Custer County Chronicle

Looking back at two decades of GDD

Published by admin on Thu, 07/21/2022 - 11:01am

It was July 2001 when I participated (and covered) my first Gold Discovery Days. Two decades later, I’m still covering Gold Discovery Days, still participating and still loving it. It is such a fun time, and so well done by the army of people who make it happen.
My memories from my first Gold Discovery Days aren’t terribly vivid. I do remember there was a carnival, also on Washington Street, but I thought I remember it being set up further down the street than it is now. I also remember joining new friends for two nights out on the town at various water holes.

Is zoning in the county’s future?

Published by admin on Thu, 07/14/2022 - 10:04am

There seems to be a growing chorus of people within the county who are clamoring for some sort of zoning within Custer County as more and more businesses are popping up in residential areas throughout the county. The question is, will some sort of zoning eventually be adopted in the county, or will the Custer County Commission continue its hands-off, do-what-you-want-to-do-with-your-land approach?

Eating the berries, making the memories

Published by admin on Thu, 07/14/2022 - 10:02am

Amazing!
My granddaughter calls me “Papa!” When I walk through the door of my son’s home or walk up the driveway while they’re outdoors in the summer sun, I hear her chirp “Hi Papa!”
Now, it might not seem so amazing to you that my loquacious, just-turned-2 granddaughter, Evelyn calls me by a simple two-syllable name that’s easier to pronounce than “grandfather” or even “grandpa.” But the backstory, going back to when her father was a baby, is what I find fascinating.

The spirit of ’76 protects us

Published by admin on Thu, 07/07/2022 - 9:34am

As we gather to celebrate Independence Day, it’s a good time to reflect on how our most fundamental freedoms have served this nation well. It’s an even better time to think about what would happen if those liberties were taken away. Sadly, the latter doesn’t take much imagination in 2022. Your closest video screen will show you scenes of Russian troops pummeling Ukraine with the support of a majority of the Russian people.

Land of the free, because of the brave

Published by admin on Thu, 07/07/2022 - 9:31am

The patriotism South Dakotans display on the Fourth of July has deep roots in our state’s history. In fact, we waved the Stars and Stripes before we even became a state! The Dakota Territory in the 1880s stood out for its love for civic virtue, and historians recount how few holidays rated higher than Independence Day to the settlers. Those same historians note that this ingrained love for America explains why so many South Dakotans served in the World Wars, and why we as a state revere our veterans.

Let’s celebrate America!

Published by admin on Thu, 06/30/2022 - 9:51am

It’s often been said that there are many more things that unite us than divide us in America, and never has this been more in evidence than on the annual July 4th holiday when so much patriotism is on display. July 4th marks another milestone in the relatively short history of our great country, the United States of America!

DeShaun Watson saga isn’t over

Published by admin on Thu, 06/30/2022 - 9:48am

Only a couple of months ago, DeShaun Watson was traded from the Houston Texans to the Cleveland Browns, which then promptly signed the three-time Pro Bowler to a fully guaranteed, five-year, $230 million contract. The contract on its own would have been major news, because it is the first fully guaranteed contract in a league that doesn’t fully guarantee contracts. It is a common refrain that the NFL stands for “Not For Long.”

Staying optimistic can be tough

Published by admin on Thu, 06/23/2022 - 11:17am

Let’s just tell it how it is. It’s a tough time to be alive.
Not in the literal sense, of course. We should all be grateful for the life we have, and each day is a blessing. And of course, there is someone out there who has it much worse than all of us. These are all clichés, but they are true. If we start with that understood premise, we can still understand it’s a tough time to be alive.

Big Medicine is squandering our trust

Published by admin on Thu, 06/23/2022 - 11:15am

If anything good can be said to have come out of the last two years of travail brought on by COVID-19, it is that the crisis has caused the light of truth to be shined upon things revealing some unpleasant realities about life in these United States. Most glaring, perhaps, has been the revelation of the uncomfortable fact that we have placed entirely too much faith in our medical system and especially the pharmaceutical industry.

Floods & Rainbows

Published by admin on Thu, 06/23/2022 - 11:03am

This month has been a grim reminder of just what all an unexpected flood can do. On the ninth we remembered the 50th anniversary of the Rapid City flood of ’72. A flood which still haunts the memories of some of our old-timers.