The first crews on the scene around 8pm found the fire had been extinguished by the building's sprinkler system, and the system had controlled the flames before fire units arrived.

One civilian had minor...

MITCHELL, S.D. (AP) - A Mitchell man accused of hitting his teenage daughter with a piece of wood after she tried to sneak out of the house has pleaded guilty to a child abuse charge.

The Daily Republic newspaper reports that 45-year-old Dennis Theunissen reached a plea agreement with prosecutors under which he will serve no jail time, if a judge approves at his sentencing next...

PIERRE, S.D. (AP) - The South Dakota Senate has passed a resolution that urges Congress to leave hydraulic fracturing regulation in state hands.

On Tuesday, the Senate passed it 32-3. The House voted to adopt the resolution 50-16 last week.

Hydraulic fracturing, or "fracking," is a method of natural gas extraction that involves pumping millions of gallons of water, sand and chemicals...

VERMILLION, S.D. (AP) - The University of South Dakota will soon become the first campus in the state to allow alcohol in certain residence halls for students 21 and older.

KELO-TV reports that starting in the fall, students of legal age will be able to bring alcohol in Coyote Village and McFadden.

Associate Dean of Students Phil Covington says the student population is made up of more than...

PIERRE, S.D. (AP) - South Dakota counties could choose to cremate deceased indigents if an amended House bill becomes law.

In South Dakota, counties pay funeral expenses when a destitute resident dies. Local Government Committee members have passed a bill that allows county commissioners to choose cremation over burials in the absence of family or personal funds.

The bill also allows...

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) - A northwest Iowa woman accused of defrauding the federal government has pleaded not guilty in U.S. District Court in South Dakota.

Forty-four-year-old Wendy Gonzales of Le Mars, Iowa, is accused of inflating the number of miles she traveled to and from a Veterans Affairs medical facility in Sioux Falls. Authorities say she received more than $22,000 in travel expense...

ABERDEEN, S.D. (AP) - Wells Fargo is laying off 66 workers in Aberdeen, while Sanford Health is hiring dozens of people in the city.

The Wells Fargo office is part of a Wells Fargo Financial division that has been consolidated with another division. Company spokeswoman Staci Schiller says auto loan collections work has dried up, and the last day for the collections workers in Aberdeen will be...

PIERRE, S.D. (AP) - South Dakota health officials have concluded that food poisoning sickened dozens of people who attended a high school basketball game in Pierre.

State Epidemiologist Lon Kightlinger says the culprit was a bacteria found on meat and poultry. He says people who filled out questionnaires implicated tacos sold by a school group as a fundraiser during the Jan. 31 game between...

PIERRE, S.D. (AP) - Local, state and federal officials are holding meetings in six South Dakota communities next week to discuss flood preparedness.

The public town halls are designed to teach residents and businesses about the spring weather outlook, flood insurance and the best steps to take ahead of the start of the spring storm season.

Representatives from local emergency management, the...

PIERRE, S.D. (AP) - A South Dakota House committee has killed a pair of bills that would have required people in the welfare and Medicaid programs to be tested for illegal drug use.

The panel rejected the measures after opponents said the testing would be costly and would not reduce illegal drug use.

Supporters argue that drug testing would help people overcome drug addictions and would stop...