I was directing traffic on the highway the other day, where a forest fire was threatening the roadway and several surrounding housing developments. A few fellow law dogs and myself had been stranded on the pavement there for the last few hours, coughing in the smoke, answering good questions and dumb questions, giving directions, yelling into the radio, looking for lost homeowners, coordinating the rescue of dogs, cats and grandmothers and sweating a lot.

We’ve been talking to dozens of people directly connected to the Black Hills tourism industry the past couple of weeks and we can relay to you that it has been a very good year so far for the industry. Reports range from “a lot better than last year” to “great.” That’s good news for all of our Black Hills communities because we depend so heavily on seasonal visitors for our economic success. Every year we begin by wondering how it will be this year, but every year our visitors continue to come to enjoy our beautiful scenery and natural attraction

It's been just about 10 years to the day when the largest fire in recorded history of the Black Hills started just west of Custer. For those of us living in Custer County and Hill City in Pennington County, it came way too close for comfort.

It all started with a Newcastle woman stopping her van by the side of Highway 16 west of Custer early one Friday afternoon. Janice Stevenson said she never intended to start a large fire. She just wanted to start a small one to watch it burn. The only trouble was there was a wind that day that initially pushed the fire to the north and then switched to the south which caused it to jump Highway 16 and threaten the structures at Jewel Cave National Monument.

Iâ��wasn’t around Custer yet when the Jasper Fire was started Aug. 24, 2000. On Aug. 24, 2000, I had just started the final semester of my collegiate career, as I needed 12 more credit hours of nothing in particular to receive my degree from Chadron State College. Iâ��challenged myself with courses such as first aid and golf for three months, before being forced off into the real world to find a real job and pay real bills.

We are all for tolerance in America and we bend over backwards to accommodate the wishes of all races, creeds and religions. In fact, freedom of religion is guaranteed in our Constitution. But sometimes a group pushes the envelope just a little too far for our comfort.

Last week, the Landmarks Preservation Commission in New York City cleared the way for a Muslim mosque to be constructed near ground zero by denying landmark status to a building near Ground Zero by a 9-0 vote. Commissioners said the 152-year-old building didn’t meet historic criteria to qualify as a landmark and could be torn down.

Also, my memory is not as good as it used to be. 

Several friends I recently visited with bemoaned the fact that we are becoming more forgetful and absent-minded as we age. 

It’s mid-August in Custer County, which means we will soon be inundated with our two-wheeled guests as the annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally and Custer Cruisin’ rev into high gear this week. The official dates of Custer Cruisin’ are Aug. 6-15, although there are already a growing number of motorcycle enthusiasts in to

The latest Gallup poll taken last week puts U.S. Congressional approval at 11 percent, which is one point lower than its worst-ever rating. A logical question would seem to be, who are the 11 percent who believe Congress is doing a good job? This means that not only Republicans don't like what's going on in Congress, neither do Democrats and Independents. Our Congress now stands last in a list of some 16 institutions in terms of public confidence

Before the massive national health care bill was passed earlier this year, it became known that the enforcement arm of this bill would be the Internal Revenue Service. It was estimated that the IRS would have to hire at least another 16,500 agents to see that businesses and individuals comply with the mandatory provisions of this bill. These are more jobs created that the Obama administration can take credit for. Government employment is the fastest growing sector of our nation's workforce and this is just another example. Yet to be seen is whether the IRS information systems will be able to manage and track all the additional data needed to be gathered.

Everyone has an opinion. Nearly everyone has access to the Internet. Therefore, nearly everyone has the ability voice his or her opinion in a worldwide forum.

And along with this, of course, nearly everyone has the ability to sarcastically, maliciously, and, most importantly, anonymously reply to everyone else’s opinions.

We join in welcoming everyone to the 87th annual Gold Discovery Days in Custer City. The event marks the discovery of gold in the Black Hills near Custer City during the 1874 Custer Expedition to the Black Hills. We especially want to welcome returning alumni of Custer High School to their respective class reunions here. We’ll see you in the Saturday parade.

The new Jeep Grand Cherokee commercial came on TV the other day. Grainy historical footage of the Jeep’s roots in World War II segued into pictures of the American flag, moon launches, smiling babies and finally a look at the all-new 2011 Grand Cherokee. A total restyle of the soccer-mom standby SUV apparently called for a total restyle of the Jeep slogan: “The things we make, make us.” As Jeep slogans go, it’s pretty…um…limp.

There will be an interesting—and perhaps future-altering—vote taken at this coming Monday’s meeting of the Custer City Council. It’s not a stretch to say the future of many infrastructure projects in the city, as well as the future of healthcare in the city, are at stake when the votes are cast by the six members of the council.

It appears that the controversy over a new liquor store being built by the city has led to the demise of the municipal liquor store itself. The business at the intersection of Highways 16 and 385 abruptly closed last week after an early June vote of city residents. The residents said they no longer wanted the city to be in the retail liquor store business and voted 349-218 to close it after business hours Tuesday, June 8.

It’s more than disheartening to observe the federal government’s and British Petroleum’s response to the disastrous April 20 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Since the unprecedented oil rig accident explosion and fire there has been a lot of handwringing and finger pointing going on, but no single concerted effort to clean up the mess as fast as it is created. Critics point to a lack of leadership in mounting a concerted effort to cut the flow of oil and clean up the mess.

It was 45 years ago this week—Sunday afternoon, July 11, 1965—that was the last time I saw my dad smile.

But first, some background.

While my inclinations toward music came without a doubt from my mother (and Dad would have been the first to admit that!), my dad gave me baseb

The S.D. State Veterans Home has served veterans and their families since the cornerstone was laid in 1889 at what was called the S.D. State Soldiers Home on a hilltop in Hot Springs. The state Department of Military and Veterans Affairs says the facility has a lot of maintenance issues and no longer meets modern methods of long-term health care. Rapid City, Sturgis and Hot Springs are under consideration for a new 125-bed long-term care facility in western South Dakota, according to a letter from department secretary Maj. Gen. Steven Doohen.

“A hundred years from now it will not matter what my bank account was, the sort of house I lived in, or the kind of car I drove...but the world may be different because I was important in the life of a child.” So said Forest E. Witcraft, teacher and Scout leader. 

So, while Charley attended the Cubs baseball game two weekends ago with two of our sons and one grandson, Jesse, while we were in Chicago, I chose to spend that time with my newest grandchild, Jemma, age 10 months. 

The official announcement of the expansion plans for Custer Regional Clinic and Custer Regional Hospital at last Monday’s Custer City Council meeting is good news for the community. It shows that Rapid City Regional has a long term commitment to Custer which is great news for the increasing number of retirees and families needing quality health care in our area.

One only has to venture a few miles from home to realize what a fast-paced world we live in today. Maybe that’s why I’m always glad to be home after a week on the road to the east. We took off last week to head to Chicago and Bowling Green, Ohio, to visit our kids and grandkids. Along the way, we discovered there is no lack of moisture anywhere along our route. All of South Dakota and states to the east have had an abundance of rain this spring.

Louisiana state officials are pleading with the Obama administration to lift its temporary ban on oil and gas drilling in the Gulf of Mexico which was put in place after the disastrous BP oil rig explosion and leak about two months ago. Their pleas should not fall on deaf ear

Officer Lumpy was slumped down in the front seat of his rusting, battle-scarred patrol car when I passed by his parking place next to the highway the other day. Knowing it was Lumpy, I put the pedal down to see if I could get a rise out of him. Lumpy’s car stayed where it was, so I swung back around to stop and say hello.

This weekend marks the very first time a Veterans of Foreign Wars State Convention has ever been held in Custer City. We join other local organizations and chamber of commerce members in welcoming the 300-plus convention attendees to the first, and naturally the oldest, established city in the Black Hills.

We hope your busy agenda will allow some free time to browse around our stores and see what the Southern Hills region has to offer in the way of recreation and enjoyment. If your tight three-day schedule doesn’t allow enough personal time, you can make plans now for your next family vacation to our area later this year or next year.

When the Super Bowl heads to New York in 2014, it will be a day of firsts. The first Super Bowl played in the brand new Meadowlands Stadium. The first Super Bowl played outdoors in a cold weather city. And, most importantly, the first Super Bowl a lot of people will have no interest in attending.