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Straight Outta Pierre: Summer plans, TikTok and 2026 races

Sharp, snappy and South Dakotan — An anonymous shot of insight with a twist of sarcasm

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Bo Hutchins
Jun 13, 2025
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Summer rolled into South Dakota like a lobbyist on sine die — sunburned, underprepared and already looking for a cold beer. The humidity’s rising, accountability’s dropping and half the state’s vanished into a park faster than a legislator dodging a tough vote.

Hit the bike trail in Sioux Falls, climb Black Elk Peak, paddle Sylvan Lake, float the Missouri or just disappear into a state park for the weekend. That $40 annual park pass? It unlocks everything good about living here — wide skies, cold water and the kind of silence you can’t scroll past. In this economy, it’s basically charity. I’ve blown more than that on gas station jerky and a losing scratch-off.

Gov. Rhoden will delay special session on prison

Gov. Rhoden will delay special session on prison

Jonathan Ellis
·
June 12, 2025
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Bo Hutchins's avatar
A guest post by
Bo Hutchins
Bo’s hunted pheasants, landed walleyes, and spent 30 years in SD politics. He’s outlasted careers, been ignored, occasionally thanked, and still knows when someone’s bluffing—or just rehearsing for the next season.
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