Opinion

Don’t make a resolution

Published by admin on Thu, 01/09/2020 - 9:49am

Last year, you might have read a column that I wrote entitled something like “A very millennial resolution.” In that very column, I wrote about my New Year’s resolution for 2019: stay off my phone more.

Well, I write this column in 2020 informing you that, as someone recently told me, I have completely and utterly failed at that.

Ringing in my 50th year

Published by admin on Thu, 01/02/2020 - 10:44am

Bring on 2020!

I will turn 50 this year and I have decided to make a list of “50 firsts.” They are things I have never done that I have always wanted to do. This is a challenge for me. I have done a lot of things — lived in other countries, swam with giant turtles, gone whale watching, hitchhiked in Oz and motorcycled the Ho Chi Minh Trail.

It was a year of progress

Published by admin on Thu, 01/02/2020 - 8:58am
Families across South Dakota have started taking down Christmas trees and kids are getting ready to start a new semester at school. With another holiday season nearly behind us, I want to reflect on the many things we’ve accomplished this year. 

Flood of 2019 was top story

Published by admin on Thu, 01/02/2020 - 8:52am
There can be no doubt that the Flood of 2019 was our top local story last year in Custer County. What started out as a mid-afternoon heavy rain northwest of Custer on Aug. 2 quickly turned into a massive flash flood that starting hitting Custer on its west side about 5 p.m. The resulting flood waters flowing through town like a wide river directly impacted at least two dozen families and indirectly affected dozens more.

‘tis the season of giving

Published by admin on Thu, 12/26/2019 - 10:52am

Christmas is here.

There are many things that I love about this time of year — decorating cookies, watching Christmas movies and spending time with loved ones.

But there’s another part of Christmas that I love.

This is the time of year to give back to your fellow man, to lend a hand to those who are less fortunate than us.

And the Hills have a plethora of ways to give back.

What a wild year it’s been

Published by admin on Thu, 12/26/2019 - 9:15am
As the sun sets on 2019 and we look toward a new year, it’s time to reflect on the year that was. This year could only be described as wild, both on the local and national level.

My favorite Christmas tradition

Published by admin on Thu, 12/26/2019 - 9:12am
One of the terms most oft associated with Christmas is the word “tradition.” Whether you’re talking about a church, a business, a community group or a family, every one has some tradition involving Christmas, even if the tradition is to ignore the holiday altogether. 
In families it is pretty much universally agreed that traditions are important. Many years ago in writing an introduction to a book co-written by his wife on creating family traditions, Focus on the Family founder Dr. James Dobson made the following statement:

My tough little chicks!

Published by admin on Thu, 12/19/2019 - 10:57am

So a very cool friend of mine had to get rid of her chickens and asked me to take them.

I have always wanted chickens but right now is so not the best time for me to have them. Yet I went over there about two weeks ago to pick them up. I watched my friend trying to round them up — I certainly wasn’t about to get pecked to death and didn’t dare try to touch them.

Thanks for great 20-year venture

Published by admin on Thu, 12/19/2019 - 10:05am
It’s been a quick 20 years for us at the Custer County Chronicle and Hill City Prevailer News. Where did the time go since we first rolled into town pulling a U-Haul trailer behind our Suburban Dec. 10, 1999? We officially purchased the Chronicle and the neighboring Hill City Prevailer News a few days later on Dec. 28, 1999. The previous publishers had owned the newspapers for 10 years, and that is the length of time we planned to own them before selling and retiring in 10 years. 

Enjoy our winter wonderland

Published by admin on Thu, 12/19/2019 - 10:03am
True, it’s still technically autumn. But we all know it’s been winter in the Black Hills since, um, September. We can complain about the weather, or we can do something about it! Hmm. OK, maybe we can’t do anything about it. A wise man once said, “The best thing to do when it snows is to let it snow.” So let it snow. And let’s enjoy our winter wonderland — the Black Hills!