LAKE ANDES, S.D. – The Charles Mix County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the suspicious death of one individual and the aggravated assault of another.
Sheriff Randy Thaler said the incident happened Tuesday evening at the Landing Strip Motel in Lake Andes.
No names or further details were given.
The Charles Mix County Sheriff’s Office will investigate the incident alongside the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation.
PIERRE, S.D. (Joshua Haiar, South Dakota Searchlight) – Department of Corrections Secretary Kellie Wasko said the state will not change the location of a future men’s prison south of Sioux Falls, despite pending litigation and local opposition.
“I know that we’ve talked about this and I have to be very careful because we are still in litigation, but we’re not looking at other land,” Wasko said Tuesday during a legislative budget hearing.
The site is a piece of state-owned property in rural Lincoln County, 15 miles south of Sioux Falls. Opponents, including people who own nearby homes, are frustrated that Wasko is avoiding them while discussing plans with lawmakers.
“How is she able to speak on that, but not speak to the people directly impacted by that?” said Maddie Voegeli with Neighbors Opposed to Prison Expansion (NOPE).
During a Jan. 22 hearing on NOPE’s lawsuit against the state, the group’s attorney argued the state’s unilateral siting decision undermines local planning and zoning laws and economic development plans. A lawyer representing the state Department of Corrections countered that the notion of the state needing county permission to build a penitentiary is “absurd.” The lawsuit awaits a judge’s decision.
Voegeli said opponents tried to talk with the state and governor before filing their lawsuit. She said a lack of communication is “what propelled the lawsuit” in the first place.
Kyah Broders, president of NOPE, concurred.
“We reached out as soon as this became public knowledge,” she said. “There’s been no transparency in this. If there was, there wouldn’t have been this much resistance.”
Broders said the only person given any advance notice was the farmer leasing the land from the state for the last four decades. Sam Eiesland is that farmer’s son. He had planned to farm the land after his dad.
Eiesland said the notice from the state essentially told them, “We’re going to build here.” From there, he said communication has been nonexistent with Wasko and Gov. Kristi Noem.
“We have heard nothing from either of the two,” Eiesland said, adding, “If we could have sat down, as their constituents, looked at some other options, we maybe could have found another place.”
Wasko told lawmakers Tuesday that other locations were considered for the 1,500-bed men’s prison, which will largely replace the 143-year-old penitentiary in Sioux Falls. Legislators have set aside $567 million for the project, but the final price estimate is not yet known.
“We did have several failed attempts at land that was brought to our attention, or we sought out,” she said.
“Our design team had effectively told us that we were coming to a point in our timeline that if we didn’t have land that could start a design and development, we were going to go into a potential six- to nine-month lag because of their timelines,” she continued.
Rep. Chris Karr, R-Sioux Falls, asked if expanding the existing penitentiary site in Sioux Falls is possible. But from building up a few more levels to expanding the site itself, “the answer to that is no,” Wasko said.
PIERRE, S.D. – South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley has announced 13 tribal law enforcement officers, along with another 11 local and state officers, are scheduled to participate in the state’s first-ever tribal law enforcement specific training session starting June 3 in Pierre.
Gov. Kristi Noem and Attorney General Jackley in April announced the first-ever basic certification course to be held in South Dakota. In the past, a handful of tribal officers trained in South Dakota while the majority of tribal law enforcement officers received their training in New Mexico, meaning they had to be away from their families. The 13-week course, being held at the George S. Mickelson Criminal Justice Center, allows tribal officers to go home on the weekends.
“We thank Gov. Noem for her support of this training session, and our tribes for trusting us with their officers,” said Attorney General Jackley. “Training tribal officers alongside state and local officers serving near our reservations strengthens relationships, increases consistency, and makes sense for South Dakota.”
Tribal officers selected for the training are from the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, Oglala Sioux Tribe, and Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate Sioux Tribe. The rest of the 24-member class will consist of officers from other non-tribal law enforcement agencies.
Class members are required to complete course work that includes instruction in the law, arrest control tactics, firearms, vehicle handling, and criminal investigations. The training program is taught by full-time staff from the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) and adjunct instructors from law enforcement agencies from across the state.
“We also want to thank U.S. Attorney Alison Ramsdell and the BIA for providing instructors to help with the Special Law Enforcement Commission component of the training course,” said Attorney General Jackley.
Graduation for this class is scheduled for Sept 3 in Pierre.
DES MOINES, IA – On Wednesday, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds authorized a Proclamation of Disaster Emergency for 17 more counties due to the severe weather that occurred on Tuesday, May 22.
On Tuesday, Reynolds declared a proclamation that allowed state resources to be utilized for disaster relief aid in Adair, Adams, Cass, Clay, Hardin, Harrison, Jasper, Kossuth, Marshall, Montgomery, Page, Palo Alto, Pottawattamie, Tama, and Warren Counties.
On Wednesday, that proclamation was expanded to Black Hawk, Buena Vista, Butler, Cedar, Clinton, Dubuque, Fayette, Franklin, Hancock, Humboldt, Iowa, Jackson, Mills, Muscatine, O’Brien, Polk and Story.
These proclamations also open relief grants of up to $5,000 for households earning up to 200% of the poverty level. You can learn more about the grant program at homelandsecurity.iowa.gov/disasters
Potential applicants have 45 days from the date of the proclamations to submit a claim.
The proclamations also give access to affected persons to Iowa’s Disaster Case Advocacy Program, you can learn mor about that program at iowacommunityaction.org
FLANDREAU, S.D. – The Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe has banned Gov. Noem from entering their land.
The announcement comes after the tribe held an emergency meeting over the weekend regarding Gov. Noem and her comments on drug cartels on reservation land.
That means Noem is not allowed on any tribal land within the state of South Dakota.
According to a statement from the tribe, they respect the other Native American tribes’ decisions to ban the governor and stand by them.
Read the full statement below:
FLANDREAU, SD May 21, 2024
President Reider called an emergency meeting on Saturday, May 18 to address the comments made by Governor Kristi Noem and the potential for banishing her from the Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe. The meeting was contentious at times, as some members vocalized their opposition.
Out of respect for the elders, President Reider made contact with the Governor’s Office, which promptly set a meeting between the two governments. That meeting took place on Monday. President Reider and Vice President Weddell met with Governor Nom and addressed the recent statements made in reference to “Indian Country.” The conversation was respectful and productive.
After months of discussion, observing and hearing the reactions of fellow tribal nations; today, the Executive Council continued their deliberations, which focused on the advice that the governor has received in communicating with the tribal nations and ultimately the effectiveness of that message, which all agreed, was ill advised and escalated the situation.
The Executive Committee calls on the governor to reconsider the effectiveness of the liaisons she has appointed and whether or not they truly have an understanding of the issues affecting tribal nations as well as their ability to foster a cooperative relationships between the ‘Tribes and the State of South Dakota.”
President Reider informed the governor that a ban from our territories is imminent and requested that the Governor refrain from making future blanket statements that offend the tribes within the boundaries of the State of South Dakota, some of which depend on state services for the needs of their people.
It was recommended that the Governor clarify her statements and issue an apology to all tribal nations for the misunderstanding.
Until such a time, the Executive Council and the people of the Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe stand with our fellow nations.
