Northern Plains News

Northern Plains News Northern Plains News is a digital news service providing timely and free news and information to Upper Midwest news outlets and the public.

NPN is an affordable alternative or supplement to traditional news services. Using all the tools of digital media, NPN provides news and information that media outlets and individual scribers require. It is owned, edited and reported by journalist, writer, lawyer and entrepreneur Todd Epp. Todd's has been a reporter, anchor, producer, executive producer and manager at KTWU-TV (PBS/Topeka), SD Publ

ic Broadcasting, KSFY-TV (ABC/Sioux Falls) and KDLT-TV (NBC/Sioux Falls). He has also been the Brookings, SD correspondent for the Sioux Falls Argus Leader (SD) and a freelancer for the Mitchell Daily Republic (SD). His freelance writing has appeared in numerous publications, including the Washington Post, the Minneapolis Star Tribune, South Dakota History, Kansas History, the Washburn Law Journal and South Dakota Magazine.

The primary before the primary.
01/01/2026

The primary before the primary.

Before ballots, there is sorting. Money, talent, access, and patience decide who gets to compete.

A look back at my favorite NPN work in 2025. Thanks for a great year!
12/30/2025

A look back at my favorite NPN work in 2025. Thanks for a great year!

Some fiction, some essays, and some news.

What the South Dakota media should have covered in 2025.
12/29/2025

What the South Dakota media should have covered in 2025.

Future prison spending, end of easy federal money among stories that need more attention.

Sometimes, the rankings are just rank in South Dakota.
12/29/2025

Sometimes, the rankings are just rank in South Dakota.

High fertility, a large Native population, and persistent inequality place the state near the top nationally — but the numbers point in different directions

A small cemetery on the edge of the Kansas Flint Hills.
12/27/2025

A small cemetery on the edge of the Kansas Flint Hills.

Not a bizarre cemetery, but also not a bazaar of trade activity either.

Yes, the dreaded family holiday newsletter
12/26/2025

Yes, the dreaded family holiday newsletter

Annual proof-of-life from the Northern Plains, featuring Rodney's wisdom, two poodles on patrol, and the backyard squirrel cartel

"Potting soil" takes on a whole new meaning.
12/26/2025

"Potting soil" takes on a whole new meaning.

Federally funded research reveals conventional tillage produces up to six times more THC than cover crop methods

The holiness of Christmas quiet.
12/24/2025

The holiness of Christmas quiet.

Christmas Day strips the country down to blinking lights, empty streets, and a hush you don’t hear the rest of the year.

Christmas or not, the economy goes on.
12/24/2025

Christmas or not, the economy goes on.

Farm and Ranchland Prices: Highest in 20 Months

It's about the budget. It's always about the budget.
12/23/2025

It's about the budget. It's always about the budget.

Rhoden’s lean fiscal approach and Johnson’s first sustained critique sharpen the clearest policy contrast yet in the 2026 Republican primary.

It's the "Best of" time of the year!
12/22/2025

It's the "Best of" time of the year!

What you, the readers--and Substack--say were the most viewed or impactful stories published by NPN in 2025.

A personal Yuletide reflection.
12/21/2025

A personal Yuletide reflection.

On a cold drive between Yankton and Hampton, a boy learns the season’s joy doesn’t always match the weight he carries.

Address

610 Grand Avenue
Harrisburg, SD
57032

Website

http://www.northernplainsnews.bsky.social/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Northern Plains News posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to Northern Plains News:

Shortcuts

Share

Category