News

Hill City School is heating things up

Published by admin on Wed, 07/09/2025 - 10:09am
Work is well underway on a much-needed upgrade to Hill City School’s infrastructure with the addition of a new boiler room—a 600 square-foot expansion to the existing middle school. According to contract company Dean Kurtz Construction’s website, “The project is designed to relocate and upgrade the school’s mechanical systems, ensuring long-term operational efficiency and flexibility.”
The new system will serve both the elementary and middle schools, while the high school will continue using its own boiler and rooftop units.

Precip on par with average

Published by admin on Wed, 07/09/2025 - 9:18am

It’s been a relatively average summer in terms of precipitation in Custer so far this year, as official precipitation measurements for the year to date show Custer is about .60 inches of precipitation below an average year.
The year-to-date precipiation was bouyed by a wetter than average June, when 3.04 inches of precipitation fell, compared to the usual monthly average of 2.87.
May was well below average in Custer, however, as 2.60 inches of precipitation fell, compared to the annual average of 3.58 inches.

New forest fees on the way

Published by admin on Wed, 07/09/2025 - 9:16am

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.

Task force wrestles with prison site

Published by admin on Wed, 07/09/2025 - 9:16am

After years of political upheaval, court battles and legislative tugs-of-war, the plan to build a new men’s prison in Lincoln County south of Harrisburg is dead.
Members of the Project Prison Reset work group spent more than eight hours at the Capitol on Tuesday running through possible site locations, building designs, budget needs and public comments before voting unanimously to scratch the original site from its list of replacement options for the aging state penitentiary in Sioux Falls.

Lance Russell running for attorney general

Published by admin on Wed, 07/09/2025 - 9:08am

A county prosecutor who served a dozen years in the legislature aims to fill the seat of state attorney general.
Republican Lance Russell announced his candidacy Tuesday for the seat current attorney general Marty Jackley will leave behind to run for U.S. House of Representatives in 2026. South Dakota’s current U.S. representative, Dusty Johnson, announced a long-rumored 2026 bid for governor on Monday.
Russell, 55, lives in Hot Springs and serves as the state’s attorney for Fall River and Oglala Lakota counties.

Former state employee gets seven years

Published by admin on Wed, 07/09/2025 - 8:47am

A former South Dakota Department of Social Services employee was sentenced to seven years in prison after earlier being convicted of stealing $1.78 million in state and federal funds from the department’s division of Child Protection Services.
“This jury conviction and sentence confirm that public trust is not for sale,” said state attorney general Marty Jackley in a press release. 

BHE officials urge public to be prepared for shutdowns

Published by admin on Wed, 07/02/2025 - 3:11pm

Be prepared.
That was one of the messages delivered by representatives of Black Hills Energy (BHE) to those in attendance at the June 25 meeting of the Custer County Commission, as the commission heard from three BHE representatives regarding the company’s planned implementation of a Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) program.
Wes Ashton, BHE vice president of South Dakota and Wyoming Utilities, told those at the meeting being proactive and prepared for any shutoff —particularly for those who have electric-powered medical devices they rely upon—is important.

Commission talks failed opt out

Published by admin on Wed, 07/02/2025 - 3:10pm

A little over a week after Custer County’s Fire Advisory Board decided against opting out its mill levy in an effort to provide more money for the county’s fire departments that don’t belong to a tax district, a postmortem on the attempted opt out was discussed at the June 25 meeting of the Custer County Commission.

Hermosa board talks water bills, property

Published by admin on Wed, 07/02/2025 - 3:09pm

The Hermosa Board of Trustees met for a regular meeting June 10, which was attended by a small handful of citizens.
Aric Alias is officially the new town marshal, starting June 24.
The board discussed recent incidents of 5-year-olds racing motorized bicycles up and down the roads, as well as issues with cars speeding on Fairgrounds Place Road, and they are considering possibly installing some speed bumps and “Children at Play” signs for the summer, especially considering the traffic during baseball season. 

State hospital picnic is July 12

Published by admin on Wed, 07/02/2025 - 3:08pm

On July 12 the Friends of Custer State Hospital Cemetery will host a picnic to celebrate the work that has gone on at the cemetery and renew old friendships. The public is invited to attend. 
The cemetery consists of 44 graves, 42 of which were former clients at the State Hospital/SDDC-Custer. The burials were between 1964 and 2011.