Custer County Chronicle

The coronavirus relief fund

Published by admin on Thu, 08/06/2020 - 8:47am
Greetings! Our state has received from our federal government $1.25 billion!  Yep, that’s with a B as in bravo.  Billion! What the heck? Well, before you pass out, let’s discuss the rules of engagement that go with this one-time federal windfall.

One year after flood of 2019

Published by admin on Thu, 08/06/2020 - 8:45am
Those of us who were in the Custer area last year on Friday, Aug. 2, will never forget the rainstorm that started building up in the Upper French Creek watershed area northwest of town that afternoon. The subsequent seven inches of rain resulted in a flash flood of epic proportions that built up at West Dam and flowed like a raging river through town on Washington Street and beyond to the east.

We’re with you, ‘Iron Mike’

Published by admin on Thu, 08/06/2020 - 8:45am
As a U.S. Army combat veteran with over 31 years of service, it makes me disgusted to no end to see American professional athletes kneeling during the playing of our country’s National Anthem. This kneeling has become so prevalent today that it makes me sick.

What is a Convention of States?

Published by admin on Thu, 07/30/2020 - 9:25am
I have decided to write about a Constitutional Convention, also called a Convention of States, Article V Convention or Con-Con. For simplicity, I’ll refer to it as COS.
For those who attended Gold Discover Days in Custer recently, the COS folks were there in force getting signatures on a petition for a COS. They then took your signature and transformed it onto a form letter and have swamped my emails. Pretty funny huh? Well, to the good people pushing a COS, this tactic doesn’t work on me.  Having said that, let’s discuss.

Hills tourism is booming

Published by admin on Thu, 07/30/2020 - 9:25am
Just by looking around at all the traffic in the area, it is safe to say tourism is now booming in the Black Hills. Things may have started out slowly this year because of the COVID-19 virus, but now everyone in business is as busy, and busier, than they can possibly be.

Truth, irony and the demise of José Rivera

Published by admin on Thu, 07/30/2020 - 9:22am
With terms like “fake news” and “false narrative” having fully entered our cultural lexicon, it appears we really are living in a “post-truth” world. That term, “post-truth” has even found its way into the dictionary as a way to refer to “the disappearance of shared objective standards for truth.” It was designated Oxford Dictionary’s Word of the Year in 2016 where it was defined as “relating to or denoting circumstances in which objective facts are less influential in shaping public opinion than appeals to emotion and personal belief.” 

Another GDD success story

Published by admin on Thu, 07/23/2020 - 8:51am
By the size of the crowds for the main events, one can safely say that this year’s annual Gold Discovery Days was a rousing success. The pandemic the country is currently experiencing didn’t seem to faze the crowds coming from all over the state and country to enjoy the long weekend of reunions and fun in Custer.

The Sunday ‘funnies’

Published by admin on Thu, 07/23/2020 - 8:49am
Every day has a feeling. Sunday is the first day of the week on my calendar, but it always feels like the end. Monday is the beginning of something. Sunday is for saying goodbye to a week.

Welcome to annual GDD!

Published by admin on Thu, 07/16/2020 - 9:01am
It’s going to be a good time in the old town this Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday as the oldest town in the Black Hills celebrates its annual Gold Discovery Days (GDD)! The event commemorates the discovery of gold near Custer by the expedition led by Lt. Col. George Armstrong Custer in 1874.
The GDD carnival will kick things off Thursday from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. and operate for the next three days starting at noon. The Arts & Crafts Festival  starts Friday  at 11 a.m. and operates for all three days with that starting time.

Lumpy versus the scammers

Published by admin on Thu, 07/16/2020 - 8:57am
“Ring, Ring!”
The sound of an old-fashioned telephone came from Officer Lumpy’s pocket while we talked and drank coffee at the local cafe. He fished a battered Jitterbug-brand phone from his pocket and flipped it open. My friend Lumpy has been absent from the pages of this paper for a while, but some readers may remember him as a long-suffering, chronically-crusty, old-school street cop who definitely does not work here. So don’t call my boss to complain about the stuff he says. Ain’t nobody got time for that.