South Dakota
Carbon dioxide pipeline proposals in South Dakota: What you need to know
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For more than a year, a highly divisive debate has raged in South Dakota over two proposed carbon dioxide pipelines that would capture the toxic gas from ethanol plants and carry it to North Dakota and Illinois for disposal underground.
The stakes are extremely high on both sides of the argument, with billions of dollars of possible investment in play, hundreds of landowners potentially affected and the stability of the state’s $3 billion ethanol industry hanging in the balance.
At the same time, the ongoing state-permitting process and possible legislative involvement hold the potential to forever alter landowner rights in the state and further codify the ability of corporations to implement eminent domain to use the land of property owners without their consent.
And finally, hovering over the entire permitting process is the question of whether carbon-capture technology is a good investment of billions of federal dollars to reduce CO2 emissions.
Complex, multi-faceted discussions and permitting processes are taking place in six affected states over whether — and how — to site, build and put into operation the combined 3,300 miles of pipelines that operators hope to have in place and flowing in 2024.
But the debate in South Dakota, where one pipeline would cross 470 miles and the other 111 miles of mostly East River farmland, has taken on greater significance as Public Utilities Commission members face decisions that could alter the lands, the laws and the lives of South Dakotans for an inestimable number of years.
As regulators in Pierre hold hearings and grapple with approval decisions, and some lawmakers and local governments begin to seek ways to protect landowners from eminent domain, South Dakota News Watch is providing a platform on which to better understand the proposed projects and their potential outcomes.
Read News Watch’s previous coverage on carbon pipeline for more
Click the links below to access two in-depth articles published in 2022 that form a factual basis for readers to consider whether the pipelines proposed by Summit Carbon Solutions and Navigator CO2 are a good fit for South Dakota, the ethanol industry and in the fight to hold off climate change.
» Proposed CO2 pipelines thrust state into billion-dollar debate over carbon capture technology and climate change
» CO2 pipelines could affect the land, lives and livelihoods of S.D. property owners
Bart Pfankuch, Rapid City, S.D., is the content director for South Dakota News Watch. A Wisconsin native, he is a former editor of the Rapid City Journal and also worked at newspapers in Florida. Bart has spent more than 30 years as a reporter, editor and writing coach. Contact Bart at bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org.
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South Dakota
Dakota Spirit & Sanford Pentagon host more than 1800 kids at 24th Valentine’s Classic
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SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (Dakota News Now) – There’s never any shortage of activity at the Sanford Pentagon in February and March.
This weekend belonged to the athletes who so often are on the sidelines cheering on the teams involved in March Madness.
The Dakota Spirit hosted their 24th Annual Valentine’s Classic Cheer & Dance Championship with teams from a five state region converging on Sioux Falls. There were also guest performances from the University of South Dakota and South Dakota State University cheer teams as well.
It wasn’t just for high schoolers either with kids from preschool through middle school making up the more than 1800 who participated over the last two days, showing just how much the event has grown.
“When we first started our very first year was at Sioux Falls Christian. Lots of these teams that are here from South Dakota, in dance and cheer world, they will go down to Disney World in April and May and showcase at both Worlds and the Summit.” Dakota Spirit Program Director Joanna Naatjes says.
Teams Eclipse and Apollo will indeed travel to Nationals next week in Atlanta.
Copyright 2025 Dakota News Now. All rights reserved.
South Dakota
South Dakota State clinches Summit League title
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KANSAS CITY — South Dakota State clinched yet another women’s Summit League basketball title on Saturday, as the Jackrabbits’ 80-60 win over Kansas City upped their conference record to 14-0 on the season (24-3 overall) and out of reach of the rest of the league’s members.
It was the 61st consecutive win in Summit League regular season play for SDSU, and clinched them the No. 1 seed in the conference tournament.
It’s the Jacks’ fifth consecutive regular season league title and 11th since 2008.
The win over the Kangaroos followed a somewhat familiar pattern, as SDSU struggled to gain separation early but pulled away late for a comfortable victory.
UMKC outscored the Jacks 21-16 in the second quarter to go into the half down just three to SDSU at 39-36, but the Jacks stretched the lead to nine by the end of the third and then pulled away in the fourth.
Brooklyn Meyer had a monster game for SDSU, scoring a career-high 34 points in her first game after getting held to four in last weekend’s win over USD. The junior post was 13-of-16 from the floor and 8-of-14 at the line to do her offensive damage.
Haleigh Timmer had 16 points, hitting four of her team’s six 3-pointers, while Paige Meyer had 11 points, seven assists and five rebounds. The Jacks had assists on 22 of their 30 made field goals and committed just six turnovers. Paige Meyer moved into fifth place all-time in school history in assists, including No. 1 all-time in the Division I era.
Alanya Contreras had 24 points for UMKC (11-18, 7-7), while Emani Bennett added 14.
The Jacks wrap up the regular season at home, hosting Denver on Thursday and St. Thomas on Saturday.
Matt Zimmer is a Sioux Falls native and longtime sports writer. He graduated from Washington High School where he played football, legion baseball and developed his lifelong love of the Minnesota Twins and Vikings. After graduating from St. Cloud State University, he returned to Sioux Falls, and began a long career in amateur baseball and sports reporting. Email Matt at mzimmer@siouxfallslive.com.
South Dakota
Obituary for Mary Langner at Miller Funeral Home & On-Site Crematory
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