Hill City Prevailer

Get out for the Paint Out

Published by admin on Wed, 09/18/2024 - 9:30am
For the seventh year in a row, artists will flood into Hill City for the Black Hills Plein Air Paint out Sept. 19-21.
The show will feature 20 artists, the maximum capacity that the Hill City Arts Council (HCAC) allows. Artists from South Dakota, Missouri, Mnnesota and even Pennsylvania will be on hand. HCAC board president Kristie Van Bogart says she is “pretty pumped” about the variety of artists coming in.

Council turns down T-shirt talk

Published by admin on Wed, 09/18/2024 - 9:28am
Is a T-shirt a sign and should the display of outside merchandise be regulated? 
This was discussed at the Sept. 9 Hill City Common Council meeting when the planning and zoning commission (PZC) resubmitted an ordinance amendment to prohibit the display of merchandise on exterior walls of the buildings, awnings or posts in the Central Business District (CBD). 

Erin Loder new chamber director

Published by admin on Wed, 09/18/2024 - 9:21am
Erin Loder is the new Hill City Area Chamber of Commerce (HCACC) executive director. Loder is taking over for former director Janet Wetovick-Bily who retired after 11 years with the chamber.
Raised in North Carolina, Loder is the daughter of a United States Army Green Beret. She moved to Guam in January 2020 just before Covid-19 hit. Shortly after, Loder started working for the Guam Women’s Chamber of Commerce (GWCC).

Sunset Creek project to begin Oct. 1

Published by admin on Wed, 09/18/2024 - 9:19am
A date was set for the Sunset Creek road resurfacing project. Construction will begin Oct 1. 
The plans prepared by Callen Hecker with city engineer AE2S were put out for bid and three responses were received. After the bids were opened Sept. 4, AE2S recommended the Hill City Common Council award the construction contract to Dakota Asphalt, LLC. 
The base bid came in at $357,496, and the ditch work came in at $27,075 making the total $384, 571. Council previously set aside $400,000 from a settlement agreement for this project. 

Town OKs haunting lease, talks marketing strategy

Published by admin on Wed, 09/18/2024 - 9:15am
A special Keystone Town Board Meeting resulted in the approval of the Haunting of Keystone lease.
Trustees voted to approve the lease at the Sept. 11 meeting.

Scheduling issues means no-go for class offering

Published by admin on Wed, 09/18/2024 - 9:14am
The Hill City School District will not offer the proposed EMT class this year, with high school principal Todd Satter citing scheduling and student conflict as the reasons. Satter said the issue to the Hill City School District (HCSD) board at its Sept. 9 meeting.
He said Western Dakota Tech needed students to have more seat time in the class, which was a deal breaker for some students. 
For others the strict absence policy, which forces a student to be dropped upon the eighth absence, was an issue.

Town to try for state water plan

Published by admin on Wed, 09/11/2024 - 9:24am
Keystone is moving forward with a sewer pipe expansion project. At the Sept. 4 Keystone Town Board of Trustees meeting trustees asked their town engineer to begin an application with the state water plan. The proposed $5.6 million dollar plan will update the existing pipe to 14 inches.
Currently the 10-inch pipe that is in place can handle about 690,000 gallons of flow. 
Town engineer Zach Grapentine said cameras have shown the existing pipe is currently full. 
“Based off data you guys are at capacity,” he said. 

Final county budget hearing set despite conflict by commissioners

Published by admin on Wed, 09/11/2024 - 9:24am
By Leslie Silverman
 
Pennington County Commissioners will vote on the proposed 2025 budget at their Sept. 19 regular meeting, despite the fact  two commissioners will not be present for the vote. 
Commissioners Deb Hadcock and Travis Lasseter expressed their conflicts of interest at the most recent Pennington County Commission meeting Sept. 3.

Wellness Studios now open in Hill City

Published by admin on Wed, 09/11/2024 - 9:20am
At Wellness Studios in Hill City, owner Haley Heil’s goal is to help people look and feel their best. 
“I really want to take the time with each client and make them feel like I’m paying attention to them, making them feel like I care. Because when you go into a salon, or spa or something, you don’t want to be just a customer. You want to feel like a customer that matters,” said Heil. 
Heil was originally born in Wisconsin but has lived in South Dakota for most of her life. 

Introducing Ponderosa Park

Published by admin on Wed, 09/04/2024 - 9:28am
After years of deliberating, the park at the Hill City Visitor Information Center (VIC) has a new name—Ponderosa Park. 
This name was submitted by the park board to the Hill City Common Council for approval at its Aug. 26 meeting. 
The city purchased the VIC property in 2007 from the United States Forest Service. Since 2010, the building has been occupied by the Hill City Area Chamber of Commerce, but this may not always be the case. Hence, the park space beside the building is separate.