MyHometownAds - Opinion

Job outlook is tough for high school grads

Thu, 23 May 2013 00:04:00 -0500

The government estimates that 63 percent of all new jobs will require a high school degree or less, according to Jordan Weissmann writing for The Atlantic. He says that's the good news. The bad news is the pay. The Bureau of Labor Statistics has released its job growth predictions through 2020, when it expects the country to return to full employment. They contain a little hope for the nation's least educated workers, but not much.

According to the BLS, there will be 20.4 million more jobs in 2020 than there were in 2010. About 12.8 million of those jobs will require a high school degree or less. Many of those will be centered in the service industry. We will need more healthcare aides to look after a rapidly aging population. There will be more work in food preparation, retail and office administration.

Nobody seems to be responsible

Thu, 23 May 2013 00:03:59 -0500

We have a host of investigations going on in Congress now, all the way back to the terrorist attack in Benghazi, Libya, over eight months ago, to the most recent Internal Revenue Service scandal involving the targeting of conservative organizations. The common thread weaving through Benghazi and the IRS scandal is that nobody responsible for what happened has been named. Nobody has been held accountable.

Then we have to toss in the Justice Department leak investigation of classified information of journalists working for the Associated Press. The JD secretly obtained two months of telephone records of the AP journalists that involved cellular, office and home telephone records of individual reporters and an editor. This is unconstitutional.

Crossing one off on my bucket list

Thu, 16 May 2013 00:04:43 -0500

I had a dream. And it involved me getting into a big, bulky costume for two hours and sweating off five pounds.

Perhaps I should explain.

Ever since I can remember, I’ve wanted to be a mascot for a day. This was on my bucket list before I even had a bucket list! I’m not sure exactly when or where this idea came about, but I vaguely remember a furry animal dressed in red. And my four years watching Jack the Jackrabbit at SDSU football games only furthered my interest in the matter.

No excuse for IRS targeting patriotic groups

Thu, 16 May 2013 00:04:42 -0500

Chilling revelations were made last week that the Internal Revenue Service applied extra scrutiny to groups critical of government spending and the rising national debt that were applying for tax-exempt status. Included in this group were patriotic tea party organizations that were seeking a return to more responsible Constitutional government in the country.

Confederate flag is not racist one

Thu, 09 May 2013 00:06:53 -0500

Last week, the VA Center in Hot Springs removed two Confederate flags hanging in a historical display after two African-American patients there complained about them being racist. The two were at the VA for post-traumatic stress disorder treatment and were reportedly released about two weeks early from the programs with full credit.

Shortly after the two men were on their way home, the flags were put up again in the rotunda display at the VA. Steven DiStasio, director of the VA Black Hills Health System, said the flags were returned because of their historical significance and their role in showing respect for all veterans. He said the flags were temporarily removed out of respect for the complaints made by the two veterans.

An award which must be shared

Thu, 09 May 2013 00:06:52 -0500

My first reaction upon hearing from the South Dakota Newspaper Association that I was to be the recipient of its Distinguished Service Award was that there must have been an extreme shortage of nominees this year.

However, I know that not to be the case, so I proudly told my kids the news, and soon, considering how fast information can travel these days, the rest of my world knew. Thanks sincerely to all who have sent complimentary words my way since then.

When the SDNA sent out a news release about the impending honor, I was labeled a “long-time journalist.” That also means “old,” but both are correct.

Thanks to you, we’re Number One — again!

Thu, 02 May 2013 00:04:51 -0500

It’s almost becoming a habit, but we don’t want to take it for granted. For the sixth year in a row, your Custer Country Chronicle has won the prestigious Sweepstakes Award for the best all-around newspaper in its circulation class (1,151-2,000) in South Dakota! And, your newspaper has won the Sweepstakes Award seven times since 2004.

The Chronicle also won the General Excellence Award in its circulation class and earned a record 13 first places in various advertising and news/editorial categories at the annual South Dakota Newspaper Association convention held jointly with the North Dakota Press Association this past week at Rapid City. This was an historic convention in that it was the first time the two Dakota states had held a joint annual convention of their press associations.

Custer County is a great place to be

Thu, 02 May 2013 00:04:50 -0500

The great thing about life in a small town is that it’s a small town. It was great to read that Rapid City is among the top 10 clean air cities in the nation. Imagine how much cleaner it is up here in Custer City in the granite spires and high pines or down in Hermosa on the edge of the Great Plains. The water is cold and clean out of the tap. The climate is mild and beautiful even at the height of winter storms. This is the place everyone in Denver and Minneapolis either has a cabin in the woods or wants a cabin in the woods. There are about 6,000 dwellings in Custer County and over 7,000 addresses. Most of them are seasonal. And that’s fine by me.

Progress is our middle name

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 00:04:22 -0500

We hope our annual Progress Edition is an uplifting experience for you to hold in your hands and read. We can put out such an edition every year because of all the positive things we have happening in our area and that is because of all the great business and government leadership we have working for our best interests every day.

In particular, there were two significant events last Thursday that reinforced all the positive vibes we are feeling again about this upcoming year in the Southern Black Hills of South Dakota.

America rallies around Boston

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 00:04:22 -0500

It was a scene all to reminiscent of Sept. 11, 2001, albeit not on the same scale.

Chaos. Blood. Confusion. Smoke. The sounds of sirens wailing in the distance. The United States had been hit by terrorism again—this time at the finish line of the Boston Marathon.

As soon as I heard about the bombing, I posted on my Facebook page about my continual disappointment in humanity and questioned how human beings could have such callous disregard for another human’s life. It was the same question I posed after Sept. 11.