South Dakota
Two veterinarians, hundreds of miles apart, solved a cow sickness whodunit • South Dakota Searchlight
It appeared to be a problem with the food.
In February, dairy cattle in multiple herds in northern Texas were suddenly producing less milk, and what they gave was abnormal and thick.
And the typically voracious eaters had seemingly lost their appetites.
For weeks in March, veterinarian Dr. Barb Petersen sought an answer. She talked to dairy owners and exchanged notes with fellow vets in the panhandle of Texas. She submitted numerous samples to labs that tested for more than 200 potential causes.
“Any fluid you can collect from a live animal, I collected it,” said Petersen, who was raised on a dairy farm near Davenport, Iowa. “As did many others. There were so many of us at the same time texting each other and trying to figure this out.”
She started messaging Dr. Drew Magstadt, who she had studied alongside at Iowa State University years before. He now works at the ISU Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory — a preeminent national animal lab in Ames — and researches infectious disease in cattle.
When the voluminous amount of testing in Texas failed to find any clues, Magstadt and Petersen concluded that a likely cause was ill-made food.
“The affected cattle were very high-producing dairy cows, and they are on a race-car ration,” Magstadt said. “If you mess with that a little bit, it can cause problems.”
Petersen agreed to send Magstadt some samples of the feed and animals for testing.
But then the cats started dying.
Barn cats are common on farms. They kill rodents, provide companionship and need little help to survive.
Some dairy farmers also feed them milk from their cows, and sick cows can shed viruses in their milk.
“A colleague of mine, he told me, ‘You know what’s strange? I went to one of my dairies last week, and all their cats were missing. I couldn’t figure it out — the cats usually come to my vet truck,’ ” Petersen recalled. “And then someone called me and said half of his cats had passed away without warning, and so then all the alarm bells start going off in your head.”
The cats had died from swollen brains, a potential result of influenza. They didn’t have rabies.
Outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza have plagued poultry producers in the United States since early 2022 and have led to the culling of more than 90 million domestic birds in backyard and commercial flocks. It is often transmitted by wild, migrating birds.
The virus had never been known to infect cattle in the country, and so the potential for it to have sickened the Texas cattle seemed highly unlikely, Magstadt thought.
It would be a “zebra,” Petersen said, which in medical parlance can refer to a surprising, exotic diagnosis.
Yet Magstadt immediately tested Petersen’s milk samples for influenza A — which most commonly infects birds — before investigating the feed. He thought the testing would merely rule out bird flu as a potential cause, but instead it confirmed it.
“I was incredibly surprised,” Magstadt said.
Further testing and retesting over days confirmed that the virus is the type that has been driving the poultry outbreaks, with an official confirmation on March 25.
The initial affected herds were in northern Texas and southwest Kansas, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Since then, infected cattle have been discovered in far flung states, including South Dakota, often the result of infected cattle being transported to new herds.
So far, bird flu has been detected in 28 dairy cattle herds in eight states, the USDA said. There is evidence that the virus has transmitted cow-to-cow, an alarming revelation that heightens its threat.
One person who worked closely with infected cattle also contracted the illness.
“There’s plenty of times that we get called in to these types of situations, and sometimes we strike out,” Magstadt said. “The times that we do find something, it’s very rewarding. … Everybody was just stumbling around in the dark, and it’s great to be involved in turning on the light.”
The Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory in Ames is the largest tester of livestock disease in the country. It conducted about 1.6 million tests last year. The first construction phase for its new facility recently finished and the second part is expected to be complete in 2026, at a total cost of more than $140 million.
South Dakota
Rep. Dusty Johnson backs Senator Rounds push for investigation into mail service in South Dakota
RAPID CITY, S.D. (KOTA) -Congressman Dusty Johnson is backing Senator Mike Round’s push for an investigation in postal service delays in South Dakota.
Johnson took to social media saying Senator Mike Rounds was right to ask for an investigation into postal service delays in South Dakota. Rounds had previously sent a letter to the postal service’s inspector general asking for her to find the cause of mail delays in South Dakota. Rounds said in his letter he has heard from hundreds of constituents across South Dakota. Johnson opened up with KOTA Territory News about his support for the investigation.
“I think the postal service is a terrible disaster,” said Johnson.
Johnson noted that in the past the service did what he said was a pretty good job. Johnson says despite sending letters and making phone calls with the postal service, he has not gotten any answers.
“I have asked if I can come down to one of their facilities, get a tour so I can better understand what’s going on behind the walls. They have refused to even let me, a member of congress, come learn about how they conduct their business. And so, this appears to be an enterprise that A, is not improving, B, isn’t communicating why there, why there failing and C doesn’t even appear to be particularly interested in getting better,” explained Johnson.
Rounds has pointed to the problem as being that mail traveling across or into South Dakota taking indirect routes. Rounds previously took a meeting with the postmaster general however the senator appears not satisfied with the outcome.
Rounds wrote in part in his letter, “I expressed my concerns about this to the Postmaster General (PMG) Steiner who downplayed such issue existed in South Dakota.”
In a letter sent to Rounds in October, Postmaster General David Steiner said that fixing issues at central region plants in Chicago, St Louis and Kansas City will likely improve outcomes and that at the time it was something the USPS was actively working on. The postmaster general acknowledged poor performance for first class mail at the beginning of the year and mid-summer but noted that it has since improved. During the week ending September 19th for South Dakota’s postal district, about %93 percent of first-class mail was delivered on time and roughly %97 percent was delivered within one day of its expected arrival. The postmaster general said he wanted to focus on the %3 percent that’s not getting to its destination on time.
“It may be only a small percentage of the mail, but because we deliver hundreds of millions of pieces each day nationally, the raw number is large,” wrote Steiner.
Steiner emphasized that some mail in South Dakota has always left the state for processing before going to another part of the state. The postmaster general explained that some mail requires certain sorting equipment and therefor some mail travels to plants with the right equipment.
The postmaster general also maintained in his letter that mail going to and from the same area in South Dakota is not leaving the state.
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Step inside a few of South Dakota’s most iconic steakhouses, where the baked potatoes are foil-wrapped and the wood-fired grill is crackling.
Don’t mess with South Dakota’s red meat.
With some of the best, high-quality cattle in the country raised right here in the Mt. Rushmore state, you’ll easily find a ribeye nearby.
But not all steaks are the same. We compared the cut, the prep and the presentation and narrowed down a few of our favorite steakhouses for our carnivores.
Hartford Steak Co. Tavern
The concept for a small and affordable menu began with a burger sold for a nickel by Diane Friese’s great-grandfather in the 1920s. A family tradition untouched over the decades, you can still buy a filet mignon for an easy $15 at the Hartford Steak Co. today. But that’s about it. The filets are sized up to 24 ounces, then there’s steak tips or a hot beef sandwich to choose from. All come with a crisp, cold lettuce wedge, baked potato, and warm French bread. On the weekends, they spice it up with a $20 prime rib dinner (meaning the filets are off the menu, only one choice for you). Order a margarita on the side and enjoy a no-fuss night.
The Hartford Steakhouse has a second location in Vermillion, South Dakota.
Details: 709 N. Mundt Ave., Hartford, S.D., 605-528-6185, hartfordsteakcotavern.com.
Morrie’s Steakhouse
It’s giving Old Hollywood glam, some soft jazz and extravagance. Namesake Morrie Richards was a humble farmer from Ipswich, South Dakota, but Mama taught the family hospitality, and now the steakhouse is an experience for families and business diners. Steak is the star, but what comes with it elevates the night. Shared sides include loaded hash browns or smoked pork mac, and steak accompaniments include a 75-day-old cave-aged blue cheese slab or a three-day veal demi-glaze. Morrie’s honors community ranchers as well, bringing to the table local grass-fed butcher cuts and bone-in Tomahawk wagyu ribeyes.
Details: 2507 S. Shirley Ave., Sioux Falls, S.D., 605-362-8125, morriessteakhouse.com.
Mad Mary’s
Along the Big Sioux River in South Dakota is Mad Mary’s Steakhouse, a classic mom-and-pop in Flandreau, South Dakota, that’s been attracting hunters for more than 30 years. It’s changed hands a few times, but has been led now by Christina Ramos since 2018, who served at Mad Mary’s for more than a decade. She’s got a “secret seasoning” in the kitchen for her prime rib and sirloins, but come for the Butcher’s Trio to try it all: a plate of beef, chicken and pork served with a twice-baked potato and buttered toast for $50.
Mad Mary’s has a second location in Pierre, South Dakota, under different ownership, where you get a free T-shirt if you order a margarita. Size up after all that hearty South Dakota beef.
Details: 306 N. Veterans St., Flandreau, S.D., 605-997-9901, madmaryssteakhouse.com.
Ironwood Steakhouse
A bespoke contemporary experience in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, the Minneapolis-based restaurateurs of Ironwood Steakhouse bring to town their crisp white linens, sparkly chandeliers and floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the Big Sioux River and Falls Park.
The maître d wears a suit and tie, so maybe you should, too.
The two-story, upscale supper club brings in its prime-aged beef from Snake River Farms in Idaho and cooks over coals for that unmistakable sear. Try the eight-ounce wagyu Zabuton, steak tartare or the steak Diane: an eight-ounce teres major cut with mushroom cream sauce.
Then return for their mushroom pierogis, rabbit stroganoff or even just an espresso martini at the bar, served with your own picture printed atop the foam.
A toast to our steak victors.
Details: 150 E. Fourth Place, Sioux Falls, S.D., 605-937-0280, ironwoodsf.com.
Delmonico Grill
Another for the upscale diners, Delmonico Grill in Rapid City, South Dakota, has been serving its in-house, dry-aged “Kona” Hawaiian style ribeye for nearly 20 years. It’s classic steakhouse fare in a comfortable atmosphere: Choose from intimate booths or red velvet benches, with a view of downtown Main Street always abuzz.
Details: 609 Main St., Rapid City, S.D., 605-791-1664, delmonicogrill.com.
Did we miss your favorite steakhouse? Drop us a line at ageorge@usatodayco.com with details.
Angela George is the trending news reporter for the Argus Leader in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, part of the USA TODAY Co. network. Email ageorge@usatodayco.com.
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