South Dakota

The history of Alligators in South Dakota

Published

2 years ago

May 1, 2024

The history of Alligators in South Dakota

RAPID CITY, S.D. (KOTA) – Alligators in South Dakota. Of course, there aren’t any gators roaming around in a nearby lake.

However, alligators did once call the state home.

Believe it or not, alligators did roam the lands of what is now South Dakota millions of years ago.

Interim Director of Museum of Geology Darrin Pagnac says the earliest records of alligators in South Dakota come from the late Jurassic Period.

“Our earliest record here in the Black Hills is from about 150 million years ago from the Morrison Formation. Morrison Formation is where Dinosaur National Monument is. So, we get a lot of long neck dinosaurs and allosaurs and that sort of thing and crocodilians are very common,” says Pagnac.

Pagnac added that it is common to find alligator fossils from the late Cretaceous Period in the northwestern part of the state. He went on to say that although alligators survived the dinosaur extinction 66 million years ago, the reptiles would later go extinct in the lands of what is South Dakota today.

“About 38 to 35 million years ago, that’s probably about the time they went extinct. And their extinction coincides with uh drying and cooling trend that we see throughout South Dakota. We lost these tropical swamps and forests and things really changed to a more temperate kind of seasonal environment,” says Pagnac.

Reptile Gardens General Curator Terry Phillip says historically crocodilians have been one of the most successful groups of animals in the world and they have undergone very few changes in appearance in the last 200 million years.

“Anytime you have an animal that has a fossil record that goes back that far, with very few changes, size being the biggest change that you’re going to see. They just got a little smaller. But, when you see an animal that successful, it just shows the design concept was perfect to begin with,” says Phillip.

Since alligators have been non-existent in South Dakota for millions of years, Earl Brockelsby opened Reptile Gardens in 1937 as a way to reintroduce them to the state.

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South Dakota

As South Dakota legislative session nears, dozens of bills already filed

Published

12 hours ago

January 6, 2026

Press Room

As South Dakota legislative session nears, dozens of bills already filed

The 2026 South Dakota legislative session is still a week away but we’re already seeing dozens of bills being introduced.

The Legislative Research Council’s website shows more than 60 bills already on tap as of Tuesday.

But many more are on the way. In recent years, the Legislature has seen on average around 500 bills per session. Generally, a little under half end up being signed into law.

Some of the early bills include an act allowing for the removal of a county commissioner and another creating a tax exemption for data centers.

Attorney General Marty Jackley is also introducing a host of bills including one allowing law enforcement to seize cryptocurrency that’s part of a criminal investigation.

“Cryptocurrency has become a haven for scammers, drug traffickers, and human traffickers, costing South Dakotans millions in losses and fueling online crime,” said Jackley. “This legislation adds ‘digital currency’ to South Dakota’s seizure laws, giving law enforcement the tools to confiscate illicit crypto assets and disrupt criminal networks hiding behind digital secrecy.”

A full list of bills and resolutions is available on the LRC’s website.

The 2026 session begins Jan. 13.

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South Dakota

SD Lottery Powerball, Lucky For Life winning numbers for Jan. 5, 2026

Published

24 hours ago

January 6, 2026

Press Room

The South Dakota Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big. Here’s a look at Jan. 5, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Powerball numbers from Jan. 5 drawing

04-18-24-51-56, Powerball: 14, Power Play: 2

Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Lucky For Life numbers from Jan. 5 drawing

02-07-08-21-45, Lucky Ball: 15

Check Lucky For Life payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Lotto America numbers from Jan. 5 drawing

12-19-21-30-47, Star Ball: 05, ASB: 03

Check Lotto America 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.

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South Dakota

SD Lottery Lucky For Life winning numbers for Jan. 4, 2026

Published

2 days ago

January 5, 2026

Press Room

The South Dakota Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big. Here’s a look at Jan. 4, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Lucky For Life numbers from Jan. 4 drawing

03-08-13-38-47, Lucky Ball: 02

Check Lucky 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.

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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