Tag: South Dakota

South Dakota Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg Convicted, Removed From Office Over Fatal Crash in 2020

Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg of South Dakota was convicted by the state Senate on June 21 of two impeachment charges following a car accident in 2020 that claimed another man’s life. The vote to impeach the Republican came after hours of questioning from lawmakers, who did not appear to believe Ravnsborg’s account of the crash, and also triggered his automatic…


South Dakota Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg Convicted, Removed From Office Over 2020 Fatal Crash

Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg of South Dakota was convicted by the state’s Senate on June 21 of two impeachment charges in connection with a car crash in 2020 that claimed the life of a pedestrian. The vote to impeach the Republican came after hours of questioning from lawmakers, who didn’t appear to believe Ravnsborg’s account of the crash, and…


Gov. Kristi Noem Celebrates Stoppage of Abortions in South Dakota

The governor of South Dakota celebrated the last abortion clinic in the state putting a pause on performing abortions, saying on social media that she “prayed” for it to happen. “Abortions have stopped in South Dakota. We have prayed for this day, and now it is here,” Gov. Kristi Noem wrote on Twitter on June 16….


Severe Storms Blamed for 3 Deaths in South Dakota, Minnesota

SIOUX FALLS, S.D.—Strong winds and a tornado caused widespread damage in parts of the Midwest, where officials said another round of severe weather during a stormy week left three more people dead. In Minnesota, a grain bin fell onto a car Thursday and killed a passenger near Blomkest, the Kandiyohi County Sheriff’s Office said. And…


Poultry Farms on High Alert: 28 Million US Birds Dead From Avian Flu Since February

A serious outbreak of the bird flu is threatening the United States’ poultry inventory. Since it was first detected in commercial flocks in February 2022, some 28.2 million domestic birds have died from Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI), according to a spokesperson from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service…


South Dakota Lawmakers Impeach State’s Attorney General Over Fatal Car Crash

South Dakota’s House of Representatives on April 12 impeached the state’s attorney general over the fatal car crash he got into in 2020. Republican Jason Ravnsborg was impeached in a 36–31 vote. The adopted resolution says Ravnsborg “committed certain crimes while operating a motor vehicle, which led to and directly caused the death of South Dakota…


South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem Signs Legislation Restricting Teaching of Critical Race Theory in K-12 Schools

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem signed an executive order on April 5 that will restrict the teaching of block critical race theory (CRT) in K-12 education in the state. The legislation states that the Department of Education (DOE) shall not “compel” employees, students, or teachers to “personally affirm, adopt, or adhere to inherently divisive concepts.” The order directs the…


South Dakota Woman Gets Parole in 1981 Dead Infant Sentence

SIOUX FALLS, S.D.—A 60-year-old South Dakota woman was granted parole Thursday after serving two months in prison for the 1981 death of her infant son—a loss she kept secret for decades. The South Dakota Board of Pardons and Paroles was closely divided as it weighed the parole request from Theresa Bentaas, who entered an Alford…


South Dakota Governor Signs Bill Banning Outside Funding for Elections, Citing Mark Zuckerberg’s Spree

South Dakota’s governor on March 16 signed legislation into law that bans government entities from accepting outside funding to run elections. Gov. Kristi Noem, a Republican, said the bill was necessary because of how Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and his wife donated some $350 million ahead of the 2020 election to various organizations, which funneled…


National Park Service Denies South Dakota Request for Mount Rushmore July 4 Fireworks

The National Park Service has denied South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem’s request for fireworks at Mount Rushmore to mark the Fourth of July, citing the risk of sparking wildfires. It marks the second consecutive year that the Republican governor has been turned down by the agency for a fireworks event at the national memorial. The…