South Dakota
South Dakotans making Hurricane Helene relief efforts
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (Dakota News Now) – Communities are still reeling from Hurricane Helene.
Some remain isolated as thousands are without power while deaths continue to rise, tragically passing 200 deaths this week.
FEMA and government officials are on the ground in some of the hardest hit areas helping to coordinate relief efforts.
The agency said that more than $45 million in funding is being made available to storm survivors, but with widespread damage, many feel more help will be needed.
People helping people is not something too uncommon in the upper Midwest, even to the point of helping others across the country.
Sanaa Abourezk is cooking for a cause this weekend. On what is usually her busiest day, from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., all of the proceeds from her lunch benefit will go to supporting areas impacted by Helene.
“When we do fundraising, it’s busier which is great because we want to raise as much money as we can. As you see, it’s devastating what’s happening in the South. For me, when people are coming for the fundraiser, I don’t want to make any profit,” Abourezk explained. “They’re coming from the goodness of their heart to help other human beings. The last thing I want to do is take a percentage. Come hungry, but be very generous.”
This isn’t the first time she has used her restaurant to raise funds. Sanaa has been working through World Central Kitchen and in the local community since the early days of her restaurant.
“You know, Katrina happened and we did fundraising. It was very successful. People were more than generous and since then we do, unfortunately, we do almost a couple times a year with all the hurricanes and disasters we’re having,” Abourezk said.
World Central Kitchen sends volunteer cooks to bring hot meals to people in need and the money they receive goes towards buying ingredients from local farmers. The money from Sanaa’s fundraiser will be sent out on Monday.
Elsewhere in the state, Bubba Startz is using his connections and platform from his podcast work to start bringing supplies to the front lines. He held a supply drive on Thursday and he and a few others are making their way down south.
“I’ve always been an organizer of people. We are now just taking that one step further and activating these people to do what they are best at. It’s important that we go take care of these people. We can’t sit out here and expect someone else to do it,” Startz explained.
Startz and his Podcast group, The Scene Projects, had previously taken water bottles to Sturgis during the 2024 rally and the idea to bring supplies and listen to impacted residents came out of that recent experience.
“That kind of led me to, ‘Well if we can do that, we’re capable of so much more than that.’ On my drive back home from the Black Hills I got the idea, obviously seeing the utter devastation taking place in Tennessee and North Carolina, it was on my heart to get down there and to help,” Startz said.
Some of the supplies being taken down to Tennessee are non-perishable food, water, etc. They hope to be in communication with those in need so that they can make sure they’re only bringing what’s necessary and not an excess of what is not needed.
“We’re not building this just for one trip. This was a three-to-six-month operation from the start,” Startz said.
Bubba and Sanaa are just two of many examples of South Dakotans doing what they can to help others in their time of need.
If you ask them, it’s not about themselves, but doing the work and helping others like they have been helped in their own times of need.
“South Dakotans, it seems like we live through a nasty blizzard or flooding season or severe drought or something every year and I say hard times make hard people and hard people make strong communities,” Startz said.
“If we don’t take care of each other as a human being, we are doomed to be gone. I believe in passing forward. Someone was very kind to me when I came to America and now I’m trying to help my fellow American,” Abourezk said.
Copyright 2024 Dakota News Now. All rights reserved.
The South Dakota Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at April 22, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Powerball numbers from April 22 drawing
24-29-32-49-63, Powerball: 11, Power Play: 2
Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Lotto America numbers from April 22 drawing
15-20-32-46-48, Star Ball: 04, ASB: 03
Check Lotto America payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Dakota Cash numbers from April 22 drawing
05-06-09-14-32
Check Dakota Cash payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from April 22 drawing
17-26-43-44-53, Bonus: 05
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.
The University of South Dakota announced on Wednesday, April 22, that Athletic Director Jon Schemmel has received a five-year contract extension running through the 2030-31 academic year.
Schemmel has been in his position since January 2024 and was South Dakota’s senior associate athletic director for development from 2012-2017.
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“The University of South Dakota and Vermillion community is where our family wants to be,” Schemmel said in a press release. “I am humbled and grateful for the continued trust from President (Sheila) Gestring and the South Dakota Board of Regents to continue leading this athletics program. Coyote Nation has the best fans and donors, and we have a group of coaches, staff and student-athletes who are committed to competing for championships and continuing their excellence in the classroom and community.”
The athletics department has raised $49 million since Schemmel took over as AD, including $35 million in the 2025-26 academic year.
The Coyotes have won a Missouri Valley Football Conference championship and Summit League volleyball and men’s indoor track and field titles with Schemmel at the helm.
“USD’s athletic programs continue to thrive under Jon’s leadership,” Gestring said. “His knowledge of Division I athletics, forward-thinking vision for our teams and strength in fundraising have all been assets to our university. Our program is in great hands, and I am looking forward to seeing what Jon, his staff and our student-athletes achieve in the next five years.”
This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: South Dakota extends AD Jon Schemmel through 2030-31 academic year
The South Dakota Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at April 21, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Mega Millions numbers from April 21 drawing
01-36-43-56-58, Mega Ball: 07
Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from April 21 drawing
01-04-40-47-58, Bonus: 04
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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