Custer County Chronicle

Communities rally to replace shuttered newspaper

Published by admin on Thu, 05/21/2020 - 8:57am
A group of business leaders and volunteers with almost no journalism training or experience has banded together to launch a local weekly newspaper in Kingsbury County, where two weekly papers were closed April 1 due in part to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Armed with only an untested business model and promises of help from unpaid volunteers — but steeled by a passion for their communities and a commitment to keeping people informed — the group plans to launch its new newspaper May 20.

Down the sinkhole

Published by admin on Thu, 05/14/2020 - 9:36am
Three Custer cavers who have logged thousands of hours exploring and mapping caves around the country got to put their experience to a unique use recently. The trio were part of a group of Black Hills cavers who crawled down a massive sinkhole in a Black Hawk neighborhood to map the underground void that was endangering as many as a dozen homes in the subdivision. 

Four candidates seek two seats in the House

Published by admin on Thu, 05/14/2020 - 9:34am
Four Republican candidates will square off in the June 2 primary election for the right to serve a two-year term representing District 30 in the S.D. House of Representatives. Two seats are available and no candidates have filed from other parties, which means the winner of the Republican primary will head to Pierre.
Among the candidates is incumbent Tim Goodwin of rural Hill City. Goodwin, 64, has been a District 30 representative for four years and seeks re-election so he can continue to represent the citizens of District 30 with Christian conservative values.

Down Memory Lane

Published by admin on Thu, 05/14/2020 - 9:33am
­­10 years ago, 2010 — Custer School District broke ground on the new elementary school ... 58 high school seniors were set to graduate from Custer High School ... The Custer City Council owes former city finance officer Chris Redden an apology. That’s according to Marcia Murphey, wife of alderman Duane Murphey, who sent a letter to the city council chastising the council for its handling of the liquor store issue, particularly in the way she perceived Redden was treated during the ordeal.

Three vie for District 30 Senate

Published by admin on Thu, 05/14/2020 - 9:33am
Voters who head to the polls June 2 (or vote absentee) have their choice between a pair of Republican candidates for District 30 State Senate, as current state Representative Julie-Frye Mueller will square off with the mayor of Hot Springs, George Kotti, for the GOP spot on November’s general election. In November the winner will face Libertarian candidate Gideon Oakes. The winner will serve a two-year term.

Eight Days in Custer County

Published by admin on Thu, 05/14/2020 - 9:32am
Thursday, May 14
Lions Club, noon, Pizza Works
Civil Air Patrol, 7 p.m., Custer County Airport
 
Saturday, May 16
Reverse Parade Honoring Custer High School Class of 2020, 2 p.m., Washington Street
Custer County Republican Central Committee Candidate Meet and Greet, 4 p.m., Roy’s Drive-In Theatre, Hermosa
 
Monday, May 18
Custer City Council, 5:30 p.m., Custer City Hall
 

Sheriff's Log May 2-8

Published by admin on Thu, 05/14/2020 - 9:25am
Saturday, May 2
5:08 p.m.: Someone called to report a male “carrying a handgun” was walking along Hwy. 40 near the Oglala Lakota County line. Nothing and no one were found there. 
5:51 p.m.: More civil/family drama happened on Montgomery Street in Custer. 
Sunday, May 3
8:51 a.m.: A deputy kept the peace at a residence on Beardsley Drive near Argyle while property was exchanged. 

Weekly newspapers in peril amid COVID-19 pandemic

Published by admin on Thu, 05/14/2020 - 9:22am
As the COVID-19 pandemic upends the South Dakota economy, leading to temporary business closures and skyrocketing unemployment, one of the state’s most venerable, trusted and beloved institutions is falling victim to the financial free fall: the small-town weekly newspaper.
The recent reductions in circulation and advertising caused by the virus and fear of spreading it have added a new layer of economic hardship to weekly newspaper publishers who were already seeing significant and historic declines in business revenues, staffing, news pages and personal incomes.

Biggest day ever at Jenny’s Floral

Published by admin on Thu, 05/14/2020 - 9:19am
As Mother’s Day approached this year, Jenny Behlings of Jenny’s Floral in Custer said she thought hard about cutting back her order this year because of the coronavirus pandemic, but decided to keep it the same as before. It was a good thing she did.
“It was the biggest Mother’s Day ever!” she said last Monday morning. “It was awesome!”
Since the front door of the business is locked, it relied totally on phone-in orders.
“We went though 1,000 roses, 1,000 carnations and 864 stems of daisies,” she said.

Will coronavirus song go viral?

Published by admin on Thu, 05/07/2020 - 9:11am
 
It sounds like the ultimate irony, but a Custer singer/songwriter is hoping his music video about the coronavirus will go viral on YouTube. However, Rod Rice, who wrote and recorded the song “Stand Together” said he is not holding out a great deal of hope that will happen.