PIERRE, SD – Federal investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration are in Pierre to continue the investigation into a fatal plane crash Monday afternoon.
Hughes County Sheriff Patrick Callahan says the pilot, 59 year-old Eric Meyer of Steamboat Springs, Colorado took off from Pierre Regional Airport around four-pm Monday afternoon. At 4:11 pm, Meyer called air traffic control to indicate the engine failed in his single engine Piper Malibu Mirage. Meyer’s passenger 76 year-old Hugh Alexander, also of Steamboat Springs died in the crash. According to the flight tracking website FlightAware the plane left Colorado Saturday and was to return Monday.
The aircraft iss shown as leaving Pierre Monday afternoon for Steamboat but is listed as “diverted” The last entry shows a 16 minute flight with Pierre as both the departure and arrival locations.
A track of the plane shows it taking off to the east then circling back west. It turned around over Stanley County where it made a loop over the Missouri River. That’s when the green track becomes gray and the remainder of the path to Pierre Regional Airport is estimated. At the time the track changes, approximately at the location the plane was found it’s altitude was listed at 1200 feet with an airspeed of 92 miles per hour.
The plane is registered to Icarus Management L-L-C of Great Falls, Montana.
CODINGTON COUNTY, SD – One person died this morning in a two vehicle crash seven miles southwest of South Shore , SD.
The names of the persons involved have not been released pending notification of family members.
Preliminary crash information indicates a 2002 International 9200I pulling a loaded grain trailer was driving northbound on 462nd Avenue, which is a gravel road, just south of 162nd Street. At the same time, a 2017 Ram 3500 pulling a loaded enclosed trailer, was driving southbound on 462nd Ave. just south of 162nd St.
The International and trailer were driving in the middle of the road. The Ram and trailer were driving on the west side of the road. The front driver’s side of the International struck the driver’s side of the Ram. The International came to a stop on the road. The trailer came loose from the Ram. The Ram went into the ditch and then back onto the road where it came to a stop.
The 60-year-old male driver of the 2002 International, who was not wearing a seatbelt, sustained fatal injuries.
The 20-year-old male driver of the 2017 Ram was not injured, he was wearing a seatbelt.
The South Dakota Highway Patrol is investigating the crash. All information released so far is only preliminary.
The Highway Patrol is an agency of the South Dakota Department of Public Safety.
PIERRE, S.D. – South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley has joined Attorneys General from 41 other states in filing federal or state lawsuits against Meta alleging that the company knowingly designed and developed harmful features on Instagram and other social media platforms that purposefully addicted children and teens.
South Dakota is part of the federal complaint, which includes 32 other states, and was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. It alleges that Meta knew of the harmful impacts that the platforms had on the mental health of young people and that the company misled the public about the harms associated with the use of its platforms.
“Social media use, including Meta platforms such as Facebook and Instagram, has played a major role in the youth mental health issues occurring in America,” said Attorney General Jackley. “Such platforms have led or contributed to physical and emotional harm to children and devastating families. Meta needs to be held accountable for its actions.”
Attorneys Generals also joining the federal lawsuit are from Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.
Florida is filing its own federal lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida.
Eight other states filed similar lawsuits in their own state courts. Those states are District of Columbia, Florida, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New Hampshire, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Utah, and Vermont.
CASTLEWOOD, SD – A $6 million bond referendum in the Castlewood School District passed Tuesday–but just barely.
Unofficial vote totals showed there were 315 yes votes and 210 no votes, which means it reached exactly the 60-percent approval margin needed, with no room to spare.
The school district is looking to add new classrooms, expand others, build a new auxiliary gymnasium, and finish up repairs following a May 2022 tornado that caused significant damage.
Castlewood Superintendent Peter Books says the election results were canvassed by the school board this (Wednesday) morning, and the outcome is now official.
