SEARCHLIGHT NEWS
Gerald Frame, 83, stands outside of his auto repair shop in Whitewood, South Dakota. He’s owned the shop since 1980 and has volunteered on the town’s ambulance crew since 1997. (Photo by Meghan O’Brien/South Dakota Searchlight)
By Meghan O’Brien
When he first earned his emergency medical technician certification almost three decades ago, Gerald Frame didn’t expect to still be a volunteer EMT at age 83.
He’s also still running an auto mechanic shop.
“Who knew?” he said. “That’s my life. My world is pretty small — it’s the ambulance and it’s the customers that I do repairs for.”
COMMENTARY
Jeff Mehlhaff, of the Legislative Research Council, presents fiscal year 2026 and 2027 revenue projections to the legislative Joint Appropriations Committee on Feb. 11, 2026, at the South Dakota Capitol in Pierre. (Photo by Makenzie Huber/South Dakota Searchlight)
By Dana Hess
There are two times a year when you can count on South Dakota politicians getting a little pumped up about their performance and taking a victory lap.
One is at the end of the legislative session when lawmakers pat themselves on the back about their ability to produce a balanced budget. They’re right to take pride in their work. There are currently 10 states that run budget deficits. Balancing a budget is something that continues to elude the U.S. Congress.
FROM STATES NEWSROOM
Wildfire smoke caused unhealthy levels of air pollution across Washington, D.C., in mid-July as fires raged across Ontario, Canada. A new study examining years between 2003 and 2019 found that the primary pollutant affecting pregnancies was wildfire smoke. (Photo by Finn Gomez/Getty Images)
By Kelcie Moseley-Morris/Stateline
A new study examining pollution levels across a 16-year span found that while general pollution levels from sources such as cars and industry have significantly declined, recent increases in wildfire smoke air pollution have offset those gains and could be contributing to negative outcomes for pregnant women and babies such as low birth weight and preterm births.
NATIONAL NEWS
Many states expanded care for children, older adults and workers | Kevin Hardy/Stateline
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