Custer County Chronicle

To catch an arsonist

Published by admin on Thu, 09/03/2020 - 9:49am
How did Phil Geenan help track down the woman responsible for lighting the largest fire in recorded history of the Black Hills?
Some strong sleuthing ... and some good luck.
Geenan, a law enforcement officer who conducted wildland fire investigations at the time of the Jasper Fire in 2000, helped determine it was Janice Stevenson who started the fire that destroyed over 83,000 acres.
He had a lot of help, however, including from a Wyoming fire marshall and two really good witnesses.

CDC: 6% die from only COVID-19

Published by admin on Thu, 09/03/2020 - 9:48am
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a report last week saying the vast majority of patients who die from COVID-19 also had other health issues.
The report says 94 percent of patients who died of COVID-19 had another health condition ranging from respiratory illness and heart disease to obesity and diabetes.
“For 6 percent of the deaths, COVID-19 was the only cause mentioned,” the report said. “For deaths with conditions or causes in addition to COVID-19, on average, there were 2.6 additional conditions or causes per death.”

Potential STAR buyers reveal plans

Published by admin on Thu, 08/27/2020 - 10:23am
A group of investors have big plans for the former State Treatment and Rehabilitation (STAR) Academy should they successfully purchase the facility when it is once again auctioned to the highest bidder Sept. 16.
And they are plans that would make Bubba Gump himself proud.

Community spread now confirmed

Published by admin on Thu, 08/27/2020 - 10:21am
It was early March when South Dakota saw its first COVID-19 cases, and almost three months later, Custer County finally got its first case. The date was June 4.
Just over two months later, the city of Custer has been classified as having confirmed community spread of the virus, Custer Mayor Corbin Herman told the Custer City Council at its Aug. 17 meeting.

18 test positive

Published by admin on Thu, 08/27/2020 - 10:20am
Monument Health has confirmed that 18 residents at its Custer Care Center have tested positive for the COVID-19 virus. The remaining 30 residents have tested negative.
Most of the COVID-19 positive residents have no symptoms and some have mild symptoms. None are serious enough to require hospitalization. Staff from other Monument Health facilities are being called in to help care for the residents. Families of the COVID-19-positive residents have been notified.

Berger, Davis recall Jasper

Published by admin on Thu, 08/27/2020 - 10:17am
Like most people who were in Custer Aug. 24, 2000, Dean Berger knew the Jasper Fire was going to be bad in a relatively short amount of time.
Berger, who was a forest fire management officer on the Black Hills National Forest in the summer of 2000, had a radio next to his desk when then-dispatch worker June Johnston called out there was a fire burning west of town.

Jasper Fire reforestation is progressing slowly

Published by admin on Thu, 08/27/2020 - 10:15am
Although reforestation was begun within two years of the 83,508-acre Jasper Forest Fire of 2000, a silviculturist for the U.S. Forest Service estimates it could take until 2100 for those slopes to be covered once again with Ponderosa pine. 
Matt Daily, a timber management assistant to the district ranger in the Black Hills National Forest Hell Canyon Ranger District headquartered in Custer,  said replanting of the burned area began in 2002 and over the past 18 years crews have planted an average of 150,000 trees each year on plots roughly 400 acres in size. 

Hermosa man gets three years’ sentence for fraud

Published by admin on Thu, 08/27/2020 - 10:13am
U.S. Attorney Ron Parsons announced that David Astin of Hermosa was sentenced to three years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release after being convicted of three counts of wire fraud after a federal trial. He was sentenced by Jeffrey L. Viken, U.S. District Judge, Aug. 12. He faced up to 60 years in prison at his sentencing.

Courthouse visits set to change

Published by admin on Thu, 08/20/2020 - 9:22am
If you’re going to visit the Custer County Courthouse, prepare for changes at the entryway as the Custer County Commission works to eliminate further spread at the building after three county employees recently tested positive for COVID-19.
At a special commission meeting Monday morning, the commission unanimously voted to enact the Emergency Operations Command (EOC) recommendations for “level of action one,” which is for one to five positive cases for county employees.

It’s back to school time

Published by admin on Thu, 08/20/2020 - 9:21am
More than five months after they were last in the classroom, students in the Custer School District will head back to school in one week. Wednesday, Aug. 26, is the date set for students to go back to the classroom, but teachers are already in the buildings for several days of in-service meetings and training.