contributors
Jason Ferguson
Jason Ferguson has been writing for the better part of 25 years and has won dozens of South Dakota Press Association awards, including being named the state’ s Outstanding Young Journalist in 2002. Ferguson has a bachelor’ s degree in English and journalism from Chadron State College. He enjoys movies, exercising and being outdoors.
Leslie Hladysz
Leslie Hladysz has called the Black Hills home since 2018. She earned a bachelor of arts degree in English and physics in 1994 and worked in education for more than 30 years before beginning her second career in journalism. She loves being outdoors and spending time with family, friends and her dog Sadie.
Kate Najacht
Kate Najacht moved to the Black Hills in 2014, and now she lives in sunny Florida, where she now works from the comfort of her kitchen table. An avid reader with degrees in English Literature and popular culture, she utilizes neither as Southern Hills Publishing ' s sole advertising sales coordinator, where her servant ' s heart comes into play helping businesses and the people who own and run them. She loves the Lord and gives Him all the glory.
Esther Noe
Esther Noe has been writing since she could first hold a pencil. In 2021, she graduated with a bachelor ' s in Liberal Studies from Thomas Edison State University where she studied writing, communications and literature. Today Esther is an award-winning journalist for the Custer County Chronicle. She was named the South Dakota Newspaper Association ' s Outstanding Young Journalist for weekly newspapers in 2022. When not writing, she enjoys crafting, reading and spending time with family and friends.
Tracy Spaans
Tracy Spaans grew up in the Keystone area of the Black Hills, where she now lives with her husband and two daughters. A graduate of Black Hills State University, she studied photography and graphic design— skills she continues to use throughout her ever-evolving creative career. When she’ s not behind the camera or cheering on her daughters at their many sporting events, Tracy enjoys horseback riding through the beauty of the Black Hills. She currently writes for the Hill City Prevailer, proudly covering her alma mater, the Hill City Rangers.
Laura Lindblom
Laura is a writer and photographer near Hermosa, SD, where she ranches with her husband. She writes a blog, Song Dog Journal, and does portrait photography, western lifestyle, and fine art photojournalism. When she isn ' t working cows, writing, or taking pictures, you can find her in her garden, hiking with her dog, Josie, or wrangling chickens.
Deb McLain
Deb ' s creative journey started at a small Kansas newspaper, where she discovered her love for design. With over two decades of design experience across the Midwest— including the Custer Chronicle and roles in Montana and Wyoming— she now splits her time between her Creative Director role at The Sheridan Press and her design studio, Ditch Daisy Design. Through Ditch Daisy, she uses strategy to create advertising design, publication layouts and brand materials for small businesses. myblackshillscountry. com Down Country Roads
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