South Dakota
Former South Dakota mayor arrested over triple murder shooting
A former South Dakota mayor has been arrested and charged with three counts of murder over a triple slaying in the area that he used to represent.
Jay Ostrem, 64, was arrested following the deaths of three victims on Monday night. He was detained by the Turner County Sheriff’s Office, where he had also reportedly once served as a detective.
The incident was reported at around 10pm on 27 May at a residence in the city of Centerville.
“Jay Ostrem has been arrested and charged with three counts of First Degree Murder, and law enforcement has secured the scene,” said Attorney General Marty Jackley. “There is no further threat to the public.”
Mr Ostrem worked in law enforcement for more than two decades in Wyoming and South Dakota, media reports said. He served as mayor of Centerville about a decade-and-a-half ago, but the exact dates weren’t immediately available.
The names of the three victims, aged 21, 26 and 35, have not yet been released by police pending notification of next of kin. It is understood that two of the men were brothers.
According to the state attorney general’s office, Mr Ostrem is being held on a $1m cash only bond in the Minnehaha County Jail, following the incident.
Authorities did not list a motive for the crime. However, in a complaint filed on Tuesday, obtained by the South Dakota Searchlight, Mr Ostrem justified his actions by claiming it was in retaliation to a sexual assault on his wife.
One of the three men killed was the alleged perpetrator of the sexual assault, the complaint stated. Another was a relative of that man, who called police to report the shooting before being shot himself.
A man had called 911 to report that his brother had been shot by “a guy from across the street,” and that the gunman had returned home.
Police said the man remained on the phone with a dispatcher when a gunshot rang out and then yelled that he was shot. After that, police said, he went silent.
“After some time on the phone with the dispatcher, the male calling party then reported he had been shot,” the affidavit said, reported by Sioux Falls Live. “Shortly after he reported he had been shot, the male stopped communicating with the dispatcher.”
A third man was also found dead in the home, though his relationship with the brothers was not specified.
The affidavit stated that Mr Ostrem’s wife told police that the fatal events came after her disclosure to him that one of the victims had sexually assaulted her at their home on Thursday evening as he slept.
The man lived across the street from the Ostrems.
Per The Searchlight, upon learning of the incident Mr Ostrem “got up and went raging out of the house.” His wife stayed inside until police arrived, which happened shortly after Mr Ostrem was found walking near his home with an “AR-style rifle” and a .380 pistol.
A South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks conservation officer was the first to encounter Mr Ostrem after the shooting, the affidavit said, who noticed “an odor of consumed alcohol”.
He complied with the officer’s commands to stop walking, and he told the officer he had a pistol in his pocket.
The date for Mr Ostrem’s initial appearance on the Turner County charges has yet to be set.
LINCOLN, Neb. (WOWT) -Nebraska softball defeated South Dakota 4-1 in the opening game of its first NCAA Regional at Bowlin Stadium since 2013.
South Dakota took an early 1-0 lead in the fourth inning when Wahoo native Autumn Iverson hit a home run to left field that struck the scoreboard. The Coyotes started five players from Nebraska in their lineup.
Nebraska tied the game in the fifth inning when Hannah Coor hit a two-out triple up the middle that rolled to the wall, scoring Jordy Frahm.
Hannah Camenzind followed with a fly ball to right field that scored Coor with the go-ahead run. Camenzind was thrown out attempting to stretch the hit into a triple, ending the inning.
The Huskers added insurance runs in the sixth inning when Kacie Hoffmann, an Elkhorn South alum, hit an RBI double that scored Samantha Bland and Kennadi Williams to make it 4-1.
Frahm closed out the game in the seventh inning. Bella Bacon caught a line drive for the final out.
Nebraska will play Grand Canyon on Saturday at noon in the winner’s bracket.
Copyright 2026 WOWT. All rights reserved.
SIOUX CITY (KTIV) – As it gets closer to summer, more drivers will be on the road and the South Dakota Highway Patrol wants to remind drivers to stay vigilant behind the wheel.
With summer vacations, joy rides in the nice weather, and more drivers on the road, travel will be busier than usual.
On top of that, an increase in construction projects could cause delays and change traffic patterns.
All of this means drivers should stay alert when they are behind the wheel.
“With all of the traffic going on during the summer time during the road construction, we just want to remind people on the roadway to slow down, pay attention to the traffic signs, the construction workers, and the traffic ahead of them,” Trooper Tori Hurtig of the South Dakota Highway Patrol.
Also, reminding motorcyclists and drivers to remain aware of their surroundings.
“Be a proactive and defensive driver, so watch where you are going, watch where the other drivers are going, and also try and avoid any unnecessary corrective actions as well,” said Hurtig.
Highway Patrol also wants to remind people to wear seatbelts and, if driving a motorcycle, to wear a helmet.
Want to get the latest news and weather from Siouxland’s News Source? Follow these links to download our KTIV News app and our First Alert Weather app.
Copyright 2026 KTIV. All rights reserved.
HURON — Blake Ellwein of Huron has been named as the 2026 South Dakota Mr. Basketball award winner by Hansen Anderson Basketball.
The 6-foot-10 senior guard and South Dakota State University recruit led Huron to a 20-4 record and the state Class AA boys basketball championship. He made 25 of 27 free throws in the state tourney.
Ellwein is the all-time leading scorer at Huron High School with 1,535 career points. He averaged 21.5 points per game in his senior season. He is a three-time Class AA all-state selection and three-time All-Eastern South Dakota Conference player who earned all-tournament honors three times at state AA tourneys.
Since the award was first presented in 1978, Ellwein is the third Huron player selected for the honor. He joins Rod Merriam in 1980 and Eric Hall in 2004 as previous honorees for the Tigers.
Other finalists included: Jackson Wadsworth of Hamlin, Samuel DeGroot of Sioux Falls Lincoln, Marvin Richard III of Pine Ridge and Will Kuhl of West Central.
The award is voted on yearly by all boys basketball coaches in the state and was presented at a ceremony held Thursday, May 14, in the Huron Arena.
Wagner standout and University of Nebraska recruit Ashlyn Koupal of Wagner recently was named South Dakota’s Miss Basketball for 2026.
Hansen Anderson basketball was founded in 1977 by Richard Hansen and Dave Anderson. The annual publication highlighsteams and players from across the state.
South Dakota’s Mr. Basketball Winners
2026: Blake Ellwein, Huron.
2025: Griffen Goodbary, Sioux Falls Christian.
2024: Jacob Mehrman, Harrisburg.
2023: Joe Sayler, White River.
2022: Kalen Garry, De Smet.
2021: Matthew Mors, Yankton.
2020: Ryder Kirsch of St. Thomas More.
2019: Noah Freidel of Tea Area.
2018: A.J. Piltzuweit of Vermillion.
2017: Matt Cartwright of Sioux Falls O’Gorman.
2016: Ty Hoglund of Dell Rapids.
2015: Bo Fries of Langford Area
2014: Steven Schaefer of Rapid City Stevens
2013: Zach Hanson of Pierre.
2012: Skye Warwick of St. Thomas More.
2011: Zach Horstman of Winner and Liam Duffy of St. Thomas More.
2010: Jared Hannigan of Aberdeen Central.
2009: Tony Fiegen of Madison.
2008: Louie Krogman of White River.
2007: Matt Malloy of Parkston.
2006: Zach Finley of St. Thomas More.
2005: Eric Krogman of Elkton.
2004: Eric Hall of Huron.
2003: Paige Paulsen of Custer.
2002: Matt Hammer of Elkton.
2001: Josh Mueller of West Central.
2000: Steve Anderson of Rapid City Central.
1999: Denver TenBroek of McIntosh.
1998: Austin Hansen of Brandon Valley and Mike Miller of Mitchell.
1997: Austin Ledeboer of Armour.
1996: Todd Schlekeway of Mobridge and John Sivesind of Sioux Falls Roosevelt.
1995: Chris Janssen of Emery.
1994: Chuck Welke of Warner.
1993: Jason Sutherland of Watertown.
1992: Lance Luitjens of Custer and Eric Lappe of Harrold.
1991: Eric Kline of Aberdeen Central.
1990: Brent Lindskov of Isabel.
1989: Eric Piatkwoski of Rapid City Stevens.
1988: George Bettelyoun of Pine Ridge.
1987: Kyle Jordre of Platte.
1986: Sam Goodhope of Winner.
1985: Bart Fredrick of Mitchell and Randy Leslie of Sioux Falls Washington.
1984: Todd Smith of Wakonda.
1983: Luther Hippe of Sioux Falls Washington and Troy Schaefer of Pierre.
1982: Lonni Stover of Webster.
1981: Alan Miller of Stickney.
1980: Rod Merriam of Huron.
1979: Mark Smidt of Sioux Falls Washington.
1978: Barry Glanzer of Armour.
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