says that statewide, January through March was the driest on record, and the […]