South Dakota News

FDA approves mixing COVID vaccines; backs Moderna, J&J boosters

WASHINGTON – Regulators are extending COVID-19 boosters to Americans who got the Moderna or Johnson & Johnson vaccine.  They also said Wednesday anyone eligible for an extra dose can get a brand different from the one they received initially. The Food and Drug Administration announcement marks a big step toward expanding the U.S. booster campaign, which began with extra doses of…

Federal Railroad Administration releases Midwest Regional Rail Plan

The Twin Cities was tested as a potential hub for service to Fargo, Duluth and Sioux Falls. 

FARGO (KVRR) – The Federal Railroad Administration has released its plan to expand and modernize Midwest passenger railroad service over the next four decades. North Dakota, South Dakota and Minnesota are among 12 states in the plan, which explores the potential for a passenger rail network throughout the region. The Twin Cities was tested as a potential hub for service…

North Dakota National Guard send-off ceremony set for Friday

BISMARCK, N.D. (KVRR) – Gov. Doug Burgum will attend a send off ceremony Friday for 125 North Dakota National Guard members being deployed to the southern border. The Bismarck-based 957th multi-role bridge unit will support U.S. Customs and Border Protection in ongoing efforts to secure the U.S.-Mexico border.  It will be a year-long mission. Burgum said the request for assistance came…

South Dakota National Guard deploys to southern border

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – Dozens of National Guard members from South Dakota are being sent to the southern border. About 125 members of the 1742nd Transportation Company will be deployed for 9 to 12 months. Gov. Kristi Noem, Sens. John Thune and Mike Round and Rep. Dusty Johnson were on hand for an activation ceremony Sunday at the University of…

CDC says vaccine recipients are considered fully vaccinated without booster

(AP) – Am I fully vaccinated without a COVID-19 vaccine booster? Yes, people who got a two-dose vaccine or the single-dose Johnson & Johnson shot are considered fully vaccinated — even without a booster. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says you’re fully vaccinated two weeks after receiving a second dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, or…

Indigenous filmmaker Myron Dewey, who documented DAPL protests, dies

Myron Dewey (Facebook)CARSON CITY, Nev. – An Indigenous filmmaker who helped draw worldwide attention to the concerns of Native Americans fighting an oil pipeline near the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation has died. Myron Dewey was a citizen of the Walker River Paiute Tribe. He died Sunday after his car crashed in rural Nevada. The 49-year-old won acclaim for his footage…

Caregiver pleads not guilty in death of toddler

WATERTOWN, S.D. – A Watertown woman has pleaded not guilty to felony charges in the death of a toddler who was in her care. A Codington County grand jury indicted 30-year-old Amanda Walder on one count of second-degree murder, two counts of first-degree manslaughter and aggravated battery. First responders answered a call about an unconscious child at Walder’s unlicensed day…

YouTube bans false COVID-19 vaccine claims

(AP) – YouTube is wiping vaccine misinformation and conspiracy theories from its popular video-sharing platform. The ban on vaccine misinformation, announced in a blog post on Wednesday, comes as countries around the world continue to offer free immunizations for COVID-19 to a somewhat hesitant public. Public health officials have struggled to push back against a steady current of online misinformation…