News Briefs - September 2, 2026

Poetry event planned
Poets, poetry enthusiasts, and curious newcomers are invited to join the South Dakota State Poetry Society for Poetry On The Road on September 22 at 6 p.m. at Three Barn Acres, 2214 US HWY 14 outside Brookings.

This exciting program, now in its fourth year, offers an opportunity to immerse yourself in the world of poetry, share your own poems, and connect with fellow poetry lovers.

The gathering features:

— Readings by SDSPS member poets, including the South Dakota State Poet Laureate, Bruce Roseland

— An open mic where anyone can sign up to read their original poems

— Information and publications from the SDSPS

SDSPS, with support from local venues, is visiting 20 communities across the state this season, which runs from September 2026 through April 2027. Our goal is to help nurture and encourage the reading and writing of poetry throughout South Dakota. Whether you’re a seasoned wordsmith, a published pro, or a beginning dabbler, these gatherings promise a fun experience for all. The open mic is open to poets of all ages and skill levels. Just sign up at the event to read YOUR original poems. And you need not be a poet to attend — you can also come just to listen. The event is free and open to the public.

The South Dakota State Poetry Society has been active in South Dakota since its founding in 1927. The organization publishes a twice-yearly journal, Pasque Petals, the longest continuously published journal of any state poetry society in the U.S.

For more information visit the SDSPS website at www.sdpoetry.org

Rotary hears about data centers
The Brookings Rotary Club welcomed Victoria Blatchford, vice president for Sequitor Edge, for a presentation on data centers — their types, their resource demands, and their growing importance to communities like Brookings.

Blatchford opened by challenging a common misconception: that all data centers are thesame. In reality, there are several distinct types, each with very different footprints, power demands, and community impacts.

Enterprise Data Centers — On-premises facilities used by large organizations such as healthcare systems, often with off-site backups.

Co-location Data Centers — Shared facilities where businesses rent space and access to high-density power and processing infrastructure, typically ranging from 2 to 50 megawatts.

Cloud Data Centers — The backbone of most digital activity today, typically ranging from 50 to 500 megawatts; businesses are increasingly seeking hybrid alternatives due to the difficulty and cost of migrating data back out of the cloud.

Hyperscale Data Centers — Massive facilities requiring 100 megawatts to 1 gigawatt of power, thousands of acres, and billions of dollars in investment. Blatchford noted that nearly half of those permitted in 2025 were discontinued due to community opposition, lack of power availability, or financing challenges.

Edge Computing Data Centers — Smaller facilities located close to end users, ranging from 0.5 to 50 megawatts, designed to deliver low-latency processing power directly to communities and businesses.

Repurposed jet engine generators — a reuse of large industrial components

Small Modular Reactors — compact nuclear generators the size of a refrigerated trailer, capable of producing up to 30 megawatts of power, the same technology that has powered U.S. Navy submarines for decades.

Blatchford highlighted the explosive growth in demand for data storage and processing power, noting that global data demand is projected to more than double between 2023 and 2028, surpassing 00 petabytes. Every digital interaction, from streaming and banking to smart agriculture and healthcare, relies on data center infrastructure.

She also drew a distinction between cognitive AI (such as ChatGPT, used for information retrieval) and Agentic AI, which is the next generation of AI that businesses, educational institutions, and financial organizations will depend on for real-time decision-making. Agentic AI requires significantly higher-density power and processing, making local edge computing infrastructure increasingly critical.

Blatchford addressed questions about energy independence for edge data centers, noting that reliance on the existing power grid alone is not sufficient. Emerging solutions include natural gas fuel cells, particularly well-suited to the Upper Midwest where natural gas is readily accessible.