Custer County Chronicle

Beetle to burn seventh time

Published by admin on Thu, 10/17/2019 - 9:03am
Entertainment was the order of the evening at the latest meeting of the Custer City Council, as the council heard about the plan for January’s burning beetle event while also hearing a pitch for more music during the summer months. 
Burning Beetle committee member Hank Fridell came to discuss the beetle event, saying it will take place Jan. 17-18, sponsored by the Custer Area Arts Council under the leadership of the Bark Beetle Blues Committee. It is the seventh year of the burning beetle and eighth year overall of events.

School enrollment down

Published by admin on Thu, 10/17/2019 - 9:00am
After a sharp increase in enrollments last year, the number of students in the Custer School District is down for the 2019-20 school year. Supt. Mark Naugle made that report at the regular October board of education meeting Monday evening. 
Naugle reported the official enrollment number — calculated by the number of students enrolled as of the last school day of September — is 926 when the 12 students enrolled in the district via Black Hills Online are included. 

Chamber awards banquet Thursday

Published by admin on Thu, 10/17/2019 - 9:00am
The Custer Area Chamber of Commerce’s Chamber Membership Awards Banquet will be held Thursday, Oct. 17, at Sylvan Lake auditorium. Social hour begins at 5:30 p.m., followed by the dinner at 7 p.m. and awards presentations.
Several awards will be handed out to local businesses, citizens and organizations. They are:
• Government Employee
• Community Team
• Individual of the Year
• Extra Mile
• Lifetime Achievement
• Business of the Year
• President’s Choice

W.E.A.V.E. to walk against violence

Published by admin on Thu, 10/17/2019 - 8:59am
October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and to bring awareness to that issue, Women Escaping A Violent Environment (W.E.A.V.E) will host a Walk Against Violence next Thursday, Oct. 24, at 5:30 p.m. starting at the intersection of 5th Street and Mt. Rushmore Road. The walk will end at the 1881 Courthouse Museum on Mt. Rushmore Road.
The walk will be followed by a candlelight vigiil to show support for survivors and loved ones who are victims and the women who die every day of domestic violence.
For more information, call 673-HELP.

County roads get five-year review

Published by admin on Thu, 10/17/2019 - 8:59am
Bridge replacement and preservation are a big portion of Custer County road projects next year, it was revealed Oct. 9 at the most recent meeting of the Custer County Commission.
County Highway superintendent Gary Woodford, joined by Jason Hanson of Brosz Engineering, went over the 2020-24 highway and bridge improvement plan, which shows that three bridges in the county are scheduled for either preservation or replacement in 2020.

Couch questions Wind Cave road

Published by admin on Thu, 10/17/2019 - 8:58am
Custer County Highway superintendent Gary Woodford said a recently improved section line that travels into Wind Cave National Park is just about as good as it’s going to get.
For a resident along the section line, that’s not quite good enough.

Eggers, Polzine lead golfers at state

Published by admin on Thu, 10/17/2019 - 8:51am
The Custer High School golf team wrapped up its season Oct. 7-8 at The Bluffs Golf Course in Vermillion. And although the team didn’t meet its stated goal of finishing in the top five of the meet, head coach Paul Kelley said he was proud of the way the Wildcats performed and competed.
“I’m proud of the way they handled themselves and represented themselves, their families and the community,” he said.

SLIC-e tenants get eviction notice

Published by admin on Thu, 10/10/2019 - 10:53am
Tenants at the former Sustainable Light Industrial Complex and energy (SLIC-e) and State Treatment and Rehabilitation (STAR) Academy campus now have until March 1 to vacant the premises instead of the end of the month, it was revealed by the state last Friday.
Kristin Wileman, press secretary for Gov. Kristi Noem, said Department of Corrections (DOC) staff met with residents living at the campus Friday morning and after hearing from impacted families, Noem agreed to extend residential leases for familes at the campus until March 1.

Stabbing charges are downgraded

Published by admin on Thu, 10/10/2019 - 10:50am
A 61-year-old Edgemont man who allegedly stabbed another man eight times in the neck, arm and chest at Custer VFW Sept. 27 will no longer face attempted murder charges.
Instead, Leslie Dwane Hanes is now charged with aggravated assault, a Class III Felony punishable by up to 15 years in prison and/or a $30,000 fine.

Native American Day program is Monday

Published by admin on Thu, 10/10/2019 - 10:48am
South Dakota was the first state to officially celebrate Native American Day on the second Monday in October annually. Elsewhere, the day is observed as Columbus Day.
The S.D. Legislature established Native American Day at the urging of Gov. George S. Mickelson. He declared 1990 as a “Year of Reconciliation” and called for the first Native American Day observance to be held at Crazy Horse Memorial, where the likeness of the Lakota leader is being carved to honor Native Americans.