News

Community support needed for nursing home

Published by admin on Wed, 05/31/2023 - 11:57am

“It will take a village,” said many at the Nursing Home Open House last Tuesday—and the village showed up. The Pine Room at the Custer County Library filled with people eager to hear what plans Caring Professionals (the company who will be running the facility) and the newly formed Custer Cares committee has in the works as they work on reopening the nursing home facility closed by Monument Health in 2021. The town hall meeting was the fruit of over a years worth of labor by many on the Custer Cares committee and many others in the community.

Election next Tuesday

Published by admin on Wed, 05/31/2023 - 11:56am

Next Tuesday, June 6, is election day, and voters in the City of Custer and Town of Hermosa will vote on a new mayor, council members, town board members and a few ballot issues.
In the race for the City of Custer Mayor, incumbent Bob Brown will face challenger Gary Carr for a two-year term. The other city race is for a two-year term on the council in Ward III, as incumbent Peg Ryan will face challenger Faith Lewis.

STAR Valley home saga drags on

Published by admin on Wed, 05/31/2023 - 11:55am

Two weeks after he told the Custer County Commission he would be in front of them to discuss three homes he owns blocking the right of way on Galaxy Trail in the Star Valley Subdivision, Tom McDill was absent from the May 23 meeting of the Custer County Commission.
Because of that, another call was placed to McDill at his residence in Austin, Texas, with McDill saying the reason he wasn’t at the meeting is because he had been dealing with some medical issues.

Crazy Horse Volksmarch set for this Saturday

Published by admin on Wed, 05/31/2023 - 11:53am

Crazy Horse Memorial will once again be holding a Volksmarch at the memorial, this time for the 37th year. The Crazy Horse Volksmarch is an opportunity for hikers to scale what will one day be the largest mountain carving in the world.
Since its inception, the Crazy Horse Volksmarch has become the most popular organized hike in the entire country. One year they had as many as 15,000 participants. The event is sponsored by the Black Hills Chapter of the American Volksmarch Assosication.

Noem pulls support for grocery tax measure

Published by admin on Wed, 05/31/2023 - 11:49am

A citizen-led campaign to eliminate South Dakota’s state grocery tax through a measure on the 2024 ballot won’t have the backing of Gov. Kristi Noem’s administration despite earlier indications she would support it.
The sticking point is concern expressed by attorney general Marty Jackley in his official ballot explanation.

Prison workshops bleeding money despite requirement to break even

Published by admin on Wed, 05/31/2023 - 11:31am

The South Dakota Department of Corrections is required to operate its prison workshops without losing money, but the DOC has long failed to live up to that expectation.
Not only do some shops lose as much as $400,000 a year, but inmates aren’t spending enough of their work time filling customer orders. Inmates regularly tag just 15% of their work hours to the job orders they’re meant to fill in the carpentry, metal fabrication or sign-making shops.

How climate change threatens South Dakota’s protected landscapes

Published by admin on Wed, 05/31/2023 - 11:30am

Swaths of South Dakota water, grasslands and forests are under federal protection, but climate change recognizes no boundaries.
Scientists say South Dakota’s protected lands are vulnerable to pest infestation, wildfire, drought, flooding and more extreme weather in the decades to come.
That ranges from a wild stretch of the Missouri River to grasslands in central South Dakota to the Black Hills.

Groups gets official status

Published by admin on Wed, 05/31/2023 - 9:10am
The Supporters for the Hill City Ambulance have official 501c3 status. This means the organization is now an official IRS public charity, able to receive tax-deductible gifts, transfers and bequests. It also opens up the group’s ability to apply for and receive grants. According to Lori Comer, that ability couldn’t have come soon enough. 
“The more money we can get from grants the less we have to put on taxpayers,” Comer said, for building the Hill City Ambulance’s new home.

One food truck approved for Lost Cabin Beer Co.

Published by admin on Wed, 05/31/2023 - 9:06am
Does allowing a private business to have a food truck solve the debate or start an entirely new one? At a minimum it created a debate at the Hill City Common Council meeting May 22. 
Lost Cabin Beer Co. (LCBC) is new to Hill City but is well established and recently celebrated seven years of business in Rapid City. According to owner Jesse Scheitler, LCBC is the third largest brewery in the state.

Restaurant closure may show deeper issues

Published by admin on Wed, 05/31/2023 - 9:04am
Visitors to Keystone have no off-season dining options unless someone steps in to fill the void left by the closing of BarLee’s restaurant. The establishment, located right next to the Comfort Inn, was a staple for over a decade, although to mixed reviews. Some online reviews called the staff rude, others raved about the great food and fun. For locals the venue was a place to hang out and grab a drink or meal. For people on vacation, it had become the only restaurant in town during the winter months.