The Daily Slice, your Black Hills news podcast in under 10 minutes. Delivered every morning Monday-Friday at homesliceaudio.com/dailyslice
Crews Stop Progress on Stan Mark Fire Outside Keystone
RAPID CITY, S.D. — Firefighters from multiple agencies have halted the forward progress of a wildland fire burning just outside of Keystone. The Hill City Fire Department is assisting the Battle Creek Fire Department in responding to the Stan Mark fire, which has burned approximately 5.5 acres. Officials reported that the spread of the flames has been stopped and personnel are now focused on mop-up operations. (Full Story)
Black Hills Energy Crews Continue Power Restoration Efforts in Southern Hills
RAPID CITY, S.D. — Black Hills Energy crews resumed repair work Tuesday morning to address widespread storm damage to the electrical system across the Southern Hills, with efforts focused on the Custer and Hill City areas where fallen trees and debris damaged power poles and lines, leaving about 250 customers without electricity as of 7 a.m. Utility officials said crews are also finding damage to customer-owned service masts in harder-to-reach locations and reminded residents not to touch damaged equipment, as power cannot be restored until repairs are made by a certified electrician. Black Hills Energy urged residents to stay clear of downed power lines, check home breakers, clear debris around meters, and contact professional tree trimmers when needed as restoration work continues throughout the day. (Full Story)
Black Hills Life Flight Adds Fixed-Wing Aircraft to Expand Rapid City Medical Transport
RAPID CITY, S.D. — Black Hills Life Flight has expanded its air medical services in Rapid City with the addition of a PC-12/47 NG fixed-wing aircraft, designed to transport patients over long distances for specialized care and operate during weather conditions that ground helicopters. The aircraft features advanced avionics, a higher weight capacity, improved engine performance, and a large cargo door suited for medical transport, allowing crews to carry additional fuel, equipment, or a family member. Configured as a mobile intensive care unit, the plane supports neonatal, pediatric, obstetric, and adult patients and is equipped with whole blood and a mechanical CPR device. Air Methods said the service remains in-network with most insurers and offers patient advocacy support regardless of insurance status. (Full Story)
Two Indicted in South Dakota Prison Overdose Death
PIERRE, S.D. — South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley announced Tuesday that a prison medical aide and an inmate have been indicted on nine combined felony charges in connection with the Nov. 7, 2025, overdose death of inmate Travis Long Fox at the South Dakota State Penitentiary. Natalie Bernice Krause, 25, of Tea, a medical aide at the prison, and inmate Cole Roberts Waters, 26, who is serving a 65-year manslaughter sentence out of Pennington County, face charges including distribution of a controlled substance resulting in death, conspiracy, and aiding and abetting, all involving synthetic cannabinoids. Krause faces an additional charge related to possession of an unauthorized article with intent to deliver to an inmate, while Waters could face a sentence enhancement if convicted. Jackley said the case underscores the dangers posed by illegal drugs in correctional facilities, noting that eight suspected inmate overdose deaths are under investigation statewide this year, with charges filed in three cases so far. (Full Story)
Explosion at a Pennsylvania nursing home kills at least 2, governor says
BRISTOL, Pa. (AP) — Pennsylvania’s governor says an explosion at a nursing home just outside Philadelphia killed at least two people. The explosion Tuesday collapsed a part of the building and happened just as a utility crew had been on site at Bristol Health & Rehab Center in Bristol Township looking for a gas leak. The extent of the casualties was unclear several hours later. Bucks County officials say a portion of the building collapsed. Fire officials said they were in “rescue mode” five hours later, with rescuers still digging by hand and using search dogs, earth-moving equipment and sonar to locate potential victims. (Full Story)
Six dead and a family left reeling after Mexican Navy medical fight crashes in Texas
Mexico’s president says air traffic controllers lost communication for 10 minutes with a small Mexican Navy plane on a medical mission before it crashed off the Texas coast. The crash killed at least five people. Authorities initially believed it had landed safely in Galveston before learning it had gone down Monday afternoon. The U.S. Coast Guard says at least five aboard had died. A search-and-rescue operation pulled two survivors from the wreckage, while one person remained missing. The cause of the crash is under investigation. Heavy foggy blanketed the area at the time of the crash. (Full Story)
Medicaid paid more than $207 million for dead people. A new law could help fix that
WASHINGTON (AP) — A new Department of Health and Human Services report reveals Medicaid programs made over $200 million in improper payments to health care providers between 2021 and 2022 for people who had already died. The inspector general report, released Tuesday, suggests that a new mandate in Republicans’ One Big Beautiful Bill could help reduce these kind of payments. The bill requires states to audit Medicaid beneficiary lists against the Social Security Administration’s Death Master File. Privacy laws currently restrict access to this file. The report recommends states comply with the new mandate to conduct quarterly death checks to prevent further improper payments. (Full Story)
