Hill City Prevailer

City seeks floodplain map grant

Published by admin on Wed, 07/02/2025 - 9:43am
The City of Hill City seeks a Hazard Mitigation Assistance (HMA) grant to map its floodplain. Hill City Common County (HCCC) aldermen approved the proposal at the June 23 meeting of the council. If the grant is awarded, it will cost the city 10 percent, or $16,080, of the total project cost. The city was encouraged to apply by the state, city administrator Nate Anderson told council members. 
The HMA grant replaced the former Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) grant program, which would have cost the city 25 percent.

New fees to come in national forest

Published by admin on Wed, 07/02/2025 - 9:41am
The Black Hills National Forest (BHNF) has approved a fee increase at some of its most popular day use sites and changes for off-highway vehicles (OHV) riders. 
The approval means an extension of the current season into the shoulder season, October-mid May, and will mean a $5 entry fee to sites like Dalton Lake, Sheridan Lake South, Bismarck Lake and Steamboat Rock. In total, 16 sites, those with a toilet and/or garbage collection, will now have a shoulder season fee.

Commissioners look at preliminary budget

Published by admin on Wed, 07/02/2025 - 9:40am
Pennington County departments gave their budget requests to county commissioners at meetings June 24-25.
A majority of the budget increase requests are coming from judicial services. 
Court administration shows a 22.40 percent increase over its 2025 budget, including increases in court appointed attorney’s fees, court reporter fees, jury costs, witness fees, competency evaluations and medical costs.

Sewer upgrade inches closer

Published by admin on Wed, 06/25/2025 - 9:33am
Town of Keystone board trustees approved an engineering cost proposal for its sewer upgrade project. The move came at the June 18 town board meeting.
The project overview describes the upsizing of 5,200 linear feet of existing 10-inch sewer line from Nelson’s to the sewer plant on Hwy. 40. The new 16-inch line will be able to accommodate the proposed KBarS expansion project as well as future growth of the town. The $599,000 cost proposal covers surveying, design, bidding and part construction administration services. 

Commission hears concerns about shut off readiness

Published by admin on Wed, 06/25/2025 - 9:28am
The Pennington County Commission listened to the latest about the Black Hills Energy (BHE) Power Shut Off Plan (PSPS).
Emergency management director Dustin Willett explained to the commissioners what the plan is as well as concerns from the county standpoint. Willett described the plan as a preemptive de-energizing of “powerlines in areas designated as having high risk for large wildfire development when environmental conditions in those areas reach certain predefined thresholds.”

Generators generate a lot of discussion

Published by admin on Wed, 06/18/2025 - 9:45am
Discussion about  the effects of the Black Hills Energy (BHE) Power Shut Off Plan (PSPS) dominated the June 9 Hill City Common Council (HCCC) meeting. Aldermen discussed purchasing a generator for the well house on Smokey Drive as well as city hall and the Hill City Center.
City administrator Nate Anderson received one bid for the Smokey Drive well house generator for $32,000.

Board discusses state sport results, BHE outages

Published by admin on Wed, 06/18/2025 - 9:39am
The Hill City School District Board of Education held its first meeting of summer break last Monday, highlighting student athletic successes, recognizing staff, reviewing the budget, providing Hwy. 385 updates and discussing concerns over potential blackouts proposed by Black Hills Energy that could impact the district in the coming months.
As has become custom, Ranger athletes and coaches who reached the state level were invited to attend the school board meeting to receive earned recognition and praise. 

Officials, owners fire concerns about power shutoff plans

Published by admin on Wed, 06/18/2025 - 9:38am
Wes Ashton, vice president of South Dakota and Wyoming Utilities for Black Hills Energy (BHE), fielded questions about the company’s Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) plan at the June 9 Hill City Common Council (HCCC) meeting. The plan, in short, means that BHE will shut off power by selectively de-energizing power lines to any region during days it deems its power grid might be at risk for starting a wildfire. 
Ashton began his introductions by saying that everything BHE does is driven by safety, and one of the company’s main priorities is wildfires. 

Do South Dakota lawyers need continuing education? Some say yes

Published by admin on Wed, 06/18/2025 - 9:33am
Attorney Seamus Culhane said he was “baffled” to learn that South Dakota is one of only four states in the nation that does not have a continuing education requirement for working lawyers.
Unlike numerous other professions in South Dakota, there is no requirement for attorneys to receive ongoing training in order to maintain their licenses. There’s also no way to know if working lawyers are staying up to date or improving their knowledge of the law.

Keystone board president asked to resign yet again

Published by admin on Wed, 06/11/2025 - 8:51am
Keystone Town Boar trustee Matt Fullilove read a letter asking for the resignation of board president Casey McNulty at the June 4 Keystone Town Board meeting.
This was not the first time Fullilove asked for McNulty’s resignation, nor the first time he requested an executive session to discuss the matter.
Fullilove said he received a letter from a  citizen regarding the “TikTok ordeal.” Business owner Tammy Hunsaker later claimed to be the author of the letter.