Articles by Jamie Stengle and Stephen Groves

South Central Storms Linked to 2 Deaths in Louisiana

DALLAS (AP) – A destructive storm ripping across the U.S. spawned tornadoes that killed a young boy and his mother in Louisiana and threatened the South with more severe weather Wednesday. Meanwhile, the huge storm system delivered blizzard-like conditions to …

Massive Storm Brings Tornadoes to South Central, Blizzard Threat to Plains

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) – A massive storm blowing across the country spawned tornadoes in parts of Oklahoma and Texas, including the Dallas-Fort Worth area, as much of the central United States from the Rocky Mountains to the Midwest braced …

South Dakota Pot Legalization Effort Faces Resistance

When it comes to marijuana, South Dakota has been a leader among its Great Plains neighbors: one of the first to legalize recreational use, the first to approve both medical and recreational forms on the same ballot and the only …

South Dakota Pot Legalization Effort Facing Resistance

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) – When it comes to marijuana, South Dakota has been a leader among its Great Plains neighbors: one of the first to legalize recreational use, the first to approve both medical and recreational forms on the …

South Dakota AG Got Speeding Ticket Days Before Trial Over Deadly Crash

South Dakota’s attorney general was ticketed for going 57 in a 35 mph zone just days before he pleaded no contest to traffic charges for a car crash that killed a pedestrian last year. Jason Ravnsborg, the state’s top law …

Fines, but no Jail Time for South Dakota AG in Pedestrian Death

South Dakota Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg pleaded no contest on Aug. 26 to a pair of misdemeanor traffic charges over a crash last year that killed a pedestrian, avoiding jail time despite bitter complaints from the victim’s family that he …

South Dakota Lawmakers, Cities Making Their Own Marijuana Plans

As South Dakota anticipates a state Supreme Court decision on whether recreational marijuana will become legal in July, state lawmakers and city governments are moving forward with their own pot plans. Officials across the state have warmed to the idea …

Union Votes to Strike at S.D. Pork Plant That Had Big Virus Outbreak

The union at a Smithfield Foods pork processing plant in South Dakota said it would head to contract negotiations armed with the authorization to call a strike. A strike authorization at the Sioux Falls chapter of the United Food and …

South Dakota Voters Passed Medical Pot, but Docs Hesitant

Medical marijuana advocates have convinced South Dakota voters that legalizing the drug for medical use is a good idea, but they are struggling to do the same with many of the state’s physicians. A split between the state’s largest doctors’ …

South Dakota Senate Pushes Permissive Medical Pot Law, Defying Governor

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem’s push to scale back a voter-approved measure to legalize medical marijuana was left clinging to life on March 10 after Republican senators defied her. The issue of implementing a medical marijuana program, which voters approved …