Custer County Chronicle

Elders honored in Monday program

Published by admin on Wed, 02/07/2024 - 10:45am

Custer fourth grade students brought together many in the community to honor two Custer elders: Diane Dennis and Jim Kelley, both long-time Custer residents, with the Elder’s Wisdom, Children’s Song Program. The program brings elders from the Custer and Hermosa communities to elementary classrooms to share their life stories with the students. Then, with the help of area songwriters, the students create a narrative of the elder’s life and compose an original song to be performed in a concert honoring the elders.

Commission amends RX cannabis rules

Published by admin on Wed, 02/07/2024 - 10:44am

At the Jan. 24 meeting of the Custer County Board of Commissioners, the commission amended its ordinance making provisions for marijuana facilities in the county. The ammendments are addopted from neighboring Fall River County’s ordinance on the same topic.
Now both counties allow for just one dispensary, as required by state law, but have eliminated provisions for cultivation, testing and manufacturing facilities. Earlier this fall, the town of Buffalo Gap made the same amendments to its ordinance regarding these facilities.

Trade show booth space offered

Published by admin on Wed, 02/07/2024 - 10:43am

It is that time of year again to gear up for the 2024 Custer Area Chamber of Commerce Trade Show. This year the Trade Show will be Saturday, March 2, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Custer Jr./Sr. High School.

ARPA projects stalled or steamrolling

Published by admin on Wed, 02/07/2024 - 10:41am

The Custer County Board of Commissioners heard updates on the projects being funded by ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act of 2021) in the county at its Jan. 24 meeting.
These federal funds are intended to improve infrastructure, and so the county opted to disperse the $1.7 million in  funding to the Hermosa Water Users Association, Elk Mountain Water Board, Town of Hermosa Clean Water Initiative and the Crossroads Housing Project in Custer. Some of those projects are rolling right along as expected, but others continue to face a slew of hold-ups and set-backs.

Meshell Will’s aunt OK with plea deal

Published by admin on Wed, 02/07/2024 - 9:06am
Sue Janke wanted Richard Schmitz to go to prison for a lot longer than the 10 years  he potentially faces when he his sentenced in Seventh Judicial Circuit Court in March.
Having said that, Janke, who is the aunt of Meshell Will, said she is pleased his at least facing some sort of consequences for Will’s 2013 death.

Property tax valuation bill fails in Senate

Published by admin on Wed, 02/07/2024 - 8:46am
The South Dakota Senate shot down an effort Thursday to cap property tax valuation increases at 3 percent a year for homeowners and rental properties.
Senate Bill 167 would have capped increases in response to the heavy hikes in property valuations that followed the COVID-19 pandemic’s start in 2020.

Schmitz pleads to manslaughter

Published by admin on Wed, 01/31/2024 - 11:25am

The man arrested for the murder of Meshell Will has entered an alford plea to second degree manslaughter.
Richard Melvin Schmitz, 55, has been in custody since he was arrested at his home outside Hill City in July 2021. He was charged with second degree murder.

Shayanna Woodward is new senior center director

Published by admin on Wed, 01/31/2024 - 11:23am

Custer native Shayanna Woodward is the Custer Senior Center’s new directory. In the spring of last year, her hometown beckoned her back and last Monday, she began her new job as the director of the center.
“I’m really excited for this job, and I’m excited to see where it takes me,” said Woodward.
Woodward graduated from Custer High School in 2019 and then moved to Utah, where she worked toward a degree in nursing until the onset of COVID-19, at which time she switched tracks and worked in mortgage funding and closing, which she also enjoyed.

Car drives through wall at Pop’s Grocery

Published by admin on Wed, 01/31/2024 - 11:22am

Cleanup on aisle one. And two. And three.
Bring the tow truck.
At around 1:15 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 21, employees and customers inside Pop’s Grocery Shoppe in Hermosa received the scare of a lifetime when a Toyota Corolla plowed into the store, knocking over shelves and causing thousands of dollars in damage.

Groups reckon with Custer’s mining history

Published by admin on Wed, 01/31/2024 - 11:22am

“Is 150 years of unrestricted mining enough?” asked Taylor Dunhamer, with NDN Collective to the audience at a meeting hosted by the Black Hills Clean Water Alliance (BHCWA) last Saturday. The question was met with applause, some “yesses” from the crowd and “It’s our land!” from one Native American attendee. The question, of course, was rhetorical, and meant to highlight the fact that the law which governs mining on public land in the U.S.