SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (Dakota News Now) – A squishy stress toy that’s been sitting on store shelves for years is suddenly becoming one of the hottest items in South Dakota, thanks to the power of social media.

NeeDoh, a line of sensory squeeze toys made by Schylling, has exploded in popularity on TikTok, where videos of people squeezing, stretching, and collecting the colorful toys have racked up millions of views. The viral attention is now translating into real-world demand, with retailers across the country struggling to keep them in stock.

At Child’s Play Toys in Sioux Falls, owner Nancy Savage recently announced a new shipment during a Facebook Live video.

Within hours, both Sioux Falls locations had sold out.

“So I’ve been in business, this November will be 17 years, and I have never seen anything like this,” Savage said. “It is the craziest thing.”

The frenzy isn’t limited to Sioux Falls.

At Black Hills Rally & Gold in Sturgis, manager Madison Bestgen said the store ordered what they believed would be enough inventory to last through the summer.

Instead, the shipment disappeared in less than two days.

“We made an order that we thought was going to get us all the way to the end of summer, and then when we got it in at the end of February, it lasted like a day and a half,” Bestgen said. “At that moment, we were like, ‘Oh yeah, this has blown up. This is something bigger than we thought.’”

The toys themselves aren’t new.

Both stores have carried NeeDoh products for nearly a decade and have built a steady customer base among children and adults alike.

But that changed once the product gained traction online.

“We had them out for people to play with, we’ve shown them to people, people with arthritis, we’ve sold them to so many adults, but all of a sudden, it went viral,” Savage said.

The surge in popularity has become a textbook example of what retailers call the “TikTok Effect,” where a single viral trend can transform an ordinary product into a sensation.

“It can change anything overnight into something absolutely wild,” Bestgen said.

The demand has been so intense that customers are traveling significant distances in search of the toys.

“We have people coming from everywhere,” Bestgen said. “We have people from Rapid City, Spearfish, Gillette, even, that are driving just because they want these NeeDohs.”

Savage has seen similar enthusiasm in Sioux Falls, especially when she goes live on Facebook to tell everyone.

“This is kind of a funny one, but at one of the salons downtown, somebody was getting their nails done, and the light popped up, and both the nail tech and the person getting their nails done ran down to pick up NeeDoh,” she said with a laugh.

NeeDoh’s popularity has also sparked a treasure-hunt mentality among collectors as stores wait for new shipments to arrive.

Savage believes that’s creating something positive beyond the sales numbers.

“It’s a fun, fairly inexpensive summer activity for people to go on a NeeDoh hunt and go around town looking for NeeDoh,” she said. “I think that is building community.”

Whether it’s the stress relief, the satisfying squish, or simply the influence of social media, retailers say the craze shows no signs of slowing down.

More information on Black Hills Rally & Gold Inc. can be found here.

More information on Child’s Play Toys can be found here, and the upcoming drop on Savage’s Facebook live can be found here.

STEVENS POINT, Wis. (WSAW) – A giant spider isn’t actually invading central Wisconsin this weekend.

But an enhanced, big-screen version of the cult-classic 1975 film The Giant Spider Invasion is crawling back into local theaters — and it’s bringing some central Wisconsin nostalgia with it.

The movie was famously filmed in Merrill and Stevens Point, and the updated 2026 release adds enhancements designed for a modern theatrical experience.

What’s new in the 2026 enhanced version?

Executive Producer J.B. Thompson says the team took the original 1975 film and enhanced it for the big screen in 2026, giving audiences a refreshed way to experience a movie that’s long been a Wisconsin oddity — and a point of pride.

Actor and Producer Dan Davies is featured in newly filmed scenes created specifically for this updated release.

Stevens Point’s role in the original film

While much of the film is associated with Merrill, Stevens Point Mayor Mike Wiza says Point also played a major role in the production — another reason the film’s return matters to local history buffs and movie fans alike.

Why does this movie still capture attention 50 years later?

Whether it’s the over-the-top creature feature story, the uniquely Wisconsin filming locations, or the nostalgia of seeing familiar places on screen, the group says the film’s staying power is real — even five decades later.

Screenings this weekend

The enhanced version of The Giant Spider Invasion is set for local screenings this weekend in Central and North Central Wisconsin. To purchase tickets for showings in Stevens Point, Marshfield or Waupaca, click here.

Click here to download the WSAW news app or WSAW First Alert weather app.

Click here to submit a news tip or story idea.

Wenceel Pérez is home.

But when will he return to the Detroit Tigers?

The 26-year-old outfielder returned to Detroit on Friday, June 19, after spending a couple extra days in Houston awaiting clearance to fly. He suffered an orbital fracture June 16 when a plyometric band struck him below his left eye during his postgame workout routine.

Don’t expect to see him in MLB games anytime soon.

“It’s not injured, from what I understand, where it’s going to be something long term,” manager A.J. Hinch said before Tuesday’s game against the New York Yankees at Comerica Park, “but it doesn’t mean it heals itself fast. He’s feeling better and better and reporting progress.”

ROSTER MOVES: Tigers call up Ben Malgeri from Triple-A Toledo; Trei Cruz sent down

The fracture doesn’t require surgery.

“We’ve got to pay attention to the bone healing,” Hinch said. “The eye part of it is, the swelling is the main issue. There were a couple of days there where your eye swells shut and the vision is not there.”

Pérez hasn’t played for the Tigers since June 16.

Before the injury, he hit .180 with seven home runs, 14 walks and 29 strikeouts in 53 games.

Parker Meadows injury update

Center fielder Parker Meadows hasn’t played for the Tigers since April 9.

The 26-year-old has been on the injured list with a left radius fracture, a concussion and a right mouth laceration, with the left radius fracture requiring surgery. There isn’t a timetable for his return to the Tigers.

“The bone shattered, so it’s not as simple as healing a simple break,” Hinch said. “I say shattered as a non-doctor, so I’m not sure if that’s the actual term, but I know it’s been a work in progress to continue his ability to do everything with that hand and arm and wrist. It’s been slow, and there’s not much we can do.”

Before the injury, he hit .250 with two walks and 10 strikeouts in 12 games while serving as the everyday center fielder.

“He’s not hitting and doing all those things that would lead you to start to wonder when he’s coming back, but it’s progressing,” Hinch said. “The nature of the injury, as we are learning, has been the slowest a bone heals. It’s by no setback or no issue.”

‘Slow ramp’ for Gleyber Torres

Second baseman Gleyber Torres, who has one of the best on-base percentages in baseball, remains sidelined with a left oblique strain. The 29-year-old received a cortisone shot Friday, but he still hasn’t resumed baseball activities.

It’s his second left oblique strain over the past two months.

Last time, Torres missed one month while recovering on the injured list.

It could be an even longer process this time.

“He’s doing his normal rehab therapy,” Hinch said. “It’ll be a slow ramp for him.”

Before the latest injury, he hit .280 with four home runs, 29 walks and 33 strikeouts in 43 games while serving as the everyday second baseman.

Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold.