At a table in the center of the Custer County Commissioners room, Custer County Sheriff Rick Wheeler and county fire coordinator Ned Westphal map out road closures and evacuations.

In the corner of the room, Black Hills Red Cross members discuss shelter possibilities and numbers that can be sheltered, as well.

Things are about to get dirty in Hermosa.

Starting May 19, the annual Hermosa Mud Bog will begin, with a summer of mud racing, prizes and family-friendly fun on tap.

Mud Bogging is a form of off-road motorsport, in which the goal is to drive a vehicle through a track of mud pits of a set length. Winners are determined by the distance traveled through the track. However, if several vehicles are able to travel the entire length, the fastest time taken to traverse the pits will determine the winner. Typically, vehicles competing in mud bogs are four-wheel drives.

The Custer High School boys track team repeated as conference champions last weekend in Spearfish, having at least one placewinner in every event on the way to 186 team points.

“All the athletes competed well,”â��head coach Craig Black said. “There were a lot of great performances.”

The Wildcats had a pair of double winners, starting with Chad Bryant, who won both the 100 and 200 yard dashes at the meet, with times of 11.26 and 23.39, respectively. Both times also qualified Bryant for the state meet, although Black said it is unlikely Bryant will run the 100 at state. He also finished second in the 400 at 51.90, narrowly missing running a qualifying time in that event.

In honor of her 12th birthday, Kassidy Adam asked her friends for special gifts, like any girl would. Only Adam didn’t ask for the newest video games or movies; she asked for donations toward the Humane Society.

“I’ve always loved animals,” Adam said. “I felt like I didn’t really need a lot of gifts because I already have a lot. I decided I should give to something else.”

Adam has two dogs, Patriot and Nala, and has always had animals around since she was 2.

A significant milestone will be celebrated Saturday, May 19, when nearby Ellsworth Air Force Base marks its 70 anniversary. A number of events are planned at the base from May 18-20 to celebrate this birthday, including a visit from the Chief of Staff of the Air Force, Gen. Norton A. Schwartz.

In 1942 the War Department named Rapid City Army Air Base as a training site for B-17 Flying Fortress heavy bomber units. The base has hosted various bomber and reconnaissance units since that time, culminating with the B-1B bombers currently assigned to Ellswor