It was billed as the History of Uranium Mining in the Black Hills, but turned into more of a question and answer session about the proposed Dewey-Burdock Uranium Mining Project in Custer and Fall River counties.

Mark Hollenbeck, project manager for Powertech USA, gave a Power Point presentation to about 80 members and guests of the monthly Custer County Historical Society last Saturday afternoon in the Pine Room of the courthouse annex.

From school board seats to city council seats, from the county commission to the position of Custer County Sheriff, plenty of elected seats are up for grabs when election time rolls around this June. The primary election is slated for June 8, with the general election Nov. 2.

Those who think this winter has been unusually cold are not alone. 

They are also correct.

Winter unofficially began with a major snowstorm in October, and since that time, Custer has experienced below average temperatures in three of the past five months. According to the National Weather Service (NWS) in Rapid City, this winter has been the fifth coldest meteorological winter (December through February) since records started being kept in 1942.

The Cat in the Hat, aka Linda Fennell, came to the elementary school  last week during Read Across America Week to read Dr. Seuss’ ABC book to the kindergarten students.

All personnel records for employees for the City of Custer City shall be accessed only by the employee or their supervisor, except for in the rarest of occasions. That was the decision made by the Custer City Council at its regular meeting Monday night.

On Tuesday, March 2, those participating in Creating a Value-Added Community (CVAC) presented the main priorities—business/economic development, community health and wellness, resources and educational opportunities—to the Custer community during a town hall meeting.

The revival of Cold Discovery Days was a big success, with good attendance and pleasant weather for the events. The following is a list of winners from the events:

Michael Engelhart can’t buy a home in Custer. And it isn’t because he can’t afford it. It’s because of an ordinance on the city’s books.

A bill designed to keep the Black Hills Playhouse operational in its current location is before the South Dakota Legislature and has been presented to the Senate’s State Affairs Committee. Its prime sponsor is Sen. Dave Knudson (R-Sioux Falls), the State Senate’s majority leader.

Who should be allowed access to city employee personnel records, and who should have that access, was at the center of a debate over proposed changes to the city’s personnel manual at the Feb. 9 meeting of the Custer City council.

Anyone wanting to buy a home needs to understand it may take more time than it did in the past. They can’t just go into a bank and get a loan, although that was pretty much the case a couple of years ago when the “no income, no assets” loans were the order of the day.

Upon hearing of the “Loser” team challenge that Custer Regional Hospital employees presented to Lynn’s Dakotamart employees during this year’s Biggest Loser contest, the Custer Area Chamber of Commerce figured they would get in on the fun as well, and challenged both groups to see who could lose more weight by shouting out, “You ‘Losers’ are going to lose!”

The 2010 Black Hills mountain lion season came to a close Wednesday, Feb. 10, after five more cats were killed, reaching the limit of 40 lions set by the state Department of Game, Fish & Parks (GF&P).

The fairy tale classic, “Sleeping Beauty” is getting a bit of an overhaul from Custer’s Lo-Ru West Dance Studio. Sure, it may have sleeping beauty and a prince, but one shouldn’t expect a gigantic, fire breathing dragon to blow its snout this weekend.

A group of nearly 30 Custer County residents from all walks of life, i.e., business owners, educators, healthcare professionals, men of the cloth and students, gathered at the Forest Service conference room last Tuesday and Friday with one goal in mind??the future of the Custer community.

Information about interest periods and the four-day school week were provided to the Custer School Board by Supt. Dr. Tim Creal on Monday, Feb. 8, during its monthly meeting.

Banished from Custer State Park for a growing list of reasons, the Black Hills Playhouse show will go on this summer, and it will do so in a mobile form. On Tuesday, Feb. 2, the Playhouse board voted to scale back this seasons schedule to three shows, one each to be performed in three separate locations. The three locations the shows will be performed are the Custer High School theatre, the Hill City High School theatre and the Lead Opera House. Which shows will be performed at which venue, and when during the summer the shows will happen are still issues yet to be resolved.

Custer kindergarten through fifth grade classes competed in Jump Rope for Heart and Hoops for Heart, two educational fundraising events by American Heart Association, on Thursday, Feb. 4. Running under the jump rope, from left, are fourth graders Reese Kelley, Taylor Carlsen, Isaac Neiss, Tori Glazier, Cassie Bawdon and Mikayla Terrill.

A grassroots effort to persuade the State of South Dakota to keep the Black Hills Playhouse at its current location is growing like wildfire.

The old joke, “I’m from the government; I’m here to help you,” may have some truth in it these days, at least where real estate is concerned.

A report issued by the State of South Dakota entitled “Black Hills Playhouse Hazard Identification Survey”â��lists a litany of structural problems with the buildings of the Black Hills Playhouse, and concludes the entire complex be “removed from service” until each of the buildings can be further inspected by a structural engineer.

A professional services agreement between the City of Custer and Wyss Associates, Inc., has been approved for the city’s Tax Increment Financing (TIF) district No. 4.

Back by popular demand, the Biggest Loser competition is set to roll once again this Thursday, Jan. 28. Those wishing to participate need to come into the Custer County Chronicle office Thursday to weigh in.

In yet another twist in the ongoing saga between the State of South Dakota and the Black Hills Playhouse, a recent inspection of the Playhouse site last week led the state attorney general������������¢���������¯���¿���½���������¯���¿���½s office to call some campus buildings a ������������¢���������¯���¿���½���������¯���¿���½threat to human safety������������¢���������¯���¿���½���������¯���¿���½ and unsafe for the 2010 Playhouse season.

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