SIOUX FALLS, SD – A man who worked on the University of South Dakota campus faces state and federal child pornography charges.
32-year-old Nicholas Keitges appeared in federal court this week, where he’s charged with attempting to make child pornography, receiving and possessing it. He pleaded not guilty.
He also faces several child pornography charges in Clay County.
In that case, he also entered not-guilty pleas. According to Clay County court documents, he told investigators he searched for child pornography on several apps so he could report it to the appropriate Electronic Services Provider. He claimed it was not for pleasure.
The documents say Keitges worked at the Muenster University Center for about a year.
He was hired by the food services and facilities management company.
PINE RISGE, SD – The leader of a South Dakota tribe is expected to declare an emergency on the state’s largest Native American reservation because of rampant crime that he said hasn’t been curbed due to the U.S. government’s inadequate funding for law enforcement.
The state of emergency declaration planned for Saturday on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation comes nearly six months after a federal judge ruled the U.S. government has a treaty obligation to support law enforcement on the reservation, but declined to determine whether the Oglala Sioux Tribe is entitled to the full funding amount requested.
Oglala Sioux President Frank Star Comes Out said in an interview Friday that conditions on the reservation have worsened since the ruling, prompting him to sign the emergency proclamation.
The U.S. government and its agencies — namely the Interior Department and the Bureau of Indian Affairs — are primarily responsible for the breakdown of law and order on the reservation and negotiations between the government and the tribe are not progressing, Star Comes Out said.
“I feel they’re stalling,” he said.
A draft of the proclamation obtained by The Associated Press said the U.S. government has failed “to fulfill the United States’ treaty, statutory and trust responsibilities to provide adequate law enforcement on the Reservation.”
Gun violence, drug offenses and rapes have become increasingly common on the Pine Ridge reservation. Only 33 officers and eight criminal investigators are responsible for more than 100,000 emergency calls each year across the 5,400-square-mile reservation, tribal officials have said.
The reservation is roughly the size of Connecticut, while the population size is a subject of dispute.
Oglala Sioux officials contend the tribe is entitled to federal funding for 120 fully equipped officers for the reservation, something the federal government has disputed.
Ben Fenner, an attorney for the tribe, said the current staffing equates to four or five officers per shift at any given time.
U.S. District Judge Roberto Lange told the federal government in May to reevaluate its census-based population estimates for the reservation of 19,800 to 32,000, which are lower than the tribe’s figure of 40,000. The judge said the federal estimates likely represent an undercount.
Star Comes Out said police response times on the reservation take hours, if they respond at all.
“With five police officers, it’s just impossible,” he said. “Our officers are overworked, underpaid. They’re outmanned. And it’s dangerous for them to respond to calls by themselves.”
When asked for a response to the tribe’s expected declaration, the Bureau of Indian Affairs said in an email that it does not comment on ongoing litigation.
Giovanni Rocco, a spokesperson for the Interior Department, noted in an email to the AP that the department’s Law Enforcement Task Force has recommended the federal government increase law enforcement staffing levels on reservations.
PIERRE, SD – Three individuals from South Dakota, Jaylen Bleu Ducheneaux, Weston Reid Clausen, and Whitley Traversie, have been sentenced to federal prison for their involvement in a gun heist at Reloaders Corner in Isabel, South Dakota last year.
They pleaded guilty to stealing 105 firearms from the licensed federal firearm retailer, with Ducheneaux receiving a 12-year sentence, Clausen sentenced to 10 years, and Traversie serving three years and four months.
The stolen firearms were illegally trafficked, and some have been recovered in various communities in South Dakota and the Midwest, as reported by the U.S. Department of Justice.
Ducheneaux and Clausen planned the burglary, while Traversie served as a lookout during the criminal activity.
SIOUX FALLS, SD – 26-year-old Daniel Retana of Sioux Falls is facing criminal charges for shooting a 30-year-old victim during an alcohol-influenced altercation on the city’s north side.
The incident occurred around 12:30 a.m. on Friday morning near the intersection of 60th Street North and Cliff Avenue.
Retana, engaged in an argument with the victim, produced a firearm from a vehicle and fired, striking the victim in the shoulder.
Though non-life threatening, the victim was hospitalized.
Both parties were uncooperative with the police, but surveillance footage from a nearby gas station aided investigators.
Retana, who had been drinking before the incident, was charged with aggravated domestic assault, possession of a loaded firearm while intoxicated, and reckless discharge of a firearm.
If convicted, he could face up to 32 years in prison and fines totaling $64,000.
SIOUX FALLS, SD – AAA estimates that more than 181,000 South Dakotans will be among the 55.4 million Americans who will travel 50 miles or more away from home over the long 2023 Thanksgiving holiday weekend, that’s an increase of 2% compared to the 2022 South Dakota Thanksgiving travel volume.
Nearly 90% of travelers – or about 162,000 South Dakotans – will be driving to their Thanksgiving holiday destinations. The number of road travelers is slightly more than last year. And those drivers will feel less pain at the pumps during their road trip fill-ups. The average price for a gallon of gas is about 30 cents less than a year ago.
INRIX, a provider of transportation data and insights, expects Wednesday, November 22, to be the busiest day on the roads during the Thanksgiving holiday travel period, with average travel times as high as 80% over normal in some metro areas. INRIX recommends leaving in the morning or after 6 p.m. to avoid the heaviest holiday congestion. Highways will also be crowded the Sunday after Thanksgiving, as many travelers return home.
AAA South Dakota estimates that the auto club will rescue more than 500 stranded motorists in the state over the holiday period.
PIERRE, SD – An explanation for a draft initiated measure, proposed by Emmett Reistroffer of Rapid City, that would legalize recreational marijuana and create dual-use licenses for medical marijuana dispensaries, has been submitted for public review by the South Dakota Attorney General’s Office.
Attorney General Marty Jackley takes no position on any such proposal for purposes of the ballot explanation. He has provided a fair and neutral explanation on the initiated measure to help assist the voters.
This proposed initiated measure would allow individuals 21 years old or older to possess, grow, sell, ingest, and distribute marijuana or marijuana paraphernalia. The initiated measure does not affect laws dealing with hemp. The measure also authorizes the South Dakota Department of Health to issue dual-use licenses to medical marijuana dispensaries. A dual-use license allows dispensaries to sell marijuana to persons 21 years or older.
State law requires the Attorney General draft a title and explanation for each initiated measure, initiated constitutional amendment, constitutional amendment proposed by the Legislature, or referred measure that may appear on an election ballot. The Attorney General’s explanation is meant to be an “objective, clear, and simple summary” intended to “educate the voters of the purpose and effect of the proposed” measure, as well as identify the “legal consequences” of each measure.
Once the Attorney General has filed and posted the draft explanation, the public has 10 days to provide written comment. The explanation was filed Nov. 17, 2023 (Friday), and the deadline for comments on this explanation is Nov. 27, 2023 at the close of business in Pierre, South Dakota. The final explanation is due to the Secretary of State on Dec. 7, 2023.
The initiated measure would require 17,509 valid petition signatures to qualify for the 2024 general election ballot.
Comments may be submitted via mail, or through hand delivery, to the Attorney General’s Office. Comments that are hand delivered must be received by the close of business in Pierre, South Dakota, by Nov. 27, 2023. The Attorney General’s Office will be closed Nov. 23-24 for the Thanksgiving Holiday. Comments that are mailed must be received by the Attorney General’s Office before the deadline expires to be accepted.
Comments may also be emailed to ATGballotcomments@state.sd.us by Nov. 27, 2023. Comments should be clearly expressed in the body of the email. The Attorney General’s Office will not open attachments in an effort to prevent malware or other digital threats. Please include your name and contact information when submitting your comment. The title of the comment must be included in the subject line of the email.
More information can be found at the Attorney General’s website atg.sd.gov
