South Dakota
South Dakota mental health nonprofit shuts down over financial problems
NAMI South Dakota, a nonprofit that provides free mental health support to residents across the state, has announced that its Board of Directors made the “difficult decision to dissolve the organization.”
NAMI South Dakota’s phone went unanswered as of Feb. 13. Its website is mostly inactive, with a brief message about support group meetings being canceled, but it offers online resources on the general NAMI website.
The most recent post on its Facebook page was on Feb. 5.
In an email statement to employees and supporters, NAMI South Dakota stated the directive does not “reflect the importance of our mission,” but rather a response to the “significant and ongoing financial challenges facing the nonprofit sector nationwide.”
Those challenges included reduced funding, rising operational costs and increasing financial uncertainty.
“We are incredibly proud of the work NAMI South Dakota has accomplished over the years,” the organization stated. “… we have been able to raise awareness, reduce stigma and provide hope and resources to countless individuals and families impacted by mental illness.”
About NAMI South Dakota
The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) maintains itself as the “nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization,” with more than 650 state organizations and affiliates.
There were eight affiliates in South Dakota in addition to classes, programs and wellness activities offered in Sioux Falls, Sisseton and Milbank via the NAMI South Dakota Consumer Council.
NAMI South Dakota has provided more than 1,500 phone referrals and served 80 individuals at its annual conference. More than 4,700 people were reached by signature programs and 2,000 more by community events, according to the organization.
Staff members were informed of NAMI South Dakota being dissolved and that they were no longer employed with the organization by email Feb. 4.
The Argus Leader reached out to multiple NAMI South Dakota board members but had not received a response. Executive Director Sheri Nelson issued the same response previously given to employees.
Program Director, Brooke Hoffman of Sioux Falls, traveled throughout the state of South Dakota, speaking with K-12 students at various schools.
“I gave presentations about mental health, why it’s important, how to take care of it, warning signs, trusted adults. Suicide prevention to older kids,” Hoffman said.
Hoffman was the only program coordinator with the organization for the entire state of South Dakota, serving since September 2025.
Hoffman also had regular appointments with the Juvenile Detention Center in Sioux Falls and was scheduled to conduct crisis intervention trainings (CIT) with law enforcement at the Minnehaha County Jail and Public Safety Center in Sioux Falls.
“I was also invited to speak at the South Dakota HOSA (Health Occupations Students of America) event in previous years,” Hoffman said. ‘A lot of kids attend that.”
HOSA lists NAMI as one of its many partners for the organization.
Hoffman was staying in Watertown while working with the Hamlin School District, one of five schools she worked with and more were in the process of being scheduled when she got the Feb. 4 phone call from Nelson telling her the organization had been dissolved and to stop all services.
“She then sent me the email to send to the schools I was working with,” Hoffman said, estimating the impact to be about 750 students.
Hoffman had been working under a Mental Health Awareness Training (MHAT) grant provided by SAMHSA that was awarded to South Dakota Behavioral Health, part of the South Dakota Department of Social Services. The grant was set to expire in September.
“It’s been a really hard blow for me personally,” Hoffman said. “I’m struggling a bit with my own mental health over it but trying to look forward too.”
Mental health in Sioux Falls
Beginning in 1988, Sioux Falls had a more localized NAMI affiliate, NAMI Sioux Falls, an independent nonprofit that offered classes and support services to local families.
In February 2020, NAMI Sioux Falls merged with the NAMI South Dakota office, a decision made by the national NAMI office, according to previous Argus Leader reporting.
“They have moved ahead with terminating the NAMI Sioux Falls Affiliate and have asked the NAMI South Dakota State Organization to step in to provide all programming for the Sioux Falls area,” NAMI South Dakota said in a statement.
In Sioux Falls, 16.8% of adults have been reported to have been diagnosed with depression and adolescent mental health ranked second in the city’s top three health priorities, according to the 2025 City of Sioux Falls Community Health Assessment.
Mental health in South Dakota
According to NAMI South Dakota data from May 2025, 166,000 state residents have a mental health condition, with more than 650,000 who live in communities without sufficient mental health care. More than 10,000 adolescents aged 12-17 have anxiety and depression in South Dakota, with 11,000 having serious thoughts of suicide per year.
Among six community health priorities, improving mental and behavioral health ranked 3rd in a 2023 South Dakota Department of Health Assessment on overall health.
Moving forward
Additional mental health resources, some of which are free, in Sioux Falls and throughout the state of South Dakota are listed on the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, staffed in Sioux Falls by the Helpline Center.
As for Hoffman, the connections she made during her time with NAMI South Dakota have helped provide leads to new opportunities, while also working part time for Emily’s Hope.
“I have a few connections from being out in the community from volunteering with them and from working at NAMI,” she said. I’m just using what resources I have to get leads on a new role. Hopefully something similar to what I got to do for NAMI.”
“While NAMI South Dakota will be dissolving, the need for mental health support remains vital,” the Board of Directors said in a statement. “We encourage our community members to continue seeking and supporting mental health resources and organizations serving South Dakotans.”
Vanessa Carlson Bender is the real estate and development reporter for the Sioux Falls Argus Leader. Reach her at vbender@gannett.com.
South Dakota
MN officials warn dogs adopted from South Dakota show ‘high prevalence of canine brucellosis’
Image on the left shows a dog waiting for adoption in a shelter (Photo by Beata Zawrzel/NurPhoto via Getty Images). image on the right shows an optical microscope view of bacterium brucella canis causes brucellosis (Photo by: BSIP/Education Images/Un (Getty Images)
The Minnesota Board of Animal Health is warning that some dogs adopted from South Dakota are testing positive for canine brucellosis, a contagious and uncurable infection.
Dogs from South Dakota carrying canine brucellosis
By the numbers:
State officials say that so far in 2026, there have been seven canine brucellosis positive dogs traced to South Dakota.
What they’re saying:
Companion Animal Program Veterinarian Dr. Steve Kivisto shared the following statement on the matter.
“We’re evaluating new import requirements and quarantine procedures for dogs coming into Minnesota from South Dakota due to a high prevalence of canine brucellosis in dogs rescued from that geographic area in the past few years,” said companion animal program veterinarian Dr. Steve Kivisto. “We’ve also had recent cases imported from other states and will consider additional requirements if those also prove to contain a pattern of canine brucellosis.”
Dig deeper:
Canine brucellosis is an infection that primarily affects dogs, but there are strains capable of infecting other species, including humans.
The infection in dogs is not curable, and should an owner choose to attempt treatment, their pet could still continue to shed the bacteria. Infected dogs would either need to be quarantined for life or humanely euthanized to prevent the spread.
People who live with or work closely with animals are also at risk of contracting brucellosis.
What you can do:
Officials say anyone bringing dogs into Minnesota for resale or adoption must have a veterinarian examine the animal and sign off on a certificate of veterinary inspection certifying that it appears free from disease.
Testing is also highly recommended since infected dogs can appear healthy.
The Source: This story uses information shared by the Minnesota Board of Animal Health.
A Tyrannosaurus rex fossil discovered on a ranch in western South Dakota will be auctioned off in New York City on Tuesday with a possible sale price of $30 million or more.
The 38-foot long skeleton, nicknamed Gus, stands more than 12 feet tall and has one of the most complete T. rex skeletons ever found. According to Sotheby’s auction house, which is handling the sale, Gus could bring the highest sale price ever for a dinosaur fossil.
The dinosaur is from the late Cretaceous Period and was believed to have lived on Earth 67 million years ago.
The Harding County ranch where the skeleton was found lies in the famed Hell Creek Formation, a geological region of northwestern South Dakota and parts of Montana, North Dakota and Wyoming where dinosaur finds are fairly common.
Several other major dinosaur finds have been made there, including Sue, the famous T. rex discovered in 1990. After legal wrangling over ownership, Sue was auctioned in 1997 at a sale price of $8.3 million to the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago, where it remains today.
(Photo: Malcolm Ritter)
The first piece of Gus, a metatarsal from the dinosaur’s foot, was found in 2021 sticking out of the ground on a Harding County ranch owned by Gary and Dana Licking. The find was made by paleontologists with Theropoda Expeditions, a Texas company specializing in commercial excavation, preparation and mounting of dinosaur fossils.
The fossil consists of 183 bone elements, making up 61% of the possible bones in the dinosaur’s body and representing 75% to 80% of the original bone mass by weight, Sotheby’s said.
The dinosaur Sue is 40 feet long and 13 feet tall and is considered the largest and most complete T. rex skeleton ever discovered at 90% of possible bone mass.
“This is our longest-term project ever,” Cassandra Hatton, worldwide head of Sotheby’s Science & Natural History division, said in the video. “From the day the first bone was discovered, we’ve been going back and forth to South Dakota to oversee this whole process.”
The lowest opening bid accepted will be $19 million, with an estimated sale price up to $30 million or more depending on buyer interest, Sotheby’s said.
Gus is named after rancher Gary Licking, whose nickname was Gus. Licking died at age 67 in February 2022, before the full extent of the T. rex skeleton was known.
Gary and Dana Licking married in 1983 and lived on their family ranch 11 miles west of Buffalo, according to Gary’s obituary.
Dana Licking said in Sotheby’s video that she was impressed at the level of skill and professionalism displayed by the paleontologists who discovered the skeleton.
“I’m really grateful that they found it because it could have been lost and nobody ever would learn anything about it,” she said.
Walter Stein, owner of PaleoAdventures in Belle Fourche, in western South Dakota, is an independent paleontologist who is also working to uncover fossils in the Hell Creek Formation.
Western South Dakota is likely to remain a hotbed for discovery of dinosaur fossils, said Stein, who last year opened the Dinosaurs of the Hell Creek Museum in Belle Fourche, a 6,500 square-foot museum with a working paleontology lab, interactive exhibits and dinosaur displays.
“Finding a Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton with 183 bones doesn’t happen every day,” he said.
Stein said the auction of Gus could lead to a purchase by either a museum or a private individual or group.
But it is unlikely an American museum would have the funding to acquire Gus because many are struggling or struggling financially, Stein said. Across the world, however, interest remains high in major fossils in countries where funding may be more accessible, such as in Japan, Korea, China, Dubai, Saudi Arabia or in Europe, Stein said.
“On the one hand, I would love for this and every fossil I collect to go to a museum,” he said. “However, there’s so many dinosaur specimens and skeletons on display, it’s not going to affect the science that much if it ends up in private hands.”
— This story originally published on southdakotanewswatch.org.
Iverson Ford now offers the 2027 Ford Expedition, giving families throughout Huron, Mitchell, Aberdeen, Watertown, Brookings, De Smet, Redfield, Miller, and surrounding South Dakota communities access to a full-size SUV with advanced technology, impressive capability, and spacious three-row comfort.
— Iverson Ford is proud to offer the 2027 Ford Expedition, providing drivers throughout Eastern South Dakota with Ford’s latest full-size SUV engineered for growing families, outdoor adventures, towing capability, and everyday versatility. The newest Expedition combines three-row comfort, advanced driver-assist technologies, modern connectivity, and confident performance for today’s active lifestyles.
Located at 2500 Dakota Avenue South in Huron, Iverson Ford serves customers from Huron, Mitchell, Aberdeen, Watertown, Brookings, De Smet, Redfield, Miller, Woonsocket, and surrounding South Dakota communities. As part of the Iverson Auto Group, the dealership offers an extensive selection of new Ford vehicles supported by experienced product specialists, financing professionals, and certified Ford service technicians.
The 2027 Ford Expedition continues Ford’s commitment to delivering capability and comfort in one versatile SUV. Designed for families who need generous passenger space and flexible cargo capacity, the Expedition is well suited for daily commuting, weekend road trips, towing recreational equipment, and exploring South Dakota’s parks, lakes, and outdoor destinations.
“Our team enjoys helping customers find an SUV that fits both their lifestyle and long-term transportation needs,” said a representative of Iverson Ford. “The 2027 Ford Expedition offers the capability, technology, and versatility that many South Dakota families value, whether they’re traveling across town or across the state.”
Demand for full-size SUVs continues to grow as drivers seek vehicles that balance passenger comfort with towing capability and advanced safety features. Iverson Ford helps customers compare Expedition trim levels, explore available technologies, and select the model that best matches their family’s needs while providing continued support through financing, certified maintenance, and genuine Ford parts.
Drivers interested in the 2027 Ford Expedition are encouraged to browse available inventory online or visit Iverson Ford in Huron to experience the SUV firsthand.
About Iverson Ford
Iverson Ford is a full-service Ford dealership located in Huron, South Dakota. Serving drivers throughout Huron, Mitchell, Aberdeen, Watertown, Brookings, De Smet, Redfield, Miller, and surrounding communities, the dealership offers new Ford vehicles, quality pre-owned vehicles, financing, certified Ford service, genuine OEM Ford parts, and customer-focused automotive solutions backed by more than 75 years of service through the Iverson Auto Group.
Contact Info:
Name: Iverson Ford
Email: Send Email
Organization: Iverson Ford
Address: 2500 Dakota Ave S, Huron, SD 57350
Phone: +16053526464
Website: https://www.iversonford.com/
Release ID: 89197473
In case of identifying any problems, concerns, or inaccuracies in the content shared in this press release, or if a press release needs to be taken down, we urge you to notify us immediately by contacting error@releasecontact.com (it is important to note that this email is the authorized channel for such matters, sending multiple emails to multiple addresses does not necessarily help expedite your request). Our dedicated team will be readily accessible to address your concerns and take swift action within 8 hours to rectify any issues identified or assist with the removal process. We are committed to delivering high-quality content and ensuring accuracy for our valued readers.
-
Utah2 minutes agoVoices: America at 250 could use a little more Utah
-
Vermont5 minutes ago
VT Lottery Mega Millions, Gimme 5 results for July 10, 2026
-
Virginia10 minutes agoVice President JD Vance eyes estate in Virginia
-
Washington17 minutes agoChisholm’s homer keys 3-run 9th as the Yankees rally past Washington 5-3 – WTOP News
-
Wisconsin20 minutes agoQuiotepec en Wisconsin brings Oaxacan basketball fever to the Midwest
-
West Virginia24 minutes agoWest Virginia DEP seeks details on Peoples Cartage fire cleanup, lawsuit filed on behalf of residents
-
Wyoming32 minutes agoResidents celebrate Wyoming Statehood Day by revealing their favorite thing about the Cowboy State
-
Crypto35 minutes ago
Trump’s crypto grift spins into its own industry
