Here at the Custer County Chronicle, we try not to be prisoner of the moment. What does that mean? Basically, it means to be so heavily influenced by the current situation or emotions happening right now that you can’t think clearly about the bigger picture or potential future consequences, essentially being captive to the present moment without considering what came before or what might come after. Being a prisoner of the moment implies a lack of perspective or foresight.
I can remember three years ago, when this current group of Custer High School boys basketball seniors were freshman, thinking to myself, “these guys could be really good in a few years.”
Fast forward to this year, and the Wildcats are just that—really good.
Well, hello January and the 2025 Legislative session. Let’s go Bills!
I am excited to see a bill about property taxes. Rep. Tony Venhuizen, R-Sioux Falls, is the prime sponsor of the bill with both of our local representatives listed as sponsors as well. I do not think it is perfect, by any means, but I support it because I think it is doable and I think it will bring us all much-needed property tax relief.
Greetings! It is finally upon us. The South Dakota legislative session started Jan. 14. It sure seemed like forever to get here, with a six-way contested Primary Election in June and a contested General Election in November. It’s finally time to go to Pierre and do the job you elected us to do.
My platform in both elections was property tax reform and that is my focus this session. We have a bill right out of the chute and a couple more to follow. I’ll write specifically again about that in future articles.
With a title like this, some of you may be expecting to read a column about New Year’s resolutions and goals. After all, that’s what I usually write about for my first column in January. In a way, I guess this is my New Year’s goal. It just wasn’t one I was expecting.
Around Thanksgiving, my manager offered me a job at the Custer County Chronicle, which is owned by the same company as the Hill City Prevailer News. Many of you have already heard, but I accepted the position, which sadly means I’ll be leaving Hill City.
Happy New Year, friends! As we see 2024 behind us, my prayer is that 2025 brings everyone happiness, promise and faith to see our way through a new year. It can be difficult to tackle the holidays when there are so many that are hurting, in mourning or in bad health. Many times, the emotional part of the holidays takes a toll on people. Personally, the past year turned out to be a pretty good one for me. Now that I’m into my 70s, I’m just grateful for every day that God allows.
Although we are already eight days into the new year, we are still remembering all the best and worst things that occurred in Custer County last year. We are diligently working on our “Best of” publication that we now do annually, that recalls the (mostly good) things that made last year the year it was. That will be included in both the Custer County Chronicle and the Hill City Prevailer News in our Jan. 22 issues. Businesses that haven’t placed an ad in that upcoming keepsake piece, we encourage you to do so ASAP!
For those who may not yet know, I’ve left town and have started a new adventure in Death Valley National Park, where I’ll be living until I don’t feel like living here anymore. I still love Custer, but even after just a few weeks of living here in the Mojave Desert, straddling the California/Nevada border, I’m completely enamored with my new home.
Here we are at the end of 2024. I have already crossed off one of my 25 new things in 2025 list; I am not sure it counts since it was done in 2024, but…
During my regular morning read of various spiritual books I came across the idea of leaving things behind. I had already thought a bit about this for the last few weeks, but today’s read cemented my thinking.
Way to go, Rex.
It’s around October of each year when we as a staff at the Custer County Chronicle begin to kick around ideas as to who should be our Citizen of the Year. A staff-wide email is sent out asking everyone to nominate a few people, and after everyone submits a few names we take some time to discuss the candidates and the merit behind their nomination. As always, we had no lack of nominations, and all of those nominations had plenty of attributes that would have made them any easy selection as our Citizen of the Year.
