News

Rhoden confident property tax changes are coming

Published by admin on Wed, 02/12/2025 - 5:25pm

Property taxes in the State of South Dakota have shifted away from other classes of property to put an unfair burden on those who have owner occupied status. That needs corrected.
That was the message given by Gov. Larry Rhoden at his press conference held last Thursday at the State Capitol building as part of News Media Day at the legislative session.
Rhoden gave initial comments and then fielded questions from the gathered media during the wide-ranging press conference.

Hermosa retracts Styles meeting ban

Published by admin on Wed, 02/12/2025 - 5:15pm

In a turn of events at the Hermosa Board of Trustees meeting Feb. 4, the town board voted to rescind its previous vote to ban former town board president Jerry Styles and, following some impassioned discussion, decided instead to serve Styles with a letter of warning in keeping with the ordinance on how complaints are to be handled.

Custer Community Center plan presented

Published by admin on Wed, 02/12/2025 - 5:14pm

Matt Fridell and Tanya Olson of Tallgrass Landscape Architecture gave an overview of the Custer Community Center Master Plan to a group of about 40 people at the Pine Room at the Custer County Courthouse Annex Feb 7.
Fridell began by saying he feels, “pretty darn good” about the momentum in the community for the project. He calls these sorts of projects a “monumental effort.”
Fridell said Tallgrass is really close to the final editing of the document saying, “I don’t think it will change too much.”

Broken Boot owners visit with council

Published by admin on Wed, 02/12/2025 - 5:13pm

Broken Boot medical cannabis dispensary in Custer is under new ownership, and its new owners came before the Custer City Council at the council’s Feb. 3 meeting to introduce themselves while also discussing the results of an audit the state recently conducted on the dispensary.
David and Stephanie Merritt are the new owners, having purchased the dispensary in December. The audit they discussed was conducted in November.

R.I.S.E. seeks board members

Published by admin on Wed, 02/12/2025 - 5:10pm

Recovery Intervention Support Education (R.I.S.E.) is a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization founded in 2017. Its mission is to provide support for individuals and families affected by substance abuse and mental health challenges. It focuses on prevention, intervention and recovery by connecting those in need with services and resources.
The range of services provided includes:
• Crisis calls and counseling
• Personal advocacy
• Referrals to counseling and addiction recovery centers
• Limited assessments

More restaurants added for upcoming Restaurant Week

Published by admin on Wed, 02/12/2025 - 4:58pm

The Eighth Annual Custer Restaurant Week  will take place Monday, Feb. 24, to Saturday, March 1. The week celebrates Custer’s vibrant food scene with several days of delicious dining.
The event will showcase the freshest ingredients, most flavorful dishes and tastiest culinary gems that Custer has to offer.
Participating restaurants will feature their regular menus alongside a special Restaurant Week menu.

Volunteer to help Hill City Senior Citizens Feb. 15

Published by admin on Wed, 02/12/2025 - 4:38pm

“Have a Heart, Do Your Part,” is the slogan for the Hill City Senior Citizen’s (HCSC) Volunteer Job Fair and Ice Cream Social Saturday, Feb. 15 from 1-3 p.m. at the Hill City Center.
The HCSC are looking for volunteers to help keep their many events, projects and community donations going strong in the coming year. To facilitate this, the seniors formed a volunteer committee about three weeks ago and appointed Hill City resident Merle Glenn as the chairwoman.

Tracy Spaans joins Prevailer staff

Published by admin on Wed, 02/12/2025 - 4:32pm

Keystone native and Hill City High School alum Tracy Spaans recently joined the Hill City Prevailer News team.
After receiving her degree in mass communications and communication arts from Black Hills State University, Spaans was able to pursue a career in graphic design and photography.
“It really has been a fun and rewarding field to go into. I enjoy working with other people’s ideas and making them come to life with my own creative style,” said Spaans.
Specializing in portrait photography, Spaans enjoys working with people.

Amber Hulse introduces property tax bill to Senate

Published by admin on Wed, 02/12/2025 - 4:32pm

South Dakota State Senator Amber Hulse said Senate Bill (SB) 191 effectively draws “a line in the sand for folks who have owned their homes prior to 2020 and folks who have bought in the last five years.”
Hulse introduced SB 191 Feb. 3 as “An Act to limit annual valuation increases on owner-occupied single-family dwellings and nonagricultural property.”

Keystone bugged by hotels draining pools

Published by admin on Wed, 02/12/2025 - 4:28pm

Keystone Public Works worked to rectify issues at the sewer plant after a pool discharged into the system.
Town public works supervisor Jerry Przybylski told the Keystone Town Board at its Feb. 5 meeting the bugs were destroyed by the discharge and that the “bugs came back for a little,” and then “it went south again.”  
Przybylski  spoke with a biologist who recommended liquid feed because the bugs were so young.