Brad Keizer has been hired as the new 4-H Youth Program advisor for Fall River and Custer counties. He began his duties Jan. 9.

Originally from rural Illinois, Keizer grew up in the 4-H program and participated in Rodeo Club activities. After graduating from Murray State University in Kentucky with a degree in outdoor recreation and youth agency-nonprofit management, Keizer Black Hills adventures began with the South Dakota Game Fish and Parks, working at the Cleghorn Springs Fish Hatchery. He later expanded his youth development background as a recreation specialist in Rapid Ci

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.

A local woman is opening a new counseling service in Custer. Roxanne Domek, a therapist with more than 20 years experience in her profession, opened Positive Directions Counseling Jan. 9 in the Coldwell Banker building. 

“I'm really excited to bring my skills to Custer through my own office,” Domek says. “Custer is a beautiful town. I'm really looking forward to giving back to the community where I've made my home for so long.” 

Bernie Keating, the author of the popular local histories “The Buffalo Gap Frontier”  and “Songs and Recipes: For Macho Men Only,”  has just released his seventh book, published by Author House, Bloomington, Ind. Keating, who grew up in Buffalo Gap, is a retired executive and Naval officer now  living in Sonora, Calif.

The freshly ordained Bishop of the West River Diocese will pay a visit to St. John’s the Baptist Catholic Church this coming weekend, Dec. 10-11.

Bishop Robert Gruss was ordained in July, replacing Bishop Blaise Cuprich, who was sent to a Diocese in Washington. Gruss, who lives in Rapid City, is working his way to every West River parish in the Diocese to pay a visit.

Work has begun on the myriad of details involved in the Custer Community Christmas Project, a multi-faceted program whose over-riding goal is bringing the entire community together to experience the spirit of giving and sharing. Three principal events—a Christmas dinner, the distribution of food baskets and Select-a-Gift, all taking place on Saturday, Dec. 17—bring the project to a culmination

Gene and Linda Fennell of Custer were given the YMCA of Rapid City’s George Zeise Award at the YMCA of Rapid City’s Heritage Club Dinner Nov. 1 at the Canyon Lake Chophouse.

This award is named for George Zeise, who was the executive director at the YMCA for 20 years. During this time Zeise and the Board volunteers brought the YMCA organization from struggling to thriving. Zeise and the volunteers brought financial stability and introduced programs for kids and families.

Last month the life-sized buffalo that graced downtown Custer all summer found new homes after the Custer Stampede Buffalo Art Auction. “The Rise and Fall of General Custer,” created by artist Karen Cade, was purchased by Jim Frank and Colleen Hennessy of Custer. Frank and Hennessy have recently announced that they are permanently loaning the buffalo to the Custer Area Chamber of Commerce, where it will stand at the visitors’ center, located at 615 Washington Street. 

“We both feel this buffalo is an appropriate symbol for our town to publicly display; we are pleased to learn that many people agree. Besides being a beautiful work of art, it has educational value and contributes to community pride,” said Hennessy. 

Dennis Anderson loves to tell his jokes.  He can often be found walking around town, or traveling to local events, and talking with people. If you don’t recognize this name, perhaps you know him better as his alter ego, Mrs. Doubtfire.

Anderson has been performing as Mrs. Doubtfire for almost a year now. It all started when he entered a 2010 Halloween costume contest as the title character from the 1993 Robin Williams movie. Anderson won the contest and took home $500.

One of only a handful of Midwestern cities, Hill City was chosen to host the 2011-13 Arts Midwest World Fest. Residents of the Black Hills and surrounding area have an opportunity to experience the music and culture of Egypt when Wust el Balad comes to Hill City next week. As the first of four concerts over a two-year period, Wust el Balad, one of the most popular folk-rock bands in the Arab world, offers a blend of traditional Middle Eastern vocals with contemporary Latin rhythms and jazz.

Custer County Veterans Service Officer and Human Resources Director Ken Irwin of Custer has been named the winner of the Jim Melgaard Award as the 2011 County/Tribal Veterans Service Officer of the Year in South Dakota.

Irwin was presented with the plaque at the Sept. 6 meeting of the Custer County Commission after learning of receiving the award in late August during a job-related trip to Pierre. He said winning the award came as a complete surprise. His boss had called him a few months ago and asked him about initiatives he was working on, but he didn’t think much of it.

“Iâ��was surprised and very happy,”â��he said.â��“I was really surprised.”

They just looked like a couple of  tourists – two men biking through the area, each wearing a helmet and pulling a trailer.

However, looks can be deceiving. Chris Mercer and Jonathan Cain were on a reconnaissance mission, seeking not only a safe way to lead a group of cancer survivors across the country on bike, but also seeking cancer survivors interested in helping to promote the need for communication networks. 

“I would like to challenge a cancer survivor in the Custer area to do this,” Mercer said

Whether you’re a veteran fisherman of 40 years or a first time angler looking to put a line in the water for the first time, Custer Bait and Tackle is your one stop shop for fishing gear.

The shop, located on Mt. Rushmore Road in Custer, was opened Memorial Day weekend by Josh Zerr, 33, a Pierre native who moved to Custer a year and half ago. At the time it opened, the shop had only nightcrawlers and minnows. Now, the shop has poles, tackle and live bait that will work in any lake in the Hills.

“If you want to go fishing, you can come in here and Iâ��will set you up with anything you need,”â��Zerr said.

Yeah, the script was great. Kudos to Patrick Barlow for adapting John Buchan’s 1915 spy novel, “The 39 Steps,” incorporating allusions to various Alfred Hitchcock movies since he made the movie adaptation in 1935.

But Barlow simply provided the framework for the Black Hills Playhouse’s final production of the 2011 season. The set, costumes, lighting and the acting transformed the script into a remarkably entertaining theater experience – one that is difficult to explain without ruining it for those who have yet to attend.

It started with aching knees and ended with a surprise win. At least, that’s the way Kerry Steever tells the story.

As one of the contestants in the Custer County Chronicle’s “Biggest Loser” contest, she learned on Thursday she was this year’s biggest loser, with a loss of 15.6 percent of her body weight. On Friday, she didn’t even know about the prize package because she didn’t expect to win.

“I was just doing it to lose weight and help my friend Margie,” she said.

How far will a gal go to get the guy she loves? She’ll nearly drive him crazy, if she has to.

At least, that’s what happens in “All Shook Up,” the Black Hills Playhouse’s third production of the season. Advertised as a blend of Elvis tunes and Shakespeare’s plotline from “Twelfth Night,” the musical is a delightful romp that showcases the incredible talent of this year’s company.

In that, it stands in sharp contrast with “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat,” which only allowed the star qualities of actors in the lead roles – Martha Stai as the narrator and Iah Kinley as Joseph – to shine. (Donny Osmond, eat your heart out. Iah Kinley will always be my Joseph.)

There is a new man making smiles better in Custer.

As of July 1, Dr. Rob Lyons is the newest dentist at Destination Dentistry—formerly Custis Dental—and fresh out of dental school, has hit the ground running in his new job.

“It’s been great. Iâ��love the people around here,”â��he said.â��“I really like being back in a small town. Dan and Linda (Custis) have kept me busy.”

American playwright and novelist Thornton Wilder once wrote, “When you’re safe at home, you wish you were having an adventure; when you’re having an adventure, you wish you were safe at home.”

Dan and Deb Workman, artistic director and company manager for the Black Hills Playhouse, get to have both — often at the same time. For most of their married life, the playhouse has been their summer home, with all the excitement summer stock has to offer in addition to a variety of outdoors experiences.

Dazzling.

Delightful.

Playful.

Fun.

Intoxicating.

No list of adjectives can describe the experience of seeing “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” at the Black Hills Playhouse, primarily because it will leave those who attend starstruck.

Sometimes a good book can be a powerful call to action, a call which cannot be ignored.

That’s what Mark Wheeler discovered. The retired orthopaedic surgeon liked living in southwestern South Dakota near Pringle with his wife and horses. He liked leaving in Sioux City the preconceptions folks had when they learned he was a doctor. He liked being just another retired guy in the neighborhood.

Visitors are nothing new to Custer. The community thrives on its visitors.

Groups of visitors arriving together are nothing new, either. However, for a group of visitors to arrive by plane – 15 planes to be exact –  some of which were antiques – that’s a little out of the ordinary.

But that’s what happened last Friday when the Montana Antique Airplane Association stopped in Custer on its annual “hop,” a group trip which involves numerous stops. Dennis Mecklenburg said not all of the planes are antiques, which in the aviation industry means more than 40 years old.

Music may not be her subject any longer, but Cherry Luitjens continues to teach just as she did before retiring from the Custer school district.

“I give health and wellness seminars. That’s what I do,” the owner of Vibrant Life said from her office at Coldwell Banker on Mount Rushmore Road.

She became interested in the subject about 10 years ago when she began to notice an increasing number of her students suffered from allergies, asthma and eczema. She began to ask herself what was causing this, and attended, as part of her research, a workshop called “Is Your Home a Healthy Home?”

Blending the best of the old with a new vision for the future, a mother-daughter duo have been busily preparing to reopen the doors of the Re-Uz It Shop.

“This has been my passionate dream,” Margie Derby said, taking a break from cleaning to talk about changes she and her daughter, Crystal Martin, are planning for the established second-hand store on Mount Rushmore Road.

Joel Redman said it was an act of faith – first, donating stem cells when his sister was battling leukemia, and then, donating a kidney to his Masonic brother and coworker at Crazy Horse Memorial.

“Christ gave his life to save our souls, and I gave part of my body to save someone else’s life,” the born-again Christian said to explain his decision to take time off work and to put his life at risk, nominal though the risk was, in order to help the other man.