News

School staff simulates poverty

Published by admin on Thu, 03/05/2020 - 9:14am
The South Dakota Education Association (SDEA) partnered with Custer School District (CSD) to produce a poverty simulation for CSD staff to expose them to trials and tribulations of what kids and families go through when in poverty.
The SDEA group came to Custer school district on Feb. 28 in which they provided instructions to a small group of table workers and district employees who participated in the simulation. Throughout the morning, the district employees were given a specific task at each table that related to poverty and assistance.

Rushmore fireworks info session March 10

Published by admin on Thu, 03/05/2020 - 9:08am
The National Park Service (NPS) announced next steps in advancing the return of fireworks to Mount Rushmore National Memorial after an 11-year absence. The draft environmental assessment (EA) available for review explores the return of fireworks in a way that protects the memorial, the environment and park visitors. Public comments for the proposed fireworks celebration at Mount Rushmore are being accepted on the NPS project website from Feb. 28 through March 30.

Election law discussed at length

Published by admin on Thu, 02/27/2020 - 10:23am

Discussion over who is legally allowed to run for a seat on the Keystone Town Board took place at the most recent town board meeting Feb. 19.

The discussion was brought up by trustee Kwinn Neff and was on the agenda as “reminder of election law.” Trustee Neff brought up the discussion.

“I have on the agenda a complaint from a citizen on election laws,” Neff said. 

Council wants to get city project priorities straight

Published by admin on Thu, 02/27/2020 - 10:23am

At Monday’s Hill City Common Council meeting, the council discussed project priorities moving forward.

Priorities were discussed in the past; however, the council had not looked at its priority list for several months.

Of chief concern for both the council and the public was water and sewer. There is a water infiltration that is costing the city tens of thousands of dollars a year, it was reported.

Attainable housing plot, PUD approved

Published by admin on Thu, 02/27/2020 - 10:22am

The attainable housing development in Hill City took another step forward recently as the Hill City Planning and Zoning Commission and the Hill City Common Council both approved plat designs and planned use development (PUD) applications at both of their latest meetings.

The plat for the attainable housing development (to be called Bull Run Subdivision) was to create lots one through 20 of block one, lots one through 20 of block two and a dedicated public right of way.

Keystone to split bridge project bids

Published by admin on Thu, 02/27/2020 - 10:22am

Keystone will split the Roy Street bridge project into two separate bids, according to the most recent town board meeting.

The request is due to the design change to the bridge behind the c-store from a box culvert to a double “t.”

Town engineer Alan Drews said, “We’ve got the design of the bridges done on Roy Street. We ran into a snag, The state is requesting additional scour stuff.” 

Film Festival draws film fans to Hill City

Published by admin on Thu, 02/27/2020 - 10:22am

The 11th annual Black Hills Film Festival was in Hill City last weekend.

The two-day stop in the Heart of the Hills featured five sessions and over 15 films.

The closing session, held Sunday afternoon had short films about two local artists. Director Riley Thelen, from Pierre, debuted his first film entitled, “When Life Gives You Lemmon.” The nine-minute piece focuses on the small town of Lemmon and its most famous resident, sculptor and welder John Lopez.

Transparency takes center stage at council meeting

Published by admin on Thu, 02/27/2020 - 10:22am

Transparency was a big theme at Monday night’s Hill City Common Council meeting.

The council discussed whether or not other bodies should be video recording their meetings and what to do to make the video process easier.

City council scraps community center plan

Published by admin on Thu, 02/27/2020 - 9:31am
Eight years after it took possession of the former Custer Elementary School, the city of Custer’s plan to renovate the school to become the home of city offices and Custer YMCA is dead. At least, dead in its current form.
The death knell was struck at the Feb. 18 meeting of the Custer City Council, when it unanimously rejected a revised Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP) for the renovation project presented by Ainsworth Benning, construction manager at risk for the now-defunct project.

Police: White robbed before

Published by admin on Thu, 02/27/2020 - 9:30am
Rapid City Police say they believe armed robbery suspect Christopher White — the man who held law enforcement officers at bay in Custer for several hours before fatally shooting himself Feb. 11 — is the same person who committed two previous drug store robberies in Rapid City starting in December.