Award-winning journalist Esther Noe is the newest addition to the Custer County Chronicle team.
Since moving to Custer in 2021 with her family, Noe (pronounced “no”) has been working for the Hill City Prevailer News as an office manager, journalist and photographer.
The location that will be home to the future Allure Spa was approved for a zoning change at the Feb. 19 meeting of the Custer City Council, despite the objection of neighbors to the lot.
The council approved the zoning change for 928 Crook Street, with Timothy and Michaela Braun as applicants of the zoning change. The rezone came from the city’s planning committee with a recommendation to pass.
In a move that one lawmaker said would lead to “locking up librarians,” South Dakota legislators advanced a bill 38-32 on Thursday at the Capitol in Pierre that would remove legal protections for libraries and other institutions if children view books that meet the legal definition of “harmful to minors.”
The Hermosa Board of Trustees met for its regular meeting Feb. 19. A handful of citizens were in attendance, as well as two Custer High School seniors who were observing the meeting as part of their government class.
District 30 House of Reps. Tim Goodwin and Trish Ladner along with Sen. Amber Hulse were on hand for a legislative cracker barrel that took place Feb. 22 at the Hill City Center.
About 70 people attended the event, with questions ranging from specific deregulation to protecting the environment. By far the most questions posed to the panel was about libraries.
A bill asking for $1.5 million to help fund the reconstruction of West Dam is headed to the South Dakota Legislature’s Joint Bill Appropriations Committee with no recommendation as to whether or not to pass the bill following an introductory hearing on the bill last Thursday in Pierre.
Responding to a public outcry about rising property taxes, South Dakota Gov. Larry Rhoden proposed a bill Thursday at the Capitol to cap growth in owner-occupied home valuations for five years.
The plan would also put stricter limits on the annual growth of local governments’ property tax collections and expand eligibility for property tax relief programs.
Rhoden lauded the approach as a reasonable compromise in a legislative session where property tax relief has spurred a host of competing proposals.
Elders’ Wisdom, Children’s Song (EWCS) is coming to Hermosa Monday, Feb. 24, to honor two more elders in the community, Linda Hasselstrom and Bill Kelly. The program will take place at the Hermosa School Gymnasium at 6 p.m.
“The EWCS brings so much pride and joy to our school and community as we celebrate the elders who have helped to build Hermosa into the special place it is today,” said Hermosa School Principal Forrest “Frosty” Paris.
Property taxes in the State of South Dakota have shifted away from other classes of property to put an unfair burden on those who have owner occupied status. That needs corrected.
That was the message given by Gov. Larry Rhoden at his press conference held last Thursday at the State Capitol building as part of News Media Day at the legislative session.
Rhoden gave initial comments and then fielded questions from the gathered media during the wide-ranging press conference.
In a turn of events at the Hermosa Board of Trustees meeting Feb. 4, the town board voted to rescind its previous vote to ban former town board president Jerry Styles and, following some impassioned discussion, decided instead to serve Styles with a letter of warning in keeping with the ordinance on how complaints are to be handled.
