Category: Local politics
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A Tricky Gift from Lien: The Sports Complex Enters the Legal and Finance Committee Agenda
Rapid City SD – The proposed Rapid City Indoor Sports Complex — officially named the “Rapid City Fieldhouse” in its facility management agreement — goes before the Legal and Finance Committee as a $76.2 million project built on a land donation that reads, on paper, less like a gift and more like a long-term lease…
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South Dakota Reaches $15 Million Settlement With Roblox Over Child Safety
Pierre SD – South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley announced a settlement worth up to $15 million with Roblox Corporation on July 13, resolving state claims tied to child safety on the popular gaming and creation platform. The money will fund South Dakota’s Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, the state Department of Education,…
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Chapel Lane Bridge Replacement Delayed to 2027 as City Pursues Temporary Crossing
The Chapel Lane Bridge replacement — the sole access point for more than 500 homes in the Chapel Valley neighborhood — has been pushed back over a year, from a May 2026 completion target to June 1, 2027, after the city was passed over for a 2026 state Bridge Improvement Grant that would have covered…
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Public Works Agenda Roundup For 7/14: Star Village Demolitions, A Contractor Lien, A Dropped Exception, and A Park Moves Forward
Rapid City SD- The City of Rapid City is spending at least $133,500 to demolish 28 detached garages in the Star Village neighborhood after owner Tzadik Rapid City Portfolio I failed to meet two separate city-ordered demolition deadlines — November 13, 2025, and February 20, 2026. The city’s own agenda language describes the structures as…
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Behind the Quiet of a Cyber Incident Recovery: How Pennington County and Rapid City Might Proceed
Rapid City SD – A week after a cybersecurity incident forced Pennington County to shutter most public-facing offices, the systems that run daily life in Rapid City and the county remain in a state of quiet reconstruction. Officials have said little about what happened. But the public record — statutes, certificate logs, and the county…
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Razor Wire And Bassinets: Inside South Dakota’s New Women’s Prison
Rapid City SD – By 10:00 a.m. Friday, the July heat radiating off the fresh asphalt at 1020 N Creek Drive was already suffocating. It was the kind of sweltering Rapid City morning that makes standing in a suit feel like a punishment — a fact visibly written on the sweating faces of local legislators,…
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Pennington County Confirms Ongoing Service Disruptions Amid Cybersecurity Response; Rapid City Impact Still Under Review
Rapid City SD – Pennington County officials confirmed today that the response to a cybersecurity incident first identified last Sunday morning continues to limit several public-facing county departments, even as core public safety services remain unaffected. According to a release from the Pennington County State’s Attorney’s Office, dated July 9, the county is working with…
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The Invisible War Room: How Federal and State Cyber Forces are Responding to the Pennington County Breach
Rapid City SD – When the screens go dark at the county auditor’s office and property lien payments grind to a halt, the disruption feels entirely local. But behind the public-facing “closed” signs, the response to the Pennington County network breach has escalated far beyond municipal IT departments. The cyber incident affecting Pennington County remains…
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Just When You Thought It Was Over: The Give- And -Take Between GCC Dacotah And Rapid City
Rapid City SD – The ink is barely dry on three newly passed municipal ordinances, but the multi-layered chess match over the future of Rapid City’s heavy industrial footprint is already shifting back to the planning boards this Thursday morning. The No Votes on Ordinance 6719 On July 7th, the Rapid City Common Council pushed…
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Regional Cyber Investigation Pauses Rapid City Building and Utility Payments
RAPID CITY SD — A cybersecurity incident impacting Pennington County’s network has triggered a precautionary security sweep within the City of Rapid City, temporarily pausing several municipal services. Because the city and county share some infrastructure and collaborate on a limited number of systems, the City’s IT team is currently conducting a thorough investigation to…