Davison County Sheriff opposing possible prison near Mitchell
Last week, Gov. Larry Rhoden's Project Prison Rest task force included Mitchell among Worthing and other existing DOC sites as a possible site for a new men's prison facility to replace the current South Dakota State Penitentiary located in Sioux Falls.
35-year-old arrested in early morning crime spree including stolen bus
In a post on social media, Davison County Sheriff Steve Harr said he 'will not be supporting bringing the state prison to Davison County.'
'I contacted Minnehaha County Sheriff Milstead, who sits on the task force, informing him of this. I have asked him to forward it on to the entire task force,' Harr wrote.
Harr said prior to last week's task force meeting, he had signed a letter of support for the prison near Mitchell.
'This was done with hopes Davison County would make the final cut and some conversations would start,' Harr wrote. 'It was not done as a statement of 'we need a prison in Mitchell.' Well, as you know, this was successful, as the conversation all over town is on this topic.'
Harr said he believes it has become clear there's a large number of residents opposed to a new men's prison being built near Mitchell. 'My job as Sheriff is to look out for the citizens of Davison County and I feel that is what is being done by coming to this decision,' Harr said. 'I would like to thank everyone that has reached out or made your concerns known in other ways.'
Project Prison Reset plans to meet again in July to discuss further options for replacing the State Penitentiary.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Yahoo
‘Operation Prairie Thunder' will assist with deportations and boost Sioux Falls law enforcement
Gov. Larry Rhoden speaks to reporters from a podium on July 28, 2025, at the Public Safety Administration Building in Sioux Falls. Also visible are, from left, Dan Satterlee, director of the state Division of Criminal Investigation, and Sam Olson, Minneapolis field office director for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. (John Hult/South Dakota Searchlight) SIOUX FALLS — The state of South Dakota will spend more time and money in the coming months to police the streets of Sioux Falls, and to help federal agents deport immigrants who lack legal status. The work will support the state's fast-growing city, Gov. Larry Rhoden said, and help the state's seven federal immigration agents add to their current arrest tally of 262 in the state since President Donald Trump took office. Rhoden made the announcement Monday morning at the Sioux Falls Public Safety Administration Building. The governor spoke from a podium that was adorned with a logo. The logo included a depiction of a buffalo, in sunglasses and a state trooper hat, and the words 'Operation Prairie Thunder.' Representatives of state, county, city and federal law enforcement agencies fanned out from either side of the governor in the center's press room, alongside prosecutors, state Department of Corrections officials, Sioux Falls Mayor Paul TenHaken and Sioux Falls Republican state Rep. Greg Jamison. 'This is a comprehensive, targeted public safety initiative to protect South Dakotans,' Rhoden told reporters. On the immigration side, Rhoden told the press he'd committed the prison system and state's part-time military force to help federal agents deport people living in the country illegally. Six members of the South Dakota National Guard will do paperwork on behalf of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, a move Rhoden said would free up those agents to search streets and communities for people to detain and deport. Three will work in Sioux Falls, three in Rapid City. The prison system, meanwhile, will move to sign what's known as a 287(g) agreement with ICE for jail and detention, and offer transportation of detainees to and from the regional ICE headquarters in Minneapolis. Corrections Secretary Kellie Wasko said the state could continue to both move all the inmates it needs to and offer courier services to ICE – state officers would first need to complete federal training, she said – without adding additional transport officers. The state has identified 11 people in DOC custody for likely removal, Rhoden said. Most are nonviolent offenders nearing the end of their prison terms, he said, 'so it doesn't make sense for us to continue to hold them.' Each will first have their case reviewed by the state Board of Pardons and Paroles. Inmates facing possible deportation typically serve out their sentences prior to the commencement of deportation proceedings, and would need to be paroled to be released to ICE. For those among the 11 in state prison custody who committed violent offenses and have time remaining on those sentences, Rhoden said he hopes ICE will work with their home counties to make sure they're detained upon arrival. Sam Olson, field office director for ICE, said the moves from Rhoden are a welcome counterweight to the efforts of uncooperative 'sanctuary cities' and jurisdictions across the U.S. The initiative will help ICE 'extend the reach we have,' he said. The Highway Patrol signed a 287(g) agreement with ICE earlier this year, as did the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation. The Minnehaha County and Hughes County sheriff's offices have 287(g) agreements at the local level. On the Sioux Falls policing side of the initiative, South Dakota state troopers will perform two saturation patrols per month in the city and surrounding areas. The patrol will use its helicopter as necessary to aid in drug law enforcement, and help the prison system's parole absconder apprehension team to find and detain parolees who've stopped checking in. South Dakota Attorney General clarifies scope of immigration enforcement agreement The 10-15 additional saturation patrol troopers come on top of the eight additional troopers Rhoden stationed permanently in Sioux Falls in February, at a one-time cost of $1 million and an ongoing cost of $1.4 million a year. Sioux Falls officials and lawmakers have raised concerns – and proposed bills in Pierre – to address illegal street racing in the city in recent years. On top of targeting drug dealers and gang activity, Rhoden said, 'this should also help with those efforts.' Mayor TenHaken said violent and property crime in the city are at a five-year low, but said he welcomes the help to stay ahead of the city's population growth. 'About a third of the state's population is now in the Sioux Falls metro area, so in Sioux Falls, we really value our partnerships,' the mayor said. Rhoden said the Highway Patrol would absorb the additional cost. The state hasn't calculated a dollar amount, he said, adding 'I don't think that's significant enough to where we identified where that would come from, but I assumed it would be general fund dollars.' South Dakota Democrats released statements Monday afternoon criticizing the Rhoden administration for the operation. The opposition party called out what it described as misplaced budget priorities, noting that the state cut benefits for needy families earlier this month, citing a lack of funding. 'We should be investing in people, not surveillance,' said House Minority Leader Erin Healy, of Sioux Falls, in a statement. 'Just last week, our state government slashed funding for families in poverty and now all of a sudden we have all these funds to throw at helicopters and state troopers in Sioux Falls. This is despite the falling crime statistics in the city.' State Senate Minority Leader Liz Larson, also of Sioux Falls, said she's concerned that ICE could sweep up people without criminal records, including those working in the state's agricultural community. That could bring economic harm to the state, she said. A group called the Deportation Data Project says convicted criminals make up less than half of the Trump administration's ICE arrests nationwide, according to a Stateline story published last week, and that a large number of deportees were arrested after traffic violations, or for immigration law violations alone. 'This operation sends the wrong message to immigrant families across South Dakota,' Larson said in her statement. 'While I agree that we need to hold criminals accountable and be tough on crime, this goes too far. It is especially worrying given the well-documented concerns about how ICE is currently operating.' EDITOR'S NOTE: This story has been updated since its original publication with the addition of reaction from Democratic officials. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Yahoo
Rhoden was running a state-funded campaign before Operation Prairie Thunder
Gov. Larry Rhoden speaks to reporters from a podium on July 28, 2025, at the Public Safety Administration Building in Sioux Falls. Also visible are, from left, Dan Satterlee, director of the state Division of Criminal Investigation, and Sam Olson, Minneapolis field office director for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. (John Hult/South Dakota Searchlight) Election years call for politicians to do some tricky maneuvering. While an elected official will present a new initiative as a way to help constituents, opponents are likely to label it as a cynical attempt to curry favor with voters. That's where Gov. Larry Rhoden finds himself right now after the announcement of Operation Prairie Thunder. It commits the National Guard, Highway Patrol and Corrections Department to support federal immigration enforcement, and commits state troopers to saturation patrols in Sioux Falls. National Guard soldiers will help U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement with administrative tasks, Highway Patrol troopers will do immigration enforcement during the regular course of their work, and Corrections Department personnel will coordinate with ICE to deport inmates in state custody who entered the country illegally. Race for South Dakota governor could be a race for Trump's favor Critics of the program have complained that Rhoden is using state resources to further his own political ambitions, even though the governor has not revealed whether he will seek election to the office he gained when Kristi Noem joined President Donald Trump's Cabinet. 'While I agree that we need to hold criminals accountable and be tough on crime, this goes too far,' said Sen. Liz Larson, a Democrat from Sioux Falls. If Democrats think Prairie Thunder is Rhoden's first attempt to use his office for political gain, they're late with their criticism. Since mid-March, the governor has been running a shadow reelection campaign through his Open for Opportunity Tour. Rhoden introduced that initiative as a continuation of Noem's Open for Business program. According to a news release from the governor's office, 'The Open for Opportunity Tour will feature Governor Rhoden visiting communities across South Dakota to highlight their economic development efforts, learn their specific needs, and work together to chase down opportunities.' In effect, Rhoden stepped into office and onto the campaign trail. The Open for Opportunity Tour is introducing business leaders to their new governor. It is also introducing the new governor to an ever-growing group of potential political donors. An unscientific search of state news releases found that since March 17 Rhoden has made 17 Open for Opportunity trips to 25 communities. From Sioux Falls to the Standing Rock Reservation, from Mud Butte to Mitchell, from Box Elder to Huron, Rhoden is getting to know the business leaders in each community as well as fattening his Rolodex. On one hand, it's refreshing to have a governor who is more interested in traveling in the state than out-of-state. Of course all of these trips are state funded, your tax dollars at work as Rhoden scores some political points. The irony here is that for all Rhoden's work currying favor with business leaders, Prairie Thunder will likely alienate some of them. Pledging to round up illegal aliens will make it tougher to fill those jobs that only immigrants are willing to tackle. While South Dakota is Open for Opportunity, one of those opportunities has been for Rhoden to run a political campaign using state funds. In essence, the governor is using an office he wasn't elected to as a means to jumpstart a campaign he hasn't announced yet. Now that's quite an opportunity. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Yahoo
Arkansas State Police investigating Saturday morning shooting near Remmel Dam
HOT SPRING COUNTY, Ark. – Arkansas State Police officials are investigating a Saturday morning shooting that left one person injured. Officials said the shooting took place early Saturday morning at Jack's Landing, located near Remmel Dam in the Jones Mill community near Malvern. The incident, which occurred on the Ouachita River at Lake Catherine, left one person with serious injuries. Authorities have not released any details about what led to the shooting or if there are any suspects. The investigation is ongoing, and no further information is available at this time. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
