Local Politics · Pennington County
State Representative Peri Pourier is running as an independent candidate for the South Dakota Senate seat in District 27, which spans four counties including Badlands National Park and Pine Ridge Reservation. The open seat follows Senator Red Dawn Foster's term limit expiration. Pourier, a Navy veteran and Oglala Lakota tribal member, cites public safety and cross-party cooperation as her primary platforms. She faces Republican Anthony Kathol and Democrat Celestine Stadnick in the November election.
Public Safety · Fall River County
Authorities identified James Michael Edwards, 59, of Scottsbluff, Nebraska, as the driver who died in a single-vehicle semi-truck crash on Oct. 14. The incident occurred around 6:15 a.m. on U.S. Highway 18 near mile marker 2, approximately 10 miles west of Edgemont, South Dakota. Edwards was driving westbound when his truck left the roadway and overturned; he was ejected from the vehicle and not wearing a seat belt. The South Dakota Department of Public Safety is investigating the crash.
Community News · Fall River County
The VA Black Hills Health Care System received fourth-quarter federal funding for infrastructure projects at its facilities in Hot Springs and Fort Meade, South Dakota. Planned work includes elevator modernization, boiler replacement, fire alarm upgrades, and electrical equipment improvements at both sites, plus electronic health record infrastructure work at Fort Meade. The projects fall under the VA's $4.8 billion nationwide Non-recurring Maintenance program for fiscal year 2026. Medical Center Director Spencer Mion said the funding will help maintain safe facilities for veterans in western South Dakota. The announcement did not specify local funding amounts or individual project cost estimates.
