News

City council hears chamber update

Published by admin on Wed, 04/23/2025 - 12:23pm

It was a busy year in 2024 for the Custer Area Chamber of Commerce, with 21,625 visitors coming into the office, plenty of community events put on or supported and 298 members to attend to.
Those were among the numbers given to the Custer City Council by chamber executive director Dawn Murray at the council’s April 7 meeting.
Murray said the chamber maintains a 95.4 percent retention rate of its members, gave out $41,000 in Custer Cash last year and gives nearly that much back to the community through promotion.

Questions posed on Battle Creek opt out

Published by admin on Wed, 04/23/2025 - 12:23pm

Representatives from the Battle Creek Fire Protection District board recently held outreach meetings in Hermosa and Keystone. These informal meetings were to listen to concerns from constituents about a proposed $225,000 opt out for a five-year time frame beginning this year for taxes payable in 2026.
While not very well attended, the discussions did offer some insight about the district and the three stations it mans, as well as its budget and a petition asking the opt out be moved to a taxpayer vote.

Community center marks more progress

Published by admin on Wed, 04/23/2025 - 12:04pm

For decades, Custerites have dreamed of indoor swimming pools, an established place to gather for community events and meetings and all the other benefits of having a dedicated community center.
With the city of Custer having acquired the campus of the old Custer Elementary school many years ago, those dreams are in the process of becoming a reality. But the process is a long one—Custer has a modest but growing need for such a facility, and of course, only so much capability to fund it.

TIF sought for Hermosa housing

Published by admin on Wed, 04/16/2025 - 9:42am

The highlight of Hermosa’s Board of Trustees meeting on April 1 was the honoring of citizens Linda Hasselstrom and Leo and Deb Van Sambeek as Volunteers of the Year for their years of service to the community in and around Hermosa. Linda Kramer thanked everyone for the nominations and the time taken to write the heartfelt letters of recommendation, which she read before giving the awards.

Charges brought, fundraisers abound

Published by admin on Wed, 04/16/2025 - 8:44am
Hill City High School freshman Raeleigh Clement was badly burned last Saturday, April 5. 
The injuries came as five friends were gathered around a bonfire at a house, and gasoline was added to the fire. Gas also got onto Clement. The fire blew up, and the 15-year-old was literally set on fire, according to close family friend, Lisa Johnson. 
Johnson said that all the teenagers at the bonfire attend Hill City School District, and that all but one was a minor. Johnson also said the parents and teenagers acted quickly to help Clement.

Battle Creek Fire Protection District asking for opt out

Published by admin on Wed, 04/16/2025 - 8:39am
The Battle Creek Fire Protection District is asking for a $225,000 opt out from taxpayers for a five-year timeframe beginning this year for taxes payable in 2026. 
According to the Battle Creek Fire Protection District Board president John Esposti, the district has never asked for an opt out despite ongoing and increasing expenses and an increase in population and structures to the area it serves.

County seeks input on proposed changes to land use

Published by admin on Wed, 04/16/2025 - 8:39am
The Pennington County Planning Department has proposed updates to section three of the county comprehensive plan, which covers land use and the future land use map.
The Pennington County Board of Commissioners approved the county Comprehensive Plan “View to 2040” in May of 2020.
Representatives from the department are holding a series of meetings to gather public input. Most of the changes affect the areas of the Black Hills, including county areas surrounding Hill City and Keystone.

McVey burn area restoration a hot topic

Published by admin on Wed, 04/16/2025 - 8:33am
The McVey Fire, one of the five largest fires recorded in the Black Hills, decimated approximately 21,000 acres of forest outside of Hill City in 1939. The burn area is once again a hot topic. 
The U.S. Forest Service launched a restoration project to restore the natural landscape of the McVey burn scar outside of Hill City in 2019. Several forestry and non-forestry groups as well forest product industry leaders have been developing plans to treat the area and manage the vegetation.

Cuts in federal funding for food will hurt pantries, producers

Published by admin on Wed, 04/16/2025 - 8:31am
Montana Roem is worried that a proposed $1 billion cut to federal food programs that aid schools and charities will hurt her family on two fronts.
As she recently waited in a line of cars at a Feeding South Dakota mobile food bank in Box Elder, Roem said she was well aware of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's move to eliminate two programs that paid for locally grown foods to be provided to food banks and for school meals across the U.S.

Ball, Fullilove win Keystone board seats

Published by admin on Wed, 04/09/2025 - 12:26pm
One hundred twenty nine people voted in the Keystone municipal election April 8.
Two open seats were up for grabs. Nikki Ball and Matt Fullilove emerged victorious in the race. Ball received 86 votes, while Fullilove received 65 votes. Lynette Tyon received 59 votes.
“I thank everyone who voted for me and everyone who voted,” Ball said. “I will do the best I can.”