This is concerning: #SouthDakota has 3 #rural hospitals at risk of closing in the next 2 - 3 years, and another 9 at risk of closing in 6 - 8 years. Rural healthcare access needs to be a priority for the state! www.beckershospitalreview.com/finance/756-...

Three years ago, barely half of Norris Elementary's students came to school regularly. Now attendance is above 90%. Staff at the predominately Native American school credit one-on-one engagement with students and families, and Lakota language and cultural programming. buff.ly/f3VJtAB

You can watch part two here: www.kptv.com/2025/12/23/m...

Communities need to be involved in the process when #datacenters are built. Folks have a right to know the costs & benefits, and to get the best deal they can for their community. #rural #localcontrol

If #datacenters can plug into a power plant, will they pair their fair share for maintaining the #grid? And after outages, who gets priority - data centers or other #ratepayers? www.keloland.com/business/ap-...

THIS- Addressing the energy needs, employment promises and overall environmental impact of data centers will allow South Dakotans to decide whether we really want this infrastructure to be developed in our state. We live here and our voices matter www.thedakotascout.com/p/counterpoi... #datacenters

SD state economist confirms what is widely felt across the state - the #farm economy has slowed. Low prices, high inputs are reducing what #farmers spend & it's felt in our sales #tax revenues southdakotasearchlight.com/briefs/south... #southdakota

Excellent summary of how dependent much of our farm economy, particularly soybeans, is on exports. In a functioning Congress & USDA, they would be responding through #FarmBill reforms to support more diversified crop systems and domestic markets for farmers. investigatemidwest.org/2025/12/15/s...

Sobering news for farm country: According to data gathered by the health policy outlet KFF, 27% of farmers, ranchers & agricultural managers rely on individual marketplace insurances, the large majority of which are purchased through ACA Marketplaces. www.kcrg.com/2025/12/15/i... #rural #healthcare

Farmers across the country may soon receive a share of a $12 billion farm aid package, as promised by President Donald Trump. But some South Dakota #farmers say it’s not the change they want to see: “I would rather have trade deals than bailouts."

The feds have canceled #pipeline safety research that #taxpayers have already paid for. The research included safe distances from communities & #CO2pipelines subscriber.politicopro.com/article/eene... @eenews.bsky.social

This is alarming: "Larew said he’s heard concern about the deeper economic impact of unstable international trade. Lenders told him they’ll be unable to make loans for up to 50% of their farm customers in the next year." This is the current #farmcrisis & will hit #rural communities hard

SD has 2 laws regulating #AI on the books, it remains to be seen how this order will impact them. South Dakotans don't want child pornography & extended that to computer-generated forms as well. The other law prohibits AI #deepfakes in our elections. We the people of South Dakota have spoken on this

This: “To say that #datacenters are unpopular right now is probably an understatement, to say the least,” admitted Dan Diorio, VP for state policy, Data Center Coalition, speaking to the Florida House Economic Infrastructure Committee Tuesday. Start with #transparency in your communities

Communities where these #datacenters want to build should think about whose pockets are getting that money. Vague statements without hard numbers aren't good enough. If companies want to build, make it open & transparent.

Lots of #datacenter promoters at this event, not surprising. They were all busy touting how little water they use & how many jobs they'll create. No hard job numbers though. No promises to be transparent. www.keloland.com/news/local-n...

Why we signed on: “The rapid, largely unregulated rise of #datacenters to fuel the #AI and crypto frenzy is disrupting communities across the country and threatening Americans’ economic, environmental, climate and water security." www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025... #rural #ruralcommunities

It seems as though #datacenters want to come to #SouthDakota because of the cooler climate & abundant water but then they say "not without #taxbreaks" so which is it? States should not be in a race to the bottom. www.keloland.com/keloland-com...

Let's hope the investigation actually leads to action that dismantles the #monopoly held by the #meatpacking industry. #breakupthepackers

We're happy to announce that this year, we distributed more than $1.3 million in grant funding to support family farmers. Learn more and see the list of organizations we supported: www.farmaid.org/pres...

What Xcel says is all well & good, but communities & utility customers need to have this guaranteed in writing. If they're being honest, that shouldn't be a problem. Transparency & enforceability are important www.keloland.com/keloland-com... #rural #datacenters

Why we signed on: “The rapid, largely unregulated rise of #datacenters to fuel the #AI and crypto frenzy is disrupting communities across the country and threatening Americans’ economic, environmental, climate and water security." www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025... #rural #ruralcommunities

We are proud to sign onto this letter. #Datacenters consumer large amounts of #electricity & #water and driving up power costs for #ratepayers.

So #CCS & #datacenters are now teaming up. So big tech is figuring out how to get those 45Q tax credits too www.utilitydive.com/news/google-... #rural #subsidies

Yes investigate but also do something. This is not encouraging: "Trump’s Securities and Exchange Commission also cleared JBS, the largest foreign-owned meat company in the U.S. and the biggest donor to Trump’s inauguration, for listing on the New York Stock Exchange." #breakupthepackers #monopolies

An astonishing story of how having corporate, industrial-style ag dominate your economy creates fertile ground for backroom deals, self-enrichment with public dollars, and poisoned #drinkingwater. An unholy alliance of #BigAg & #datacenters 😳

Reminder. Join BHCWA and the Coup Council tomorrow for Dinner & Info. 5:30 pm - &:00 pm.

Excellent commentary from Travis Entenman, Friends of the Big Sioux, on EPA rule rollback: "less water gets filtered and more pollution goes straight into our streams and lakes, risking algal blooms and drinking water problems." #EPA #waterpollution #wetlands

MYTH: Data centers don’t strain the power grid. FACT: These facilities consume power at an industrial scale, creating new demand pressures that strains grids. The IEA projects their global electricity demand could exceed 1,000 TWh by 2026 - enough to power South Dakota for 85 years! #datacenters

MYTH: Data centers don’t strain the power grid. FACT: These facilities consume power at an industrial scale, creating new demand pressures that strains grids. The IEA projects their global electricity demand could exceed 1,000 TWh by 2026 - enough to power South Dakota for 85 years! #datacenters

The earlier we combat runoff into our waters, the less expensive it is to clean up. Once it gets downstream, the clean-up efforts required of communities to provide clean water are much more expensive. #waterpollution #CAFOs

South Dakota needs to pay attention because : "Now approximately 27 percent of farmers rely on healthcare from the marketplace, which is about triple the national average for the rest of the population." This will ripple through our communities #rural #healthcare #ruralhealthcare

One has to wonder if this all engineered by the #meatpackers. If you wanted to drive down live #cattle prices, this scenario could have been created in a lab for that purpose. Are #beef prices lower at the grocery story? No. Are ranchers bearing the brunt of market drop? Yes. #breakupthepackers

Pretty eye-popping numbers here. The state is helping a handful of companies with a great deal of #taxdollars. Worth noting that one of the industrial dairies that has receiving over $20 million in less than 2 years is based in Minnesota. #CAFO #industrialag

Refreshing to see #SouthDakota leadership with a realistic look at #waterpollution: "I think you can have some incentives, but we’re going to have to look at some restrictions as well, and regulate.” Water is a growing concern on both sides of the river.

People do not want to live near data centers, and for good reason: they're expensive and polluting! We need Congress to oppose the forcing of data centers onto communities. Let your Reps know your thoughts: https://fwwat.ch/47P7izN

No surprise that giant meatpacker JBS is raking in profits no matter grocery store prices, cattle prices, tariffs, or Argentine beef imports. Pretty easy to move the pieces around on the board when you control most of them. #breakupthepackers #monopoly

"Bankruptcies will likely grow as farmers talk with lenders in the weeks ahead about this year's returns and how to finance next year's crops, farm and bankruptcy experts say. Crop prices are projected to be below or at the costs to grow the crops." www.desmoinesregister.com/story/money/...

We love to see good news about #solarpower & #agricutlure from the good folks at @ieefa-northamerica.bsky.social ! www.wxpr.org/food-and-agr... #renewables #solarenergy

JBS taking a bigger slice of the egg market is not where we should be headed. More corporate domination of our #foodsupply hurts #farmers & #consumers. This is a good example of why we need resilient #localfood systems.

Communities around the country are feeling the same pressures as #SouthDakota is with #datacenters - will they raise #electricity rates? How much water will they use? How many permanent #jobs will they create? And communities are demanding answers & accountability. #localcontrol #grassroots

Farm Aid is hiring! We have 2 positions open to join our Farmer Hotline Team, one is full-time and the other is part-time. These are both grant-funded positions with some regional focus. Visit farmaid.org/careers for more info

Short answer: Yes. More details: Electricity prices increased 267% over 5 years for energy customers who live near newly constructed data centers. The report said that wholesale prices have doubled since 2020, mainly in areas near data center hot spots.

Climate policy from an extractive multinational corporation who manipulates markets for profit? What's that old saying about foxes and chicken coops? #climate #eatlocal #USAbeef

South Dakota #SNAP participants will get partial benefits hopefully today as DSS said they would load them overnight, following guidance from USDA on Saturday amid the flurry of actions & court filings. Full benefits will not be released until after the federal shutdown ends. #hunger

New from me: I spoke to two scientists who originally helped spread the use of carbon capture. They now say it's being misused. Here's why (gift link):

There are many questions regarding how this #rural health fund will benefit our small hospitals & #healthare centers. Cuts to #Medicaid will greatly impact these providers & if no more than 15% of the funds can be used to pay providers for patient care, rural providers may still struggle.

South Dakotans who participate in #SNAP are still waiting to see what will happen this week as the state Department of Social Services has indicated that it is waiting to see if Congress ends the #shutdown. Meanwhile families are told to wait "until later" in the week.

The state Department of Social Services is waiting to see if the federal government shutdown ends. #SNAP #hunger

The best update on the #SNAP situation is that people are not getting their benefits from anywhere - not the feds, not the state. Confusion abounds; folks go hungry southdakotasearchlight.com/briefs/after... #hunger