South Dakota

Xcel ‘smart meters’ making tracking usage easier for South Dakota customers

Published

2 years ago

January 18, 2024

Xcel ‘smart meters’ making tracking usage easier for South Dakota customers

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (Dakota News Now) – Xcel energy users will soon have more control than ever over their energy use and therefore more control over their bills with the implementation of ‘smart meters.’

“We’re moving through all the states as we go. South Dakota is just starting. The first installs that are happening this week have been going fantastic,” said Zach Hein, an Olameter regional manager.

“It’s really a monitoring device more than anything. Hopefully, it will encourage folks to want to conserve energy,” Eric Pauli said, Xcel Energy’s community relations manager.

The benefit of the switch to smart meters is two-fold. First, it will allow Xcel to address any outages in a timely manner.

“We still want customers to call in and let us know, but it’s going to help us to be able to isolate various areas when there are storms that come through and be able to get our customers back on quickly,” Pauli said.

Second, it will allow customers the ability to track energy usage more precisely.

“This is a real opportunity for folks to save dollars. Let’s be honest, people are really getting hit with higher costs on things right now. This is a tool that we can put in the customer’s hand that they can utilize to save some money on their bill,” Pauli said.

By providing usage updates every 15 minutes on the Xcel My Account that you can access online or on your phone, customers will be able to more accurately see what in their home is costing them the most.

“You’re going to be able to see an appliance if you do click it on. Use an oven for example or a television or lots of lights, if you have something that’s pulling a large load, you’re going to be able to see that in real-time,” Pauli said.

As for when you can expect a technician at your home– you will receive a call ahead and a letter in the mail to notify you.

The installation itself is a quick and easy process.

“We are going to inspect for tight wires, broken lugs, or any potential issues that could be in the box. Once we do that to verify everything is safe we’re going to pull that meter. Were going to take pictures. Make sure that we have verification that everything is good. Then we’re going to close up the box and move on,” Hein said.

The process of switching over to smart meters for all of the more than 100,000 South Dakota customers will go through all of this year– and part of next year.

You can learn more about where the next installations will be taking place HERE.

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South Dakota

Coaches select all-state boys basketball players from Class AA, A & B

Published

27 seconds ago

March 28, 2026

Press Room

Here are the 2025-26 South Dakota Basketball Coaches Association All-State boys basketball teams:

Class AA

First Team

Sam DeGroot, SF Lincoln, 6-7, sr., F (20.9 points per game, 8.8 rebounds per game, 2.2 assists per game)

Blake Ellwein, Huron, 6-10, sr., G (22.6 ppg, 7.6 rpg, 2.1 apg)

Gavin Shawd, Tea Area, 6-1, jr., G (21.2 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 2.5 apg)

Stellen Larson, Harrisburg, 6-3, sr., F (14.3 ppg, 9.5 rpg, 1.7 apg)

Carter Buisker, Watertown, 6-3, sr., G (18.8 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 3.9 apg)

Brody Schafer, SF Lincoln, 6-0, jr., G (9.8 ppg, 1.9 rpg, 6.3 apg)

Second Team

Colton Smith, Mitchell, 6-5, sr., G-F (17.3 ppg, 9.4 rpg, 3 apg)

Davis Chase, Huron, 6-8, jr., F (15.6 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 1.6 apg)

Ayuel Deng, Brandon Valley, 6-3, sr., G (13.5 ppg, 6 rpg, 2 apg)

Sam Ericsson, SF Lincoln, 6-3, sr., G (13.4 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 2.4 apg)

Colby Nuttbrock, SF Jefferson, 6-5, jr., F (19 ppg, 7 rpg, 1.9 apg)

Grifin Wiebenga, Tea Area, 6-4, jr., F (16.9 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 3.4 apg)

Honorable Mention

Jackson McClemans, Watertown, 6-5, sr., G-F (14.8 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 6.0 apg)

Mason Clark, O’Gorman, 6-0, sr., G (13.1 ppg, 3 rpg, 3.3 apg)

Memphis Bylander, SF Roosevelt, 6-5, sr., F (11.2 ppg, 3 rpg, 2.2 apg)

Justin Bilal, SF Roosevelt, 6-5, sr., F (10.2 ppg, 4 rpg, 1.6 apg)

Hayden Rock, Sturgis, 5-11, sr., G (21.4 ppg, 4 rpg, 3.4 apg)

Bergan Tetzlaff, Brookings, 6-6, sr., F (15.3 ppg, 8.8 rpg, 3.2 apg)

• Player of Year — DeGroot.

• Repeat Selections — 2025 (Ellwein, DeGroot and Ericsson, first team; Schafer, Smith and Wiebenga, second team; 2024 (Ellwein and Smith, first team).

Class A

First Team

Brant Wassenaar, SF Christian, 6-4, jr., G (22.8 ppg, 7.4 rpg, 5.5 apg)

Marvin Richard III, Pine Ridge, 6-3, sr., G (30.3 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 5.5 apg, 92 steals)

Connor Mebius, West Central, 5-10, jr., G (17.6 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 5.6 apg)

Trey Hansen, Vermillion, 6-4, sr., G (25.9 ppg, 8 rpg, 6.1 apg, 68 steals)

Jackson Wadsworth, Hamlin, 6-3, jr., G (21.2 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 4.4 apg)

Sully Felberg, Clark-Willow Lake, 6-8, so., F (15.6 ppg, 7 rpg, 2.3 apg)

Second Team

Will Kuhl, West Central, 6-10, sr., F-C (15.7 ppg, 6.7 rpg, 1.6 apg)

Wyatt Gylten, St. Thomas More, 6-4, sr., G-F (19.2 ppg, 7 rpg, 4.2 apg)

Ryder Johnson, Groton Area, 6-5, sr., G (16.4 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 2.9 apg)

Riley Casey, Little Wound, 6-1, sr., G (26.8 ppg, 9.2 rpg, 5.8 apg, 75 steals)

Boden Stevenson, Hamlin, 6-5, jr., F (17.2 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 5.1 apg)

Tatum Sorensen, Dakota Valley, 6-2, sr., G (22.5 ppg, 6.7 rpg, 3.6 apg, 60 steals)

Third Team

Eddie Duffy, Stanley County, 6-2, jr., G-F (20.2 ppg, 6.8 rpg, 3.7 apg)

Tate Gerdes, Lennox, 6-3, sr., G (15.5 ppg, 6 rpg, 4 apg)

Aiden Hanssen, Lennox, 6-0, jr., G (17.8 ppg, 6 rpg, 3 apg)

Chris Bevers, Clark-Willow Lake, 6-3, jr., G (14.3 ppg, 6 rpg, 3 apg)

Zane Messick, Hill City, 6-0, sr., G (19 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 3.1 apg, 59 steals)

Cooper Goodbary, SF Christian, 6-4, sr., F (12.5 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 2.9 apg)

Honorable Mention

Luke Sheppard, Flandreau, 6-5, sr., F (16.3 ppg, 8.5 rpg, 5.2 apg)

Damien Clown, Cheyenne-Eagle Butte, 6-0, sr., G (15 ppg, 3 rpg, 2 apg)

Carter Craven, Winner, 6-6, jr., F (23.4 ppg, 10.7 rpg, 2.2 apg)

Brady Hiltunen, Sioux Valley, 6-2, jr., G (17 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 3.4 apg)

Levi Elk Nation, Cheyenne-Eagle Butte, 6-2, sr., G (13 ppg, 6 rpg, 5 apg)

Isaak Hunter, Miller, 6-4, sr., F (18.4 ppg, 7.3 rpg, 3 apg)

Paxton Deal, Stanley County, 6-0, sr., G (16.3 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 2.9 apg, 47 steals)

• Player of Year — Wassenaar.

• Repeat Selections — 2025 (Richard and Wassenaar, first team; Hansen, Gerdes and Mebius, second team; Craven, Johnson, Hunter and Felberg, third team; Goodbary and Kuhl, honorable mention); 2024 (Richard, first team; Hansen, honorable mention).

Class B

First Team

Grant Wilkinson, De Smet, 6-10, sr., C (24.4 ppg, 18.8 rpg, 45 blocks)

Teelen Kjerstad, Wall, 6-3, jr., G (27.9 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 4 apg, 91 steals)

Wesley Wittler, Sully Buttes, 6-1, sr., G (22.3 ppg, 10.5 rpg, 2.5 apg, 81 steals)

Brady Schroedermeier, Viborg-Hurley, 6-2, sr., F (22.7 ppg, 9.4 rpg, 2.7 apg, 70 steals)

Kamden Keszler, Castlewood, 6-3, jr., G (19.2 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 3.2 apg)

David Walter, Freeman, 6-5, so., G (17.7 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 3 apg)

Second Team

Brycen Bruening, Parkston, 6-2, jr., G (19.7 ppg, 6 rpg, 2.3 apg, 61 steals)

Colby Flowers, Wessington Springs, 6-5, sr., F (19 ppg, 9 rpg, 3 apg)

MJ Diehm, Lyman, 5-11, jr., G (19 ppg, 3 rpg, 6 apg, 60 steals)

Chance Schoenfeld, Deubrook Area, 6-9, sr., F-G (19.3 ppg, 8 rpg, 48 blocks)

Brooks Jett, Aberdeen Christian, 6-5, jr., f (13.9 ppg, 9.6 rpg, 29 blocks)

Ben Weber, Bridgewater-Emery, 6-6, sr., F (18.5 ppg, 10.7 rpg, 6 apg)

Third Team

Parker Graff, Wessington Springs, 6-1, sr., G (16 ppg, 5 rpg, 2 apg)

Tate Sorensen, Freeman, 6-2, sr., F (10.3 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 1.8 apg)

Emmet Dinger, Wall, 6-3, sr., F (15.7 ppg, 5 rpg, 2.5 apg)

Holden Wollman, Bridgewater-Emery, 6-2, sr., G (21.8 ppg, 6 rpg, 2 apg)

Jake Austin, Viborg-Hurley, 5-9, sr., G (12 ppg, 2.1 rpg, 2.3 apg)

Lucas Peskey, Iroquois-Lake Preston, 6-0, jr., G (19.6 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 3.2 apg, 56 steals)

Honorable Mention

Noah Luethmers, De Smet, 6-3, jr., G (14.3 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 2.2 apg)

Dawsen Volmer, Lyman, 6-4, jr., F-G (13 ppg, 7 rpg, 40 blocks)

Colt Keiser, Gregory, 6-6, sr., F (18.3 ppg, 10.7 rpg, 47 blocks)

Westyn Thorpe, Leola-Frederick Area, 5-10, sr., G (10.8 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 4.2 apg)

Kassen Keough, Langford Area, 6-0, sr., G (21 ppg, 5 rpg, 45 steals)

Hogan Hlavacek, Waubay-Summit, 6-7, so., C-F (16 ppg, 10.4 rpg, 2.2 apg)

Caleb Richmond, Wolsey-Wessington, 6-1, sr., G (15.3 ppg, 5 rpg, 4 apg)

• Player of Year — Wilkinson.

• Repeat Selections — 2025 (Wilkinson and Wittler, first team; Schroedermeier, Flowers and Weber, second team; Kjestad, Walter, Jett, Graff and Dinger, third team; Bruening, honorable mention); 20024 (Graff, third team; Weber and Wittler, honorable mention).

Follow Watertown Public Opinion sports reporter Roger Merriam on X (formerly known as Twitter) @PO_Sports or email: rmerriam@thepublicopinion.com

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South Dakota

Governor Rhoden signs school lunch bill into law

Published

12 hours ago

March 27, 2026

Press Room

Governor Rhoden signs school lunch bill into law

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (Dakota News Now) – Governor Rhoden officially signed HB 1082 into law on Friday, March 27.

HB 1082 is a bill that establishes parameters for reimbursing school districts that provide free or reduced-price meals to students.

Representative Kadyn Wittman, who has worked to pass the bill for several years, expressed excitement and gratitude in a post to Facebook on Friday.

“10,000 kids across our state will now have access to free school meals. No stigma. No barriers. Just the support they need to learn and grow,” wrote Wittman.

“So incredibly grateful to everyone who made this happen. This is a big win for South Dakota families!”

You can see the full bill and its sponsors here.

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South Dakota

Retired Air Force four-star general Maryanne Miller speaks at South Dakota Mines

Published

1 day ago

March 27, 2026

Press Room

Retired Air Force four-star general Maryanne Miller speaks at South Dakota Mines

RAPID CITY, S.D. (KOTA) – Students at South Dakota Mines heard Wednesday from retired four-star general Maryanne Miller about her journey to the highest ranks of the U.S. military.

Miller is a retired four-star U.S. Air Force general. She is the only member of the Air Force Reserve ever to be promoted to this level.

She spoke about finding greatness and living a life of fulfillment. Her stories came from her time in the Air Force and as a volunteer for Saint Teresa of Calcutta’s Missionaries of Charity.

“We so much get focused on what is our next step in life, what’s the next career move, how do we make ourselves better in our career, and we forget about how do we make ourselves better as a human being,” Miller said. “Because they have to go tandem. If it’s not tandem, you’re going to get off track.”

Miller was commissioned in 1981 and rose through the ranks before becoming a four-star general in 2018. She was the only woman serving as a four-star officer in the military at the time. She retired in 2020 after serving for almost 40 years.

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