Opinion

Happy new year—for the state, anyway

Published by admin on Wed, 07/09/2025 - 8:46am

What kind of headline is that? Crazy, isn’t it? Well, leave it to the state and federal governments to mess up our calendar. Our normal citizens’ calendars go from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31. Our state year is from July 1 to June 30 and our federal government year is from Oct. 1 to Sept. 30. It seems like a governmental bureaucratic shell game to me, but I didn’t get to decide. So, of course, the reason I’m saying Happy New Year is that our state’s new year just started July 1.

Our public lands must not be for sale

Published by admin on Wed, 07/02/2025 - 1:13pm

Americans have long enjoyed the practical and romantic aspects of the West. The West has provided us with minerals, timber, energy and space to roam freely for generations. We have a wonderful asset in the West—our public lands – which are owned by the people of the United States and held in trust for us by the federal government. Anybody can go out there and recreate, for free, any time and that is a good thing for all of us.

We can’t let West Dam stagnate

Published by admin on Wed, 07/02/2025 - 1:10pm

Stagnant.
That was the word used at the most recent meeting of the West Dam Committee, which meets every Thursday to discuss the ongoing rebuild at West Dam and fundraising efforts to that end.
The word wasn’t used in terms of the rebuild—that is going just fine. It was used, rather, to describe the fundraising being done to facilitate the construction.

Appreciating what we have

Published by admin on Wed, 07/02/2025 - 9:39am
I appreciate you.
I use this phrase a lot.
With coworkers, wait staff, in supermarkets, with friends.
I kept hearing this  phrase today from Junior as I watched him run around, trying to get cars fixed in a timely matter.
He was fitting me in when a woman walked in with two kids and I told him to help her first. 
Those words are so powerful.
As was this experience. 
The dreaded “check engine” light in my car came on while in the middle of Denver.

Where to go on property taxes?

Published by admin on Wed, 07/02/2025 - 9:38am
When COVID hit in 2020 it caused an ongoing problem with many people fleeing from urban areas to rural states like South Dakota. This has ultimately resulted in astronomical increases in property demand resulting in increased valuations.

The possible America’s Heroes State Garden

Published by admin on Wed, 07/02/2025 - 9:34am
Greetings. Land of the free because of the brave is a great logo to use in celebrating our 249th Independence Day. Yep! 249 and one year away from the 250th celebration of this great constitutional republic. No other country in history has lasted this long. Now that’s for sure a big hooah hooah!
It was five years ago on the Fourth of July that we had the huge fireworks show at the “Shrine of Democracy,” Mount Rushmore. Marcia and I had the opportunity to attend that spectacular event.

A little help from our friends

Published by admin on Wed, 06/25/2025 - 12:05pm

Should you come into the Chronicle office at any point during a week day, you’re likely to see one of, if not all, of our full-time staff members. You’ll see Jeanne greeting you. You’ll see Esther quietly working on her assignments for the week. You’ll see Jason staying out of view of whoever came in while he determines who it is. You’ll even see Jerry from time to time, if he isn’t in his office.

Small summer wonders

Published by admin on Wed, 06/25/2025 - 12:01pm

This part of the summer, right around the solstice, is my favorite time of year, and I think it’s the absolute best time to be in Custer. Now that I’ve moved away to California, I find myself missing the cool dewey mornings that progress into beautifully warm and bright summer days in the Black Hills.

An update from the arts council

Published by admin on Wed, 06/25/2025 - 11:54am

Greetings, Custer. I have the honor of serving as the president of the Custer Area Arts Council. It’s a role that fills me with immense pride, not just because I get to be a part of a vibrant creative community, but because I get a front-row seat to the incredible ways art shapes our lives here in Custer.

Family, food, fireworks and freedom

Published by admin on Wed, 06/25/2025 - 9:27am
The Fourth of July is easily one of my favorite holidays. It’s a yearly reminder for us to celebrate living in the land of the free—and let’s be honest, we could all use a little boost of patriotism these days. Not only that, but it’s one of the few holidays that we celebrate during the summer months when the grass is green, the days are long and the evenings are made for being outside.