Custer County Chronicle

Noem will seek Rushmore fireworks in 2023

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

The South Dakota Department of Tourism has submitted its application for a special use permit for the 2023 Mount Rushmore fireworks celebration on behalf of Gov. Kristi Noem. The application was submitted to the National Park Service (NPS).

Mertz set to leave Custer County Library

Published by admin on Thu, 07/14/2022 - 10:06am

Custer County Library has been fortunate over the years to have many effective long-term librarians and Doris Ann Mertz is in that lineage.
Mertz came to Custer in 2011 from Williams, Ariz., where she had been working as a school library resource manager. The library board was looking for someone who could integrate into the community and help the library be a vital point of contact in the community. It succeeded.

Frye-Mueller remains winner

Published by admin on Thu, 07/07/2022 - 9:42am

District 30 state senator Julie Frye-Mueller lost a few votes in the recount of her June 7 primary race against Rep. Tim Goodwin, but still won the primary.
According to an article last week in the Rapid City Journal, the recount requested by Goodwin following his 46 vote loss to Frye-Mueller was completed last Tuesday.

Residents want county to consider zoning

Published by admin on Thu, 07/07/2022 - 9:41am

Upset by what they say is an ever-increasing incompatible mix of commercial businesses in residential areas, a group of Custer County residents came before the Custer County Commission at its June 29 meeting to urge the council to consider some sort of zoning that would prohibit commercial enterprise in residential areas.

County doesn’t budge on LEO costs

Published by admin on Thu, 07/07/2022 - 9:40am

Custer County Sheriff Marty Mechaley is right where he didn’t want to be last November.
It’s been 231 days since the Custer County Sheriff’s Office took over law enforcement in the Town of Hermosa.
“I feel like I’m no further ahead than I was 231 days ago,” Mechaley told the Custer County Commission at the commission’s June 29 meeting. “I’m in a situation I did not want to be in, in the middle of summer trying to figure out how to bring on extra people.”

Sweet dreams come true

Published by admin on Thu, 07/07/2022 - 9:38am

When Mary Lappe went to work keeping books for Custer County Candy Company several years ago she had no idea she would one day own the store. However, she and her husband Trapper have dreamed of owning their own business for years and recently that dream came true.

Steele Collision has new owners

Published by admin on Thu, 07/07/2022 - 9:37am

Custer body shop Steele Collision recently came under new ownership, but the transition should be pretty seamless as far as customers are concerned. That’s because the new owners have been employed with the company for a combined total of over 22 years and former owner Jay Steele is sticking around to continue doing one of the things he does best.
On May 31 auto body techs Colton Jinks and Joe Trana closed on their purchase of the business and will operate it as a 50/50 partnership.

Fourth of July events scheduled

Published by admin on Thu, 06/30/2022 - 10:00am

Custer’s celebration of Independence Day will begin Saturday and will run through Monday with a variety of activites for people of all ages.
The fun starts Saturday, July 2, with the Old Time Country Fair arts and crafts fair which will take place at the 1881 Courthouse Museum. The fair will open at 10 a.m. and run until 6 p.m. At 7 p.m. there will be a Veterans Tribute Street Dance in front of Veterans Memorial Park, featuring the music of Ja’net Eastman and the South Highway 85 Band. The dance will run until 11 p.m.

Injured hikers keep SAR hopping

Published by admin on Thu, 06/30/2022 - 9:59am

With summer here and large numbers of visitors pouring in from all over the country, Custer County Search and Rescue (SAR) volunteers have been predictably busy over the past few days. Accidents on the much-traveled hiking trails around Sylvan Lake and Black Elk Peak have been the source of several of the calls for assistance.

Leaving the FLDS

Published by admin on Thu, 06/30/2022 - 9:58am

This is the second in a series of stories about daughters of Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints leader Warren Jeffs who have left the FLDS.