South Dakota

11 charged in last month’s unrest at South Dakota State Penitentiary

Published

2 years ago

April 23, 2024

11 charged in last month’s unrest at South Dakota State Penitentiary

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (Dakota News Now) – South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley has announced 11 inmates are facing 18 counts total after unrest at the state penitentiary last March.

Six are facing one count of Intentional Damage to Property, and four are facing one count each of Reckless Burning and Burning Within a Structure Where a Person is Lawfully Confined.

The eleventh individual, Joshua Vortherms, is facing two counts of Aggravated Assault Against a Department of Corrections employee, and two counts of Simple Assault Against a Department of Corrections employee. The aggravated assault charges carry a maximum penalty of 25 years in prison.

Jackley said while last month’s actions by inmates here at the state penitentiary were wrong and against the law, the effort wasn’t coordinated. He said the assault on correctional officers wasn’t connected to any of the fires and damage to prison property, and court documents do list the loss of tablet access for messaging and calls as an issue surrounding the assault.

The unrest doesn’t stem from a lack of staffing, as Jackley said it was all confined to one area.

“At least the assault side of it, I don’t believe that staffing would’ve had any affect on what happened,” Jackley said.

Jackley said while it’s only his role to investigate what happened at the state penitentiary and make charges where needed, the documents do point to the issue over the tablets as a potential catalyst for unrest. But he said regardless, the assault, fires and damage shouldn’t have happened.

“The tablet issue, I think instigated or began the disagreement between the guard and the inmate. That guard had nothing to do with whether or not there would be tablets or not,” Jackley said. “I think the inmate’s frustration is what was, at least his reasoning for why he took certain action, which is unacceptable under the law and as my position as Attorney General, we’re addressing it with these felony charges.”

Jackley said he’s avoided using the word “riot” to explain what happened last month. He said even though fires were lit and inmates were trying to smash a gate, it was confined to one area and correctional officers never let it spread outside of that.

“When you look at the property damage on the gates, with them trying to throw the locker through, the inmates never took over control. The fires were from cell to cell, thrown on a wheelchair. So because there was never control lost, I’ve used the word disturbance.”

Jackley said it was his decision to list all 11 inmates in the complaint, and try them all in the same trial. He said this is because while the effort behind the unrest wasn’t connected, it still all stemmed from the same time.

“At this time, there will be one trial, 11 individuals, and 18 counts,” Jackley said.

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South Dakota

As South Dakota legislative session nears, dozens of bills already filed

Published

5 hours ago

January 6, 2026

Press Room

As South Dakota legislative session nears, dozens of bills already filed

The 2026 South Dakota legislative session is still a week away but we’re already seeing dozens of bills being introduced.

The Legislative Research Council’s website shows more than 60 bills already on tap as of Tuesday.

But many more are on the way. In recent years, the Legislature has seen on average around 500 bills per session. Generally, a little under half end up being signed into law.

Some of the early bills include an act allowing for the removal of a county commissioner and another creating a tax exemption for data centers.

Attorney General Marty Jackley is also introducing a host of bills including one allowing law enforcement to seize cryptocurrency that’s part of a criminal investigation.

“Cryptocurrency has become a haven for scammers, drug traffickers, and human traffickers, costing South Dakotans millions in losses and fueling online crime,” said Jackley. “This legislation adds ‘digital currency’ to South Dakota’s seizure laws, giving law enforcement the tools to confiscate illicit crypto assets and disrupt criminal networks hiding behind digital secrecy.”

A full list of bills and resolutions is available on the LRC’s website.

The 2026 session begins Jan. 13.

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South Dakota

SD Lottery Powerball, Lucky For Life winning numbers for Jan. 5, 2026

Published

17 hours ago

January 6, 2026

Press Room

The South Dakota Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big. Here’s a look at Jan. 5, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Powerball numbers from Jan. 5 drawing

04-18-24-51-56, Powerball: 14, Power Play: 2

Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Lucky For Life numbers from Jan. 5 drawing

02-07-08-21-45, Lucky Ball: 15

Check Lucky For Life payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Lotto America numbers from Jan. 5 drawing

12-19-21-30-47, Star Ball: 05, ASB: 03

Check Lotto America 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.

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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South Dakota

SD Lottery Lucky For Life winning numbers for Jan. 4, 2026

Published

2 days ago

January 5, 2026

Press Room

The South Dakota Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big. Here’s a look at Jan. 4, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Lucky For Life numbers from Jan. 4 drawing

03-08-13-38-47, Lucky Ball: 02

Check Lucky 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.

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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