MT. VERNON, SD – One person died Wednesday morning in a two vehicle crash in Davison County.
The names of the persons involved have not been released pending notification of family members.
Preliminary crash information indicates a 2014 Caterpillar highway maintainer was driving northbound on 397th Avenue. A 2011 Chrysler 200 was traveling southbound on 397th Ave at the I-90 overpass.
The driver of the Caterpillar was drifting into the ditch but overcorrected crossing the center line into the path of Chrysler 200. The vehicles collided in the southbound lane of the roadway. The driver of the Chrysler has pronounced deceased at the scene. He was not wearing a seat belt. The driver of the Caterpillar was not injured.
The South Dakota Highway Patrol is investigating the crash. All information released so far is only preliminary.
LAKE PRESTON, SD – GEVO, a company with South Dakota ties, is focusing on carbon capture and sequestration by developing a unique product – jet fuel made from corn.
The proposed Net-Zero 1 facility in Lake Preston aims to transform renewable energy into energy-dense liquids, with an initial focus on creating sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).
GEVO follows the Greenhouse Gases, Regulated Emissions, and Energy Use in Transportation Model (GREET) to analyze carbon throughout the production process, emphasizing the importance of low-carbon corn from farmers.
The company aims to track and reward farmers for their contribution to reducing carbon intensity, making the Net-Zero 1 facility a potential hub for farmers to access a new market for their corn.
WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) announced a $400,000 grant to the South Dakota Department of Transportation to conduct a study of future locations for wildlife crossings aimed at reducing collisions between vehicles and wildlife. South Dakota is one of 17 states selected to receive funding in the first round of $110 million grants for 19 wildlife crossing projects, including four Indigenous Nations.
The funding is made possible by a new program in President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) that supports projects to construct wildlife crossings over and below busy roads, add fencing, acquire tracking and mapping tools, and more. Overall, BIL makes a total of $350 million available over five years under the Wildlife Crossings Pilot Program.
Each year, it is estimated that there are more than one million wildlife vehicle collisions in the U.S. Wildlife-vehicle collisions involving large animals result in injuries to drivers and their passengers, representing approximately 200 human fatalities and 26,000 injuries to drivers and their passengers each year. These collisions also cost the public more than $10 billion annually. This includes economic costs caused by wildlife crashes, such as loss of income, medical costs, property damage, and more.
The $400,000 grant, awarded to the South Dakota Department of Transportation, will be used to conduct a study of rural areas along state highways where wildlife-vehicle collisions can be reduced. The study will identify the best locations to build wildlife crossings while ensuring the public’s safety, make recommendations to repair animal habitats broken by roadway construction, and help the state better understand the reasons behind wildlife movements.
The Wildlife Crossings Pilot Program supports the Department of Transportation’s National Roadway Safety Strategy (NRSS), which sets a goal of achieving zero roadway deaths and serious injuries through a Safe System Approach to prevent crashes from happening in the first place. Projects funded by this program reduce wildlife crashes which will reduce the economic impact caused by wildlife crashes (such as loss of income, medical costs, property damage, and decline in productivity and quality of life) while simultaneously improving habitat connectivity to sustain the environment and improve the overall safety of the traveling public.
MARTIN, SD – The Bennett County Sheriff’s Office is asking for the public’s help in finding hundreds of stolen cattle.
Officials say around 200 head were reported stolen in an area of Deer Lane, southwest of Martin.
Some of the cattle may have the brand of L-77 on their left hip.
Schultes Ranch is offering a $10,000 reward for information that leads to the recovery of these cattle.
If you have any information, you are asked to call 605-685-6516.
