Category: Investigations
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South Dakota’s Parole Crisis Didn’t Start Monday
A Sioux Falls officer nearly died. The governor announced emergency reforms. But the system was broken long before this week — and the people who broke it aren’t the ones cleaning it up. On Monday afternoon in Sioux Falls, a police officer followed a woman into what turned out to be an ambush. A man…
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Where was the Box Elder Representation when the MPO Voted to Put a Railyard There?
On April 16, with the majority of its members not in attendance, the Rapid City Area Metropolitan Planning Organization’s Technical and Citizens Committee unanimously approved a 267-page study recommending that the RCP&E railyard be relocated to Box Elder. The mayor of Box Elder was not present. Neither was the City of Box Elder’s planning department.…
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The Task Force Trap: Manufacturing A Crisis for Election Season
Just 36 hours before early municipal voting opens in Rapid City, local law enforcement has announced a heavily-armed, seven-agency task force to address a sudden parole crisis. Even for those of us who believe people on parole should be held accountable, the timing, the scale, and the stagecraft demand a closer look.The stated catalyst is…
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Moving to Rapid City? How to Avoid Shenanigans and Navigate your New Home Town
Rapid City is a “Constitutional Carry” state where the cat needs a license and the horse needs a passport. If you’re moving here from out of state, your lack of information could cost you thousands in your first week. Here is your shield. I. The Vehicle Gauntlet ( The first 90 Days) II. Apartment Defense…
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Rapid’s New Rides: Delivering Comfort and Dignity to the Daily Commute
Arriving early for the ribbon cutting ceremony I took a seat in the sun, expecting a crowd. After all, Rapid City is a booming town, and infrastructure news usually draws a few people. Instead, the sidewalk was mostly quiet. A haggard mother walked by, pushing a stroller and wrangling four other children—two little girls dancing…
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A South Dakota Digital Loophole Closed: How SB 41 Arms Law Enforcement to Take Down Creators & Distributors of AI Deepfakes
Why This Concerns You When hyper-realistic, explicit deepfakes of celebrities like Taylor Swift flooded the internet, it brought federal outrage to the deepfake crisis. But pop stars aren’t the reason South Dakota is finally rewriting its criminal code. While the cameras were focused on Hollywood, the actual casualties were piling up in local high schools…
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Your DNA For Sale : How SB 49 Empowers South Dakotans on the Genetic Frontier
Just a few decades ago, human DNA was a mystery unraveled only in highly secured, sterile laboratories. The first Human Genome Project took 13 years and billions of dollars just to map a single genetic sequence. Today? You can spit half a teaspoon of raw saliva into a plastic tube, mail it to a tech…
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What South Dakota’s New Crypto ATM Law Means: Breaking Down SB 98
What is the Bill? On July 1st, the “Wild West” era of cryptocurrency in South Dakota officially comes to an end. Under Senate Bill 98, any business operating a cryptocurrency ATM in the state must play by a strict new set of rules. New Crypto ATM Mandates Why is the Bill Needed Cryptocurrency might be…
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In the Shadow of The Presidents: The Rogue Economy Exploiting Seasonal Labor in the Black Hills
So it Begins As the weather warms and the Black Hills prepare for the massive influx of summer tourism, the shadow economy is already operating at peak capacity. Right now – months before the first major wave of tourists arrives- “shadow recruiters” are actively hunting for this season’s vulnerable workforce. The lure is often set…
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The End of the Data Broker Era: Taking Back Your Shadow Data From Big Tech
What South Dakota’s new digital privacy law actually means for you Picture this: It’s 8:00 p.m. on a Tuesday in Rapid City. The family is sitting on the couch, watching a movie on the Roku or Apple TV. The commercial break hits, and suddenly, the 65-inch screen fills with a hyper-targeted, undeniably embarrassing ad. Maybe…