School Meals & Student Support: A new 2026 State of School Lunch Report ranks states on meal access and breakfast-to-lunch reach, with Vermont taking the top spot—another reminder that school food is a workforce and health issue, not just a cafeteria one. Public Safety on the Road: The South Dakota Highway Patrol kicked off a three-day School Bus Safety Outreach, pairing with districts to watch loading zones and reinforce stop-law compliance as students head back. Workforce Training in Manufacturing: Mitchell-area supervisors just graduated from the Lean + Leadership program, reporting process improvements tied to cost, quality, and delivery. Education & Skills Pipeline: Lake Area Technical College launched South Dakota’s only Associate of Applied Science dental hygiene degree, starting a first cohort of 13. Agriculture Under Stress: Heat and drought in Moody County are pushing soybean maturity fast, with some growers likely to harvest earlier than usual. State Fair Politics: Gov. Larry Rhoden and challenger Dan Ahlers sparred over Medicaid expansion and foreign beef imports, with both sides signaling how ag policy will shape the campaign. Energy & Tech: A South Dakota mine is tied to a dark matter “hint” reported by researchers, while Rapid City continues to wrestle with data-center growth and impacts. Scholarships: Build Dakota hit its 12th cohort, selecting 618 students for 2026-27 support.