Hill City Prevailer

Legislators proud of property tax relief

Published by admin on Wed, 04/08/2026 - 10:01am
Like many years, the 101st South Dakota Legislative Session saw some successes, triggered some disappointment and inspired aspirations for the next session.
Overall, District 30 Rep. Trish Ladner said it was a highly successful session, with Rep. Tim Goodwin saying it was perhaps the most productive session he has ever participated in.
“The House and Senate worked together effectively to serve the people of South Dakota. Our shared focus remained clear throughout, and that was working for the people of our state,” said Ladner.

Petition results for 2026 election

Published by admin on Wed, 04/08/2026 - 9:59am
Hill City will see contested races in each ward and for mayor. According to the Pennington County Auditor’s Office, Tana Nichols, the incumbent mayor of Hill City, will  run against a familiar name, Kathy Skorzewski, who was previously mayor of the town until 2023.
Ward I will see incumbent Justin Thiry face off against Cheryl Honour. In Ward II incumbent Dennis Siebert will oppose John Johnson.

Towns tests over the limit on forever chemicals

Published by admin on Wed, 04/08/2026 - 9:40am
Keystone Public Works has conducted three PFAs (Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) tests and will have to test quarterly in 2027. 
“One well tested a little over the limits, so we’re looking at getting a pilot program in here to remove the PFAS,” said public works supervisor Jerry Przybylski at the April 1 Keystone Town Board meeting. He also indicated that overall the town well levels were inconsistent with the state offering no explanation.

Task order change denied

Published by admin on Wed, 04/01/2026 - 9:53am
Aldermen did not approve a task order change  for bathrooms at Memorial Park. The denial came at the March 23 Hill City Common Council (HCCC) meeting where council members questioned the  $48,500 proposed expenditure for a design change from a prefabricated water treatment building to a concrete block building. This amount would have covered the modification to the design only, not the actual building. The original prefab building did not require any architectural or mechanical design.

Rebranding on the way for Hill City

Published by admin on Wed, 04/01/2026 - 9:52am
In a move officials say will “modernize the region’s image for a new generation of visitors,” a coalition of tourism professionals announced last week that Hill City will soon be rebranded under a new, more marketable name. 
The proposal recommends renaming “The Heart of the Hills” to “better reflect vibrant seasonal tones, emotional resonance and Instagram discoverability,” according to the head of the newly-formed Hill City Strategic Task Force.
Top runners for the rebranding title include, “Basecamp Experience,” and “The Town with the Train.”

EDC tries to solve affordable housing puzzle

Published by admin on Wed, 04/01/2026 - 9:51am
The Hill City Economic Development Corporation (EDC) is looking at completing another housing study, partially in the hopes of creating an affordable housing project in the Hill City area. Shonna McBride, vice president of the EDC board, said the EDC is making “good progress” on the affordable housing initiative and will explain said progress to the Hill City Common Council (HCCC) at the April 13 meeting.

New Underwood wildland fire

Published by admin on Wed, 04/01/2026 - 9:36am

The New Underwood Volunteer Fire Department responded to a report of a wildland fire in the 22000 block of Sharpe Rd, Unincorporated Pennington County. Upon arrival firefighters observed a wind-driven fire burning in cured vegetation under critical fire weather conditions and immediately struck a second alarm. The fire threatened infrastructure, and caused damage to ranching assets. Firefighters contained the fire to approximately 43 acres. No injuries to firefighters, civilians, livestock or domestic animals were reported. 

Coyote Flats Fire hits Rockerville

Published by admin on Wed, 03/25/2026 - 9:53am
A fire in Rockerville was called in March 18 at 1:21 p.m. It would become known as the Coyote Flats Fire. 
On the ground, firefighters from multiple agencies, including federal state and local units, attacked the fire throughout the night of March 18. The official fire boundary was north of Neck Yoke Road and Coyote Flats Road. 
Neck Yoke Road was closed to the public in both directions as were adjacent roads,  Spring Creek and South Rockerville. The fire grew to 385 acres and the cause remains under investigation. 

State opens 40 more slots in teacher apprenticeship program

Published by admin on Wed, 03/25/2026 - 9:42am
Another 40 paraprofessionals could be accepted into South Dakota’s teacher apprenticeship program, which is meant to reduce the teaching shortage across the state. 
The program, started in 2023, allows full-time paraprofessionals — sometimes called teacher’s aides — to pursue a teaching degree online through Dakota State University in elementary or special education, or through Northern State University in secondary education, at a steep discount while retaining their position.

Firework lottery dates released

Published by admin on Wed, 03/18/2026 - 9:48am
Mount Rushmore National Memorial is hosting a July 3 fireworks display this year. This is a ticketed event. People who wish to see the fireworks display need to enter a lottery, which opens April 8 at 8 a.m. and closes April 12 at 9:59 p.m.  
Tickets are assigned randomly, and ticket requests  come with an option to be shuttled round trip from Rapid City to the event or park in the parking garage onsite. Lottery applicants will be notified April 14 of the results. A ticket covers a total of four people, which must be declared when applying.