Opinion

Time to roll out all-decade teams

Published by admin on Thu, 01/16/2020 - 8:42am
My, how 20 years flies by.
This year marks the beginning of my 19th year at the Custer County Chronicle. What a ride it’s been. It seems almost impossible to believe that I’ve now contributed to around 1,000 issues of this paper. It’s hard to wrap my mind around.

Americans tired of endless wars

Published by admin on Thu, 01/09/2020 - 10:05am
News of an American rocket attack that killed a top Iranian general in Iraq last week was hailed by most Republicans and condemned by most Democrats. This comes as no surprise considering the deep political divide we have in this country today. If you changed the name of our president from Trump to Obama you may have a complete reversal of opinion on this matter. This is how ridiculous the deep divide has become in America.

Thankfulness is always in season

Published by admin on Thu, 01/09/2020 - 10:02am
Thanksgiving may be over, but it is always in season to be thankful for what we have, how much or how little we perceive that to be.
I recently read that the Pilgrims made seven times more graves than huts. No Americans have been more impoverished than those who nevertheless set aside a day of thanksgiving.
Our late pastor used to tell us if we didn’t think we had anything to be thankful for, we could be thankful that when it snows or rains, that it doesn’t just dump on us all at once — that it comes down in tiny droplets or snowflakes. 

Don’t make a resolution

Published by admin on Thu, 01/09/2020 - 9:49am

Last year, you might have read a column that I wrote entitled something like “A very millennial resolution.” In that very column, I wrote about my New Year’s resolution for 2019: stay off my phone more.

Well, I write this column in 2020 informing you that, as someone recently told me, I have completely and utterly failed at that.

Ringing in my 50th year

Published by admin on Thu, 01/02/2020 - 10:44am

Bring on 2020!

I will turn 50 this year and I have decided to make a list of “50 firsts.” They are things I have never done that I have always wanted to do. This is a challenge for me. I have done a lot of things — lived in other countries, swam with giant turtles, gone whale watching, hitchhiked in Oz and motorcycled the Ho Chi Minh Trail.

It was a year of progress

Published by admin on Thu, 01/02/2020 - 8:58am
Families across South Dakota have started taking down Christmas trees and kids are getting ready to start a new semester at school. With another holiday season nearly behind us, I want to reflect on the many things we’ve accomplished this year. 

Flood of 2019 was top story

Published by admin on Thu, 01/02/2020 - 8:52am
There can be no doubt that the Flood of 2019 was our top local story last year in Custer County. What started out as a mid-afternoon heavy rain northwest of Custer on Aug. 2 quickly turned into a massive flash flood that starting hitting Custer on its west side about 5 p.m. The resulting flood waters flowing through town like a wide river directly impacted at least two dozen families and indirectly affected dozens more.

‘tis the season of giving

Published by admin on Thu, 12/26/2019 - 10:52am

Christmas is here.

There are many things that I love about this time of year — decorating cookies, watching Christmas movies and spending time with loved ones.

But there’s another part of Christmas that I love.

This is the time of year to give back to your fellow man, to lend a hand to those who are less fortunate than us.

And the Hills have a plethora of ways to give back.

What a wild year it’s been

Published by admin on Thu, 12/26/2019 - 9:15am
As the sun sets on 2019 and we look toward a new year, it’s time to reflect on the year that was. This year could only be described as wild, both on the local and national level.

My favorite Christmas tradition

Published by admin on Thu, 12/26/2019 - 9:12am
One of the terms most oft associated with Christmas is the word “tradition.” Whether you’re talking about a church, a business, a community group or a family, every one has some tradition involving Christmas, even if the tradition is to ignore the holiday altogether. 
In families it is pretty much universally agreed that traditions are important. Many years ago in writing an introduction to a book co-written by his wife on creating family traditions, Focus on the Family founder Dr. James Dobson made the following statement: