South Dakota
Vandals Break Into South Dakota BLM Area, Drive Heavy Equipment Into Ditch
Law enforcement officers are investigating a strange incident of vandalism at Fort Meade Recreation Area in South Dakota just east of the Wyoming border. Multiple construction vehicles on-site for an infrastructure project were driven into the same ditch.
Two Komatsu excavators and a skid-steer loader were driven into a narrow ditch dug to install a water pipeline. All three vehicles belong to the contractor for the project, Flatland Enterprises LLC.
“An unknown individual or individuals gained unauthorized access to the construction equipment on the evening of May 3,” Brittany E. Jones, Chief of Communications for the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) Montana/Dakotas Office, told Cowboy State Daily. “The contractor was able to recover and remove the equipment from the trench on May 5, and construction resumed the next day.”
Wyoming and South Dakota are experiencing a surge of similar incidents of vandalism on public lands. An incident on this scale in South Dakota is not inspiring confidence in Wyoming’s contractors.
“We worry about all of our machinery whenever it leaves the yard,” said Paul Leroux, owner of Boone’s Machine and Rental in Cody. “We’ve never experienced something like this, but anything can happen.
Ditch Diggers Down
Jones said Flatland Enterprises was in the process of installing a potable water pipeline to improve water access for Fort Meade Recreation Area’s campgrounds and grazing livestock. Their vehicles ended up in the ditch they had dug for the new infrastructure.
“The contractor’s equipment sustained minor damage but remains functional,” she said. “There was no reported environmental damage related to the incident, and (it caused) an estimated 1.5-day delay.”
The Meade County Sheriff’s Department is actively investigating the incident. They had strong words for the “genius” whose “childish antics” damaged the equipment and delayed the project.
“This weekend, somebody decided it would be hilarious to take valuable equipment for a joyride,” the department posted on Facebook. “So, whoever you are, do us all a favor and leave. Go find a sandbox somewhere else and play your stupid games that ruin other people’s property! Your little stunt has cost taxpayers money because this is a public project. This is exactly why we can’t have nice things!”
Risk Of Exposure
Leroux looked over the photos of the ditched diggers. Based on what he could see, he believed the damage wasn’t too significant.
“It’s hard to see the details, but it looks like there were some bent panels. The repairs probably aren’t super-extensive, and most of those machines could be re-corrected and put back to work relatively quickly,” he said.
Leroux said earth movers are designed to be durable, but that doesn’t make them invulnerable. Improper handling can damage any machine.
“There’s always exposure when you have equipment in the field, whether qualified or unqualified people are using it,” he said. “It’s a constant worry.”
Flatland’s machinery was installing a water pipeline, but the job site and the ditch appeared to be dry. According to Leroux, that’s very fortunate.
“Repairs can be extensive if a machine ends up in a pond or something,” he said. “If the surfaces are mostly dry, the machines will probably be okay.”
Vagaries Of Vandalism
Jones said vandalism is “an unfortunate and ongoing challenge on public lands” in South Dakota. This is just the latest incident of a disconcerting trend.
“Public lands are a shared national resource, and the BLM encourages all visitors to respect these spaces and follow Leave No Trace principles,” she said. “These acts undermine the shared values of stewardship and access that public lands are built upon.”
Recent incidents of vandalism at Fort Meade have resulted in damaged or destroyed signs, vault toilets, kiosks, gates, fences, and other public facilities. Repairing that damage comes at the taxpayer’s expense.
“Acts of vandalism not only waste taxpayer resources but also delay improvements and diminish recreational experiences for the broader community,” Jones said. “The public’s support in protecting these areas helps ensure they remain safe, accessible, and welcoming for generations to come.
Grow Up
Similar incidents of vandalism are a constant and costly irritant throughout Wyoming.
The Wyoming Game and Fish Department is increasingly concerned about people shooting signs they’ve posted at public access points. Meanwhile, the Wyoming Department of Transportation estimated it would cost $1,000 to replace two road signs stolen from the tunnels along U.S. 14/16/20 west of Cody (although one of the signs was recovered).
“Sadly, people think they can do it, because they can,” Campbell County resident Frank Groth, a firearms instructor and retired law enforcement officer, told Cowboy State Daily. “It’s just irresponsible and childish. And that’s me being charitable. I can think of other words for it.”
Boone rents construction machines to several governmental agencies, including the BLM, the State of Wyoming, and municipalities throughout northwest Wyoming. He’s never experienced anything like the incident at Fort Meade, but the incident doesn’t do anything to assuage his worries about vandalism and damaged property on a job site.
“The contract any entity signs will tell them they have full responsibility for the equipment while it’s on-site,” he said. “We haven’t had to deal with anything like this, but there’s always exposure on the job.”
The Meade County Sheriff’s Office has pledged that several deputies who “share your frustration with this idiocy in our community” are determined to hold the vandals accountable. They encouraged anyone with information to come forward and help them “put an end to this nonsense together” – there’s no defending these ditch-driving vandals.
“There are real people with real jobs relying on this equipment,” they said. “You’ve ruined everything with your pathetic behavior. Seriously, grow up.”
Andrew Rossi can be reached at arossi@cowboystatedaily.com.
See Republican Zach Lahn speak after primary win in governor’s race
GOP gubernatorial candidate Zach Lahn speaks to his supporters during an election night watch party on June 2, 2026, in West Des Moines.
The makeup of the Legislature was up in the air as of 1 a.m. after South Dakota’s primary election.
Ten Republican state lawmakers ousted in 2024 are angling to get their seats back in 2026. Results were mixed for the nine who had primaries on Tuesday, with results still coming in for several races and others set for possible recounts.
Shawn Bordeaux of Rosebud won the state’s only Democratic primary, beating Troy “Luke” Lunderman for a chance to return to the state Senate.
Bordeaux will face Chamberlain Republican Rebecca Reimer in November’s general election. Reimer, who was term-limited in the state House of Representatives, beat Lower Brule Sen. Tamara Grove in Tuesday’s primary.
In Watertown’s District 5, Rep. Josephine Garcia fell in a state Senate primary to incumbent Sen. Glen Vilhauer. Garcia beat Byron Callies in the 2024 primary to earn her seat in the House of Representatives, but opted to challenge Vilhauer for his Senate seat instead of seeking reelection to the House.
Callies, Vilhauer and Garcia are all from Watertown.
Vilhauer won with 59% of the vote. His was one of the first state legislative victories of the night reported on the Secretary of State’s website.
Vilhauer won handily, but he said he wasn’t necessarily expecting to as polls opened on Tuesday.
“I knew it was going to be a battle going in,” Vilhauer said. “She worked hard on her side, and I didn’t know what to expect.”
Callies was among the first to call Vilhauer to congratulate him, around 9:30 p.m.
“I’m happy, because Glen’s a solid legislator,” said Callies, who’s angling to win his seat back in the general election.
Garcia did not return a call seeking comment.
In District 21, Sen. Mykala Voita of Bonesteel beat former Sen. Erin Tobin of Winner in a rematch of their 2024 contest, which Voita won by a few dozen votes that year. This time around, Voita bested Tobin by 1,002 votes.
In response to a request for comment, Voita sent a text reading “Glory to God!”
Tobin did not return a call from South Dakota Searchlight about her race after it was called, but said earlier in the evening she would be “at peace” with the results regardless of what they might be.
Another rematch saw Yanktonites Lauren Nelson and Jean Hunhoff battling for District 18’s state Senate seat. Nelson was a newcomer in 2024 when she beat Hunhoff, who’d spent decades in the Capitol between stints in the House and Senate. On Tuesday, Nelson held off Hunhoff, winning by 243 votes.
Other notable races
- District 4 Rep. Dylan Jordan of Clear Lake, first elected in 2024, finished fourth in a five-way race. As of 1 a.m. Wednesday, he trailed Ryan Kohl of Milbank and former Rep. Fred Deutsch of Florence, in first and second place, respectively. A recount is possible in that race, with 59 votes separating the top two vote-getters while Rep. Kent Roe, of Hayti, came in third place, with 72 fewer votes than Deutsch.
- District 4 has two possible recounts. In the other, Bryant’s Stephanie Sauder beat Clear Lake’s Tim Begalka by 105 votes in the unofficial tally from the Secretary of State.
- District 1 Rep. Logan Manhart of Aberdeen, elected in the 2024 primary, fell to Rep. Nick Fosness, a hospital administrator appointed by Gov. Larry Rhoden in 2025, and newcomer Daniel Kjos.
- Another recount was possible as of Wednesday at 1 a.m., in the District 16 race for House of Representatives. Rep. John Shubeck of Beresford trailed Lisa Bogue of Beresford by 245 votes in unofficial results. Jason VanDenTop of Canton was in third place, trailing Shubeck by 68 votes.
Vote totals incomplete
- Sen. John Carley of Piedmont, who won his first term in 2024, trailed William Meirose of Sturgis by 166 votes as of 1 a.m. Wednesday.
- Former Rep. Tyler Tordsen led Rep. Tony Kayser by two votes in the District 14 primary, with results still coming in. The Sioux Falls men are vying for second place and a spot on the November general election ballot alongside Rep. Taylor Rehfeldt of Sioux Falls, who led by more than 600 votes early Wednesday.
- District 28 Sen. Sam Marty of Prairie City was in a close race with former legislator Ryan Maher of Isabel.
- Former Rep. Gary Cammack of Union Center, who lost his seat in 2024, and Gary Deering of Hereford, led Reps. Terri Jorgenson of Piedmont and Kathy Rice of Blackhawk in the District 29 race.
- In District 30, Hot Springs Sen. Amber Hulse led former Sen. Julie Frye-Mueller of Rapid City by more than 1,300 votes.
- Former Sen. David Johnson of Rapid City led Sen. Curt Voight of Rapid City in a rematch of their 2024 race for District 33 Senate in early results.
- Rep. Heather Baxter of Rapid City has signaled her intention to challenge sitting Secretary of State Monae Johnson for the Republican nomination to that constitutional office at the state’s Republican Party convention this summer. In early results, Baxter trailed former Rapid City Rep. Becky Drury and Rep. Mike Derby in the District 34 primary.
- Early results in the District 35 primary put Sen. Greg Blanc, elected in 2024, in a close race with fellow Rapid City resident Nicole Mitzel.
South Dakota Searchlight is part of States Newsroom, the nation’s largest state-focused nonprofit news organization.
South Dakota
Republican businessman Toby Doeden advances to primary runoff in South Dakota governor’s race
Republican businessman Toby Doeden has advanced to a runoff in South Dakota governor’s race, NBC News projects.
Gov. Larry Rhoden, who replaced Kristi Noem last year when President Donald Trump nominated her to lead the Department of Homeland Security, was battling with Rep. Dusty Johnson and former state House Speaker Jon Hansen for a second spot in the July 28 runoff. The primary will go to a runoff because no candidate eclipsed 35% of the vote.
Trump did not issue an endorsement in the race. Doeden branded himself on his campaign website as “a total political outsider who’s tired of the government’s failure to deliver on its promises” and one of Trump’s “fiercest supporters.”
Rhoden, a former lieutenant governor, agriculture secretary and lawmaker, campaigned on property tax cuts and lowering crime in his bid for a four-year term.
Johnson is the state’s lone representative in the House, where he previously was chair of the Republican Main Street Caucus. Hansen, who was elected to the South Dakota House in 2010, held several leadership positions before he became speaker.
The Republican nominee will be the favorite to win the general election in the solidly red state this fall. A Democrat has not served as governor in South Dakota since the 1970s, and Trump carried the state by 29 points in 2024.
News
Agronomist: eastern South Dakota crops hit and miss
An agronomist in eastern South Dakota says corn and soybeans are hit and miss as the growing season begins.
Steven Zemlicka with AgTegra Cooperative tells Brownfield, “We’ve got corn anywhere from V1 all the way up to V4. Biggest stuff’s maybe touching V5. Corn’s coming right along, looks pretty good. A little bit of hail here too, but I don’t think it’s going to be much of an issue. Stands for the most part are pretty good, pretty solid.”
Zemlicka says soybean emergence has been slow due to the wet, cool conditions, and there are a few fields that still need planted.
“People were still working on planting soybeans when we got the recent rain.”
He says recent rain totals ranged from a half inch to as much as four inches in the northeast part of South Dakota; the southern part of the state has been drier.
South Dakota’s corn is rated 61 percent good to excellent, with soybean conditions rated 57 percent good to excellent, according to USDA’s first condition ratings of the season.
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