The Daily Slice, your Black Hills news podcast in under 10 minutes. Delivered every morning Monday-Friday at homesliceaudio.com/dailyslice
Sturgis Council Declines to Appoint Interim Mayor Following Forrester’s Death
STURGIS, S.D. — The Sturgis City Council Monday night decided not to appoint a mayor to serve for the two months ahead of a special election to fill the vacancy following the death of Kevin Forrester. The council had two options under state statute – appoint an interim mayor or continue with a Mayor Pro-Tempore, currently being filled by Council President Tony Dargatz. Council members decided filling the spot with a temporary hire was not practicable at this time. (Full story)
Rapid City Council Advances Ordinance Allowing Backyard Chickens
RAPID CITY, S.D. — Following in the footsteps of other Black Hills communities, the Rapid City Council this week approved first reading of an ordinance that will allow city residents to keep backyard chickens. The 7-2 yes vote would allow homeowners to keep up to six hens and six chicks up to 12 weeks old. The ordinance also governs chicken coops by allowing them only in backyards and not front or side yards. Roosters, ducks, turkey and other fowl are not allowed under the ordinance. The ordinance now goes back to Legal and Finance Committee for a second reading, and, if passed there, returns to the Council for final consideration. (Full story)
Rapid Transit System Reports Strong Ridership to Start 2026
RAPID CITY, S.D. (KBHB) — A total of 22,868 passenger trips were recorded by Rapid Transit System (RTS) in March. For the first quarter of 2026, nearly 69,000 (68,812) passenger trips have been recorded on the City’s public transportation system, including RapidRide and Dial-A-Ride services. The first quarter ridership numbers compare to the 69,208 passenger trips recorded for the first quarter of 2025 and are a solid increase over the 61,298 passenger trips recorded for the first quarter of 2024. Youth ridership totals are also up for the first quarter of the year compared to recent years. A total of 5,974 youth passenger trips were recorded in March as part of the ‘Youth Ride Free’ program. For the first quarter of the year, a total of 18,921 youth trips have been recorded, a solid increase over the 17,618 youth trips recorded in the first quarter of 2025 and the 15,328 trips recorded for youth in 2024.
Man Arrested After Starting Fire and Obstructing Firefighters in Rapid City
RAPID CITY, S.D. (KBHB) — A man is facing charges after starting a fire and then interfering with firefighters. Rapid City Police officers were called to East Denver Street for a report of a man who lit a pile of branches on fire. Before officers arrived, 50-year-old Angelo Shiraldi fled the scene. He later returned and began yelling and obstructing firefighters who were working to extinguish the burning branches. Shiraldi was arrested for reckless burning and obstruction and brought to the Pennington County Jail. (Full story)
Artemis II astronauts make long-distance call to the space station as they head home from the moon
HOUSTON (AP) — The Artemis II astronauts are chatting it up with their friends aboard the International Space Station. Still aglow from their triumphant lunar flyby, the three Americans and one Canadian put in a call to their station colleagues Tuesday while heading home from the moon. It’s the first such moonship-to-spaceship radio linkup ever. “We have been waiting for this like you can’t imagine,” the commander Reid Wiseman said. NASA’s Apollo moonshots had no off-the-planet company back in the 1960s and 1970s. For Artemis II’s Christina Koch and the station’s Jessica Meir, it was a joyous space reunion despite being 230,000 miles apart. The two teamed up for the world’s first all-female spacewalk in 2019. (Full story)
Wireless Festival canceled after UK bars rapper Ye over antisemitic remarks
LONDON (AP) — The British government has blocked the rapper formerly known as Kanye West from entering the U.K. as the controversy over his antisemitic statements led to calls for planned headline performances at a major music festival to be canceled. Ye had been expected to perform in front of around 150,000 revelers July 10-12 at the open-air Wireless Festival in London. Following the government ban on his entry to the country, the event organizers said it had been canceled. The ban on Ye comes after U.K. officials and Jewish leaders condemned his history of antisemitic remarks. (Full story)
Taylor Frankie Paul faces protective order hearing in Utah after ‘Bachelorette’ cancellation
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — A Utah judge is expected to hear arguments on a protective order sought by a former partner against Taylor Frankie Paul, star of Hulu’s “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives.” Paul and Dakota Mortensen are expected to participate remotely Tuesday while their lawyers appear in person. Mortensen is the father of Paul’s 2-year-old son. He is asking the court to extend a protective order. About three weeks ago ABC opted not to air a new season of “The Bachelorette” with Paul at its center. Production has also been paused on her Hulu series. It often featured Paul and Mortensen’s tumultuous relationship. (Full story)
