The number of abused and neglected children cases filed in the Second Judicial Circuit is busting the court system’s budget, prompting presiding Judge Robin Houwman to seek additional funds.

Houwman told Minnehaha County commissioners this week that she was requesting an additional $150,000 to deal with abuse and neglect cases. Those cases have routinely been exceeding what had been budgeted, and Houwman said she was seeking additional funding in next year’s budget ahead of time.

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A rash of deadly crashes on Lincoln County roads is being blamed on speed and running stop signs.

That’s why county commissioners in Canton this week signed off on a new resolution committing to improve traffic safety in the fast-growing jurisdiction where population boom brings road dangers with it.

“That’s being caused by speed and people not stopping at those intersections,” said Sam Trebilcock, a traffic consultant in Houston Engineering’s Sioux Falls office, who told the commission that 5,818 crashes occurred on Lincoln County roads from 2020 to 2024.

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Fifty-two percent of Sioux Falls School District teachers think their workload is reasonable, according to the results of a staff survey.

That number, say officials, is a warning sign that stood out in an annual staff survey that otherwise gave the district higher ratings for safety, supervisor support, student expectations and workplace culture.

The Sioux Falls School Board acknowledged the 2025-26 survey results this week after members pressed administrators on workload, professional development, staff response rates and state mandates that may cut into classroom time.

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A 30-year-old man from Rapid City is accused of attempting to murder a Sioux Falls police officer under charges that were filed late Tuesday.

Darren Reuben Richards was arrested Monday after he opened fire on a police officer who had been responding to a call for a weapons violation near Interstate 29 and 12^th Street. Besides facing a first-degree charge of attempting to murder a law enforcement officer, Richards faces charges of aggravated assault against law enforcement, aggravated assault, robbery and unlawful possession of a firearm.

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The suspects in the shooting of a Sioux Falls police officer Monday were both parolees who authorities had been attempting to locate, a fact that drew a sharp rebuke from the top law enforcement officers in Sioux Falls.

Minnehaha County Sheriff Mike Milstead told reporters Tuesday that he sounded like a “broken record” for the number of times he’s had to address parolees committing crimes. The parole system in the state has created a “revolving door” for repeat offenders to get out of prison and commit new crimes, and the state’s political leadership created the problem.

“If I sound a little pissed, I am,” Milstead said.

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It’s getting harder for Sioux Falls west siders to say there’s nothing to do in their neighborhood.

City officials this week unveiled two major recreation initiatives on the west side of Sioux Falls — a new outdoor aquatic center at Kuehn Park and expanded amenities inside the Westside Recreation Center — aimed at boosting access to year-round and seasonal activities west of Interstate 29.

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Sioux Falls finished 2025 in strong financial shape, hitting key fiscal benchmarks even as sales tax growth continued to lag expectations.

That’s according to the Sioux Falls Finance Department, which unveiled its 2025 year-end report to councilors Tuesday afternoon at Carnegie Town Hall.

The report shows the city met its core financial policy targets — including reserves, debt levels and self-supporting utilities — while continuing to invest heavily in infrastructure and services, even as revenue growth came in below projections.

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A long-delayed redevelopment of city-owned property that has sat largely undeveloped for years is moving ahead in Sioux Falls with the help of an $8 million tax incentive.

The Sioux Falls City Council voted 7-1 to approve creation of a tax increment financing (TIF) district, a $1.6 million land sale agreement and an associated site plan for the project proposed by Christensen Development — all tied to a planned $95 million mixed-use development on the former downtown railyard.

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SIOUX FALLS — A dozen neighbors of the future Smithfield plant in northwestern Sioux Falls have filed suit against the city and its council, alleging ignorance of concern and violation of ordinance.

In a 30-page lawsuit filed Thursday, April 16, a group of 21 neighbors representing 12 properties expressed their discontent with Sioux Falls’ decisions to issue a conditional use permit and establish a tax increment financing (TIF) district to support the move of the Smithfield pork plant.

In mid-February, the processor announced it will vacate its 117-year-old site northeast of Falls Park to relocate to Foundation Park, the city’s up-and-coming industrial district situated northwest of the Interstate 90-29 interchange.

The move was spurred in part by a $50 million donation from billionaire T. Denny Sanford, whose funds were aimed toward the purchase of the 80-acre plot downtown by the Sioux Falls Development Foundation.

Just one month after the announcement, the Sioux Falls City Council passed both a conditional use permit and a $90 million TIF on March 17.

The lawsuit’s petitioners argued that the city ignored objections related to the plant’s impacts on property values and moved too quickly on the permits, all while ignoring comprehensive plans and zoning ordinances.

According to the suit, the news of Smithfield’s relocation struck neighbors “like a violent storm,” and all 20 petitioners are unwilling to live in the immediate vicinity of the new slaughterhouse. However, petitioners say they were informed by realtors that nobody would be interested in buying their properties due to its location.

Despite the conditional use permit featuring larger berms between the plant and the residential homes, the homeowners say the plan destroyed fair market value and desirability of their properties, and called the move “quasi-judicial.”

Foundation Park did purchase a stretch of homes that were directly adjacent to the industrial park, but park president Bob Mundt said other nearby homes were not serviceable and that there are currently no plans to purchase them.

As part of the lawsuit, the 12 groups of property owners said the purchase of their home at 2.33 times the market value — which they say is the same offer for other homes the park already purchased — would likely resolve the lawsuit.

Further, the petitioners contend that without a court stepping in, the project will swiftly move forward.

“The plan employed here seems to have been simply that of ramming the [conditional use [permit] down the throats of the county commission and city council so quickly that little thought can be given to the pertinent details on the front end,” the suit reads. “Once approved, there will then be pressure to simply finish what has been started by whatever means necessary.”

Petitioners add they believe the city and council’s work to move Smithfield completely disregarded the city’s comprehensive plan, which is in place to lay out future growth. They say a violation of the comprehensive is also a violation of duty and due process.

There’s also an allegation regarding the potential violation of zoning ordinances.

“It is unclear as to whether there is a documented trail of compliance with the city’s own ordinances [regarding placement of a slaughterhouse],” the lawsuit says.

It calls back to 2022, when the future of the Wholestone pork slaughterhouse saw a public vote, and questions the difference in process between that plant and the Smithfield plant, while also questioning whether the city’s zoning ordinances were properly considered.

Despite their homes being in the county, Foundation Park lies within city limits. The petitioners contend that because they lie across a jurisdictional boundary, the conditional use permit sought to lessen certain burdens on Smithfield.

Though they admit that all of their homes sit 1,000 feet or more from the site, petitioners say the distance is not enough, and should have been increased.

In all, the petitioners asked the court for a series of actions for relief.

First, the suit requests a restraining order to stop the city or its designees from taking further action on the issuance or advancement of the conditional use permit, while also asking for discovery of evidence to determine what reviews took place on the site.

It also asks the court to reverse the city council’s decision on the conditional use permit and ask for discovery related to whether any city and county officials have any personal or private interests in the project.

Finally, the suit asks the court to determine whether the purported “partnership” between Smithfield and the city violated the due process of any city or county residents.

According to court records, the Sioux Falls city attorney’s office has acknowledged receipt of the lawsuit, but has not yet filed any response.

A hearing date has not yet been set.

Content courtesy of SiouxFallsLive.com.

The Minnehaha County Administration Building is on the docket to be replaced and then torn down, with work that could begin in the next couple of years.

A new administration building would be part of a campus-wide improvement plan unveiled Tuesday at an estimated cost approaching a quarter-billion dollars. Those building projects would take place over the next 30 years, and their costs would likely be paid at least in part from property taxes.

The commission received a final campus master plan, part of a process that started in November, 2024, said Tom Greco, the commission’s administrative officer. The plan represents a significant change to how the campus would look in downtown.

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Voters across the Sioux Falls metro will have a mix of contested races and uncontested seats on their ballots this June — but in Harrisburg, a three-way contest is shaping up for two spots on the local school board.

There will be three candidates running for two positions on the five-member Harrisburg School Board in the June 2 election, offering voters a choice between a longtime incumbent and two challengers with ties to the fast-growing district.

Long time board member Mike Knudson, who has served for 12 years, will be running again along with two challengers, Jordan Twedt and Tara Young.

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It’s a little like speed dating. But instead of romance, it’s local politics.

Candidates for mayor, City Council and the Sioux Falls School Board rotated through a series of rapid-fire conversations Saturday morning, fielding questions from voters in a tightly structured forum designed to test ideas and instincts ahead of the June election.

Hosted by Change Agents of South Dakota, the event returned to Eastside Lutheran Church with a simple format: 11 tables, 11 candidates, 10 minutes.

At the sound of a buzzer, candidates moved table to table, repeating the cycle with a new group of voters each time.

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The Dakota Scout and SiouxFallsLive.com are again joining forces to host a candidate debate — this time in the race for Sioux Falls mayor.

All five candidates vying to lead City Hall — Joe Batcheller, Christine Erickson, Greg Jamison, Jamie Smith and David Zokaites — have confirmed they will take part in a public safety-focused forum ahead of the June 2 municipal election.

The hour-long debate is scheduled for 6 p.m. May 5 in Sioux Falls and will be streamed live on TheDakotaScout.com and SiouxFallsLive.com. It will also be held in front of a live audience, with attendance limited exclusively to members of the law enforcement community and their families.

The forum will be moderated by Joe Sneve of The Dakota Scout and Patrick Lalley of SiouxFallsLive.com, veteran South Dakota journalists who lead their respective organizations. The two outlets are also partnering on a gubernatorial primary debate later this month in Sioux Falls.

“This is an important race for the future of Sioux Falls, and voters deserve the opportunity to hear directly from every candidate on issues that matter — especially public safety,” Sneve said. “We’re proud to once again partner with Sioux Falls Live to bring that conversation to the public in a meaningful and accessible way.”

Organizers said the debate’s focus on public safety reflects the central role the next mayor will play in shaping policy, staffing and funding decisions affecting police, fire and emergency response services.

The debate is sponsored by Ascend Financial, Rausch Meats, Craze Minds Marketing and Sioux Falls Insurance (Eric Meyers Group).

Two seats on the Lincoln County Commission are up for grabs this June, one spurred by a retirement while the other is a challenge to an incumbent.

Commissioner positions for Lincoln County’s first, third and fifth districts are nearing the end of term. An autobid for one district will be met with two, two-way races to determine who will earn a seat on the government authority through the June 2 primary. All four candidates are running as Republicans.

In Lincoln County’s third district, incumbent Tiffani Landeen is facing a challenge from Amy Harms.

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A $95 million plan for hundreds of new apartments, commercial space and a restaurant in downtown Sioux Falls has been in the works for more than five years.

Now, to advance the next phase of construction at the former BNSF railyard — land the city took ownership of more than a decade ago — Sioux Falls officials are being asked to approve an $8 million tax incentive for the Iowa-based developer behind the proposed mixed-use project.

“This would be a proper fit within our downtown planned development,” city urban planner Dustin Powers said Tuesday as part of City Hall’s proposal to move ahead with the next phase of its long-envisioned railyard redevelopment. “This is mixed use. It meets all the criteria that we’re looking for in our downtown zoning district.”

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If there is discontent over how the Sioux Falls School District is spending property tax dollars, the Board of Education is not hearing it.

That’s despite the school board’s preliminary approval Monday of a $343.12 million tax-supported spending plan for fiscal year 2027, covering general operating expenses, special education costs and capital obligations.

The spending plan includes nearly $2.4 million in reductions and operational efficiencies, alongside the addition of seven elementary teachers intended to help manage class sizes. It also budgets a 2.54 percent salary increase, higher than the 1.95 percent increase outlined in negotiated agreements.

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Lincoln County commissioners voted 3-2 Tuesday to approve a scaled-back veterans memorial at the new Justice Center.

The vote came over the objections of some veterans and family members who said they were left out of the design process and that the county was putting the memorial in the wrong place.

The narrow issue was whether commissioners would move from last week’s $285,000 Option A memorial plan to the stripped-down $235,000 Option B they wound up approving Tuesday.

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The Lincoln County Commission continued its descent into acrimony this week after Commissioner Doug Putnam attacked two of his colleagues during their regular meeting Tuesday.

Putnam closed a tense meeting by accusing Chairwoman Tiffani Landeen of running the meeting unfairly, calling her a “poor chair.” He then blamed longtime Commissioner Jim Schmidt for the county airport’s financial problems.

“You were there for 20 years, and that airport was losing a pile of money. That was your fault,” Putnam said to the retiring commissioner.

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The Sioux Falls School District launches a 32-member facilities task force on Wednesday as it starts its next round of long-range building planning.

The district said the panel will review growth projections, evaluate current and future facility needs and identify fiscally responsible projects for a potential future bond to present to the school board, it announced in a news release.

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Four candidates running for Sioux Falls mayor pitched about 300 members of the Greater Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce Tuesday on why they have the backgrounds and experiences that best suit them to lead the city.

Joe Batcheller, Christine Erickson, Greg Jamison and Jamie Smith answered questions for more than an hour on broad topics that included managing growth, promoting workforce housing, fostering relations with neighboring communities and public safety. On many issues, there was little daylight between them – they all agreed, for example, that public safety is a top priority.

A fifth candidate, David Zokaites, was not invited to participate.

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