SPEARFISH, S.D. – A proposed $9.3 million apartment complex planned for this fast-growing city in western South Dakota will be the first to use part of a federal affordable housing fund approved by Congress in 2024.

The proposed 32-unit Peak View II apartments on 3.5 acres off Paramount Drive in eastern Spearfish should begin accepting tenants in summer 2027.

The project will rely in part on a low-interest loan made from a $30 million pool of money allocated by Congress for affordable housing projects across the greater Black Hills region.

“We could build market-rate apartments where rents are higher, and that would be more profitable for us. But we wanted to be part of the solution, to find a win-win that helps the community and was still good for us.”
– John Buxton, co-owner of Buxton Enterprises and the developer of the project

The South Dakota Ellsworth Development Authority was provided access to the funding through an earmark pushed by U.S. Sens. John Thune and Mike Rounds as part of a $468 billion congressional spending package passed by Congress in March 2024. The money was allocated in advance of the $2 billion expansion of the Ellsworth Air Force Base in Box Elder, which will be home to the new B-21 Raider bomber fleet.

The funding was allocated to the South Dakota Ellsworth Development Authority, and it is partnering with the Black Hills Area Community Foundation to approve and administer low-interest loans for affordable housing projects across the region. The community foundation approved a $750,000 loan to aid in funding the Peak View II project.

“We look forward to this being an asset to the Spearfish community for decades to come,” Greg Litton, director of strategic housing at the foundation, said June 5 at a groundbreaking ceremony for the apartment complex.

Subsidized rents will aid low-wage earners

Depending on their income – which can range from 30% to 60% of the federal area median income level of $96,100 – subsidized tenants in Peak View II will pay $600 to $1,300 a month for rent and utilities, said John Buxton, co-owner of Buxton Enterprises and the developer of the project.

Buxton said the subsidized rents are well below current market rate rents in Spearfish. Federal law requires the project to maintain rents at an affordable level for the next 40 years, Buxton said.

Lloyd Companies of Sioux Falls will be the builder of the Peak View II project.

Spearfish has shown rapid growth in recent years, from a population of 10,494 in 2010 to 14,154 in 2025, a 34.8% increase over that 15 years, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

The number of households has not kept pace with that population growth, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, rising from 4,644 in 2010 to 5,932 in 2024, a 28% jump.

Housing a major need in fast-growing Spearfish

A 2016 housing study conducted by the city noted that much more rental housing is needed and included a recommendation that the city find a way to generate 230 new apartments to meet the need at that time.

As with most South Dakota cities, Spearfish faces an acute need for more affordable housing. Average rents in June ranged from $1,200 to $1,650 per month, according to Apartments.com. To afford an apartment at the top end of that range, a tenant would need to make gross wages of $66,000 a year to not be considered “rent burdened.”

Meanwhile, 15.2% of the population of Spearfish lives beneath the national poverty level, according to the Census. In 2025, the U.S. poverty threshold was $32,150 in annual income for a family of four.

Jeremy Hoven, president of the Black Hills Community Bank branch in Spearfish, said finding an affordable apartment or home in Spearfish is difficult right now.

“We really need housing like this – affordable workforce housing,” said Hoven, who serves on the Spearfish Housing Trust Advisory Board. “The overall affordability of housing is the big issue.”

Hoven said Spearfish has relatively high housing costs, so market rate apartments might be out of reach for some residents. “It’s nothing against other nearby towns like Belle Fourche, where I grew up. But if you want to live in Spearfish, you have to pay a premium, so to speak.”

How a hospital is helping solve a hometown housing shortage

After years of enduring a stifling housing shortage, a rural hospital in Hot Springs is investing in a subdivision project that will benefit the entire community.

Hoven said the increasing costs of housing construction make it hard for developers to build affordable units without some form of subsidization and collaboration among funders.

“We need some help,” he said. “With high land costs, building costs, engineering costs and soft costs, it’s pretty hard to make a project work without some type of subsidy.”

A variety of funding sources in play

The Peak View II project falls into that category.

The proposed project’s $9.3 million price tag will be funded through a variety of sources, said Buxton, co-owner of Buxton Enterprises, which built Peak View and is the developer on Peak View II as well.

Buxton received nearly $9 million in gross grant and loan funding from three programs run by the South Dakota Housing Development Authority. That includes $7.4 million in gross federal tax credits, $1 million from the HOME Program and $600,000 from the Housing Trust Fund.

The proposed Peak View II complex will be almost identical to the 32-unit Peak View apartments that opened in 2024 in the 2500 block of Paramount Drive in eastern Spearfish. Peak View II will be located next door and feature one-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments, Buxton said. Two units in each complex will rent at market rates with the other 60 available at subsidized affordable rates.

Buxton, who lives in Spearfish, told News Watch that Buxton Enterprises is focusing on affordable housing as a way to support opportunities for anyone who wants to call Spearfish their home.

“We could build market-rate apartments where rents are higher, and that would be more profitable for us,” he said. “But we wanted to be part of the solution, to find a win-win that helps the community and was still good for us.”

In addition to being the first project using the federal earmark money, the Peak View II project is also a continuation of the larger Strategic Housing Initiative being conducted over the past decade.

Engage South Dakota: Housing solutions

A list of entities and programs that can assist in developing or obtaining housing as well as links to News Watch reporting on housing solutions.

The initiative is a partnership among local and regional philanthropic groups that has shown success in expanding access to affordable housing for low-income individuals and families in the Black Hills region.

As of this spring, the initiative that began roughly a decade ago has resulted in development or retention of 645 apartments totaling more than 1,230 bedrooms for people who have difficulty obtaining and affording quality housing in the area.

South Dakota News Watch is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at sdnewswatch.org. Contact content director Bart Pfankuch: 605-937-9398/bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org.

For the first time in the state’s history, South Dakotans will vote in a runoff election July 28 to choose a candidate for governor. Republicans Toby Doeden and Gov. Larry Rhoden were the top two candidates in the June 2 primary election, but neither received 35% of the vote, which triggered the runoff.

Here are answers to some commonly asked questions about the runoff election:

If I didn’t vote in the June 2 Republican primary, may I still vote in the runoff?

Yes. Registered Republicans, regardless of whether they voted on June 2, may vote in the runoff election.

What about the general election in the fall?

Yes. You are not required to vote in primary elections to cast your ballot in general elections.

How long do I have to change my voter registration?

Voters have until July 13 to change or register their voting affiliation. You can find the form to do so on the South Dakota Secretary of State’s website, where you will print the form and submit it to your county auditor.

South Dakota voter guide

What South Dakotans need to know about voting in statewide elections, and who and what are on the ballot.

South Dakota News WatchCarson Walker

Who pays for the runoff?

South Dakota state law says that counties are responsible for paying all statewide general election fees. That includes the cost of ballots, poll workers and election equipment. The South Dakota Secretary of State’s office reimburses counties for the cost of post-election audits and administers the system that allows overseas voters, including military personnel, to vote and request ballots.

How do I know where I vote?

You can view your polling place for the July 28 election on the South Dakota Secretary of State’s voter information portal. You will need to provide your full name and either your ZIP code or birthday.

Is this the first runoff for governor?

Yes. The state’s first-ever runoff for governor is happening this year because of a law passed in 1985. Codified law 12-6-51.1 says if one candidate does not receive 35% of the vote in a primary, a runoff election between the top two candidates will take place eight weeks later to determine who advances to the general election. Before that law was passed, if a candidate did not receive 35% of the vote, the winner was decided at state party conventions.

Former Aberdeen Legislator Crafted Law That’s Led To South Dakota’s First Gubernatorial Runoff | Aberdeen Insider

His blog can be found online at sodakgovs.com, and he added a Wednesday, June 3 entry about the first gubernatorial runoff election in state history.

Aberdeen InsiderScott Waltman

If I live in Sioux Falls, may I vote in runoff elections for mayor and governor at the same time?

Yes, but for a limited amount of time, and only at specific locations. The runoff election for Sioux Falls mayor will take place on June 23, and the runoff election for governor will take place on July 28. They are separately administered elections.

But absentee voting for governor opens June 12 and absentee voting for mayor opens June 16. Sioux Falls residents may absentee vote for both races at either the Minnehaha or Lincoln County auditor’s offices. That means that between June 16 and June 22 – the day before the Sioux Falls mayoral election – registered Republicans can visit either office and vote absentee for both elections on the same day. Absentee voting is not available on election day.

Start here: Sioux Falls 101

Want to get involved in the decisions that shape Sioux Falls? Start here to get a local government crash course.

Sioux Falls SimplifiedMakayla Voris

South Dakota News Watch is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at sdnewswatch.org. Contact reporter/Report for America corps member Molly Wetsch: 605-531-7382/molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org.

HOT SPRINGS, S.D. – In a first-of-its-kind project in South Dakota, the small hospital in this southern Black Hills town is investing in a subdivision project to provide housing for its employees.

Fall River Health Services, an independent nonprofit medical center in Hot Springs, is paying $2.3 million of the overall $3.4 million cost of infrastructure for a subdivision that could create 48 new affordable housing units a few hundred yards from the hospital campus.

“It’s not wages or benefits keeping employees away, it’s simply that housing just isn’t available.”
– Jesse Naze, chief financial officer at Fall River Health Services

Like many South Dakota employers, Fall River Health is enduring a long-range worker shortage that has put pressure on its existing staff and driven up costs due to hiring of expensive traveling, short-term medical employees.

As of May 29, the hospital had 19 job openings, most of them in direct patient care, a shortage of 10% of its needed workforce of 190. In the past couple years, the hospital has lost dozens of prospective health care workers because they couldn’t find affordable or suitable local housing, said Jesse Naze, chief financial officer at Fall River Health.

“You can’t stop providing care, so we need workforce to care for our local population,” Naze told News Watch in an interview. “It’s not wages or benefits keeping employees away, it’s simply that housing just isn’t available.”

The hospital’s investment in the Cascade Hills subdivision project is part of a growing trend in which South Dakota employers are finding ways to provide housing for their workers.

Wall Drug president Rick Hustead told News Watch in 2025 that he provides mobile homes and other housing for more than 100 seasonal employees who would otherwise have nowhere to live.

Similarly, business operators in Keystone have said they provide recreational vehicles as housing for summer workers who arrive under the H-2B Visa program each year.

However, Chas Olson, executive director of the South Dakota Housing Development Authority (South Dakota Housing), told News Watch he isn’t aware of any South Dakota project in which an employer invested money on permanent housing that will benefit the business as well as the community at large for years to come.

The private hospital with 25 beds saved money for years to be able to invest in the proposed housing project in which some homeowners could see a financial benefit if they take jobs at the hospital and stay for at least five years.

“The hospital is fronting the cash to get this infrastructure put in so we can get this project going,” Naze said. “There’s only so much local workforce, so we need to attract employees, and this should be a big help.”

Evidence: Various sizes and price points

South Dakota Housing has high hopes for the Hot Springs project and in October approved a nearly $1.2 million grant to support the project. The money came from the $200 million Housing Infrastructure Financing Program approved by the Legislature in 2023.

Olson said the authority had been in discussion with officials from Hot Springs and Fall River Health for several years to generate a plan for an affordable housing project.

“We knew they were having issues recruiting and keeping workers there because the (existing) housing is old and aging,” Olson said.

The Cascade Hills project has a solid development plan, highly engaged people managing construction and strong overall community support, he said.

“When you combine all those things, it gave us comfort that the housing will get built,” Olson said.

According to a project summary by South Dakota Housing, the infrastructure grant could help lower lot prices by $30,000 each and allow rents to be up to $100 a month cheaper. The grants typically help pay expenses such as installation of utilities, streets, and curb and gutter.

The current plan for the subdivision is to build a mix of single-family and multi-family buildings that will create 48 total housing units with a wide range of square footages and prices, said Dennis Fischer, a former Hot Springs schools superintendent who now serves on the local hospital and housing boards.

Single-family homes of about 1,300 square feet should cost about $350,000, including the lot. Smaller villas, duplexes and townhomes could come in as low as $285,000, including lot costs, he said. Any of those prices fall within the South Dakota Housing Authority threshold for “affordable” housing projects.

“We’re hoping that isn’t out of reach for homeowners,” he said.

Project managers are working out details of a special mortgage for hospital employees who buy a home in which lot costs of up to $54,000 could be returned if they remain employed for five years, Fischer said.

As of May 27, the subdivision site remained open pastureland, though Fischer said infrastructure work could begin any day, with utility installation and road work the starting points. The 11-acre project on state Highway 71 south of the city will include space for a community park, he said.

The housing units will be built by private developers, who are not yet on board, Fischer said.

The local school district has some of the same hiring challenges as the hospital, he said.

“Teachers who couldn’t find housing turned down job offers or left after a couple years because they didn’t feel like they were getting ahead in terms of home ownership,” he said.

The partnership approach to funding the subdivision has expedited the timeline of the project, Fischer said. “The hospital didn’t have deep enough pockets to do it on their own.”

Fischer said a hopeful timeline for full development and sale of the housing would be in eight to 10 years, though he acknowledged it could be longer.

Insights: Study shows need for new ideas

A 2023 housing study revealed some of the challenges facing Hot Springs, many of which are common in small cities across the state. The city lost 4.5% of its population from 1990 to 2000 and saw another 10.1% decline from 2000 to 2010, falling from 4,129 to 3,395 over that 20-year period, according to the U.S. Census.

Perhaps more alarming and indicative of the city’s increasing position as a retirement community is that 60% of the city’s population was age 45 or older in 2022, with a loss of 125 people age 14 or under in the decade prior.

Meanwhile, from 2010 to 2020, Hot Springs lost 121 households, roughly 7% of its housing stock, though some data models anticipated household growth in the near future.

The study also noted strengths and weaknesses in the city’s current and prospective housing efforts. Strengths include the city’s role as a regional economic center, strong educational and health care systems, abundant outdoor recreation, attractiveness to retirees and generally affordable housing.

Negatives include the increasing population age and declining condition of housing, low-pay jobs, commutable proximity to Rapid City and a lack of available infrastructure.

“We’re trying to get people of working age to come here and bring their family and put their kids in our schools and shop at our local stores.”
– Aerial Allison, Hot Springs city administrator

The study ultimately called for development of about 100 local rental units, finding more developable land for single-family homes, and improvement or demolition of dilapidated houses and mobile homes.

Interestingly, the study called directly for two components that would be achieved by the Cascade Hills subdivision: promoting employer involvement in housing development and greater development of twin-home and townhouse units.

Limitations: Holistic housing approach needed

So far, the city of Hot Springs and its residents have been big supporters of the Cascade Hills project, said Aerial Allison, city administrator.

With no significant resident opposition and a unanimous city council vote, the city approved a $2.3 million tax increment financing (TIF) district to expedite development, she said.

No local tax money is expected to be needed on the project that could generate opportunities for new or existing employers to hire workers and potentially expand, Allison said.

“We’ve got some job openings (in city government) and I know they’ve been struggling at the hospital to fill jobs and retain them,” she said. “But I think all our employers would see a benefit.”

Yet the subdivision is only one part of a larger strategy to increase housing options in Hot Springs, Allison said.

Quality housing has been increasingly hard to come by as the city’s reputation as a pleasant retirement community has grown. Adding to the demand is a large number of out-of-state people who moved to Hot Springs and bought homes during and since the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Not to blame them for anything, but we’re really excited this project is focused on workforce housing,” Allison said. “We’re trying to get people of working age to come here and bring their family and put their kids in our schools and shop at our local stores.”

Meanwhile, the city has become more assertive recently in trying to buy and rehabilitate or tear down dilapidated housing, especially in some aging local mobile home parks. Part of that plan is to find suitable housing for people who leave those aged houses, Allison said

The city is also trying to connect homeowners with resources to help pay for home improvements or to upgrade their housing status, she said.

Engage South Dakota: Housing solutions

A list of entities and programs that can assist in developing or obtaining housing as well as links to News Watch reporting on housing solutions.

South Dakota News WatchBart Pfankuch

“Our jobs here haven’t really kept up with other rising costs, and especially housing costs, so people may need some help,” Allison said.

If the Cascade Hills project goes well, and houses get built and sold fairly quickly, it could spur more housing development, population growth and economic activity in the city, she said.

“It’s a good first step for us, a really big first step,” she said.

South Dakota News Watch is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at sdnewswatch.org. Contact content director Bart Pfankuch: 605-937-9398/bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org.

A documentary about nine sisters who attended a boarding school for Native American children in South Dakota and later underwent a lengthy legal battle with the Catholic Diocese of Sioux Falls will premiere globally this month.

“Nine Little Indians” follows the Charbonneau sisters, who are members of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians. They attended St. Paul’s Indian Mission School, also known as Marty Indian School, in Marty, South Dakota. All nine sisters said they experienced abuse at the hands of priests and nuns at the school.

Native American children were sent to boarding schools as early as the mid-19th century. Many boarding schools were affiliated with religious groups, and many were directly funded or supported by the federal government through the Indian Civilization Fund Act. That legislation allowed for funding to religious groups that wanted to open schools for Native Americans in an effort to introduce tribes to the “arts of civilization.”

“We cracked 7.5 million (total) views on the trailer in two weeks and a day. Viral, for a documentary, is considered 500,000 views. If that doesn’t speak to the interest in this topic, I don’t know what does. We have no help, we have no marketing budget. This is happening organically.”
— Shannon Kring, director of “Nine Little Indians”

Shannon Kring, the film’s director, has worked with Indigenous communities across the world and directed the 2021 documentary “End of the Line: The Women of Standing Rock.” That film chronicles the yearslong fight of the Standing Rock Sioux and other Native American people against the Dakota Access Pipeline.

For “Nine Little Indians,” Kring worked with executive producers actor Leonardo DiCaprio and motivational speaker and author Tony Robbins.

Documentary hopes to demonstrate truth of boarding school history

While the documentary is an explicit portrait of the sisters’ experience, chronicling their journey and struggles in the South Dakota legal system, it also takes a broader stroke to the nationwide impact of Indian boarding schools.

Marsha Small (Northern Cheyenne), a geophysical surveyor, is featured throughout the film as she searches for unmarked graves in the area of Marty Indian School using ground penetrating radar. Small has conducted similar searches at other boarding schools across the nation and has helped to create protocols for surveying burial sites.

Searching for graves is an unfortunate reality of the ongoing work investigating boarding schools. At least 3,000 children died in Native American boarding schools in the United States between 1828 and 1970, according to an investigation by the Washington Post.

Kring told News Watch that she wants the film to be a “healing tool” for all of those who were involved in the boarding school system, as well as their descendants, and acknowledged that it will likely bring up difficult feelings for many who have experiences at boarding schools, even outside of South Dakota.

Kring said that conversations throughout the film’s production and release rollout indicate a general unawareness of the country’s boarding school system. An important part of ensuring the film’s salience is hitting on the scale and scope of the system, she said.

Just 10 states in the country did not have any Native American boarding schools, and a study from the National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition said that the United States had a total of 526 schools. At their peak in 1926, around 83% of Native American children were enrolled in a boarding school, according to scholar David Wallace Adams.

“When we’re out pitching this in whatever form we’re doing it, we keep hitting those numbers, explaining that (there were) more than 500 schools. Saying things like, ‘These were government and church-run, and sometimes both, schools.’ People have such limited awareness of this that I keep saying to people, ‘How would you explain it to a kid?’” Kring said.

The film will premiere at Lincoln Center in New York City on Wednesday, May 27. The sold-out showing will also feature a panel discussion with Kring, Small, Yvonne “Pat” Charbonneau, one of the victims from Yankton, and George DiCaprio, Leonardo DiCaprio’s father.

Darrell Red Cloud, a Lakota historian and the great-great grandson of Chief Red Cloud, will open the premiere with a prayer song. Kring told News Watch that the premiere will also include a recitation of the Lord’s Prayer.

Kring also plans showings in South Dakota this summer. She said that she hopes the documentary will resonate even with those who don’t have connections to the boarding school system. She has seen a significant public interest in the topic.

“We cracked 7.5 million (total) views on the trailer in two weeks and a day. Viral, for a documentary, is considered 500,000 views. If that doesn’t speak to the interest in this topic, I don’t know what does. We have no help, we have no marketing budget. This is happening organically,” Kring said.

In South Dakota, boarding school history runs deep

All of the nine tribes in South Dakota had boarding schools operate on their reservations, and several existed outside of tribal lands.

Research from the National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition said that at least 35 boarding schools operated in South Dakota. 

The National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition (NABS) is also doing its part to preserve the stories of those who attended Indian boarding schools throughout the United States. The organization, which was founded in 2012, is near the end of its two-year oral history project funded by the Department of the Interior.

That initiative has involved nearly 400 survivors of boarding schools across the United States sitting down with historians to share their experiences at the schools in video interviews, which will be stored in a permanent, public archive of survivor stories.

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It has only been in recent years that the federal government, including the Department of the Interior, has acknowledged its role in the crisis.

In 2021, then-secretary of the Department of the Interior Deb Haaland (Laguna Pueblo) announced the creation of the Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative, which is “a comprehensive effort to recognize the troubled legacy of federal Indian boarding school policies.”

In 2024, former President Joe Biden issued an formal apology for the boarding school system, calling it “a sin on our soul.”

Charlee Brissette (Sault St. Marie Ojibwe), co-director of the oral history project, told News Watch that heightened public awareness of the history of boarding schools has allowed for more survivors to come forward. It illustrates the vast, often-unexplored scope of the system, she said.

“Once it was put on a public platform in a national way is when survivors really started feeling safer to talk about it. We’ve heard many times that, for decades, they didn’t talk about it because nobody believed them,” Brissette said.

Brisette said that hearing real stories, like those told in “Nine Little Indians” and in the oral history project, can allow for a much more potent understanding of the system – especially considering survivors are still alive today.

“It really tries to re-humanize it because we can look at stats, we can read books and we can read articles about what’s happened. For many people in Indian Country, we all have an idea, we all have this inherent knowledge of boarding schools and what they’ve done to our communities and our families,” Brisette said.

“But to be able to witness firsthand stories from survivors … we’re able to see a face of somebody who’s been directly impacted. We’re able to hear exactly what they’ve gone through, and how that experience has impacted their life and shaped them as a person.”

Moving forward rooted in reconciliation, collaboration

The legacy of boarding schools also lives on in many of the institutions that currently educate Indigenous children in South Dakota. Oftentimes, those legacies are just as complex as the schools that shaped them.

Some modern-day schools are on or near the land that former boarding schools operated on. Some former boarding schools transferred to tribal ownership and now operate in a different capacity. Some boarding schools are still open, albeit with very different practices than their historical counterparts.

That leads to further conversations about how best to move forward. Bissette said it should be up to tribes and survivors.

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“Even the question of ‘When did the last boarding school close?’ … Well, there’s still some open, you know? So it’s hard. You’ve got to look at it individually, not as a broad perspective because it’s like, ‘Is it tribally controlled now? Is it the tribe that took it over?’ That’s the main thing,” Brissette said.

“It’s school by school. It’s hard to have an overall opinion on them as a whole. We support what survivors want and what tribes want. It’s really up to the tribal nations to determine what’s best for their people, if it’s in a jurisdiction that works for their tribe.”

It is very likely that through both the oral history project and “Nine Little Indians,” public awareness of the ongoing impact of boarding schools will grow. There is, of course, a desire for an increased national understanding of the boarding school system. Generally, though, these initiatives’ greatest goals center around widespread healing for survivors and their communities.

Co-director of the oral history project Lacey Kinnart (Sault St. Marie Ojibwe) told News Watch that oftentimes, allowing someone to speak about their boarding school experience is the most important step in addressing any trauma from the experience.

“We definitely can’t understate the change that can happen for an individual by sharing their story. We’ve seen it. Every single week, at least one person says, ‘I feel such a relief by sharing my story,'” Kinnart said.

“So many people, too, throughout the years have said, ‘I’ve waited 64 years,’ or, ‘I’ve waited 70 years to share my story.’ And it’s the first time they’re sharing their story. It is huge, to have the courage and to get to a point where they want to share their story.”

---

Molly Wetsch is South Dakota News Watch’s Native and rural communities reporter. Wetsch was born and raised in South Dakota and is a descendant of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe. Her maternal grandfather attended Indian boarding schools in South Dakota: the Holy Rosary Mission School (now Maȟpíya Lúta) on the Pine Ridge Reservation and St. Joseph’s Indian School in Chamberlain.

South Dakota News Watch is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at sdnewswatch.org. Contact reporter/Report for America corps member Molly Wetsch: 605-531-7382/molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org.

BLACK HAWK, S.D. – Six years ago, a huge sinkhole opened in a residential neighborhood in this unincorporated town that serves largely as a bedroom community for Rapid City.

After all that time, the homeowners directly affected and those put at risk by the sinkhole have received no financial relief for their ongoing or potential losses.

Meanwhile, the immediate area around the sinkhole in the northeast end of the Hideaway Hills subdivision – easily visible from nearby Interstate 90 – has an almost apocalyptic appearance.

Chain-link fences surround the roughly dozen properties where residents were forced to flee in April 2020, unable to return over fears of further collapse of the underground mine upon which their houses were built.

“I would think that an engineer or geologist who had access to that information (location of abandoned underground mines) could have seen this problem beforehand.”
– Paul Santi, a sinkhole expert from Colorado

Their homes and many of their belongings have since been left to rot, and their properties are virtually worthless. Tall grass and weeds have overgrown their yards and the road. A vehicle sits stalled in one driveway. Fences are collapsing.

Those families and about 150 other neighboring homeowners have pinned their hopes for help on a lawsuit against the state now pending before the South Dakota Supreme Court. They allege that the state, which previously owned and mined gypsum on the site, is responsible for monetary damages of more than $60 million.

“If the Supreme Court rules against us, we’re pretty much done,” said Carolyn Lorge, a retiree who lives with husband Mike on East Daisy Drive in Black Hawk, just two houses away from the condemnation area. “I mean, you can still move, you can still try to sell your home, but as for being compensated for your loss, you’re pretty much out of luck.”

As the Supreme Court considers the case, News Watch conducted interviews, reviewed documents and media accounts, and listened to the high court hearing to provide this update on the sinkhole saga that has simmered for six years without resolution.

A sudden opening in the earth

The origins of the sinkhole date back to the early 1900s when a company called Dakota Plaster dug underground mine shafts in search of gypsum, which slows the hardening of concrete.

When the state of South Dakota opened its own concrete plant in Rapid City in 1925, it began mining for gypsum, including on the future subdivision site. Lawyers for the state said mining was done only on the surface and that no underground mining was undertaken, though blasting did occur.

In the 1990s, the state ended mining operations, reclaimed it for grazing and sold it in 1994 to a private owner. That owner lived and ranched on the land before selling it to a developer who obtained permission from Meade County to build a subdivision in the early 2000s.

The presence of the mine was noted at several points during the land transactions, though homebuyers were not told, according to court documents. Terra Larson, a Pierre attorney representing the state in the Supreme Court case, said the developer disclosed the mine location to the home builder, “who fraudulently concealed it to all the people who would be living there.”

As early as 2008, Hideaway Hills homeowners began reporting shifting in the foundation of their homes, and in April 2020, the sinkhole opened in the northeast edge of the subdivision. No one was injured, though at least one neighbor was nearby when it happened.

Amateur spelunkers who explored the sinkhole said the main cavern is 85 feet deep, 650 feet long and about 100 feet wide. They found construction debris and even an old car inside the cavern. Scientists found that the tunnel does not extend under I-90, but research by Montana Technical University found that two other tunnels exist under the subdivision with either high or medium risk of geological disturbances.

Seeking a high court ruling

In July 2024, a class-action lawsuit was filed against the state, arguing that the gypsum mining operation was not properly reclaimed when it sold the land. A circuit judge ruled in favor of the state in September 2024, and the homeowners appealed the case to the Supreme Court.

With representation by the national law firm of Fox Rothschild, the homeowners argued that the state improperly filled in areas where it had mined with overly soft materials that have worn away and led to the sinkhole. They argued that the state’s failure to properly close its mining operation is akin to an “inverse condemnation,” or a taking of their land similar to the use of eminent domain.

They said the state is also responsible because it retained the mineral rights to the land after the sale, and because the state blasted open the underground mine and further weakened it, a claim the state denies.

“Plaintiffs’ properties are sinking into the earth, and their houses are coming apart at the seams. The state is responsible for this destruction. It owns the subsurface beneath Plaintiffs’ properties, a subsurface it filled with crumbling minerals and loose garbage,” the October 2025 appeal to the high court states. “These materials are insufficient to support the surface, and it was only a matter of time before the ground began to collapse under its own weight.”

The state said it did not open any tunnels during its surface mining operations, and argues largely that the lawsuit is technically a “tort” from which the state has sovereign immunity that blocks such legal actions.

The Supreme Court is expected to rule on the case in the near future. It could side with the state or send the case back to the circuit court where, among other things, a trial for damages could be ordered.

‘Worst things you can put up there’

Underground mines once used to take coal or gypsum are the biggest culprits of sinkholes in the Mountain West region of the United States, said Paul Santi, a sinkhole expert and professor at the Colorado School of Mines. 

“Unfortunately, it is fairly common, but subdivisions are among the worst things you can put up there,” Santi said.

Gypsum is soluble in water and prone to wearing away over time, he said.

Santi, who has testified as an expert witness in sinkhole lawsuits, said he is also called upon to help avoid developments from being located on surfaces prone to collapse.

Unlike South Dakota, Colorado has an extensive mine mapping service and a geological survey agency within state government, which helps avoid disasters like the one in Hideaway Hills, Santi said.

He said that for one proposed development in Colorado, he spent only 15 minutes looking at mine maps to determine the proposal was not sound.

“I would think that an engineer or geologist who had access to that information could have seen this problem beforehand,” he said. “There’s clearly a chain of knowledge there that broke down in a few places.”

Living with losses and an ‘eyesore’ next door

For those in and around the evacuation zone, the emotional stress can rival the financial worries that have resulted from having a sinkhole in your neighborhood.

With a fence and warning signs a few steps north of their driveway, Carolyn Lorge told News Watch that she isn’t sure if she could sell her family’s four-bedroom, three-bath home on East Daisy Drive, even just for the $190,000 they paid for it a decade ago.

“That used to just eat me up, all that uncertainty,” Lorge said. “But as time goes by, you live with it, and you make the best of it.”

Neighbors within the evacuation area have gotten some relief from their mortgage lenders, but all expect that their homes are no longer of value, Lorge said. A home across the street from the Lorges sold for about $200,000 a while back, and the Lorges did get some property tax relief from Meade County a few years ago, she said.

But the homeowners who are part of the class-action lawsuit against the state, including the Lorges, said they haven’t been supported by government agencies or elected officials. Lorge said there is no money to seek from the builder of the homes, leaving the state as the only viable litigant.

“Our lawmakers and the rest of them won’t even say that what happened to us really sucks,” she said. “Somebody dropped the ball here, but no one wants to take any accountability.”

Lorge said that over the years, her hope for a positive resolution has slowly faded, and that she and her husband are moving forward with their lives in the happiest way possible. Mapping of the tunnels after the sinkhole appeared showed that their house is not directly over an underground mine, she said.

Lorge said her last ditch hope is that the Supreme Court rules in favor of the neighbors and that there is then a jury trial for damages, which could lead to a sympathetic verdict for the residents.

“For the first few years, you clung onto all kinds of hope and thinking that any new finding would be our saving grace, and it turned out it wasn’t,” she said. “But this place is so us, and we really love it here, even living next to this eyesore.”

South Dakota News Watch is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at sdnewswatch.org. Contact content director Bart Pfankuch: 605-937-9398/bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org.

PIERRE, S.D. – Some Republican primary voters in South Dakota may be forgiven for getting a case of deja vu when they head to the polls on June 2.

Besides the hotly contested governor’s race and the two other statewide contests taking place, some state Senate districts are seeing a rematch of GOP primary opponents from 2024.

“If property rights are important to people, they’re not going to forget.” – Sen. Mykala Voita

While those who lost two years ago hope higher turnout in this election cycle will work in their favor, those who were successful in 2024 and running for reelection are confident voters will remember the circumstances that got them elected in the first place.

Here are factors driving these rematches and a look at whether a candidate’s endorsement in the Republican gubernatorial contest could play a role in the outcome of their own race.

Take me back

Two of the state Senate rematches pit a former incumbent looking to reclaim their seat versus an opponent who was successful in ousting them, in part, due to concerns over property rights.

In District 18, which encompasses Yankton, state Sen. Lauren Nelson told News Watch voters she talked to still remember her opponent, former state Sen. Jean Hunhoff, voting in favor of Senate Bill 201 in the 2024 state legislative session.

The legislation was ostensibly meant to put in place restrictions for a potential pipeline. But detractors cried foul over the bill, arguing it reduced local control as it allowed South Dakota’s Public Utilities Commission to override county ordinances they deemed to be “unreasonably restrictive.”

The bill was ultimately repealed via a referendum, Referred Law 21 (RL 21), in November that year, with 59% voting against the adoption of SB 201.

“When I talk to people, it goes back to two years ago and SB 201,” Nelson told News Watch. “People still have that in the back of their heads. They remember those legislators who voted for SB 201 and precipitated the RL 21 movement we had to go through.”

Nelson, who defeated Hunhoff by fewer than 100 votes in the 2024 primary, hopes that issue, along with her voting record the past two years in Pierre, will get her over the line this year.

“I’m just focused on what I need to do,” Nelson said. “Whatever happens on June 2 happens.”

Hunhoff did not respond to a request for an interview.

‘They’re not going to forget’

In District 21, which includes Winner, Burke and Platte, state Sen. Mykala Voita is squaring off against former state Sen. Erin Tobin, whom she beat by 48 votes in 2024.

Speaking to News Watch, Voita echoed Nelson’s sentiments that SB 201 is still a factor in this year’s primary.

“I absolutely think it’s relevant (SB 201). When they played that hand with that bill, they showed where their loyalties lied,” Voita said. “If property rights are important to people, they’re not going to forget.”

As with Hunhoff, Tobin voted in favor of SB 201.

Voita argued the vote, similar to the debate over data centers, has showcased a divide in the South Dakota Republican Party between those who favor business interests and those seeking to preserve the state’s rural character and tradition for limited government.

“I’m not here to entice big corporations. I’m here to pull government back to its main role, which is securing our rights,” Voita said.

Tobin declined a request for an interview.

The gubernatorial factor

While the two other state Senate rematches are not as clear-cut as a former lawmaker looking to reclaim their seat after a controversial vote, they do encapsulate the division Voita alludes to within the GOP that’s playing out in the primary race for governor.

In District 3, which encompasses Aberdeen, state Sen. Carl Perry is seeking reelection and will meet against Katie Washnok, whom he defeated in the 2024 GOP primary election.

Washnok said her defeat two years ago was down to a lack of people going to the polls and that the governor’s race will drive up those numbers this year.

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“This cycle will be better because of the voter turnout. I think voters will be more engaged,” Washnok told News Watch.

Washnok is backing front-runner U.S. House Rep. Dusty Johnson, viewed as representing the more moderate wing of the party, in the GOP gubernatorial race.

“He’s never shied away from a question and I’ve asked him some pretty hard questions over the years,” Washnok said. “To me, he was the only candidate that came out of the gate with a solid vision for South Dakota that I was excited about and could totally get behind.”

Meanwhile, Perry told News Watch he is for “anybody but Dusty” but wasn’t sure yet if he would endorse either state House Speaker Jon Hansen, Gov. Larry Rhoden or Aberdeen businessman Toby Doeden.

“The three other candidates all have their merits. Jon has good experience and is a good guy. I just wish he was better funded. People say that Larry is not well spoken, but I can tell you he’s a good thinker and a good man. And Toby has a lot of enthusiasm for his campaign,” Perry said.

While Perry tiptoed around endorsing a candidate, other anti-Johnson state Senate candidates, including Nelson and Voita, are coalescing around Hansen, who has seen his support steadily rise in recent weeks.

Hunhoff and Tobin have not weighed in on the governor’s race with an endorsement.

In District 17, which includes Vermillion, Jeffery Church, who is in a rematch against state Sen. Sydney Davis, told News Watch he is backing Hansen, citing his record on property rights and his role in defeating Amendment G in 2024, which would have established abortion rights in South Dakota.

Davis, who beat Church in 2024 by more than 30 percentage points and was one of several lawmakers last year to endorse Johnson, told News Watch she has had “zero comments” from constituents regarding her vote to approve the controversial SB 201.

Voter turnout up in the air

Michael Card, professor emeritus of political science at the University of South Dakota, agreed that voter turnout will be significantly higher this year compared to 2024 but said it’s unclear how it will impact the state Senate results.

Card told News Watch, using District 3 as an example, he could see a scenario where the candidate’s preference for governor could help, or hurt, their case.

“If the percentages in the governor’s race stay the way that they are, that may greatly benefit Katie Washnok in terms of getting more support because Dusty has got a 2-to-1 lead,” Card said. “And on the other hand, if Carl Perry is saying ‘anybody but Dusty,’ that may not help him that much unless somebody is making big strides.”

Card said Hansen has the best chance to challenge Johnson, but it remains to be seen whether he can carry the momentum and take those state Senate candidates supporting him along the way to victory.

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In addition to the governor’s race, Card said another potential factor in the state Senate races could be recent property tax legislation, specifically Senate Bill 96, which gives counties the option to impose a half-cent sales tax increase in exchange for lowering property taxes.

In a poll sponsored by South Dakota News Watch and the Chiesman Center for Democracy at the University of South Dakota released last month, nearly half of respondents disapproved of the new bill, which was championed by Rhoden.

“SB 96 is really the one to campaign on if property taxes are the main issue,” Card said.

On that bill, Voita, Nelson and Davis voted no, while Perry voted yes.

Other key Senate races

Besides the rematches taking place, the 2026 state Senate primary election contain a number of other tightly contested races.

In District 2, which includes Brandon, just east of Sioux Falls, state House Reps. David Kull and John Sjaarda are battling to succeed retiring state Sen. Steve Kolbeck.

Senate President Pro Tempore Chris Karr of District 11, which encompasses parts of Sioux Falls, is being challenged by attorney Graham Oey.

In Senate District 24, which includes Pierre, state Senate Majority Leader Jim Mehlhaff faces not one but two primary challengers. Mehlhaff was the sole senator to vote “no” on Senate Bill 135 in the 2026 legislative session, which was billed the “Data Center Bill of Rights for Citizens” and promoted by Hansen and Karr.

Senate Majority Whip Randy Diebert of Spearfish, representing District 31, also has a primary opponent.

Diebert, who recently received the inaugural Champion of Local Control Award by the South Dakota Municipal League, told News Watch he is optimistic about the outcome of his race.

“I’m hoping they know how engaged I am. When I’m not in Pierre, I’ve come back to help solve local issues,” Diebert said.

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Meanwhile, District 26, which includes Presho, Chamberlain and the Rosebud Indian Reservation, might have the most intriguing of all races. Not only is state Sen. Tamara Grove facing a GOP primary challenger in Rebecca Reimer, on the Democratic side, former state Sen. Shawn Bordeaux, who lost to Grove in the 2024 general election, is attempting a comeback in what is the only competitive Democratic state Senate primary. Bordeaux will face Troy Lunderman.

Speaking to News Watch, Grove is confident of her chances both in the primary and in the general election.

“I said I was going to work for the tribes, and I have, while at the same time saying I will work for those not in Indian Country, which I have, ” Grove said. “I feel good about it.”

In the governor’s race, while she initially backed Doeden, Grove told News Watch she is leaning toward endorsing Hansen, citing his support for placing restrictions on potential data centers.

“If the primary were held today, my vote would go to Jon Hansen and Karla Lems (for lieutenant governor) because I know I can trust them to not force data centers or impose eminent domain,” Grove said.

Democratic state Sen. Erik Muckey of District 15, which includes downtown Sioux Falls, believes his party has a strong chance to take back District 26 this year.

“There are large numbers of Democratic voters across the district and a full slate of Democratic House candidates on both sides of the district. With an extremely negative Republican primary rolling out attacks on Democratic voters, a hard-working Democratic campaign that reaches voters across the district can win,” Muckey told News Watch.

Correction on May 15, 2026: An earlier version of this story incorrectly spelled Sen. Tamara Grove’s last name.

South Dakota News Watch is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at sdnewswatch.org. Contact politics and statehouse reporter Alexander Rifaat: 605-736-4396/alexander.rifaat@sdnewswatch.org.

RAPID CITY, S.D. – The massive hand-painted sign, hung on a fence at a bull riding event in Kyle, certainly illustrates the rough-and-tumble nature of South Dakota’s official state sport: “Not responsible for accidents or thefts.” 

Even more so when you consider the fact that this sign is smack-dab in the middle of one of the most remote regions of the state – no hospitals for about 50 miles. And when you see a young man with one hand flung in the air next to it, holding on for dear life, you’ve got yourself a true Wild West rodeo.

So, of course, Jeremiah Murphy had to take a photo of it.

Murphy, a lobbyist by trade, began photographing the Indian rodeo circuit in South Dakota and surrounding states about 15 years ago. He describes stumbling into it after a lifetime of dabbling in photography. It was the Crazy Horse rodeo in 2011 that really drew him in, and it was full-steam ahead from there, he told News Watch.

“I just sort of shot rodeos one day at a time, and then one day I looked up and said, ‘You shoot a lot of rodeos,'” Murphy said of a conversation he had with himself a few years into his hobby.

Grew up in Sioux Falls, attended OG

“Indian rodeo” refers to the events that take place across the country on tribal lands and in Native communities.

Some are massive and draw in crowds by the thousands, like the annual Crow Fair in Montana or the Rosebud Wacipi, Rodeo and Fair. Some, like the event in Kyle and dozens of others throughout the year, are a bit rougher around the edges, which is just how Murphy likes it.

He gets to know the people on the circuit, even if he doesn’t get many chances to chat. He describes himself as “bad company at rodeos” because he’s always behind the camera, and building trust with them is a critical part of his job. Many times, he’s capturing people in either life-or-death moments or the best moments of their lives.

Sometimes, it’s both.

Murphy’s not a country boy himself and doesn’t even look the part, really. He was born and raised in Sioux Falls, attended the private O’Gorman High School and frequented the Minnehaha Country Club. One of his oft-told stories is about getting kicked out of a Deadwood rodeo for not having a cowboy hat on.

Murphy said that a conversation with a bull rider at a rough stock show in Kadoka helped him understand why these communities let him into their spaces.

“I said, ‘People really treat me well here.’ And then he smiled bigger and he said, ‘Cowboys like to have their pictures took,'” Murphy said.

Telling the story of those not in the spotlight

Murphy can read these people as well as any born-and-raised rodeo lover, though, and doesn’t treat them with the delicate eye of an outsider. His photos illustrate the haphazard nature of rodeo’s most perilous events. But they also have another crucial element – the residents of South Dakota, ones who don’t live in major cities or along the I-90 corridor. 

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“It was embarrassing that there’s this whole side of South Dakota that, as a Sioux Falls and Rapid City resident, I was really ignorant of. These rodeos will take you to places in Kyle or Red Scaffold, and it’s great. There’s great stuff out there,” Murphy said.

“I’m still trying to look at myself as a photographer. You know, really, I know I’m a lobbyist. I did it for so long, but I’m still working on becoming a photographer.” – Jeremiah Murphy

His photos certainly do not shy away from the difficult parts. Not every rider is wearing a brand-new Stetson hat and a pearl-button shirt. Some are sun-weathered, some are sweating, some are in pain. That’s what makes Murphy’s photos what they are.

“There are a lot of rough ranch kids. There’s plenty of rough city kids, too. But that toughness is really, really revered in the real ranching world,” Murphy said. “It’s hard work. Rodeos are hard. Ranching is hard. I mean, there’s a number of people at rodeos in wheelchairs, or missing limbs or missing fingers.”

These people, some of whom live in the most difficult economic conditions in the country, are genuine celebrities in Murphy’s images. They are not treated as something to pity – because they aren’t.

He describes one woman in a photo of his (above): mouth full of chew, close-cropped hair and large sunglasses perched on her head as she wrangles a horse. She is, to Murphy, “Audrey Hepburn in South Dakota.”

Featured in national magazine

Last year, Murphy’s photographs were featured in The New Yorker magazine, along with a full profile of his life and work, showcasing his photos to a global audience for the first time.

Murphy said that not much has changed in his life since the story published – he still lives in Rapid City and makes it out to every rodeo he can. But he has certainly seen more of a general interest and appreciation for art that captures the modern American West. A print of one of his photos is now hanging in the office of an architecture firm in New York City’s Flatiron Building.

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Because of the ongoing success of his photos, Murphy said he’s begun looking into exhibitions and has also started selling prints of his popular work. He has quite a bit to go through – he’s been to more than 100 rodeos since he began documenting them.

“I’m still trying to look at myself as a photographer. You know, really, I know I’m a lobbyist. I did it for so long, but I’m still working on becoming a photographer,” Murphy said.

Murphy’s photos are, of course, modern in nature. Some elements, like vests decorated with sayings like “STRAIGHT OUTTA RIDGE” (a reference to rap group NWA), help viewers understand that these photos are not historic – they illustrate a very-much alive tradition in South Dakota.

His strict use of black-and-white, though, can’t help but call back to days long gone. After all, horses and bulls have bucked people off of them in the same way for hundreds of years. He said that, in his photos, he is primarily drawn to elements that connect viewers to the past and demonstrate the long-standing traditions that make up rodeo. He sees Indian rodeo as the best place to do that, where everything is a bit more off the beaten path.

“I’ve actually lived long enough that I’ve seen big structural changes in ways that I don’t think we’re going back,” Murphy said. “But boy, this history, it’s so intertwined. I thought, this is as close to what happened 100 years ago as you can get, which was, ‘Let’s all just meet at Joe’s pasture Saturday afternoon and see who’s got what.'”

Rodeo community’s future uncertain

Also present in his photos is the sense of community that one feels at a rodeo.

While a rider gets on the bull or bronc alone, there’s almost always people in the background cheering them on. Most of the time, it’s their competitors, which Murphy said is part of what makes Indian rodeo special.

“It’s sort of amazing. You know, you’ve got six or eight guys going for the same pot (of prize money), and they’ll be yelling for every single guy. Never mind the fact that if his ride keeps going that well, he’s going to knock your 78 off, and you’re going to move to second,” Murphy said, referring to rodeo scoring systems for bull and bronc riding.

“There’s a camaraderie, I think, for doing it. I think being willing to do that work sort of overcomes a lot of other stuff.”

Murphy does worry, though, about the future of this rugged rodeo circuit.

It doesn’t have the same commercial value as the Professional Bull Riders tours that fill arenas in Sioux Falls and Rapid City. By his own observation, there are fewer and fewer people in the grandstands every summer – mostly girlfriends, parents, siblings and friends of the riders.

“I fear I’m documenting the end of something,” Murphy said.

He said that it can be difficult to get people who aren’t from the area to find interest in the sport. Though his photos are popular, and he encourages people to come to rodeos themselves, some of the events are struggling to sell tickets and generate enough revenue to keep running year-after-year.

“To this date, I’ve never run into anybody at a rodeo from Rapid (City) who said, ‘Murph! … You were right, this is great. I came to the rodeo. I’m so glad.’ That has not happened once,” Murphy said.

The sheer magnitude of young people involved, though, would give anyone hope for a bright future in the sport.

Bull riders are young by nature, and plenty of ranch kids are deeply involved in rodeo. “East of Wall,” a 2025 film that highlighted a ranching family in South Dakota, featured at least half a dozen teens that found themselves drawn to the discipline and hard work of rodeo.

Murphy sees that just about every rodeo, too. He describes younger children who watch their older siblings competing with a sort of awe. One has to assume that they will also be up on that horse someday.

One set of Murphy’s photos illustrates just how much the reckless bravery of youth is on display at these events. In the first, a young boy, just 14 is in a pair of shorts, looking like he just might be crushed by a thousand-pound bull. The next, he’s up, helmet off and ready to shake the hand of a wrangler.

“A lot of people like the second picture more than the first. I thought that was interesting and sort of spoke well of people,” Murphy said. “You get a little bit of relief from seeing that. Watching it through my camera, it just about turned my stomach.”

Murphy has read and witnessed lots of discussions about the death of the West. Some of those conversations are rooted in reality – just look to his own observations of declining attendance and low ticket sales.

His photos, though, are a certain reminder that at least for those who know South Dakota and what this sport means, cowboys will never truly die.

“There’s a lot about the declining cowboy culture, which is true, but boy it clings, you know. It clings,” Murphy said.

South Dakota News Watch is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at sdnewswatch.org. Contact reporter/Report for America corps member Molly Wetsch: 605-531-7382/molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org.

Compared to several states to the west, South Dakota is not even in the conversation of places in danger of experiencing a water crisis.

Arizona, New Mexico, California and Colorado are increasingly in panic mode trying to find reliable sources of drinking water to quench the thirst of growing populations and future generations.

Over its 137 years of statehood, South Dakota has relied on rivers and reservoirs but mostly on underground aquifers to provide high-quality fresh water in quantities sufficient to accommodate slow but steady population, agricultural and industrial growth.

“We have one of the greatest water resources in the world, the Missouri River, running right through our state. And if we don’t think of ways to utilize it properly, the concern is that other states will figure out a way.” – Shane Phillips, executive director of WEB Water

But that comfort level is quickly evaporating, and signs of ongoing or potential water shortages are popping up in all corners of the state. Among them:

• The WEB Water system in Aberdeen has declared several portions of its service area as “moratoriums” in which no further water taps can be added until system capacity increases.
• The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers recently announced that ongoing drought has lowered Missouri River water levels, potentially affecting barge traffic, hydro-electric generation and recreational activities.
• Facing declining water levels in the Big Sioux Aquifer, the Minnehaha County Water Corp. in Dell Rapids has turned away potential high water use industrial employers to maintain service to existing residential and municipal customers.
• A 2025 federal geological survey showed that some of the “sub-aquifers” that provide fresh water to northern Black Hills communities are not recharging as fast as they are being depleted.
• Due to low water levels in Pactola Reservoir and a forecast of continued drought, Rapid City officials in April enacted summer water use restrictions two months earlier than usual.

Looking 40 years into the future

While those impacts are not seen as harbingers of an immediate or near-term crisis in the state, they are generating concern over what could happen if South Dakota waits too long to begin finding future reliable sources of water.

“Statewide, water managers are seeing this and realizing we need to start making plans now for 40 or 50 years into the future,” said Shane Phillips, executive director of the WEB system that provides 6 million gallons of water a day to nearly 40,000 people and hundreds of farms and businesses in north-central South Dakota. “If you wait until the need is there, you’re already way behind.”

In response, local, regional and state water officials are pushing forward with water projects that will surely cost billions of dollars and increasingly tap into one of the world’s greatest sources of fresh water and the longest river in the U.S. – the mighty Missouri River.

“There’s a tsunami of water projects underway or under discussion in South Dakota right now,” said Troy Larson, executive director of the Lewis & Clark Regional Water System, a massive South Dakota-based provider of water to much of the state’s southeastern quadrant and parts of Iowa and Minnesota.

To grasp the scope of the proposals, News Watch reviewed documents and conducted interviews to gain an understanding of ongoing or planned major water projects in the state. The four largest:

• Lewis & Clark is near completion of its $711 million “base system” that serves 20 communities, including Sioux Falls, with 44 millions of gallons per day (MGD). An expansion to 60 MGD is underway, with a second expansion to 155 MGD planned after that, all with a price tag of unknown billions of dollars.
• WEB water and its new WINS cooperative serving Aberdeen and communities to the east has made $20 million in improvements since 2016. The system is spending $82 million to expand its treatment plant and add a new 50-inch pipeline upgrade.
• Western Dakota Regional Water System representatives recently testified before Congress to seek approval of a feasibility study for a 165-mile, 71-inch pipeline from the Missouri River to Rapid City and more than 50 communities and systems in the Black Hills region. If approved, the project is estimated to cost at least $3 billion and take decades to construct.
• The Dakota Mainstem Regional Water System Inc. is also seeking congressional approval of a feasibility study on an ambitious project to pump Missouri River water to almost the entirety of East River South Dakota and parts of Minnesota and Iowa. The project could include a 96-inch main pipeline and a price tag of up to $10 billion.

“Experts have shown us that we’re straining our aquifers in South Dakota, and we need to act now so our future generations don’t have to react,” said Kristen Conzet, director of the Western Dakota system. “The cheapest time to do any of this is now if not yesterday.”

Larson said the need for water is being driven mainly by population growth and a long-range drought in many areas of the state.

Other water managers said the state needs to be prepared to sustain existing industries such as agriculture production and ethanol and be ready to accommodate new businesses including data centers or other employers that may locate in South Dakota in the future.

Major water projects are paid for through a variety of sources. In a typical example, the $711 million Lewis & Clark base system was funded at 80% from the federal government, 10% from the three states serviced and 10% from customers, Larson said.

A shift to regional systems and the Mighty Mo

For generations, and currently in many regions, South Dakota homes, farms and municipalities mostly tapped into underground aquifers with individual wells to obtain fresh water.

But as the state has grown, and water pipeline and treatment technologies have evolved, the state has moved to a model known as “regional water systems” in which a main provider of water taps a river or reservoir and installs underground pipes for distribution.

The origin of the model dates back about 50 years to a heated battle that took place over how to obtain water from the Missouri River in the north-central part of the state and what to use it for.

The proposed Oahe Irrigation Project was a federal government effort to build a series of canals to provide Missouri River water to agricultural producers in a 190,000-acre area in Brown and Spink counties. But it faced opposition – largely from landowners who opposed the forced taking of their land – and caused heated division among residents, farmers, and local, state and federal officials.

After extensive lobbying of federal officials, and gaining control over a regional water board, opponents halted the project and its federal funding in 1978.

Roger Schuller, a third-generation farmer from Claremont, was a vocal opponent of the irrigation canals and has since become a historian of South Dakota water projects.

“We were trading a billion-dollar project for a lot less expensive project that would service thousands of people instead of a smaller amount of recipients who farmed,” Schuller, 82, told News Watch. “It changed the direction of water development in South Dakota.”

As the irrigation effort was unraveling, the WEB rural water system was taking shape as its replacement. The pipeline system, which carries fresh water to a wide swath of northeastern South Dakota, remains in operation and is now undergoing a large expansion.

“The WEB project, to my mind, was the start of the rural water revolution as we see it now in this state,” said Schuller, adding that the project fueled both population growth and the development of the ethanol industry in the region. “Water is the key for human consumption and for any industry you want. But you can expect controversy to arise around almost any water project.”

Internal, external race for water system capacity

From a broad perspective, South Dakota is in a race to obtain more Missouri River water on two separate fronts.

First off, the state needs to make investments now and begin building pipeline infrastructure because major systems can take 30 to 50 years to complete, said Kurt Pfeifle, executive director of the Dakota Mainstem project.

“I probably won’t be around when this project gets built,” said Pfeifle, 66, who formerly was head of South Dakota Association of Rural Water Systems. “If you’re going to do these big things, you need to start now because it’s not going to get done quickly or be any cheaper than it is now.”

But the state is also eager to build new water systems in order to get ahead of other states that could potentially try to tap into the Missouri River as a source for desperately needed water.

The threat of Colorado or New Mexico possibly building a pipeline to the Missouri is a topic that South Dakota water managers approach with caution because they don’t want to legitimize a concept with a low likelihood of becoming reality.

But at the same time, it’s one they must confront.

While no firm proposals are being considered, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation did consider a proposal in 2012 backed by several Western states to tap the Missouri River. The idea never took hold, but it called for an $11 billion, 670-mile pipeline to provide water to 1.2 million customers in seven arid states that rely on the faltering Colorado River for water.

Phillips, director of WEB Water, said he has heard estimates that if the city of Denver implemented an additional 1% sales tax, the city could quickly afford to build a pipeline to the Missouri River. If other states tap the Missouri, it could reduce water availability for states that already rely on the river, including South Dakota.

“We have one of the greatest water resources in the world, the Missouri River, running right through our state. And if we don’t think of ways to utilize it properly, the concern is that other states will figure out a way,” Phillips said. “It’s a cautionary tale and a reminder that we need to plan for the future now.”

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South Dakota News Watch is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at sdnewswatch.org. Contact content director Bart Pfankuch: 605-937-9398/bart.pfankuch@sdnewswatch.org.

PIERRE, S.D. – County auditors in South Dakota are, in certain cases, deciding how to implement new voter ID rules on their own due to uncertainty over guidelines issued by the state’s secretary of state, as early and absentee voting for the primary election is well underway.

Senate Bill 175, passed in the 2026 legislative session, requires new voters to provide proof of citizenship as part of the registration process. The bill was enacted with an emergency clause, which allows the regulations to take effect for the upcoming primary ballot on June 2.

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South Dakota News WatchAlexander Rifaat

The secretary of state’s website outlines various documents first-time registrants can provide as a photocopy to show proof of citizenship, such as a passport or birth certificate. But confusion has emerged as to whether eligible South Dakota driver’s licenses, which identify a person’s citizenship status, can also be provided as a photocopy or have to be shown in person.

Since July of last year, as a result of Senate Bill 75 from the 2025 legislative session, driver’s licenses in South Dakota are now issued with an indication of a person’s U.S. citizenship status. The secretary of state’s website lists driver’s licenses as an acceptable form of proof but does not explicitly state whether they need to be physically shown at an auditor’s office or if a photocopy is sufficient.

Amy Scott-Stoltz, president of the League of Women Voters of South Dakota, a nonpartisan advocacy group, said that county auditors in charge of voter registration are having difficulty ensuring a uniform system across the state.

“They’re trying to follow the secretary of state’s guidelines, but the vagueness has led to certain issues,” Scott-Stoltz told News Watch. “Do they need to present this stuff in person? Can they accept it by mail? Different auditors interpret that differently.”

Hughes County Finance Officer Thomas Oliva, who acts as that county’s auditor, said his office is requiring new voters to show the physical driver’s license.

“The main reasoning behind that is because it’s the back of the license. There’s no other identifying information on the back we can tie back to that person, so we felt it’s in the best interest to see the physical card,” Oliva told News Watch.

Haakon County Auditor Stacy Pinney said she has not run into any issues yet with voter registration but also will require new applicants to physically show the driver’s license.

“I’m going to make it a policy in my office that I want to see the actual card. If I have to verify it, I want to see the real deal,” Pinney told News Watch.

Meanwhile, Harding County Auditor Kathy Glines said her office will accept a photocopy of the driver’s license.

“They would have to send a front and back,” Glines told News Watch.

“I hope they would call before sending it by mail,” she added, referring to the limited hours the office is open.

Need for clarity

In addition to questions over how to process new voter applications using driver’s licenses, Oliva said the secretary of state’s office has also created confusion in its communication with prospective voters who are missing the required citizenship documentation.

Oliva said voters who are deemed not to have provided proof of citizenship are sent a letter that indicates they are a “Federal Only” voter, which means, since the new voting law applies to South Dakota elections, they can only vote in statewide federal elections for U.S. president, U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives races.

“I do not necessarily agree with this approach and believe the individual should instead be notified and marked as incomplete or invalid until the required documentation is received,” Oliva said. “While the letter does inform the voter of their status, it does not provide a clear explanation as to why they were designated as such.”

Oliva highlighted the letter generated by the voter registration system only indicates a person is ineligible due to situations such as the use of a commercial mail receiving agency, mail forwarding service or post office box without sufficient residential description.

“While that explanation is accurate in those scenarios, it does not address the separate issue of missing citizenship documentation, which can also result in Federal Only status. This omission may lead to confusion for voters,” Oliva said.

In order to provide more clarity, Oliva created a letter addressed for those deemed to be a Federal Only voter based on a lack of proof of citizenship outlining their options.

In a copy of the letter provided to News Watch, Oliva’s office specifies the new voter was classified as Federal Only due to the lack of citizenship documentation and provides examples of eligible forms of documents they can submit to change their status.

As early and absentee voting for the primary election gets underway, Scott-Stoltz hopes officials in Pierre can provide more certainty on the registration process for new voters.

“We’re hoping for more clarification from the secretary’s office before the primary and are looking forward to working with the election board,” she said.

The secretary of state’s office didn’t respond to a request for comment by News Watch.

Ballots delivered; no extra documentation needed to vote

After early and absentee balloting in some counties were delayed in part due to the short time frame the secretary of state’s office had in validating eligible candidates, primary voting does appear to be back on track across the state.

News Watch reached out to all 66 county auditors, with 30 so far confirming they have received their absentee primary ballots.

Oliva said the challenges so far have been manageable and that a key focus for his team will be to also emphasize to voters who are already registered that they do not need to present new documents.

“We have received questions and concerns from individuals who believe they must bring additional documentation to the polls in order to vote. This is not the case, and it is important to correct these misconceptions and provide clear, factual information,” Oliva said.

Oliva said it’s unfortunate not every county is executing the new voting requirements the same but concedes “it’s entirely up to that auditor’s office.”

As for Glines, she said her county is doing the best it can to abide by the secretary of state’s guidelines.

“We are all feeling our way through it,” Glines said.

Jackley releases explanation on Amendment J

Concerns over the new registration rules come as state Attorney General Marty Jackley issued a draft explanation on an upcoming ballot measure tied to the U.S. citizenship requirement for voting in elections.

Amendment J, which will be on the ballot this November, would amend the South Dakota Constitution to add people who are not U.S. citizens to the list of individuals disqualified from voting.

Proponents of the measure argue it will provide greater clarity as to who can vote since, while non-U.S. citizens are already barred from voting in federal elections and registering to vote in South Dakota, there is no language in the state constitution that explicitly prohibits them from voting in state or local races.

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Under state law, the attorney general is required to issue a draft explanation of the measure, which essentially acts as a preview of how the question will appear on the ballot.

The public has until end of day on May 8 to submit written comment on the attorney general’s explanation. A final draft is due to the secretary of state’s office on May 19 for approval. The finalized explanation will then accompany the ballot question in the fall.

South Dakota News Watch is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at sdnewswatch.org. Contact politics and statehouse reporter Alexander Rifaat: 605-736-4396/alexander.rifaat@sdnewswatch.org.

WATERTOWN, S.D. – South Dakota counties and cities that received the first $9.6 million of national opioid settlement money have spent less than half of it, according to Department of Social Services spending reports through the end of 2025.

While 41 South Dakotans died from opioid overdoses last year – up from 39 in 2024 – some officials from those 53 counties and 13 cities said they haven’t yet made plans on how to use the distributions, which began in late 2022.

In 2021, a combined nearly $50 billion in settlements from opioid manufacturers, distributors and pharmaceutical companies began distributing funds to all 50 states, as part of the national settlement agreement.

“You don’t want to be the guy who spends it all on something and then it’s like, ‘No, that was wrong.’” – Tye Vander Vorst, Potter County auditor

South Dakota was allocated just under $99 million to be distributed through 2038. Funding to each state was determined based on a formula including the number of overdose deaths, number of opioids shipped to the state and number of people with opioid use disorder in the state.

The vast majority of South Dakota’s settlement funds will come from the distributor settlement, which includes major drug distributors McKesson, Cardinal Health and Amerisource Bergen.

Of South Dakota’s funding, 70% is directed to the state through the Department of Social Services. The other 30%, or around $29 million, will be divided among local governments in the state: the 53 counties and 13 towns and cities that signed a memorandum of agreement to spend those dollars on specific approved uses.

That relatively slow spending at the local level contrasts sharply with the state.

In December, some lawmakers expressed concerns that the state was not spending its funding quickly enough. In April, DSS secretary Matt Althoff and Gov. Larry Rhoden announced $7.82 million in grants, leaving the statewide share of unspent disbursements at $2.9 million of its total $23 million.

State spending has been varied, with nearly $500,000 spent for naloxone access statewide, $797,000 for a prescription drug monitoring program and the $7.82 million slate of grants provided to organizations across the state, among others.

The national settlement agreement dictates that at least 70% of spending must be directed toward opioid remediation efforts.

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DSS told News Watch that the department does not dictate how or when local governments choose to spend dollars.

“The Department of Social Services (DSS) does not have oversight or regulatory authority over how local governments spend their share of the funds. Use of the local share is governed by the South Dakota Opioid Settlement Memorandum of Agreement (MOA), which all participating local governments joined in 2022,” Althoff said in a statement.

“South Dakota adopted the national settlement’s default model-generated percentage shares for local subdivisions as outlined in the MOA. The MOA specifies that recipients must annually report utilization of funds received to DSS.”

Smaller settlement amounts

While some local governments have spent large portions of, or nearly all of their shares, the general trend is still of slow, metered spending.

Eleven counties had not yet reported any spending to DSS by the end of 2025, and several others had spent just fractions of their settlements.

Potter County auditor Tye Vander Vorst told News Watch that the county hasn’t begun allocating dollars because it is not yet clear how much the county will receive in a given year and where the best place to spend the money is. The north-central county, which has a population of 2,400, has received nearly $18,000 since 2022.

Vander Vorst said that the sporadic nature of settlement funds, often coming unpredictably with low dollar amounts, makes implementing ongoing programming difficult. The county hopes to make more concrete plans when more funding comes in and opens up spending possibilities, he said.

“What do you do? Do you wait and sit on what you can accumulate or do you try to spend $200 here, $200 there on stuff?” Vander Vorst said. “You don’t want to be the guy who spends it all on something and then it’s like, ‘No, that was wrong.’”

Resource gaps are challenges for rural governments

Face It Together, a nonprofit organization that provides addiction recovery services, was one of 10 recipients of the $7.82 million in statewide opioid settlement fund grants earlier this month.

The organization will use $750,000 over the next three years to administer individual peer-to-peer addiction programming at the state penitentiary in Sioux Falls.

Peer-to-peer programming connects those struggling with addiction with coaches who have been through similar experiences, allowing for deeper relationships and problem-solving.

CEO Megan Colwell said that while Face It Together has primarily focused on alcohol abuse rehabilitation, the organization is now seeing a nearly equal number of alcohol addiction and opioid addiction cases.

It is based in Sioux Falls but does work across the state and out of a satellite office in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

The need for help is great in rural areas as well as in the state’s two urban centers of Rapid City and Sioux Falls, Colwell said. Face It Together currently provides peer-to-peer coaching in rural prisons in Pierre, Springfield and Yankton and also provides some remote peer-to-peer coaching sessions with people outside of the Sioux Falls metro area.

Colwell cited remote coaching as a potential solution for counties that want to connect residents in need with support.

In low-population and large geographical area counties, there can often be a lack of understanding about where addiction resources are needed, and the visibility of programs that do exist can be low, Colwell said. That’s why it’s critical that counties are intentional with their spending programs and choose to put dollars in the right places, she said.

“Some of these counties don’t have resources, even with the localized funding,” Colwell said. “You want it to make a difference. This is the one time we have funding that is specifically for this issue.”

Some counties, towns differ in spending strategy

Even for local governments in the same geographic areas with many of the same leaders, residents and affected communities, differences in spending attitudes are great.

Codington County in eastern South Dakota has so far received $87,329 and is projected to receive a total of $255,816. The county has not yet reported any spending of that money to the Department of Social Services.

Representatives from the county told News Watch that grants related to recidivism, as well as a recent $50,000 grant from the statewide fund for an opioid awareness campaign, mean that the county will be conserving its own share for a while to determine the best strategy for spending.

While a committee has been established to discuss potential funding opportunities, no specific decisions about where those dollars will go have been made.

Codington County’s biggest city, though, has taken a very different approach: Watertown has spent the entirety of its $161,544 share on the Watertown Police Department.

With those dollars, the department hired a part-time social worker who assists the department’s full-time mental health officer on mental health, overdose and other drug-related calls.

Some funding has also gone toward education and boxes where people can safely dispose of drugs.

Tim Toomey, Watertown chief of police, told News Watch that the city mostly focused on taking care of its own needs regarding addiction services, with the hope that having a large set of resources in Watertown would benefit the entire population of Codington County.

“We work really closely with the sheriff’s office, but with something like this, we really never met with each other,” Toomey said. “We probably could have pooled our funds, but we had some needs at the time.”

Because of an already-robust resource network in Codington County that includes programs like Codington Connects and Brothers and Sisters Behind Bars, the city was able to be more ambitious with its funding, Toomey said.

“With these extra dollars, we thought, ‘How can we attack this crisis as well as enhance our own community engagement activities so that we can continue the reduction of overdoses and how we’re responding to them?,'” Toomey said.

Nationwide, slow spending is the trend

Karen Scott and Ken Shatzkes, president and program director of the national Foundation for Opioid Response Efforts (FORE), told News Watch that the low spending trend in local governments is not unique.

Scott told News Watch that the organization has seen local governments nationwide have issues with effective spending programs – especially when the funding amounts are low and issues with substance abuse might not be as prevalent.

Prioritizing spending even when issues are not visible can help prevent future problems in a community, she said.

“There’s always work that can be done on the upstream, really prevention-oriented in terms of creating stronger and more resilient environments for kids, for families and the community,” Scott said. “That’s one area that people can think about, even if they don’t have a large number of overdoses and a direct overdose response.”

States have taken vastly different approaches to localized share amounts.

In Louisiana, 80% of the state’s projected $600 million settlement will go directly to local governments and the other 20% to county sheriff’s departments, leaving the dollars entirely out of state hands. In Montana, counties and cities will see 15% of a projected $75 million.

Shatzkes said South Dakota’s approach is relatively similar to many state’s distribution models, which see allocations anywhere from 15-50% of funds for local government based on the state’s individualized experience with the opioid crisis.

“We know that it’s a crisis now, but the crisis may look different 10 years from now. The crisis looks different in different areas across the country,” Shatzkes said.

Local agencies focus on law enforcement, corrections and emergency services

Much of South Dakota’s local government spending has been directed to law enforcement, correctional and emergency services provided by the counties themselves.

The Ziebach County auditor’s office told News Watch that all of its opioid settlement fund money was going to the sheriff’s office for drug tests and other prevention initiatives. The Sanborn County auditor’s office, which has spent nearly all of its current $13,000 allocation, said the dollars have funded existing programs like law enforcement and first responder drug training to free up space in the general fund.

That type of spending is a natural pathway for counties that may not already have existing resource networks. And it provides a logical outlet for the dollars, which have specific spending guidelines set by the state’s memorandum of agreement.

Shatzkes said that while the spending can be an effective place for dollars to go, he also recommends that local government officials employ those with knowledge about substance abuse in the area.

He cited a county in North Carolina that hired its local emergency medical services (EMS) responder as the county’s opioid settlement coordinator as a successful example of harnessing local expertise.

“For the most part, in most places, states aren’t trying to dictate how counties are spending the money,” Shatzkes said. “They’re only putting out a report on recommendations or just giving the thumbs up on whether (the program) fits. I think having outside expertise, away from government, to help make these decisions is probably the right way to go about it.”

Scott said that especially in rural areas, collaborating with neighboring counties or municipalities could help solve many concerns about effective spending.

“Maybe there isn’t an organization or expert in their county or their jurisdiction. But maybe there is one in the next county over or the next county over,” Scott said.

For smaller counties receiving lower settlement amounts, drawing knowledge and resources from statewide networks like Face It Together and the charity Emily’s Hope, which provides naloxone boxes and substance abuse support across the state, could make all the difference, Colwell said.

“What’s out there? What can be brought in? What’s an easy lift? What’s low hanging fruit?” she asked. “Just understanding the addiction programs that are out there. We’re getting better at being less siloed in South Dakota, but the silos are still there.”

South Dakota News Watch is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at sdnewswatch.org. Contact reporter/Report for America corps member Molly Wetsch: 605-531-7382/molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org.