South Dakota

Noem’s attempt to 'prioritize education' gets failing grade • South Dakota Searchlight

Published

2 days ago

January 4, 2025

Noem’s attempt to 'prioritize education' gets failing grade • South Dakota Searchlight

Soon Gov. Kristi Noem could be installed as the next Secretary of Homeland Security. In one of her last official acts as governor, Noem managed to instill some uncertainty in South Dakota’s public education system.

During her budget speech, Noem claimed she wanted to continue to “prioritize education.” Notice that she didn’t say “prioritize public education.” In what was likely her final budget address to the Legislature, Noem proposed an ongoing $4 million expenditure to help families pay for private school tuition and other forms of alternative instruction.

Her largesse toward families seeking to pay for a private school education came during a budget address in which she:

Offered a paltry 1.25% funding increase for the “big three” of health care, public education and state employee salaries.
Unveiled $71.9 million in budget reductions and discretionary changes.
Included in the budget cuts a $2 million reduction for the Board of Regents and a $3.6 million cut for South Dakota Public Broadcasting.

Noem proposed that the state would pay about $3,000 per student annually for private school tuition or alternative instruction. Private schools, homeschoolers and other forms of alternative instruction operate under a different set of rules. It’s a veritable wild west of schools that can be unaccredited or accredited by someone other than the state. In other words, good luck figuring out how your tax dollars are being spent.

It’s probably possible to figure out how much money the state of South Dakota has invested in public education since statehood. Instead of doing the math, let’s just assume it totals in the billions of dollars. It seems at cross purposes for the state to make that kind of long-term investment in public education only to turn around and start funding its competitors.

Instead of tackling the bigger issues in public education, Noem has revved up the Legislature for a fight over an idea that’s trendy in conservative circles. It’s also an idea that the state can’t afford. Any state budget that proposes tens of millions in cuts isn’t likely to have a spare $4 million. If there is $4 million extra in the state budget, it should be funneled into teacher salaries.

Through neglect and short-sightedness lawmakers and the governor have let teachers’s salaries sink back near the bottom of the barrel nationally. Noem’s proposed 1.25% increase in education funding certainly isn’t going to do much to get South Dakota’s national teacher salary ranking out of the basement.

With its low teacher salary ranking, South Dakota’s universities find themselves training the next generation of teachers for the surrounding states that make a greater attempt to pay teachers what they are worth. When qualified teachers become harder to attract because of South Dakota’s low salaries, school districts will be forced to cut their offerings, hamstringing the very education that Noem says she has gone to such great lengths to “prioritize.”

The last time South Dakota made any progress in this area was in 2016 when Gov. Dennis Daugaard led an effort to raise the state sales tax by half a percent with some of the funds dedicated to raising teachers’ salaries. Since then, lawmakers have cut the state sales tax and mandated a $45,000 minimum salary for public school teachers without offering any extra funding to help schools reach that goal.

Given the state of the budget Noem proposed, lawmakers would do well to put their efforts into protecting public education and finding a funding source that could ensure that the state’s teacher salaries are no longer a national embarrassment.

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South Dakota

South Dakota snow now devastating the southern Midwest

Published

6 hours ago

January 6, 2025

Press Room

South Dakota snow now devastating the southern Midwest

RAPID CITY, S.D. – All eyes are on the southern Midwest, as the system that brought several inches of snow to the Black Hills area continues to move southward, strengthening along the way. A mix of heavy snow, ice, and blizzard conditions has caused widespread disruptions to utilities and infrastructure, leaving nearly 100,000 people without power.

Blizzard warnings were issued for eastern Kansas and are still in effect for northwest Missouri. Winter storm warnings still extended from Missouri all the way to Washington D.C. and areas of southeast Missouri through western Kentucky are currently in an ice storm warning until Monday morning. Ice accumulations are expected to range between ¼” and ¾”. Official reports of snowfall in the region are as high as 13 inches with more expected.

1/2: Weather warnings for the southern Midwest as of 9pm Sunday

2/2: Weather warnings for the southern Midwest as of 9pm Sunday

NewsCenter1 spoke with Jared Maples, a forecaster from the National Weather Service office in St. Louis, MO, to get a first-hand look into the conditions there.

“What we are dealing with is a system that tracked generally west to east from the Central Plains as it crossed the Rockies,” said Maples, “Sleet has been compacted to the roadway. Just that really chunky, crusty stuff that is freezing there. When you get above 2 inches of sleet, it almost becomes undrivable at that point.”

Jared Maples, forecaster for the National Weather Service office in St. Louis, MO

The heavy snow and ice caused treacherous driving conditions, leading to numerous accidents and road closures. Interstate 435 in Kansas City was particularly affected,

with a tractor-trailer captured on video sliding off the icy roadway

. Missouri Department of Transportation snowplows were also impacted, with at least one overturned due to the slick conditions. Kansas City International Airport temporarily shut down airfield operations Saturday afternoon due to rapid ice accumulation.

Ice has been accumulating to trees with official reports showing fallen limbs 8 inches in diameter, giving South Dakotans a stark reminder of the ice storm that hit Sioux Falls in 2013. Nicknamed “Icepololypse,” that storm resulted in an estimated 900 fallen trees and 25,000 fallen branches.

“When they’re in those wooded areas, you do start to hear that cracking sound,” Maples continued, “That is the sound of tree limbs coming down. If your house is near a tree that is susceptible to that, be wary that that could be one of those risks that are posed with this ice or amount of weight that is on trees.”

This storm will continue to move east, bringing snow to areas of Indiana, Ohio, and Pennsylvania, mixed precipitation and freezing rain to Kentucky, Virginia, and Washington D.C., and severe thunderstorms with tornado potential from Mississippi to Georgia.

For updates on local weather, be sure to download the

NC1 weather app

Per grew up in Sioux Falls and graduated from South Dakota Mines. He found his passion for weather reporting by the impact it has on the community, both in how people work and how it brings people together through severe weather preparation. He also has a passion for preventing health issues with Air Quality Index awareness. Per can be found enjoying outdoor activities in the Black Hills when the weather allows.

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South Dakota

South Dakota Lottery Powerball, Lucky For Life results for Jan. 4, 2025

Published

14 hours ago

January 5, 2025

Press Room

South Dakota Lottery Powerball, Lucky For Life results for Jan. 4, 2025

The South Dakota Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big. Here’s a look at Jan. 4, 2025, results for each game:

Winning Powerball numbers from Jan. 4 drawing

26-32-43-54-56, Powerball: 24, Power Play: 2

Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Lucky For Life numbers from Jan. 4 drawing

03-09-27-29-33, Lucky Ball: 06

Check Lucky For Life payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Lotto America numbers from Jan. 4 drawing

01-03-17-21-34, Star Ball: 04, ASB: 03

Check Lotto America payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Dakota Cash numbers from Jan. 4 drawing

20-26-29-31-35

Check Dakota Cash 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.

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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South Dakota

Nature: Bald Eagles in South Dakota

Published

21 hours ago

January 5, 2025

Press Room

Nature: Bald Eagles in South Dakota – CBS News

Watch CBS News

We leave you this Sunday with bald eagles flying high above the Missouri River in South Dakota. As of January 1st, the bald eagle is, finally, our official national bird. Videographer: Kevin Kjergaard.