South Dakota

Effort to highlight Midwestern history and academia comes to SD

Published

4 months 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

SD Lottery Powerball, Lotto America winning numbers for March 2, 2026

Published

11 hours ago

March 3, 2026

Press Room

The South Dakota Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.

Here’s a look at March 2, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Powerball numbers from March 2 drawing

02-17-18-38-62, Powerball: 20, Power Play: 2

Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Lotto America numbers from March 2 drawing

03-08-17-24-34, Star Ball: 06, ASB: 02

Check Lotto America payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from March 2 drawing

28-41-42-50-55, 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.

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South Dakota

How South Dakota officials have reacted to ‘massive’ US attack on Iran

Published

23 hours ago

March 2, 2026

Press Room

How South Dakota officials have reacted to ‘massive’ US attack on Iran

South Dakota’s Congressional leaders are praising President Donald Trump for his action of joining Israel for a missile-launched attack this weekend in Iran, with the intent to target and dismantle Iran’s nuclear capabilities and demand regime change.

“Our objective is to defend the American people by eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime, a vicious group of very hard, terrible people,” Trump said Saturday, Feb. 28, calling the strikes, “a massive and ongoing operation.”

Trump has since faced scrutiny for a lack of clarity about the timeline and overall goals of the war, and acting without the direct approval of Congress, which has the power to officially declare war for the U.S. Lawmakers are also in heated debate about whether the Trump’s decision may violate the Constitution, with Democrats calling for a war powers resolution vote to stop the effort, according to multiple military outlets.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader, was directly targeted, a Middle Eastern official told USA TODAY. Khamenei was killed in the attacks on Feb. 28, according to Israeli sources who told USA TODAY, CNN and Reuters. He was 86 and had led Iran since 1989.

Iran retaliated with drone and missile strikes, hitting American and Israeli targets, including a U.S. Naval base in Bahrain. Iran said its enemies would be “decisively defeated.”

At least four Americans and an estimated 200 other individuals have been killed, and an estimated 700 injured as of March 2.

President Trump said he expects more to come.

Here’s what South Dakota Congressional leaders, along with former South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, who now sits at the helm of the Department of Homeland Security as secretary, have to say about what has been named by the administration as Operation Epic Fury.

U.S. Senate Majority Leader John Thune

“For years, Iran’s relentless nuclear ambitions, its expanded ballistic missile inventory and its unwavering support for terror groups in the region have posed a clear and unacceptable threat to U.S. servicemembers, citizens in the region, and many of our allies,” said Thune, a Republican, the morning of Feb. 28 in a comment from his office.

“Despite the dogged efforts of the president and his administration, the Iranian regime has refused the diplomatic off-ramps that would peacefully resolve these national security concerns. I commend President Trump for taking action to thwart these threats,” Thune said, thanking Secretary Rubio for providing updates on these issues throughout the week.

“I look forward to administration officials briefing all senators about these military operations,” he said. “I commend the bravery of the servicemembers carrying out these operations and pray for the safety of those in harm’s way.”

U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds

Rounds, a Republican, said Trump took “the right course of action” when handling the strike.

Rounds later congratulated the United States military and Trump on the death of the Iranian leader, stating the moment “offers a path for a more peaceful Middle East.”

U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson

Johnson, a Republican and the lone U.S. representative for South Dakota, stated the Iranian regime “is full of theocratic thugs and is the world’s largest state sponsor of terror.” He said Trump had given multiple opportunities to change direction.

“I’m praying for the safety of America’s servicemembers, and our allies involved in Operation Epic Fury,” Johnson stated on social media.

DHS Secretary Kristi Noem

Noem, who left her governorship after she was appointed secretary at the beginning of Trump’s current term, took to social media as well, stating she was actively monitoring any potential threats against America.

“I am in direct coordination with our federal intelligence and law enforcement partners,” she said.

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South Dakota

SD Lottery Millionaire for Life winning numbers for March 1, 2026

Published

1 day ago

March 2, 2026

Press Room

The South Dakota Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.

Here’s a look at March 1, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from March 1 drawing

10-11-12-35-56, Bonus: 04

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.

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