Good morning, Sioux Falls.

Burger King and Cinnabon closed at The Empire Mall, shrinking dining options; Burger King ended its service at 4900 W.

Empire Place on Jan. 3 and Cinnabon shut its food court on Jan. 7.

Costco in Sioux Falls now serves a new combo calzone that replaces the popular Combo Pizza, as the frozen format reduces preparation time (and waste) while raising concerns among longtime members.

Startup Sioux Falls is boosting support for local entrepreneurs by expanding its Start+Scale+Sustain programs and hosting upcoming Startup Sunrise and Startup Skills Workshop sessions for founders.

The initiative, bolstered by Mayor Paul TenHaken’s backing, offers tools and community connections to help businesses thrive.

Wild Peach & Co. has tripled its space by moving into the Harvester Building at 196 E.

Sixth St. and will host pop-up events with local makers in conjunction with the winter Falls Park Farmers Market series, including a flower class on Jan. 22.

South Dakota Native Tourism Alliance secured $175,000 in the J.M.

Kaplan Innovation Prize and will use it to expand its tour guide training and cultural itineraries in tribal communities (including Rosebud and Pine Ridge) to meet growing visitor interest in Native American experiences.

South Dakota’s K-12 enrollment fell by 0.5% statewide while alternative instruction grew 8% to 12,433 students.

In Sioux Falls, 1,793 students joined alternative programs as public school numbers remained nearly unchanged (data collected Sept. 26 and released Dec. 31).

The Sioux Falls City Council voted unanimously on Tuesday to rezone 160 acres in northeastern Sioux Falls for the Gemini Data Center, which could use power equal to 50,000 homes at peak — though some residents raised environmental concerns.

Sioux Falls City Council approved rezoning and a subdivision plan for the first hyperscale data center on Jan.

7 amid strong public opposition at the Rice Street site (about 1 mile south of Veterans Parkway exit); developers say construction may begin this year and create up to 150 jobs.

Sanford Health announced executive leadership team changes on Jan.

7. Dr. Tommy Ibrahim moved from CEO roles to executive vice president and chief transformation officer—overseeing digital strategy, technology, AI, and data—and Matt Hocks assumed oversight of the health plans and care integration, aiming to boost systemwide transformation.

Sioux Empire on Tap will occur on Saturday, Feb.

21 at the Sioux Falls Convention Center and will offer over 100 craft beers, live music, food trucks, and snacks (attendees must be 21+) while tickets are available at the box office or online.

Sioux Falls hosts the 13th annual Burger Battle with 50 burgers to sample, including Big Sioux Burger's Spring Roll Showdown featuring Asian-inspired flavors in a classic burger.

Locals can vote using the DTSF Passport app (registration required) as the event runs until the end of January.

Sioux Falls housing market slowed in December as 262 closed sales dropped 12.1% while new listings increased 3.7% to 309 — homes spent 90 days on the market, and the average selling price fell 3.2% to $362,511 as median prices edged up 0.9%.

Rip City Remix: Sioux Falls Skyforce Game

2-4:30 p.m. — Sanford Pentagon — Tickets available — Catch the local Sioux Falls Skyforce in action during an exciting basketball game.

Mitchell vs. Roosevelt JV Basketball Game

4:00-5:15 p.m. — Roosevelt High School — Free entry — Catch the Roosevelt JV basketball team as they take on Mitchell in a home non-conference matchup.

Sioux Falls Blizzard Blowout Basketball Tournament

8 AM - 8 PM — Sanford Sports Complex — Registration required — Compete in an exciting basketball tournament for 4th-8th graders with full tournament coverage.

Dinner Detective Sioux Falls Public Show

6-9 p.m. — Sheraton Sioux Falls Hotel & Convention Center — Ticket pricing not listed — Enjoy a thrilling interactive true crime mystery show while dining on a fantastic dinner.