SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – Sioux Falls police responded to an aggravated assault incident tied to a burglary on Monday morning.
The incident began when a victim was driving and noticed a car driving at high speed behind him. The suspect hit the victim’s car, yelled at him, and then smashed the victim’s window with a trailer hitch. The victim followed the suspect, who was later found by officers.
The suspect, identified as 35-year-old Terrence Whitehead, was charged with Third-Degree Burglary, Possession of a Stolen Vehicle, Aggravated Assault, Possession of a Controlled Substance, and Intentional Damage.
Whitehead was on parole and was placed on a parole hold. Meth and a syringe were found in the stolen vehicle, leading officials to believe Whitehead was under the influence at the time of the incident.
DES MOINES, IA – Area Education Agency reform in Iowa is on the verge of becoming a reality. In a 30-18 vote, Senators passed an amendment to HF2612 that was previously passed by the Iowa House.
The amendment increases salaries for beginning teachers. This year, it would raise the new teacher’s minimum salary to $47,500 and for veteran teachers with 12 years of experience increase to $60,000. Next year, starting teacher pay would increase to $50,000 and 12-year veterans would make a minimum of $62,000.
It also includes $14 million in funding for education support personnel such as paraprofessionals and brings changes to multiple aspects of Area Education Agency, or AEA, funding.
For special education, there is no change from the current model for the upcoming school year. School districts would be required to use AEAs for all special ed funds. Next year, special ed funds would be sent to districts, who must send 90% of that funding to AEAs. The remaining 10% can be kept within the district if they choose to do so.
For media and education services funds, districts would get more flexibility immediately. AEAs would get 40% of these funds while the district can use the remaining 60% at their discretion. For the 2025-2026 school year, districts get 100% control of the funds.
The bill is now on its way to Governor Kim Reynolds’ desk where she has already stated it will be signed this afternoon.
LINCOLN, NE – Governor Jim Pillen announced earlier this week that he has ordered a second deployment of members of the Nebraska National Guard and Nebraska State Patrol to Texas to help assist with the U.S.-Mexico border.
The mission is being organized in response to a request for emergency assistance from the state of Texas. The request was made through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact, which is an agreement among states to send personnel and resources to assist with disasters in other states.
According to the governor’s office, 35 personnel from the Nebraska National Guard, which include 28 Army Guard soldiers and seven Air Guard airmen, have volunteered for the mission. They will conduct operations in the vicinity of Eagle Pass, Texas. The soldiers and airmen are scheduled to deploy in early April for a duration of 90 days. While deployed, they will be on state active-duty status in support of the Texas National Guard as part of Operation Lone Star.
Gov. Pillen’s office said 10 troopers with the NSP will deploy to the El Paso area for two weeks in mid-April. All are volunteers. As in past NSP border deployments, the troopers will work alongside the Texas Department of Public Safety.
In December 2023, illegal border crossings into the U.S. from Mexico exceeded 300,000, according to Gov. Pillen. That was an all-time high for a single month.
The Omaha Division of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency reported an 83% increase in the number of fentanyl pills seized in 2023 compared to 2022. The DEA estimates that 2023 was the deadliest year ever for drug poisonings in the United States, with an estimated 112,000 American lives lost. Per the DEA, “70% of these drug poisonings are from fentanyl.” Additionally, the Omaha Police Department recently alerted local law enforcement to an uptick of drug distribution activity in Omaha, specifically due to the increased flow of meth supplied by Mexican cartels.
SIOUX CITY, IA – The Argonauts of Providence (MT) took a double digit lead in the 2nd half of Tuesday night’s NAIA championship game in Sioux City.
But playing in front of a very pro-Defender crowd so close to Sioux Center, the Defenders rallied behind Karly Gustafson’s 16 points and Janie Schoonhoven’s 14 points and 11 rebounds to edge the Argos 57-53 and win the first National Title in school history. They had lost in the championship game 2 years ago.
This year’s team was ranked #1 and finished with an impressive 35-2 record with losses to only SDSU (made NCAA Division I Tournament) and arch-rival Northwestern.
For Ethan native Gustafson, the school’s all-time leading scorer, it was a perfect way to finish her career.
Dordt Senior Karly Gustafson says, “Yeah as a fifth year I knew this was the last game and so it’s just even sweeter to go out on top in your last game so.”
Dordt WBB Coach Bill Harmsen says, “It’s really special the love that we have for this team and the love that these women have for each other and it’s a really tight-bonded group and just to watch them be kids and celebrate the moment together is one of those things I’ll never forget.”
PIERRE, S.D. – According to the latest estimate from the South Dakota Lottery officials expect state government’s share will total $162.8 million.
That’s down a bit from last year’s take of $163.2 million.
The fall-off would be the first since smoking in public places, including bars and restaurants, was banned statewide in 2010.
Under South Dakota law, video lottery terminals are allowed only in places licensed to sell alcohol, such as bars and restaurants.
State budget officials have warned for several years that the Legislature should plan for this.
There were no questions or discussion from members of the South Dakota Lottery Commission when officials presented the new numbers on Thursday.
Lottery revenue is important to state government’s general fund. Lottery proceeds and contractor’s excise tax rank as the second- and third-largest sources, after the state sales and use tax.
Small portions of video lottery revenue also are used each year for licensing fees and to pay for problem-gambling services offered by the state Department of Social Services.
State government’s budget year runs July 1 through June 30. Video lottery revenue grew between $2 million and $8 million each budget year from 2015 through 2019. Then came the COVID-19 pandemic in spring 2020. Federal aid soon followed. And video lottery revenue jumped, too.
It climbed from $117.4 million in 2020 to $150.1 million in 2021, and it kept going, reaching $162.7 million in 2022. It slowed to a pre-COVID pace in 2023, growing to $164.7 million.
Overall last year, video lottery players placed more than $1 billion of bets — $1,174,101,482 to be exact — and won back $844,649,689 of it. Owners of the terminals took $164,725,897 as their share of the players’ losses. State government took the rest and distributed $161,310,594.
HURON, S.D. – As part of a $40 billion investment strategy to upgrade and improve the Postal processing, transportation, and delivery networks, the U.S. Postal Service announced its plan to modernize mail operations at its Dakota Central Processing and Distribution Center in Huron.
The improvements are being made under what’s being billed the, “Delivering for America Plan,” and will result in up to $3 million in investments for modernization efforts and deferred maintenance at Dakota Central.
Those investments will result in expanded and streamlined package processing and distribution capabilities in the local market and new workplace amenities for postal employees such as new lighting, as well as renovated bathrooms and break rooms.
The shift to a local processing center in Huron means mail processing operations will be shifted to a facility in Fargo.
Once changes are implemented, Business mail entry, Post Office, station, and branch retail services are not expected to change, and delivery services will be enhanced.
After the Dakota Central facility is converted to a local processing center (LPC), it is anticipated that it will be able to mail and ship packages, manual letters and flats.
The LPC is also anticipated to offer express services and accept bulk and permit mail.
The postal service says the shift of mail processing operations to Fargo will not result in any job layoffs.
