Success Stories

When a patient’s fever raises suspicion of an infection, when an infection is potentially serious or when problems occur with treatment, an infectious disease specialist is usually called in to help. Working concurrently with the patient’s primary care physician, this specialist… [Read More]

Willis Netzer was living in an apartment complex that had come under new ownership recently. He felt that the new owners, in their move to adopt more restrictive policies, were limiting some of his own personal freedoms; thus, he began his search to find a new place for… [Read More]

Biological needs – sleep, food, water, air, shelter - form the base as they are of the greatest importance in maintaining life. Once a person has met the biological needs, the next concern is safety. In one of the poorest counties in the nation, Buffalo County, USDA Rural… [Read More]

As Acting State Director of USDA Rural Development in South Dakota, I want to ensure small South Dakotan communities have just as much opportunity to have successful business ventures, to build their community infrastructure, and to improve the quality of life in their hometowns… [Read More]

In rural South Dakota, tribal members often lack access to higher education courses and facilities.  Students living on the 1,900-square-mile Rosebud Indian Reservation and the 11,000-square-mile Oglala Lakota Sioux Indian Reservation, for instance, struggle to travel long… [Read More]

Mni Waste’ Water Company located in Eagle Butte, SD, will soon have a new Water Treatment Plant and Trunkline stemming from the Missouri River thanks to USDA Rural Development Water and Waste Disposal funding of $65,871,293.  The federal funds will be leveraged with an… [Read More]

Because of the enduring impact of traditional arts and culture, both on and off reservations, Native artists represent an important yet undervalued asset for enhancing community economic development and creating stronger Indian nations and families. Rural Development awarded… [Read More]

Schools in South Dakota play a vital role in educating and preparing future generations for postsecondary education and careers.  An expansion of the educational outcomes for American Indian students across the state focuses on Tribal Colleges.  Providing necessary and… [Read More]

Oglala Lakota College (OLC) partnered with  USDA Rural Development in 2015 to enhance program accessibility in underserved rural areas and communities.  Through a coordinated effort, workshops were held in three reservation communities to provide information and… [Read More]

It was a special day for the students at the Our Lady of Lourdes, OLL, K- 8th grade school in Porcupine, SD as it was their last day before Thanksgiving break and many of their parents had joined them for lunch.  It was fun to see the students excited about the holidays and… [Read More]