Custer County Chronicle

Chronicle wins 10 SDNA awards

Published by admin on Wed, 05/01/2024 - 11:20am

Writing, photography and advertising were among the categories the Custer County Chronicle was honored for at the most recent gathering of the South Dakota NewsMedia Association (SDNA).
The Custer County Chronicle received 10 awards last Friday, April 26, as part of the Better News Media contest, one event at the 141st annual SDNA convention. The Chronicle was entered in the category for all weekly newspapers with a circulation over 1,300.

French Creek discharge hits state supreme court

Published by admin on Wed, 05/01/2024 - 11:17am

Water quality advocates in Custer County want the state Supreme Court to make the county enforce a voter-backed ordinance barring the discharge of treated wastewater into a creek by the city of Custer.
The city studied four options for discharge and chose French Creek. Since 1972, the city had discharged treated wastewater into Flynn Creek. But rebuilding its discharge pipe for Flynn Creek would be too expensive, the city and its contractor determined in 2020, and there were environmental concerns with the other options.

Landowners ‘feel sidelined’ regarding French Creek

Published by admin on Wed, 05/01/2024 - 11:14am

Critics of a city’s decision to release treated wastewater into a scenic and historic Black Hills creek say it could pollute the water and is being done without sufficient input from affected residents.
The city of Custer is upgrading its wastewater treatment system because of projected population growth and maintenance problems with the current system.
The upgrade includes building a new pipe to discharge the city’s treated wastewater into French Creek, downstream of Stockade Lake, and decommissioning the current discharge pipe into Flynn Creek.

Owner-occupied definition questioned

Published by admin on Wed, 05/01/2024 - 11:13am

What qualifies for owner-occupied status when it comes to assessing property in South Dakota? It depends on who you ask.
In Custer County, however, a strict interpretation is followed—much to the chagrin of some—and the recommendation to continue to strictly follow state statute was given again by Custer County state’s attorney Tracy Kelley at the April 24 meeting of the Custer County Commission.

Big Apple gets a bite of South Dakota

Published by admin on Wed, 05/01/2024 - 11:13am

As New York City is a hub of national and international media, Travel South Dakota recently assembled a sampling of some of   South Dakota’s best businesses and attractions to bring a bite of South Dakota to the Big Apple.
Writers and producers from major print and TV media outlets as well as social media influencers met with representatives from the South Dakota Chislic Festival, the Ingalls Homestead, the Sturgis Buffalo Chip, the Lakota Music Project, Fernson Brewery and more in a media blitz that took place in Manhattan this April.

Missing Custer woman found deceased

Published by admin on Wed, 05/01/2024 - 11:12am

On the evening of April 23, Johnna Bense’s vehicle, and subsequently Bense, was located in rural Fall River County. Bense was deceased.
Bense’s cause of death is being investigated by the Fall River County Sheriff’s Office.
“This is not the outcome we were hoping for, but are happy that Johnna’s family has closure,” Custer County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Derrick Reifenrath said. “We would like to thank all of the agencies involved in the search along with the public.”

Man sentenced to 37 years in FBI kidnapping case

Published by admin on Wed, 04/24/2024 - 10:40am

A man convicted of carjacking and kidnapping an FBI victim specialist near Red Shirt was sentenced to 37 years in prison for a variety of crimes committed in the case April 12 at the federal courthouse in Rapid City.

Real estate market trending traditional following spike

Published by admin on Wed, 04/24/2024 - 10:39am

In the face of COVID, Custer and the surrounding area saw a booming real estate market with many properties selling high, fast and sometimes sight unseen. Now, the market seems to be adapting a bit from that spike.
“People were wanting to get away from wherever they were. South Dakota was open for business and there was a sense of normality here so people would buy sight unseen because of that,” said Craig Reindl of Western Skies Real Estate in Custer.
“People were moving here on fear,” said Lori Svoboda, also of Western Skies.

Council says no to fluffy cow in Fluffy Cow

Published by admin on Wed, 04/24/2024 - 10:38am

There will be no fluffy cows inside the Fluffy Cow Outlet this summer after a request to keep a live baby buffalo inside the store this summer was denied by the Custer City Council at the council’s April 15 meeting.
Natan Korliker of the Fluffy Cow Outlet was not present at the meeting but had submitted a letter to the council requesting “any needed permission or permits in regards to keeping a live baby American Bison in the store at the above mentioned address for the upcoming summer tourist season.”

Teachers talk behavioral challenges

Published by admin on Wed, 04/24/2024 - 10:37am

Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund money that the district began to receive  following COVID-19 is set to expire next year. Because of that the district’s plan of how to continue funding the positions that operated out of that fund was a major topic of discussion at the April 8 meeting of the Custer School District Board of Education at the Hermosa School as it reviewed district positions.