South Dakota
Sioux Falls artist designs custom shoes for Special Olympics SD athletes
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (Dakota News Now) – One local artist is turning sneakers into support for Special Olympics athletes as they prepare to compete on a national stage.
What started as a simple idea quickly grew into something much larger for Team South Dakota. After discovering his work on social media, Special Olympics South Dakota reached out to artist Michael Middlen about designing a single custom shoe to auction off and raise funds.
“So I had stumbled upon him on Instagram and I just reached out and you know just kind of told our story of what USA games is and what it means to us and see if he wanted to partner with us to do a custom shoe and to raffle it off,” said Haley Zerr, head of sports and competition for Special Olympics South Dakota.
But after hearing more about the athletes and their journey, Middlen decided one pair wasn’t enough.
“So initially when we first started communicating, it was just going to be one pair of shoes, and then we met with him one day, and he brought it to our attention like, Hey, I would love to do a pair for everybody, so that was shocking to us but very rewarding,” Zerr said.
Instead, Middlen took on the task of hand-painting 67 custom pairs of shoes for every athlete and staff member representing South Dakota at the USA Games in Minneapolis.
“When I heard their story, it just really touched me and moved me, and I just felt that I needed to do something for them, and I just figured this would be the best way to do that,” Middlen said.
Each pair is uniquely designed, incorporating both the Special Olympics logo and the sport each athlete will compete in, adding a personal touch to every step they take.
“But I really wanted to do something to make it more personal, and I always try to do that with every custom to make it a little more personal to the individual that’s receiving them. So I thought it would be a really cool addition to add the sport logo of the sport that the athletes are competing in. So every athlete is going to get a pair in their own size, it will have the Special Olympics logo on one shoe, and then it will have the sport they are competing in on the other,” Middlen said.
Beyond design, the project carries a deeper meaning centered on unity and inclusion.
“I just wanted to really bring inclusion and help everyone, from staff to the athletes, to feel like they’re all one and just lift these athletes up and support them as they are going into the games,” Middlen said.
For many of the athletes, this is an experience they’ve never had before, making it all unforgettable.
“You know a lot of them have never received anything like this or gone to a USA Games, so it’s a big deal for all of our athletes attending,” Zerr said.
The custom shoes will also help Team South Dakota stand out as they represent their state during the opening ceremonies.
“And that was our whole thing behind this: we wanted to stand out when we go to the opening ceremonies. So just South Dakota and they all have matching shoes, custom shoes, so yeah, it’s a big deal for us,” Zerr said.
As excitement builds for the USA Games, leaders say the effort also highlights the broader need for community support.
“To be able to represent our state with the number of people we have going which is 67 to Minneapolis is a big important thing for us but the fundraising for that and raising money and awareness for getting our athletes there to compete is where we need help for the community as well,” said Nick Moen, president and CEO of Special Olympics South Dakota.
Middlen hopes the project encourages others to give back in their own way.
“I don’t think the public is completely aware of how much of a need there is to support them, and everything they rely on is donations, and you know, I think when people think of giving, they think that it’s gotta be money or whatever, but lots of times the best thing you can give is just your talent and your time,” Middlen said.
As Team South Dakota prepares to take the national stage, they’ll do so backed by more than just preparation, carrying with them a visible reminder of the support behind them.
More information on the Special Olympics of South Dakota and where to donate can be found here, and entering the custom shoe raffle drawing can be found here.
Copyright 2026 Dakota News Now. All rights reserved.
RAPID CITY, S.D. (KOTA) -A cold front moving through South Dakota will bring strong winds Thursday, with gusts up to 50 mph expected in northwestern parts of the state.
Wind advisories have been issued for Buffalo, Lemmon, Spearfish and areas near Rapid City. The strongest winds are expected in northwestern South Dakota, north and east of the Black Hills, up into the Buffalo area.
Wind timing and intensity
Winds are expected to build during overnight hours into Thursday morning and continue through midday. The strongest winds are forecast around 10 to 11 a.m. Thursday.
Winds will begin calming around 5 to 6 p.m., with breezy conditions continuing around 8 p.m.
The east side of the state could see some 50 mph wind gusts.
Rain and thunderstorms are possible
Showers are moving into the area, with heavy rain in northeastern Wyoming. Sheridan and Gillette could see heavy activity with possible thunderstorms.
Rapid City and western South Dakota will initially see dry conditions as upslope flow squeezes moisture out of the northern and western slopes of the Black Hills. Showers will move through the rest of Thursday, especially north of Interstate 90.
Some areas could receive about a half-inch of rain, though model data shows variations. Additional rain is expected Sunday, with temperatures about 10 degrees below average.
Front stalls across the region
The front is expected to stall over Ekalaka, Alzada, and Belle Fourche, and into central Meade County, including Union Center, and into Ziebach County.
Temperature outlook
Morning lows on Thursday will drop to 40 degrees in Gillette and 51 degrees in Rapid City. Temperatures will fall below average across much of the region after the cold front moves through.
Highs on Thursday will reach the 70s in Pine Ridge, Kadoka, Sheridan, and Belle Fourche. Temperatures will rise back to the 70s and 80s on Friday.
Another cooldown is expected Saturday with the next front. Temperatures in the hills could drop into the 50s, with highs of 56 in some areas and 62 in Deadwood. Spearfish and Hot Springs will see temperatures similar to the plains. Phillip and Pine Ridge will warm into the 80s by Friday.
Rapid City will hit 77 Tuesday and 83 Wednesday as high pressure moves into the area and temperatures stay moderate through the end of the week.
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Copyright 2026 KOTA. All rights reserved.
All nine tribes located in South Dakota are unifying in their call to return the public, federal lands in the Black Hills to tribal entities.
Each tribe passed a resolution calling on Congress to act. Treaty rights mandate the Black Hills belong to tribes, although that treaty was broken long ago.
Organizers said the most important detail in this new legislative push is the focus on public, federal lands. Put simply, places where people do not live.
Valeriah Big Eagle is the director of He Sapa initiatives for Rapid City-based nonprofit NDN Collective. She said this not about private homes in the Black Hills.
“That’s the myth, that’s the misunderstanding,” Big Eagle said. “When they’re talking about landback in the Black Hills and we’re talking about the federal public land, essentially that is the lands that nobody is living on. It’s the federal, public lands so we can protect it from extractive activities.”
Regardless of outcome, advocates say the inclusion of all South Dakota’s tribes is a historic statement of tribal unity.
Joseph Brings Plenty is a tribal council representative from Eagle Butte. He said tribes have government-signed and guaranteed rights.
“That’s something that needs to be remembered — the treaties still exist,” Brings Plenty said. “That’s why we stand on this. For the United States to uphold their end of the bargain.”
Brings Plenty said it’s a chance for native peoples to have a meaningful say in the management of the Black Hills. With that, Brings Plenty said healing can happen.
“That’s a step forward, a positive step forward,” Brings Plenty said. “The Black Hills are not for sale. I mean, it’s not just in a Lakota or Indian sense. We all want clean water, we all want the air to be clear, we all want housing and grandchildren. We all want a life. The more and more, as is inevitable, the cultures mesh, I think this is all important. Why lose it?”
This comes on the heels of a mining effort near the Black Hills sacred site of Pe’Sla, where the company behind it withdrew after a legal battle and widespread opposition from the Indigenous community.
For the first time in the state’s history, South Dakotans will vote in a runoff election July 28 to choose a candidate for governor. Republicans Toby Doeden and Gov. Larry Rhoden were the top two candidates in the June 2 primary election, but neither received 35% of the vote, which triggered the runoff.
Here are answers to some commonly asked questions about the runoff election:
If I didn’t vote in the June 2 Republican primary, may I still vote in the runoff?
Yes. Registered Republicans, regardless of whether they voted on June 2, may vote in the runoff election.
What about the general election in the fall?
Yes. You are not required to vote in primary elections to cast your ballot in general elections.
How long do I have to change my voter registration?
Voters have until July 13 to change or register their voting affiliation. You can find the form to do so on the South Dakota Secretary of State’s website, where you will print the form and submit it to your county auditor.
South Dakota voter guide
What South Dakotans need to know about voting in statewide elections, and who and what are on the ballot.
Who pays for the runoff?
South Dakota state law says that counties are responsible for paying all statewide general election fees. That includes the cost of ballots, poll workers and election equipment. The South Dakota Secretary of State’s office reimburses counties for the cost of post-election audits and administers the system that allows overseas voters, including military personnel, to vote and request ballots.
How do I know where I vote?
You can view your polling place for the July 28 election on the South Dakota Secretary of State’s voter information portal. You will need to provide your full name and either your ZIP code or birthday.
Is this the first runoff for governor?
Yes. The state’s first-ever runoff for governor is happening this year because of a law passed in 1985. Codified law 12-6-51.1 says if one candidate does not receive 35% of the vote in a primary, a runoff election between the top two candidates will take place eight weeks later to determine who advances to the general election. Before that law was passed, if a candidate did not receive 35% of the vote, the winner was decided at state party conventions.
Former Aberdeen Legislator Crafted Law That’s Led To South Dakota’s First Gubernatorial Runoff | Aberdeen Insider His blog can be found online at sodakgovs.com, and he added a Wednesday, June 3 entry about the first gubernatorial runoff election in state history.
If I live in Sioux Falls, may I vote in runoff elections for mayor and governor at the same time?
Yes, but for a limited amount of time, and only at specific locations. The runoff election for Sioux Falls mayor will take place on June 23, and the runoff election for governor will take place on July 28. They are separately administered elections.
But absentee voting for governor opens June 12 and absentee voting for mayor opens June 16. Sioux Falls residents may absentee vote for both races at either the Minnehaha or Lincoln County auditor’s offices. That means that between June 16 and June 22 – the day before the Sioux Falls mayoral election – registered Republicans can visit either office and vote absentee for both elections on the same day. Absentee voting is not available on election day.
Sioux Falls Simplified, The Dakota Scout and Sioux Falls Live are hosting a public mayoral debate on June 12 between candidates Christine Erickson and Jamie Smith. The debate will take place at 4 p.m. at Carnegie Town Hall in Sioux Falls and is free and open to all members of the public. Megan Raposa, founder of Sioux Falls Simplified, said of the debate: “The goal is to discuss specific policy questions based on input from community stakeholders.”
Start here: Sioux Falls 101
Want to get involved in the decisions that shape Sioux Falls? Start here to get a local government crash course.
South Dakota News Watch is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at sdnewswatch.org. Contact reporter/Report for America corps member Molly Wetsch: 605-531-7382/molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org.
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