The Rapid City Post is committed to delivering honest, timely, and impactful local news—by and for the residents of The Black Hills and Western South Dakota. We amplify local voices and foster deeper connections within our community, because we believe that informed citizens build stronger communities.
We’re proud to offer our online news free to the public, supported by local advertising and optional premium subscription add-ons for those seeking an even deeper engagement with their local news.
Our printed RaPo Weekend edition is distributed for free and mailed to subscribers at a low price.
The Rapid City Post is part of The HomeSlice Group’s suite of locally owned and operated media products with a legacy that includes powerful radio stations, engaging podcasts, and community-focused products like Daily Slice and Rapid City Business Journal, we’re dedicated to connecting Rapid City and the Black Hills region through trusted homegrown media. Learn more at thehomeslicegroup.com.
Editorial Guidelines
The editorial guidelines of The Rapid City Post strictly prohibit any form of discrimination based on age, gender, religion, culture, sexual preference, or political party.
Our foundational aim is to generate unbiased news that serves the entire community. We are dedicated to fair, balanced, and inclusive journalism that reports facts without prejudice or partisanship.
To the best of our ability, we separate reporting staff, sales staff and any marketing staff that may be dealing topics we are covering to eliminate any bias.
Staff
Dean Kinney Publisher, CEO
Brad Jurgensen CRO / Executive Producer
Chris Hornick Managing Editor
Rob Henry Chief Brand Officer
Chris Hornick
Managing Editor
Chris Hornick is the the Managing Editor of the Rapid City Post since it's inception in March of 2025. Guiding the editorial vision of this trusted homegrown media outlet, Hornick ensures the delivery of honest, timely, and impactful local news to residents across the Black Hills and Western South Dakota. His leadership is instrumental in amplifying local voices and fostering a deeper, unbiased connection within the Rapid City community. Before helping to launch the Rapid City Post, Hornick cultivated an impressive and expansive background in Digital Media. His origins began in traditional media. He has lent his editorial expertise to several prominent local publications, holding roles with the Lawrence County Journal, Deadwood Magazine, and Black Hills Woman magazine.
Jerry Steinley
Journalist
Jerry Steinley is a journalist at the Rapid City Post. He has been involved in local journalism since his first "real" job as a reporter at the Meade County Times-Tribune and Black Hills Press in Sturgis, SD, in 1994. Since then he has had the fortune to work as a reporter and editor at the Watertown Public Opinion, an editorial writer, broadcast journalist, and also do a stint in local marketing. Steinley is a Rapid City native.
Gary Matthews
Senior Sturgis Journalist and Broadcaster on KBHB
Gary Matthews works in the News, Programming and Sports department at the Big 81. He is originally from Saratoga, Wyoming and a graduate of Black Hills State University with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Mass Communications. He has received numerous awards and accolades over the years from The Associated Press and received the Tom Brokaw Award in 2018. Gary has loved radio since his childhood, and loves to air Sturgis Scooper sports during the fall and winter. He was inducted into the Sturgis Scooper Hall of Fame in 2025 for his 25 years of broadcasting Sturgis Scooper sports
Francie Ganje
News/AG Desk in Sturgis
Francie Ganje works in News Development and on-air at the Big 81. Her career spans editor, advertising sales management and publishing in the print medium. She is an award winning writer on a state, regional and national level. The South Dakota Press Association, the National Newspaper Association and the National Federation of Press Women have recognized her work in print. Her move to writing for radio programming prompted a popular on-air gig in talk radio, award winning re-enactment programmng development and delivery. She was the producer of the Will Rogers award winning Heritage of the American West Performance Series, featuring performers from across the country in the cowboy western and poetry genres. She also produces the popular Black Hills Stock Show Today, a daily, two hour, live radio program covering all things Stock Show. She is a recipient of the Black Hills Stock AgriBusiness Person of the Year, Who’s Who Women in Business, a Melvin Jones Fellow, Inductee to the South Dakota Country Music Hall of Fame, and has been recognized by the Black Hills Stock Show Foundation, the Livestock Marketing Association, the Livestock Publications Council, the South Dakota Beef Industry Council, the Central States Fair, Inc., the South Dakota Pork Producers Council, the South Dakota Press Association and the National Federation of Press Women.
Mark Houston
Mark Houston is a radio host, producer, writer, and event creator based in Rapid City, South Dakota. If it involves a microphone, a story, or a crowd of people having a good time, chances are he’s had a hand in it.
For more than three decades Mark has worked in media, helping shape one of the most recognizable local media ecosystems in the Black Hills. His work spans six radio stations, multiple podcasts, digital journalism, and large community events that bring thousands of people together every year.
On the air, Mark hosts and produces shows like The Second Shift, the Whiskey@Work podcast, and the Doc Talk podcast with Monument Health. His conversations range from pop culture and weird news to deep dives into whiskey history and approachable discussions with doctors about the topics people actually want to understand about their health. His style leans more toward curiosity than expertise. The goal is simple. Make it interesting. Make it fun. And make people feel like they’re part of the conversation.
Outside the studio, Mark writes for the Rapid City Post, including the restaurant column Taste the Room and the spirits column Distilled, an extension of the Whiskey@Work podcast that focuses on the most fascinating stories, history, and personalities in the world of whiskey.
He’s also deeply involved in producing and promoting community events across western South Dakota. From whiskey festivals and pub crawls to concerts and themed promotions, his focus is simple. Create experiences that feel local, memorable, and just a little unexpected.
At the center of everything he does is a belief that local media still matters. When it’s done right, it doesn’t just entertain people. It helps build the community it serves.
Jakob Kjerstad
Business Journalist
Jakob Kjerstad is a journalist and podcast producer based in Rapid City, South Dakota. His coverage focuses on local business, economic development, entrepreneurship and community growth across Rapid City and the Black Hills region. His work also appears in the Rapid City Post, Rapid City Business Journal and KBHB, where he contributes reporting on business, community news and regional events. In addition to his journalism work, Kjerstad works in podcast production with Homeslice Media Group, helping develop and produce digital audio content across multiple platforms. His work centers on local storytelling, community issues and conversations with business and civic leaders in western South Dakota. Before focusing on local journalism, Kjerstad spent more than 5 years working in unscripted reality television production, contributing to nationally broadcast series including Street Outlaws, Love Is Blind, The Bachelor, MTV’s Catfish and Netflix’s Trainwreck: Balloon Boy. His experience in documentary-style storytelling, field production and real-world narrative development informs his reporting and multimedia journalism today. Kjerstad’s work focuses on connecting audiences with the people, businesses and projects shaping the Black Hills region.
Amy Rose
Broadcaster/Journalist
Amy Rose is a broadcaster and journalist based in Rapid City, South Dakota. She began her career in radio in Tennessee in 2001 working in news. Early in her career, Amy spent many mornings at the local police station reviewing reports and digging through files to write stories that she delivered on air. During that time she also served as a co host on a morning radio show and hosted an AM Southern Gospel program.
Since 2017, Amy has been part of the team at Homeslice Media in Rapid City. She is a co host of The Roadhouse Show, a local morning show in the Black Hills, which airs across two stations. She also hosts The Daily Slice podcast and produces six podcasts that highlight community voices, meaningful conversations and real life stories. In addition to her broadcasting work, Amy writes community focused stories and features for The Rapid City Post.
Amy is known for telling heartfelt stories that highlight the people and moments that make the Black Hills special. Her work focuses on spreading love, laughter, kindness and a strong sense of community through broadcasting, journalism and podcasting.
Outside of the studio, Amy enjoys church, gardening, riding the motorcycle with her future husband Mike, singing and spending time in the Black Hills, where she proudly calls home.
Brandon Jones
Brandon Jones is a host on The Roadhouse and interviews the community for his Brandom Podcast, Viking's Water Cooler Podcast and The Rapid City Post, focusing on local Rapid City people and events.
Zach Cogner
Zac Conger, also known as “Zaccy Moon,” is a broadcast professional, lifestyle and entertainment journalist, and creative force in the Black Hills media and music scene. With over 15 years of experience in the live entertainment industry, Zac has built a reputation as a live performing musician, event DJ, trivia and karaoke host, and promoter of local talent.
Today, Zac covers local lifestyle and entertainment across the region, writing about concerts, theater productions, restaurants, and community events while also hosting two radio shows and contributing to a third. In addition to his broadcast work, he performs in three musical projects—including two bands and a solo act—and produces and edits podcasts, bringing his passion for storytelling and the creative arts to every platform he touches.
Todd Holen National Sales Manager / Advertising
Brad Heid Advertising
Breezy Millar Ag Desk / Advertising
Jordan Pulscher Advertising / KBHB Auction
Shelley Hughes Advertising
Therly Hofmann Advertising
Tyler Kaitfors Advertising
Tanya Wilson Advertising
Russ Hadden Videography/Photography
Scout Wheeler Videography/Photography
Toni Kinney Operations Manager / Traffic Desk
Taryn Edlund Comptroller
Kelsey Kinney Media Placement
Travis Jones Legal
Amber Clement Project Coordinator
Ronna Patterson Operations
Chris Jaques IT Director