South Dakota
Aberdeen GOP Sen. Carl Perry introduces bill to cap fluoride in water in South Dakota
The truth about fluoride
Fluoride is present in dental products like toothpaste, protecting teeth from cavities and preventing bacteria in the mouth. It is also added to public water supplies.
unbranded – Lifestyle
A bill that would make fluoridation of drinking water optional for South Dakota cities is headed to the Senate chamber.
Cities add fluoride to tap water to prevent tooth decay and strengthen teeth, in South Dakota and throughout the United States. Research shows that community water fluoridation reduces cavities by around 25%, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention calls water fluoridation one of the top 10 public health achievements of the 20th century.
Senate Bill 133, introduced by Aberdeen Republican Sen. Carl Perry, would allow municipalities controlling a public water supply or a person controlling a private water supply to determine the amount of fluoride in their drinking water. Currently, the South Dakota Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources regulates fluoride levels and testing methods.
The bill would cap water fluoridation at 4 milligrams per liter, the limit already imposed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. South Dakota cities would not be required to include any fluoride in the municipal drinking water, so some could discontinue the practice.
Skeptics of fluoridation benefits have raised concerns about excessive fluoride consumption for years. President Donald Trump tapped outspoken water fluoridation opponent Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The U.S. Senate has yet to confirm his nomination.
Perry told lawmakers that the federal government could change fluoridation policy under Kennedy’s influence, so South Dakota “should be ahead of that.”
Several dental and medical organizations opposed the bill, saying it would lead to more health problems in the state. South Dakota Municipal League, South Dakota Association of Rural Water Systems, South Dakota Department of Health, and South Dakota Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources also opposed the bill.
Ensuring access to safe and reliable drinking water is the “primary” public health initiative for the state Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources, said Mark Mayer, water director for the department.
“We feel that community water system fluoridation is one of the safest, most beneficial and cost effective ways to prevent tooth decay,” Mayer said.
The legislation passed out of the Senate Health and Human Services Committee 6-1 “without recommendation” after an attempt to defeat the bill failed. That means that a majority of senators must agree to place it on the calendar before it’s debated, said Brookings Republican Sen. Tim Reed, otherwise the bill dies.
South Dakota Searchlight is part of States Newsroom, the nation’s largest state-focused nonprofit news organization.
RAPID CITY, S.D. (KOTA) – The South Dakota Department of Transportation is inviting the public to share input on the development of the Statewide Active Transportation Plan. The plan aims to improve the state’s transportation network by integrating other modes of travel like walking and biking.
The plan focuses on improving safety and connectivity along state highway corridors, ensuring that pedestrians and cyclists have safer, more accessible routes. SDDOT says collaboration is key, and feedback from residents, businesses, local governments, tribal entities, regional organizations, and community groups will help shape the plan’s priorities.
Public comments are being accepted here through Friday, Nov. 21.
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Copyright 2025 KOTA. All rights reserved.
RAPID CITY, S.D. (KOTA) -Hundreds of millions of dollars are on the way for military projects in South Dakota.
1 of 3 appropriations bills signed by President Donald Trump as part of a deal to reopen the government included nearly $400 million for B-21 related projects at the Ellsworth Air Force Base.
The spending also included $28 million for a National Guard vehicle maintenance shop in Watertown and a maintenance hangar at the Sioux Falls airport.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune said in a statement:
“This full-year funding bill will help strengthen the role that South Dakota plays in keeping our nation safe by making long-term investments in Ellsworth Air Force Base to improve its capabilities and advance its preparations for the B-21 mission.”
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Copyright 2025 KOTA. All rights reserved.
South Dakota
Best dive bar South Dakota? Here are 3 spots loved by locals that are worth the $2 beer
There’s a game of Shake-A-Day around here somewhere.
Dive bars in the Midwest are like coming home and bellying up to your regular spot or with your lucky pool cue. Your Jack and Coke is already poured, your buddy arrived at the time he always does and now the lore is flowing.
It’s going to be another great night.
This time of year especially harkens a bar regular – home for the holidays and wanting to unwind once again.
Whether you’re chasing nostalgia or just a cold one, these dives prove that the heart of the Midwest beats loudest in its bars.
Here’s a look at a few great dive bars in South Dakota.
The Ice House: Shattered glass and record-breaking can smashing
The Ice House Bar in Yankton, South Dakota, isn’t known for producing artificial ice. How boring. It’s known for its century-old tradition of smashing empty beer bottles against a brick wall.
The family-owned, Missouri River establishment began in 1928 as the Pure Ice Co. until it started selling beer after the prohibition in the 1930s. Since, folks come for the $2 beers, $10 buckets served curbside or to hang their legs off the dock to toss a bottle or two underneath their feet.
The tradition is famous. Broadcast journalist and South Dakota native Tom Brokaw frequented the bar for a Budweiser, and owner Jim Anderson was on “The Late Show with David Letterman” to show off his record-breaking can-smashing skills: He can crush 76 cans in 25 seconds with one foot!
Details: 101 Capital St., Yankton, S.D., 605-665-2631.
Top Hat: One of the oldest haunts in Sioux Falls
The Top Hat in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, is timeless. Your father probably sat underneath the same glow of the same PBR neon sign in the 1970s and grabbed a bag of Fritos from the same clip on the wall. (Hopefully the chips are newer.)
Owner Andy Lenz prefers to freeze this dive bar in time. Why change it? she says. There are no frills, no craft beers on tap and no menu. Hungry? She’ll toast a thin-crust Rosken’s Dakota Pizza if you want to pair it with your Grain Belt while playing a game of pool underneath dim lighting.
There’s also dart boards, video lottery, a juke box that’s always humming and the smell of old cigarettes and stale booze – which is to say, it feels familiar, safe and like home.
Details: 508 S. First Ave., Sioux Falls, SD, 605-332-8171.
Meridian Corner: Deep-fried chislic and broasted chicken
If you know South Dakota, you know chislic. If you know chislic, you know Meridian Corner. Located on the corner of highways 18 and 81 west of Freeman, this proudly proclaimed “hole-in-the-wall” is nationally known for its family recipe of deep-fried lamb or mutton: Lamb chislic is more tender, while mutton chislic is chewier but with more flavor. Each is humbly served in skewers of three, six, nine or 12, with a side of saltines and garlic salt.
There’s savory broasted chicken and pork chops on the menu as well.
The family-owned tradition of Meridian Corner was hard to kick. It opened in the 1980s, closed shop for years then opened again in 2011, back by popular demand and with little change. It’s an old red farmhouse on the corner of nowhere, and there are usually tractors in the parking lot.
Details: 43915 U.S. Highway 18, Freeman, S.D., 605-387-5000.
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