It's easy to fall into the trap that the only news people gravitate in the last 40 or so days leading up to a presidential election is political, but the great thing about the news industry is that there is always more going on.

Locally, there has been a whole lot this week. Stories about the tragic death of a Rapid City teenager and the subsequent arrest of a 30-year-old man who may have provided the alcohol she consumed before the fatal one-vehicle accident captivated readers, but so did business stories about contractors being left on the short end of the stick on some serious bills for work done at the new Gordmans store. And so did a story about a Rapid City man who allegedly try to lure a young teen into his van on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, readers from both in our area and outside the region flocked to coverage of the annual bison roundup at Custer State Park.

Here's a quick recap of the week that was.

Top Five Stories

1. 17-year-old killed in rollover accident

Regardless of cause, there is little more tragic than the death of a young person. Chelsea Miller's one-vehicle accident on Catron Avenue in south Rapid City on Sunday was by far the most read story of the week, and many who left comments eulogized the passing of a vibrant, outgoing girl who seemed to have the best ahead of her.

2. Man arrested for allegedly providing alcohol to teen killed in accident

Rapid City police wasted little time in tracking down a suspect who may have provided alcohol that Miller and her friends obtained and drank at a party over the weekend.

According to police reports, Miller had a blood-alcohol content of greater than .08 at the time of her death.

This story, which comes on the heels of a Sturgis mother being charged with providing prescription drugs to her teenage son and his friends for a "pharm" party, reminds us all that we need to reach out to the youths in our community to better educate them on the real dangers of drug and alcohol abuse.

3. Former Hills prosecutor arrested in fatal stabbing

The arrest of fromer Black Hills area prosecutor and Rapid City attorney Dan Gukeisen is shocking, to say the least.

Details are still forthcoming on the specifics of an altercation he had with a pair of young men in Tempe, Ariz., where he now practices law. Regardless, anytime a former member of the legal or judicial system is involved with a criminal investigation from the other side of the magnifying glass, readers are quick to tune in.

4. Gordmans grand opening marred by unpaid bills

The failing of a Kansas-based general contractor who was in charge of the Gordmans store construction at the new Rushmore Crossing mall in Rapid City has left a number of area subcontractors in significant debt.

With bills piling up beyond the $500,000 point, this cautionary tale is as tragic as any in the business community.

5. Rapid City man charged with trying to lure teen into van

Kudos to local authorities on their quick work on apprehending a suspect in the case of a young girl who reported a man in a white van trying to coax her into his vehicle.

These kinds of stories are always alarming, but swift action by the police help put community fears to rest quickly.

Top Five Videos

1.Roundup Excitement

One of our biggest videos of the year, Tim Appel's trips to Custer State Park over the past week brought a bevy of videos of the annual event and its images of bison thundering, visitors watching and officials corraling the majestic beasts.

2.Roundup Draws Large Crowd

More from the annual roundup, which brings people from all over the world to this corner of South Dakota each September.

3. Central Crowding

If you ever wonder what significant overcrowding in our schools looks like, check out this video. I mean, I always knew Central had a lot of students (biggest school in the state), but when you see what it's like between class periods, it's hard to imagine trying to navigate those hallways on a consistent basis without getting a good sense of what it's like to drive in New York City during rush hour.

4. Week In Review

Another installment of the week in review video style, produced by myself and multimedia producer Tim Appel. As a note, Tim won't be in today, so this week we won't have a week in review video. But we'll be back next week at the same time, same channel.

5. Countdown to Roundup

And even more images from the Buffalo Roundup, this video focusing on the lead up to the big event.

Best Rapid Replies of the Week

With the political season in full swing, it can be a bit arduous to sift through the mountains of Rapid Replies rehashing the same vitriolic responses in the 2008 presidential race, so excuse me if I bypass them for at least one more week and focus on a story a little closer to home.

One of the more popular stories was yesterday's Associated Press offering about a 70-year-old Selby man who is being charged with disorderly conduct after grabbing a county commissioner. Apparently, he wasn't happy with the answer the commissioner gave him on a number of potholes on a county road. When the commissioner told him jokingly to use some of his own equipment to fix the potholes, well, he took matters into his own hands, so to speak.

wow on 10/02/2008 08:05:57 said:

"Hey Jim don't mess with those ol'timers they will get you."

joke on 10/02/2008 08:06:12 said:

"Sounds like this comedian needs a little help with his delivery. When you hire someone to do a job and they tell you to do it yourself-not really that funny."

So on 10/02/2008 08:26:54 said:

"What article of clothing was grabbed?? If it was his shirt no big deal if it was his underwear then maybe going to court would be understandable! Otherwise it's nonsense!"

Wedgie on 10/02/2008 09:18:21 said:

"Hey so….are you implying the old guy gave hima wedgie? :)

Poll of the Week

We had the closes poll in the history of Rapid City Journal polls when we asked the best Paul Newman flick of all-time. We generally check about 4 p.m. to see the results, and when we checked on Wednesday to see the winner, it was exactly tie between "Butch Cassidy & The Sundance Kid" and "Cool Hand Luke."

My only disappointment was that "Slapshot" did so poorly. That's alright, though, Rapid City will have its own version of that coming in a couple of months anyway.

What's the best Paul Newman film of all-time?

The Sting 14 percent

Butch Cassidy & The Sundance Kid 36 percent

Cool Hand Luke 36 percent

Color of Money 6 percent

Cat On A Hot Tin Roof 4 percent

Slapshot 4 percent

Editor's pick

The Roundup at Custer State Park

Odds are, you've already seen this. The special content section dedicated to coverage of the Buffalo Roundup at Custer State Park is one of our biggest traffic drivers outside of the Sturgis Rally that we've

ever had at www.rapidcityjournal.com.

The mix of quizzes, interactive graphics, stories, videos, slideshows and more really drew a wide swath of readers. Weekend Barbara Soderlin collected almost all of the information, and combined with photographer Kristina Barker's images and multimedia producer Tim Appel's videos, the section is a fun little read.