News

Great Custer Easter Egg Hunt this Friday

Published by admin on Wed, 03/20/2024 - 11:14am

The little ones of the Custer  area will want to hop on into town for the Great Custer Easter Egg Hunt this Friday, put on by Custer State Farm Insurance. Custer State Farm invites participants to stop by their office at 302 Mt. Rushmore Road starting at 4 p.m. to pick up their complimentary Easter egg basket and a handy map to all the local businesses participating in the Great Easter Egg Hunt.

Sarah Bruce is new YMCA childcare director

Published by admin on Wed, 03/20/2024 - 11:12am

The YMCA Child Development Center has a new director, but she’s a familiar face. After 12 years of experience working with the center, Sarah Bruce is now leading the facility. Bruce has been in the position since January.
Bruce began working at the child development center as a new mom after moving from Minnesota. It was a perfect fit, of course, because she could bring her child to work with her.

District awards Educators of the Year

Published by admin on Wed, 03/20/2024 - 11:11am

Custer School District has named its Educators of the Year for each school building in the district.
The Educator of the Year for Custer Elementary School is Breanna Lende-Hanson, a special education teacher.
She said receiving the award was very surprising.
“I am honored to be someone that was nominated for this. I work with so many wonderful people! I love working with this district, working with my students and the staff I work with,” said Lende-Hanson.

Here’s the four ballot measures South Dakota voters could have a say on this election

Published by admin on Wed, 03/20/2024 - 11:11am

What started as a cavalcade of petition campaigns for South Dakota’s November 2024 ballot has become more manageable for voters to follow.
Of the eight citizen-led ballot questions approved for circulation, three will definitely meet the signature threshold to make the ballot, according to News Watch analysis and interviews with political leaders and ballot sponsors.

First reading of snow removal ordinance amendment approved

Published by admin on Wed, 03/20/2024 - 9:53am
Where should the snow go? If snow and ice pile up at the end of a resident’s driveway when a snowplow goes by, should the resident be allowed to shovel it back into the street? Does shoveling snow into the street cause a safety hazard? 
The Hill City Common Council discussed these questions and more at the meeting Mar. 11 when Mayor Mike Verchio brought forward an ordinance amending Title Seven: Traffic and Streets; Chapter 7.22 Snow Removal and Maintenance of Sidewalks and Chapter 7.24 City to Remove; Costs. 

Meet the Keystone trustee candidates

Published by admin on Wed, 03/20/2024 - 9:43am
Keystone voters will be able to cast their ballots for town trustee on April 9 for either incumbent Matthew Fullilove or his opponent David Cofoid.
Fullilove has lived in Keystone for 13 years and is a truck driver. Cofoid said he was born and raised in Keystone with the  exception of “about eight years in Hill City.” He is an equipment operator.
Fullilove sid he originally ran on infrastructure and is seeking re-election to “see the infrastructure projects that I have directed and secured funding for come to fruition.”

USFS rules panned: studies may be required for ROW clearing

Published by admin on Wed, 03/13/2024 - 9:51am

County highway superintendent Jess Doyle said he recently met with eight to 10 personnel from the U.S. Forest Service to discuss the service’s “Good Neighbor Authority,” which allows the Forest Service to enter into agreements with state, county and tribal agencies to perform forest, rangeland and watershed restoration services on, and adjacent to, National Forest Service lands.

Property tax talk is focus: Commission hears property value complaints

Published by admin on Wed, 03/13/2024 - 9:50am

Property tax assessments for 2024 property taxes payable in 2025 in Custer County were recently mailed to property owners, and as such, property taxes were a large focus of conversation during the open forum time of the March 6 meeting of the Custer County Commission.
Among those who spoke was Andrea Lewis, who questioned the method the county’s equalization department uses to do property valuations—at least in her neighborhood of the county–saying the tiered system used was a blanket approach that didn’t achieve the taxing equality the department is tasked with.

Session yields ‘winners, losers’

Published by admin on Wed, 03/13/2024 - 9:49am

The 2024 state legislative session is winding down, and the Chronicle heard from each of the District 30 representatives (Reps. Trish Ladner and Dennis Krull and Senator Julie Frye-Mueller) about their takes on the session.

City council tackles light agenda

Published by admin on Wed, 03/13/2024 - 9:48am

The Custer City Council breezed through a light agenda in under a half hour at its March 4 meeting at city hall.
Among the agenda items was the city’s annual agreement with the Custer Area Chamber of Commerce, which lays out the amount of money the city will give to the chamber for the year, which is $224,010. This represents a 3 percent increase over last year.