South Dakota
Hot Springs residents fighting back against rising property taxes
RAPID CITY, S.D. (KOTA) – Property taxes are on the rise across KOTA Territory, and residents in Hot Springs are feeling the strain, with some claiming their taxes jumped as much as 65% between 2023 and 2024.
“When we moved here, we thought it would be affordable, and as things progressed, we’re wondering how affordable it will be because if they raised taxes 65% in one year, and it depends on everybody that lives here and what their taxes increased, but what is stopping them from doing this again next year,” said Shaw, a homeowner.
John Stewart, another homeowner in Hot Springs added the increasing property assessments aren’t bringing any benefits to homeowners.
“I’m not making any money on my home, so you’re telling me my house went from 371 thousand to 380 thousand doesn’t put any money in my pocket, all it does is take money away from me,” Stewart said.
The Shaw’s say their concerns deepened earlier this year when they witnessed an elderly couple leaving a medical center in tears, saying the couple claimed they had to choose between paying for food or medicine.
Determined to take action, the Shaw’s say they went to Pierre to attend a meeting about property taxes.
There, they handed out letters but said they were refused a chance to speak at the meeting.
“Let’s say your COLA goes up and they take another hundred, that’s better than 2, 3, 4 thousand, taking away the golden years of your retirement and that for your trips I mean 3, 4 thousand that’s a big trip to go see grandkids that’s enough even to take a cruise and they take it from his house, his house, my house, they take it from everybody,” Shaw said.
Shaw criticized the government’s approach, stating that the focus was on “filling their bucket” at the expense of the people and urging Kristi Noem and South Dakota Legislators to create a special session to address this problem instead of doing studies.
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Copyright 2024 KOTA. All rights reserved.
South Dakota
Republican businessman Toby Doeden advances to primary runoff in South Dakota governor’s race
Republican businessman Toby Doeden has advanced to a runoff in South Dakota governor’s race, NBC News projects.
Gov. Larry Rhoden, who replaced Kristi Noem last year when President Donald Trump nominated her to lead the Department of Homeland Security, was battling with Rep. Dusty Johnson and former state House Speaker Jon Hansen for a second spot in the July 28 runoff. The primary will go to a runoff because no candidate eclipsed 35% of the vote.
Trump did not issue an endorsement in the race. Doeden branded himself on his campaign website as “a total political outsider who’s tired of the government’s failure to deliver on its promises” and one of Trump’s “fiercest supporters.”
Rhoden, a former lieutenant governor, agriculture secretary and lawmaker, campaigned on property tax cuts and lowering crime in his bid for a four-year term.
Johnson is the state’s lone representative in the House, where he previously was chair of the Republican Main Street Caucus. Hansen, who was elected to the South Dakota House in 2010, held several leadership positions before he became speaker.
The Republican nominee will be the favorite to win the general election in the solidly red state this fall. A Democrat has not served as governor in South Dakota since the 1970s, and Trump carried the state by 29 points in 2024.
News
Agronomist: eastern South Dakota crops hit and miss
An agronomist in eastern South Dakota says corn and soybeans are hit and miss as the growing season begins.
Steven Zemlicka with AgTegra Cooperative tells Brownfield, “We’ve got corn anywhere from V1 all the way up to V4. Biggest stuff’s maybe touching V5. Corn’s coming right along, looks pretty good. A little bit of hail here too, but I don’t think it’s going to be much of an issue. Stands for the most part are pretty good, pretty solid.”
Zemlicka says soybean emergence has been slow due to the wet, cool conditions, and there are a few fields that still need planted.
“People were still working on planting soybeans when we got the recent rain.”
He says recent rain totals ranged from a half inch to as much as four inches in the northeast part of South Dakota; the southern part of the state has been drier.
South Dakota’s corn is rated 61 percent good to excellent, with soybean conditions rated 57 percent good to excellent, according to USDA’s first condition ratings of the season.
RAPID CITY, S.D. (KOTA) – The South Dakota Community Foundation is encouraging nonprofits to apply for funding this June.
Beth Massa and Ginger Niemann joined us live with what you need to know before applying.
Watch the full interview above.
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Copyright 2026 KOTA. All rights reserved.
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