Ernest Cottier
Reporter & Producer
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Ernest graduated from St Cloud State with a degree in broadcast journalism in December of 2020.
While Dakota News now is his first job after graduating college, Ernest worked on a variety of different programs throughout his time in school.
Ernest has spent time as a sportscaster for his school's radio station and worked as a news anchor, reporter, and producer before graduating in late December.
Ernest also loves sports having done freelance work with Fox Sports as well as doing play by play for St Cloud state for sports such as volleyball, basketball, and hockey. His favorite teams include the Packers and the Bucks.
Ernest was born and raised in Janesville Wisconsin and says he loves the Midwest and cannot wait to explore Sioux Falls and South Dakota.
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Parker Hanson’s story has been filled with ups and downs, and Friday he traveled back to his childhood hospital to get fitted with his new prosthetic arm.
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As the delta variant continues to spread Sanford is requiring all employees to get vaccinated by November 1st. that includes employees at all of its good samaritan society locations.
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Today South Dakota voices for peace worked with South Dakota Urban Indian health and the SDSU Dairy Extension to host a pop-up COVID-19 vaccine clinic at the Empire Mall parking lot.
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Rico Lamoureux is a u.s. born citizen who lived in the Philippines for the last 18 years but as of Thursday he and his two-year-old son now call South Dakota home for the first time in their lives.
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One of the biggest archery tournaments in the country is in South Dakota this year.
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Earlier this year, the department of education distributed 2/3 of the American Rescue Plan funds, totaling $81 billion, across 50 states. The remaining third of the funding to states is made available once state plans are approved. South Dakota is receiving more than $381 million total in funds, and today’s approval of their plan will result in the release of the final $127 million.
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Authorities say a man driving a pickup truck stopped in the southbound lane of I-229 Thursday night and got out of his vehicle.
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The National Guardsmen flew in on the New England Patriots team plane Thursday morning before going to Augustana and being greeted by some very emotional family and friends.
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IM 26 passed in November of 2020 making South Dakota the 36th state to legalize medical marijuana but while many are happy that the law will become official, others are wondering what it will look like.
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“The community is really rallying around us I’ve seen regulars at the grocery store who are asking where I’ll be then they come to see me, I just feel very blessed that I have this opportunity,” says Reichert.
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Brandon South Dakota has had to create restrictions on watering lawns due to excessive water usage throughout the city.
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South Dakota’s Ellsworth Air Force Base will officially be the first home of the B-21 stealth bomber, officials announced Wednesday.
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Governor Kristi Noem announced Friday that 18 new grants have been awarded to fund broadband projects that will better connect underserved areas across South Dakota.
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It has been over a year and a half since the initial groundbreaking happened at the veteran’s cemetery, but the path to today’s ribbon-cutting has been several years in the making.
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Gamers from near and far came to Nrdvana Consignment and Collectables on Friday night to try to win the title of “last nerd standing” and the play station 5 that comes along with it.
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Thursday was the last day of vaccinations at the Sanford Imaginetics building as they move to solely vaccinating at their primary care and acute care clinics.
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Throughout the pandemic, people have had to continuously cancel vacation and travel plans. but as vaccination rates increase, many are hitting the road for overdue family vacations.
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Due to recommendations from the CDC on public gatherings, the South Dakota Department of Transportation and the City of Sioux Falls has posted the information to a project website rather than presenting documents at an in-person public meeting.
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The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Summer Food Service Program, also known as the Summer Meals Program is now drawing attention from several non-profit organizations in Sioux Falls such as the boys and girls club and EmBe.
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Many citizens of Worthing are trying to keep a cattle processing plant from being built just outside of their town.
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Major chains and smaller restaurants are all paying steep prices for chicken as suppliers are having trouble keeping up demand because of difficulties attracting workers,
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Today governor Noem announced that the department of labor will be terminating extra unemployment benefits that came during the pandemic.
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According to the United States census bureau, the number of school students being homeschooled in 2019-2020 was 5.4% that number more than doubled to over 11% in 2020-2021.
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On Thursday Minnesota governor Tim Walz announced the state’s three-phase plan to loosen covid restrictions throughout Minnesota.
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Former Brandon mayor Paul Lundberg resigned on March first of this year, but his position is still yet to be filled, as the city council remains in a deadlock.
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On Friday, Governor Kristi Noem filed a lawsuit against officials in the Biden administration over their cancellation of the Mount Rushmore Fireworks Celebration.
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Sioux Falls police are searching for two men linked to a burglary at a downtown Sioux Falls jewelry store. Surveillance footage shows the two men enter Bechtold Jewelry Store Wednesday evening. One man appears to be distracting an employee behind the counter, while the other man checks jewelry cases to see if any were unlocked.
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Today the University of South Dakota is observing Denim Day in respect for victims of sexual assault.
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Earlier this week the national association for campus activities awarded Augustana’s diversity program with the outstanding diversity achievement award.
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“it’s a testament to the hard work of these students they dedicate themselves to a lot of time and a lot of hard work"
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"This is a term that is so demeaning of black culture and humanity, so to have it still represented in some of our schools is very disheartening and disappointing, people are irate that this is still happening."
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With the increased need for drivers finding a job after attending a commercial driving school has never been easier.
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Falls Park could be in for some significant upgrades.
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2020 had the highest number of fatal crashes in the state of South Dakota since 2007 this come one year after 2019 set a new record low.
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Senator Klobucher says expanding broadband in the state is another way to make sure students can still learn even in the event of having to quarantine.
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President Biden announced several executive orders all targeting gun laws today.
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Biden’s new $2 trillion dollar plan will include over 100 billion dollars to improve things such as roads, the electrical grid, schools and broadband.
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Washington Pavilion staff hopes that covid restrictions will be diminished by the time these performances happen so they can have a full theater throughout all the shows.
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A Sioux Falls car detailing business is helping a Salem man after he was the victim of racially-charged vandalism last week.
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Thune says he's frustrated with the current situation that happening there, saying it could have easily been prevented.
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Zebra mussels infecting home aquariums in South Dakota
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While a typical public school is usually very large and filled with hundreds to even thousands of students, Acton Academy plans to be a much smaller school with less than 100 students and an interesting twist.
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"It was very very difficult to leave her behind, but we had to do it for the safety of my son, so we got on the plane and we left."
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Retired Sioux Falls school teacher publishes book on one of South Dakota’s most popular politicians.
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The tradition of changing clocks twice a year could be coming to an end in large part to the work South Dakota congressman Dusty Johnson is putting in to this new bill.
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At the first night of the annual sportsmen's boat, camping & vacation show in the Denny Sanford convention center many customers came to see what they could get to help plan their ultimate family vacation.
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Miner says she is honored to have been a part of such a historic flight and hopes it will inspire women to take a greater interest in aviation.
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Many gathered at Shenanigans sports bar and grill for a church service Thursday night.
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During the pandemic, many have struggled with mental health around the country, and right here in South Dakota
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South Dakota attorney general Jason Ravnsborg is now facing backlash after footage from his interrogation was released just days ago.