Custer County Chronicle

Lunafest scheduled for early June

Published by admin on Thu, 04/21/2022 - 9:39am

Now is the time to begin to make plans for the Zonta Women’s Lunafest Film and Arts Festival, scheduled for June 4-6. The event includes films by and about women, art and artisan exhibits and musical performances.
Tickets for the festival are $15 or a “love offering” at the door the day of the event. You may pay at the door or purchase your ticket ahead time. A virtual viewing is also available for $10.
Lunafest is a fundraiser for the Zonta Club of the Southern Hills, which uses the money toward programs that empower women.

Wabash Springs Fire threatened homes

Published by admin on Wed, 04/13/2022 - 4:09pm

With dry conditions and high and gusty northwest winds, last week’s Wabash Springs wildfire west of Custer was dangerous, but it could have been a whole lot worse according to local officials.
The fire in grass and timber in the Fjerdingren Place/Pinto Lane/Palamino Road area was reported at shortly after 7 o’clock Thursday morning and, whipped up by 40 mph winds, quickly grew to between 50 and 100 acres in size.

Easter Egg Hunt Saturday

Published by admin on Wed, 04/13/2022 - 4:08pm

The Custer YMCA, Custer VFW Women’s Auxiliary and Southern Hills Title Co. will sponsor the annual easter egg hunt Saturday, but the annual hunt has been moved from Harbach Park due to the ongoing construction there.
This year’s hunt will instead be held at French Creek Park, located across Washington Street from The Custer Beacon. The event is free for children up to 8 years old. No registration is required.
Children should bring their bags or baskets to the park to collect eggs stuffed with special treats.

Churches set Holy Week services

Published by admin on Wed, 04/13/2022 - 4:06pm

Churches across Custer County are planning special services and events in observance of Holy Week which started off with Palm Sunday services on April 10.
One of the more energetic programs will be an Easter cantata which will double as a fundraiser for Ukrainian refugees.

Year off to dry start

Published by admin on Wed, 04/13/2022 - 4:06pm

Last week’s Wabash Fire just northwest of Custer was a stark reminder of what many people already know about this past winter in Custer County—it’s been dry.
Through April 12, Custer had officially received 2.53 inches of precipitation so far this year. Custer’s average precipitation through April is 4.07 inches, meaning Custer is about an inch and a half below what it receives on average through the first third of the year, although April is only halfway over.

School approves psychologist training

Published by admin on Wed, 04/13/2022 - 4:06pm

The most remarkable aspect of the April meeting of the Custer School District Board of Education as compared with the two previous meetings was the small size of the audience. With the question of restarting high school soccer after a decade’s absence having been settled at the March meeting, there were fewer than 10 observers at Monday’s session and several of those were staff members. However, a number of important decisions were made including the selection of a staff member who will be trained to become the district’s full-time school psychologist.

Dealing with school mental health issues

Published by admin on Wed, 04/13/2022 - 4:05pm

Sara Holmberg’s job as a counselor at Dell Rapids Middle School has never been more challenging.
As fallout from the pandemic creates what the U.S. Surgeon General calls a “youth mental health crisis,” school counselors like Holmberg find themselves providing not just academic and vocational guidance, but emotional support to students and families. Forging that many personal connections is difficult, so schools are exploring ways to supplement traditional counseling with professional partnerships to make sure teens get the attention they need.

Verbal sparring continues over three-mile limit

Published by admin on Thu, 04/07/2022 - 9:30am

“Give it up.”
That is the message Custer County Commissioner Mark Hartman said was being delivered to towns in Custer County via his introduction of a county resolution that if passed would prohibit directing discretionary funds from the county to municipalities that maintain extraterritorial jurisdiction within Custer County.

County commission field crowded

Published by admin on Thu, 04/07/2022 - 9:28am

Custer County voters will have no lack of choices for Custer County Commission when the June 7 Primary Election arrives.
There are eight candidates for three positions available for four year terms on the commission, including three incumbents—current commission chairman Jim Lintz, Craig Hindle and Mike Linde—all of whom are Republicans.
Joining them in the field of candidates will be a bevy of fellow Republicans, including Jesse Sorenson, a former commissioner who was defeated in the previous election.

Details key in doing prescribed burns

Published by admin on Thu, 04/07/2022 - 9:26am

“Why are they having a prescribed fire? It’s too windy!”
That’s a common refrain U.S. Forest Service personnel hear whenever the Forest Service conducts a prescribed fire, but Forest Service forest fuels specialist Chris Stover assures area residents that a complicated formula and a great deal of math and science go into determining where and when a prescribed burn takes place.