South Dakota
Kristi Noem banned from 10% of South Dakota after newest expulsion – Washington Examiner
Gov. Kristi Noem (R-SD) has been banned from some 10% of South Dakota, the state she governs.
On Tuesday, the Standing Rock Sioux Tribal Council voted to ban Noem from areas under its control. Combined with bans from the Oglala Sioux Tribe in February and the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe last week, the Republican governor is now banned from about one-tenth of the state, according to the Daily Beast.
The banishment came in response to remarks Noem made about the Native Americans of the state, accusing tribal leaders of not doing enough to expunge the influence of drug cartels.
“Governor Kristi Noem’s wild and irresponsible attempt to connect tribal leaders and parents with Mexican drug cartels is a sad reflection of her fear-based politics that do nothing to bring people together to solve problems,” SRST Chairwoman Janet Alkire said in a press release. “Rather than make uninformed and unsubstantiated claims, Noem should work with tribal leaders to increase funding and resources for tribal law enforcement and education.”
The director of the Lakota People’s Law Project, which says on its website that it “works closely with tribal nations and nonprofit compatriots to amplify Indigenous voices” and “provides on-the-ground support when and where it is needed most,” said Noem is “prohibited from entering sovereign territory of Sioux bands.”
Noem is also “subject to detention and/or removal if she violates banishment orders, meaning the state’s governor is barred from entering more than 10 percent of all land her state claims is within its ‘borders,’” Chase Iron Eyes said.
Noem spokeswoman Amelia Joy said banishing the governor “does nothing to solve the problem.”
“She calls on all our tribal leaders to banish the cartels from tribal lands,” Joy added.
Last week, CRST Chairman Ryman LeBeau accused the governor of weaponizing the border crisis in an attempt to be former President Donald Trump’s running mate.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
“The South Dakota Governor speaks gossip and lies about our Lakota students, their parents, and our Tribal Councils. SD Governor’s statements made on March 13th, 2024, perpetuate stereotypes, misconceptions, which are inaccurate and untrue,” he said in a statement. “According to her Christianity, gossip is a sinful act. As South Dakota’s Governor she does not know or understand our issues or successes of our Reservation schools and communities. The Governor is out of touch and auditioning for Trump’s vice president for her own personal political gain.”
In addition to the banishments, several other tribes have demanded an apology from Noem.
South Dakota
Political Pulse: South Dakota Senate Majority Leader Jim Mehlhaff on data centers, property taxes and more
RAPID CITY, S.D. (KOTA) – State Senate Majority Leader Jim Mehlhaff joined Political Pulse over the weekend.
Mehlhaff weighed in on property tax proposals, data centers, and effort to repeal the death penalty and speculation that Kristi Noem could run for Senate.
The interviewed was taped on Saturday.
See a spelling or grammatical error in our story? Please click here to report it.
Do you have a photo or video of a breaking news story? Send it to us here with a brief description.
Copyright 2026 KOTA. All rights reserved.
South Dakota
These 15 South Dakota counties will see DUI checkpoints this month
The monthly law enforcement effort helps to reduce alcohol-related deaths on the road.
The reason drinking among adults hit a record low
Fewer Americans are drinking alcohol, and more now see even moderate drinking as a health risk, according to a new Gallup poll.
unbranded – Lifestyle
The South Dakota Department of Public Safety is raising awareness this month on the dangers of drinking and driving.
Sobriety checkpoints take place statewide every month, usually hitting about 15 counties, in hopes of reminding motorists to “make responsible choices and avoid driving after drinking alcohol, whether or not a checkpoint is planned in their area,” says DPS communications director Brad Reiners.
DPS also announces ahead of time which counties will be monitored, most often Codington, Lincoln, Meade, Minnehaha and Pennington counties.
What is a sobriety checkpoint?
A sobriety checkpoint is a law enforcement effort that stops vehicles at pre-determined locations to identify and arrest impaired drivers as necessary.
These police stops are not based on unrelated violations of the law (ie., speeding, reckless driving, no seatbelt). Rather, officers are stopping any vehicle in a set pattern in a highly visible location that a driver will approach and must comply with.
Beyond arrests for driving under the influence (DUIs), including breathalyzer tests (PBTs) to determine blood alcohol level (BAC) as needed, the systematic effort is designed to “reduce impaired driving and improve roadway safety,” Reiners said.
South Dakota counties where checkpoints will take place in March include:
- Beadle
- Brookings
- Brown
- Clay
- Codington
- Day
- Hughes
- Hutchinson
- Jones
- Lawrence
- Lincoln
- Lyman
- Meade
- Minnehaha
- Pennington
How many sobriety checkpoints took place in Minnehaha County in 2025?
Other than confirming counties ahead of time, Reiners says time, day and exact location of each checkpoint cannot be confirmed.
Here’s a look at totals from sobriety checkpoints in Minnehaha County in 2025.
Reiners says the number of vehicle stops is merely based on how many happen to drive through a checkpoint that day:
- January: 30 vehicles stopped, 3 PBTs, no DUI arrests
- February: 18 vehicles stopped, 1 PBT, no DUI arrests
- March: 150 vehicles stopped, 9 PBTs, no DUI arrests
- August: 49 vehicles stopped, 1 PBT, no DUI arrests
- September: 105 vehicles stopped, 14 PBTs, no DUI arrests
- November: 63 vehicles stopped, 2 PBTs, 2 DUI arrests
How many fatal, alcohol-related car accidents are there in South Dakota?
According to the South Dakota Department of Health, among 365 alcohol-related deaths in 2024, 19% were because of a transportation/machinery accident, the second-most common cause.
The leading cause of alcohol-related deaths in 2024 was poisoning/toxic effects, at 24%.
Counties that most often experience overall alcohol-related deaths include Buffalo, Mellette, Corson, Oglala Lakota and Dewey counties.
Overall, males make up 65% of alcohol-related deaths in South Dakota from 2015-2024, almost two times higher than the female rate, with ages 30-69 at the highest risk.
Operation: Prairie Thunder not involved in sobriety checkpoints
DPS officials say the S.D. Office of Highway Patrol, the South Dakota Highway Patrol (SDHP) and local law enforcement agencies support DUI checkpoints, which are funded by the South Dakota Office of Highway Safety (SDHS).
Although Operation: Prairie Thunder (OPT) recently completed its 11th saturation patrol in Watertown on Feb. 26-27 – missions that bring together the SDHP with the city, county and federal law enforcement partners – SDHS officials stated last week that “sobriety checkpoints are not conducted as part of Operation: Prairie Thunder.”
Rather, OPT consists of targeted saturation patrols focused on criminal activity in a variety of communities.
Since its inception in August of last year, here’s a look at where total numbers stand for OPT, provided by the DPS.
Ongoing Operation: Prairie Thunder running totals
- 443 arrests
- 281 individuals in custody with a drug charge
- 162 in custody without a drug charge
- 473 individuals with a drug charge
- 192 charged and released
Operation: Prairie Thunder criminal drug apprehension totals
- 1,109 drug charges
- 318 felony drug charges
- 791 misdemeanor drug charges
- 81 felony warrants
- 168 misdemeanor warrants
Operation: Prairie Thunder ICE contacts
- 93 contacted
- 95 interviewed
- 71 in custody
- 9 apprehended for cartel / gang
- 10 identified for cartel / gang
- No human trafficking arrests
- No recoveries
Operation: Prairie Thunder traffic enforcement
- 42 DUIs
- 5 reckless driving
- 2,244 citations
- 2,725 warnings
The South Dakota governor’s office announced last December that operations will continue into 2026.
South Dakota
SD Lottery Millionaire for Life winning numbers for March 8, 2026
The South Dakota Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at March 8, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from March 8 drawing
01-31-32-45-52, Bonus: 05
Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your prize
- Prizes of $100 or less: Can be claimed at any South Dakota Lottery retailer.
- Prizes of $101 or more: Must be claimed from the Lottery. By mail, send a claim form and a signed winning ticket to the Lottery at 711 E. Wells Avenue, Pierre, SD 57501.
- Any jackpot-winning ticket for Dakota Cash or Lotto America, top prize-winning ticket for Lucky for Life, or for the second prizes for Powerball and Mega Millions must be presented in person at a Lottery office. A jackpot-winning Powerball or Mega Millions ticket must be presented in person at the Lottery office in Pierre.
When are the South Dakota Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 9:59 p.m. CT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 10 p.m. CT on Tuesday and Friday.
- Lucky for Life: 9:38 p.m. CT daily.
- Lotto America: 9:15 p.m. CT on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Dakota Cash: 9 p.m. CT on Wednesday and Saturday.
- Millionaire for Life: 10:15 p.m. CT daily.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a South Dakota editor. You can send feedback using this form.
-
Wisconsin1 week agoSetting sail on iceboats across a frozen lake in Wisconsin
-
Massachusetts1 week agoMassachusetts man awaits word from family in Iran after attacks
-
Maryland1 week agoAM showers Sunday in Maryland
-
Pennsylvania5 days agoPa. man found guilty of raping teen girl who he took to Mexico
-
Florida1 week agoFlorida man rescued after being stuck in shoulder-deep mud for days
-
Sports6 days agoKeith Olbermann under fire for calling Lou Holtz a ‘scumbag’ after legendary coach’s death
-
Virginia6 days agoGiants will hold 2026 training camp in West Virginia
-
Politics1 week agoMamdani’s response to Trump’s Iran strike sparks conservative backlash: ‘Rooting for the ayatollah’