South Dakota
Avel eCare EMS Telemedicine Leaders Honored with South Dakota Governor’s Award for Heroism
Dr. Katie DeJong and nurse Casey Hunter were among those recognized during the Governor’s State of the State for using Avel’s innovative telemedicine platform to help save the life of a rancher critically injured in a bison attack
SIOUX FALLS, S.D., Jan. 16, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Avel eCare board certified emergency physician Dr. Katie DeJong and registered nurse Casie Hunter were among those honored during South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem’s State of the State address on January 9, 2024. The Avel telemedicine leaders, along with Ed Konechne, an EMT with Kimball, SD Fire and Ambulance, received the Governor’s Award for Heroism after helping to save the life of a rancher who was critically injured in a bison attack. The state’s first-of-its-kind Telemedicine in Motion program helped make the rescue possible.
“We’re using telemedicine to connect physicians, nurses, and paramedics with the EMS personnel that are in the field. We work with our partners at Avel eCare to do it, and there’s nothing else like it in the country,” said South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem as she spoke to legislators during the address. “The effort is an investment in the future of EMS. More importantly, it is saving lives.”
The South Dakota Department of Health partnered with Avel eCare to launch Telemedicine in Motion in late 2022 using $2.7 million in state general funds and federal pandemic relief money. The program equips ambulances with a highly connected telemedicine platform that gives EMTs and paramedics on-demand access to Avel eCare’s experienced emergency physicians, paramedics, and nurses. Over the past year, 92 of South Dakota’s 122 ambulance services have installed the technology, and more plan to do so. Avel’s team has been involved in more than 950 encounters so far.
The life-saving potential of this innovative approach to pre-hospital care was demonstrated early on in the initiative. One of the first significant calls involved a 67-year-old rancher who suffered an unprovoked attack by a 1600-pound bison. His injuries were life-threatening – multiple broken ribs, a broken neck, and a collapsed lung filling with blood. After dragging himself to a front-loader and driving back home for help, he was picked up by Konechne, a volunteer EMT who did not have much experience handling such severe wounds. He used Avel’s EMS telemedicine system to connect with Katie DeJong, an emergency medicine physician at Avel eCare’s telehealth center. During the ambulance ride, Dr. DeJong helped by arranging a helicopter transport and coordinating with the receiving hospital to ensure they were ready (versus having them wait to assess when the patient got there.)
These videos detail the dramatic story from the point of view of the patient and EMT.
“In a trauma situation, the first 30 minutes are the most important. But in some rural communities, the nearest care facility may be an hour or more away,” said Rebecca Vande Kieft, Vice President and General Manager of Emergency and EMS Services for Avel eCare. “EMS telemedicine brings experienced emergency physicians, paramedics and nurses into the back of a moving ambulance to enhance patient care in extreme trauma cases or other complex situations and gives emergency department personnel advanced notice so they are better prepared to treat patients upon their arrival.”
Based on the success of the program in South Dakota, Avel recently expanded its Emergency Medical Services (EMS) telemedicine solution to Minnesota, going live with Murray County Ambulance in September and the State of Nebraska in December. Further expansion into other states is planned for 2024.
“At a time when the rate of EMS professionals is on the decline, and agencies are closing across the country, telemedicine represents a new frontier in prehospital and post-crash care, where technology and expertise blend seamlessly with the existing EMS infrastructure to help improve care and boost the recruitment and retention of the workforce now and into the future,” said Avel eCare CEO Doug Duskin.
For more information, visit: https://www.avelecare.com/services/ems/
*High-resolution photos and videos of EMS Telemedicine are available upon request
About Avel eCare
Avel eCare offers the largest and most comprehensive virtual health network in the world, partnering with more than 800 healthcare systems, hospitals, outpatient clinics, long-term care facilities, schools, and law enforcement agencies across the country.
Media Contact:
Andrea LePain
[email protected]
617-894-1153
SOURCE Avel eCare
South Dakota
SD Lottery Millionaire for Life winning numbers for March 8, 2026
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.
South Dakota
Kristi Noem’s term as governor freshly roasted by former South Dakota mayor: ‘She did a Sarah Palin’
Kristi Noem’s stint as governor of South Dakota has come under fresh scrutiny by a former local mayor, who said she “did a ‘Sarah Palin’ and quit,” just days after she was fired from her role as Homeland Security secretary.
Noem, who served as governor from 2019 to 2025, became the first cabinet member to be fired by Trump during his second term.
The embarrassing dismissal came amid growing scrutiny of her aggressive immigration operations across the country, DHS’s purchase of multiple luxury jets for staff, major reductions in FEMA staff, and rumors of an affair with adviser Corey Lewandowski.
Mike Levsen, the former mayor of Aberdeen in Noem’s home state of South Dakota, says her dismissal came as no surprise given her “lack of any significant accomplishment” during her time as governor of the state.
“The Noem governorship covered six years — then did a ‘Sarah Palin’ and quit,” Levsen wrote in a blog post, comparing Noem to the former Alaska Gov. who resigned midway through her first term, citing mounting legal fees being brought by various ethics investigations being brought against her. Palin was Senator John McCain’s running mate during the 2008 presidential election.
Kristi Noem’s tenure as governor has come under criticism following her firing as DHS secretary (AFP/Getty)
“Her legacy was minimal involvement with the Legislature, frequent absences, no transparency, repeated operational screwups, soaring turnover and instances of self-dealing for herself and her family,” Levsen wrote.
Levsen criticized Noem’s Covid-era ad campaign, “Freedom Works Here,” as a “Trump-based ploy that likely contributed to South Dakota’s listing high on some periodical per capita death lists.”
The campaign, which attempted to draw new residents to the state, cost $6.5 million, and South Dakota News Watch reported at the time that there were “hurdles” with the campaign.
Levsen also noted Noem’s “difficult relationship” with tribal governments, as all nine of South Dakota’s indigenous tribes voted in 2024 to ban Noem from their lands, according to CNN.
“Is there a single thing in South Dakota now better as a result of her time in office?” Levsen questioned in the post.
Noem was fired by Trump amidst mounting scrutiny over fallout in Minnesota, following DHS’s disastrous Operation Metro Surge in Minneapolis, which saw two U.S. citizens shot dead in confrontations with federal agents.
Noem described the two Americans, Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti, as domestic terrorists. She has refused to apologize for the comments.
She also drew fierce criticism with her purchase of multiple luxury jets, a $220 million ad campaign, gutting FEMA, and her rumored affair with Lewandowski.
Noem was axed by President Donald Trump in a Truth Social post Thursday (Getty)
The final nail in the coffin appears to have been Noem’s congressional testimony this past week, during which lawmakers from both sides of the aisle criticized her management and judgment.
A day after her second hearing, Trump wrote on Truth Social that Noem was out at DHS — and that he was nominating Oklahoma Senator Markwayne Mullin to replace her.
An administration official told NBC News that the president axed Noem due to “a culmination of her many unfortunate leadership failures, including the fallout in Minnesota, the ad campaign, the allegations of infidelity, the mismanagement of her staff, and her constant feuding with the heads of other agencies, including CBP and ICE.”
“Kristi’s drama sadly overshadowed and distracted from the Administration’s extremely popular immigration agenda, which will continue full force,” the official added.
Before she was fired, Noem defended her performance during her hearings on Capitol Hill.
She also drew fire for insisting that the $220 million DHS ad campaign had been launched with the president’s approval, which Trump has denied.
Days after her humiliating firing, Trump named Noem as special envoy for “The Shield of the Americas,” a new security initiative that Trump says will focus on the Western Hemisphere.
South Dakota
SD Lottery Powerball, Lotto America winning numbers for March 7, 2026
The South Dakota Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at March 7, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Powerball numbers from March 7 drawing
17-18-30-50-68, Powerball: 24, Power Play: 3
Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Lotto America numbers from March 7 drawing
06-08-17-18-45, Star Ball: 05, ASB: 05
Check Lotto America payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Dakota Cash numbers from March 7 drawing
01-02-06-22-26
Check Dakota Cash payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from March 7 drawing
10-32-45-53-54, Bonus: 02
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.
-
Wisconsin1 week agoSetting sail on iceboats across a frozen lake in Wisconsin
-
Massachusetts6 days agoMassachusetts man awaits word from family in Iran after attacks
-
Maryland1 week agoAM showers Sunday in Maryland
-
Florida1 week agoFlorida man rescued after being stuck in shoulder-deep mud for days
-
Pennsylvania4 days agoPa. man found guilty of raping teen girl who he took to Mexico
-
Oregon1 week ago2026 OSAA Oregon Wrestling State Championship Results And Brackets – FloWrestling
-
News1 week ago2 Survivors Describe the Terror and Tragedy of the Tahoe Avalanche
-
Sports5 days agoKeith Olbermann under fire for calling Lou Holtz a ‘scumbag’ after legendary coach’s death