Hill City Prevailer

Plenty of prison feedback given

Published by admin on Wed, 10/08/2025 - 1:11pm
Greetings. Thank you for all the positive remarks, emails, texts, calls regarding my yes vote on the new men’s state prison! It really was the right thing to do to pass funds already in our prison construction fund to build a new state men’s prison.

No, GFP did not add more campsites

Published by admin on Wed, 10/08/2025 - 1:08pm
As we deal with weighty issues locally, statewide, and nationally, I thought we could all use a little humor … and a reality check.

Investing in public safety

Published by admin on Wed, 10/01/2025 - 10:02am

Government isn’t very good at solving problems. You might find that rich coming from someone who’s served in public office for 20 plus years, but it’s true—it isn’t government that solves our problems. Even when bills get passed by the Legislature, it’s citizen legislators— elected by their neighbors— who come to Pierre for a short amount of time, do the people’s work, then go home and live with the new laws that they passed.

Voted for building new prison

Published by admin on Wed, 10/01/2025 - 10:01am

Greetings again.
So, what happened in Pierre during Special Session Sept. 23? I thought you’d never ask! We in the House went into caucus at 8 a.m. on the 23rd and I walked out of the capitol at 7:25 p.m. with a new prison approved and paid for!

New prison will protect citizens

Published by admin on Wed, 10/01/2025 - 10:00am

Well, the 2025 special session has come to a close. We had caucus, open meetings, testimony from opponents and proponents, and legislators. We began at 8 am and continued through to almost 8 pm. It was a long, brutal day, but one that we knew had to happen in order to further the project and help to safeguard our citizens going forward. Quite frankly, it is too bad that legislators are not as committed to property tax reform…but that’s a subject for another time. 

Time for special state prison session

Published by admin on Wed, 09/24/2025 - 12:48pm

Greetings. So, how’s everyone doing with all this rain, rain, rain? I take that back for the southern portion of Fall River County, as it’s been dry down there.

A fact’s a fact

Published by admin on Wed, 09/24/2025 - 9:51am
As a reporter, I deal in facts. OK not for my column, per se. But facts are important to me. And always have been. That’s likely why I love math. Add two to the number two and you get four. Always. Undisputed. In perpetuity.
In my opinion, which is not a fact, facts help make sense of the world. They cannot be disputed. They cannot be distorted.
I feel lately we live in a very distorted world. And facts are becoming less important to some.
Especially, it would seem, to our president.

Make more memories, not excuses

Published by admin on Wed, 09/17/2025 - 9:48am
I’ll admit, when it comes to writing an opinion column… I’m not always feeling especially opinionated about anything. That may come as a surprise to those who know me very well: I typically don’t have a problem saying what’s on my mind. 
However, when I’m short on ideas, I tend to wander down the rabbit hole of “National Days.” You know, those quirky little celebrations assigned to nearly every day of the calendar. 
Some of them are completely ridiculous (there’s the opinionated side you were waiting for).

Way to go to the hole

Published by admin on Wed, 09/10/2025 - 9:50am
I had so many things I wanted to rant and rave about. And then this happened. The Rockerville Volunteer Fire Department post. I nearly cried when I read it.
By now, you all know that the powers that be finally worked together to make Hippie Hole hopefully a little safer for everyone.
I say bravo!

We did not stab Rhoden in the back

Published by admin on Wed, 09/10/2025 - 9:48am
Greetings. Forgive me for writing about the state penitentiary. I guess to shorten that word, we will use pen. My understanding in the confinement world: jails are what towns have, prisons are what counties have and the penitentiary is a state facility. South Dakota doesn’t have any federal penitentiaries.