SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (Dakota News Now) – Spring planting season has officially begun, and Sioux Falls is taking new efforts to revitalize the city’s urban forest.

It’s all part of the new initiative through Sioux Falls and their CommuniTree program, which is going to plant roughly 150 plants a day to help protect and provide for our environment for decades to come.

This past fall, the city of Sioux Falls announced it had received a 3 million grant from the USDA Forest Service. The funds are being used to restore the city’s tree population by planting approximately 5000 trees over the course of a few years.

“If you have room to plant trees within the adjacent right-of-way and you have an approved planting permit, we will issue a $100 voucher per tree for the planting of those trees,” said Bryan Peterson, Urban Forestry Specialist. “Vouchers are only issued to approved planting locations. Vouchers are not issued to properties already enrolled in a city cost-sharing program focused on tree planting.”

Sioux Falls has lost 17,000 ash trees to the invasive emerald ash borers, and through the CommuniTree program, they hope to plant 1200 trees this spring. It’s voluntary, and residents have the option to choose from six trees.

“There’s a lot of trees and even within our park system where they get dinged with lawnmowers or string trimmers and that over time can actually kill the tree itself,” said Peterson in terms of how to take care of your trees.

Sioux Falls was selected for the grant based on the impact it would have on the city.

“We have several communities in Colorado that are currently working on them, but we also have some domestic grants that go directly through the state of South Dakota,” said Amanda Marr, who is with the USDA Forest Service. “And then South Dakota therefore passes it down through communities.”

After years of losing trees to invasive pests, Sioux Falls is turning over a new leaf. They encourage any resident to look into the program so they can help plant a tree in their own front yard and help make a difference.

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The 2026 South Dakota High School Activities Association (SDHSAA) softball season is underway, and teams all across the state will be vying for the state championship title over the next two-plus months.

Here’s a rundown of each of the three classes and which teams can win the state championship, broken down into three tiers — defending champion, contenders and dark horses.

Class AA

Defending Champion: Sioux Falls Jefferson

Jefferson broke through in 2025 as the No. 4 seed, beating two-time state champion Sioux Falls Lincoln in the semis before shutting out Sioux Falls Washington in the championship game.

The Cavaliers’ pitching led the way last season, but Whitney Portner graduated, leaving Tya Devericks projected to hold down the circle the most. The now-junior pitcher recorded a 2.96 ERA with 28 strikeouts in 26 innings a season ago.

Devericks, Macy Bryant and Brooklyn Herrera form a three-headed monster at the top of Jefferson’s lineup that can compete with nearly any in the state.

Portner is a massive loss for a breakthrough Jefferson team, but the Cavaliers appear to have the pieces in place to repeat if things fall right.

Contenders: Sioux Falls Lincoln, Harrisburg, Sioux Falls Washington, Brandon Valley

South Dakota is separated from Central Europe by about 4,000 miles. On the outside, it seems the two have little to nothing in common, but longstanding partnerships known as “sister cities” have forged a deep bond between the Mount Rushmore State and the country of Germany.

It makes sense as approximately 34% of South Dakotans identify with German heritage. But these connections go far beyond just family trees.

From the Black Hills to the banks of the Big Sioux River, here are the four South Dakota communities that have found their ‘twins’ across the Atlantic Ocean.

Sioux Falls, South Dakota – Sister City: Potsdam, Germany

Sioux Falls and Potsdam have been ‘Sister Cities’ since 1990. That year stands out as it was just one year prior when the Berlin Wall fell, uniting East and West Germany after nearly 45 years of being apart. Potsdam is located in the former East Germany and has a similar population to that of Sioux Falls, at around 184,000 residents. It’s famous for its Sanssouci Palace and for being the spot of the legendary ‘Potsdam Conference’ of 1945, in which the allied powers of the United States, United Kingdom, and Soviet Union decided on Post-WW2 order.

Other sister cities include Rapid City and Apolda, Germany. This partnership began in 1994 and contrasts the ‘City of Bells’ (Apolda) with the ‘City of Presidents’ (Rapid City). Both towns have a great respect for public art and historic landmarks.

There are also the sister cities of Vermillion and Ratingen. Established in 1969, this is by far the oldest partnership of all the cities on the list. The two have traded students in an exchange program for decades and have also shown their friendship in other ways. In Ratingen, the Vermillionring and the South Dakota Bridge were built to honor the partnership. In Vermillion, Ratingen Square was inaugurated back in 2010.

Finally, much like Sioux Falls and Potsdam, the cities of Brookings and Schwanewede began their partnership back in 1990. The two have one big thing in common, too, as they’re both college towns. It has since become a very active exchange, particularly focusing on student programs and cultural visits that highlight their shared agricultural and university-town identities.

Even more surprising, Potsdam isn’t Sioux Falls only sister city. The other is found in Northern Ireland, and you can read all about it in this article.