South Dakota
Fears decrease but work remains to control wildfire near Rapid City • South Dakota Searchlight
RAPID CITY — A leader in the fight against a wildfire near South Dakota’s second largest city said Wednesday morning he’s less concerned, even as work to contain the fire continues.
“My comfort level is a lot higher now than it was yesterday,” said Brandon Sanchez, the U.S. Forest Service official who serves as incident commander.
The First Thunder Fire began Monday evening in a rocky and forested area cut by deep canyons in the Black Hills, several miles west of Rapid City. Since then, crews of local, state and federal firefighters have worked to keep the flames from spreading toward residential areas on the city’s western edge.
Investigators are still working to determine the cause, Sanchez said. The fire is burning an area of the Black Hills National Forest that’s mixed with parcels of private land. There have been no reports of injuries or damaged structures.
Some road closures remained in effect Wednesday morning, as did a flight restriction aimed at preventing drones and other aircraft from interfering with helicopters and tanker planes used by firefighters.
Authorities are asking those who live near the fire to stay prepared in case they’re ordered to leave, said Lt. Jason Mitzel of the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office.
“Right now we’re not doing any evacuations, and it doesn’t look like there’s going to be a need for any evacuations,” he said. “However, whenever there’s an incident like this, we always just ask people to be prepared in case that time may come.”
The estimate of the fire’s size Wednesday morning was 155 acres, only 5 acres larger than Tuesday’s estimate. About 150 firefighting personnel were on the scene.
Sanchez said firefighters have established a perimeter around the fire. The perimeter consists of earthen lines dug by hand or bulldozer, and also includes manmade and natural fire breaks such as roads and rocky outcrops. Tanker planes have dropped retardant chemicals ahead of the fire’s advance, and helicopters have dropped water.
Despite those efforts, estimated containment of the fire remained at 0%. That’s because fire remained close to the lines in some areas, and firefighters were working to knock those flames down. Sanchez said an updated containment estimate would probably be issued later Wednesday.
Weather remains a wild card. Clouds gathering Wednesday over the Black Hills were expected to bring helpful rain, but Sanchez said firefighters were also monitoring potential thunderstorms that could produce fire-fueling wind.
Sept. 2-3, 2024, images of the First Thunder Fire just west of Rapid City.
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The South Dakota Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at April 22, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Powerball numbers from April 22 drawing
24-29-32-49-63, Powerball: 11, Power Play: 2
Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Lotto America numbers from April 22 drawing
15-20-32-46-48, Star Ball: 04, ASB: 03
Check Lotto America payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Dakota Cash numbers from April 22 drawing
05-06-09-14-32
Check Dakota Cash payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from April 22 drawing
17-26-43-44-53, 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.
The University of South Dakota announced on Wednesday, April 22, that Athletic Director Jon Schemmel has received a five-year contract extension running through the 2030-31 academic year.
Schemmel has been in his position since January 2024 and was South Dakota’s senior associate athletic director for development from 2012-2017.
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“The University of South Dakota and Vermillion community is where our family wants to be,” Schemmel said in a press release. “I am humbled and grateful for the continued trust from President (Sheila) Gestring and the South Dakota Board of Regents to continue leading this athletics program. Coyote Nation has the best fans and donors, and we have a group of coaches, staff and student-athletes who are committed to competing for championships and continuing their excellence in the classroom and community.”
The athletics department has raised $49 million since Schemmel took over as AD, including $35 million in the 2025-26 academic year.
The Coyotes have won a Missouri Valley Football Conference championship and Summit League volleyball and men’s indoor track and field titles with Schemmel at the helm.
“USD’s athletic programs continue to thrive under Jon’s leadership,” Gestring said. “His knowledge of Division I athletics, forward-thinking vision for our teams and strength in fundraising have all been assets to our university. Our program is in great hands, and I am looking forward to seeing what Jon, his staff and our student-athletes achieve in the next five years.”
This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: South Dakota extends AD Jon Schemmel through 2030-31 academic year
The South Dakota Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at April 21, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Mega Millions numbers from April 21 drawing
01-36-43-56-58, Mega Ball: 07
Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from April 21 drawing
01-04-40-47-58, 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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