Opinion

The simple solution to property taxes

Published by admin on Wed, 11/05/2025 - 2:25pm

Property taxes are irritating. The tax notice comes in the mail twice a year, showing that you owe the county treasurer hundreds, thousands, or (if you’re lucky and own very valuable property) tens of thousands of dollars. You pay property taxes, even though you may have bought your house, farm, or business fifty years ago and paid off the mortgage twenty years ago. Because of the stark, high-dollar reminder and the fact that no transaction has taken place, property taxes represent more of a burr under South Dakotans’ saddles than about any other tax.

Questions about council prayer

Published by admin on Wed, 11/05/2025 - 9:41am
Twice a month, I attend Hill City Common Council meetings. They are important meetings where aldermen, the mayor, the city administrator and the finance officer discuss the direction and fate of the town. I enjoy listening to the back and forth, the coming to agreements, the varied opinions and the respect among council members. 
Yet since I have been covering this board, I have been particularly uncomfortable at the way meetings begin. 

Thoughts on the government shutdown

Published by admin on Wed, 11/05/2025 - 9:40am
How’s the Peace Treaty going in Israel? Last week an Israeli soldier was shot and killed in Rafah, Gaza’s southernmost city. 
Consequently, Israel carried out strikes that killed over 100 people, of which around 60 were women and children. Don’t forget we let 2,000 terrorists free, mostly murderers and rapists, during the Oct. 7, 2023 attack in exchange for 20 hostages. As I mentioned before, what are those 2,000 terrorists doing right now?

Answering more prison questions

Published by admin on Wed, 10/29/2025 - 4:51pm

Public safety is one of the most fundamental responsibilities of government. It is rooted in the belief that protecting citizens from harm is essential to preserving order, justice, and stability in society. In the United States, public safety responsibilities are shared between federal and state governments through what is known as “police powers.”

Time for our government to get back to work

Published by admin on Wed, 10/29/2025 - 4:47pm

Representatives of the government of the United States of America: It’s time to get back to work.

My first time behind the editor’s desk

Published by admin on Wed, 10/29/2025 - 4:42pm

If you read Jason’s column last week, then you already know Oct. 9-15 was an exciting few days for me. With Jason gone for a week, it was my first time putting out the Custer County Chronicle, Hill City Prevailer News and Western Trader unsupervised. 
For the most part, I had done everything at least twice before. My preferred learning style is to watch how to do something, do it with support and then try it on my own, which is what Jason and I have been working toward since I started at the Chronicle in February. 

Business done right

Published by admin on Wed, 10/29/2025 - 9:32am
The right project in the right place at the right time. That’s how we do economic development in South Dakota. More often than not, that means focusing on opportunities for existing South Dakota businesses to grow and expand—whether that be a new product, a new market or just doing what they do well on a bigger scale. Sometimes that means finding the right partner to move into the state in a way that benefits us as well as that new business.

The Un-United States of America

Published by admin on Wed, 10/29/2025 - 9:31am
I couldn’t be more disappointed with our federal government shut down. I have an idea‚ let’s go back to being the United States of America, not the Un-United States.

Pender County threats are assault on press

Published by admin on Wed, 10/22/2025 - 10:12am

Here at the Custer County Chronicle, we subscribe to a number of other newspapers and periodicals, including some that are industry publications that keep us abreast on what is going on with our news media colleagues around the country, and even around the world.

The beauty of teamwork in your hands

Published by admin on Wed, 10/22/2025 - 10:08am

I’m back!
What’s that you say? You didn’t know I was gone? Good, that’s the idea. 
What’s that you say? We didn’t miss you? Well that’s not very nice.
All kidding aside, when you picked up your copy of last week’s Custer County Chronicle, you picked up the first issue of the newspaper that I didn’t have a heavy hand in producing in quite some time.