MILE HIGH PILATES AND YOGA CUSTER, SOUTH DAKOTA

CUSTER COUNTY LIBRARY AMONG TWELVE NEWLY ACCREDITED PUBLIC LIBRARIES TO BE HONORED IN CAPITAL ROTUNDA

PIERRE, S.D. – Twelve South Dakota public libraries have been accredited by the State Library in 2018. They will be honored in front of lawmakers, library colleagues and community members at the Capitol rotunda Feb. 13, at 3:15 pm CST. This event is held in conjunction with the annual South Dakota Library Association Library Legislative Day.

Accredited libraries demonstrate that they meet important benchmarks for providing high quality library services to their communities. Public libraries are accredited at one of three levels: Essential, Enhanced or Exemplary. Libraries are evaluated in the following areas, as outlined in South Dakota Public Library Standards: governance, administration, access, collections and resources, funding, staffing, technology and public relations.

The following libraries have been accredited:

• Canton Public Library – Enhanced
• Cozard Memorial Library (Chamberlain) – Essential
• Custer County Library (Custer) – Exemplary
• Dell Rapids Carnegie Public Library – Enhanced
• Gregory Public Library – Exemplary
• Hot Springs Public Library – Enhanced
• Phoebe Apperson Hearst Free Library (Lead) – Essential
• Piedmont Valley Library – Essential
• Rawlins Municipal Library (Pierre) – Exemplary
• Tripp County Grossenberg Memorial Library (Winner) – Essential
• Wall Community Library – Essential
• Yankton Community Library – Exemplary

 

Detailed requirements for each level of tiered accreditation, as well as a complete list of all currently accredited libraries, are available on the South Dakota State Library’s website at library.sd.gov.

ANNIE LODE COFFEE CABIN – “LOVE MY AMERICANO”

2018 BARK BEETLE BLUES DRAWS LARGE CROWD

Bark Beetle Blues Bug Burn on Pageant Hill in Custer, SD Friday January 20, 2018. Photo:@paulhorsted.com

Yet another outstanding effort by local volunteers, the variety show had everything from jazz ballet, music, an “Air Guitar Band” and a dog doing tricks accompanied by Anna Marie Riner on the flute. The torch march was epic, enraged citizens marching in cold, snowy icy conditions towards the beetle effigy with kerosene soaked torches. The somewhat smaller beetle, representing the diminished beetle threat to our beloved pine trees glowed with orange flame as the sky was illuminated with exploding fireworks and their resounding boom, warning the pine bark beetle family to bug off.
The beetle burn was followed by a “Bug Crawl” in Custer City featuring local artist.

Additional Photos

FRESH BAKED CINNAMON ROLLS EVERY FRIDAY AT CUSTER SENIOR CENTER

CUSTER COMMUNITY CHURCH TURKEY DINNER AND SILENT AUCTION

 

Thank You Judge William Orrick For Blocking Trump’s Withholding Of Sanctuary Cities Funding

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A federal judge on Tuesday blocked a Trump administration order to withhold funding from communities that limit cooperation with U.S. immigration authorities, saying the president has no authority to attach new conditions to federal spending.

U.S. District Judge William Orrick issued the temporary ruling in a lawsuit against the executive order targeting so-called sanctuary cities. The decision will stay in place while the lawsuit works its way through court.

The Trump administration and two California governments that sued over the order disagreed about its scope during a recent court hearing.

San Francisco and Santa Clara County argued that it threatened billions of dollars in federal funding for each of them, making it difficult to plan their budgets.

“It’s not like it’s just some small amount of money,” John Keker, an attorney for Santa Clara County, told Orrick at the April 14 hearing.

Chad Readler, acting assistant attorney general, said the county and San Francisco were interpreting the executive order too broadly. The funding cutoff applies to three Justice Department and Homeland Security Department grants that require complying with a federal law that local governments not block officials from providing people’s immigration status, he said.

The order would affect less than $1 million in funding for Santa Clara County and possibly no money for San Francisco, Readler said.

Republican President Donald Trump was using a “bully pulpit” to “encourage communities and states to comply with the law,” Readler said. In his ruling, Orrick sided with San Francisco and Santa Clara, saying the order “by its plain language, attempts to reach all federal grants, not merely the three mentioned at the hearing.”

“The rest of the order is broader still, addressing all federal funding,” Orrick said. “And if there was doubt about the scope of the order, the president and attorney general have erased it with their public comments.”

He said: “Federal funding that bears no meaningful relationship to immigration enforcement cannot be threatened merely because a jurisdiction chooses an immigration enforcement strategy of which the president disapproves.”

The Trump administration says sanctuary cities allow dangerous criminals back on the street and that the order is needed to keep the country safe. San Francisco and other sanctuary cities say turning local police into immigration officers erodes trust that’s needed to get people to report crime.

The order also has led to lawsuits by Seattle; two Massachusetts cities, Lawrence and Chelsea; and a third San Francisco Bay Area government, the city of Richmond. The San Francisco and Santa Clara County suits were the first to get a hearing before a judge.

San Francisco and the county argued in court documents that the president did not have the authority to set conditions on the allocation of federal funds and could not force local officials to enforce federal immigration law.

They also said Trump’s order applied to local governments that didn’t detain immigrants for possible deportation in response to federal requests, not just those that refused to provide people’s immigration status.

The Department of Justice responded that the city and county’s lawsuits were premature because decisions about withholding funds and what local governments qualified as sanctuary cities had yet to be made.

The sanctuary city order was among a flurry of immigration measures Trump has signed since taking office in January, including a ban on travelers from seven Muslim-majority countries and a directive calling for a wall on the border with Mexico.

A federal appeals court blocked the travel ban. The administration then revised it, but the new version also is stalled in court.

2017 Black Hills Trail Running Series

Santa Claus Pronounces 25th Annual “Christmas For Kids” in Custer SD Huge Success

Custer, SD – Saturday afternoon was the 25 Annual “Christmas For Kids” at the Jr/Sr High School on Wildcat Lane in Custer. Hundreds of children and their parents enjoyed  free hot dogs and drinks as they waited their turn to meet Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus. The event is paid for through auctions, local donations and the efforts of many volunteers and sponsors. This year $10,000 dollars was raised to purchase toys for the event. The children were excited to meet Santa, AKA Arvon Hamilton and Mrs. Claus, AKA Ann Hamilton and all Santa’s helpers, but most of all, they were happy for the early christmas presents.

 

A Custer family waits to meet Santa at the 25 Annual “Christmas For Kids” held at the Jr/Sr High School on Wildcat Lane in Custer, SD Saturday, December 10, 2016. Photo: Herb Ryan/Custer Free Press

 

Children who were given numbers earlier, wait for their turn to visit Santa at the 25 Annual “Christmas For Kids” held at the Jr/Sr  High School on Wildcat Lane in Custer, SD, Saturday, December 10, 2016. Photo: Herb Ryan/Custer Free Press

 

One of Santa’s elves organizes a massive pile of presents backstage at the theatre at the 25 Annual “Christmas For Kids” held at the Jr/Sr High School on Wildcat Lane in Custer, SD, Saturday, December 10, 2016. Photo: Herb Ryan/Custer Free Press

 

Santa’s local helpers (l-r)-Betty Sowder, Susan Swindal and Shirley Parsons working in the kitchen serving free hot dogs, chips and drinks at the 25 Annual “Christmas For Kids” held at the Jr/Sr High School on Wildcat Lane in Custer, SD, Saturday, December 10, 2016. Photo: Herb Ryan/Custer Free Press

 

Two happy boys with Santa and Mrs. Claus at the 25 Annual “Christmas For Kids” held  at the Jr/Sr High School on Wildcat Lane in Custer, SD, Saturday, December 10, 2016. Photo: Herb Ryan/Custer Free Press

 

Governor Asks For Flags At Half-Staff In Remembrance of John Glenn

Governor Asks For Flags At Half-Staff In Remembrance of John Glenn

PIERRE, S.D. – The White House has issued a proclamation to honor the life of John Glenn.

President Obama calls for the flag of the United States to be displayed at half-staff, and he has invited governors of the United States to join in the observance.

At the President’s request, Gov. Dennis Daugaard asks that all flags in the state be flown at half-staff to honor John Glenn, starting immediately, until the day of his interment.