South Dakota
These 15 South Dakota counties will see DUI checkpoints this month
The monthly law enforcement effort helps to reduce alcohol-related deaths on the road.
The reason drinking among adults hit a record low
Fewer Americans are drinking alcohol, and more now see even moderate drinking as a health risk, according to a new Gallup poll.
unbranded – Lifestyle
The South Dakota Department of Public Safety is raising awareness this month on the dangers of drinking and driving.
Sobriety checkpoints take place statewide every month, usually hitting about 15 counties, in hopes of reminding motorists to “make responsible choices and avoid driving after drinking alcohol, whether or not a checkpoint is planned in their area,” says DPS communications director Brad Reiners.
DPS also announces ahead of time which counties will be monitored, most often Codington, Lincoln, Meade, Minnehaha and Pennington counties.
What is a sobriety checkpoint?
A sobriety checkpoint is a law enforcement effort that stops vehicles at pre-determined locations to identify and arrest impaired drivers as necessary.
These police stops are not based on unrelated violations of the law (ie., speeding, reckless driving, no seatbelt). Rather, officers are stopping any vehicle in a set pattern in a highly visible location that a driver will approach and must comply with.
Beyond arrests for driving under the influence (DUIs), including breathalyzer tests (PBTs) to determine blood alcohol level (BAC) as needed, the systematic effort is designed to “reduce impaired driving and improve roadway safety,” Reiners said.
South Dakota counties where checkpoints will take place in March include:
- Beadle
- Brookings
- Brown
- Clay
- Codington
- Day
- Hughes
- Hutchinson
- Jones
- Lawrence
- Lincoln
- Lyman
- Meade
- Minnehaha
- Pennington
How many sobriety checkpoints took place in Minnehaha County in 2025?
Other than confirming counties ahead of time, Reiners says time, day and exact location of each checkpoint cannot be confirmed.
Here’s a look at totals from sobriety checkpoints in Minnehaha County in 2025.
Reiners says the number of vehicle stops is merely based on how many happen to drive through a checkpoint that day:
- January: 30 vehicles stopped, 3 PBTs, no DUI arrests
- February: 18 vehicles stopped, 1 PBT, no DUI arrests
- March: 150 vehicles stopped, 9 PBTs, no DUI arrests
- August: 49 vehicles stopped, 1 PBT, no DUI arrests
- September: 105 vehicles stopped, 14 PBTs, no DUI arrests
- November: 63 vehicles stopped, 2 PBTs, 2 DUI arrests
How many fatal, alcohol-related car accidents are there in South Dakota?
According to the South Dakota Department of Health, among 365 alcohol-related deaths in 2024, 19% were because of a transportation/machinery accident, the second-most common cause.
The leading cause of alcohol-related deaths in 2024 was poisoning/toxic effects, at 24%.
Counties that most often experience overall alcohol-related deaths include Buffalo, Mellette, Corson, Oglala Lakota and Dewey counties.
Overall, males make up 65% of alcohol-related deaths in South Dakota from 2015-2024, almost two times higher than the female rate, with ages 30-69 at the highest risk.
Operation: Prairie Thunder not involved in sobriety checkpoints
DPS officials say the S.D. Office of Highway Patrol, the South Dakota Highway Patrol (SDHP) and local law enforcement agencies support DUI checkpoints, which are funded by the South Dakota Office of Highway Safety (SDHS).
Although Operation: Prairie Thunder (OPT) recently completed its 11th saturation patrol in Watertown on Feb. 26-27 – missions that bring together the SDHP with the city, county and federal law enforcement partners – SDHS officials stated last week that “sobriety checkpoints are not conducted as part of Operation: Prairie Thunder.”
Rather, OPT consists of targeted saturation patrols focused on criminal activity in a variety of communities.
Since its inception in August of last year, here’s a look at where total numbers stand for OPT, provided by the DPS.
Ongoing Operation: Prairie Thunder running totals
- 443 arrests
- 281 individuals in custody with a drug charge
- 162 in custody without a drug charge
- 473 individuals with a drug charge
- 192 charged and released
Operation: Prairie Thunder criminal drug apprehension totals
- 1,109 drug charges
- 318 felony drug charges
- 791 misdemeanor drug charges
- 81 felony warrants
- 168 misdemeanor warrants
Operation: Prairie Thunder ICE contacts
- 93 contacted
- 95 interviewed
- 71 in custody
- 9 apprehended for cartel / gang
- 10 identified for cartel / gang
- No human trafficking arrests
- No recoveries
Operation: Prairie Thunder traffic enforcement
- 42 DUIs
- 5 reckless driving
- 2,244 citations
- 2,725 warnings
The South Dakota governor’s office announced last December that operations will continue into 2026.
Posted:
Updated:
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — Vermillion guard Taylor Reuvers is staying home as the junior announced her commitment to USD via X on Tuesday.
Reuvers earned first team All-State honors as a sophomore, averaging 27.8 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 4.7 assists per game. The 2028 graduate led her squad to a 13-9 record for the 2025-26 season.
Oklahoma didn’t suffer any strong wind damage this week, but wind farms in South Dakota certainly did.
Several wind turbines were toppled by the 130 MPH winds that hit the central part of the state Monday morning. They were described as straight line winds and not tornadoes. But the winds compared to those recorded in some tornadoes.
The 131-mph wind was recorded at Holabird in Hyde County at 6:15 a.m. local time.
A picture of the extensive damage showed at least 7 of the wind towers were bent over by the powerful Mother Nature.
According to a report by Energy News Beat, storm chaser Jakob McMillin documented the scene in a widely shared post on X (formerly Twitter), showing multiple wind turbine towers collapsed or heavily damaged, with blades and structural debris scattered across the prairie. In replies to his post, McMillin stated he observed “over 20” turbines destroyed or critically damaged.
The Affected Wind Farm
The damaged facility is the South Dakota Wind Energy Center (also known as the Highmore Wind Energy Project or Highmore Wind Farm), located approximately 10 miles south of Highmore.
- Number of turbines: 27
- Turbine model: GE Vernova 1.5s (1.5 MW each)
- Total nameplate capacity: 40.5 MW
- Commissioning year: 2003 (South Dakota’s first major wind farm)
- Owner/Operator: NextEra Energy Resources (formerly FPL Energy)
- Power purchaser: Basin Electric Power Cooperative
The South Dakota Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at June 29, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Powerball numbers from June 29 drawing
10-14-41-53-59, Powerball: 03, Power Play: 2
Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Lotto America numbers from June 29 drawing
08-13-29-30-31, Star Ball: 04, ASB: 03
Check Lotto America payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from June 29 drawing
04-25-26-31-36, 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.
-
News19 minutes agoWoman survives falling 1,500 feet down Mount Shasta
-
Los Angeles, Ca2 hours agoMan dies after violent solo crash in Sherman Oaks
-
Detroit, MI2 hours agoPriority Waste CEO shares progress on plan to fix disruptions, delays across Metro Detroit
-
San Francisco, CA2 hours agoThe San Francisco Church That Holds America’s Secrets
-
Dallas, TX2 hours agoCrews battle large fire at Pilates studio in Uptown Dallas, officials say
-
Miami, FL2 hours agoalaïa clads first miami boutique in pink mosaic tiles, from interior to facade
-
Boston, MA2 hours agoLooking for a lodging adventure? Beat the heat at a floating B&B. – The Boston Globe
-
Denver, CO2 hours agoLavender festival, Tennyson Street Fair and more free and cheap things to do in July
