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David and Laura Batchelor first met while Dave was attending high school in Hot Springs and Laura was working at Wind Cave National Park as a seasonal concessions employee. Photo on left by Charity Maness/ Fall River County Herald Star

David and Laura Batchelor first met while Dave was attending high school in Hot Springs and Laura was working at Wind Cave National Park as a seasonal concessions employee. Photo on left by Charity Maness/ Fall River County Herald Star

A Valentine’s Day Story:

Charity Maness
Thursday, February 12, 2026
Body HOT SPRINGS – David and Laura Batchelor of Hot Springs have enjoyed more than six decades of love and commitment, creating a life they both dreamed of. Laura (Kriz) grew up on a farm in the small South Dakota town of Geddes, located in Charles Mix County.
After conducting another study recently, officials with the AE2S engineering firm are now recommending that the City of Hot Springs continue to use its existing reservoirs east of town as part of the wastewater treatment facility improvement plan. However, the entire five-mile gravity piping system will need replaced and the lagoons will need to be upgraded in order to provide aerated treatment of the effluent. File photo by Brett Nachtigall/Fall River County Herald-Star

After conducting another study recently, officials with the AE2S engineering firm are now recommending that the City of Hot Springs continue to use its existing reservoirs east of town as part of the wastewater treatment facility improvement plan. However, the entire five-mile gravity piping system will need replaced and the lagoons will need to be upgraded in order to provide aerated treatment of the effluent. File photo by Brett Nachtigall/Fall River County Herald-Star

Preferred wastewater treatment plan now utilizes existing lagoons

Brett Nachtigall
Thursday, February 12, 2026
Body Overall cost is slightly higher but process is simpler, better HOTSPRINGS–Thereis a new preferred alternative for the City of Hot Springs’ planned improvements at the wastewater treatment facility, which should come as good news to those who spoke against the original plan to...
A full house of cracker barrel attendees asked ‘respectful’ questions, as requested by moderator, Brett Nachtigall, publisher of the Fall River County Herald-Star. At the center of the discussion were the District 30 legislators, including Sen. Amber Hulse along with Reps. Tim Goodwin and Trish Ladner. Photo by Beth Bogart/Fall River County Herald-Star

A full house of cracker barrel attendees asked ‘respectful’ questions, as requested by moderator, Brett Nachtigall, publisher of the Fall River County Herald-Star. At the center of the discussion were the District 30 legislators, including Sen. Amber Hulse along with Reps. Tim Goodwin and Trish Ladner. Photo by Beth Bogart/Fall River County Herald-Star

Property tax reform dominates at District 30 Cracker Barrel

Beth Bogart
Thursday, February 12, 2026
Body HOT SPRINGS — The area’s three elected District 30 representatives who serve in Pierre — Sen. Amber Hulse, Rep. Tim Goodwin, Rep.
At its Jan. 12 regular board meeting, the Hot Springs School Board voted unanimously to not offer a second contract to current Superintendent Dr. Kyley Cumbow. She has since stated that their decision came as a shock and that none of the board members spoke to her prior to that meeting to inform her that they were considering not bringing her back next year. Photo by Brett Nachtigall/Fall River County Herald-Star

At its Jan. 12 regular board meeting, the Hot Springs School Board voted unanimously to not offer a second contract to current Superintendent Dr. Kyley Cumbow. She has since stated that their decision came as a shock and that none of the board members spoke to her prior to that meeting to inform her that they were considering not bringing her back next year. Photo by Brett Nachtigall/Fall River County Herald-Star

Hot Springs School Board to do their own recruiting for new superintendent

Brett Nachtigall
Thursday, February 5, 2026
Body Board may reconsider plan in three weeks if they do not have good pool of candidates HOT SPRINGS – The Hot Springs School Board does not plan to use a recruiting firm to help search out and hire the district’s next superintendent – at least not initially.
More than 50 Edgemont area residents gathered at the Senior Citizens Center for an enCore presentation and Dewey-Burdock update on Monday, Jan. 26. Photo by Lance Borde/Fall River County Herald-Star

More than 50 Edgemont area residents gathered at the Senior Citizens Center for an enCore presentation and Dewey-Burdock update on Monday, Jan. 26. Photo by Lance Borde/Fall River County Herald-Star

enCore Energy hosts community gathering in Edgemont last week

Lance Borde
Thursday, February 5, 2026
Body EDGEMONT — Jay Douthit, the vice president of the North projects for the uranium energy company enCore, presented an enCore and Dewey-Burdock update for area residents at the Senior Citizens Center in Edgemont last Monday night on Jan. 26.
A ‘Sidewalk Closed” sign sits on the north end of the downtown suspended sidewalk due to a design flaw that placed a tower directly in the middle of the transition point leading to the regular sidewalk on the west side of North River Street. Photo by Brett Nachtigall/Fall River County Herald-Star

A ‘Sidewalk Closed” sign sits on the north end of the downtown suspended sidewalk due to a design flaw that placed a tower directly in the middle of the transition point leading to the regular sidewalk on the west side of North River Street. Photo by Brett Nachtigall/Fall River County Herald-Star

City reaches settlement in regards to suspended sidewalk design flaw

Brett Nachtigall
Thursday, January 29, 2026
Body HOT SPRINGS – The long-awaited results of negotiations between the City of Hot Springs, the State Department of Transportation, ISG (design firm) and Corr Construction regarding a flaw in the design of the suspended sidewalk’s north end were revealed at last week’s city council...
Major General John Logan and his wife, Mary, are known to locals as Tom and Laura Inman, both of whom have been employed by the South Dakota State Soldiers Home. Photo by Peggy Sanders/FRC Herald-Star

Major General John Logan and his wife, Mary, are known to locals as Tom and Laura Inman, both of whom have been employed by the South Dakota State Soldiers Home. Photo by Peggy Sanders/FRC Herald-Star

Stories from the past celebrated at History Conference

Peggy Sanders
Thursday, January 22, 2026
Body HOT SPRINGS – Last year, the “Focus of Fall River County History Conference” featured Teddy Roosevelt, portrayed by Joe Wiegand.
Hot Springs Police Chief Ross Norton said he is proud of his staff and lower crime rate. Photo by Charity Maness

Hot Springs Police Chief Ross Norton said he is proud of his staff and lower crime rate. Photo by Charity Maness

Year in Review: Hot Springs Police Department

Charity Maness
Thursday, January 22, 2026
Body HOT SPRINGS – The year 2025 saw a fully-staffed Hot Springs Police Department with a lower crime rate, according to Chief of Police Ross Norton. “The trajectory of crime was heading down in 2025,” said Chief Norton, “yet mental health is more of an issue.
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