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South Dakota tribe purchases shuttered foster village, plans to reopen this year

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South Dakota tribe purchases shuttered foster village, plans to reopen this year


The Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe purchased the Simply Smiles Children’s Village last month, allowing the tribe to reopen one of the few foster care villages in the state meant to serve Indigenous children.

Some Cheyenne River tribally enrolled children are placed in foster homes outside of the reservation, which can make it more difficult for the children to stay in touch with their cultural heritage and retain familial and community relationships. About 40% of state-licensed foster homes in South Dakota are located in the Sioux Falls area. As of September 2023, 165 Cheyenne River-enrolled children were in state custody.

This graph shows the number of Native American Foster Homes licensed by the Department of Social Services each year as of June 30 from 2012 to 2022. Data courtesy of the South Dakota Department of Social Services.

Infographic / South Dakota Searchlight

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That’s a form of “cultural genocide,” said Colt Combellick, who served as clinical coordinator for the village and is discussing returning to the village when it reopens under tribal ownership.

“If 11% of foster homes in South Dakota are Native American and there are 800 Native American children who need placement, that need isn’t being met,” Combellick told South Dakota Searchlight. “So why not the tribe run that and try to meet that need?”

In 2009, the tribe partnered with Simply Smiles, a nonprofit organization, to reduce the growing number of foster children being placed off-reservation. The nonprofit eventually built the 8-acre village in La Plant, allowing children to live in a family setting in houses with a licensed foster parent while using resources found in more institutional settings.

The village closed in March 2023. The hope is to reopen the village this year, said Madonna Thunder Hawk, a Lakota activist and member of a Cheyenne River grandmothers group.

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Foster village 2.jpg

An aerial view of the Simply Smiles Children’s Village.

Contributed / Simply Smiles

“It’s a step forward,” Thunder Hawk said. “It’s important that we have child welfare within our tribal society — we need control over that. … We’ll open the doors to the children’s village and hopefully stop the flow of children into the South Dakota foster system.”

This purchase makes Cheyenne River one of the few tribal nations in the state and nation with a tribally run foster care village.

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With ownership under the tribe, the village can be more reflective of the cultural needs of the families and children who live there, Combellick said. Some ideas include housing homeless elders inside the village and partnering with the school to house a tutoring operation.

Foster village 3.jpeg

The inside of one residence at the Simply Smiles Children’s Village.

Contributed / Simply Smiles

The village can house up to 18 children and three caretakers, along with space for therapy, offices and other living spaces. Combellick added that the tribe hopes to build two more houses.

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MarShondria Adams also is interested in returning as a foster parent and helping prepare potential foster parents for their role at the village. South Dakota historically has struggled to recruit Native American foster parents. The tribally owned foster village could remove that barrier.

“Opening with the tribe will be more culturally efficient and focus on the ways of life people already adhere to and want to see for both their children and elders,” Adams said. “The sacredness has been vocalized, seen, felt and heard.”

This story was originally published on SouthDakotaSearchlight.com.

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South Dakota

SD Lottery Millionaire for Life winning numbers for March 8, 2026

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

Here’s a look at March 8, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from March 8 drawing

01-31-32-45-52, Bonus: 05

Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.

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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.
  • Millionaire for Life: 10:15 p.m. CT daily.

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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Kristi Noem’s term as governor freshly roasted by former South Dakota mayor: ‘She did a Sarah Palin’

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Kristi Noem’s term as governor freshly roasted by former South Dakota mayor: ‘She did a Sarah Palin’


Kristi Noem’s stint as governor of South Dakota has come under fresh scrutiny by a former local mayor, who said she “did a ‘Sarah Palin’ and quit,” just days after she was fired from her role as Homeland Security secretary.

Noem, who served as governor from 2019 to 2025, became the first cabinet member to be fired by Trump during his second term.

The embarrassing dismissal came amid growing scrutiny of her aggressive immigration operations across the country, DHS’s purchase of multiple luxury jets for staff, major reductions in FEMA staff, and rumors of an affair with adviser Corey Lewandowski.

Mike Levsen, the former mayor of Aberdeen in Noem’s home state of South Dakota, says her dismissal came as no surprise given her “lack of any significant accomplishment” during her time as governor of the state.

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“The Noem governorship covered six years — then did a ‘Sarah Palin’ and quit,” Levsen wrote in a blog post, comparing Noem to the former Alaska Gov. who resigned midway through her first term, citing mounting legal fees being brought by various ethics investigations being brought against her. Palin was Senator John McCain’s running mate during the 2008 presidential election.

Kristi Noem’s tenure as governor has come under criticism following her firing as DHS secretary (AFP/Getty)

“Her legacy was minimal involvement with the Legislature, frequent absences, no transparency, repeated operational screwups, soaring turnover and instances of self-dealing for herself and her family,” Levsen wrote.

Levsen criticized Noem’s Covid-era ad campaign, “Freedom Works Here,” as a “Trump-based ploy that likely contributed to South Dakota’s listing high on some periodical per capita death lists.”

The campaign, which attempted to draw new residents to the state, cost $6.5 million, and South Dakota News Watch reported at the time that there were “hurdles” with the campaign.

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Levsen also noted Noem’s “difficult relationship” with tribal governments, as all nine of South Dakota’s indigenous tribes voted in 2024 to ban Noem from their lands, according to CNN.

“Is there a single thing in South Dakota now better as a result of her time in office?” Levsen questioned in the post.

Noem was fired by Trump amidst mounting scrutiny over fallout in Minnesota, following DHS’s disastrous Operation Metro Surge in Minneapolis, which saw two U.S. citizens shot dead in confrontations with federal agents.

Noem described the two Americans, Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti, as domestic terrorists. She has refused to apologize for the comments.

She also drew fierce criticism with her purchase of multiple luxury jets, a $220 million ad campaign, gutting FEMA, and her rumored affair with Lewandowski.

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Noem was axed by President Donald Trump in a Truth Social post Thursday (Getty)

Noem was axed by President Donald Trump in a Truth Social post Thursday (Getty)

The final nail in the coffin appears to have been Noem’s congressional testimony this past week, during which lawmakers from both sides of the aisle criticized her management and judgment.

A day after her second hearing, Trump wrote on Truth Social that Noem was out at DHS — and that he was nominating Oklahoma Senator Markwayne Mullin to replace her.

An administration official told NBC News that the president axed Noem due to “a culmination of her many unfortunate leadership failures, including the fallout in Minnesota, the ad campaign, the allegations of infidelity, the mismanagement of her staff, and her constant feuding with the heads of other agencies, including CBP and ICE.”

“Kristi’s drama sadly overshadowed and distracted from the Administration’s extremely popular immigration agenda, which will continue full force,” the official added.

Before she was fired, Noem defended her performance during her hearings on Capitol Hill.

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She also drew fire for insisting that the $220 million DHS ad campaign had been launched with the president’s approval, which Trump has denied.

Days after her humiliating firing, Trump named Noem as special envoy for “The Shield of the Americas,” a new security initiative that Trump says will focus on the Western Hemisphere.



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SD Lottery Powerball, Lotto America winning numbers for March 7, 2026

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

Here’s a look at March 7, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Powerball numbers from March 7 drawing

17-18-30-50-68, Powerball: 24, Power Play: 3

Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.

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Winning Lotto America numbers from March 7 drawing

06-08-17-18-45, Star Ball: 05, ASB: 05

Check Lotto America payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Dakota Cash numbers from March 7 drawing

01-02-06-22-26

Check Dakota Cash payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from March 7 drawing

10-32-45-53-54, Bonus: 02

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Check Millionaire for Life 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.
  • Millionaire for Life: 10:15 p.m. CT daily.

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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