South Dakota

The story of South Dakota’s most important road trip

Published

2 years ago

April 9, 2024

The story of South Dakota’s most important road trip

The South Dakota women’s basketball team had a wakeup call that blurred the lines between early and late a few weeks ago. The Coyotes hosted UC Riverside in the WNIT opening round home game that tipped at 7 p.m. local time in Vermillion on Friday, March 22. With adrenaline still running high after a 15-point win, a bus left campus at 2:30 a.m. for a trip that was entirely voluntary.

But in the middle of the night, the entire team was on that bus – and for good reason.

In a time of year full of college basketball travel, the Coyotes set off on arguably the most poignant trip of any around the country early that morning. Shortly before the Summit League Tournament, in early March, Coyotes junior Kendall Holmes received heartbreaking news that her father had passed away.

“She received the worst phone call she’ll have her entire life,” said USD head coach Kayla Karius. “Her entire world had been flipped upside down. When you talk about having 17 players on a roster, plus staff, and put all those people together, life happens. This was an example of that.”

Holmes, the team’s second-leading scorer, returned to the Chicago area to be with her family. The loss resonated with her teammates, who honored Holmes by wearing her father’s initials on their jerseys as they advanced to the semifinals of the league tournament and nearly knocked out heavy favorite South Dakota State.

The team accepted a bid to the WNIT after a resurgent season (21-13, 9-7) that saw it return to a more familiar spot at the upper tier of the Summit. The players, however, had something on their mind as practice kicked off for the postseason.

They wanted to be there for their teammate as details of services in the Chicago area for Holmes’ father were being finalized.

“Players after practice would come up and ask if it was possible for us to go, and I even think they meant they themselves would figure out how to individually get there,” Karius said.

From the beginning, Karius and her staff had such a trip on their radar. The second-year coach said a similar situation happened to a teammate of hers when she played at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, and remembered how much it meant to her teammate that the entire team showed up for the funeral. Those services, however, were near Green Bay. Getting the Coyotes from South Dakota to Chicago, all while they were in the midst of a postseason tournament, would pose a different type of logistical hurdle.

Yet, they were able to thread the needle.

Karius credited her staff, especially director of operations Liz Oswald, for cobbling together a plan that would work. It started with a 6 a.m. one-way flight from Omaha, a two-hour drive from Vermillion to Chicago the morning after the UC Riverside game so the team could make the funeral. Getting to Omaha, however, proved to be a challenge, as there just weren’t many busses, vans or car service companies available on short notice.

Ultimately, the team was able to secure a bus from Clark, S.D. – nearly three hours north of Vermillion – to get the team to its crack-of-dawn flight. They were also able to find a bus company in the Chicago area willing to take the team back on the one-way trip to Vermillion, over eight hours away.

The trip – which was first reported by MidCo Sport’s Jay Elsen – would happen regardless of how the UC Riverside game played out. When it was pitched to the team, nobody balked.

“We didn’t want to force anyone to go. It was completely up to them and says a lot about our team that every single player wanted to go,” Karius said. “It was not convenient, it wasn’t an easy trip on their bodies and minds, but all of them chose to go.”

Karius was unable to go, as she had given birth to a baby boy on March 4, returning to the sidelines for the Summit League Tournament before handing gameday duties to assistant Mike Jewett for the WNIT. She had given Holmes and her mom a heads up that the team was coming and the reports she received about the moment the team arrived were heartwarming.

“It’s hard for me to exactly share with you how she looked when the team walked in, but she was so thankful,” Karius said. “They told me when the team walked she was pretty overcome with emotion.”

The wins and losses seem trivial in a situation like this, but the Coyotes did have a game to play just a few days after their whirlwind trip. Nonetheless, they notched a 79-65 win over Northern Arizona that featured a 34-point outburst from star junior guard Grace Larkins.

They would fall in their next game at Wyoming, but Karius called the postseason experience invaluable as she continues to build her version of one of the Summit’s premier programs. The team dominated the fourth quarters of both games, breaking open tight contests in a pair of win-or-go home situations.

“It gave these players a taste of what postseason basketball feels like,” Karius said “When you look toward your offseason and are trying to stay motivated to be the best person or player you can be the next six months, those are the feelings you just don’t forget.”

And in the midst of it, the team and staff went out of its way to support a teammate in need. More than the wins and losses, that’s what USD’s 2024 postseason will be remembered for.

*Editor’s Note: Kendall Holmes entered the transfer portal this week.

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South Dakota

SD Lottery Powerball, Lotto America winning numbers for March 2, 2026

Published

2 hours ago

March 3, 2026

Press Room

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

Here’s a look at March 2, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Powerball numbers from March 2 drawing

02-17-18-38-62, Powerball: 20, Power Play: 2

Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Lotto America numbers from March 2 drawing

03-08-17-24-34, Star Ball: 06, ASB: 02

Check Lotto America payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from March 2 drawing

28-41-42-50-55, Bonus: 02

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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South Dakota

How South Dakota officials have reacted to ‘massive’ US attack on Iran

Published

14 hours ago

March 2, 2026

Press Room

How South Dakota officials have reacted to ‘massive’ US attack on Iran

South Dakota’s Congressional leaders are praising President Donald Trump for his action of joining Israel for a missile-launched attack this weekend in Iran, with the intent to target and dismantle Iran’s nuclear capabilities and demand regime change.

“Our objective is to defend the American people by eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime, a vicious group of very hard, terrible people,” Trump said Saturday, Feb. 28, calling the strikes, “a massive and ongoing operation.”

Trump has since faced scrutiny for a lack of clarity about the timeline and overall goals of the war, and acting without the direct approval of Congress, which has the power to officially declare war for the U.S. Lawmakers are also in heated debate about whether the Trump’s decision may violate the Constitution, with Democrats calling for a war powers resolution vote to stop the effort, according to multiple military outlets.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader, was directly targeted, a Middle Eastern official told USA TODAY. Khamenei was killed in the attacks on Feb. 28, according to Israeli sources who told USA TODAY, CNN and Reuters. He was 86 and had led Iran since 1989.

Iran retaliated with drone and missile strikes, hitting American and Israeli targets, including a U.S. Naval base in Bahrain. Iran said its enemies would be “decisively defeated.”

At least four Americans and an estimated 200 other individuals have been killed, and an estimated 700 injured as of March 2.

President Trump said he expects more to come.

Here’s what South Dakota Congressional leaders, along with former South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, who now sits at the helm of the Department of Homeland Security as secretary, have to say about what has been named by the administration as Operation Epic Fury.

U.S. Senate Majority Leader John Thune

“For years, Iran’s relentless nuclear ambitions, its expanded ballistic missile inventory and its unwavering support for terror groups in the region have posed a clear and unacceptable threat to U.S. servicemembers, citizens in the region, and many of our allies,” said Thune, a Republican, the morning of Feb. 28 in a comment from his office.

“Despite the dogged efforts of the president and his administration, the Iranian regime has refused the diplomatic off-ramps that would peacefully resolve these national security concerns. I commend President Trump for taking action to thwart these threats,” Thune said, thanking Secretary Rubio for providing updates on these issues throughout the week.

“I look forward to administration officials briefing all senators about these military operations,” he said. “I commend the bravery of the servicemembers carrying out these operations and pray for the safety of those in harm’s way.”

U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds

Rounds, a Republican, said Trump took “the right course of action” when handling the strike.

Rounds later congratulated the United States military and Trump on the death of the Iranian leader, stating the moment “offers a path for a more peaceful Middle East.”

U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson

Johnson, a Republican and the lone U.S. representative for South Dakota, stated the Iranian regime “is full of theocratic thugs and is the world’s largest state sponsor of terror.” He said Trump had given multiple opportunities to change direction.

“I’m praying for the safety of America’s servicemembers, and our allies involved in Operation Epic Fury,” Johnson stated on social media.

DHS Secretary Kristi Noem

Noem, who left her governorship after she was appointed secretary at the beginning of Trump’s current term, took to social media as well, stating she was actively monitoring any potential threats against America.

“I am in direct coordination with our federal intelligence and law enforcement partners,” she said.

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South Dakota

SD Lottery Millionaire for Life winning numbers for March 1, 2026

Published

1 day ago

March 2, 2026

Press Room

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

Here’s a look at March 1, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from March 1 drawing

10-11-12-35-56, 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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