Paul Doering, the Hill City shooter, appeared in federal court in Rapid City last Thursday, entering a guilty plea to the charge of evidence tampering following the incident during Hill City’s Wild Bunch shootout on Main and Elm streets on June 17 of last year.  

Doering, a four-time convicted felon who has served time in Minnesota, was originally charged  as a felon in possession of a firearm, but that charge was later dropped in exchange for his plea agreement to the tampering charge.  

Two of the nation’s leading Midwest-based general merchandise retail chains, Shopko Stores and Pamida, announced they will merge to create one of the largest U.S. retailers focused on serving smaller and rural communities. The combined entity will have nearly 350 locations in 22 states and plans for new store growth in the second half of 2012 and beyond.  Financial details of the merger, which is expected to close in mid-February, were not disclosed.

Cody�Martinz hit a running three-pointer as time expired to propel the Custer High School basketball team to a thrilling 50-47 win over the Red Cloud Crusaders Friday night at Red Cloud.

After Red Cloud had tied the game at 47-47 with just under a minute left, Custer took the ball and began to run down the clock, as Red Cloud furiously pressured the ball and trapped, trying to force a turnover. With 24 second left, head coach Larry Luitjens called a time out and set up a play that was designed to go to Chad Bryant. With eight seconds left the team began to run the play, but the pressure was so great Martinz couldn’t get the ball to Bryant, and was forced to heave the ball up over a couple of Red Cloud players.

Sara Stites is one of those young women who has made horses a part of her life.  Sara is a senior at Custer High School and lives near Crazy Horse Memorial. Her parents are Mark and Shannon Stites, Custer.

 As a requirement for graduation, Custer students are required to take a class called Senior Projects for either first or second semester, says mom Shannon. “Sara is in the first group. They are required to pick a subject of interest, do research, find a mentor, write a five-page paper, produce a final product and then do a presentation on the whole process to a large panel.”

Last week the Obama administration rejected a bid to expand the controversial Keystone oil sands pipeline that would run from Canada to the southern United States, saying the deadline imposed by Congress did not leave sufficient time to conduct the necessary review.

"The Department does not have sufficient time to obtain the information necessary to assess whether the project, in its current state, is in the national interest," the State Department said in a statement. It also said the president agreed with the decision.