Opinion

The gratitude cup

Published by admin on Wed, 11/08/2023 - 9:24am
What a month is November! Not as spectacular as October, not as festively-inclined as December, but with its own spice and savor. We’ve been dazzled by the first of many frosts sparkling in amber-rose sunrises; we’ve seen the first winterish stars appear in the pale blue of a clear-cold sky, with the slivered moon hanging just above the horizon. Winter is approaching. 

Custer is full of award winners

Published by admin on Wed, 11/01/2023 - 10:02am

The stars were out last Thursday evening in Custer State Park, as the Custer Area Chamber of Commerce held its annual awards banquet to wrap up another year of tourism while honoring the people in town who continue to make a difference.

Happy Bat Week

Published by admin on Wed, 11/01/2023 - 9:59am

Yesterday marked the end of Bat Week, and it’s no secret I’m a big bat fan—I often wear a cap with bats embroidered on it, and just this summer I spouted some of my appreciation for them in a previous column of mine about some “small wonders” of the Black Hills. Although I’m a day off from being perfectly timely, I can’t pass up an opportunity to share why I think more people should care about protecting these animals. which do more for us than is often realized.

A little more stillness

Published by admin on Wed, 11/01/2023 - 9:24am
Does anyone else need more stillness in their life? Before the snow flew, I’d been going to Tracy Park just to sit by the creek and soak up the stillness. I loved the sound of the water as it bubbled across the rocks and continued on its merry way. The occasional bird sang, and it was all so peaceful. 
It seems like life is going too fast lately. There are way too many things to juggle, and all I really want is a little stillness. Not silence, but stillness. 

Stand with Israel

Published by admin on Wed, 10/25/2023 - 3:12pm

Hamas militants recently breached the border in Gaza and attacked a dozen Israeli communities. What had begun as an ordinary, peaceful Saturday morning quickly became a tragic day in history. Sadly, more than two dozen Americans were among the 1,300-plus killed – an intolerable loss. Israel is again at war defending its unequivocal right to exist against terrorists seeking to destroy it, and America must stand in support of our ally.

Assessing another Wildcat football season

Published by admin on Wed, 10/25/2023 - 3:10pm

The Custer High School football team’s season came to a close last Thursday evening on a picture-perfect evening at Wildcat Field, as the Wildcats fell to the visiting Madison Bulldogs.
As has mostly been the case for the past two years, the East River team completely dominated the Wildcats with a bigger, stronger, faster and deeper team. This isn’t to say the Wildcats don’t have some horses, because they do—they just don’t have nearly as many of them.

The safety of strangers

Published by admin on Wed, 10/25/2023 - 9:34am
Nightly vacation rentals. Vacation rentals by owner. AirBnB. No matter what you call them they likely elicit some sort of response in you. Perhaps you have stayed at one and have fond memories of being able to take your family, extended family, and/or friends and house them under one roof without feeling the constraints of space. Maybe you live next to one and are concerned about not knowing your neighbors or the people who come and go next door. Or  are you thinking about buying a home as an investment property as a means to make extra money on the side?

War between Hamas, Israel will be ugly

Published by admin on Wed, 10/18/2023 - 10:08am

As if the brutal war between Ukraine and Russia weren’t enough to hang a dark cloud over our world, we had a new war break out recently when Hamas attacked Israel, sending hundreds of rockets and armed militants into Israel, slaughtering many innocent civilians in the process, while also taking hundreds of hostages. Israel, of course, responded by ordering a “complete seige” of Gaza, cutting off food, electricity, fuel and water supplies. It also immediately began pounding Gaza with air strikes.

Welcoming home South Dakota’s finest

Published by admin on Wed, 10/18/2023 - 10:07am

Welcoming troops home has always been one of my favorite parts of this job. Seeing the joy that our soldiers feel when they are reunited with their families is truly greater than words could ever describe.
I recently had the privilege of welcoming home 50 South Dakota National Guard soldiers with the Alpha Battery 1st Battalion 147th Field Artillery. Their unit is based out of Watertown, and they were deployed to Eagle Pass, Texas to defend our Southern border at the beginning of September.

What I didn't know about being a journalist

Published by admin on Wed, 10/18/2023 - 8:55am
I didn’t know I would need to know about water towers to be a journalist. Or rodeo for that matter. Not to mention sports, the public school system, different art forms, local politics, small businesses or country music. Yet since becoming a journalist, I’ve learned about all of this and so much more.