South Dakota News

Interior Secretary Burgum defends Trump Administration’s approach to energy

WASHINGTON, D.C. (KVRR/NORTH DAKOTA MONITOR) — Interior Secretary Doug Burgum is defending the Trump administration’s approach to energy production. He appeared before a U.S. House Appropriations panel on the administration’s $16 billion budget request for the Interior Department for the next fiscal year. Democrats accused the department of being submissive to oil and gas interests at the expense of renewable…

Federal appeals court judge from Fargo to take senior status

ST. LOUIS, Mo. (KVRR-KFGO) – A federal circuit court judge from Fargo plans to take senior status. 8th Circuit Court of Appeals Court Judge Ralph Erickson has announced that he will take senior status when his successor is confirmed by the U.S. Senate. Erickson was appointed to the circuit court by President Trump during his first term. He’s a former…

North Dakota defeats South Dakota in snowplow name competition

ND DOTBISMARCK, N.D. (KVRR-KFGO) – The North Dakota Department of Transportation has defeated the South Dakota DOT in a friendly competition to determine who has the best snowplow name. Voting for the “Battle of the Blades” began March 21. It was a bracket-style format where voters picked the name they prefer from each pairing to advance to the next round….

Trump says US forces will ‘finish the job’ soon in first prime-time speech since starting Iran war

President Donald Trump speaks about the Iran war from the Cross Hall of the White House on Wednesday, April 1, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, Pool)WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said U.S. forces will “finish the job” in Iran soon as “core strategic objectives are nearing completion,” offering a full-throated defense of the war Wednesday night in his…

Xcel Energy Upper Midwest customers to get nuclear energy tax credit

MINNEAPOLIS (KVRR) — Xcel Energy is starting to send over $130 million to its Upper Midwest customers from federal tax credits on the energy generated by the company’s nuclear fleet. That brings the total savings to over $330 million over the first two years of the credits. The company has two nuclear plants in Minnesota near Monticello and Red Wing….

Five people killed in crash between passenger van and SUV in far southwest Minnesota

WINDOM, Minn. (KVRR/KFGO) – Five people were killed in a head on crash involving a full passenger van and SUV in far southwest Minnesota on Friday. The driver of the SUV and four of 13 people in the van were killed in the collision. Two of the van’s passengers suffered life threatening injuries and seven others have non-life threatening injuries,…

North Dakota sends resources to help fight wildfires in Nebraska and South Dakota

Rapid City Fire Department (Facebook)BISMARCK, N.D. (KVRR) — North Dakota is stepping up to help battle wildfires in Nebraska and South Dakota. Two North Dakota National Guard 600-gallon “Bambi Buckets” for aerial firefighting have been sent to Nebraska. That state’s two largest fires at 67% and 78% contained. North Dakota Forest Service has sent an engine and three firefighters to…

Gov. Rhoden signs bill to make “Deepfakes” a crime and 10 other public safety bills

PIERRE, S.D. (KVRR) — South Dakota Gov. Larry Rhoden has signed a bill into law that makes it a felony crime to create, possess or share computer-generated “deepfakes”. They are images of unwilling people in states of nudity or engaging in pornographic acts. It was proposed by Attorney General Marty Jackley. Two years ago, he successfully pushed for a bill…