The Daily Slice, your Black Hills news podcast in under 10 minutes. Delivered every morning Monday-Friday at homesliceaudio.com/dailyslice
Bomb Threat at Monument Health Determined to Be Hoax
RAPID CITY, SD — Law enforcement officers Thursday morning investigated a bomb threat at Monument Health in Rapid City. It was determined the bomb threat appeared to be part of a broader national trend of hoax calls targeting medical facilities. During the investigation, explosive-detection resources, including specialized units from Ellsworth Air Force Base and the South Dakota Highway Patrol, were deployed to search public areas and entrances throughout the hospital complex. Police reported that as of late Thursday, no evidence or suspicious items have been located to substantiate the threat. Hospital operations were not interrupted by the response, and officials confirmed the facility did not go into a formal lockdown. (Full story)
High-Risk Offender Joseph Cook Set for Release in Rapid City
RAPID CITY, S.D. — The South Dakota Department of Corrections is providing notification about the pending release of state prison offender Joseph Cook. Cook, age 42, will be released from prison on September 25, after serving the entirety of his sentences for possession of a controlled substance out of Pennington County. Cook has a history of criminal and violent behaviors, including sexual offenses, for which he has refused treatment while incarcerated. According to officials, he is at high-risk to re-offend Because he served the entirety of his sentence, Cook must be released from prison and will not be on parole supervision. Cook is releasing to Rapid City. (Full story)
Fall Crazy Horse Volksmarch Set for Sunday
RAPID CITY, SD — The 14th annual Crazy Horse Volksmarch will be Sunday, Sept. 27. The Crazy Horse Volksmarch is one of the most popular organized hike in the United States hosting up to 15,000 walkers. During the event, hikers follow dirt trails and gravel work roads up to the Crazy Horse Mountain Carving. The turn-around point is on the Arm of Crazy Horse directly in front of the nine-story-high face. Admission to Crazy Horse Memorial that day is waived with donations of three cans of food per person. Regular admission fees apply to non-hikers and hikers who don’t bring food donations. Registration on the day of the event starts at 7 a.m. and runs until 1 p.m. Hikers can begin their trek between 8 a.m. and 1 p.m. (Full story)
Emergency Crews Conduct Full-Scale Training at Rapid City Regional Airport
RAPID CITY, S.D. — Emergency vehicles lit up the runway at Rapid City Regional Airport earlier this week. On Wednesday, dozens of emergency vehicles responded to mock crash victims as part of FAA required full-scale triennial training exercises held at Rapid City Regional Airport. During the training, 150 emergency personnel and volunteers acted out a real-life accident and response scenarios to test Rapid City Regional Airport’s emergency plan. Organizations represented at the training included Rapid City Regional Airport, Rapid City fire and police departments, State Fire, Ellsworth Air Force Base, the Salvation Army, Sheriff’s office, and regional volunteer fire departments. (Full story)
South Dakota Mines Celebrates $10 Million Surbeck Center Expansion
RAPID CITY, S.D. — South Dakota Mines celebrated the completion of its more than $10 million Surbeck Center renovation and expansion with a ribbon-cutting ceremony Thursday afternoon. The addition modernizes one of the university’s central gathering spaces and creates a new “front door” to campus and student life. The 18,000-square-foot addition includes about 3,400 square feet of additional dining seating. expanded conference, meeting and lounge space, and a new welcome center for prospective students, families and visitors. (Full story)
Lawyers for Nolan Wells’ family highlight cellphone data, autopsy report and push for investigation
JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — The family of Nolan Wells is continuing to release pieces of their independent investigation, as they push for transparency from local investigators and for federal authorities to investigate. Civil rights attorney Ben Crump discussed the results of a forensic cellphone examination Thursday as well as official autopsy results that raised questions about whether the 18-year-old Black college student drowned. A Mississippi grand jury earlier this week declined to recommend charges, saying Wells’ death after a boat trip to a July 4 party on a barrier island was “consistent with drowning.” The high-profile death in a Deep South state with a history of racial tension has sparked rampant speculation and suspicion. (Full story)
US cybersecurity agency releases election infrastructure plan 40 days before midterms
NEW YORK (AP) — The nation’s cybersecurity agency has released an election infrastructure security plan 40 days before November’s midterms. The plan released Thursday outlines potential threats to election systems and services offered to election officials to protect the vote. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin had promised the plan by mid-August. The Trump administration had previously reduced the agency’s election security work, forcing election officials to look elsewhere for the services. The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, or CISA, has been warning officials about potential threats since 2018. However, CISA was largely absent from last year’s elections after the administration cut its resources. (Full story)
Deaths of students at the University of Mississippi cast spotlight on kratom
A drug task force in Mississippi is urging people to avoid kratom after authorities found packages of the substance while investigating the deaths of two University of Mississippi students. Lafayette County Metro Narcotics issued the warning Tuesday, though it said it had no “confirmed information” that kratom contributed to either death. Kratom has come under increasing scrutiny over the past decade from U.S. health officials and states. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recommends against using it. An industry group says the FDA and states that have banned kratom are conflating the natural product with synthetic and chemically manipulated ones. (Full story)
