Lori Walsh

The JAS Quintet plays the challenging music of Theolonious Monk, live from the studios at the University of Sioux Falls. It's a preview of their upcoming show, Straight No Chaser.  They discuss the music and legacy of Monk as well as the nature of creativity and collaboration in jazz. 

Human Trafficking is fast becoming a familiar topic in South Dakota. Captain Corey Brubakken (Pennington County Sheriff's Office) outlines what to look for and how to report suspected trafficking in your community. 

The South Dakota West River Human Trafficking Task Force invites the public to a screening of the Shared Hope International documentary "Chosen." It's the true story of girls whose lives were transformed after tumbling into the modern slave trade.

The Maltese Falcon lands in Spearfish this weekend as a community gathers to read Dashiell Hammett's classic novel of intrigue. Jayne Rose, with the Matthews Opera House & Arts Center discusses the Spearfish Big Read celebration. From scavenger hunts to origami falcons, readers brave winter in South Dakota by embracing the arts.

In the winter of 1916, Allied engineers devised a massive surprise attack ... 600 tons of explosives hidden in secret tunnels driven under German lines.  A new NOVA documentary takes you inside the trenches and tunnels of World War I.

NOVA executive producer Chris Schmidt sits down with Dakota Midday host Lori Walsh to talk about the technological arms race spurred by stalemate on the Western Front.

"Secret Tunnel Warfare" premiers Wednesday, January 6 on SDPB-TV.

Photographers with Through the Lens, a worshipping community that practices Visio Divina, explain the art of "Sacred Seeing."

Cathy Newcomb expounds on the nuances of contemplative photography and Dan Mueller discusses how artists can connect "horizontally and vertically" with one another and with God.

You've seen the signs, now hear the story. On Images of the Past, Wayne Panenen shares the "storybook business model" of Wall Drug and how a family enduring the Great Depression created a legacy of free ice-water, ubiquitous advertising, and South Dakota hospitality.

First Day Hikes originated more than 25 years ago at the Blue Hills Reservation – a state park in Milton, Massachusetts. Last year, more than 41,000 people covered over 79,000 miles on 997 hikes across the country.

Outdoor Campus staffers Thea Miller Ryan and Chad Tussing share tips winter hiking in South Dakota - what to look for, where to go, and how to turn the bleak days of January into an outdoor adventure.

Pierre native and central South Dakota resident Joe Riis has been on more than 30 international photo excursions, but South Dakota is still where he calls home. Riis has been named a National Geographic Adventurer of the Year for 2016 for his collaborative work documenting elk Migration in Greater Yellowstone.

With 116 years of unbroken data, the annual Christmas Season Bird Count continues nationwide. Professor K.C. Jensen and volunteer birder Michael Melius share what it's like to count birds in the middle of a South Dakota winter. From climate change to invasive species to the misplaced Great Kiskadee, the state of migratory birds tells scientist more about the natural world than might be expected.

The city of Sioux Falls has joined the "compassion movement" by signing the international Charter of Compassion. Assistant City Attorney Colleen Moran discusses the incentives behind the initiative and the difference between tolerance and acceptance.

Julie Briggs discusses her new role as Human Rights Coordinator for the City of Sioux Falls. From breaking down barriers of unfamiliarity to workforce readiness initiatives, Briggs outlines what her city looks like today, as well as her vision for a more compassionate Sioux Falls of the future.

Launched in February, 2015, Rapid City Community Conversations is a volunteer organization devoted to encouraging cross-cultural dialog to address racial tensions and create communities of equality and peace.

Community organizer Chas Jewett joins Midday to discuss the challenges of "institutional racism" and how conversation might be more powerful than protesting in enacting lasting change.

South Dakota Symphony Orchestra Executive Director Jennifer Boomgaarden explains expansion of the Music as Medicine program, a partnership with Avera Health and South Dakota Community Foundation. Highlights include a new "memoir" pilot program, how grant money and individual donations fuel the orchestra, and plans to travel Music as Medicine beyond the Sioux Falls region.

Rebecca Cruse discusses the role of the South Dakota Arts Council ... how artists can apply for  grants, how grant money infuses the state with quality arts programming, and what state residents might not know about the Arts Council.

Seven humanities-oriented projects in South Dakota are receiving $33,482 in grants from the South Dakota Humanities Council. Executive Director Sherry DeBoer discusses the impact of SDHC's grants. Highlights include SDSU's Agricultural Heritage Museum's program for female Native American farmers and a look ahead to the 2016 Pulitzer Prize centennial. 

South Dakota Community Foundation recently announced more than $128,000 in Community Innovation Grants. President Stephanie Judson explains SDCF's partnership with the Bush Foundation and how her organization supports creative problem solving in communities throughout the state.

Dr. Kenneth Tice, Director of Choral Activities for Mount Marty College in Yankton, helps preview the college's annual Vespers service. The 2015 program, "ad verbum illuminatum" (the illuminated word) features music that reflects the text of the illuminations from the St. John's Bible.

Theologian Anna Madsen, founder of OMG Center for Theological Conversation, explores the Christian season of Advent. Madsen shares the difficult message of repentance and how Christians can honor the weeks leading up to Christmas by pondering the mysteries of the season.

Vascular surgeon and research scientist Dr. Patrick Kelly is working to develop a next-generation medical device that can save patients thousands of dollars and prevent repeat surgeries. He joins Dakota Midday host Lori Walsh to talk about his partnership with Gopinath Mani, Ph.D., and the culture of innovation in South Dakota.

The Queen Bee Mill is one of the most recognizable historical landmarks in Sioux Falls. Siouxland Heritage Museums director Bill Hoskins tells the story of the mill's origins, the drought that shut down operations and the fire, that gutted the mill in 1956.

Jill Johnson joins us to discuss how laughter can calm, restore, and heal. Yoga instructor Johnson and her husband own Joyful Living Therapy in Sioux Falls and teach others how to laugh with abandon and intention.

Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year for music ... or maybe not. Federalist writer Richard Cromwell shares his Ten Worst Christmas Songs of all Time. George Michael and Mariah Carey are represented, alongside one nonsensical Christmas donkey and a roomful of English pop stars.

Mindfulness techniques combined with Native traditions are being introduced to students at Pine Ridge School. SDPB's Jim Kent visits Pine Ridge to see how mindfulness is being used to prevent youth suicide. Then Dr. Kathleen Farah, with the Center for Mind-Body Medicine, sits down with Lori Walsh to discuss how ancient techniques can address the effects of ongoing trauma.

The LiRa Dance Theater Company is bringing professional dance to local audiences. Artistic directors Raena Rasmussen and Lisa Conlin join us to discuss raising the caliber of dance performance in southeastern South Dakota.

The Lakota Nation Invitational is in its 39th year. What started as a way to build hope and community in the wake of racial tension and violence has blossomed into a multi-event, multi-culture tournament that draws thousands.

Founder Bryan Brewer sits down with Dakota Midday host Lori Walsh to discuss basketball, the evolution of LNI, and the intricate rules of Lakota-style Hand Games. 

Artist Jennifer White is planning a new gallery in Sioux Falls for established and emerging  artists. White talks about how art is the "most rebellious form of communication" and the importance of rethinking our expectations and experiences of Native art.