We proudly present Progress 2022

Whew.
That huge sigh of relief you heard sweep across Custer County last week was emanating from the office of the Custer County Chronicle. It was last Wednesday afternoon that two months of hard work concluded when the pages of the 2022 Progress Edition were sent to the press. That’s always a big day here at the Chronicle, and a day we usually celebrate with some sort of party or treats. Actually, we celebrate after the papers are officially on the racks and at the post office on Wednesday, but you get the idea. We are always glad when it’s over.
It’s not that we don’t like putting the Progress Edition together. Quite the opposite, in fact. It’s just it’s a lot of work. A lot of work. Planning for the Progress Edition starts in the dead of winter in February, long before it actually goes to the press. It starts with a meeting to discuss what stories we plan to write for the year’s issue. As you can imagine, that story list evolves over the course of the next couple of months. Some stories fall by the wayside, while others spring up.
After the stories are planned, the work begins. We start contacting people for interviews for the stories, the sales staff begins making contacts for advertising, the ad building starts and the layout starts. As stories are finished they are added to the layout. Between the Chronicle and the Hill City Prevailer, there are 50 pages of Progress Edition. Waiting until near the deadline to do all the work isn’t an option. It’s hard enough to pull together as it is over the course of two months.
It’s almost like having two jobs for two months. In edition to putting out the regular edition of both papers each week, everyone in the office is working on the Progress Edition at the same time. Needless to say there isn’t a lot of down time here over the course of those two months.
Speaking of advertisers, we of course couldn’t have a Progress Edition without the advertisers you find within the pages of this year’s issue. They make it all possible. If you enjoy our Progress Edition, please take time to tell an advertiser or two that you enjoyed it. Or better yet, thank them for making it possible. The more advertising we have, the more great news we can bring you about all the exciting things going on in the county.
A big thank you to you, our readers, as well. Without eyes on the pages of the paper, it ceases to exist. We hope you enjoy the issue and you can be a part of all the exciting things happening right here in Custer County. The reasons there is always progress to report is because this county is full of people who are always getting things done. There’s no better proof of that than the 32 pages of the Progress Edition.