Hill City Prevailer

City closer to new water reservoir

Published by admin on Thu, 01/19/2023 - 4:43pm
Aldermen approved moving forward with the city water reservoir process at the Jan. 9 Hill City Common Council meeting.
“We’ve all been kind of waiting for this process to take place,” said city administrator Brett McMacken.
McMacken said the engineering portion is complete and  has been reviewed by the state. The bid process opens  Feb.  1 with plans to review bids at the Feb. 22 meeting.
An engineer estimate, done within the past six months, has the reservoir coming in at $1.9 million. However bids could be higher.

School board talks goal progress

Published by admin on Thu, 01/19/2023 - 4:36pm
During the Hill City School District Board of Education meeting Jan. 9, superintendent Blake Gardner shared the progress made on the board goals for his superintendent report. 

Long-time local supplies ambulance new home

Published by admin on Thu, 01/19/2023 - 12:19pm
 
The Hill City Ambulance Service has a rich history that began due in large part to the efforts of Terry Bottjen in the early 1980s.
A friend of Bottjen’s got injured in the Black Hills, prompting him to start a volunteer first responder unit here. 

West River Region Crisis Stabilization Unit unveiled

Published by admin on Thu, 01/12/2023 - 9:33am
A ribbon cutting for the state’s first crisis stabilization unit, Pivot Point, was held Jan 5. Located in Rapid City, Pivot Point is a regional center serving all of western South Dakota.
Pennington County Sheriff’s Office chief deputy Willie Whelchel gave credit to all the people who have been involved in the last decade.

Delta Dental Van coming Jan. 16-20

Published by admin on Thu, 01/12/2023 - 9:24am
Delta Dental’s Molar 1 van is coming to the Hill City School District from Monday, Jan. 16 through Friday, Jan. 20. 
Delta Dental’s mobile program includes two trucks that feature fully- equipped mobile dental clinics inside. Coming with the truck will be a dentist, hygienist, truck coordinator and a dental assistant. They offer prevention, cleanings and other treatments found in a traditional dental office with the exception of root canals and orthodontics. 

Wish lists are win-win

Published by admin on Thu, 01/12/2023 - 9:17am
For several years the Keystone Town Board has donated school supplies to help teachers fulfill their wish lists.
“I went to Nico’s choir concert  when he was in kindergarten,” says resident Jerry Przybylski, who first brought the idea to the Keystone board seven years ago. “I thought, ‘why the hell are teachers buying their own supplies.’”

Nomad Namaste Yoga class at Hill City Center

Published by admin on Thu, 01/12/2023 - 9:11am
Last February Lori Comer spoke with Vickie Barlean about starting an exercise class in Hill City. For this endeavor, Barlean recommended lifelong friend of the family Amanda Oliver. 
According to Oliver, Comer set the whole thing up from there. They met at the Community Lutheran Church, and there were 14 people for the first class. 
“It worked great. It was so fantastic to come up here and teach,” said Oliver. 
Then when the Hill City Center opened, Oliver was invited to use the new facility for her classes. 

Legislators, school officials discuss session

Published by admin on Thu, 01/05/2023 - 10:10am
School funding, public funding for private schools, transgendered issues and a weakened juvenile justice system in the state were among the wide swatch of issues discussed during a meeting with District 30 legislators and school superintendents, board members and administrators Dec. 27 at the Custer School District Administration building. Representatives from Custer, Hill City and Hot Springs school districts were all present at the meeting.

City approves wage increases

Published by admin on Thu, 01/05/2023 - 10:08am
Hill City Council aldermen approved raises for city positions effective the beginning of 2023. The decision was made at the Dec. 27 Hill City Common Council meeting.
“I think it’s a well deserved raise for employees,” said  alderman Dale Householder. 
The Development  Services Coordinator  position hourly wage will increase by $4/hour to  $24.59.
All full-time and regular part-time employees past their probationary period will see an increase of $2 per hour along with a 5 percent cost of living adjustment.

Town officials discuss emergency plan

Published by admin on Thu, 01/05/2023 - 10:07am
 
December’s bitter cold and blizzard weather prompted the question of what Hill City and Keystone do in case of an emergency.
The answer depends on the town.
In general both towns rely on coordination between various entities, including Dustin Willett, emergency management director for Pennington County.