Hill City Prevailer

Council discusses payment plan for sewer phase three

Published by admin on Wed, 11/04/2026 - 9:43am
No more surcharges—that is the Hill City Common Council’s desire as it reviews the sewer facilities funding application for phase three, which will finalize the funding package for the project. 

History for the taking as museum closes

Published by admin on Wed, 11/04/2026 - 9:41am
After 16 years in operation, the South Dakota State Railroad Museum has officially and permanently closed to the public.
“Closing of the South Dakota Railroad Museum (SDSRM) on October 12, 2026, marked the end of our physical location after 16 years, but we are continuing our mission of preservation and education,” wrote Lesta Turchen, the president of the board of directors.

Robin Martinez joins Prevailer staff

Published by admin on Wed, 11/04/2026 - 9:40am
COVID-19 brought a wave of newcomers to our area in 2020, including Robin Martinez, who recently joined the Hill City Prevailer News team.
A New Mexico native, Martinez is from a ranching background, received her degree from New Mexico State University in ag business and has pursued several career paths since that time, including ag lender, stock broker, car sales, innkeeper and she has an extensive background in real estate title and escrow.  Martinez is quick to note the common theme throughout each of her endeavors—effective communication.

Council establishes GMP contract for sewer

Published by admin on Wed, 11/04/2026 - 9:38am
Going back to the guaranteed maximum price (GMP) from Scull Construction Services, Inc., the Hill City Common Council needed to approve two items to proceed with the wastewater treatment plant project. It needed to first approve the establishment of the GMP and second, authorize Scull Construction to proceed with the project based on the GMP. This was discussed at the Oct. 26 meeting. 
In total, the GMP was $14,413,951, with an additional $945,958 in alternates and $1,850 in design costs from city engineer AE2S. The total project cost presented was $16,263,951. 

City poised to tackle major projects with budget

Published by admin on Wed, 11/04/2026 - 9:38am
The Hill City Common Council (HCCC) approved the city’s 2027 budget at its meeting Oct. 26, with total appropriations and accumulations projected at $3,928,347.00. This is an increase of $450,510.25 from the 2026 budget, a total uptick of 12.95 percent.

Keystone rolls through minimal agenda

Published by admin on Wed, 10/28/2026 - 9:36am
The Keystone Town board easily rolled through a light agenda Wednesday night at the Keystone Community Center board room, addressing various infrastructure maintenance projects, municipal-level pay applications and renewing liquor licenses for local businesses. 

Know what’s on the ballot before you vote

Published by admin on Wed, 10/28/2026 - 9:35am
With Election Day approaching, Hill City and Keystone-area voters will have a number of decisions to make when they head to the polls Tuesday, Nov. 3. 
The ballot includes races for county commission, the South Dakota Legislature, governor, U.S. House and U.S. Senate, as well as several statewide constitutional offices, four proposed constitutional amendments and local elections. 
Sample ballots were published in the Oct. 28 edition of the Hill City Prevailer.

Board earns gold status for eighth year

Published by admin on Wed, 10/28/2026 - 9:33am
The Hill City School District Board of Education met Tuesday, Oct. 13, and had many positive recognitions. 
Superintendent Blake Gardner began the meeting with some “good news.” Gardner presented a plaque to the board and announced that for the eighth consecutive year, the board has earned gold status from the Associated School Boards of South Dakota (ASBSD). 

Lessons learned from recent SD cyberattacks

Published by admin on Wed, 10/28/2026 - 9:31am
Michael Iversen has spent the past three months doing anything and everything he can to prevent another workplace nightmare like the one inflicted upon him and his staff July 4.
On that day, unknown hackers broke into and disrupted major elements of the government computer system in Pennington County, where Iversen serves as information technology director.

State capitol rotunda restoration complete

Published by admin on Wed, 10/21/2026 - 1:09pm
Scaffolding stood in the center of South Dakota’s Capitol building for six months, but now the work is done and the reviews are coming in.
Pierre resident Mary Keeler, who works for the state Bureau of Finance and Management, stood looking up into the dome recently while admiring the restoration work.
“It has always been a beautiful building,” she said. “But this is pretty spectacular.”
Refreshed paint, brighter details and new lighting have made the interior dome more vibrant, she said.