South Dakota News & Events

The Data-Driven Justice Initiative has city, county, and state governments taking data-driven approaches to reduce the jail population and address the prevalence of people behind bars who have a mental illness.

Change tends to happen gradually in state government. But South Dakota could see rapid — and sweeping — change to its electoral laws next year. That is, if voters there approve a raft of ballot measures in November.

The city hopes the new workshops will create a welcoming atmosphere for young entrepreneurs, not unlike that of Silicon Valley.

The program’s goal is to help businesses all over rural South Dakota become more successful, put more people in their community to work, and help entrepreneurs better manage their businesses so they don’t burn out.

Speaking on USA TODAY and Wells Fargo’s Real Economy panel in South Dakota, state commissioner of economic development Pat Costello talked why the state is investing so much in growing the biosciences industry.

"It’s unfortunate regardless to whom it happens,"

The lawsuit was only the latest action involving EB-5 in South Dakota. In September, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, which administers the program nationally, notified the state of its intent to drop South Dakota from the program.

Swett is home to about 6 acres of land, an empty house reputed to be haunted and a closed bar.

Why did it take so long, and why was South Dakota the last state for Obama to visit?

Since December, nine people between 12 and 24 years old have killed themselves on the Pine Ridge Indian reservation in South Dakota, and dozens of others have tried, but failed.