South Dakota

Exploring the dark side of the Sturgis rally: Illegal drugs

Published

2 years ago

August 7, 2024

Exploring the dark side of the Sturgis rally: Illegal drugs

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (Dakota News Now) – Every year, the South Dakota Department of Public Safety provides updates on the Sturgis rally, including drug violations.

So far this year, there have been 75 felony drug arrests in the Rapid City and Sturgis area, compared to 68 at the same time last year.

First Alert Investigator Beth Warden shows who is selling and supplying drugs at the Sturgis rally.

On Monday, we told you of human and labor trafficking at large events, including the Sturgis rally. Now, we bring you the intersection of human trafficking and drugs.

At Call to Freedom, an organization that helps victims escape human trafficking, Rachel Shartz, director of grants, hears from those forced to sell more than their bodies.

“We know we’ve seen it with our clients. We hear anecdotally all the time about how absolutely human trafficking is interconnected with other crimes via drug trafficking, even down to possession of controlled substances,” said Shartz.

It’s called forced criminality.

“They will force their victims or survivors to engage in criminal activity on their behalf,” said Shartz.

Others are brought in to sell drugs during the rally, too.

In a conversation with a DEA agent covering South Dakota and surrounding states, she talked about two main drug cartels bringing the supply. Buyers and dealers hid behind their phones.

The Drug Enforcement Administration said, “Social media platforms and encrypted apps extend the cartels’ reach into every community in the United States and across nearly 50 countries worldwide.”

The South Dakota Highway Patrol had more drug arrests last year than the previous year and continues to watch for drug activity.

Spokesperson Brad Reinerts explained law enforcement operations are underway , which are undisclosed due to the sensitivity of the investigations.

If a state resident or visitor chooses to buy or sell drugs, the county presses charges but has support at the state level.

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South Dakota

Political Pulse: South Dakota Senate Majority Leader Jim Mehlhaff on data centers, property taxes and more

Published

10 hours ago

March 10, 2026

Press Room

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.

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South Dakota

These 15 South Dakota counties will see DUI checkpoints this month

Published

22 hours ago

March 9, 2026

Press Room

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 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.

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South Dakota

SD Lottery Millionaire for Life winning numbers for March 8, 2026

Published

1 day ago

March 9, 2026

Press Room

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.

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