PIERRE, South Dakota, Oct. 18 -- South Dakota Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg issued the following news release: Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg today announced a multistate settlement along with 41 states and the District of Columbia which will require Johnson & Johnson and its subsidiary Ethicon, Inc. to pay nearly $116.9 million for their deceptive marketing of transvaginal surgical mesh devices. A multistate investigation found the companies violated state consumer protection laws by mi  more

SIOUX FALLS, South Dakota, Oct. 17 -- Avera Health, an integrated health system, issued the following news: Health care facility leaders around the United States continue to find telemedicine solutions to challenges that impact all facilities, regardless of their size or location. Avera eCARE(R) is a telemedicine resource that can be tailored specifically to the needs of the end user. Specialized care is offered in a range of service lines, including Emergency, Pharmacy, ICU, Senior Care, Sp  more

SIOUX FALLS, South Dakota, Oct. 15 -- Avera Health, an integrated health system, issued the following news: Avera Behavioral Health announces the launch of a newly published book by Phyllis Jorgenson of Sioux Falls titled "Self-Portrait," which is her personal story of how addiction impacts the family. Avera is also partnering with Glenn and Phyllis Jorgenson for the re-release of the book that tells their story, "It's Great to Be Alive: Understanding Addiction and Offering Hope" by Terry Wo  more

SPEARFISH, South Dakota, Oct. 15 [TNSsociologyresearch] -- Black Hills State University issued the following news: Dr. Sandra Marker, associate professor of sociology at Black Hills State University, recently returned from a sabbatical where she researched 300 violent intergroup conflicts. Areas of study included civil wars, political uprisings, ethnic and religious riots, and political insurrections. Now back on campus at BHSU, one of the classes Marker is teaching this semester is Social Pro  more

DES MOINES, Iowa, Oct. 18 -- Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield issued the following news release: Five South Dakota communities -- Custer, Dell Rapids, Martin, Pierre and Rapid City -- were each presented with a 2019 Healthy HometownSM Powered by Wellmark Community Award during the Chronic Disease Partners/Better Choices, Better Health(R) Meeting on Oct. 16, 2019. The award is in recognition for their accomplishments in health improvement initiatives within their respective communities. The  more

VERMILLION, South Dakota, Oct. 16 -- The University of South Dakota issued the following news: Ranelle Nissen, Ph.D., OTR/L, academic fieldwork coordinator and associate professor in the Occupational Therapy Department at the University of South Dakota, has been appointed to the national Roster of Accreditation Evaluators for the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education. In this capacity, and as a critical part of her duties, Nissen will participate as part of a team to conduct  more

PIERRE, South Dakota, Oct. 15 -- Gov. Kristi Noem, R-South Dakota, issued the following news release: Governor Kristi Noem today announced that South Dakota received three grants totaling almost $2 million to help South Dakota school districts prevent and address threats of violence. The South Dakota Department of Public Safety (DPS) received the grants from the Bureau of Justice Assistance's STOP School Violence Program. The program is part of the U.S. Department of Justice. "Our number one   more

PIERRE, South Dakota, Oct. 16 -- The South Dakota Public Utilities Commission issued the following news release: As harvest season is underway, the South Dakota Public Utilities Commission encourages grain producers, buyers and warehouses to review state laws and rules regarding the purchase and storage of grain. Understanding these state policies is an essential step for producers and buyers to protect their investment. The PUC helps preserve the financial security of South Dakota's grain ind  more

BISMARCK, North Dakota, Oct. 15 -- Sanford Health issued the following news: Four South Dakota college students used game technology to develop a 3D model of the human body. Their design could shorten medical diagnosis times worldwide, earning them top honors in the first Sanford Health Tech Summit. Jordan Oberg, Luke Fleck, Bailey Belisario and Connor Ford from Dakota State University in Madison took home the $13,000 grand prize. Their design relies on software called Unity, which is a common  more

PIERRE, South Dakota, Oct. 17 -- South Dakota Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg issued the following news release: Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg announced today federal authorities have certified that the South Dakota's Sex Offender Registry continues to substantially implement the provisions of the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA). The State of South Dakota completed the renewal process in July of 2019 and the Department of Justice has now reaffirmed the status. "A key  more

PIERRE, South Dakota, Oct. 16 -- The South Dakota Legislative Research Council issued the following news release: Senate Concurrent Resolution 2, passed during the 2019 Legislation Session, included a task force to leverage telehealth and telemedicine to the full appropriate extent, with focus on the areas of acute assessment and crisis supports, along with mental health assessments and counseling. This task force will hold its fourth meetingon Wednesday, October 23, 2019, at 10:00 a.m. (CT) i  more

PIERRE, South Dakota, Oct. 16 -- The South Dakota Legislative Research Council issued the following news release: The Offenses Regarding Controlled Substances Interim Study Committee will hold its third meeting of the interim on Tuesday, October 22, 2019, at 10:00 a.m. (CT) in Room 362 of the State Capitol in Pierre. Discussion will include an information update on questions asked during the September 24, 2019 meeting, and possible recommendations on legislative action from committee members.  more

DAKOTA DUNES, South Dakota, Oct. 17 -- Tyson Foods, a producer of chicken, beef and pork, issued the following news release: In an effort to meet growing global demand for U.S. pork, Tyson Fresh Meats, the beef and pork subsidiary of Tyson Foods, Inc. (NYSE: TSN), today announced plans to prohibit the use of ractopamine in the market hogs it buys from farmers beginning in February 2020. Ractopamine is a feed ingredient that helps increase the amount of lean meat in hogs. While it is FDA-appro  more

VERMILLION, South Dakota, Oct. 16 -- The University of South Dakota issued the following news: Student representatives from the University of South Dakota Center for Brain and Behavior Research (CBBRe) presented their work at the annual MidBrains conference held in Rock Island, Illinois in September. Rachel Rucker, a sophomore majoring in neuroscience and chemistry from Yankton, South Dakota, was awarded the Nu Rho Sci Poster with Distinction for her presentation of "Identification of enzymes   more