South Dakota

‘The Occidental General Store’ breathes new life into small South Dakota town

Published

1 year ago

August 22, 2024

Press Room

‘The Occidental General Store’ breathes new life into small South Dakota town

ISABEL, S.D. (KFYR) – Isabel, S.D., might not be the middle of nowhere, but it’s pretty close.

The town of around 130 residents is about 135 miles from Bismarck and 175 miles from Rapid City.

There are a few small towns that are a little closer, but even those are at least 20 miles away.

But there is good news for residents of this small South Dakota town, and it all starts at the local grocery store.

Loading groceries has become Ryan Maher’s regular Monday and Thursday morning routine. On those days, he’s up early to pick up groceries from the Timber Lake grocery store.

“We haul groceries in rain, snow. The other day it was 107, and we’ve done it when it’s 20 below,” he said.

He hauls them 20 miles down the road to his grocery store in Isabel.

“I’m too small and I can’t meet the minimum requirements. We’re a long ways from everywhere,” Maher said with a laugh.

But ‘The Occidental General Store’ has quickly become the center of this community.

“I think the best part is it’s a place where people come in, say hi and have fun and visit,” said Deb Bunn, the store’s lone full-time employee.

“I like grocery store work,” she said.

She’s been here since the store opened two years ago.

That was a day Maher wasn’t sure would ever happen.

“I bought the biggest piece of junk,” he laughed. “The roof was leaky and the floors were rotten.”

But the lifelong Isabel resident was determined to restore the 1914 building and breathe new life into his hometown.

For regular customers like Keri Swift, having a well-stocked store just down the street has made life a little easier.

“It’s nice when I need to do big shopping or a little shopping where I just need a loaf of bread, a gallon of milk,” said Swift.

It seems The Occidental is exactly what this community needed.

“That’s why this has been successful. Because we are so far removed from the Walmarts and the Sam’s Clubs and the Costcos,” said Maher. “If Walmart was just 20 miles down the road, this wouldn’t work.”

That makes this middle-of-nowhere location the very key to its success.

The Occidental is open seven days a week. Maher depends on several part-time employees to maintain that schedule. He said being open every day has been crucial to the store’s success.

And it’s brought in many tourists on their way to the Black Hills, looking for a place to stop. He said he gets lots of customers from Bismarck but has had people from as far away as London, France, the Netherlands and Amsterdam shop at his store.

Source link

South Dakota

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

Published

6 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.

Source link

South Dakota

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

Published

18 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.

Source link

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.

Source link