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Rapid City Sets Record-Breaking April for Building Permit Valuations
RAPID CITY, S.D. — Rapid City experienced its best April ever for building permit valuations, the fourth-highest month ever for permit valuation totals overall, and the second-strongest January-April valuation tally in the City’s history. In the report, April’s activity included the issuance of 212 building permits with a total valuation of more than $92.7 million. The April valuation total shatters the previous valuation record for April, set in 2021 ($55 million). The April total is also the fourth-highest month for valuation total in the City’s history. (Full story)
Travel Rally Day Brings Tourism Leaders Together at The Monument
RAPID CITY, S.D. — Black Hills & Badlands Tourism Association, in partnership with regional and state tourism organizations, is hosting Travel Rally Day at the Monument today during National Travel & Tourism Week. The full-day event brings together tourism partners from across the region for training, industry updates, networking, and collaboration as preparation begins for the summer visitor season. Travel Rally Day is designed to strengthen tourism readiness, improve the visitor experience, and support coordination across the region’s tourism industry through hospitality training, industry meetings, and visitor-focused programming. The event serves as a seasonal kickoff for the Black Hills and Badlands tourism industry while reinforcing the importance of tourism to the regional economy.
Rapid City Tourism Sees Record Spending and Strong Economic Impact in 2025
RAPID CITY, S.D. — Rapid City’s tourism economy had a strong year in 2025, with 3.93 million visitors spending a record $527.3 million in the city. A report from Visit Rapid City stated that spending helped generate a total economic impact of $776.2 million, up slightly from the year before. Tourism also supported 7,704 jobs—about 1 in 10 jobs in the city—and brought in nearly $55.5 million in state and local tax revenue.
Man Arrested After Knife Threat and Tire Slashing Incident
RAPID CITY, S.D. — Rapid City Police reported a couple of weapons calls over the weekend. On Sunday, police were dispatched to the 1300 block of Kansas City Street, where they made contact with a bystander who reported observing another male acting erratically with a knife. The male, identified as 42-year-old George Gaither, had allegedly threatened the bystander with a knife before slashing a tire on the bystander’s truck. Gaither was found hiding in a stand of bushes in the area and was apprehended by police who used pepper balls to get him to come out. Gaither was placed under arrest for Resisting Arrest, Threatening Law Enforcement, and a Probation Hold before being transported to the Pennington County Jail. (Full story)
Rapid City Man Arrested After Allegedly Threatening Others With Gun
RAPID CITY, S.D. — On Saturday, 32-year-old Garrett Beu of Rapid City was arrested after threatening others with a firearm in a parking lot at 1845 Haines Avenue. Beu was detained by police, who say he was inside the business and began to get irate with other patrons and staff. At one point, he went out to his car, retrieved a handgun and attempted to re-enter the business. Employees locked the door and he was unable to get inside. Beu was placed under arrest for two counts of Aggravated Assault before being transported to the Pennington County Jail. (Full story)
South Dakota Awards $200,000 in Tourism Grants to Boost Events
PIERRE, S.D. — Travel South Dakota’s Tourism Advertising Promotion (TAP) Grant program, in its third year, has awarded a total of $200,000 to assist South Dakota’s tourism industry in garnering additional visitation to tourism-related events. Governor Larry Rhoden made the announcement on Monday at a press conference at Mount Rushmore National Memorial. He says the State’s contribution of $200,000 across the state will go to 40 separate entities. (Full story)
Events Across U.S., Including South Dakota, Raise Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous People
Indigenous communities across North America are holding events throughout May to raise awareness about violence against Indigenous people and call for stronger responses from authorities, with May 5 recognized as a national day of awareness in the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Peoples movement; activities include prayer walks, marches, art exhibits, healing circles and public gatherings, as data from the U.S. Justice Department shows Indigenous women are more than twice as likely to be homicide victims as the national average, and participants often wear red or display red handprints to honor victims, with multiple events also taking place across South Dakota as part of the month-long effort to bring attention to the issue. (Full story)
Astronomers believe they’ve detected an atmosphere around a tiny, icy world beyond Pluto
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — A new study suggests that a tiny, icy world beyond Pluto harbors a thin, delicate atmosphere. It’s believed to be the smallest object yet with a clearly detected global atmosphere. Japanese astronomers reported Monday that this minor planet — a mini Pluto just 300 miles across — appears to have an atmosphere that’s 5 million to 10 million times thinner than Earth’s. They say it could have been created by volcanic eruptions or possibly a comet strike. The scientists used telescopes in Japan to observe the object two years ago in the solar system’s Kuiper Belt. (Full story)
Wall Street falls from its records and oil prices jump after fighting flares in the Middle East
NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks fell from their record heights, while oil prices jumped following escalations in the Middle East that may undermine the ceasefire in the war with Iran. The S&P 500 fell 0.4% Monday, coming off its latest all-time high. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 1.1%, and the Nasdaq composite slipped 0.2%. Stocks turned lower after the United Arab Emirates, a U.S. ally, said it came under attack by Iran for the first time since the ceasefire took hold in early April. (Full story)
