South Dakota News Roundup: Job Corps Funding, Transmission Corridors, Cyclosporiasis and Sturgis Safety
Here’s a roundup of recent South Dakota news: Congress secured funding for the Boxelder Job Corps center, the U.S. Energy Department dropped three proposed transmission corridors, a national cyclosporiasis outbreak reached the state, and the 86th Sturgis Motorcycle Rally is underway.
National cyclosporiasis outbreak reaches South Dakota
The CDC has tallied just short of 14,000 lab-confirmed cyclospora cases in the ongoing national outbreak, linked mostly to shredded lettuce, with the worst of the outbreak in the Great Lakes area (SDPB, Aug. 13, 2026).
South Dakota has seen cases like nearly every other state. The state Department of Health is aware and focused on keeping food clean; Tori O’Brien, administrator with the Department of Health’s Office of Health Protection, says inspectors look for hazards at food establishments (SDPB, Aug. 13, 2026).
DOE drops three proposed transmission corridors
U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright announced Aug. 12, 2026, that the Department of Energy will not move forward with designating the three proposed National Interest Electric Transmission Corridors previously selected in December 2024 (energy.gov, Aug. 12; DRG News, Aug. 13, 2026).
The corridors ran through South Dakota and a half-dozen other states and focused on carbon reduction.
Boxelder Job Corps funding secured
The Boxelder Job Corps Civilian Conservation Center near Nemo, S.D., in the Black Hills was under threat of closure for nearly a year (KOTA, Aug. 14, 2026).
Congress has fully funded the federal program, overriding President Trump’s call for zero funding, and a recent lawsuit settlement gave a symbolic boost. Director Bonnie Fuller: “We’re doing great and we’re thriving.”
The facility offers a GED/diploma path plus training in CNA, culinary arts, carpentry, painting, welding, office administration and maintenance, with tuition-free housing, meals and health care. Funding runs through June 2027 (KOTA, Aug. 14, 2026).
86th Sturgis Motorcycle Rally underway
The 86th Sturgis Motorcycle Rally is underway, with hundreds of thousands of riders converging on the Black Hills (KOTA, Aug. 14; USA Today, Aug. 12, 2026).
The South Dakota Highway Patrol reports 94 DUI arrests and 32 injury crashes through Day 7, and officials are ramping up safety patrols and ride-home services.
Crazy Horse Memorial still taking shape
Nearly eight decades after work began, the Crazy Horse Memorial in the Black Hills is still taking shape (CBS News, Aug. 13, 2026).
For more on the Mount Rushmore State, see the South Dakota guide.
Sources
South Dakota Public Broadcasting (SDPB); energy.gov; DRG News; KOTA; USA Today; CBS News.