Northeast Radio SD News - Watertown, SD - In Northeast Radio SD’s first-ever Virtual Cracker Barrel session, District 4 and 5 legislators met Tuesday to outline the agenda for the 101st South Dakota Legislative Session. The delegation addressed a spectrum of regional concerns, from a $400-million data center proposal and the critical state of rural EMS to a contentious debate over property tax relief.

Arial view of Watertown Regional Airport with parked cars, a green landscape, and "Fly ATY" text with a plane icon. Clear, sunny day.

Northeast Radio SD News - Watertown, SD - During Monday night’s City Council meeting, City Manager Alan Stager outlined several initiatives scheduled for discussion in early 2026, including measures related to infrastructure transparency and the creation of a new zoning district.

Northeast Radio SD News - Watertown, SD - Following discussions on park drainage, members of the Watertown City Council turned their attention to the deteriorating state of roads surrounding Lake Kampeska during the meeting on January 5, 2026.

Northeast Radio SD News - Watertown, SD - The Watertown City Council conducted a first reading tonight of an ordinance designed to “clean up” regulations for the city’s new Residential Storage District (R-S), adding strict design standards and a total ban on shipping containers within those areas.

Northeast Radio SD News - Watertown, SD - The Watertown City Council voted unanimously Monday night to approve a $79,367.27 bid award to Level Contracting LLC for a drainage project at Stokes-Thomas Lake City Park. The initiative aims to solve persistent flooding that has rendered nearly two dozen campsites unusable during wet seasons, resulting in considerable lost revenue for the city.

Northeast Radio SD News - Watertown, SD - As the 101st South Dakota Legislative Session prepares to convene next week, State Senator Glen Vilhauer visited the Watertown City Council tonight to update the public and council.

Northeast Radio SD News - Watertown, SD - The Watertown Arrows wrestling team put on a strong showing at the Lincoln High School Invitational on December 30, 2025, finishing second as a team and celebrating four individual champions.

Northeast Radio SD News – Big Stone City, SD - Otter Tail Power Company and Xcel Energy are hosting a series of public open houses in January 2026 to discuss the PowerOn Midwest Big Stone South to Brookings transmission line project. These events follow initial outreach in October 2025 and aim to gather more community input as the project advances into the route development phase.

Northeast Radio SD News - Aberdeen, SD - The South Dakota Snow Queen Festival has officially named its junior royalty for 2026, marking the beginning of the statewide event’s annual celebration of character and community.

Northeast Radio SD News - Watertown, SD - As the 2026 South Dakota legislative session approaches, District 4 Representative Kent Roe is preparing to introduce a pair of bills aimed at modernizing the state’s technological infrastructure and enhancing consumer protections in the real estate sector. The session is scheduled to begin on January 13 with the Governor’s State of the State address at 1:00 PM.

Northeast Radio SD News - Watertown, SD - The National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC) Dakota Prairies Chapter #394 is bringing its annual Block Kids® Competition to Watertown on February 7, offering local elementary students a hands-on introduction to the world of construction and engineering.

Northeast Radio SD News – South Dakota - State health officials have confirmed the first two influenza-related deaths of the 2025-2026 season.

Northeast Radio SD News – South Dakota - The South Dakota Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED) has officially opened the application window for the E15 Fuel Tax Refund Program, offering local fuel retailers an opportunity to recoup costs from the previous year.

Northeast Radio SD News – South Dakota - South Dakota’s federal and state leadership have signaled unified support for the United States’ military strike in Venezuela and the subsequent capture of President Nicolás Maduro early Saturday morning.

South Dakota fits a rural-state risk profile outlined in a national public-health report published Nov. 3 aimed at reducing firearm deaths: states where suicide and household access drive most firearm fatalities, according to a consensus report published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Northeast Radio SD News – Watertown SD - The spirit of giving and a healthy dose of friendly competition took center stage at the Watertown Municipal Utilities (WMU) Board meeting in late December. Staff members gathered to celebrate the results of an internal holiday food drive that successfully gathered nearly 3,000 items to benefit the local Salvation Army.

Lake Area Tech Enters 2026 with Record Momentum and $100M Expansion Vision

Northeast Radio SD News - Watertown, SD - At its December meeting, the Watertown Municipal Utilities Board addressed an upcoming change for local utility customers: the launch of a new billing software system, scheduled to go live on February 1st. The board and staff took time to answer questions and clarify what customers can expect during the transition, with a particular focus on account numbers and automatic payment arrangements.

Northeast Radio SD News - Watertown, SD - At the December meeting of the Watertown Municipal Utilities Board, Chris Clifton, Director of the Watertown Development Company (WDC), delivered an in-depth annual report highlighting the organization’s pivotal role in driving economic development, infrastructure investment, and community growth in Watertown, South Dakota.