Education · Rapid City, SD
Rapid City Area Schools voters will decide Tuesday, Nov. 3, whether to approve a $107 million bond for school construction, renovations, HVAC improvements and safety upgrades, requiring 60% approval to pass. District CFO Coy Sasse outlined legal spending restrictions, annual independent audits and federal tax-exempt financing requirements, while opponent Andy Pattantyus called for legally binding project lists and a citizen oversight committee. The district estimates a property tax impact of 49 cents per $1,000 of valuation and total repayment near $165 million over up to 20 years. Sasse said the bond would complement $79 million in capital outlay investments for roughly $186 million in facility work over the next decade.
Crime · Rapid City, SD
Francis Brewer, 35, of Rapid City was sentenced Monday to 30 years in prison after pleading guilty in June to first-degree burglary and aggravated assault stemming from a Nov. 5, 2024 attack on a woman at her home. Court records indicate Brewer forced entry into the victim's residence and physically and sexually assaulted her; she escaped using her car's panic button. Senior Deputy State's Attorney Alexa Moeller cited three prior felony convictions and habitual offender status in requesting the sentence, which Seventh Circuit Judge Stacy Wickre approved. The maximum possible penalty was life imprisonment.
Local Politics · Rapid City, SD
Independent U.S. Senate candidate Brian Bengs and Democratic House candidate Nikki Gronli criticized a bus tour launched Monday, Oct. 26 by Republican opponents Mike Rounds, Marty Jackley, and gubernatorial candidate Larry Rhoden. The tour included a Rapid City stop aimed at driving voter turnout during early voting. A South Dakota News Watch poll published Oct. 28 showed registered voters split 49-49 on President Trump's job performance. University of South Dakota political science professor emeritus Michael Card suggested the joint tour may be intended to energize down-ballot races rather than shore up top-of-the-ticket vulnerabilities.
Local Politics · Rapid City, SD
Indivisible Rapid City members gathered outside City Hall and U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds' office on Thursday for a "Vote Blue" demonstration encouraging residents to vote ahead of the Nov. 3 election. Participant Nicole Preble said the group's central message was that voters can use the election to make their concerns heard, though she described Indivisible as nonpartisan despite the event's "Vote Blue" branding. The group plans another demonstration Saturday, Oct. 31. The article also provided Pennington County voting details: Election Day polling runs 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., and regular absentee voting is available Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the auditor's office, 900 Concourse Drive, Suite 130, in Rapid City.
Community brief · Rapid City, SD
South Dakota Service Dogs will host its black-tie gala, "Paws and Pearls: a gala journey into Healing," on Saturday, Nov. 7, at the Best Western Ramkota Convention Center in Rapid City. The event features a keynote address from Taya Kyle, a live auction of decorated Christmas trees and wreaths, and a silent auction. Organizers say all proceeds support the nonprofit's mission of providing service dogs to veterans and first responders at little to…
