U.S. Senate candidate Joel Dykstra has announced the details of the first four town hall meetings he will be hosting around the state of South Dakota.

In light of Sen. Tim Johnson's decision not to participate in any debates or other joint public candidate appearances, Dykstra said the meetings are a chance for voters in South Dakota to get to know more about him and his positions on the issues that are critical in this election.

The first meeting will be 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 25, at South Dakota School of Mines & Technology, Rapid City. Other meetings will be Thursday, Oct. 2, at Pierre, Oct. 8 at Sioux Falls and Monday, Oct. 13 at Aberdeen.