Opinion

Consideration for consolidation

Published by admin on Wed, 04/23/2025 - 1:17pm
My dad used to say out of all of his children, I was the one that called it like I saw it. It makes me unpopular at times, but even as a child I wanted things to be “fair.”
I also believe in supporting small communities and buying local whenever possible. It’s why I stayed out of big box stores for over a decade. 
But here in Pennington County, it’s getting flat out harder to live. As I am about to pay my property taxes I see lots of numbers on my bill. Some are hard to swallow. 

Easter sunrise service at Mount Rushmore

Published by admin on Wed, 04/23/2025 - 1:09pm

He is risen! He is risen indeed! Happy belated Easter. Here in District 30 we have two world famous monuments. No, not the civic center nor the hospital —drum roll—I guess everyone knows we have Mount Rushmore and Crazy Horse. One of the most gratifying religious events in the Black Hills is the Easter Sunrise Service at Mount Rushmore.

Time to put on our best face, Custer

Published by admin on Wed, 04/23/2025 - 12:14pm

Spring is in the air, the recent snow not withstanding. More businesses are opening, there are more people on the street, and the days are getting longer and warmer—again, last week’s snow notwithstanding. Yes, it’s springtime, even if it means the occasional cold day. After all, it’s spring in the Black Hills.

Praying for rain

Published by admin on Wed, 04/23/2025 - 12:11pm

I don’t know if there’s a better time of year on the ranch than the tail end of calving season, those first summerish days, when the mornings are still crisp and cool, and the warming earth is fragrant and greening up.

Progress is worth celebrating

Published by admin on Wed, 04/16/2025 - 9:33am

When you opened your copy of the Custer County Chronicle today, you likely discovered a nice, thick special edition tucked inside the regular newspaper. This is our April Progress Edition, which features stories about the progress in infrastructure, businesses, nonprofits, tourism and more across Custer County.

We proudly present Progress 2025

Published by admin on Wed, 04/16/2025 - 9:32am

By the time some of you pick this newspaper up Wednesday afternoon, the office at the Chronicle will be locked up and we won’t be there. Why? A celebration will be taking place at a local restaurant.
That celebration is for a good cause. The 2025 Custer County Chronicle and Hill City Prevailer News Progress Editions are out the door. They are out of our lives. For another year, at least. The Progress Edition is truly a labor of love, but there should be an emphasis on the labor part of that phrase. The Progress Edition is a lot of work. And we mean a lot of work.

Providing real property tax relief

Published by admin on Wed, 04/16/2025 - 8:38am
Now that the legislative session is in the rearview mirror, I’m focused on looking forward and unlocking new opportunities for South Dakota. We had a historic 100th legislative session, and we accomplished a lot for the people of South Dakota—but there’s more work to do!

When is the breaking point?

Published by admin on Wed, 04/16/2025 - 8:36am
Greetings! Let’s talk property taxes, shall we? First off, let’s put things in the proper perspective. The state of South Dakota receives zero dollars from property taxes. All of our property taxes are collected by the county and dispersed to the different tax entities within the county. The state is funded by sales tax, federal monies, unclaimed property, etc., not property taxes.

Vandalizing Teslas is counterproductive

Published by admin on Wed, 04/09/2025 - 11:34am

In the latest installment of the Democrat saga “We haven’t grasped why we lost the election,” some Democrats have taken to burning and vandalizing Teslas or vandalizing Tesla dealerships all in the name of allegedly sticking it to Elon Musk. Why is it every time Democrats (again, not all, I think that goes without saying) get angry they immediately resort to violence? It accomplishes absolutely nothing, and if anything, is off-putting and extremely counterproductive.

Carries make Custer a great place

Published by admin on Wed, 04/09/2025 - 11:31am

It was last Friday when I wrapped up my Progress Edition interviews (finally!) when I went over the Petals and Pages, formerly known as Jenny’s Floral, to interview owner Carrie Moore about both moving her business as well as changing the name.
As I talked to her and looked around her new place (and if you haven’t checked it out, you definitely should) I couldn’t help but feel very proud of her. And she really should be very proud of herself.