Custer County Chronicle

Hermosa lost a pillar of the community a little more than a week ago. Although I didn’t get to enjoy a long history with Don Knapp, it didn’t take much time in conversation with him to feel blessed and edified. He dropped in occasionally to visit with Brad and me over the few years of our marriage, and even in his 90s he was hale and hearty, always wearing work clothes and work boots, with a warm smile and humble demeanor. He lived on his ranch until the day he died and was roping calves at his own brandings until a few years ago.

What an extraordinary adventure and remarkable opportunity it was to represent District 30 and the State of South Dakota in Taiwan!
Our Midwest delegation consisted of 11 legislators from five states—Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska and South Dakota. If you thought this trip was simply for fun, you would be wrong! From the moment we arrived, our schedules were filled nearly every hour with meetings with dignitaries and ministry staff, engaging in meaningful discussions about Taiwan-U.S. relations, trade cooperation, agriculture and regional exchanges.

At long last, autumn has graced us with its presence, and oh, what a welcome visit it is. 
Summer seemed to overstay its invitation this year. The months still disappeared. That much will perhaps never change. Nevertheless, the days were hot from dawn to dusk. Even the evening air blew steamy. In between was the ever-constant worry of a fire. The rain helped, but the ground was still so dry. 

Greetings. Happy election season again! Yep, you can vote early now at your county courthouse during normal business hours. Early voting goes until Nov. 2 with regular election on Nov. 3. This election is called the General Election, meaning it’s the final election and we vote for each party’s candidates, democrat and republican. If there are independent candidates, they will also be on our ballot.
This election we have four ballot measure that the public gets to decide. I should qualify that—the public that shows up to vote—gets to decide. The four ballot measures are: