BHSU granted $2.1 million from agency Republicans are abolishing

The South Dakota Board of Regents and US Department of Education funding drove the GEAR UP scandal and Westerhuis murders. Republican former Governor Mike Rounds ran for US Senate calling for the abolition of the DoED saying it is a source of corrupting influence in South Dakota.

Those and myriad other nefarious developments spurred some in the state to boost civic engagement and even reconcile historic truths maybe even probe deeper into South Dakota's own history of ethnic cleansing. That the resulting hangout dedicated to exceptionalism would be located at a university built on stolen treaty ground especially with money from a doomed agency is a draft of the American Saga only Earth haters could concoct. 

Black Hills State University was recently awarded a $2.1 million grant to support civic education in South Dakota. The grant was awarded by the U.S. Department of Education’s American History and Civics Education-Seminars program, which serves to promote new and existing evidence-based strategies to encourage innovative American history, civics and government, and geography instruction. Their game portfolio includes several published simulations on events in the nation’s founding. [BHSU press release]

Future fund recipients, Kathryn Johnson, a former member of the Board of Regents implicated in the EB-5/Bendagate scandal, and her husband, prominent Rapid City attorney, Doyle Estes, are longtime contributors to Pierre's culture of corruption. Prior to her departure Johnson capriciously switched her voter registration to Democrat after being called out for imbalance on SDBOR. Doyle Estes was disciplined by the State Bar in February over an ethics breach and went before the South Dakota Supreme Court after defrauding the City of Rapid City. 

A life-sciences building on the campus of Black Hills State University has alumna, Johnson's name on it.

Self-proclaimed christian nationalist torpedoed CPB

ProPublica journalist Andy Kroll was interviewed by Terry Gross on Fresh Air where he exposed Russell Vought as the christianic monster behind the rescission of funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Bible thumping radio stations have been crowding local NPR broadcasts on the lower FM bands for decades. But how to dismantle the administrative state?

Here is a snip from “Put Them in Trauma:" Inside a Key MAGA Leader’s Plans for a New Trump Agenda.

Vought does not hide his agenda or shy away from using extreme rhetoric in public. But the apocalyptic tone and hard-line policy prescriptions in the two private speeches go further than his earlier pronouncements. Vought referred to the people detained for alleged crimes committed on Jan. 6, 2021, as “political prisoners” and defended the lawyers Jeffrey Clark and John Eastman, who have both faced criminal charges for their role in Trump’s attempts to overturn the 2020 election. Federal law enforcement agencies, he added, “are keeping political opponents in jail, and I think we need to be honest about that.” [Kroll]

NPR is suing CPB for yanking "a planned three-year contract worth $36 million in the face of intense pressure from the White House."

Olson GOES OFF on Thune

Shad Olson isn't fooled by Earth hater John Thune.

No, friends. John Thune did not suddenly "see the light," "grow a pair," "find Jesus," or "finally come around" to the truth of the South Dakota political base and the expedience of "backing Trump."

What you're watching is theater, and John 'Wilkes Booth' Thune, the NeverTrump stalwart (and the very first down ballot establishment sniper to call for Trump's removal as GOP Presidential nominee after the 2016 "Pussygate" tape release by Axcess Hollywood) just turned in the Oscar performance of his miserable, compromised and utterly corrupt political life.

John Thune's role is that of impassioned imposter, mouthing cursory disgruntlement with a wink and a nod to his fellow RINO fiends and his Cory Booker buddies on the political left, all of whom know the fix is in. Reading from the same script.

Anyone who doesn't see this for exactly what it is understands even less about politics than they do about the history of Zapata Oil and the Koch Brothers.

Fortunately for John Thune, South Dakota is brimming to overflowing with people incapable of seeing through his schtick and fooled by his homespun, favorite son, 'Jimmy Stewart Goes to Washington' routine. Four terms and counting.

His cowardice and treachery remain firmly intact. And today's performance on the Senate floor confirms only his mediocre thespian skills and the gullibility of the good natured faction of rubes that still can't believe that their homegrown basketball star and homecoming king squandered away an otherwise sterling career as nothing more than a world class swamp creature, thoroughly marinated in Potomac slime.

Editorial on Thune shutdown from a South Dakota town named for a war criminal

Editor's note: "Americans now blame Trump and Republicans for the shutdown by 14 points, up from 10 points last week. Trump reaches his lowest economic approval in Navigator tracking since 2018. As SNAP benefits come under threat, Americans look to Trump and Republicans to come to the table to negotiate an end to the shutdown." And. "The WalletHub Economic Index decreased by over 9% between October 2024 and October 2025. This means consumers are less confident about their financial outlook this month than they were at the same time last year."

The following is an editorial in a mal-named South Dakota paper.

Representatives of the government of the United States of America: It’s time to get back to work. 

For over four weeks now, our government has been shut down, to the detriment of the citizens. Things are about to get even worse, as some state agencies report that beginning Nov. 1, EBT cards may not receive new SNAP benefit allotments until the shutdown is resolved. That means people in need could begin to go hungry, including children who have absolutely no control over the situation, or their situation in general. It is 2025. We cannot voluntarily allow children to go hungry at the expense of political theater. Whether you support the program or not, allowing SNAP benefits to expire would be an absolute catastrophe for a number of reasons.

There is not any one member of our government or any one party to blame for what is now one of the longest shutdowns in the history of our government. This brinksmanship could be prevented if both Democrats and Republicans would work together to provide a solution. Instead, it is more important to them to grandstand and point fingers. We send our representatives to Washington, D.C., to operate the government and solve problems for us. We don’t send them there to shut the government down and then wait for the other party to “blink” in the name of gaining some macabre leverage or advantage. It’s just another example of our federal leadership failing us. It’s something that is becoming all too common.

If our “leaders” (and we use that term very, very loosely) have issues they want to get resolved, they should do so under the umbrella of an operational, functioning government. What is going on right now is accomplishing nothing, and more and more people are suffering. Shutdowns are not inevitable, and can be avoided. It takes two to tango. Unfortunately, it seems like our leaders are presently only interested in dancing on our faces. Meanwhile, federal employees are missing paychecks but still expected to show up to work. Local businesses are losing customers, and our public land suffers as well.

Here in Custer County, we have plenty of public land and we have plenty of federal employees. They may not be saying so on the record, but they are feeling the pinch. It is terrible they are put at the mercy of our increasingly petulant representatives.

The centerpiece of the shutdown is a dispute over  healthcare — specifically the fate of premium tax credits under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and cuts to Medicaid. Republicans argue Democrats want to spend millions and millions of dollars on healthcare for illegal aliens. Democrats say that is not the case. The healthcare system is yet another system in the United States that is broken, but that’s another editorial for another time.

Nothing gets solved when both sides take their ball and go home. It’s long past time for our government to reopen and solve these problems for the people of the United States. Nothing gets solved when people refuse to compromise. Unfortunately that seems to be what our government does best—be uncompromising and get little done. Get back to work. It’s the least you can do for us. [War Criminal County Chronicle]

Company with dairies in NM and SD compels lawsuit over 25,000 head operation in ND

According to the permit approved by the state, the dairy would generate about 204 million to 235 million gallons of liquid manure and wastewater annually. In addition, 12,643 acres are tile-drained, meaning pollutants would drain directly into waterways while there is no requirement to monitor tile drains or to verify compliance with application rates.

The Dakota Resource Council argues the dairy will threaten the Red River and Lake Winnipeg in Canada with nitrogen, phosphorus, bacteria, pathogens, pesticides and other pollutants.

Read it all at DTN/Progressive Farmer.

Guest post: Buche slams Thune shutdown

Editor's note: according to WalletHub, gambling has become a leading source of anguish and despair in South Dakota with a high suicide rate and few avenues for treatment. The state is tied for first in the number of casinos and machines and second in overall addiction to the poison. The reasoning is hardly mysterious. It’s all about the money video lootery, a too big to jail banking racket, a medical industry triopoly, prostitution, the Sturgis Rally, policing for profit, sex trafficking, hunting and subsidized grazing bring to the SDGOP destroying lives, depleting watersheds and smothering habitat under single-party rule. 

The following column was penned by RF Buche.

I’ve spent my entire life in grocery stores. I am a fourth-generation grocer and President & CEO of GF Buche Co., serving rural and tribal communities in South Dakota for 120 years. Some of our customers are the poorest people in the United States and live in the most remote areas of South Dakota. I know exactly what role local grocers play, and right now, that role has never been more critical.

The government shutdown has thrown SNAP benefits into uncertainty. Families are anxious, wondering if and when they’ll be able to put food on the table. Children should not feel the stress of parents deciding whether to skip meals. And even if benefits land this month, the scheduled cuts coming in 2026 keep me up at night. I know who will pay the price: parents working multiple jobs, children whose school lunches may be their only full meal, elders choosing between food and medicine, and veterans who served their country but now struggle just to eat.

When Washington plays politics, real families go hungry.

Midnight on SNAP Day

On SNAP disbursement days, we keep our stores open late. If you stand inside at midnight, you’ll see a parent pushing two carts, one for groceries and one with a sleeping child wrapped in a blanket. Hunger. Exhaustion. Relief. For many, it’s the first real food in days.

This isn’t hypothetical. It happens every month in South Dakota.Rural Hunger Looks Different

In places like Pine Ridge, Mission, Marty, and Lower Brule, hunger isn’t about poor choices, it’s about barriers built into geography and economy: long distances, limited transportation, fewer jobs. More than *113,000 South Dakotans, including 1 in 5 children, struggle with food insecurity. *https://www.mitchellrepublic.com/news/south-dakota/how-nonprofits-are-teaming-up-to-fight-hunger-in-south-dakota These aren’t statistics in my stores. They are customers.

This Isn’t Political. It’s Personal. 

I’m not here to point fingers. I’m here to say that kids shouldn’t go to bed hungry while Congress argues over shutdown leverage. Treating food access as a bargaining chip is a moral failure.

South Dakotans take care of each other. When one neighbor struggles, the rest of us step up. That’s not charity, that’s who we are. But right now, decisions made thousands of miles away are pushing families to the edge.

SNAP Works, And Cuts Will Hurt 

SNAP is not a luxury. It is the backbone of food access for:

• Working parents

• Seniors stretching limited income• Kids who deserve nourishment to learn and grow

• Veterans deserving more than survival mode

SNAP dollars spent in a rural store support the entire community, keeping doors open, jobs local, and shelves full. Cutting this support is not responsible governance. 

We’re Stepping Up – Washington Must Too

Through our nonprofit Team Buche Cares teambuchecares.org, we aim to provide 50,000 meals at Thanksgiving and another 50,000 at Christmas. We respond to urgent needs when families reach out. But philanthropy cannot replace federal responsibility. Donors help thousands. SNAP helps tens of thousands.

Hungry Children Can’t Wait 

This isn’t a policy debate. It’s dinner. Stability. Survival.

Here’s what I’m asking Congress to do:

• End the shutdown• Fully fund SNAP for November

• Reverse the cuts planned for 2026

• Remember the families living with the consequencesMy family built our grocery stores on one belief: food is love, food is dignity, and food is hope. In the United States of America, in the heart of South Dakota, no child should have to worry about eating.

South Dakotans take care of each other. Caring for our neighbors, sharing in times of plenty and ensuring no one is forgotten, those are the values that make our state strong.

It’s time for Washington to do the same.

Learn more at South Dakota Searchlight and at ICTNews and at Bill Janklow's idea of public radio.

As USD prof reinstated NMSU Earth hater sues

Philip Michael Hook is a tenured art professor who has taught at the University of South Dakota for nearly twenty years but was suspended after posting truth on Faceberg about for-profit Nazist Charlie Kirk. USD has since dropped its bid to fire Hook after a federal judge halted his dismissal amid a pending lawsuit.

In 2021 christianic white nationalist David Clements was fired from New Mexico State University for endangering students and others by refusing to comply with state COVID-19 protocols. An attorney, Clements is representing himself in a lawsuit against NMSU and believes he's been vindicated by the Trump Organization's Department of Health and Human Services. NMSU dropped its masking requirement in 2022 because vaccination participation in New Mexico was widespread so cases and hospitalizations were declining. 

The university declined to comment on the pending litigation. Earlier this month, NMSU’s attorneys asked the court to dismiss the lawsuit, arguing that a two-year statute of limitations on contractual claims had passed and that it would be immune from claims that COVID-19 requirements violated “implied” terms of his contract. [Albuquerque Journal]

Another foreign miner would rip into sacred Black Hills

In 2000 now-dead Republican South Dakota Governor Bill Janklow sold the state cement plant in Rapid City to Grupo Cementos de Chihuahua (GCC). Democratic legislators voted against Janklow's folly because GCC was exempted from mineral severance and was allowed to mine on ground owned by School and Public Lands. Limestone-rich state trust land near Dewey was leased for a dollar for 99 years and could be renewed twice so for three bucks GCC received the mineral rights for 297 years and school kids got screwed. 

Today, West Rapid routinely endures blowing dust and air quality alerts from GCC's quarry operations and in 2026 Piedmont could suffer a similar fate.

Residents and government leaders in this small western South Dakota city are in shock that the state approved a limestone mining operation without notifying them in advance about the project. What they discovered is that Simon Contractors, a French-owned, Wyoming-based mining and materials company, has acquired state approval and private landowner agreements to allow limestone mining on 10 parcels of land that are either within the Piedmont city limits or that directly border its western boundary. A rare combination of a lax state mining law and a lack of county land-use regulations allowed the Piedmont mine to gain approval without input from the public or local government. [Piedmont residents shocked by new mine coming to their city]

Just south of Piedmont the town of Black Hawk is already facing the failure of the State of South Dakota to properly reclaim a gypsum mine. 

On Sunday, the entire Black Hills region will experience high fire danger and the grassland fire danger index will reach the moderate category in Piedmont.

Lame duck Earth hater wants more gun control in South Dakota, Sioux Falls

Earth haters like former Vice President Mike Pence and the lame duck christianic Sioux Falls mayor are speaking out on a marauding chief executive further splitting that political party. 

But, in miserly Sioux Falls compassionate conservatism is very dead because Paul TenHaken is an Earth hating Republican mayor of a small city in a red flyover state who wouldn’t even vote for Jesus Himself if He ran as a Democrat. In the 2018 election TenHaken dominated the Sioux Falls general election in every area of the city but not in the core where unhoused people are trying to survive. Hizzoner wants the more fortunate to give money to religionist institutions instead of to the people who need it. 

But, now that Donald Trump, Kristi Noem and Charlie Kirk have ginned up belligerents in their own party TenHaken is spooked.

Right now, there is no law that makes it illegal to bring a concealed firearm or weapon into any municipal building in South Dakota, which concerns TenHaken. “I think we’ve got to look at that from a state perspective and say, does the law need to change on that? Should we be afforded the same protection that state legislators and that county officials are given?” TenHaken said. The mayor said he’s had conversations with state legislators about possible changes to the existing law. [KELO teevee]

Learn more at Pew Research.

South Dakota Earth hater advocating for socialized medicine

The South Dakota Republican Party isn't about growth; it's about keeping Social Security recipients alive long enough to pay the property taxes that sustain red state failure. The state is 51st in elder care.

Contending tribal nations enjoy racial preference lawyers and political appointees in the Trump administration wants to deny Medicaid benefits to some three million Native Americans even after Republicans cut funding to the Indian Health Service. Influenza preys on the elderly and the poor: two demographics South Dakota has in abundance so it comes as little surprise that South Dakota is failing its oldest residents. 

There is a growing movement among Democrats and others to fund Medicare for all but I like the idea of rolling the funding for Obamacare, TriCare, Medicare, the Indian Health Service and the Veterans Health Administration together then offering Medicaid for all by increasing the estate tax, raising taxes on tobacco and adopting a carbon tax. 

Yes, socialized agriculture, socialized dairies, socialized cheese, socialized livestock production, a socialized timber industry, socialized air service, socialized freight rail, a socialized nursing home industry, socialized water systems and now a socialized internet are all fine with Republicans in South Dakota but then they insist single-payer medical insurance is socialized medicine. 

State Representative Taylor Rae Rehfeldt is an Earth hater representing District 14 in South Dakota's nutball legislature but it reads like socialized medicine is in her cards.

Taylor Rehfeldt For House

October 21 at 6:00 AM · 

A couple of weeks ago, I attended the Medicaid Leadership Program in Washington, D.C., where we learned about the new Rural Health Transformation Fund which is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to strengthen care across rural America, including right here in South Dakota.

Access to quality healthcare shouldn’t depend on your zip code. This program represents part of a $50 billion national investment over the next five years, and South Dakota could receive $100–$200 million per year over the next five years to modernize care, expand telehealth, recruit providers, and keep rural hospitals open. That’s critical, because our rural healthcare system is under pressure.

Why this matters:

Rural residents face higher rates of chronic disease and often travel hours for care. The fund gives states flexibility to invest in what matters most locally - workforce, hospital modernization, and new care models.

We need to make sure telehealth and technology actually reach the people who need them. This is an exciting moment for South Dakota, and it’s also a responsibility. We must use this funding wisely, focus on real outcomes, and ensure every corner of our state benefits. When we strengthen healthcare in rural communities, we strengthen the entire state.

Let’s make sure we get it right.

Jensen: Trump shutdown curtailing chemtrails

Exhaust gases from aircraft are indeed mostly water vapor that become visible as a function of the dew point then often form cirrus clouds at higher altitudes and alter microclimates and contrails also contain unburned hydrocarbons and other organic compounds that fall as pollutants but the sheer volume of air travel produces the de facto result of albedo modification intentional or not. 

State Senator Kevin Jensen is an Earth hater representing District 16 in South Dakota's nutball legislature.

Witten Farms another Trump casualty in South Dakota

In 2018 the Rapid City Journal blamed the South Dakota Republican Party for spikes in suicides and depression then a Sanford Health executive did the same in 2019. That year South Dakota ranked 6th highest in the nation for suicides reporting more than 22 self-administered terminations per 100,000 people or an increase of 59% since 1999 and the 11th highest increase in any state. But, during the Biden years even employment in the red moocher state improved and suicides decreased dramatically. 

So, a cynical observer might suspect bankers provided gloomy outlooks to Creighton University's Rural Mainstreet Index in 2024 especially in midwestern swing states to sink Democratic Party prospects just as Republicans in congress stalled immigration reform because it makes sense to Earth haters that after he was elected again the Orange Julius would run America into the dirt so banks can foreclose on the whole dealio then massage auction price points.

Witten Farms received over $17,000 in federal subsidies in the last two years but it wasn't nearly enough to offset the harm done to it by the Trump Organization.

To ensure maximum flexibility for prospective buyers, the land will be offered in 20 individual tracts and combinations through a multi-parcel auction system. This system allows bidders to customize their purchases to perfectly suit their operational or investment needs. The auction will take place at 10 a.m. CDT on Wednesday, Nov. 19. The location of the auction is St. Mary's Hall, 305 W. Third St., Winner, South Dakota 57580. [Nov. Auction Features 5,508 SD Acres]

Learn more at NPR.

Ken Burns: E pluribus unum = DEI

George Washington was a deeply flawed man and became a warlord because enslaved people afforded him cannon, muskets, powder and ball even as he excluded Black soldiers from his militia.

Filmmaker Ken Burns appeared with Fresh Air's Terry Gross in a live interview where he shared his perspective on the six-part, twelve hour PBS documentary series, The American Revolution and called that particular (un)civil war the most consequential in human history. They talked about how Washington and Benjamin Franklin simply seized tens of thousands of acres from the Indigenous population and why women, Native Americans, enslaved and free Negro people were excluded from the declaration that "all men are created equal." 

Burns also said he lost millions of dollars to produce future documentaries after the Orange Julius cut funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasing. During the interview he called diversity, equity and inclusion the same thing as E pluribus unum (out of many, one) and that he would be denied by the Trump Organization to even talk about the series anywhere on properties held by the federal government. 

An expansive look at the virtues and contradictions of the war and the birth of the United States of America, the film follows dozens of figures from a wide variety of backgrounds. Viewers will experience the war through the memories of the men and women who experienced it: the rank-and-file Continental soldiers and American militiamen (some of them teenagers), Patriot political and military leaders, British Army officers, American Loyalists, Native soldiers and civilians, enslaved and free African Americans, German soldiers in the British service, French and Spanish allies, and various civilians living in North America, Loyalist as well as Patriot, including many made refugees by the war. The American Revolution was a war for independence, a civil war, and a world war. It impacted millions – from Canada to the Caribbean and beyond. Few escaped its violence. [PBS]

In another public radio broadcast Christopher Cox talked about Sacagawea and the Hidatsa telling following his New York Times Magazine story.

Renville announces run for SD governor; maybe another primary for Dems

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Allison Renville Announces Candidacy for Governor of South Dakota.

Native South Dakotan and Community Advocate Enters 2026 Gubernatorial Race

Sioux Falls, SD — Allison Renville, a longtime community advocate, political organizer, and outspoken voice for equity and rural revitalization, has officially announced her candidacy for Governor of South Dakota in the 2026 election.

Born and raised in Northeast South Dakota and based in Sioux Falls, Renville brings a unique blend of grassroots experience, cultural insight, and policy advocacy to the race. A citizen of the Oceti Sakowin (Great Sioux Nation) and a respected public speaker, she has been a leading voice in regional and national discussions surrounding civil rights, social justice, and sustainable economic development through political engagement.

“I’m running for Governor because South Dakota deserves leadership that listens to every voice—from our farmers and small business owners to our tribal communities and working families,” said Renville. “We need bold, inclusive leadership that focuses on real solutions, not politics as usual but with a legacy deeply embedded in South Dakota history.”

Renville’s campaign will center on key issues including:

Expanding access to healthcare across rural, the cities and underserved areas.

-Investing in education to strengthen rural and urban schools while supporting teachers and students.

-Protecting South Dakota’s natural resources while fostering renewable energy innovation including land, water and wind.

-Championing Tribal Sovereignty and building stronger partnerships between state and Tribal governments.

-Growing the economy through support for small businesses, agriculture, and workforce development that encourages systemic change and equity.

With a reputation for bridge-building and a deep commitment to community engagement, Renville is poised to bring a new kind of leadership to the Governor’s office—one rooted in transparency, inclusion, and a classic vision for the future of South Dakota.

More information about Allison Renville’s campaign, platform, and upcoming events will be available soon, for interviews or communications: allisonrenville@gmail.com. @highlight

#DakotasForAmerica #HiFromSD #VoteRenville #ResistRallyRise #RunRunRun #NoKings

Very high fire danger returns to chemical toilet

Yes, the grassland fire danger index will reach the very high category again on Monday for much of the failed red state.

Strong northwest winds will develop on Monday on the backside of a low pressure system that will track across the region. Gusts will range between 35-55 mph with the highest gusts expected across central South Dakota. This also is where elevated fire danger will develop. High to Very High Fire Danger conditions are expected across most of central South Dakota. These types of winds will create erratic behavior to any fires that start. Avoid outdoor burning and have an adequate supply of water on hand if doing any farm or field work.

 

SD Earth haters backing Fetterman?

If deeply unwell US Senator John Fetterman (D?-PA) even lives though his term he'll be jettisoned by his own voters but at least he has the backing of South Dakota's Earth haters.

Democrats who could run against Fetterman include Reps. Brendan Boyle and Chris Deluzio and former Rep. Conor Lamb, according to multiple political insiders in Pennsylvania. [Scoop: Dems plot Fetterman ouster]