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

Coaches select all-state boys basketball players from Class AA, A & B

Published

24 minutes ago

March 28, 2026

Press Room

Here are the 2025-26 South Dakota Basketball Coaches Association All-State boys basketball teams:

Class AA

First Team

Sam DeGroot, SF Lincoln, 6-7, sr., F (20.9 points per game, 8.8 rebounds per game, 2.2 assists per game)

Blake Ellwein, Huron, 6-10, sr., G (22.6 ppg, 7.6 rpg, 2.1 apg)

Gavin Shawd, Tea Area, 6-1, jr., G (21.2 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 2.5 apg)

Stellen Larson, Harrisburg, 6-3, sr., F (14.3 ppg, 9.5 rpg, 1.7 apg)

Carter Buisker, Watertown, 6-3, sr., G (18.8 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 3.9 apg)

Brody Schafer, SF Lincoln, 6-0, jr., G (9.8 ppg, 1.9 rpg, 6.3 apg)

Second Team

Colton Smith, Mitchell, 6-5, sr., G-F (17.3 ppg, 9.4 rpg, 3 apg)

Davis Chase, Huron, 6-8, jr., F (15.6 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 1.6 apg)

Ayuel Deng, Brandon Valley, 6-3, sr., G (13.5 ppg, 6 rpg, 2 apg)

Sam Ericsson, SF Lincoln, 6-3, sr., G (13.4 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 2.4 apg)

Colby Nuttbrock, SF Jefferson, 6-5, jr., F (19 ppg, 7 rpg, 1.9 apg)

Grifin Wiebenga, Tea Area, 6-4, jr., F (16.9 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 3.4 apg)

Honorable Mention

Jackson McClemans, Watertown, 6-5, sr., G-F (14.8 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 6.0 apg)

Mason Clark, O’Gorman, 6-0, sr., G (13.1 ppg, 3 rpg, 3.3 apg)

Memphis Bylander, SF Roosevelt, 6-5, sr., F (11.2 ppg, 3 rpg, 2.2 apg)

Justin Bilal, SF Roosevelt, 6-5, sr., F (10.2 ppg, 4 rpg, 1.6 apg)

Hayden Rock, Sturgis, 5-11, sr., G (21.4 ppg, 4 rpg, 3.4 apg)

Bergan Tetzlaff, Brookings, 6-6, sr., F (15.3 ppg, 8.8 rpg, 3.2 apg)

• Player of Year — DeGroot.

• Repeat Selections — 2025 (Ellwein, DeGroot and Ericsson, first team; Schafer, Smith and Wiebenga, second team; 2024 (Ellwein and Smith, first team).

Class A

First Team

Brant Wassenaar, SF Christian, 6-4, jr., G (22.8 ppg, 7.4 rpg, 5.5 apg)

Marvin Richard III, Pine Ridge, 6-3, sr., G (30.3 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 5.5 apg, 92 steals)

Connor Mebius, West Central, 5-10, jr., G (17.6 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 5.6 apg)

Trey Hansen, Vermillion, 6-4, sr., G (25.9 ppg, 8 rpg, 6.1 apg, 68 steals)

Jackson Wadsworth, Hamlin, 6-3, jr., G (21.2 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 4.4 apg)

Sully Felberg, Clark-Willow Lake, 6-8, so., F (15.6 ppg, 7 rpg, 2.3 apg)

Second Team

Will Kuhl, West Central, 6-10, sr., F-C (15.7 ppg, 6.7 rpg, 1.6 apg)

Wyatt Gylten, St. Thomas More, 6-4, sr., G-F (19.2 ppg, 7 rpg, 4.2 apg)

Ryder Johnson, Groton Area, 6-5, sr., G (16.4 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 2.9 apg)

Riley Casey, Little Wound, 6-1, sr., G (26.8 ppg, 9.2 rpg, 5.8 apg, 75 steals)

Boden Stevenson, Hamlin, 6-5, jr., F (17.2 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 5.1 apg)

Tatum Sorensen, Dakota Valley, 6-2, sr., G (22.5 ppg, 6.7 rpg, 3.6 apg, 60 steals)

Third Team

Eddie Duffy, Stanley County, 6-2, jr., G-F (20.2 ppg, 6.8 rpg, 3.7 apg)

Tate Gerdes, Lennox, 6-3, sr., G (15.5 ppg, 6 rpg, 4 apg)

Aiden Hanssen, Lennox, 6-0, jr., G (17.8 ppg, 6 rpg, 3 apg)

Chris Bevers, Clark-Willow Lake, 6-3, jr., G (14.3 ppg, 6 rpg, 3 apg)

Zane Messick, Hill City, 6-0, sr., G (19 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 3.1 apg, 59 steals)

Cooper Goodbary, SF Christian, 6-4, sr., F (12.5 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 2.9 apg)

Honorable Mention

Luke Sheppard, Flandreau, 6-5, sr., F (16.3 ppg, 8.5 rpg, 5.2 apg)

Damien Clown, Cheyenne-Eagle Butte, 6-0, sr., G (15 ppg, 3 rpg, 2 apg)

Carter Craven, Winner, 6-6, jr., F (23.4 ppg, 10.7 rpg, 2.2 apg)

Brady Hiltunen, Sioux Valley, 6-2, jr., G (17 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 3.4 apg)

Levi Elk Nation, Cheyenne-Eagle Butte, 6-2, sr., G (13 ppg, 6 rpg, 5 apg)

Isaak Hunter, Miller, 6-4, sr., F (18.4 ppg, 7.3 rpg, 3 apg)

Paxton Deal, Stanley County, 6-0, sr., G (16.3 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 2.9 apg, 47 steals)

• Player of Year — Wassenaar.

• Repeat Selections — 2025 (Richard and Wassenaar, first team; Hansen, Gerdes and Mebius, second team; Craven, Johnson, Hunter and Felberg, third team; Goodbary and Kuhl, honorable mention); 2024 (Richard, first team; Hansen, honorable mention).

Class B

First Team

Grant Wilkinson, De Smet, 6-10, sr., C (24.4 ppg, 18.8 rpg, 45 blocks)

Teelen Kjerstad, Wall, 6-3, jr., G (27.9 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 4 apg, 91 steals)

Wesley Wittler, Sully Buttes, 6-1, sr., G (22.3 ppg, 10.5 rpg, 2.5 apg, 81 steals)

Brady Schroedermeier, Viborg-Hurley, 6-2, sr., F (22.7 ppg, 9.4 rpg, 2.7 apg, 70 steals)

Kamden Keszler, Castlewood, 6-3, jr., G (19.2 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 3.2 apg)

David Walter, Freeman, 6-5, so., G (17.7 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 3 apg)

Second Team

Brycen Bruening, Parkston, 6-2, jr., G (19.7 ppg, 6 rpg, 2.3 apg, 61 steals)

Colby Flowers, Wessington Springs, 6-5, sr., F (19 ppg, 9 rpg, 3 apg)

MJ Diehm, Lyman, 5-11, jr., G (19 ppg, 3 rpg, 6 apg, 60 steals)

Chance Schoenfeld, Deubrook Area, 6-9, sr., F-G (19.3 ppg, 8 rpg, 48 blocks)

Brooks Jett, Aberdeen Christian, 6-5, jr., f (13.9 ppg, 9.6 rpg, 29 blocks)

Ben Weber, Bridgewater-Emery, 6-6, sr., F (18.5 ppg, 10.7 rpg, 6 apg)

Third Team

Parker Graff, Wessington Springs, 6-1, sr., G (16 ppg, 5 rpg, 2 apg)

Tate Sorensen, Freeman, 6-2, sr., F (10.3 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 1.8 apg)

Emmet Dinger, Wall, 6-3, sr., F (15.7 ppg, 5 rpg, 2.5 apg)

Holden Wollman, Bridgewater-Emery, 6-2, sr., G (21.8 ppg, 6 rpg, 2 apg)

Jake Austin, Viborg-Hurley, 5-9, sr., G (12 ppg, 2.1 rpg, 2.3 apg)

Lucas Peskey, Iroquois-Lake Preston, 6-0, jr., G (19.6 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 3.2 apg, 56 steals)

Honorable Mention

Noah Luethmers, De Smet, 6-3, jr., G (14.3 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 2.2 apg)

Dawsen Volmer, Lyman, 6-4, jr., F-G (13 ppg, 7 rpg, 40 blocks)

Colt Keiser, Gregory, 6-6, sr., F (18.3 ppg, 10.7 rpg, 47 blocks)

Westyn Thorpe, Leola-Frederick Area, 5-10, sr., G (10.8 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 4.2 apg)

Kassen Keough, Langford Area, 6-0, sr., G (21 ppg, 5 rpg, 45 steals)

Hogan Hlavacek, Waubay-Summit, 6-7, so., C-F (16 ppg, 10.4 rpg, 2.2 apg)

Caleb Richmond, Wolsey-Wessington, 6-1, sr., G (15.3 ppg, 5 rpg, 4 apg)

• Player of Year — Wilkinson.

• Repeat Selections — 2025 (Wilkinson and Wittler, first team; Schroedermeier, Flowers and Weber, second team; Kjestad, Walter, Jett, Graff and Dinger, third team; Bruening, honorable mention); 20024 (Graff, third team; Weber and Wittler, honorable mention).

Follow Watertown Public Opinion sports reporter Roger Merriam on X (formerly known as Twitter) @PO_Sports or email: rmerriam@thepublicopinion.com

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South Dakota

Governor Rhoden signs school lunch bill into law

Published

13 hours ago

March 27, 2026

Press Room

Governor Rhoden signs school lunch bill into law

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (Dakota News Now) – Governor Rhoden officially signed HB 1082 into law on Friday, March 27.

HB 1082 is a bill that establishes parameters for reimbursing school districts that provide free or reduced-price meals to students.

Representative Kadyn Wittman, who has worked to pass the bill for several years, expressed excitement and gratitude in a post to Facebook on Friday.

“10,000 kids across our state will now have access to free school meals. No stigma. No barriers. Just the support they need to learn and grow,” wrote Wittman.

“So incredibly grateful to everyone who made this happen. This is a big win for South Dakota families!”

You can see the full bill and its sponsors here.

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South Dakota

Retired Air Force four-star general Maryanne Miller speaks at South Dakota Mines

Published

1 day ago

March 27, 2026

Press Room

Retired Air Force four-star general Maryanne Miller speaks at South Dakota Mines

RAPID CITY, S.D. (KOTA) – Students at South Dakota Mines heard Wednesday from retired four-star general Maryanne Miller about her journey to the highest ranks of the U.S. military.

Miller is a retired four-star U.S. Air Force general. She is the only member of the Air Force Reserve ever to be promoted to this level.

She spoke about finding greatness and living a life of fulfillment. Her stories came from her time in the Air Force and as a volunteer for Saint Teresa of Calcutta’s Missionaries of Charity.

“We so much get focused on what is our next step in life, what’s the next career move, how do we make ourselves better in our career, and we forget about how do we make ourselves better as a human being,” Miller said. “Because they have to go tandem. If it’s not tandem, you’re going to get off track.”

Miller was commissioned in 1981 and rose through the ranks before becoming a four-star general in 2018. She was the only woman serving as a four-star officer in the military at the time. She retired in 2020 after serving for almost 40 years.

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