South Dakota
Kristi Noem faces protests as she gets doctorate at South Dakota university
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, a former South Dakota governor, faced protests as she received an honorary doctorate at Dakota State University in Madison, as the school hosted its commencement ceremonies on Saturday.
Protesters showed up with signs to show their displeasure at the selection of Noem as this year’s commencement speaker. The secretary has been at the forefront of President Donald Trump’s hardline immigration agenda and mass deportation efforts.
“We don’t think that she is somebody that deserves any sort of honor from anybody,” protester Susan Wicks told Dakota News Now. “She’s currently right now violating the constitution, deporting people to foreign detainment centers without any due process.”
“I think that recently she’s shown herself to be a tool of the Trump administration and implementing policies that go against the Constitution of the United States,” fellow protester John Nelson told the outlet.
Wicks added that the university “didn’t listen to the town, the faculty or their students, and we think that’s abhorrent.”
At the Dakota State Fieldhouse, Noem received an honorary doctorate in public service. The school pointed to Noem’s work advocating for the university and its programs focusing on cybersecurity.
During the ceremony, Dakota State University President José-Marie Griffiths said that as South Dakota governor, Noem “was always ready to listen to our proposals, ask insightful questions to learn more about our plans, and was eager to move forward to support those initiatives.”
Some students chose not to participate in the ceremony. Max Lerchen, who graduated with a master’s in business administration, was one of those who took part after considering protesting as he disagreed with the selection of Noem “from the get-go.”
“This is a degree that I’ve worked hard for and many others have worked hard for,” Lerchen told Dakota News Now. “While I support the decision of those to not participate and I respect them for using their voices that way, I did not want to give Secretary Noem the power over me making decisions regarding my accomplishment and my day, and I’m very happy to see many others make that same choice as well.”
“I wanted to make sure I spent the day with my friends and my family, the people who supported me and make sure that I still celebrated regardless of the decision made,” he added.
Some students who chose to protest said they were locked out of campus buildings where they had stored their signs.
Lerchen, however, said he didn’t think it was intentional.
“A lot of our facilities around here, when they’re not in use, are locked. That’s not an uncommon thing,” he told Dakota News Now.
He added that the university “made a decision that I disagree with to select and honor Secretary Noem with a degree, but I do not think any of the actions by the university were meant to be malicious.”
Updated
SD Lottery Powerball, Lotto America winning numbers for May 11, 2026
The South Dakota Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at May 11, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Powerball numbers from May 11 drawing
24-30-37-56-64, Powerball: 07, Power Play: 3
Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Lotto America numbers from May 11 drawing
16-19-22-34-46, Star Ball: 01, ASB: 02
Check Lotto America payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from May 11 drawing
42-45-46-48-56, 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.
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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.
This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: SD Lottery Powerball, Lotto America winning numbers for May 11, 2026
RAPID CITY, S.D. (KOTA) – More road work and travel impacts are set to begin across western South Dakota this week, with projects ranging from highway striping and crack sealing to temporary rest area closures as well as an upcoming public meeting on a bridge replacement project in Keystone.
The first projects begin Monday, May 11.
S.D. Highway 44: Striping work
On S.D. Highway 44, crews will complete striping work from about 1.5 miles east of Farmingdale to roughly 10.75 miles east of the community.
Work is scheduled from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday and is expected to continue through Tuesday evening. Drivers should expect daytime lane impacts in the area.
U.S. Highway 385: Striping work
Also beginning Monday, striping operations are scheduled on U.S. Highway 385 from about one mile south of the U.S. Highway 85 junction near Deadwood to the junction itself. Work is expected to take place during daytime hours Monday through Tuesday.
Pavement preservation project on S.D. Highway 20
A pavement preservation project is also scheduled to start Monday on S.D. Highway 20 between Buffalo and Camp Crook. Crews will be sealing cracks in the roadway as part of the project. Traffic will be reduced to one lane during daytime hours, with flaggers and a pilot car guiding motorists through the work zone. Delays of up to 15 minutes are expected.
The contractor for the $112,155 project is Highway Improvement, Inc. of Sioux Falls. The overall completion date is scheduled for Dec. 4.
Drivers are reminded to slow down and use caution around crews and construction equipment in all work zones.
Wasta rest area spring cleaning
Additional travel impacts are expected latter this week with temporary closures planned at the Wasta Rest Areas along Interstate 90 for annual spring cleaning.
The eastbound Wasta Rest Area near mile marker 98 will close at 7 a.m. Tuesday, May 12, and reopen at 9 a.m. Wednesday, May 13. After that reopening, the westbound rest area will close from 9 a.m. Wednesday until 9 a.m. Thursday, May 14. Travelers are encouraged to make alternate plans during the closures.
Public meeting on future bridge replacement project along U.S. Highway 16A in Keystone
On Thursday, May 14, the South Dakota Department of Transportation and Complete Concrete, Inc. will host a public informational meeting on a future bridge replacement project along U.S. Highway 16A in Keystone.
The open house-style meeting will run from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at the Keystone Community Center, 1101 Madill St. Officials say the meeting is intended to provide project details and answer questions from residents, businesses and emergency personnel.
The bridge replacement project is scheduled to begin in October. Plans call for replacing the existing bridge with a box culvert and include additional improvements such as intersection upgrades, resurfacing, pavement markings, traffic signals, ADA upgrades and erosion control. Pedestrian access on both sides of the structure will also be improved.
More information on the Keystone project is available at South Dakota Department of Transportation’s project page.
Current road conditions, closures and construction updates can be found at SD511 or by dialing 511.
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.
The South Dakota Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at May 10, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from May 10 drawing
01-03-20-35-46, Bonus: 05
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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