Winter weather took it easy on South Dakota's roads

PIERRE, S.D. (KELO) — This past winter was much kinder to travelers in South Dakota. It also was much less expensive for the state Department of Transportation. That’s the message that operations director Craig Smith delivered Thursday to the South Dakota Transportation Commission. Smith said the department spent less than $19 million keeping roads open during the 2023-24 winter. That compares to nearly $41 million the year before. Winter weather often means snow and wind that force travelers to wait out storms. That wasn’t the case this time, according to...