News

Vision, need for pipeline unfolds

Published by admin on Wed, 10/01/2025 - 10:06am

The Western Dakota Regional Water System (WDRWS) annual meeting  was held at the K Bar S Lodge in Keystone Sept. 25.
Executive director Kristin Conzet said the underlying message is, “We are all interconnected because we are using the  aquifers that lie beneath us.” 
Conzet stressed that Western South Dakota is growing and that the challenges uncovered by the South Dakota School of Mines study indicate  “potential of droughts, limited recharge and strained infrastructure.”

Construction manager at risk chosen

Published by admin on Wed, 10/01/2025 - 10:04am

Hill City has chosen Scull Construction for its construction manager at risk (CMAR) to lead up the water and sewer projects in town. The announcement came informally at the Sept. 22 Hill City Common Council (HCCC) meeting and will be official after a Sept. 29 special meeting.
City administrator Nate Anderson said a committee interviewed three companies: Scull, RCS and Rice Lake West out of Golden, Colo. 

Support, donations make progress on Ponderosa Pavillion

Published by admin on Wed, 10/01/2025 - 10:03am

The new pavilion at Ponderosa Park by the Hill City Visitor Information Center (VIC) is coming to fruition thanks to a large group of volunteers and  community support. 
The Hill City Park Board gave an update on the project and its project at Memorial Park at the Sept. 22 Hill City Common Council meeting. The board has $195,000 earmarked for park projects, and aldermen approved $65,000 for the park board to spend on the Ponderosa project and its dug out replacement at Memorial Park.

Legislature OKs building new prison in Sioux Falls

Published by admin on Wed, 10/01/2025 - 9:52am
After 144 years, South Dakota lawmakers decided Tuesday it’s time for “the Hill” to retire.
The required two-thirds of each legislative chamber voted to endorse a 1,500-bed, $650 million replacement for the state penitentiary building that opened its doors when South Dakota was still Dakota Territory. The new men’s prison will be the most expensive capital project ever funded by the state’s taxpayers.

Buffalo Roundup and Arts Festival Sept. 26

Published by admin on Wed, 09/24/2025 - 2:43pm

Feel the earth shake as the hooves of more than 1,400 buffalo thunder through the valley at Custer State Park’s 60th annual Buffalo Roundup and Arts Festival this Friday, Sept. 26. 
During the event, cowboys and cowgirls on horseback will round up and drive the herd of buffalo about five miles over the ridge, down the hill and into corrals for sorting. There, the buffalo are sorted, branded, tested and treated to maintain a strong and healthy herd. 

City votes to cut chamber funding

Published by admin on Wed, 09/24/2025 - 2:39pm

The Custer Area Chamber of Commerce will potentially receive less than half of the money it would normally by the year 2030 under an amended ordinance, for which the first reading was passed by the Custer City Council at the council’s Sept. 15 meeting.
The changes begin in  fiscal year 2026 as the city seeks to set more money aside in the hopes of moving ahead with its plans to construct a new communtiy center.

Parent presents playground problems

Published by admin on Wed, 09/24/2025 - 2:38pm

Are children allowed to play at the playground after school is dismissed? 
Terri Kester asked the Custer School District (CSD) Board of Education about the matter at the meeting Sept. 8 at the Custer Administrative Building. 
Kester said she, along with other parents, recently received messages from teachers concerned about their children’s after school plans. The matter has caused some confusion and upset a number of parents. 

County employees question GIS transfer

Published by admin on Wed, 09/24/2025 - 1:16pm

Some county employees expressed concern at the Sept. 17 meeting of the Custer County Commission over a commission mandate that will see the county’s GIS responsibilities transferred from a standalone GIS department to the county’s planning office.
The county’s GIS department has for years been led remotely by Troy Schmidt. Under the commission’s plan, Schmidt will train all three employees of the county’s planning department until the end of the year, and will also remain available to help answer questions, etc., as needed after the transition.

Boys first, girls third at Custer Invite

Published by admin on Wed, 09/24/2025 - 1:04pm

Although the Custer High School Wildcats were using the Eldon Knudson Invitational Cross Country Meet at Rocky Knolls Golf Course as a training run, the boys walked away with a first place finish. 
“That wasn’t the primary goal when we ran it. I just wanted them to be on the course, to get a good workout in and to again run solidly as a team and pull each other along,” said head coach Karen Karim. 
Kian Rusch and Peyton Krueger ran stride for stride throughout the race, taking fourth at 18:16.16 and fifth at 18:17.31, respectively. 

Both sides of Fairburn recall vote offer perspective

Published by admin on Wed, 09/24/2025 - 12:49pm

A Fairburn Town Board member who has been on the job roughly three months will face a recall election in the small eastern Custer County town Oct. 7.
Cameron Smith, the man who filed the petition to recall town board member Bradley Mikkelson, said it only took one meeting before he felt having Mikkelson on the board was not going to work.