News

District 30 SD House member Tim Goodwin (left) tells Edgemont Mayor Rheta Reagan, State’s Attorney Lance Russell and Fall River County Commissioner Les Cope about his encouraging conversations with SD Senator John Thune’s office about preventing Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) from closing its railroad yard vital to the town’s economy. Photo by Beth Bogart/Fall River County Herald-Star

District 30 SD House member Tim Goodwin (left) tells Edgemont Mayor Rheta Reagan, State’s Attorney Lance Russell and Fall River County Commissioner Les Cope about his encouraging conversations with SD Senator John Thune’s office about preventing Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) from closing its railroad yard vital to the town’s economy. Photo by Beth Bogart/Fall River County Herald-Star

Optimism energizes new committee to keep BNSF Railroad in Edgemont

Beth Bogart
Thursday, May 8, 2025
Body EDGEMONT — Mayor Rheta Reagan and State’s Attorney Lance Russell began a town hall meeting on Monday afternoon, May 5, in the senior center reporting that they had received no response from letters they had sent to the SD governor, the state’s federal congressional delegation and...
Lauren Cusano of Hot Springs stands next to her daughter Angela, age 4, as their family helps clean up around Brookside Park during this past weekend’s Great American Cleanup. Also helping nearby were Lauren’s husband Eric and their other daughter Isabella. Photo by Brett Nachtigall/Fall River County Herald-Star

Lauren Cusano of Hot Springs stands next to her daughter Angela, age 4, as their family helps clean up around Brookside Park during this past weekend’s Great American Cleanup. Also helping nearby were Lauren’s husband Eric and their other daughter Isabella. Photo by Brett Nachtigall/Fall River County Herald-Star

KHSB hosts successful cleanup

News Staff
Thursday, May 8, 2025
Body HOT SPRINGS – This past weekend, Keep Hot Springs Beautiful hosted a pair of ‘spring cleaning’ events throughout town including its annual Great American Cleanup (GAC).
A 1929 John Deere GP and a 1941 John Deere B hold the Oelrichs Historical Society’s sign advertising their conference on April 13. Photo by Roy Merdanian

A 1929 John Deere GP and a 1941 John Deere B hold the Oelrichs Historical Society’s sign advertising their conference on April 13. Photo by Roy Merdanian

Area history shared at conference

Katie Merdanian
Thursday, May 1, 2025
Body OELRICHS - On Sunday, April 13, history buffs gathered at the Oelrichs High School to learn and share knowledge. The Oelrichs Historical Society has had an annual history conference for over 10 years.
Wildlife photography Dick Kettlewell once again won first place in the Best Photo Series category of the South Dakota NewsMedia Association contest for “Fall River Rhapsody.” Photo by Dick Kettlewell/Fall River County Herald-Star

Wildlife photography Dick Kettlewell once again won first place in the Best Photo Series category of the South Dakota NewsMedia Association contest for “Fall River Rhapsody.” Photo by Dick Kettlewell/Fall River County Herald-Star

FRCHS wins six photography awards

News Staff
Thursday, May 1, 2025
Body ABERDEEN – The Fall River County Herald-Star (FRCHS) received a total of six awards in the annual contest sponsored by the South Dakota NewsMedia Association (SDNA), with all of the awards this year coming in photography categories.
Chemist Dr. Ryan Hayes helps guide a group of young audience members as they create homemade slime while on stage during a Creation Science Symposium held at the Mueller Civic Center and hosted by the Hot Springs Seventh-Day Adventist Church. Photo by Brett Nachtigall/Fall River County Herald-Star

Chemist Dr. Ryan Hayes helps guide a group of young audience members as they create homemade slime while on stage during a Creation Science Symposium held at the Mueller Civic Center and hosted by the Hot Springs Seventh-Day Adventist Church. Photo by Brett Nachtigall/Fall River County Herald-Star

Symposium connects scientific truths with teachings in Bible

Brett Nachtigall
Thursday, May 1, 2025
Body HOT SPRINGS – A message made clear at the end of a presentation to about 80 audience members, including several children, at the Mueller Center last Friday afternoon was that, “life cannot happen on its own. There needs to be a Creator.”
A permanent 400-foot barrier has now been installed along the river channel retaining wall in front of Springs Lodge. Photo by Brett Nachtigall/Fall River County Herald-Star

A permanent 400-foot barrier has now been installed along the river channel retaining wall in front of Springs Lodge. Photo by Brett Nachtigall/Fall River County Herald-Star

First reading of ordinance revision to expand cannabis hours passes unanimously

Brett Nachtigall
Thursday, May 1, 2025
Body HOT SPRINGS – At last week’s April 22 meeting, the Hot Springs City Council unanimously passed the first readings of a pair of ordinance revisions which will allow for the expanded hours of operation of the town’s medicinal marijuana establishment, Dakota Kind.
Linda Heggestad, right, the granddaughter of Florence Mueller, poses with her daughters Amy and Susannah while seated on the Kidney Springs bandstand which her greatgrandfather John Mueller, Sr., originally built and designed. Submitted photo

Linda Heggestad, right, the granddaughter of Florence Mueller, poses with her daughters Amy and Susannah while seated on the Kidney Springs bandstand which her greatgrandfather John Mueller, Sr., originally built and designed. Submitted photo

Mueller great-grandchildren come home to Hot Springs

News Staff
Thursday, May 1, 2025
Body HOT SPRINGS – Three descendents of the Mueller family – Linda Heggestad and her daughters Susannah and Amy of Lexington, Mo. – visited Hot Springs earlier this spring to see where Linda’s grandmother, Florence Mueller, grew up.
FRC court house

FRC court house

Commissioners hear new info about jail costs

Beth Bogart
Thursday, April 24, 2025
Body HOT SPRINGS — The April 17 Fall River County Commission meeting concluded with a lengthy back-and-forth between two experienced jail builders who came toHotSpringstoassessthecounty’s options and the commissioners.
Members of the Fall River Thrift Store board of directors (center) are surrounded by representatives of several area volunteer fire departments, all of whom received checks for at least $1,000 each. In all, the thrift store donated a total of $12,000 to Angostura, Ardmore, Cascade, Edgemont ($2,000), Hot Springs ($3,000), Minnekahta, Oelrichs, Oral and Smithwick. Courtesy photo

Members of the Fall River Thrift Store board of directors (center) are surrounded by representatives of several area volunteer fire departments, all of whom received checks for at least $1,000 each. In all, the thrift store donated a total of $12,000 to Angostura, Ardmore, Cascade, Edgemont ($2,000), Hot Springs ($3,000), Minnekahta, Oelrichs, Oral and Smithwick. Courtesy photo

Fall River Thrift Store striving to make community a better place

Brett Nachtigall
Thursday, April 24, 2025
Body Non-profit organization donates thousands of dollars through retail sale of donated items HOT SPRINGS – Did you know your unwanted clothes and household items can be donated year-round to benefit the community in a variety of different ways?
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