Sioux Area Metro seeking public input on proposed changes
SIOUX FALLS, SD (KELO.com) -- Sioux Falls Area Metro -- SAM -- wants to hear from you. TransitTech provider Via operates the city's public transit network, and is opening its doors to public input. Via will host a drop-in session at the Downtown Library May 6th that you can attend in person or you can leave online fe...
Apr 26, 2024
Bill Nye "The Science Guy" headlines Washington Pavilion 25th Anniversary celebration
SIOUX FALLS, SD (KELO.com) -- Bill Nye the Science Guy will be a part of the 25th anniversary celebration of the Washington Pavilion. He'll make a presentation, which will be followed by Q & A the evening of May 2nd. "It is a dream come true for us to host Bill Nye at the Washington Pavilion. While planning o...
Apr 25, 2024
Circus comes to town with cotton candy, clowns and...protestors
SIOUX FALLS, SD (KELO.com) -- PETA supporters are calling for the El Riad Shrine Circus to stop using animals in their acts. The Circus just opened Thursday afternoon. During Saturday's performances, PETA activists will be converging outside the Sioux Falls Arena to protest, saying the animals are subjected to cruel ...
Apr 25, 2024
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Eleven inmates indicted in prison disturbances
SIOUX FALLS, SD (KELO.com) -- Attorney General Marty Jackley wasted little time in securing indictments against inmates involved in last month's prison disturbances. He signed a criminal complaint against the eleven inmates Tuesday morning. The inmates were indicted by a Minnehaha County Grand Jury Tuesday afternoon....
Apr 24, 2024
Former Sioux Falls Mayoral/City Councilor candidate arrested
SIOUX FALLS, SD (KELO.com) -- Assault charges landed a former Sioux Falls Mayoral and City Council candidate in jail. 62 year old David Zokaites is accused of trying to strangle a woman, and of preventing her from calling for help. A judge released him with instructions to stay away from the victim and to make no con...
Apr 24, 2024
Daughter's death provides gift of life for best friend
BROOKINGS, SD (KELO.com) -- The gift of life for a best friend as the result of a horrible tragedy. Randy and Val Demers of Brookings have experienced the highs and lows of life this month. Their 34-year old daughter Heidi lost her life as the result of a seizure. Following their daughter's wishes to donate her orga...
Apr 23, 2024
SDSU team advances in NASA lunar competition - again!
BROOKINGS, SD (KELO.com) -- Students at SDSU are making a habit out of scoring well in NASA competitions. They've been working hard since last summer on the "Break the Ice" lunar excavator. The team is under the watchful eye of Dr. Todd Letcher. Now, a second team working on a new project has also advanced ...
Apr 23, 2024
Interactive video reveals dangers of child sextortion
WASHINGTON, DC (KELO.com) -- It's called "No Escape Room", and it gives parents real-life scenarios on how easily their children can be trapped in a sextortion scheme. The interactive video is produced by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Michelle DeLaune is President & CEO of the ...
Apr 22, 2024
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Mitchell truck stop death suspect to spend time behind bars in SD
MITCHELL, S.D. (KELO.com) -- A Detroit man involved in the Mitchell truck stop death case will serve time in South Dakota. Anthony Harris, 60, Friday pled guilty and was then sentenced in Davison County Circuit Court. Harris was initially charged with both Second-Degree Murder and Improper Disposal of a Body in the dea...
Apr 20, 2024
Minnehaha County jury convicts inmate of assaulting correctional officer
SIOUX FALLS, SD (KELO.com) -- A South Dakota Penitentiary inmate is guilty of threatening a correctional officer. Attorney General Marty Jackley says 31-year old Roland Miner was also convicted this week of possessing a weapon in the prison. The convictions are related to an incident that took place in the prison in ...
Apr 19, 2024
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Man gets 90 years for the death of his son
SIOUX FALLS, SD (KELO.com) -- A 90 year prison term. Dylan Castimore heard those words from a Minnehaha County judge today, as he was sentenced for killing his infant son. Castimore pleaded guilty to one count of child abuse and one count of first-degree manslaughter in the 2021 death of his son Daxton.
Apr 19, 2024
Mayor TenHaken delivers upbeat message in State of the City - with a word of caution
SIOUX FALLS, SD (KELO.com) -- A long list of accomplishments and a bright, but challenging future. Sioux Falls Mayor Paul TenHaken hosted his State of the City address at the Convention Center this morning. Among the challenges, sales tax revenues running behind expectations that are creating a difficult budgeting pr...
Apr 18, 2024
More family space for Bishop Dudley House program
SIOUX FALLS, SD (KELO.com) -- It's a three and a half million dollar fundraising drive aimed at emergency housing for families. The Bishop Dudley Hospitality House already houses up to 100 individuals in its downtown Sioux Falls center. Now, through a partnership with Interlakes Community Action, it will be able to s...
Apr 18, 2024
Sioux Falls sales tax revenues lower than projected; budget reserves grow anyway
SIOUX FALLS, SD (KELO.com) -- Budget reserves for the city of Sioux Falls are growing, even though sales tax collections are running behind expectations. City Councilors received the 2023 year-end financial report last night. Reserves grew to 86-million dollars, even with sales tax growth coming in at 3-percent - tha...
Apr 17, 2024
DSU students staying in South Dakota after graduation
MADISON, SD (KELO.com) -- Dakota State University students appear to be falling in love with the state of South Dakota. DSU President Dr. Jose Marie Griffiths says a high percentage of the school's graduates are staying in South Dakota. 22-percent of the non-resident students are also staying in the state after gradua...
Apr 17, 2024
Toddler injured in fall from third story of hotel
SIOUX FALLS, SD (KELO.com) -- The condition of a 1 1/2 year old Minnesota boy who fell from the third floor of the Club House Hotel in Sioux Falls Saturday morning is still unknown. The child fell out of a window in a hotel room. Officer Sam Clemens says police are investigating. Clemens says someone with a medical b...
Apr 15, 2024
Thune, Rounds and Johnson fight for S.D. postal centers
WASHINGTON, D.C. (KELO.com) -- South Dakota's Congressional delegation has united to fight proposed changes to postal processing centers in the state. Senators Thune and Rounds, along with Representative Johnson oppose shifting distribution activities from Huron to Fargo...and from Sioux Falls to Omaha in a proposed co...
Apr 13, 2024
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Emerald Ash Borer infestation threatens Lennox
CANTON, S.D. (KELO.com) -- Four years ago, the Emerald Ash Borer wreaked havoc on trees in Canton. Now the pest is taking aim at Lennox. The state has confirmed the presence of the Ash Borers in Lennox, and expects it to quickly spread to Harrisburg and Tea. State Forester John Ball says to start treating your trees n...
Apr 13, 2024
USGS Bee Inventory and Monitoring Lab
Smithfield one of nation's worst polluters in 2022
SIOUX FALLS, SD (KELO.com) -- One of Sioux Falls' oldest employers is now one of the nation's worst polluters. South Dakota News Watch reports Smithfield Foods was the nation's top polluter among food producers in 2022. The Sioux Falls plant released 4.9-million pounds of waste into the Big Sioux River. A new wastew...
Apr 11, 2024
Speeds top 100 miles per hour in Brookings County pursuit
A high speed chase has resulted in a quick trip to jail for a Sioux Falls man. 28-year old Ryan Gapp was clocked at more than 100-miles per hour on a 30-mile pursuit in the Brookings area. Tire spikes ended the chase. Gapp then had to be tased as officers tried to arrest him. Gapp faces a slew of charges ranging fr...
Apr 11, 2024
Sioux Falls School Board adopts tentative budget
SIOUX FALLS, SD (KELO.com) -- The Sioux Falls School Board is on track to adopt a budget of nearly 350-million dollars for the next school year. The spending plan includes a 5.2-percent salary increase for teachers. Business manager Todd Vik asked the Board to give tentative approval of the package so the district ca...
Apr 11, 2024
SAM ridership is up and expansion is near
SIOUX FALLS, SD (KELO.com) -- New management of Sioux Area Metro is working well - and the system is about to make a major expansion. In January, Sioux Falls hired "VIA", a transit management company, to operate the system. Ridership is up. VIA Operations Director Emily Schapiro says it will go higher, as ...
Apr 10, 2024
City, school elections draw few voters
SIOUX FALLS, SD (KELO.com) -- Three new Sioux Falls City Councilors elected, and a fourth race headed to a runoff. Miranda Basye won a three-way race to represent the northeast district of the city. Richard Thomason and Jordan Deffenbaugh will square off in a runoff election on April 30th. Jennifer Sigette and Ryan ...
Apr 10, 2024
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Body found in ditch on city's east side
SIOUX FALLS, SD (KELO.com) -- Sioux Falls Police are investigating, as a body was found in a ditch in the eastern part of the city. They were called to examine a suspicious object near 10th and Sycamore when they discovered the body in a drainage ditch. Police say they don't see any signs of foul play.
Apr 10, 2024
USD Medical School celebrates 50 years of four year program
SIOUX FALLS, SD (KELO.com) -- One of South Dakota's best workforce recruitment strategies is to prevent young students from leaving the state. That's especially true in critical areas like medical practice. Dr. Tim Ridgeway, the Dean of the USD School of Medicine says med school graduates are filling critical roles i...
Apr 09, 2024