Michael Hill, Author at The Rapid City Post

FILE - Tadodaho Sid Hill, takes a break from meetings to pose for a portrait outside of the Onondaga Nation's longhouse, Thursday, Aug. 3, 2023, on the Onondaga Nation territory in central New York. (AP Photo/Lauren Petracca, File)

A sacred lake, a Columbus statue, and an Indigenous people’s long struggle for land

October 11, 2025

Before white settlers came to Onondaga Lake and the city of Syracuse grew along its shore, it was a sacred place for the Onondaga Nation. Now, the Indigenous nation’s leaders are trying to reclaim a small piece of the lake’s shoreline in upstate New York. But after 14 years of talks, the effort is stalled amid issues related to taxes, the lake’s cleanup and most recently a nearby statue of Christopher Columbus. County lawmakers are open to the idea of giving a parcel of land to the Onondaga. But an aide to a county official involved in the discussions recently upset Onondaga leaders by suggesting they drop their opposition to a statue of Columbus that has stood atop a pillar in downtown Syracuse since 1934.

FILE - This image provided by the New York State Attorney General office shows body camera footage of correction officers beating a handcuffed man, Robert Brooks, at the Marcy Correctional Facility in Oneida County, N.Y., Dec. 9, 2024. (New York State Attorney General office via AP, File)

3 former New York prison guards charged in beating death of handcuffed inmate go on trial

October 7, 2025

A prosecutor told a jury that three former upstate New York prison guards on trial in the fatal beating of Black handcuffed inmate were part of a “gang” that took part in an act of of “sheer, unimaginable brutality.” The guards — Mathew Galliher, Nicholas Kieffer and David Kingsley — face murder and manslaughter charges. The incident, captured on body-camera footage, occurred at Marcy Correctional Facility in December. Brooks died from a massive beating that broke his neck and caused brain damage. Defense attorneys argue the prosecution can’t prove malice. Six guards have pleaded guilty already. The case has sparked widespread outrage.

Prosecutor in New York warns of more raids after 57 detained making snack bars

September 9, 2025

Federal prosecutors detained 57 people after a raid on a snack bar plant in upstate New York. Acting U.S. Attorney John Sarcone said Tuesday that five of those detained last week in Cato, New York, face charges for illegally re-entering the U.S. The remaining 52 face deportation proceedings. Most of those detained are reportedly from Guatemala. This raid, one of the largest in New York, coincided with another in Georgia, where 475 people were detained at a Hyundai manufacturing site. Sarcone said employers can expect to be criminally prosecuted if they employ workers without authorization. Factory owners said last week that their employees had legal documentation.

New York City mayoral candidate Andrew Cuomo speaks during a press conference Thursday, Aug. 7, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Judge says Cuomo can’t prolong court battle with accuser to ‘resurrect his public image’

August 26, 2025

Former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s attempt to continue a legal battle involving an ex-aide’s sexual harassment claim has been rejected by a judge. The decision comes a month after New York agreed to pay $450,000 to settle Brittany Commisso’s lawsuit. Commisso alleged Cuomo harassed and groped her while in office. Cuomo, who resigned in 2021, denies the allegations. State Supreme Court Justice Denise Hartman allowed Commisso to drop the suit and denied Cuomo’s motion to release text messages. Cuomo is running for New York City mayor as an independent after losing the Democratic primary to Zohran Mamdani.

Gene and Christine Corrigan stand outside their restaurant, The Lake House Restaurant & Lodge, in Richfield Springs, N.Y., on Friday, July 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Michael Hill)

He earned a small town’s trust. He owed $95 million in what authorities say was a Ponzi scheme

August 16, 2025

A businessman from upstate New York is accused of preying on his neighbors in a massive Ponzi scheme. Burt Marshall in Hamilton, New York, promised clients an 8% annual return on their investments in local rental properties. Marshall filed for bankruptcy protection two years ago, owing nearly 1,000 investors about $95 million. Many victims, including retirees and local workers, lost their life savings. Marshall’s assets, mostly in real estate, were sold in bankruptcy proceedings. Investors are expected to recover only a small fraction of their losses. Marshall pleaded not guilty in June to charges of grand larceny and securities fraud contained in a 49-count indictment.

Father arrested in New York in death of 9-year-old daughter he had reported missing

July 21, 2025

A man whose 9-year-old daughter was found dead after he reported that she was abducted while they were vacationing in upstate New York has been charged with murder. New York State Police Capt. Robert McConnell says Montreal resident Luciano Frattolin, the father of Melina Frattolin, is charged with murder and concealing of a corpse. State Police said Luciano Frattolin reported the girl missing and possibly abducted on Saturday, leading officials to issue an Amber Alert. But authorities said there were inconsistencies in the father’s account, and that they concluded there was no evidence of an abduction. Authorities found the girl’s body on Sunday north of Lake George village.

A Revolutionary War-era boat is being painstakingly rebuilt after centuries buried beneath Manhattan

June 24, 2025

A Revolutionary War-era boat is being reconstructed more than two centuries after being buried deep beneath Manhattan’s expanding shoreline. The New York State Museum in Albany will become a permanent home for the vessel. It was found far below street level in 2010 during construction at the World Trade Center site. Researchers believe it was a gunboat built in 1775 to defend Philadelphia. They don’t know all the places the boat sailed to or why it ended up apparently neglected along the shore of lower Manhattan by the 1790s. Reconstruction is expected to be finished later this month.

An American flag is folded during the interment for World War II U.S. Army Air Forces Staff Sgt. Eugene Darrigan at the cemetery behind St. Mary's church, Saturday, May 24, 2025, in Wappingers Falls, N.Y. Darrigan was buried in his hometown after his remains were recovered from a World War II bomber that crashed into the water off the coast of New Guinea on March 11, 1944. (AP Photo/Heather Khalifa)

WWII bomber crash left 11 dead and ‘non-recoverable.’ Four are finally coming home

May 25, 2025

The World War II bomber Heaven Can Wait was shot down off the Pacific island of New Guinea on March 11, 1944. All 11 men aboard were killed and their remains were presumed lost forever in the vast sea. Yet four crew members are finally coming home, beginning Memorial Day weekend. That’s thanks to a remarkable investigation that located the wreckage. A team of elite Navy divers descended deep underwater in a pressurized bell to reach the sea floor. Internment ceremonies for some of the recovered remains are happening 12 years after a relative of the bombardier on Heaven Can Wait set out to solve the mystery of where the plane went down.

Michael Hill.