South Dakota

SD Abortion Rights: Fight over Amendment G continues

Published

2 years ago

August 9, 2024

SD Abortion Rights: Fight over Amendment G continues

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (Dakota News Now) – The battle between Life Defense Fund and Dakotans for health continues to play out in the South Dakota court system. Life defense fund alleged that state laws were violated as petition circulators collected signatures for Amendment G

Now, another group of lawyers is entering the conversation.

Lawyers for Freedom Amendment G is a new group being chaired by Renae Christensen and Stephanie Pochop, hoping to advocate for abortion rights in their communities.

“It’s a freedom amendment. Make no mistake about it. This is a slippery slope. If the government is intending on legislating what we can do with our own personal bodies, that is going to give them access to our personal lives in an unbelieve way,” Renee Christensen said, with Christensen Law Office.

“I hope that lawyers still carry enough water and trust among members of the public that we can go and say this is what Amendment G does. Amendment G restores the Roe V. Wade rights that have existed for the last 50 years. It’s not new. It’s not extreme. It’s not wild,” Pochop said, an attorney with Johnson Pochop & Bartling.

Caroline Woods, a spokesperson for the Life Defense Fund, says the case against Dakotans for Health and Amendment G, points to bait and switch tactics, a lack of circulator handouts for those signing the petition, and people signing the same petition multiple times.

The added that they have evidence to back these claims.

“We believe this amendment should not be on the ballot because they cheated their way and they lied their way to get there. The public has no business voting on something like that when they had no business lying and cheating to get there in the first place,” Woods said.

“South Dakota Voters have had this particular issue on the ballot and have expressed a pretty strong opinion about wanting to make sure that women and girls can exercise the right to abortion. I feel like a lot of times our legislators just don’t want to listen to what our voters have to say,” Pochop said.

If the court’s decision isn’t made by November 5 and the measure is voted on and passed, the Life Defense Fund believes Amendment G can still be prevented.

“If we don’t get a decision until after that time the Secretary of State can actually instruct auditors to disregard the votes altogether and not include it in the South Dakota constitution,” Woods said.

“The suggestion that a legal relief would be for the secretary of state to issue a proclamation that votes don’t count is novel at best. I don’t think you’ll find any place in the law where that’s justified,” Nancy Turbak said, the chair of the Freedom Coalition.

All ballot questions must be certified by the Secretary of State by August 15, making it likely that Amendment G will appear on the November Ballot, but its overall future remains unknown.

You can read the Amendment in its entirety HERE.

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South Dakota

SD Lottery Powerball, Lucky For Life winning numbers for Feb. 14, 2026

Published

33 minutes ago

February 15, 2026

Press Room

The South Dakota Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.

Here’s a look at Feb. 14, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Powerball numbers from Feb. 14 drawing

23-43-58-60-64, Powerball: 24, Power Play: 2

Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Lucky For Life numbers from Feb. 14 drawing

14-17-30-43-48, Lucky Ball: 10

Check Lucky For Life payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Lotto America numbers from Feb. 14 drawing

02-04-07-49-51, Star Ball: 09, ASB: 02

Check Lotto America payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Dakota Cash numbers from Feb. 14 drawing

04-14-15-17-23

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

Fact brief: Is Adam Vinatieri the only SD-born player in the NFL Hall of Fame?

Published

13 hours ago

February 14, 2026

Press Room

Fact brief: Is Adam Vinatieri the only SD-born player in the NFL Hall of Fame?

(South Dakota News Watch) – No.

Kicker Adam Vinatieri became the second South Dakota-born player to be enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame when his induction was announced Feb. 6.

Norm Van Brocklin, who was born in 1926 in Dewey County, was the first. He moved to California with his family when he was 5. Van Brocklin went on to play nine seasons for the Los Angeles Rams and three for the Philadelphia Eagles, where he won an NFL championship in 1960.

Van Brocklin led the league in passing yards three times. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1966 (University of Oregon) and the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1971.

Vinatieri, who was born in Yankton and attended Rapid City Central and South Dakota State, is the NFL’s leader in points scored. He kicked the game-winning field goals in Super Bowl XXXVI and XXXVIII and won four titles in his 24-year career.

This fact brief responds to conversations such as this one.

Source

Colts.com, Adam Vinatieri named to Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2026

Pro Football Hall of Fame, Adam Vinatieri

Pro Football Hall of Fame, Norm Van Brocklin

South Dakota Hall of Fame, Norm Van Brocklin

South Dakota State University, Vinatieri receives Hall of Fame call from Canton

South Dakota News Watch partners with Gigafact to publish fact briefs that refute or confirm a claim with supporting information and additional evidence and context.

Read previous fact briefs.
Read our verification standards and other best practices policies.
Submit a question for us to answer on the South Dakota News Watch Tipline.
Send questions or feedback to factbrief@sdnewswatch.org.

This story was produced by South Dakota News Watch, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at sdnewswatch.org and sign up for an email to get stories when they’re published. Contact Michael Klinski at michael.klinski@sdnewswatch.org.

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South Dakota

Discover The Majestic Cottonwood Near The Big Sioux River

Published

1 day ago

February 14, 2026

Press Room

Discover The Majestic Cottonwood Near The Big Sioux River

Hidden just outside South Dakota’s biggest city, in rural Lincoln County, stands a living monument that has outlasted generations of the state’s residents. While most travelers will pass by this area without a second glance, those who know where to look will find the largest tree in the entire state.

You can find the tree near the small town of Canton. But be ready to travel on a few gravel roads to get there.

What Kind of Tree and Just How Big is It?

Credit: Canva

The area around Canton provides the perfect for a giant this size. For starters, the consistent water from the Big Sioux River is tremendous and because of just where it’s located, the tree is protected from some of the high winds that can stunt the growth of many of the trees within the Sioux Empire.

According to the South Dakota Big Tree Register, this Eastern Cottonwood giant is a towering 93 feet tall and a massive 32 feet wide. The crown spread of the tree (the width of its canopy) is also impressive at 125 feet. The Cottonwood is on private land but is easily viewable from public roads. To see the giant for yourself, check out its profile on the South Dakota Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources website here.

While the biggest tree might be in the east, the oldest tree is in the west, specifically in the Black Hills region. Quite remarkably, it’s estimated that this Ponderosa Pine (named Rosa) is over 700 years old. The fact that it’s still around, after surviving centuries of drought, lightning and fire is astounding. Predictions say that the tree took root around 1281 A.D., roughly 500 years before the United States even existed.

While the location of the Eastern Cottonwood is well known, the Ponderosa Pine’s exact spot is a little more ambiguous. Forest Service officials and researchers have deliberately kept the exact coordinates of “Rosa” off the map. This is mainly for protection for a variety of reasons, including the tree’s sensitive root structure and the worry of vandalism.

To get a view of this magnificent tree, take a look at the YouTube video below.

Story Sources: SD DANR Website

20 Things You’ll Find In Every South Dakota Home

We have so many things in our homes. Some things are junk or half-used but others have great sentimental value to us.

Regardless of what an item means to us at the end of the day, I bet that most South Dakotans have these twenty items in their home; or at least most of us do.

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