Custer County Chronicle

Light the pyre: Time to burn

Published by admin on Thu, 01/16/2020 - 8:55am
The forecast for Custer on Saturday may be only in the 20s, but it will be plenty warm on Pageant Hill at 5 p.m.
That is when, for the seventh consecutive year, the Burning Beetle will take place, with the burning of a beetle effigy the centerpiece of activities that begin Friday at 5 p.m., with the “Vigilance” sculpture dedication at the Custer County Library parking lot.

Sidney Park Rd. back to gravel?

Published by admin on Thu, 01/16/2020 - 8:54am
An annual discussion regarding county road weight and speed limits revealed that in the future, the paved portion of Sidney Park Road may be returned to gravel.
The discussion took place at the Jan. 8 meeting of the Custer County Commission as part of a long list of the commission’s annual designations, which includes setting the county road weight and speed limits.

Doyle is new county highway boss

Published by admin on Thu, 01/16/2020 - 8:50am
Jess Doyle, a four-year veteran of the Custer County Highway Department, has been appointed the new county highway superintendent by the Custer County Commission.
Doyle ran equipment for the highway department prior to taking over as superintendent and before that was a snowplow operator for the S.D. Dept. of Transportation.
Doyle says he enjoys the hands-on opportunity that working for the county highway department provides.

Certificates to be offered to fund Hermosa School

Published by admin on Thu, 01/16/2020 - 8:49am
The first $10.5 million of a potential $14.5 million needed for the Hermosa School project may be in hand within two months following action by the Custer School District Board of Education at its January meeting on Monday night. 

Man rescued at Sheridan Lake

Published by admin on Thu, 01/16/2020 - 8:49am
A man fell through the ice on his all-terrain vehicle (ATV) at Sheridan Lake on Jan. 3, officials said.
There were no injuries, reported Christopher Dekker, of S.D. Game, Fish and Parks (GFP).
“A few other anglers on the ice helped get him out of the water,” Dekker said. “GFP, Hill City Ambulance and Pennington County (Sheriff’s Office) deputies responded.”

State legislators gear up for session

Published by admin on Thu, 01/09/2020 - 10:15am
By Jason Ferguson
 
What will the 2020 South Dakota Legislative Session look like when it begins next Tuesday?
That depends on who you ask.
District 30 Sen. Lance Russell sees it as possibly contentious, as the agricultural sector of the economy is struggling with low cattle prices and an exponential increase in property taxes.

SAR finds lost hiker

Published by admin on Thu, 01/09/2020 - 10:14am
Custer County Search and Rescue (SAR) started the new year with a report of a lost hiker at around 6 p.m. Jan. 1 in an area southeast of Crazy Horse Memorial between the memorial and Sylvan Lake Road.
According to the SAR Facebook page, a hiker called 911 for help after it had gotten dark and he realized he was lost.
Calls from 911 usually generate location coordinates which are available to responders including Custer County Sheriff’s Office deputies and SAR.

Street vacation sought

Published by admin on Thu, 01/09/2020 - 10:13am
A citizen’s request for the City of Custer to vacate a portion of Mountain Avenue, Montgomery Street and an alley on the west side of Custer were tabled at the Jan. 6 meeting of the Custer City Council, pending clear identification of the property that is being sought for vacation and resolving a legal description within the resolution.

2019: Really wet but no record

Published by admin on Thu, 01/09/2020 - 10:12am
There’s no disputing that 2019 was a wet year in Custer, characterized by lots of spring and fall snow, a cool, soggy summer resulting in a high water table and topped off by the Aug. 2 flood which resulted from up to seven inches of rain that fell in the Upper French Creek watershed. 
However, according to the National Weather Service office in Rapid City, 2019 was far from being the wettest, snowiest or even the coolest year on record. 

Leaving behind the public (works)

Published by admin on Thu, 01/09/2020 - 10:12am
By the time you read this story, Bob Morrison will have attended his final Custer City Council meeting — and soon his final General Government Committee meeting or Public Works Committee meeting — as the city of Custer’s Public Works director.
And that’s just fine by him.
Morrison will miss many aspects of the job he has had for around 18 years (while spending 23 years total with the city), but when you ask him what he will miss the least about his job, it doesn’t take long to answer.
“Night meetings.”