Hill City Prevailer

Thousands gather for Roundup

Published by admin on Thu, 10/01/2020 - 10:25am

The 55th annual Buffalo Roundup at Custer State Park held Sept. 25 can easily be listed as a successful event.

Those gathered in the buffalo corrals at the park saw a herd of 1,450 bison herded into corrals to be vaccinated and have their general health checked.

Town gets flood grant

Published by admin on Thu, 10/01/2020 - 10:25am

Keystone has received a pre-disaster mitigation grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

According to town documents, the grant is “for completing an engineering study of the City of Keystone within Battle and Grizzly Bear Creeks.”

Town Finance Officer Cassandra Ott explains that, “what they’re going to be doing is they have Lidar (Light Detection and Ranging) data that can tell elevations fairly accurately but it gets a little mixed up when it comes to vegetation.”

Park gets big gift

Published by admin on Thu, 10/01/2020 - 10:25am

Custer State Park is about to get a new building, thanks to some generous donors.

The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust awarded a $4 million grant to the S.D. Parks and Wildlife Foundation to build a Custer State Park Bison Center. The announcement was made at a press conference attended by S.D. Gov. Kristi Noem, Matt Snyder, superintendent of Custer State Park, and Walter Panzirer, a trustee of the trust.

“Today is extremely special because (Panzirer’s) heart for this park is incredible,” Gov. Noem said.

District employees deemed essential

Published by admin on Thu, 09/24/2020 - 10:48am

By Leslie Silverman

 

The Hill City School Board voted unanimously to deem all employees of the Hill City School District as essential at its most recent board meeting Sept. 14.

Transient merchant revision sent to city

Published by admin on Thu, 09/24/2020 - 10:48am

An amendment to Hill City Municipal Code (HCMC) regarding transient merchants is being sent to the Hill City Common Council. The move came at Monday’s Hill City Planning and Zoning Commission  meeting.

“The city attorney (Katelyn Cook) has reviewed the proposed changes to HCMC 3.09 licensing and regulation of transient merchants,” said Dani Schade, development service coordinator for Hill City.

Town board meeting features trash talk

Published by admin on Thu, 09/24/2020 - 10:47am

The complaint came from Lisa Schaeffer, owner of the Red Garter Saloon.

In it, she said, “We need to have more trash cans along the boardwalk and out on the sidewalk by the light posts/and or bump-outs to cross the street. The tourists have nowhere to throw their trash out from all the ice cream/pop/etc. as they walk up and down. We’ve had more complaints from visitors than ever before on the dirtiness and all the smells along our main street. “

Her idea, to raise the town’s business license fee, was just one discussed, although no action was taken.

Homecoming parade coming

Published by admin on Thu, 09/17/2020 - 11:31am

It was a busy night for the Hill City Common Council as a new alderman was appointed, the council approved the city’s first homecoming parade in quite some time and the council gave the green light to go out to bid for the Major Lake bridge project.

The meeting started off with a discussion on filling a vacancy in the council after Bill Miner resigned his post, which took affect after the last meeting.

“Under terms of resignation there are two things we can do: appointment and special election,” said Kathy Skorzewski, Hill City mayor.

Chamber and seniors unite

Published by admin on Thu, 09/17/2020 - 11:30am

With a continued lack of volunteers, Keystone’s major nonprofits, the Keystone Museum and the Keystone Senior Center, are looking at creative ways to continue to play a vital role in the community.

The museum, which would normally close its doors in September, will stay open until the last week in October.

“We felt that since we opened late and did have limited hours it was necessary,” said Keystone Area Historical Society Board president Jon Veltman.

According to Veltman, the museum’s new director, Casey Sullivan, has “made a very positive impact on the museum.”

Cashing in on transient merchants

Published by admin on Thu, 09/10/2020 - 10:49am

Keystone is seeing an unprecedented number of transient vendors this tourist season, according to town finance officer Cassandra Ott.

“This is the first time we’ve ever had to renew a transient vendor license,” Ott said. “I have never seen any business pay the $800 more than once.”

The town charges transient vendors, those without a brick and mortar presence in the town, $800 to set up shop in the town for a month long period.

Wall comes down

Published by admin on Thu, 09/10/2020 - 10:48am

The rock wall right of way dispute between the town of Keystone and citizen Judy Helmer is over.

The Keystone Town Board decided in a 3-1 vote to ask homeowner Holmer to remove the rock wall, which encroaches on the town’s right of way (ROW) on Columbia Street.

Trustee Kwinn Neff was the lone vote opposing the wall’s removal. While the wall will be removed, the gravel leading up to it will be allowed to remain. Helmer got a contractor’s license for her landscaper when the project began in May.