South Dakota announced more than $7.8 million in opioid settlement grants aimed at improving prevention, treatment, and recovery across the state. Governor Larry Rhoden announced the funding, which will support 10 initiatives including facility upgrades, staffing, and expanded treatment options. Matt Althoff, secretary of the Department of Social Services, said the selected projects will target critical needs and require outcome tracking.
Rapid City Mayor Jason Salamun welcomed the funding but urged the state to take a bigger, more aggressive approach to addiction services funding. Rapid City and Pennington County received a planning grant, but Salamun believes the state needs to think bigger and move faster. He recently traveled to Pierre with Pennington County Sheriff Brian Mueller to meet with state leaders, including Attorney General Marty Jackley, to push for a more ambitious plan proposing $20 million each for East River and West River regions to support large-scale treatment efforts.
Key priorities include expanding services at the Care Campus in Pennington County and improving access to addiction treatment within the prison system. South Dakota is expected to receive about $70 million in opioid settlement funds through 2038. So far, roughly $23 million has come in, with more than $20 million already committed to prevention, treatment, and recovery efforts statewide.
This article is an AI-assisted summary. All facts and figures are drawn from the original report: https://www.kotatv.com/2026/04/02/rapid-city-mayor-responds-south-dakota-leaders-award-78m-opioid-settlement-grants/