News

Lions Club now coordinating Heart of the Hills Blood Drives

Published by admin on Wed, 02/07/2024 - 9:13am
The Hill City Lions Club is now coordinating  Vitalant blood drives in Hill City
“It’s always wonderful to have a local organization running the blood drives as it gives our donors a more local contact,” said Jesica Pierce, Vitalant account manager for the Hill City area. Pierce has “no doubt that the Lion’s Club is going to do an amazing job.”

Meshell Will’s aunt OK with plea deal

Published by admin on Wed, 02/07/2024 - 9:06am
Sue Janke wanted Richard Schmitz to go to prison for a lot longer than the 10 years  he potentially faces when he his sentenced in Seventh Judicial Circuit Court in March.
Having said that, Janke, who is the aunt of Meshell Will, said she is pleased his at least facing some sort of consequences for Will’s 2013 death.

Property tax valuation bill fails in Senate

Published by admin on Wed, 02/07/2024 - 8:46am
The South Dakota Senate shot down an effort Thursday to cap property tax valuation increases at 3 percent a year for homeowners and rental properties.
Senate Bill 167 would have capped increases in response to the heavy hikes in property valuations that followed the COVID-19 pandemic’s start in 2020.

Schmitz pleads to manslaughter

Published by admin on Wed, 01/31/2024 - 11:25am

The man arrested for the murder of Meshell Will has entered an alford plea to second degree manslaughter.
Richard Melvin Schmitz, 55, has been in custody since he was arrested at his home outside Hill City in July 2021. He was charged with second degree murder.

Shayanna Woodward is new senior center director

Published by admin on Wed, 01/31/2024 - 11:23am

Custer native Shayanna Woodward is the Custer Senior Center’s new directory. In the spring of last year, her hometown beckoned her back and last Monday, she began her new job as the director of the center.
“I’m really excited for this job, and I’m excited to see where it takes me,” said Woodward.
Woodward graduated from Custer High School in 2019 and then moved to Utah, where she worked toward a degree in nursing until the onset of COVID-19, at which time she switched tracks and worked in mortgage funding and closing, which she also enjoyed.

Car drives through wall at Pop’s Grocery

Published by admin on Wed, 01/31/2024 - 11:22am

Cleanup on aisle one. And two. And three.
Bring the tow truck.
At around 1:15 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 21, employees and customers inside Pop’s Grocery Shoppe in Hermosa received the scare of a lifetime when a Toyota Corolla plowed into the store, knocking over shelves and causing thousands of dollars in damage.

Groups reckon with Custer’s mining history

Published by admin on Wed, 01/31/2024 - 11:22am

“Is 150 years of unrestricted mining enough?” asked Taylor Dunhamer, with NDN Collective to the audience at a meeting hosted by the Black Hills Clean Water Alliance (BHCWA) last Saturday. The question was met with applause, some “yesses” from the crowd and “It’s our land!” from one Native American attendee. The question, of course, was rhetorical, and meant to highlight the fact that the law which governs mining on public land in the U.S.

Frisch pleads guilty to child porn charge

Published by admin on Wed, 01/31/2024 - 11:21am

Former Custer Elementary School sixth grade teacher Nathan Frisch has pleaded guilty to a charge of receipt of child pornography for which he will be sentenced April 5.  Frisch now faces a mandatory minimum of five years in federal prison and up to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both, and a period of supervised release of not less than five years to life. He must also register as a sex offender.

Pringle church shares generosity with schools

Published by admin on Wed, 01/31/2024 - 11:18am

The Pringle United Methodist Church has raised more than $4,000 to benefit the meal programs in Hot Springs and Custer school districts.
In November, the Sioux Falls School District announced students with mounting school meal debt would no longer be able to receive a hot meal. This inspired Pastor John McKnight to challenge the Pringle congregation to make a difference in their home communities.

Income survey may bring grant funding

Published by admin on Wed, 01/31/2024 - 9:54am
The City of Hill City is conducting a household income survey starting around Jan. 31 to potentially receive funding from the state’s Community Development Block Grant Program (CDBGP). 
“In order to qualify for it, your average household incomes have to be below a certain threshold depending on how many people are within your family unit,” said city administrator Brett McMacken. 
Typically financial records from census data are used to determine whether or not towns qualify.