Skip to main contentSkip to main content

    A South Dakota man has admitted to fatally shooting three people and wounding two others. KELO-TV reports that 43-year-old Francis Lange on Wednesday entered a plea of guilty but mentally ill to three counts of murder and two counts of aggravated assault. Lange admitted in court to going into a home in the small town of Scotland, South Dakota, on Nov. 9, 2021, and shooting everyone inside. Those killed included Lange’s former girlfriend, Angela Monclova, along with her father, Librado Monclova, and Diane Akins. A 5-year-old girl was shot, along with another victim who survived. He faces mandatory life in prison without parole at sentencing on July 24.

      Brownfield properties are targeted for redevelopment or reuse, but pose challenges with hazardous substances, pollutants of contaminants that are either known to be present or could be present.

        A federal judge has ruled that the U.S, government has a treaty obligation to support law enforcement on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota,. But he declined for now to determine whether the Oglala Sioux Tribe is entitled to as much funding as it’s seeking. Tribal leaders depict the ruling as a victory, saying the important point is the court confirmed that the federal government has a duty to fund policing on the reservation. The judge ordered U.S. officials to meet with Oglala Sioux leaders on "how to more fairly fund tribal law enforcement.”

        Republican Gov. Kristi Noem is opening a hotline for complaints about South Dakota colleges and universities. Noem announced the hotline Friday. In a letter to the state's Board of Regents, Noem said information from the hotline will guide policy changes. She's also calling on the Board of Regents to ban drag shows, remove references to preferred pronouns in school materials, and increase graduation rates. Noem says liberal beliefs are poisoning colleges and she doesn't want that to happen in South Dakota. An Associated Press request for comment to the regents wasn't immediately returned Friday.

        The South Dakota State Fire Marshal’s Office is investigating a house explosion that killed an infant and her grandparents. The Stanley County sheriff says the home near Fort Pierre exploded about 10:20 a.m. Wednesday. The sheriff has identified the victims as 6-month-old Harper Hupp; 61-year-old LaDonna Hupp; and 66-year-old William Hupp. Two other young children were hospitalized in Minnesota. Rathbun says the children's parents were at work when the explosion happened. The house is in a rural area about 11 miles southwest of Fort Pierre. It was completely destroyed. The cause of the explosion is under investigation but the sheriff says foul play is not suspected.

        The Oklahoma Legislature has overridden Gov. Kevin Stitt's veto of a bill that would allow students to wear Native American regalia during high school and college graduations. The state House and Senate on Thursday easily cleared the two-thirds threshold needed to uphold the measure. Stitt vetoed the bill earlier this month, saying at the time that the decision should be up to individual districts. The bill had strong support from many Oklahoma-based tribal nations. Despite being a Cherokee Nation citizen, Stitt has feuded with many of the Native American tribes in the state throughout his two terms in office.

        Eds: The South Dakota editorial roundup will not move this week due to a lack of editorials of state-wide interest. We will resume the roundup at its normal time on Wednesday, May 31, 2023.

        For Native American students, tribal regalia is often passed down through generations and worn at graduations to signify connection with the community. A bill vetoed earlier this month by Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt, a Republican, would have allowed any public school student to wear traditional garments, feathers, beaded caps or stoles or similar objects of cultural and religious significance. Disputes over such attire have spurred laws making it illegal to prevent Native American students from wearing regalia in nearly a dozen states including Arizona, Oregon, South Dakota, North Dakota and Washington.

        Factors largely outside of farmers’ control – from the increasingly unpredictable weather to growing costs of everything from fuel to loans – make the threat of losing the beloved family farm a constant worry. That’s been affecting mental health and driving an uptick in suicides among agricultural workers. So heartland states like Minnesota and South Dakota are training rural clergy in suicide prevention, teaching pastors how to start conversations about mental health and how to respond to them. Dozens of faith leaders are learning to destigmatize seeking help for mental health among particularly self-reliant and proud congregations, so that they can stay healthy and continue to grow the crops and raise the livestock that feed people across the United States and beyond.

        Affiliate

        Content by Liv Hospitality. Whether you want to experience the breathtaking outdoors of Black Hills like a true local or find the lesser known treats and eats in the area, these hidden gems are right up your alley.

        Some 1,500 law enforcement officers from several states were among 3,000 mourners paying their final respects to a Wisconsin sheriff’s deputy who was fatally shot by a suspected drunken driver during a traffic stop. The funeral for St. Croix County Sheriff’s Deputy Kaitlin “Kaitie” R. Leising was held Friday in the gymnasium of Hudson High School while a montage of photos from her life were shown on a large screen overhead. Leising’s family, including her wife, Courtney, and their 3-month-old son, Syler, stood to the side of the casket, hugging visitors. Sheriff Scott Knudson said that in less than a year with his office, Leising earned commendations and the admiration of her colleagues.

        Members of a small tribe in Arizona are marking the renaming of a popular campground in Grand Canyon National Park as Havasupai Gardens. The Havasupai Tribe had lobbied the federal government for years to change the name from Indian Garden. The U.S. Board on Geographic Names granted approval in November. Tribal members trekked down a portion of the Bright Angel Trail last week for a blessing and dedication ceremony. It was an emotional homecoming for participants. And for the federal government, it was a reckoning of sorts nearly a century after it forced the last of the Havasupai people from the land.

        Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device.

        Topics

        News Alert

        Breaking News