News

Custer Cruisin’ starts Friday

Published by admin on Wed, 07/31/2024 - 12:21pm

It’s early August in the Black Hills, which means thousands of two-wheelers are making their way here to participate in the 84th annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, which starts on Friday and runs through Aug. 11. When they arrive, the town of Custer will be ready for them with special Custer Cruisin’ events planned, bike-themed street vendors and of course restaurants and hotels ready to feed and board the riders.

High fire danger ignites Southern Hills

Published by admin on Wed, 07/31/2024 - 12:21pm

With record-pushing heat, worsening drought conditions across Custer County and dwindling moisture that often comes with lightning, fire season is beginning to take a turn for the worse. This week saw several fires across the area, all of which are now contained.
A wildfire at Bismarck Lake broke out and was reported at 11:55 p.m. Thursday, leading to evacuation of over 150 people at Camp Bob Marshall, many of them children attending a summer camp. Campers at Camp Bob Marshall were transported to Custer High School about 1 a.m.

CSP road project pushed back a year

Published by admin on Wed, 07/31/2024 - 12:19pm

A proposed project for milling, overlay, pipe replacement and a box culvert in Custer State Park on Hwy. 36 just inside the park from the east gate that was scheduled for this October will no longer take place this year. The South Dakota Department of Transportation (DOT) has decided to reschedule the project for next October. This is a state project, not a county project.

Headwaters Economics floats flood strategies

Published by admin on Wed, 07/31/2024 - 12:19pm

Propane tanks floated down flooded streets, unmoored boats were caught under bridges and cars were lifted off the ground in flash flooding that occurred five years ago Aug. 2, 2019. To help prevent such things from happening again, Headwaters Economics is helping the City of Custer and Custer County implement infrastructure projects with the aim of flood mitigation, which was discussed at a meeting at the Custer County Courthouse Annex Pine Room July 23.

Buffalo Gap house fire claims life

Published by admin on Wed, 07/31/2024 - 12:18pm

One person is dead after an early-morning fire Sunday in Buffalo Gap.
Custer County Dispatch received a call regarding a structure fire at 3:04 a.m. from a neighbor of the home that was burning. When firefighters arrived on scene, part of the home, located at 410 N. 3rd St., was fully involved.
Randy Schroth, Buffalo Gap fire chief, said his son lives next to the home that was on fire and was the first to respond along with another son, and he was five minutes behind. A couple more firefighters were on scene around 10 minutes later.

Cellular antenna agreement discussed

Published by admin on Wed, 07/31/2024 - 9:32am
By Esther Noe 
 
Up at the public works department shop area in Hill City is the big blue water tower. On top of the tower are several antennas. One of these is an AT&T antenna. 
The City of Hill City regularly receives letters from cellular companies with antennas on city property regarding the contract agreements. Typically, these letters contain requests to lower the cost but extend the agreement. 

Forging a place of his own in Keystone

Published by admin on Wed, 07/31/2024 - 9:31am
Keystone’s local blacksmith Matt Pohorelsky has been forging metal for 13 years.
While some people think that blacksmiths are actually blacksmithing, the technical term of what they do is called forging.
Forging is the act of moving the metal, supporting it with the anvil using different shapes of hammers to get different responses and change its shape.
Pohorelsky said a blacksmith is the legendary term for someone who does this type of work, one we may have heard via media or in stories.

Black Elk Resort & Taproom open to all

Published by admin on Wed, 07/31/2024 - 9:29am
As of January 2024, the Black Elk Resort & Taproom (BERT) located four miles northeast of Hill City is under new ownership. 
Although Justin and Ashley Buhler are nurses by trade, they are entrepreneurs and have owned businesses since they were 20. 
“I guess I’m half crazy—wild hair. I’ve always had aspirations to be a business operator,” said Justin. 
For around 14 years the Buhlers had a mobile home park on the eastern side of South Dakota. When they sold it, Justin said, “I was missing having a business for those couple years.” 

West Dam could be full once more by end of 2025

Published by admin on Wed, 07/24/2024 - 9:40am

Could West Dam have water in it by the end of next year?
According to Steve Bareis of RESPEC Engineering, the firm, along with Banner Engineering, that is working with the city on reviving the dam once more, while the timeline is aggressive, it’s possible the dam could be full of water again for the first time in over a decade by the end of 2025.

New school board members take oaths

Published by admin on Wed, 07/24/2024 - 9:35am

The Custer School District Board of Education held its first meeting of the new fiscal year last Monday, and the recently-elected school board members were sworn in at the start of the meeting by business manager Sarah Wedge.
After swearing in its members—including new board member Heath Reindl—the board elected its president and vice president, unanimously voting for Jeff Barnes for presidents and Travis Hartshorn for vice president.
The board adopted the  official budget for the coming 2024-25 fiscal year.