Custer County Chronicle

2021 tourism season rated a ‘10’

Published by admin on Thu, 09/16/2021 - 9:19am

With Custer City sales tax figures rivaling banner year 2016, most travel and hospitality businesses are giving the 2021 tourism season a solid 10 out of 10 rating.
Custer City finance officer Laurie Woodward reported the city’s one-third-cent bed, board and booze (BBB) tax is up 79 percent though July over 2020 figures. Woodward said the massive increase is due in part to the fact that some of the city’s hotels were not open last year because of COVID-19. However, the 2021 figures still represent a 50 percent increase over 2019.

Harbach Park project is a go

Published by admin on Thu, 09/16/2021 - 9:17am

Buoyed by a new low bid $100,000 less than the previous one, the Custer City Council at its Sept. 7 meeting put its stamp of approval on moving ahead with the first two phases of the Harbach Park renovation plans.
Dana Foreman of KLJ Engineering, the firm helping the city with the design and bidding process for the renovation, told the council  the city’s rebidding of the project netted four bids, with RCS Construction the low bidder at $1,157,555.38. RCS was the only bidder the first time the project was bid, but submitted a bid of $1,270,537 that time.

City sets its budget at $10.5 million

Published by admin on Thu, 09/16/2021 - 9:17am

The Custer City Council passed the first reading of a $10,547,185 budget for 2022 at its Sept. 7 meeting, which is around $2.5 million higher than last year’s.
This might be the rare case where an increased budget brings cheers, however, as the increases almost entirely revolve around needed or citizen-sought projects that have been in the works for — in some cases — almost decades.

Hermosa sees first water rate increase in a decade

Published by admin on Thu, 09/16/2021 - 9:16am

When residents of the Town of Hermosa receive their September water bills, they will notice an increase in the cost of both sewer and water services. It is the first such increase the town has enacted in 12 years.
The reason for the increase is simple: the town is growing and infrastructure projects are needed to keep up with the water demand. The increase will help fund those projects and keep the town ahead of the curve when it comes to growth.
“We want to prepare ourselves now, be a little more proactive,” said town board president Dan Holsworth.

Cornelison resigns as county auditor

Published by admin on Thu, 09/09/2021 - 9:19am

A brief and mostly uneventful meeting of the Custer County Commission Tuesday morning came to a surprising conclusion when chief deputy county auditor (formerly the county auditor) Terri Cornelison submitted her resignation to chairman Jim Lintz.
The unexpected turn of events came about during a report from Cornelison and county treasurer Dawn McLaughlin on the progress of making corrections to county books following an audit earlier this year that found numerous discrepancies.

Kistler pleads guilty to sex crimes

Published by admin on Thu, 09/09/2021 - 9:14am

A former Custer County Sheriff’s Office deputy faces a minimum of 10 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to sex crimes he committed as a deputy for the Fall River County Sheriff’s Office.
Francis Kistler, 61, pled guilty to one count of enticement of a minor using the Internet in U.S. District Court late last month. That crime comes with a minimum of 10 years and a maximum of life in prison and a minimum of five years up to a lifetime of supervised release once the prison sentence is completed. It also carries a $250,000 fine.

CHS Homecoming week includes the following schedule changes

Published by admin on Thu, 09/09/2021 - 9:14am

With the short planning time and recent COVID-19 exposures within the school district, the schedule for 2021 Custer High School Homecoming continues to be somewhat fluid.
However, as it stands today, most of the traditional homecoming activities are going on, but not necessarily as traditionally scheduled.
At Monday’s homecoming coronation ceremony at the high school theatre, Eva Studt was crowned queen and Trevor Hartshorn was crowned king.
The other candidates for queen were seniors Kellyn Kortemeyer, Kelley Wicks, Shaylee Gramkow and Josey Wahlstrom.

Big Mick set for Saturday

Published by admin on Thu, 09/09/2021 - 9:13am

While several organized bicycle rides will traverse the George S. Mickelson Trail from Deadwood to Edgemont this summer, there’s only one Big Mick, and the 2021 event is scheduled for this Saturday, Sept. 11.
What makes the Big Mick so...well...”big” is the fact that many riders will make the entire 109-mile trip in just one day. Some riders, however, will do a “half-century” ride, getting on the trail at the Mountain Trailhead between Custer and Crazy Horse Memorial and riding 49 miles to the southern terminus of the trail at Edgemont.

Studebaker show draws many visitors

Published by admin on Thu, 09/09/2021 - 9:13am

Studebaker and Packard cars and trucks manufactured from the 1920s through the 1960s were featured Sept. 5 at the annual show sponsored by the Dakotas Chapter of the Studebaker Drivers Club (SDC).  
Thirty four restored and modified models were  on display on 6th Street. There was a continuous flow of visitors all day. They were offered ballots to vote for their favorite models and 1,264 votes were cast from people from three foreign countries and 32 states.  

Chamber director resigns

Published by admin on Thu, 09/09/2021 - 9:12am

Custer’s first annual Fall Festival will coincide with Custer Area Chamber of Commerce executive director Dolsee Davenport’s final day in that position.
Perhaps it’s fitting her final day will come during one of several events the chamber has implemented in her time at the chamber, first as event coordinator under former chamber director Dave Ressler, and later as director beginning in 2016.