South Dakota
Gun-industry companies and groups give $2 million to help build state-owned shooting range
10% of money to build the range comes from gun-industry companies and organizations
A list of donors to a state-owned shooting range under construction north of Rapid City includes $2 million from gun-industry companies or organizations.
The $20 million, 400-acre complex will be one of the largest public shooting ranges in the nation when it opens this fall, according to the South Dakota Department of Game, Fish & Parks. The complex will host recreational shooters, safety programs, marksmanship competitions and law enforcement training. It will include rifle, pistol, shotgun and archery ranges.
About $6 million of the project’s funding has been given or pledged by donors. The rest is from the state’s Future Fund for economic development.
The department announced last month in a news release that the range will be named the Pete Lien & Sons Shooting Sports Complex, but the release did not disclose the amount of the company’s donation, or include a full list of donations.
“We are extremely pleased with all of the support and excitement for the shooting sports complex and our Second Amendment rights in South Dakota,” Department Secretary Kevin Robling said in the press release.
Concerns over donations to SD gun range
South Dakota Searchlight requested a list of donors with names and amounts. The department’s initial response said only that donors gave more than $6 million, including $2 million for naming rights from Pete Lien & Sons, a mining, concrete and construction aggregate company based in Rapid City.
When Searchlight asked again for a full list of donors, a spokesman for the department directed the request to the state’s online records request portal. Searchlight submitted a letter including a legal argument that the donation list is a public record. A lawyer for the department provided the list 15 days later.
Three donors on the list who gave or pledged a combined $6,100 are referenced only as “private donation”; Searchlight asked for those names or a justification for withholding them. The department’s lawyer replied that the names are covered by exceptions in the state open records law to protect personal privacy and to prevent the “unreasonable release of personal information.”
The project has been controversial with state legislators, who refused to fund it. Some were angered last year when they learned that then-Gov. Kristi Noem gave the project $13.5 million from the governor-controlled Future Fund for economic development.
The donations from the gun industry are another concern for Rep. Erik Muckey, D-Sioux Falls. He said that as a gun owner and hunter himself, he wants to ensure South Dakota’s sporting and hunting traditions continue. But he is uneasy about the Legislature being successfully lobbied for fewer restrictions on firearms while some of the entities connected to those lobbyists — including the National Rifle Association — are helping to fund a state-owned shooting range.
“Private funding for state-owned facilities is not a new concept; in fact, several examples of public-private partnerships make this state better each day, like the combination of public and private funds to support the Build Dakota scholarship,” Muckey said, referencing a full-tuition program for technical college students. “But this case should give South Dakotans pause.”
The Republican-dominated Legislature routinely considers and passes pro-gun legislation. Last winter, lawmakers and Republican Gov. Larry Rhoden lifted concealed-handgun bans on college campuses and in bars.
The shooting-range donor list includes $6.3 million from 43 sources, with nearly half of the money in hand and the rest pledged. Donations from the gun industry account for nearly one-third of the total:
- Smith & Wesson, a Tennessee-based gun manufacturer, donated $150,000 and pledged $600,000, for a total of $750,000.
- Glock, an Austrian gun manufacturer, donated $150,000 and pledged $600,000, for a total of $750,000.
- Aimpoint, a Swedish gun optics manufacturer that bills itself as the inventor of the red dot sight, donated $50,000 and pledged $200,000, for a total of $250,000.
- Luth-AR, a Minnesota company that sells custom stocks and other components for AR-15 rifles, donated $25,000 and pledged $100,000, for a total of $125,000.
- The National Rifle Association donated $50,000.
- Federal Ammunition, a Minnesota ammo manufacturer, donated $25,000.
- H-S Precision, a Rapid City weapons parts manufacturer, donated $5,000 and pledged $20,000, for a total of $25,000.
- Mack Bros, a Sturgis company that manufactures suppressors (silencers) and other gun components, donated $3,000.
- First Stop Gun Shop in Rapid City donated $3,000.
- Lane Silencers, a Rapid City manufacturer, donated $3,000.
- Sturgis Guns, a seller of firearms and accessories, donated $3,000.
Some other donations came from companies that sell shooting-related accessories, but not guns or gun parts. Donations also came from various other individuals, businesses and hunting and conservation groups.
Some legislators on both sides of the political aisle remain upset about Noem’s unilateral decision to provide state funding for the project.
“Unfortunately, her actions have severely damaged trust in otherwise effective institutions, which may cost much-needed projects funding and support in the future,” said Muckey.
In response, the Legislature passed and new Gov. Larry Rhoden signed into law a bill from Senate President Pro Tempore Chris Karr, R-Sioux Falls, that says Game, Fish and Parks projects over $2.5 million must receive legislative approval.
“The shooting complex is the reason I brought that bill,” Karr said. “The appropriations process was circumvented.”
House Assistant Majority Leader Marty Overweg, R-New Holland, said lawmakers feel their will was ignored.
“Now, the government has to be the one that ensures this shooting range continues to run,” he said. “We voted no, but now we have to run it. Without any choice.”
Robling, the head of GF&P, said in November that the complex will require three full-time employees who will be reallocated internally, as well as seasonal staff and volunteers. Robling said the range will not be profitable and will require help from federal firearm tax revenue allocated to the department.
Department spokesperson Nick Harrington told South Dakota Searchlight recently that the shooting range will cost an estimated $355,000 annually to operate and maintain, including the three full-time employees.
Seth is editor-in-chief of South Dakota Searchlight. South Dakota Searchlight is part of States Newsroom, the nation’s largest state-focused nonprofit news organization.
The South Dakota Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at May 9, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Powerball numbers from May 9 drawing
15-41-46-47-56, Powerball: 22, Power Play: 2
Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Lotto America numbers from May 9 drawing
08-12-13-27-42, Star Ball: 04, ASB: 04
Check Lotto America payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Dakota Cash numbers from May 9 drawing
01-02-04-08-18
Check Dakota Cash payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from May 9 drawing
08-11-17-29-49, Bonus: 02
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.
RAPID CITY, S.D. (KOTA) – A Rapid City church is hosting a free community event Thursday to raise awareness about human trafficking, with organizers saying the danger may be closer than people think.
The Lutheran Women’s Missionary League at Bethlehem Lutheran Church is opening the presentation to the entire community because organizers say awareness alone can save a life.
“If we can get 20 people to understand what to look for — if we can get 20 people to understand that this organization exists — then we can start shining light into every corner, and suddenly it’ll be a better world,” said Alexandra Loverink, co-president of LWML Bethlehem Lutheran Church.
Event details
The free presentation is Thursday, May 14 at 6 p.m. at Bethlehem Lutheran Church on Rushmore Street. The speaker is Reverend Tess Franzen, founder of Freedom’s Journey, a Rapid City-based ministry that has assisted hundreds of trafficking survivors over more than a decade.
Franzen said the problem in South Dakota is far more widespread than most people realize.
“We see mostly sex trafficking, but much of what we see is — some people might call it homegrown or familial,” Franzen said. “We see trafficking here where young people are being trafficked out, their family members are selling access to them when they’re children. And in many cases, they don’t really even realize there’s anything wrong with it.”
Organizer Cari Garwood-Beard said Franzen’s presentation changed how she sees her own neighborhood, and she wants others to have that same wake-up call.
“She told a story about her neighbor one time — just a good old guy — and found out that he was a trafficker. Her neighbor, who she thought was above boards,” Garwood-Beard said. “And it really hit home. My next-door neighbor could be.”
A freewill offering will be collected for Freedom’s Journey at Thursday’s event. Bethlehem Lutheran Church is at 1630 Rushmore Street.
Resources
If you suspect trafficking, dial 9-1-1 or the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888.
For more information about Freedom’s Journey, visit their website or call 805.380.8009.
See a spelling or grammatical error in our story? Please click here to report it.
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Copyright 2026 KOTA. All rights reserved.
The South Dakota Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at May 8, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Mega Millions numbers from May 8 drawing
37-47-49-51-58, Mega Ball: 16
Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from May 8 drawing
14-16-21-43-51, Bonus: 03
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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