News

Too dry to burn

Published by admin on Wed, 01/21/2026 - 1:42pm

Lower those torches, but don’t put them out. The beetle will still burn. Mother Nature just needs to give an assist.
For the first time in the history of the event, the main event of Burning Beetle Weekend—the actual torching of the beetle itself—was postponed last Saturday due to tinder-dry conditions caused by a lack of precipitation this winter.

Resident demands board resignations

Published by admin on Wed, 01/21/2026 - 1:41pm

The Hermosa Board of Trustees kicked off the year with a four-hour long meeting Wednesday, Jan. 7. A full house was in attendance, including Scott James, Hermosa’s new town attorney following the resignation of Kent Hagg. 
Updates on the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) generator grant circled around to the recent windstorm and the necessity of having a more robust emergency plan and procedures.

Building a better future for the district

Published by admin on Wed, 01/21/2026 - 1:40pm

What if teenagers could help address the workforce housing shortage in Custer? Through a partnership with the Black Hills Area Community Foundation (BHACF) and Custer City, the Custer School District might be able to do just that. 
Chief Executive Officer of BHACF Chris Huber presented the partnership at the Board of Education meeting Jan. 12 in Custer. The BHACF is a 501(c)3 organization that serves the southern Black Hills by providing grants, providing scholarships and working with donors to address key community issues. 

Understanding our natural environment

Published by admin on Wed, 01/21/2026 - 1:39pm

Despite the Beetle Burn itself being postponed  last weekend, about 40 people  came to the Custer County Courthouse Annex Pine Room to an event titled, “Living in Community in our Natural Environment.” The Jan. 15 event was a learning presentation, with four sessions.
Hank Fridell, chair of the Burning Beetle committee, began the evening  saying, “these are interesting times,” tracing some notable environmental events including the pine beetle infestation, the Atlas blizzard, the French Creek flood and the most recent windstorm.

BHI puts print at former winery

Published by admin on Wed, 01/21/2026 - 9:54am
The Black Hills Institute of Geologic Research (BHI) now has an entire campus located on the site formerly housed by Prairie Berry Winery and Addie Camp General Store. While the property was under contract at one point and was even about to be divided, the entire 17.5 acre parcel was purchased and will eventually house a three- story museum and gift shop as well as a food and beverage space and event center, the latter of which is already accepting reservations. 

District sets sights on student behavior

Published by admin on Wed, 01/21/2026 - 9:52am
Hill City once again had something to celebrate at the Jan. 12 Hill City School District Board of Education meeting, applauding the Oral Interpretation students on a job well done at the state festival. Coach Jennifer Mueller had three teams qualify for state, receiving two superior and one excellent rating at the festival. The team will continue its season, competing in tournaments in Wyoming and participating in the National Qualifier in Cheyenne, Wyo., at the end of February for a chance to advance.

Alderman tasked with approving task order

Published by admin on Wed, 01/21/2026 - 9:51am
Aldermen changed a  task order for city engineer AE2S services at the Jan. 13 Hill City Common Council (HCCC) meeting. The order council members received was for $50,000, but aldermen approved only half that amount. Nate Anderson, city administrator,  said the fee was for engineering services outside of the wastewater treatment plan and water project.
He gave an example of looking at stormwater and grit removal for a proposed hotel at the Hubcap Diner site.

Burn the beetle, crawl the streets Jan. 17

Published by admin on Wed, 01/14/2026 - 12:55pm

There’s more than one way to burn a beetle. And there’s more than one way to celebrate Custer’s 2026 Burning Beetle, a community celebration that focuses on our connection to the Black Hills and fosters an appreciation for our forests. 
Organized by the Bark Beetle Blues, a committee under the Custer Area Arts Council, the Burning Beetle is also a fundraiser to support the arts in the Custer community. 

City bans T-shirts on store facades

Published by admin on Wed, 01/14/2026 - 12:53pm

The first reading of a  revised sign ordinance that would prohibit the use of merchandise of signage—temporary or otherwise—had its first reading unanimously passed by the Custer City Council at the council’s Jan. 5 meeting.
If approved via second reading, the amended ordinance would require any merchandise that is on the exterior wall of a business to be taken down. City planner Tessah Behlings said merchandise can still be placed on windows and doors of a business, but cannot be affixed to the exterior walls.

County stands firm on landowner fines

Published by admin on Wed, 01/14/2026 - 12:52pm

A man with property in southern Custer County will have to pay fines relating to having a structure on his property that was not on the county’s tax rolls.
Bruce Flaig put a 20x8 tiny home on his property in 2022. The structure, which has two decks but no wastewater system, electricity or water, had not been moved since it was brought onto the land.