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Rapid City Cleanup Week Tops 970 Tons of Trash Collected
RAPID CITY, S.D. — More than 1,000 volunteers picked up trash from fence lines, ditches, roadsides, creek beds and gullies in late April as part of clean up week in Rapid City. Homeowners cleaned out garages, attics and basements of items no longer needed or wanted. When it was all tallied up, Rapid City residents picked up, bagged up, collected, hauled and delivered 970 tons of garbage to the Rapid City Landfill during the annual Cleanup Week April 20-25. This April’s yield of discarded items and trash materials easily surpassed the nearly 850 tons of garbage during the 2025 Community Cleanup Week and the 895 tons collected from the 2024 community effort. (Full story)
Whitehead Fields Receive Major Upgrades Ahead of Season
RAPID CITY, S.D. — Two of Rapid City’s busiest ballfields are getting a major upgrade just in time for the upcoming season. The Whitehead Fields, located along Canyon Lake Drive near 32nd Street, have undergone significant improvements, including ADA-accessible spectator areas, new fencing and backstops and a new underdrain system designed to improve field conditions and drainage. According to the City of Rapid City Parks and Recreation Department, the fields are among the most heavily used in the city, hosting everything from church league softball and tee ball to flag football and tournaments. Project Manager Darin Sabers said the upgrades were needed after years of heavy use. The $400,000 project was funded through the city’s Capital Improvement Program. (Full story)
Pennington County Seeks Applicants for Housing and Redevelopment Commission
RAPID CITY, S.D. — The Pennington County Board of Commissioners is currently accepting applications to fill a position on the Pennington County Housing and Redevelopment Commission (PCHRC). This position is for a five-year term. The Pennington County Housing and Redevelopment Commission oversees the Federal Public Housing Program for low to moderate income families in the area. Those who want to be considered for an appointment are asked to submit a citizen interest form describing their qualifications and background to the Pennington County Board of Commissioners. (Full story)
Attorney General Expects Execution of Briley Piper Later This Year
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — Attorney General Marty Jackley is expecting Briley Piper to be executed later this year. Piper was convicted of the murder of Allan Poage after Poage’s body was found in April of 2000. Piper pleaded guilty to the murder and he waived his right to a jury. His death sentence was vacated by the South Dakota Supreme Court, which said that waiving his right to a jury was not valid. He was resentenced to death by a jury and an appeals court denied an appeal by attempt by Piper on Monday. Piper is the only man on death row in the state. (Full story)
Cruise ship with hantavirus outbreak heads to Canary Islands after 3 are evacuated
PRAIA, Cape Verde (AP) — The U.N. health agency says two patients with hantavirus and one suspected of infection were evacuated from a cruise ship at the center of a deadly outbreak. Two of the patients arrived at Amsterdam’s airport Wednesday evening and were driven off in ambulances. The ship departed from Cape Verde and headed to Spain’s Canary Islands. The World Health Organization says eight cases have been recorded, with five confirmed by lab tests. Three people have died. Two Argentine officials investigating the origins of the outbreak say the government’s leading hypothesis is that a Dutch couple contracted the virus during a bird-watching outing before boarding. (Full story)
Man charged in US with stealing $450 million from Mexican billionaire in loan scheme
U.S. prosecutors allege a man with multiple aliases used the name of the famed Astor family to scam a Mexican billionaire out of $450 million. According to a New York federal grand jury indictment unsealed Monday, Vladimir Sklarov set up a fake company called Astor Asset Group and claimed it was linked to the wealthy New York Astor family to gain credibility. Sklarov was arrested in Chicago on Saturday. The alleged victim, Ricardo Salinas Pliego, confirmed he was a victim in an interview with The Wall Street Journal. The indictment alleges Sklarov illegally sold $450 million worth of corporate shares that Salinas had put up as collateral for a loan. A lawyer for Sklarov did not immediately return messages. (Full story)
Kentucky Derby winner Golden Tempo is not running in the Preakness
Kentucky Derby winner Golden Tempo will not run in the Preakness Stakes next weekend. Trainer Cherie DeVaux announced the plan to skip the Preakness and set sights on the Belmont Stakes on June 6 at Saratoga Race Course in upstate New York. Golden Tempo is the third Derby winner in the past five years not to be entered in the Preakness. For various reasons, it is the sixth time in eight years the Preakness will happen with no chance of a Triple Crown on the line. American Pharoah in 2015 and Justify in 2018 are the only horses to sweep all three races over the past four decades. (Full story)
