South Dakota Economy & Jobs: South Dakota kept one of the lowest unemployment rates in the U.S., with 182 new claims filed for the week ending July 25 and an insured unemployment rate of 0.3%. Local Governance & Taxes: Codington County residents are gathering signatures to force a vote on a newly passed 0.5% county gross receipts tax that would raise sales taxes unless it’s put on the November ballot. Education & Community Finance: Rapid City Area Schools held a bond forum on a revised $107 million proposal, with supporters framing it as a generational need and opponents focused on property-tax costs. Energy & Reliability: The U.S. Department of Energy issued an emergency order for South Dakota and 16 other states to reduce blackout risk during extreme heat by allowing the Southwest Power Pool to dispatch generation and use backup resources. Business & Growth: Gov. Larry Rhoden awarded $1 million to help ready land for an industrial and business park in Mitchell, aiming to attract new companies to the I-90 corridor. Agriculture Risk: With drought and heat stressing crops, SDSU warns that turning small grains into forage can raise nitrate poisoning risk for cattle and sheep. Media & Sports Business: Riverfront Broadcasting is buying Fox Sports Rapid City and launching the Riverfront Sports Network, expanding local sports coverage across radio, video, streaming and digital. Statewide Spotlight: South Dakota Mines professor Cristian Vargas-Ordóñez earned a national KEEN Rising Star honor for teaching an entrepreneurial mindset in engineering.