Custer County Chronicle

Newspaper closures leaves void in state

Published by admin on Wed, 08/20/2025 - 12:23pm

It made me want to weep.
The grinding decline of the traditional newspaper business continued in an incredibly sad way last week with news that the Brookings Register, Huron Plainsman, Moody County Enterprise and Redfield Press have closed.
The papers are/were owned by News Media Corp., based in Illinois. I know very little about that company beyond the fact that it closed four South Dakota papers that mattered, apparently with no advance notice for employees and no continuing health coverage or certainty that the staffers will be paid all of what they’re owed.

Let’s prevent—not just contain—measles

Published by admin on Wed, 08/20/2025 - 12:23pm

It’s not as bad as it could’ve been: That’s the new bar for public health success in South Dakota.
The leader of the state Health Department, Melissa Magstadt, made that clear Thursday when she declared herself “so proud” of the state’s measles response.
In an opinion piece she wrote and sent to the media, Magstadt summarized the state’s efforts since measles cases surged earlier this year in other parts of the country and reached South Dakota in May.

Rhoden was running campaign before Prairie Thunder

Published by admin on Wed, 08/20/2025 - 12:22pm

Election years call for politicians to do some tricky maneuvering. While an elected official will present a new initiative as a way to help constituents, opponents are likely to label it as a cynical attempt to curry favor with voters. 
That’s where Gov. Larry Rhoden finds himself right now after the announcement of Operation Prairie Thunder. It commits the National Guard, Highway Patrol and Corrections Department to support federal immigration enforcement, and commits state troopers to saturation patrols in Sioux Falls. 

Drugs are prevalent in state prison

Published by admin on Wed, 08/20/2025 - 10:37am
Greetings. Let’s talk some more about the state penitentiary in Sioux Falls. 
Much has been said about the pen’s ancient building as it was built in 1881. Well, let’s look at that a little further. The portion of the pen they call “The Hill” is where the main population is housed. As of the end of May there are 724 inmates. My info says it holds 800. Next, there is a maximum security Jamison Unit with around 500 inmates and then another 140 or so in a work-release, relaxed prison. Add that up and we are at 1,364.

More towns now without reliable news

Published by admin on Wed, 08/13/2025 - 1:36pm

A gut punch.
That is how South Dakota NewsMedia Association (SDNA) executive director Dave Bordewyk described the bombshell news last week that News Media Corporation was immediately shuttering its operation, which meant immediate closing of newspapers across the region, including several in Wyoming and four in South Dakota—Brookings Register, Huron Plainsman, Moody County Enterprise (Flandreau) and Redfield Press.

A worthwhile pursuit

Published by admin on Wed, 08/13/2025 - 1:31pm

After months of tending and cultivating, my garden is beginning to release all the vibrance of its bounty. Peppers nearly a foot long (really!), cucumbers and beans, herbs, tomatoes, squash and a little sweet corn. After months of watering and weeding, picking bugs and pruning, my countertops, crowded with bowls of fresh produce, are finally starting to show evidence of the work that came first.

Enjoyed celebrating Custer’s 150th birthday

Published by admin on Wed, 08/13/2025 - 1:03pm

Sunday, I had the opportunity to attend the City of Custer’s 150th birthday celebration, a significant milestone! The event was held at the 1881 Courthouse Museum. There was birthday cake, an arrowhead treasure hunt for the kids, a historical walking tour, live music, lots of yard games and activities for everyone to enjoy. It was an afternoon filled with history, stories and a lot of community fun. 

Regarding Hwy. 385 work, gerrymandering

Published by admin on Wed, 08/13/2025 - 9:17am
Greetings. So, how did you survive the 85th annual bike rally? Marcia and my piece of heaven is alongside Hwy. 385. We have bike traffic at least until 11 p.m., and then it starts up again about one hour after the Buffalo Chip closes down, so, say 3 p.m. the bikes go roaring by. After the rally, we locals, as well as visitors, take Hwy. 385 to go north from Three Forks to Deadwood. A lot of times I stop on the way. Now the Sugar Shack is rebuilt after a fire, and its bigger and better than before.

Start your engines, it’s Rally time again

Published by admin on Wed, 08/06/2025 - 12:40pm

It’s early August in the Black Hills of South Dakota, and we all know what that means—it’s Sturgis Motorcycle Rally time.
The rumble of motorcycles can be heard from the early morning hours until the early evening hours (or if you’re in Sturgis, all hours of the night), but when you start to feel annoyed by the sounds, or the traffic, or whatever else the Rally may bring, just remember—it’s also the sound of cash registers ringing up sales.

A penny for your thoughts

Published by admin on Wed, 08/06/2025 - 12:38pm

If thoughts are worth a penny a piece, you’d need a coin machine to keep up with me. I’m always thinking about something, if not multiple things at once. It doesn’t matter how much or little I say. My head is always buzzing with thoughts. 
I honestly envy people who have an “empty box” that they can go to in their mind to think about absolutely nothing. The closest I can get to thinking about nothing is to escape into a mundane task like folding laundry and zone out for a little while.