Hill City Prevailer

Parking enforcement falls to city

Published by admin on Wed, 03/19/2025 - 2:26pm
The Pennington County Sheriff’s Office is not ticketing cars facing the wrong way on a street. That is according to deputy Jim Waldrop, who answered questions from the mayor at the March 10 Hill City Common Council (HCCC) meeting.
Mayor Tana Nichols asked Waldrop specifically about parking on Pine Avenue after an incident occured, on which she did not elaborate. Waldrop explained to aldermen that currently the issue is a city one, suggesting it be made into a city ordinance.

Town looks into hiring for marketing, again

Published by admin on Wed, 03/19/2025 - 2:23pm
A special meeting was held in Keystone March 11 to discuss an issue with the Roy Street Bridge and marketing plans.
Contractors working on the Roy Street Bridge hit and broke a water line. An emergency water line repair  was invoiced to the city in the amount of $40,835.82.
“When the bridges are built, I beams are put into the ground,” which, Keystone Town Board president Casey McNulty says go down 30 feet. “So they put those right through the city water line.”

School board talks extracurricular success

Published by admin on Wed, 03/19/2025 - 2:23pm
Much of the discussion revolved around the year’s athletic and extracurricular success and coaching staff at the March 10 meeting of the Hill City School Board of Education.  
The board unanimously approved the coaching list for the 2025-26 school year. Todd Grabow highlighted what he said are the excellent coaches and volunteers of the sports programs as a big part of the students’ success. 

Petitions on property taxes begin to take shape

Published by admin on Wed, 03/19/2025 - 2:22pm
Two unique ways to address the property tax issues facing homeowners are making their way around the county. Fern Johnson is circulating an informal petition of protest asking for removal of the Pennington County Department of Equalization (DOE) Shannon Rittberger and some of the office appraisers.
“The majority of the problem has been with the director himself,” Johnson said. “And the way he’s operating. He’s interpreting the law outside the language of the law.”

Some legislators shift to blaming county spending

Published by admin on Wed, 03/19/2025 - 12:58pm

Two years ago, South Dakota lawmakers were so concerned about the financial struggles of counties that they devoted a summer study to the topic.
After it was completed, state Sen. Randy Deibert, R-Spearfish, a former Lawrence County commissioner and member of the study committee, said it was illuminating.
“I do believe we’ve had a lot of education that’s taken place because of the summer study — especially with the committee members and the word they’re getting out to constituents and fellow legislators about the hardships counties are having and why they’re having it.”

Body identified, airman charged

Published by admin on Wed, 03/19/2025 - 12:44pm

An Ellsworth Air Force Base airman is under arrest in connection with the discovery of a decomposed body found near the Custer County/Pennington County line off Hwy. 87 March 4.
Quinterius Chappelle, 24, was arrested and charged with federal second-degree murder charges after the badly decomposed body of 21-year-old Sahela Sangrait of Box Elder was discovered last week.

Pool drains targeted by tweaking of ordinance

Published by admin on Wed, 03/12/2025 - 1:50pm
Keystone Town Board trustees are shifting gears on an ordinance requiring maintenance personnel be present when pools in town are drained. During the second reading of the proposed ordinance at the March 6 Keystone Town Board meeting it became clear the ordinance would present logistical requirements that could be potentially burdensome to public works staff.

Property appeals, freeze deadlines

Published by admin on Wed, 03/12/2025 - 1:44pm
Property owners in Pennington County have already received their 2025 property assessment notices which were mailed out at the beginning of March.
All property owners have a right to appeal their assessment.
Depending on where a property owner lives determines where that individual begins the appeal process.
Those who reside within the city limits (Keystone or Hill City) can begin an appeal process with their local municipality. 
That notice of appeal must be submitted in writing to the city clerk by March 13.

Education department to cut hundreds of staff members

Published by admin on Wed, 03/12/2025 - 1:36pm
The U.S. Department of Education on Tuesday said it’s cutting a substantial number of the agency’s staff through a “reduction in force” process, bringing the department’s workforce to roughly half the number in place when President Donald Trump took office.

Senate Bill 191 fails on House floor

Published by admin on Wed, 03/12/2025 - 12:58pm

After unanimously running through the Senate, Senate Bill (SB) 191 introduced by District 30 Sen. Amber Hulse narrowly passed the House State Affairs Committee March 5 with a 7-6 vote before failing on the House floor March 10 with a 62-7 vote of opposition.
Originally, Hulse introduced SB 191 Feb. 3 as “An Act to limit annual valuation increases on owner-occupied single-family dwellings.”