Custer County Chronicle

Black Hills Live April 15, 2026

Published by admin on Wed, 04/15/2026 - 9:36am

Wednesday 4-15

Men’s Breakfast Bible Study
The Little White Church
Hill City, SD 
7:30 AM

Driver’s License Exams 
Custer County Courthouse 
Annex Pine Room
Custer, SD
8 AM to 5 PM

Seniors Fitness Class
Hill City Center 
Hill City, SD
8:30 AM

Seniors Bridge Card Games
Hill City Center 
Hill City, SD
10 AM 

Seniors Board Meeting
Hill City Center 
Hill City, SD
10 AM

Turning Point USA Faith hub launching in Southern Hills

Published by admin on Wed, 04/15/2026 - 9:18am
A new Turning Point (TP) USA Faith hub is launching in the Southern Hills, including Hill City, Keystone, Custer County and Fall River County. The project is being undertaken by a group of community leaders and spearheaded by third-generation Custer resident Pat Baumann. 

Down Memory Lane April 8

Published by admin on Wed, 04/08/2026 - 10:08am

10 YEARS AGO, 2016

Black Hills Live April 8, 2026

Published by admin on Wed, 04/08/2026 - 9:22am

Wednesday 4-8

Custer Economic Development Corporation
Black Hills Energy
Custer, SD
7 AM

Men’s Breakfast Bible Study
The Little White Church
Hill City, SD 
7:30 AM

Custer County Commission 
Custer County Courthouse 
Custer, SD
8 AM

Driver’s License Exams 
Custer County Courthouse 
Annex Pine Room
Custer, SD
8 AM to 5 PM

Seniors Fitness Class
Hill City Center 
Hill City, SD
8:30 AM

Down Memory Lane April 1

Published by admin on Wed, 04/01/2026 - 2:45pm

10 YEARS AGO, 2016

Housing jumpstarts revitalization of Herreid

Published by admin on Wed, 04/01/2026 - 2:38pm

Dick Werner drives his pickup through the streets of this northern South Dakota town and can hardly go a block before stopping to point out new houses or apartments that have popped up in the past few years.
To be sure, the journey doesn't last long because the agricultural outpost of Herreid – located seven miles south of the North Dakota border – only has about 400 residents and just a few streets that splinter off U.S. Hwy.y 83, the main drag through town.

Lawmakers fail to override two Rhoden vetoes

Published by admin on Wed, 04/01/2026 - 2:31pm

South Dakota lawmakers failed Monday to reach the two-thirds majority needed to override Gov. Larry Rhoden’s vetoes of a lab-grown meat ban and regulations on non-medical home care providers.
The lab-grown meat bill would have classified the products as adulterated food, effectively banning their sale in the state. Rhoden argued in his veto message last month that South Dakota should not ban products simply because some people dislike them. He also warned of legal concerns raised by lawsuits against similar bans in other states.

Black Hills Live April 1, 2026

Published by admin on Wed, 04/01/2026 - 10:03am

Wednesday 4-1

Men’s Breakfast Bible Study
The Little White Church
Hill City, SD 
7:30 AM

Merchants  Meeting
Hill City Center 
Hill City, SD
8 AM

Driver’s License Exams 
Custer County Courthouse 
Annex Pine Room
Custer, SD
8 AM to 5 PM

Seniors Fitness Class
Hill City Center 
Hill City, SD
8:30 AM

Seniors Bridge Card Games
Hill City Center 
Hill City, SD
10 AM 

Those in path of Qury Fire share experiences

Published by admin on Wed, 03/25/2026 - 8:52am

Tom and Linda Wilson were sitting at their Deer Meadow Road home the afternoon of March 12, when suddenly the power went out.
“Not again,” Tom muttered to himself.
Tom went to his back deck to see if he could spot a reason for the power outage. When he stepped outside, he smelled smoke.
He went back inside and told his wife he smelled smoke. The two went back outside onto the deck, and this time, the two could see a plume of smoke rising from behind the slope that is behind their home.

Local firefighters helped in fire battle

Published by admin on Wed, 03/25/2026 - 8:49am

Although hundreds of firefighters from near and far converged on Custer to battle the Qury Fire, it was local firefighters who provided the initial attack on the blaze, with some continuing to work the fire throughout its duration.
One such firefighter was Cory Keuning of the Custer Volunteer Fire Department, now a 10-month veteran of the department who arrived on scene to the fire and was welcomed by “crazy wind gusts.”
“They were gusting super hard, seemingly in every direction,” he said. “It was rapidly growing.”