How to Avoid Charity Scams After A Flooding Disaster

This part of the world is a very generous area. The philosophy of "neighbors helping neighbors" definitely applies to our tri-state area. But that being said, you want to be sure that when you donate to a charity that is supposed to help people, it really does.

It's so unfortunate that some people prey on the generosity of others to separate people from their hard-earned money.

Dakota News Now has offered tips on how to avoid being scammed by fake charities. The most important thing is to know as much as you can about an organization before you decide to donate. That may involve some research on your part, but that's the easy part. Losing your cash is the hard part!

The IRS says that these scam organizations are looking for your personal info with identity theft being their ultimate goal. Here are additional tips from the IRS.

Verify first - Scammers often use names that sound similar to well-known charities to confuse people. Make sure you ask the person calling you for the charity's exact name, website, and mailing address, so you can confirm the information.
Don't give in to pressure - Scammers will pressure you to give immediately. A legitimate charity is happy to get a donation anytime.
Don't give more than needed - Scammers are looking for money and personal information. You should treat your personal info like cash and don't hand it out to just anyone.
Be wary about how a donation is requested - Never work with a charity asking for payments by gift cards or by wiring money. These are scams.

For more information see the IRS fake charities information page.

From Blockbusters to Hidden Gems: 35 Movies That Take Place in South Dakota

When it comes to South Dakota and Hollywood, we've seen our fair share of films that have used our state as the backdrop for a number of productions over the years. They may not have always filmed here, but movie folk love to set stories here.

We're all familiar with the blockbusters like 1990's Dances With Wolves, 1959's North By Northwest, and more recently, 2007's National Treasure: Book of Secrets. But our state's life on the big screen goes back nearly 100 years.

According to IMDb, it all started with Courtin' Wildcats, a 1929 film which, like so many of the 29 films on this list, is a Western set in the time before South Dakota became a state in 1889.

Gallery Credit: Jeff Harkness/B1027.com

The 10 Largest Occupations in South Dakota

Where do people in South Dakota work?

If you were a South Dakotan a hundred years ago, chances are you had a job related to farming or ranching. If you weren't doing the farming, you were selling things to the farmers, fixing things for the farmers, or buying things from the farmers.

In the 2020s, things are very different.

Most of us in the SD work in health care or the service industry in one way or another. In fact, there are more nurses in South Dakota than the entire population of the state capital, Pierre.

Today far more people work at a store or restaurant than have probably ever even been on a farm. Time passes and things change, always. Fifty years from now who knows what jobs South Dakotans will be doing

According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, these are the top 10 largest occupations in South Dakota (as of 2022).

Gallery Credit: Ben Kuhns