South Dakota
Top SD environmental regulator says Biden-era law created ‘water renaissance’ in state • South Dakota Searchlight
Though he didn’t credit the Biden administration by name, South Dakota’s top environmental official recently praised one of the administration’s laws for spurring a “water renaissance that was overdue” in the state.
Hunter Roberts leads South Dakota’s Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources. Its responsibilities include the regulation of drinking water and wastewater systems.
The office awarded $689 million to 200 water-related projects across the state during the last several years, Roberts told a legislative committee last week at the Capitol in Pierre. The money came from the American Rescue Plan Act, known by the acronym “ARPA.”
“It created an opportunity to make that investment and, I think, move our state forward long-term when we look at water-wastewater infrastructure, which is critical,” Roberts said. “If we don’t have safe, clean drinking water, what else do we have?”
Congress passed the ARPA legislation in 2021. Then-President Joe Biden signed it into law that March. It included a total of $1.9 trillion in funding to stimulate the national economy during the COVID-19 pandemic.
If we don’t have safe, clean drinking water, what else do we have?
– Hunter Roberts, secretary of the South Dakota Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources
South Dakota’s share was about $1 billion. Besides water and wastewater infrastructure, the money funded broadband internet expansion, infrastructure for housing, telemedicine initiatives, the construction of a new state public health lab, and more.
Roberts’ department used the water and wastewater money to make grants for local projects. The grants helped to pay for infrastructure such as storage reservoirs, tanks, water pipes, treatment plants, wells, pump stations, filtration systems and sewer lines.
Some local water systems had been diligent about upgrading and modernizing before the ARPA funds became available, Roberts said, but for the others, “those additional funds kind of spurred our utilities to get off their keister and make those investments that they maybe hadn’t made in 20 to 30 years.”
At another point in his presentation to the legislative committee — which included a broad overview of departmental activities — Roberts said he was excited about the end of the Biden administration. Roberts was appointed to his job in 2019 by then-Gov. Kristi Noem, a Republican who’s since become President Donald Trump’s secretary of the Department of Homeland Security.
Roberts said the Biden administration enacted “overly broad, overreaching, unfounded” laws and regulations.
“It seemed like there was a lot of regulatory overreach coming from Washington, D.C., pushed down to the regions and the states that we didn’t like,” Roberts said.
He also acknowledged that Trump’s zeal for imposing tariffs could negatively impact international trade and industries that depend on it, including agriculture.
“That remains to be seen how that all works through the system, but it’s certainly something we’re watching closely,” Roberts said.
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RAPID CITY, S.D. (KOTA) – A Rapid City church is hosting a free community event Thursday to raise awareness about human trafficking, with organizers saying the danger may be closer than people think.
The Lutheran Women’s Missionary League at Bethlehem Lutheran Church is opening the presentation to the entire community because organizers say awareness alone can save a life.
“If we can get 20 people to understand what to look for — if we can get 20 people to understand that this organization exists — then we can start shining light into every corner, and suddenly it’ll be a better world,” said Alexandra Loverink, co-president of LWML Bethlehem Lutheran Church.
Event details
The free presentation is Thursday, May 14 at 6 p.m. at Bethlehem Lutheran Church on Rushmore Street. The speaker is Reverend Tess Franzen, founder of Freedom’s Journey, a Rapid City-based ministry that has assisted hundreds of trafficking survivors over more than a decade.
Franzen said the problem in South Dakota is far more widespread than most people realize.
“We see mostly sex trafficking, but much of what we see is — some people might call it homegrown or familial,” Franzen said. “We see trafficking here where young people are being trafficked out, their family members are selling access to them when they’re children. And in many cases, they don’t really even realize there’s anything wrong with it.”
Organizer Cari Garwood-Beard said Franzen’s presentation changed how she sees her own neighborhood, and she wants others to have that same wake-up call.
“She told a story about her neighbor one time — just a good old guy — and found out that he was a trafficker. Her neighbor, who she thought was above boards,” Garwood-Beard said. “And it really hit home. My next-door neighbor could be.”
A freewill offering will be collected for Freedom’s Journey at Thursday’s event. Bethlehem Lutheran Church is at 1630 Rushmore Street.
Resources
If you suspect trafficking, dial 9-1-1 or the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888.
For more information about Freedom’s Journey, visit their website or call 805.380.8009.
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Copyright 2026 KOTA. All rights reserved.
The South Dakota Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at May 8, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Mega Millions numbers from May 8 drawing
37-47-49-51-58, Mega Ball: 16
Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from May 8 drawing
14-16-21-43-51, Bonus: 03
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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