South Dakota

Effort to highlight Midwestern history and academia comes to SD

Published

1 month ago

November 7, 2025

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Effort to highlight Midwestern history and academia comes to SD

Molly Wetsch

investigative reporter
molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org
605-531-7382

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – A conference that focuses on the revitalization of Midwestern studies comes to South Dakota this month, bringing with it nearly 30 academics from across the country.

The Lost Region Recovery Project Conference, which is hosted by the “Middle West Review,” will take place Nov. 15 at the Washington Pavilion in Sioux Falls. It’s part of a broader effort to highlight the history of the Midwest and bring a level of organization and order to the concentrated study of the region.

Just over a decade ago, historian Jon Lauck, who teaches at the University of South Dakota, founded the “Middle West Review” after writing his first book, “Prairie Republic,” on South Dakota history. During that process, he found resources to understand Midwestern history few and far between.

“I wanted to write a follow-up article (after the book’s publication), and I just couldn’t find anything. And I was like, ‘What?’ There must be more about this region,” Lauck told News Watch. “I just noticed there’s not much written about the Midwest. That’s really how this began.”

The poster for the Lost Region Recovery Project Conference, which will take place in Sioux Falls, S.D. on Nov. 15, 2025. (Photo: Middle West Review)

The journal, which is published from USD by the University of Nebraska Press, is the first of its kind for Midwestern historians. Lauck also helped found the Midwestern History Association, which advocates for the further study of the Midwest.

Lauck said the Midwest has a relatively sparse academic field dedicated to its study compared to other regions in the country.

“I think there’s 10 different academic centers for the study of the South. And I think there’s at least as many for the American West. But in the Midwest, there’s a total of zero. Which is pretty shocking,” he said.

Though the field is young, there is substantial interest in it, Lauck said. The Midwestern History Association now hosts five officers and a board of directors that includes historians from the National Museum of American History, Northwestern University and the University of Notre Dame.

“A lot of teachers, a lot of young professors have come (to the conference), and they’ve decided to add more about the Midwest to their courses. And they’ve started research projects, and there’s a couple of book series that have gotten underway in the last six, seven years. So those are all good signs,” Lauck said.

‘Middle West Review’ helps crystallize Midwestern identity

In 2023, the journal conducted a survey asking people from across the region whether they identified as a Midwesterner. The results were surprising in their far-reaching nature – people from Pennsylvania to Idaho felt that they were part of the region.

Surveys like those are only a small part of the work that the “Middle West Review” publishes, but Lauck said it illustrates the importance of a focused Midwestern studies field.

“For Iowa, a quintessential Midwestern state, 97% of people said, ‘Yes, I am a Midwesterner (in the survey).’ When you get 97% of people saying anything in this day and age, this day of fractured polarization, that means that belief and that sense of identity is pretty strong,” Lauck said.

“So if we’ve established that people believe this is who they are, and this is where they’re from, what does that mean exactly? What is that history? And we’re trying to tease that out with (the “Middle West Review”) and with conferences like this.”

Conference speakers range from Midwestern music to democracy

Eight themes will lead the conference, ranging from “Present Perils,” speaking to issues plaguing Midwestern studies, to “Hope,” which will focus on how the field can contribute to cultural development in the region.

“Rural people, in particular, have an interest in place and rootedness and where they are from. They often grow up on farms that have been in the family for 100 or 150 years. So their roots are particularly deep, much deeper than someone who grows up in the suburbs of Chicago, going to McDonald’s and who doesn’t have as much connection to a particular place or space,” Lauck said. “So I think rural Americans, rural South Dakota, will appreciate this effort to understand their place better.”

In the “Midwestern Voices” section of the conference, three academics will speak about three different racial groups who call the Midwest home:

David Brodnax Sr., a Trinity Christian College professor, will discuss the Midwestern African American population.
Kristy Nabhan-Warren, a professor at the University of Iowa, will speak about the Midwestern Hispanic population.
Mary Stockwell, a historian and author studying Native American and Midwestern history, will speak on the intersection of those topics. Stockwell said that her books, which highlight topics like the removal of Native Americans in Ohio and President Ulysses S. Grant’s federal Indian policy, focus on both sides of historical events without painting sides as good or bad.

“I’m amazed to find it’s not black and white, it’s not good versus evil everywhere,” Stockwell told News Watch. “I write about people on all sides of this great conflict, collision and creativity of people that have created the United States of America.”

She said that studying the past has allowed her to understand more fully how the Midwest acts in the present – and how others can learn from how it has developed.

“I always say, ‘Can you imagine the United States of America if you didn’t have the Midwest?’ It’s incomprehensible,” Stockwell said.

“That miracle is happening in the center of the United States, and historians have told this story. Maybe, if we do worry about democracy in the future, we can look back to the Midwest and see what it did for good. It is truly the heart of America. That’s not a sentimental thing. That’s almost a scientific thing.”

This story was produced by South Dakota News Watch, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at sdnewswatch.org and sign up for an email for statewide stories. Investigative reporter Molly Wetsch is a Report for America corps member covering rural and Indigenous issues. Contact her at molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org.

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South Dakota

State vaccine survey results are ‘concerning,’ health advocates say

Published

7 hours ago

December 7, 2025

Press Room

State vaccine survey results are ‘concerning,’ health advocates say

SOUTH DAKOTA — Close to half of South Dakotans aren’t up-to-date on their flu shots or their

hepatitis B

vaccinations,

new vaccine survey results

released by the South Dakota Department of Health indicate.

About 63% aren’t up-to-date on their

HPV vaccinations

, which protect against most cases of cervical cancer, and 78% aren’t up-to-date on their

pneumococcal vaccinations

, which help protect against pneumococcal infections.

That’s “concerning” to Keith Hansen, president of the South Dakota State Medical Association. Vaccinations are “one of the most important developments in health” to keep people and communities healthy, he said.

As a reproductive endocrinology and infertility specialist, he is especially concerned with how vaccine-preventable diseases can affect pregnant women and newborn children.

“It’s really sad when someone isn’t vaccinated and then they come into the hospital because they caught a vaccine-preventable disease,” Hansen said. “Now they have some bad outcome that could have been prevented.”

The state Health Department conducted the survey to better understand vaccination behaviors, decision-making and awareness of the vaccine schedule. A U.S. Department of Health and Human Services grant funded the survey.

COVID pandemic influences some vaccine behavior

More than a quarter of survey respondents said the COVID-19 pandemic negatively impacted their views on vaccines. Those respondents also had lower vaccination rates for the flu and COVID, at 34% and 4%, respectively.

Among all survey respondents, 96% reported ever being vaccinated. About 98% of respondents with children reported that their child had received at least one vaccination.

About 96% of respondents said they get at least “some” vaccines recommended by their doctor, and nearly 93% of respondents said they follow the routine or a delayed vaccination schedule for their child.

Carmen Toft, director for South Dakota Families for Vaccines and board vice president of Immunize South Dakota, said the state should “celebrate” those positive statistics.

The goal, Toft said, is to reach vaccination rates above 95% to reach herd immunity, which is when the prevention of infectious diseases becomes most effective.

Most South Dakota vaccine survey respondents said their views on immunizations haven’t changed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. But nearly 28% said their views became more negative because of the pandemic.

Courtesy of the South Dakota Department of Health

Tdap vaccinations remain high

While most vaccination rates in the survey are lower than Hansen or Toft prefer, up-to-date Tdap vaccination rates were highest among respondents at 78%. The vaccine protects against infections caused by diphtheria, tetanus and whooping cough.

Among respondents who said their vaccination views were negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, 75.5% of adult respondents were up to date on their Tdap vaccination.

That could be because the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends adults get the Tdap booster every 10 years for adults, Toft said, rather than yearly like the flu. If vaccine hesitancy rises, Tdap vaccination rates could be impacted more slowly than more regularly recommended vaccines.

Hansen added that Tdap vaccinations are sometimes administered in response to injuries, such as cuts, to prevent tetanus. Also known as lockjaw, tetanus causes muscle contractions and can be life-threatening.

Conflicting information could lead to more vaccine hesitancy

The most common reasons respondents gave for not receiving vaccinations included hearing contradictory information — from doctors, social media, news outlets, government agencies and others — and believing a vaccine isn’t safe or isn’t needed.

Concern about vaccine safety was the most common reason respondents gave for choosing not to vaccinate a child, followed by the belief that it wasn’t needed and the prevalence of conflicting information about vaccines.

Toft said fast-spreading misinformation on social media is influencing public opinion. So is U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s introduction of “fringe ideas” to inform policy changes, she said.

“It’s moved off of Facebook feeds and onto ‘CBS Mornings’,” Toft said, adding “the decisions seem more and more politicized, and that’ll only lead to more confusion.”

CDC vaccine committee

charged with setting national guidelines around vaccine policy voted on Friday to eliminate a 34-year-old recommendation that all newborn babies receive a hepatitis B vaccine. There was a 99% drop in serious infections among children between 1990 and 2019, which is

attributed

to the universal vaccination policy.

Recommendations

for adults and unvaccinated older children will remain unchanged.

The new recommendation mirrors COVID-19 guidelines changed by the same committee in September. The change at that time caused widespread confusion about the vaccine’s accessibility and if insurance companies would cover it.

Conflicting information and vaccine safety were among the most common reasons adults and parents of children might choose not to vaccinate, respondents to the South Dakota Department of Health vaccine survey said.

“I think it’ll be a while before we see the long-lasting implications of some of these decisions they’re making,” Toft said of the committee’s decisions.

The recommendations play a key role in determining which vaccines insurance companies are willing to cover and how accessible those immunizations are to the public.

South Dakota’s survey results indicate that most people place their trust in local professionals rather than national entities: 84% of respondents said their preferred source of health information is their doctor or health professional. About 95% said they “somewhat” or “to a great extent” trust their doctor or health professional with vaccine information — more than pharmacists, the state Department of Health, or the CDC. Social media and news outlets were the lowest trusted sources among respondents.

Hansen hopes health professionals take note and choose to broach immunization discussions more often with patients. Toft agreed that health professionals are the best point of contact for vaccine education.

“When we talk to vaccine-hesitant parents, we’re like, ‘Yes, ask questions. I’d love to help you. I’d love to connect you with a provider who can answer your questions,’” Toft said. “We want you to have access to information to make the best decision for you and your family.”

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South Dakota

SD Lottery Powerball, Lucky For Life winning numbers for Dec. 6, 2025

Published

19 hours ago

December 7, 2025

Press Room

The South Dakota Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big. Here’s a look at Dec. 6, 2025, results for each game:

Winning Powerball numbers from Dec. 6 drawing

13-14-26-28-44, Powerball: 07, Power Play: 2

Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Lucky For Life numbers from Dec. 6 drawing

11-12-14-34-48, Lucky Ball: 13

Check Lucky For Life payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Lotto America numbers from Dec. 6 drawing

07-08-14-23-41, Star Ball: 09, ASB: 02

Check Lotto America payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Dakota Cash numbers from Dec. 6 drawing

05-08-17-21-35

Check Dakota Cash 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

Keali’i Ah Yat leads Montana over South Dakota State 50-29 in 2nd round of FCS playoffs

Published

1 day ago

December 6, 2025

Press Room

Keali’i Ah Yat leads Montana over South Dakota State 50-29 in 2nd round of FCS playoffs

MISSOULA, Mont. (AP) — Sophomore Keali’i Ah Yat passed for a career-high 360 yards, throwing three of his four touchdown passes during a 30-point run by Montana and the third-seeded Grizzlies rallied to beat South Dakota State 50-29 on Saturday in the second round of the FCS playoffs.

Montana (12-1), which had a first-round bye, will host No. 11 seed South Dakota in the quarterfinals. The Coyotes beat No. 6 seed Mercer 47-0 at home to move on.

Chase Mason hit Grahm Goering at the 20-yard line and Goering raced the final 80 yards for a 95-yard South Dakota State score and a 7-0 lead. Ah Yat answered with a 45-yard touchdown pass to Stevie Rocker Jr, but the Grizzlies trailed 7-6 after a missed extra-point kick.

Mason picked up his own fumble and ran 5 yards for a score and a 14-6 lead after one quarter. It was all Montana from there.

Jo Silver kicked a short field goal, Eli Gillman had a 5-yard touchdown run, and Ah Yat had a 5-yard scoring toss to Rocker with 6 seconds left for a 22-14 lead at halftime.

Ah Yat hit Drew Deck for a 29-yard third-quarter touchdown and connected with with Michael Wortham for a 28-yard score and a 36-14 lead early in the fourth.

Ah Yat completed 29 of 37 passes for Montana. Gillman totaled 135 yards on 24 rushes and Wortham finished with eight catches for 113 yards. Gillman and Malae Fonoti had fourth-quarter touchdown runs.

Mason totaled 356 yards on 19-for-36 passing with a touchdown and two interceptions for the 14th-seeded Jackrabbits (9-5), who advanced with a 41-3 first-round victory over visiting New Hampshire.

___

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