News

Concerns addressed over speed in town

Published by admin on Wed, 05/27/2026 - 9:52am
Complaints of traffic going through Main Street too fast were brought up by trustee David Cofoid at the May 20 Keystone Town Board meeting.
Cofoid said he has seen pedestrians jump back from cars and skid marks of trucks trying to brake fast. The finance officer will discuss the crosswalks with the South Dakota Department of Transportation. Cofoid also addressed scooters and bikes that are parked on city property. 

City, county may reopen LEO talks

Published by admin on Wed, 05/27/2026 - 9:51am

Negotiations for a new law enforcement contract between Custer County and the City of Custer are likely to resume in some form or fashion in the near future. Exactly how they will unfold is not set in stone, however.
At the May 13 meeting of the Custer County Commission the commission discussed its push to have a joint, public meeting with the Custer City Council to discuss the issue and bring the public into the fold as to how the negotiations have transpired and how they did or did not come together.

School board celebrates good news, progress

Published by admin on Wed, 05/27/2026 - 9:51am
The Hill City School District Board of Education met last Monday for its last meeting of the school year. 
A handful of Hill City High School students competed at the SkillsUSA competition, and they were present to tell the board about their experience. 
A team of four—Justin Worden, Alec Gelvin, Karson Kolb and Ayden Kurtz—competed in the TeamWorks competition, finishing in fourth place, while Addyson Kurtz won in photography and T-shirt design. 

Uranium drilling hearings open in Hot Springs

Published by admin on Wed, 05/27/2026 - 9:50am

By Meghan O’Brien
South Dakota Searchlight

School budget decreased by 12.48 percent

Published by admin on Wed, 05/27/2026 - 9:49am

At the budget hearing May 11 in the Custer board room, the Custer School District Board of Education reviewed a total proposed budget for Fiscal Year (FY) 27, seeing an overall decrease of 12.48 percent in comparison to FY 26. Excluding the Career and Technical Education (CTE) building expenses, FY 26 budget was $19,068,856, and the preliminary budget for FY 27 is $16,688,702.
The CTE building numbers were excluded because “we want to compare real numbers from real spending, not building spending year-to-year,” said business manager Sarah Wedge. 

Hayward area structure fire escalates to two alarms

Published by admin on Wed, 05/27/2026 - 9:44am
The Battle Creek Fire Department responded to a reported structure fire in the 13000 block of Lost Cave Rd., rural Keystone, May 15.
First arriving firefighters found a free burning fire with a heavy smoke condition issuing from the interior of a single story, residential structure with fire extending into the ceiling and roof assembly.
Additionally, fire extended to adjacent trees, vegetation, agriculture shelters, causing smoke, heat and fire damage.

Widow of Vietnam War veteran encourages more nominees

Published by admin on Wed, 05/27/2026 - 9:42am
A South Dakota woman wants more families of Vietnam veterans to know about a national program honoring those who came home from war and later died.
Bonnie Bjork’s husband, Timothy, died on March 3. She said he suffered from health problems related to Agent Orange exposure. This year, he is being honored through the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund’s In Memory program.
“I believe very few individuals know about this program,” Bjork told South Dakota Searchlight. “And these men deserve to be honored.” 

Board of Regents ‘leaning in’ to AI use

Published by admin on Wed, 05/27/2026 - 9:40am
South Dakota universities are “leaning in” to artificial intelligence, state Board of Regents President Jeff Partridge said at a meeting in Custer.
The system that oversees the state’s public universities plans to formulate regulations for AI use throughout 2026 and 2027, focusing on how the technology should be governed; how to teach students, faculty and staff to use it; and how to implement it into curriculum and research.
Board members said the plan will help prepare students to use AI ethically and effectively once they graduate.

City continues sidewalks research

Published by admin on Wed, 05/27/2026 - 9:40am

Two weeks after sending the issue to a pair of committees, the Custer City Council sent a sidewalk issue to another of its committees, seeking more time and research before making a decision that will impact when and where sidewalks will need to be installed in new developments.

Clock ticking on HVAC

Published by admin on Wed, 05/20/2026 - 11:51am

It could be tomorrow. It could be in a month. A year. Maybe five years.
One thing is certain—the heating and cooling system at the Custer County Courthouse is nearing the end of its useful life.
That was the message once again given by county maintenance director Joe Panza at the May 13 meeting of the Custer County Commission.