South Dakota

Former South Dakota DOC warden speaks out against Lincoln County prison plan

Published

12 months ago

January 24, 2025

Former South Dakota DOC warden speaks out against Lincoln County prison plan

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (Dakota News Now) – A longtime Chief Warden for the State of South Dakota has asked legislators to reconsider spending nearly a billion dollars on a new men’s prison in Lincoln County.

Douglas Weber retired from his position as chief warden for the South Dakota Department of Corrections in 2013 after working at the State Penitentiary for 32 years. With 16 years in the position, Weber is the second-longest-serving warden in the history of the state pen.

In a letter released on Friday and obtained by Dakota News Now, Weber wrote that he acknowledges there is a need to build new incarceration facilities in the state, but he does not agree with the current $825 million plan to build a new men’s facility in rural Lincoln County to replace the prison in Sioux Falls, which Weber refers to as “The Hill.”

Weber stated that the proposal for the new, 1,512-bed facility has “excessive initial estimated building costs” and the remote location will hinder prison services and create financial and logistical challenges.

Weber said the state should instead focus on Mike Durfee State Prison in Springfield.

The facility was originally built as college dormitories, and Weber said Mike Durfee does not provide “adequate or appropriate safety and security features,” which was demonstrated with prison unrest last summer. He claimed the buildings are “extremely vulnerable” to damage from both weather disasters and inmate actions.

Both Mike Durfee and The Hill were originally built in 1881, but Weber said The Hill has maintained continuous upgrades in the main facility and with the addition of the Jameson Annex in 1993. This has allowed the Sioux Falls prison to “maintain its effectiveness as a safe, secure, and modernized linear style prison,” according to Weber.

Weber then suggested the possibility of state-owned land in both Minnehaha and Yankton County where a new facility could be placed that could “address the needs that are currently being debated.”

Weber advises the citizens of South Dakota to request their legislators pause additional funding and construction on the project this year and complete a summer study on other options.

Weber then called on the DOC to release transparent financial breakdowns on the funds requested for the project as well as cost estimations for the project and its ongoing operations, including the cost of connecting the proposed prison to Lennox by 14 miles of sewer pipelines.

Read Weber’s full letter below.

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Related Topics:against chief cost doc Doug douglas Featured land letter lincoln county location mens Mike Durfee plan Prison South Dakota springfield warden weber

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South Dakota

SD Lottery Mega Millions, Lucky For Life winning numbers for Jan. 6, 2026

Published

27 minutes ago

January 7, 2026

Press Room

The South Dakota Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big. Here’s a look at Jan. 6, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Mega Millions numbers from Jan. 6 drawing

09-39-47-58-68, Mega Ball: 24

Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Lucky For Life numbers from Jan. 6 drawing

10-13-24-27-31, Lucky Ball: 08

Check Lucky 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.

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

As South Dakota legislative session nears, dozens of bills already filed

Published

13 hours ago

January 6, 2026

Press Room

As South Dakota legislative session nears, dozens of bills already filed

The 2026 South Dakota legislative session is still a week away but we’re already seeing dozens of bills being introduced.

The Legislative Research Council’s website shows more than 60 bills already on tap as of Tuesday.

But many more are on the way. In recent years, the Legislature has seen on average around 500 bills per session. Generally, a little under half end up being signed into law.

Some of the early bills include an act allowing for the removal of a county commissioner and another creating a tax exemption for data centers.

Attorney General Marty Jackley is also introducing a host of bills including one allowing law enforcement to seize cryptocurrency that’s part of a criminal investigation.

“Cryptocurrency has become a haven for scammers, drug traffickers, and human traffickers, costing South Dakotans millions in losses and fueling online crime,” said Jackley. “This legislation adds ‘digital currency’ to South Dakota’s seizure laws, giving law enforcement the tools to confiscate illicit crypto assets and disrupt criminal networks hiding behind digital secrecy.”

A full list of bills and resolutions is available on the LRC’s website.

The 2026 session begins Jan. 13.

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South Dakota

SD Lottery Powerball, Lucky For Life winning numbers for Jan. 5, 2026

Published

1 day ago

January 6, 2026

Press Room

The South Dakota Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big. Here’s a look at Jan. 5, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Powerball numbers from Jan. 5 drawing

04-18-24-51-56, Powerball: 14, Power Play: 2

Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Lucky For Life numbers from Jan. 5 drawing

02-07-08-21-45, Lucky Ball: 15

Check Lucky For Life payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Lotto America numbers from Jan. 5 drawing

12-19-21-30-47, Star Ball: 05, ASB: 03

Check Lotto America 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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