South Dakota
First South Dakota measles case in nine years appears in Rapid City
The first case of measles in South Dakota in nine years was reported Thursday by the state Department of Health.
Measles is a highly contagious viral disease that can cause health complications, especially in children younger than 5 years old.
The case was found in a Pennington County adult who traveled internationally and tested positive at Monument Health in Rapid City this month. The patient could have exposed people at the Black Hills Urgent Care from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on July 9 and the Monument Health Rapid City Emergency Department waiting room from 5 p.m. to 12 a.m. on July 12, the Department of Health said.
“Measles is a highly contagious viral disease and spreads through the air when an infected individual coughs or sneezes,” said Dr. Joshua Clayton, state epidemiologist, in a news release Thursday. “Individuals who have not been fully immunized with two doses of measles vaccine have an increased risk of infection if they have contact with an infected person.”
The measles vaccine is typically given to children between 12 and 15 months old, with the second dose given at 4 to 6 years old. Two measles shots usually produce lifelong immunity, according to the news release.
The last time a measles case was reported in South Dakota was in January 2015, when there was an outbreak of 13 cases in the Mitchell area and one case in an unvaccinated Sioux Falls 10-year-old.
Aside from an unvaccinated child younger than 5 years old contracting measles in Mitchell in December 2014, South Dakota hadn’t had a measles case since 1997.
Measles appears in two stages. First, the patient may have a runny nose, cough, slight fever and reddened eyes sensitive to light. Second, on the third to seventh day, the patient has a temperature of 103-105 degrees Fahrenheit and a red, blotchy rash beginning on their face and spreading across their body. The rash lasts up to a week.
Measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccination rates have been on the decline in the United States for over a decade after the disease was declared eliminated in 2000. More than 160 cases have been reported nationwide so far in 2024, with 53% of cases hospitalized. Over 60% of cases in children younger than 5 years old have been hospitalized so far this year.
South Dakota’s MMR vaccination rate among kindergarteners decreased from 96.8% during the 2009-2010 school year to 92.5% during the 2022-2023 school year, according to the Centers for Disease Control. That is below the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion’s goal of 95%, which establishes herd immunity.
Children entering school or an early childhood program in South Dakota must have received, or be in the process of receiving, two doses of the MMR vaccine and some other vaccines. Exemptions are available if a licensed physician says it would endanger the child’s life or health, or if the child’s religious doctrine opposes immunization.
RAPID CITY, S.D. (KOTA) – Students at South Dakota Mines heard Wednesday from retired four-star general Maryanne Miller about her journey to the highest ranks of the U.S. military.
Miller is a retired four-star U.S. Air Force general. She is the only member of the Air Force Reserve ever to be promoted to this level.
She spoke about finding greatness and living a life of fulfillment. Her stories came from her time in the Air Force and as a volunteer for Saint Teresa of Calcutta’s Missionaries of Charity.
“We so much get focused on what is our next step in life, what’s the next career move, how do we make ourselves better in our career, and we forget about how do we make ourselves better as a human being,” Miller said. “Because they have to go tandem. If it’s not tandem, you’re going to get off track.”
Miller was commissioned in 1981 and rose through the ranks before becoming a four-star general in 2018. She was the only woman serving as a four-star officer in the military at the time. She retired in 2020 after serving for almost 40 years.
See a spelling or grammatical error in our story? Please click here to report it.
Do you have a photo or video of a breaking news story? Send it to us here with a brief description.
Copyright 2026 KOTA. All rights reserved.
South Dakota
USDA to offer distaster assistance to South Dakota agriculture producers impacted by winter storms
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (Dakota News Now) – The U.S. Department of Agriculture is offering financial and technical assistance to South Dakota farmers and livestock producers who may have been impacted by the recent winter storms.
“I encourage impacted producers to contact their local USDA Service Center to report losses and learn more about program options available to assist in their recovery from crop, land, infrastructure, and livestock losses and damages.” said Richard Fordyce, Production and Conservation Under Secretary.
FSA’s Emergency Conservation Program and Emergency Forest Restoration Program can assist landowners with financial assistance to restore damaged land and conservation structures or forests.
“Our staff will work one-on-one with landowners to make assessments of the damages and develop methods that focus on effective recovery of the land.” said Jessica Michalski, Acting NRCS State Conservationist in South Dakota.
For more information about the disaster assistance program, click here.
Copyright 2026 Dakota News Now. All rights reserved.
South Dakota Gov. Larry Rhoden, left, and Lt. Gov. Tony Venhuizen unveil a plaque for retired U.S. Navy Capt. E. Royce Williams in the Hall of Honor at the Capitol in Pierre on March 25, 2026. (Photo by Meghan O’Brien/South Dakota Searchlight)
PIERRE, S.D. (South Dakota Searchlight) — There’s a new name in the South Dakota Hall of Honor at the state Capitol building.
One-hundred-year-old South Dakota native and retired U.S. Navy Capt. E. Royce Williams was celebrated at a Wednesday ceremony where a plaque honoring him was unveiled, although Williams did not attend.
“In spite of being outnumbered and facing incredible danger, Captain Williams engaged the enemy with courage and skill,” said Republican Gov. Larry Rhoden. “Our state has always had a strong tradition of service, and Captain Williams is the very best of that tradition.”
President Donald Trump awarded Williams the Medal of Honor, the country’s highest military honor, at the State of the Union address earlier this year. The medal honors actions by Williams that had been classified for decades.
“His story was secret for over 50 years, he didn’t even want to tell his wife, but the legend grew and grew,” Trump said during the speech in February. “But tonight, at 100 years old, this brave Navy captain is finally getting the recognition he deserves.”
On Nov. 18, 1952, over Korean coastal waters during the Korean War, then-Lt. Williams, from Wilmot, South Dakota, led three F9F Panthers against seven Soviet MiG-15s. He disabled three enemy jets and damaged a fourth.
The Soviet jets, according to the U.S. Naval Institute, were “superior to the F9F in almost every fashion.” The mission was the only direct overwater combat between U.S. Navy fighters and Soviet fighters during the Cold War.
Williams, one of 11 Medal of Honor recipients from South Dakota, now lives in California. The Hall of Honor at the South Dakota Capitol is located in the hallway that visitors enter immediately after going through security.
Joshua Jefferson injury update, Iowa State star questionable vs Tennessee basketball
Body found in Colombia during search for missing North Texas flight attendant, mayor says
Case dismissed for Wyoming man charged with allegedly kidnapping missing Utah girl – East Idaho News
Capitol Recap: Act 181 debate pokes at the heart of Vermont’s rural-urban dynamics
TCU vs Virginia prediction, analysis, Sweet 16 expert picks for women’s March Madness
Florida High School Football Rankings: Top 25 teams – Oct. 21
How old is Bo Nix? What to know about Oregon quarterback ahead of 2024 NFL Draft
Cleary's 21 help Le Moyne down Central Connecticut State 69-64 in OT
99th annual Pony Swim held in Virginia
Indiana Members Credit Union announced as new anchor tenant at Bottleworks District
WATCH: Senate hearing goes silent after Angel Father confronts top Dem over daughter’s death
US diplomat Marco Rubio denounces settler violence, tolls in Hormuz strait
Iran-linked hackers have breached FBI Director Kash Patel’s personal emails | CNN Politics
Live: CPAC 2026 Day 2
Video: Will ICE Change Under Its New Leader?
-
Detroit, MI1 week agoDrummer Brian Pastoria, longtime Detroit music advocate, dies at 68
-
Movie Reviews1 week ago‘Youth’ Twitter review: Ken Karunaas impresses audiences; Suraj Venjaramoodu adds charm; music wins praise | – The Times of India
-
Sports6 days agoIOC addresses execution of 19-year-old Iranian wrestler Saleh Mohammadi
-
New Mexico5 days agoClovis shooting leaves one dead, four injured
-
Business1 week agoDisney’s new CEO says his focus is on storytelling and creativity
-
Technology5 days agoYouTube job scam text: How to spot it fast
-
Tennessee4 days agoTennessee Police Investigating Alleged Assault Involving ‘Reacher’ Star Alan Ritchson
-
Texas1 week agoHow to buy Houston vs. Texas A&M 2026 March Madness tickets