News

Commission discusses term limits

Published by admin on Wed, 05/06/2026 - 2:35pm

Should Custer County Commissioners have term limits?
Like anything, it depends on who you ask.
The question was raised, however, at the April 22 meeting of the commission—by commissioner Craig Hindle—who said he had it added to the agenda because he does not believe anyone should be a lifelong politician, and he had heard from other people on the issue.
“I’d like to see where we want to go for this,” he said. “I’d like to see it on the November election and let the taxpayers decide.”

Open meetings law violated in Hermosa

Published by admin on Wed, 05/06/2026 - 2:33pm

In Hermosa
The complaint about the April 22, 2025 Hermosa Town Board meeting filed by former board member Vicki Henrichsen was forwarded to Custer County State’s Attorney Tracy Kelley, who wrote to the state’s Open Meetings Commission. She believed the town board had violated the law at that April 22 meeting. Kelley said she was unable to substantiate similar violations alleged at July 14 and July 19 meetings for that year.
The complaint and documents can be found at boardsandcommissions.sd.gov

Hermosa engineer questions article, comments

Published by admin on Wed, 05/06/2026 - 2:32pm

By Laura Lindblom

Former Buffalo Gap official arrested

Published by admin on Wed, 05/06/2026 - 2:30pm

Former Town of Buffalo Gap finance officer Heather Jean Besco, AKA Heather Jean Besco-Clyde, has been indicted by a grand jury on allegations that she stole over $100,000 of town funds during her time as finance officer.
Besco has been officially charged in Seventh Judicial Circuit Court for Grand Theft-Embezzlement of Property Received in Trust by Custer County state’s attorney Tracy Kelley. The charge is a Class 3 Felony, punishable by up to 15 years in prison and/or a $30,000 fine.

Four vie for two seats in state House of Representatives

Published by admin on Wed, 05/06/2026 - 2:30pm

Four candidates—three Republicans and one Democrat—are vying for a pair of two-year terms to represent District 30 in the South Dakota House of Representatives.
Two of the candidates are already serving District 30, while the other two have sought a seat  in the legislature before.
Incumbent Republican Tim Goodwin lives north of Three Forks near Sheridan Lake, and has served eight years in the House of Representatives.
“They say the Senate is a symphony and the House is a rock concert,” he said. “I”m more of a rock concert type of person.”

Commission OKs new trailer court

Published by admin on Wed, 05/06/2026 - 2:13pm

Creation of a new mobile home park south of the City of Custer was approved by the Custer County Commission at its April 22 meeting after some discussion regarding how the road through the park would be declared public.
County ordinance lays out parameters for mobile home courts, including how much square-feet there must be for each space, water availability, sewer and parking.

State fiscal year tax collections ‘doing well’

Published by admin on Wed, 05/06/2026 - 2:12pm

South Dakota is on track to meet or exceed its revenue estimates by the end of the fiscal year, the Legislature’s lead budget expert said Thursday.
The state is about $10 million ahead of its year-to-date target, said Jeff Mehlhaff, chief fiscal analyst for the Legislative Research Council’s. The state fiscal year ends June 30.
“We’re doing well on the three big revenue sources,” Mehlhaff told lawmakers Joint Appropriations Committee Thursday, referencing sales tax, contractor’s excise taxes and lottery revenue. 

Hill City moves forward with merchandise ordinance

Published by admin on Wed, 05/06/2026 - 10:02am
The City of Hill City passed the first reading of a merchandise display ordinance. The move came at the April 27 Hill City Common Council (HCCC) meeting after little discussion. Council president Lori Miner asked people about the ordinance after it appeared on the agenda two weeks ago. Although Miner had previously been against the ordinance, merchants expressed to her that alternatives would be difficult to enforce, and that while this was not a perfect solution, she had “no idea how to make this better.”

Prevailer stacks up SDNA awards

Published by admin on Wed, 05/06/2026 - 10:01am
The Hill City Prevailer News won seven awards last Friday at the 2025 South Dakota NewsMedia (SDNA) Better NewsMedia Contest held as part of the annual SDNA convention held last week at The Lodge in Deadwood. The Prevailer competed in Division I of the competition for cities with a population under 3,000. 
Leslie Hladysz won first place for Best News Series for her work covering county library funds.
“You stuck with the reporting on this story over several weeks. This is what a local series should be,” commented the judges. 

Groups unite to protect sacred site

Published by admin on Wed, 05/06/2026 - 10:00am
NDN Collective, Black Hills Clean Water Alliance and Earthworks filed motions for an emergency temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction against the U.S. Forest Service April 1 in response to a February decision to grant a permit for exploratory drilling at Pe’Sla, a sacred and protected indigenous site. 
The controversy stems from the Rochford Mineral Exploratory Drilling Project initiated by Pete Lien & Sons in an effort to locate  graphite.