PIERRE, S.D. (AP) — The Legislature’s budget-writing committee has adopted revenue estimates for the upcoming budget cycle that are short of projections made when Gov. Dennis Daugaard proposed his state budget in December. The Joint Appropriations Committee voted 13-4 along party lines to adopt recommendations from a sub-panel. That means lawmakers are looking at about […]

PIERRE, S.D. (AP) — The Senate has voted to phase in the amount of funding available to college students who receive the state’s Opportunity Scholarship. Senators voted to amend the bill Tuesday to allow incoming South Dakota students to receive up to $1,300 for their first three years of college and up to $2,600 for […]

ABERDEEN, S.D. (AP) — Until she started at public school in Mobridge, Jo’L Pretends Eagle never really considered going to college. “College opportunities were right in front of me,” Pretends Eagle told the Aberdeen American News ( ). “I never thought I would have college opportunities.” Pretends Eagle went to tribal schools until her grandmother, […]

RUTLAND, S.D. (AP) — The Rutland School Board has approved a $450,000, five-year opt-out of the state-imposed property tax freeze to boost teacher salaries. Board President Billie Hoekman tells the Daily Leader ( ) that the additional money is needed to give teachers needed pay raises. Data from the state Department of Education show that […]

RAPID CITY, S.D. (AP) — Rapid City residents have rejected a proposed $180 million expansion of the Rushmore Plaza Civic Center. Unofficial returns from Tuesday’s election show 61 percent of the 12,902 voters were against the idea. The project would have replaced the facility’s 9,400-seat arena with one that could seat up to 19,000 people. […]

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — Unseasonably warm and dry weather is breaking temperature records and sparking fears of wildfires in the Dakotas. In North Dakota, Fargo, Grand Forks, Jamestown and Williston all have tied or broken temperature records this week. National Weather Service reports show high temperatures in those cities approaching 60 degrees, tying or breaking […]

WEST FARGO, N.D. (AP) — North Dakota-based Titan Machinery is reducing its workforce by 14 percent and closing some stores after a drop in revenue. The West Fargo-based dealer of agricultural and construction equipment projects its revenue in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2015 at $491 million, a drop of about 31 percent from the […]

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — Federal health officials say 21,393 South Dakota residents selected health insurance plans during the second enrollment period under a provision of the Affordable Care Act. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced the new enrollment numbers Tuesday. The figures are through Feb. 22. Officials had estimated that up […]

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — Stacie Schroder’s search for a home began the day she regained her freedom. Finding an apartment can be a complicated, time-consuming process for anyone. Schroder didn’t expect her search to be easy, but she also wasn’t prepared for the months of dead ends, denials and desperation that would come to […]

FREEMAN, S.D. (AP) — Authorities say a Montana man was killed in a two-vehicle crash in southeastern South Dakota. The South Dakota Department of Public Safety says 55-year-old Keith Stockard of Superior, Montana, died in the accident on Tuesday afternoon. The department says his vehicle was struck by a garbage truck after he attempted to […]