South Dakota
Grassroots effort in Redfield turning old bank into day care
REDFIELD, S.D. — Gianna Schieffer doesn’t need data or stories from other parents to prove the point that this central South Dakota city has a worrisome shortage of day care options.
Schieffer, executive director of the Redfield Area Development Corp., has for the past couple years led an effort to obtain grants and loans, solicit donations and host fundraising events to get the money to convert a former bank building into a large child care center in downtown Redfield.
As a working mother of two, including an energetic toddler, Schieffer can point to her own situation as evidence of the shortage and the stress it can cause. On a recent day in February, the in-home child care provider Schieffer relies on came down with the flu, leaving her and several other parents with nowhere to drop off their children.
Schieffer’s husband runs a ranch supply store located well out of town. But fortunately, Schieffer works alone in a downtown office and was able to bring 2-year-old Maya with her to work.
“This is exactly the kind of situation we’re hoping to avoid with the new day care, where we could offer a drop-in service for parents on a daily or emergency basis,” Schieffer said. “If you want to work as a parent, you have to take your kids somewhere.”
The lack of child care is a common problem in cities both large and small across South Dakota and creates ripple effects beyond the immediate uncertainty for working parents.
Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch
Combined with a shortage of affordable housing, the dearth of day care is stunting potential economic and population growth as schools, government agencies and businesses are in some cases unable to hire employees because workers cannot find care for their children.
The problem is worse in dozens of small, rural communities that are often isolated from large population centers with more options.
The community has embarked on a three-year campaign to raise the roughly $1 million needed to buy a former Wells Fargo bank building in town and convert it to large child care able to hold 51 children upon launch and eventually more than 90 children.
Redfield does not have a center-based day care operation and has seen the number of small, at-home providers fall from 10 in 2023 to seven in 2026. Some of those remaining providers are nearing retirement age and are likely to stop providing the service in the coming years, Schieffer said.
Jake Dawson is a father to two pre-school age children and feels lucky that he and his wife are able to drop their children off at an in-home day care in Redfield while he works the farm and his wife works in town.
Dawson used to run a John Deere dealership in Redfield and said he often heard from employees or prospective employees that obtaining child care was a challenge. Dawson said he knew of at least two parents who had to drive 50 miles each way either to Miller or Aberdeen in order to drop off their children during the workday.
Dawson, who serves on the board of the Redfield development group, said it is clear that a dwindling number of child care openings is holding the city back.
Bart Pfankuch / South Dakota News Watch
“From an economic development standpoint, having day care available is a huge asset,” he said. “In today’s world, I think young families are looking for smaller towns to start a family. And having day care allows a community to grow by attracting talented young people to town.”
Dawson said he has been impressed with how the city has pulled together to raise the money to support development of the community child care center. He said that once the first-floor day care is established, the second floor of the bank building could be turned into a community center or some other hub of activity for local children.
“I’m really happy that the city’s stepped up and made this a priority,” he said. “I’m hoping the community continues to rally behind this project to expand this into something more for kids of all ages.”
— This story originally published on southdakotanewswatch.org.
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.
Guest Column: Louisiana can only win with a stronger workforce
Ski Maine, Where Skiing’s Main Street Ends
Showers and falling temperatures across Maryland Friday
Woman struck, fatally injured, while walking on the Lodge Freeway, state police say
Think you’re middle class in Massachusetts? Here’s the income range
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
Video: Will ICE Change Under Its New Leader?
DHS shutdown breakthrough comes at cost for Republicans as funding fights nears end
Rubio joins crucial G7 talks as Iran war set to dominate second day
A surprise resignation could open the door for an independent to win a Montana Senate seat
Video: Savannah Guthrie Says She Believes Her Mother Was Taken for Ransom
-
Detroit, MI1 week agoDrummer Brian Pastoria, longtime Detroit music advocate, dies at 68
-
Science1 week agoHow a Melting Glacier in Antarctica Could Affect Tens of Millions Around the Globe
-
Movie Reviews1 week ago‘Youth’ Twitter review: Ken Karunaas impresses audiences; Suraj Venjaramoodu adds charm; music wins praise | – The Times of India
-
Science1 week agoI had to man up and get a mammogram
-
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
-
Texas1 week agoHow to buy Houston vs. Texas A&M 2026 March Madness tickets