South Dakota

South Dakota law raises questions about future of massive Midwest pipeline

Published

9 months ago

March 9, 2025

South Dakota law raises questions about future of massive Midwest pipeline

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — A new law in South Dakota prohibiting the use of eminent domain to acquire land for carbon capture pipelines raises questions about the viability of a proposed 2,500 mile (4,023-kilometer) project snaking through five Midwest states.

Summit Carbon Solutions, the company behind the estimated $8.9 billion pipeline, vowed to keep pursuing the project despite South Dakota Gov. Larry Rhoden’s announcement Thursday that he had signed a bill into law that will make routing the line much more difficult. The law bans Summit from forcing South Dakota landowners to allow the pipeline through their property.

Plans call for the pipeline to carry greenhouse gas emissions from more than 50 ethanol plants in Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota to a spot in North Dakota, where it would be permanently stored underground.

Legal action is possible

It’s unclear whether Summit will pursue legal action but the company said in a statement that “all options are on the table” and the project “moves forward” in other states. The company promised it would have more news soon.

Large pipeline projects typically rely on eminent domain, with companies arguing that even if most landowners agree to grant access to their property, a project can be scuttled if only a few refuse.

Summit says the company, which has secured over 2,700 easements across the region, has approval for routes in Iowa and North Dakota and a leg in Minnesota.

Can the line be routed through Minnesota?

The current proposed route would cut through nearly 700 miles (1,126.5 kilometers) of South Dakota before entering North Dakota, so rerouting to the east through Minnesota would be a big challenge.

A Summit spokesperson did not respond to questions Friday about whether the company would consider a new route.

The sponsor of the South Dakota bill, Republican Rep. Karla Lems, said Summit could either reroute its pipeline through Minnesota into North Dakota or “negotiate with landowners in South Dakota” and go around opponents.

Gov. Rhoden said the South Dakota law wasn’t intended to kill the project and suggested Summit see it as “an opportunity to reset.”

Minnesota is a relatively small part of Summit’s overall project. The only segment approved in the state is a 28-mile (45-kilometer) leg from an ethanol plant near Fergus Falls to the North Dakota border. Summit’s project also includes two legs in southern Minnesota that would go into Iowa.

A Minnesota Public Utilities Commission spokesperson did not respond to phone or email messages.

The pipeline’s importance to the ethanol industry

The country’s transition to electric vehicles has been slower than many people expected, but most think a shift away from internal combustion engines will eventually happen.

Nearly 40% of the nation’s corn crop is brewed into ethanol, which is blended into most gasoline sold in the U.S. Midwest farmers and the ethanol industry therefore see it as essential to have new markets as less of the fuel additive goes to power cars.

They see passenger jet fuel as a potentially huge new market for ethanol. However, under current rules the process for turning ethanol into aviation fuel would need to emit less carbon dioxide to qualify for tax breaks intended to reduce greenhouses.

The carbon capture pipeline is a key part of achieving those goals, Iowa Renewable Fuels Association Executive Director Monte Shaw said.

Walt Wendland, who runs an ethanol plant in Onida, South Dakota, said the “ethanol industry is a margin business” and the new state law will put South Dakota ethanol producers at a disadvantage.

“Ever since I built a plant, I never wanted an advantage, just don’t put me at a disadvantage,” Wendland said.

Will the pipeline ever be built?

It has been four years since Summit proposed building the pipeline, along with two other companies that later abandoned their plans. It has been a challenging process for Summit, which dealt with lawsuits in Nebraska and elsewhere, opposition before a regulatory commission in Iowa and now the eminent domain ban in South Dakota.

In its statement, Summit expressed optimism about the future but didn’t offer specifics about how it could build a pipeline without eminent domain authority in South Dakota.

Since the pipeline was proposed, the federal government’s approach to climate change also has changed dramatically. Democratic President Joe Biden increased tax incentives under the Inflation Reduction Act and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to encourage carbon capture as an effort to slow climate change.

However, Republican President Donald Trump has emphasized the need for more oil and gas drilling and coal mining, and has put far less emphasis on alternative energy. Trump has not indicated whether his views will lead to changing federal policy regarding carbon capture pipelines.

___

Dura reported from Bismarck, North Dakota.

Source link

Click to comment

South Dakota

SD Lottery Powerball, Lucky For Life winning numbers for Dec. 6, 2025

Published

12 hours ago

December 7, 2025

Press Room

The South Dakota Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big. Here’s a look at Dec. 6, 2025, results for each game:

Winning Powerball numbers from Dec. 6 drawing

13-14-26-28-44, Powerball: 07, Power Play: 2

Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Lucky For Life numbers from Dec. 6 drawing

11-12-14-34-48, Lucky Ball: 13

Check Lucky For Life payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Lotto America numbers from Dec. 6 drawing

07-08-14-23-41, Star Ball: 09, ASB: 02

Check Lotto America payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Dakota Cash numbers from Dec. 6 drawing

05-08-17-21-35

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.

Source link

South Dakota

Keali’i Ah Yat leads Montana over South Dakota State 50-29 in 2nd round of FCS playoffs

Published

24 hours ago

December 6, 2025

Press Room

Keali’i Ah Yat leads Montana over South Dakota State 50-29 in 2nd round of FCS playoffs

MISSOULA, Mont. (AP) — Sophomore Keali’i Ah Yat passed for a career-high 360 yards, throwing three of his four touchdown passes during a 30-point run by Montana and the third-seeded Grizzlies rallied to beat South Dakota State 50-29 on Saturday in the second round of the FCS playoffs.

Montana (12-1), which had a first-round bye, will host No. 11 seed South Dakota in the quarterfinals. The Coyotes beat No. 6 seed Mercer 47-0 at home to move on.

Chase Mason hit Grahm Goering at the 20-yard line and Goering raced the final 80 yards for a 95-yard South Dakota State score and a 7-0 lead. Ah Yat answered with a 45-yard touchdown pass to Stevie Rocker Jr, but the Grizzlies trailed 7-6 after a missed extra-point kick.

Mason picked up his own fumble and ran 5 yards for a score and a 14-6 lead after one quarter. It was all Montana from there.

Jo Silver kicked a short field goal, Eli Gillman had a 5-yard touchdown run, and Ah Yat had a 5-yard scoring toss to Rocker with 6 seconds left for a 22-14 lead at halftime.

Ah Yat hit Drew Deck for a 29-yard third-quarter touchdown and connected with with Michael Wortham for a 28-yard score and a 36-14 lead early in the fourth.

Ah Yat completed 29 of 37 passes for Montana. Gillman totaled 135 yards on 24 rushes and Wortham finished with eight catches for 113 yards. Gillman and Malae Fonoti had fourth-quarter touchdown runs.

Mason totaled 356 yards on 19-for-36 passing with a touchdown and two interceptions for the 14th-seeded Jackrabbits (9-5), who advanced with a 41-3 first-round victory over visiting New Hampshire.

___

Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football

Source link

South Dakota

South Dakota vaccine survey results are ‘concerning,’ health advocates say

Published

1 day ago

December 6, 2025

Press Room

South Dakota vaccine survey results are ‘concerning,’ health advocates say

(SOUTH DAKOTA SEARCHLIGHT) – Close to half of South Dakotans aren’t up-to-date on their flu shots or their hepatitis B vaccinations, new vaccine survey results released by the South Dakota Department of Health indicate.

About 63% aren’t up-to-date on their HPV vaccinations, which protect against most cases of cervical cancer, and 78% aren’t up-to-date on their pneumococcal vaccinations, which help protect against pneumococcal infections.

That’s “concerning” to Keith Hansen, president of the South Dakota State Medical Association. Vaccinations are “one of the most important developments in health” to keep people and communities healthy, he said.

As a reproductive endocrinology and infertility specialist, he is especially concerned with how vaccine-preventable diseases can affect pregnant women and newborn children.

“It’s really sad when someone isn’t vaccinated and then they come into the hospital because they caught a vaccine-preventable disease,” Hansen said. “Now they have some bad outcome that could have been prevented.”

The state Health Department conducted the survey to better understand vaccination behaviors, decision-making and awareness of the vaccine schedule. A U.S. Department of Health and Human Services grant funded the survey.

COVID pandemic influences some vaccine behavior

More than a quarter of survey respondents said the COVID-19 pandemic negatively impacted their views on vaccines. Those respondents also had lower vaccination rates for the flu and COVID, at 34% and 4%, respectively.

Most South Dakota vaccine survey respondents said their views on immunizations haven’t changed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. But nearly 28% said their views became more negative because of the pandemic.(South Dakota Department of Health)

Among all survey respondents, 96% reported ever being vaccinated. About 98% of respondents with children reported that their child had received at least one vaccination.

About 96% of respondents said they get at least “some” vaccines recommended by their doctor, and nearly 93% of respondents said they follow the routine or a delayed vaccination schedule for their child.

Carmen Toft, director for South Dakota Families for Vaccines and board vice president of Immunize South Dakota, said the state should “celebrate” those positive statistics.

The goal, Toft said, is to reach vaccination rates above 95% to reach herd immunity, which is when the prevention of infectious diseases becomes most effective.

Tdap vaccinations remain high

While most vaccination rates in the survey are lower than Hansen or Toft prefer, up-to-date Tdap vaccination rates were highest among respondents at 78%. The vaccine protects against infections caused by diphtheria, tetanus and whooping cough.

Among respondents who said their vaccination views were negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, 75.5% of adult respondents were up to date on their Tdap vaccination.

That could be because the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends adults get the Tdap booster every 10 years for adults, Toft said, rather than yearly like the flu. If vaccine hesitancy rises, Tdap vaccination rates could be impacted more slowly than more regularly recommended vaccines.

Hansen added that Tdap vaccinations are sometimes administered in response to injuries, such as cuts, to prevent tetanus. Also known as lockjaw, tetanus causes muscle contractions and can be life-threatening.

Conflicting information could lead to more vaccine hesitancy

The most common reasons respondents gave for not receiving vaccinations included hearing contradictory information — from doctors, social media, news outlets, government agencies and others — and believing a vaccine isn’t safe or isn’t needed.

Concern about vaccine safety was the most common reason respondents gave for choosing not to vaccinate a child, followed by the belief that it wasn’t needed and the prevalence of conflicting information about vaccines.

Conflicting information and vaccine safety were among the most common reasons adults and... — Conflicting information and vaccine safety were among the most common reasons adults and parents of children might choose not to vaccinate, respondents to the South Dakota Department of Health vaccine survey said.(South Dakota Department of Health)

Toft said fast-spreading misinformation on social media is influencing public opinion. So is U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s introduction of “fringe ideas” to inform policy changes, she said.

“It’s moved off of Facebook feeds and onto ‘CBS Mornings’,” Toft said, adding “the decisions seem more and more politicized, and that’ll only lead to more confusion.”

A CDC vaccine committee charged with setting national guidelines around vaccine policy voted on Friday to eliminate a 34-year-old recommendation that all newborn babies receive a hepatitis B vaccine. There was a 99% drop in serious infections among children between 1990 and 2019, which is attributed to the universal vaccination policy. Recommendations for adults and unvaccinated older children will remain unchanged.

The new recommendation mirrors COVID-19 guidelines changed by the same committee in September. The change at that time caused widespread confusion about the vaccine’s accessibility and if insurance companies would cover it.

“I think it’ll be a while before we see the long-lasting implications of some of these decisions they’re making,” Toft said of the committee’s decisions.

The recommendations play a key role in determining which vaccines insurance companies are willing to cover and how accessible those immunizations are to the public.

South Dakota’s survey results indicate that most people place their trust in local professionals rather than national entities: 84% of respondents said their preferred source of health information is their doctor or health professional. About 95% said they “somewhat” or “to a great extent” trust their doctor or health professional with vaccine information — more than pharmacists, the state Department of Health, or the CDC. Social media and news outlets were the lowest trusted sources among respondents.

Hansen hopes health professionals take note and choose to broach immunization discussions more often with patients. Toft agreed that health professionals are the best point of contact for vaccine education.

“When we talk to vaccine-hesitant parents, we’re like, ‘Yes, ask questions. I’d love to help you. I’d love to connect you with a provider who can answer your questions,’” Toft said. “We want you to have access to information to make the best decision for you and your family.”

South Dakota Searchlight is part of States Newsroom, the nation’s largest state-focused nonprofit news organization.

Makenzie Huber is a lifelong South Dakotan who regularly reports on the intersection of politics and policy with health, education, social services and Indigenous affairs. Her work with South Dakota Searchlight earned her the title of South Dakota’s Outstanding Young Journalist in 2024, and she was a 2024 finalist for the national Livingston Awards.

Download the KOTA News App.

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.

Source link